Electrical connector for the simultaneous connection of two superposed smart cards

A smart card connector for connecting to smart cards that have contact pads, comprising a main part which includes an insulative base member and a plurality of contact blades mounted on the base member and having upwardly projecting contact ends, including:

• a second member that lies above said base member and that is at least pivotally coupled about a first axis to said main part to pivot between raised and lowered positions, said second member having lower mounts for mounting one of said cards on a lower surface or said second member;
• said main part having a pair of trunnions lying on said first axis and said second member has a pair of coupling plates with elongated slots that each receive one of said trunnions to allow said second member to slide in first and second directions as well as pivot about said first axis;
• said main part and said second members having locking parts that lock said second member in said lowered position when said lowered second member is slid in said second direction, and that unlock said second member so it can move up when said lowered second member is slid in said first direction;
• said main part includes a cover pivotally connected to said insulative base member, said cover having an insulative cover member and a plurality of contact blades mounted on the insulative cover member and having downwardly projecting contact ends;
• said second member lies between said insulative base member and said insulative cover member, and said second member has upper mounts for mounting one of said cards on an upper surface of said second member.

A method for connecting two smart cards that each have contact pads, to contact blades of a connector, where the connector has a base and has a cover lying over the base and moveable down and up, toward and away from the base, the base and cover having contacts with pad-engaging parts facing respectively upward and downward, including:

• positioning first and second smart cards against lower and upper faces of an intermediate plate device that lies between said base and cover, with contact pads of said first and second smart cards facing respectively downward and upward;
• moving said cover and intermediate plate device downward so said first and second cards press against said pad-engaging parts of said base and cover contacts;
• said intermediate plate device is pivotally coupled to said cover and to said base, and said intermediate plate device is slideable in forward and rearward directions with respect to said cover and base;
• said cover and base have latches, and said intermediate plate device has locks that engage said latches to hold said intermediate plate device and cover in downward positions when the intermediate plate device is slid in a forward direction.