Self-locking connection device for a card having end contact areas

• US 4,813,879 A
• Filed: 01/20/1988
• Issued: 03/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Souriau & CIE
• Original Assignee: Souriau & CIE
• Inventors: Lenoir, Michel, Thenaisie, Jacky
• Primary Examiner(s): Pirlot, David
• Application Number:
  US07/146,092
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 439/59-62, 439/76, 439/152, 439/260, 439/267, 439/325-328, 439/629-637, 439/70
• US Class Current: 439/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/0825 the ejection arrangement being of the push-push kind
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/085 using an arrangement for locking the inserted card
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam

Abstract

A connector device is provided for receiving a smart card having a plurality of electric contact areas distributed along a forward edge. The device has a reception case having a card introduction passage with a stop limiting insertion of the card. Flexible contact blades are placed so as to bear on the areas and to exert on the card a force tending to move it away from the stop; a resilient bolt is carried by the case and cooperates with a cam formed on the end part of the card. The end part of the card, the cam means and the bolt have a construction such that full insertion of the card and return under the action of the blades cause locking of the card in a set contact position and that a second thrust exerted by the card frees the cam means from the bolt.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising a card having a plurality of electric current contact areas distributed along a forward end edge thereof;

a cam formed on a forward end part of the card; and

a connection device for receiving said card, having;

a reception case defining a card introduction passage limiting insertion of the card to a predetermined extent,

a plurality of flexible electric contact blades carried by said case and located to come into abutting connection with said contact areas before the card is inserted to said predetermined extent and to exert on the card a force tending to move it back away;

a resilient bolt carried by the case and operatively cooperating with said cam;

the cam and the bolt having a construction such that insertion of the card up to an abutment position and return movement of the card by a predetermined extent under the action of the flexible electric contact blades causes locking of the card in a predetermined contact position and so that a second forward movement of the card frees the cam from the bolt.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the passage has a length such that the card comes into its abutment position when a rear end thereof is substantially flush with an entrance of the passage.

3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contact areas are formed at the bottom of parallel grooves provided in the end front edge of the card.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said flexible electric contact blades have a form such that they slide over said areas forwardly and rearwardly of a final contact position thereof in a direction orthogonal to the direction of insertion during the insertion movement of the card so that the movements caused by the connection result in self-cleaning of said areas.

5. An electrical connector assembly including a card having electric contact areas formed on a forward end edge thereof and a connection device adapted to have the card to engage contact elements within said connection device upon insertion of said card into said connection device, wherein said connection device comprises:

a case defining a passage having an introduction opening for insertion of said card into and movement thereof in said case along a predetermined direction with said forward end edge of said card first,

a plurality of flexible electric contact blades each having a first portion secured to said case and an end portion located in said passage in an insertion path of said card for electrical abutting connection with said contact areas upon insertion of said card, said blades being disposed to be engaged and resiliently bent from a first idle position to a second operating position by abutment with respective ones of said contact areas upon forward movement of said card along said predetermined direction beyond a predetermined degree of insertion; and

wherein cooperating locking means on said casing and card includes;

cam means formed on a forward end portion of the card close to said forward edge; and

resilient bolt means having an end connected to said case and a free end arranged to move along camming surfaces of said cam means,

said cam means and bolt means being so constructed and arranged that insertion of the card to an abutment position beyond said predetermined degree of insertion and return movement of the card by a predetermined extent under the action of the flexible electric contact blades cause locking of the card in a predetermined contact position and that a second forward movement of the card frees the cam from the bolt means.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein said bolt means includes:

a crank lever mounted on the case for rotation about a pin of said case perpendicular to an insertion plane of the card, and

a resilient blade having an end anchored to said crank lever, capable of resiliently bending perpendicularly to the insertion plane of the card, on either side of a rest position for an end projection of the resilient blade remote from the anchored end to follow said cam means.

7. A connection device adapted to have a card having electric contact areas formed on a forward end edge thereof to engage contact elements within said connection device upon insertion of said card thereinto comprising:

a case defining a passage having an introduction opening for insertion of said card into and movement thereof in said case in a plane of insertion along a predetermined direction with said forward end edge of said card first,

a plurality of flexible electric contact blades each having a first portion secured to said case and an end portion located in said passage in an insertion path of said card for electrical abutting connection with said contact areas upon insertion of said card, said blades being disposed to be engaged and resiliently bent from a first idle position to a second operating position by abutment with respective ones of said contact areas upon forward movement of said card along said predetermined direction beyond a predetermined degree of insertion; and

resilient bolt means including;

a crank lever mounted on the case for rotation about a pin perpendicular to said plane of insertion, and

a resilient blade having a proximal end anchored to said crank lever, capable of resiliently bending perpendicularly to the insertion plane of the card, on either side of a rest position for a projection of a distal end thereof to move transversely to said plane of insertion,

wherein said bolt means are so constructed and arranged that insertion of the card to an abutment position beyond said predetermined degree of insertion caused by applying a pushing force to said card and return movement of the card by a predetermined extent under the action of the flexible electric contact blades cause rotation of said crank lever in a first angular direction and flexure of said resilient blade from said rest position, then locking of the card in a predetermined contact position by said projection and that a second forward movement of the card from said predetermined degree of insertion causes rotation of said crank lever in a direction opposite to said first angular direction and flexure of said resilient blade from said rest position which frees the card from said projection.