Card reader with spring contacts

• US 5,633,490 A
• Filed: 04/07/1995
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Info Telecom
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Vandenengel, Gerald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US08/418,197
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/441, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/006 the housing being a portable casing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A card reader comprising a housing having a contact surface with a plurality of apertures. A reader circuit is contained within the housing, the reader circuit having a plurality of contact pads, and a plurality of electrical contacts positioned in the housing and at least partially extending into the apertures, wherein each electrical contact comprises a conductive torsion spring that slidably engages one of the contact pads.

Claims

1. A card reader for reading information stored on a card, said reader comprising:

a housing having a contact surface, said contact surface having a plurality of apertures;

a reader circuit contained within said housing, said reader circuit having a plurality of contact pads; and

a plurality of electrical contacts positioned in said housing and at least partially extending into said apertures;

wherein each said electrical contact comprises a torsion spring having a conductive element that slidably engages one of said contact pads; and

wherein each said torsion spring comprises a continuous conductive element having two linear portions joined by a coiled portion, said two linear portions forming an acute angle therebetween when said contact is in an uncompressed state.

2. A card reader according to claim 1 further comprising a display on said housing and connected to said reader circuit.

3. A card reader according to claim 1 wherein said linear portions are movable to be substantially coplanar to thereby place said contact in a compressed state.

4. The card reader of claim 3 wherein said coiled portion of each of said torsion springs extends into one of said apertures, and wherein said linear portions contact one of said pads.

5. The card reader of claim 1 wherein each of said torsion springs protrudes from one of said apertures, and wherein when a smart card is placed against said contacts, said contacts form an electrical connection between said smart card and said reader circuit.

6. The card reader of claim 1 wherein said contact surface further comprises guides protruding from said contact surface to guide said card to position contacts on a surface of said card against said contacts on said contact surface.

7. The card reader of claim 1 wherein said reader includes no rigid surface that is located below said contact surface.

8. The card reader of claim 1 further comprising a switch on an upper surface of said reader and wherein said reader is activated by placing said reader over a smart card and squeezing said reader and said smart card together.

9. The card reader of claim 1 wherein said reader circuit is movable toward and away from said contact surface.

10. The card reader of claim 9 wherein each said electrical contact biases said reader circuit away from said contact surface.

11. The card reader of claim 1 further comprising a writing circuit for writing information onto a smart card.