US 5,231,274 A · Card reader

Abstract

A card reader (2) especially for use in connecting gold plated pads on a subscribers identity module card (4) to respective tin plated pads on a printed circuit board (6) in a car telephone handset, comprises an insulating frame (8) having spigots (26) for fixing it to the circuit board 96), and a metal cover (12). A bar (22) spanning the frame (8) supports contact elements (10) molded thereinto. Each contact element (10) has a 10 contact spring (40) provided with a bowed, gold plated contact surface (5) near its free end for engaging a respective gold plated pad on the card (4), and intermediate its ends, an oppositely bowed, tin plated, contact surface (44) for engaging a respective tin plated pad on the circuit board 96). With the card (4) resting on a ledge (18) in the frame (8), the metal cover (12) is latched to the frame (8) to force the contact surfaces (44 and 50) against their respective pads. The contact springs (40) are so configured that the contact forces (F1 and F2) applied by, and the length of wipe of, the contact surfaces (44 and 50) is appropriate to the plating thereon and the plating on the pads engaged thereby.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A card reader comprising a card support, a set of elongate contact springs and means for pressing contact surfaces of said contact springs into electrical contact with contact surfaces of respective electrically conductive first pads on a card on said card support and with contact surfaces of respective electrically conductive second pads on a circuit board, the contact surfaces of the first pads are of a first material and the contact surfaces of said second pads are of a second material;

each contact spring has a first contact surface of said first material for engaging the contact surface of a respective first pad and a second contact surface of said second material for engaging the contact surface of the respective second pad, said first and second contact surfaces being provided on oppositely directed first and second bights spaced from each other longitudinally of the contact spring so as to provide, in effect, two independent contact springs, one for exerting a first contact force appropriate to said first material, for pressing said first contact surface against the contact surface of said first pad, and the other for exerting a second contact force appropriate to said second material, for pressing said second contact surface against the contact surface of said second pad.

A card reader comprising a card support, a set of contact springs and means for pressing contact surfaces of said contact springs into electrical contact with contact surfaces of electrically conductive first pads on a card on said card support and with contact surfaces of respective electrically conductive second pads on a circuit board;

said card support is in the form of an elongate insulating frame spanned transversely thereof by a support bar and having a peripheral card supporting upper ledge, at least one row of contact springs each having a support portion molded into said bar, the contact springs projecting from the bar in parallel relationship lengthwise of the frame, the frame having means for securing it to the circuit board with a lower face of the frame thereagainst, each contact spring having an upwardly bowed contact surface for engaging a respective one of said first pads and a downwardly bowed contact surface for engaging a respective one of said second pads, said pressing means comprising a cover which can be secured to said frame to press a card on said ledge down against said first contact surfaces thereby to press said second contact surfaces against said second pads.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Card reader

Life of this patent

Card reader

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11