IC card

• US 4,893,001 A
• Filed: 01/17/1989
• Issued: 01/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohkubo, Isao, Aiba, Shintaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellinen, A. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US07/298,295
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/490, 235/492, 361/395, 361/406, 435/59, 435/62
• US Class Current: 235/490
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0047 for reading/sensing record carriers having edge contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09154 Bevelled, chamferred or tapered edge
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09645 Patterning on via walls; Plural lands around one hole
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/098 Special shape of the cross-section of conductors, e.g. very thick plated conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0346 Deburring, rounding, bevelling or smoothing conductor edges
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1327 Moulding over PCB locally or completely
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/403 Edge contacts; Windows or holes in the substrate having plural connections on the walls thereof H05K3/4092 takes precedence

Abstract

A credit card type small thin rectangular IC card has a battery and an IC comprising a CPU, a ROM and a RAM mounted on a flexible printed circuit and bonded within an insulative plastic material. The printed circuit of the card has a plurality of electrode terminals exposed in a parallel array along at least one edge of the card which are adapted to engage contacts of a mating socket. The printed circuit terminals are manufactured by coating copper, nickel and gold over polyamide resin and squeeze finishing the leading edge. The mating socket comprises a general U-shaped frame having a U-shaped channel adapted to receive the IC card and having internal recessed contacts adapted to engage the terminals of the IC card. The contacts extend from an exterior surface of the frame for interconnection with the circuits of a mating device. Downwardly projecting portions thereof are bent at least twice in the portion penetrating the bottom of the frame.

Claims

1. An IC card comprising:

a flat, relatively thin housing having an elongated edge;

a slot formed lengthwise in said edge;

a printed circuit member in said housing generally aligned with said slot;

at least one active device mounted on said printed circuit member;

said printed circuit member having a border region extending into said slot;

said border region providing upper and lower planar surfaces within said slot adjacent to said edge;

a row of spaced terminals on one of said surfaces of said printed circuit member; and

said housing embodying separation walls extending from the sides of said slot to said upper and lower surfaces of said border region of said printed circuit member to support said border region, said separation walls being located between said terminals.

2. The card of claim 1 having a plurality of said active devices directly mounted on said printed circuit member, said devices including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM.

3. The card of claim 1 including:

a second row of spaced terminals on the other of said surfaces of said printed circuit member, said terminals in said two rows being aligned with each other to provide a plurality of pairs of terminals, the terminals of each of said pairs being electrically interconnected.

4. The card of claim 1 in which:

said printed circuit member is a flexible printed circuit.

5. The card of claim 1 in which:

said border region of said printed circuit member is located entirely within said slot.