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AssigneeCompagnie Internationale pour l'Informatique CII-Honeywell Bull (Societe Anonyme)
InventorsBertrand J. C. H. De Pommery, Jean-Paul C. Goupil
Estimating the term…
A connector for a portable object particularly adapted for credit cards having an IC chip thereon comprises an element incorporating a chamber having an opening adapted to receive the portable object along a predetermined direction. Means for grasping the portable object are contained in the chamber and actuable by the displacement of the portable object. The means for grasping the portable object comprises a first jaw and a second jaw formed by a member which is not integral with the element and cooperating with a guiding device such that it is displaced in the chamber along the predetermined direction between a stable idle position close to the opening and an operating position away from the opening. The member is tipped with respect to the portable object between the idle and operating positions. The member comprises an entrainment device disposed to receive an extreme portion of the portable object and for entrainment of the member between idle and operating positions by the sole displacement imparted to the portable object along the predetermined direction. Magnetization means may be included for retaining the jaws in the operating position. At least one of the jaws may include electrical contact elements arranged to make contact with corresponding output terminals on the chip. The electrical contact elements are flexible having one end fixed to the second jaw and its other end free.
A connector adapted to have a portable object having contact terminals on one surface engaged with contact elements within the connector upon insertion of the object therein comprises a case, a chamber within said case, an opening leading to said chamber and adapted to receive said portable object along a predetermined direction, connecting means in said chamber for connecting said contact terminals of said portable object to the contact elements within the connector upon insertion into said chamber, said means adapted to be actuated from a first stable idle position chamber to said opening to a second operating position away from said opening to electrically connect said object to said connector upon displacement of the portable object within the chamber, said connecting means comprising a first jaw, and a second jaw hinged with said first jaw, said contact elements being resilient and having one extremity fixed to said second jaw and its other extremity free, said connecting means further including an abutment on said seond jaw disposed to engage an extreme section of the portable object on insertion thereof into the connector, means for guiding and tipping said second jaw with respect to the portable object as said jaw is caused to be displaced between the said idle and operating positions by insertion of said portable object so as to cause the contact elements of the connector to land onto respective contact terminals of the portable object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.