IC card processing apparatus having a unique contact member

An IC card processing apparatus having a frame formed with a slot for receiving an IC card, and a contact element block formed in said frame and having a plurality of contact elements on one side surface thereof to respectively come into contact with a plurality of external terminals of the IC card received in said frame, wherein

• said contact element block is supported by said frame through a support member so as to be movable perpendicularly to a surface of the IC card received through said slot, translatable perpendicularly to the surface of the IC card along an axis extending through a center of said contact element block, and swingable about an axis located on the axis extending through the center of said contact element block and horizontal when seen from a receiving direction of the IC card, so that when the IC card is received through said slot, a surface of the IC card which is to be brought into contact through contacts and a surface of said contact element block where said contact elements are attached become substantially parallel to each other, and
• said support member comprises a support portion for supporting said contact element block to be swingable with respect to one surface of the IC card, and a movable member, which moves upon reception of an insertion force of the IC card and which comes into contact with an opposite surface of said contact element block at a position on a line substantially perpendicularly intersecting one surface of said contact element block and extending through substantially a center of said contact element block, when at least one surface of the IC card comes into contact with said contact elements, to regulate said contact element block to swing about the abutting position as a center.