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AssigneeCompaganie Internationale pour l'Informatique CII-Honeywell Bull (Societe Anonyme)
InventorsBertrand J. C. H. de Pommery, Gerard L. R. Petiot, Jean-Claude E. Vergne, 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 engage with contact elements within the connector upon insertion therein comprising a case, a chamber within said case, an opening leading into said chamber and adapted to receive said portable object along a predetermined direction, connecting means in said chamber for electrically connecting said portable object upon insertion into said chamber, said connecting means including electrical contact elements disposed to be actuated from a first stable idle position of the connecting means to a second operating position of the connecting means to cause landing of said contact elements on respective contact terminals and establish an electrical connection therebetween upon displacement of the portable object within the chamber, each of said contact elements being flexible and having, respectively, one fixed extremity affixed to said connecting means and one free contact extremity directed towards said opening, the free contact extremity being positioned to engage its respective contact terminal on the object upon the object being inserted into the chamber, and the contact element being formed to flex upon such engagement such that the free contact extremity moves in an opposite direction to the direction of insertion of the object and such that the relative movement between the free contact extremity and the respective contact terminal is greater than said displacement of the portable object within the chamber after landing of the contact element on the respective contact terminals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.