IC card connector and IC card reader/writer

• US 5,752,841 A
• Filed: 04/11/1996
• Issued: 05/19/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KEL Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: KEL Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hori, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Eugene G.
• Application Number:
  US08/632,335
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 439/62, 439/267, 439/924.1, 439/108, 439/945-947
• US Class Current: 439/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit

Abstract

An IC card connector 10 comprises a grounding contact 13, which touches the surface of an IC card first, and a plurality of data-passing contacts 12, which connect with the surface contacts of the IC card after the grounding contact 13 has touched the surface of the IC card. This contact of the grounding contact 13 prior to the connection of the data-passing contacts 12 is made possible by forming the grounding contact 13 higher than the data-passing contacts 12. In an IC card reader/writer equipped with this IC card connector 10, an IC card inserted into the IC card reader/writer is lowered from above the IC card connector 10, so that the grounding contact 13 touches the lower surface of the IC card first. Through this contact of the grounding contact 13 to the IC card, static electricity over the IC card is discharged before the data-passing contacts 12 connect with the surface contacts of the IC card. In this way, an IC card connector and an IC card reader/writer are realized with capability of removing static electricity from the IC card just before the data-passing contacts of the IC card connector connect with the surface contacts of the IC card.

Claims

1. An IC card reader/writer comprising:

an IC card connector, in which the extruding height of a grounding contact is higher than that of data-passing contacts above the upper surface of a housing, said IC card connector provided in said IC card reader/writer;

a card-transferring mechanism, which transfers an IC card inserted into said IC card reader/writer to a facing position where said IC card is placed facing said IC card connector vertically apart in said IC card reader/writer; and

a raising/lowering mechanism, which transfers either one of said IC card or said IC card connector vertically after said IC card is placed at the facing position, so that said IC card and said IC card connector approach each other;

when said raising/lowering mechanism functions, said grounding contact of said IC card connector touching the surface of said IC card first, and then said data-passing contacts of said IC card connector connecting with a surface contacts of said IC card, whereby reading and writing information in said IC card is made ready.

2. An IC card reader/writer comprising:

an IC card connector, in which a grounding contact and data-passing contacts are retained apart at predetermined distance in a housing, said IC card connector provided in said IC card reader/writer; and

a card-transferring mechanism, which transfers an IC card inserted into said IC card reader/writer laterally in such a way that said IC card approaches said IC card connector from the side of said grounding contact;

through the function of said card-transferring mechanism, said grounding contact of said IC card connector touching the surface of said IC card before said data-passing contacts of said IC card connector connect with a surface contacts of said IC card, whereby reading and writing information in said IC card is made ready.

3. An IC card connector for use in an IC card reader/writer having a raising/lowering mechanism for moving the IC card and the IC card connector relatively together to enable the IC card connector to establish electrical connection with the IC card by contacting surface contacts provided thereon, the IC card connector comprising:

a grounding contact, for touching a surface of said IC card excluding an area of said surface contacts;

a group of data-passing contacts, for connection with said surface contacts;

a housing, which retains said grounding contact and said group data-passing contacts therein and can receive said IC card; and

guiding means in the housing for aligning said surface contacts of said IC card inserted therein and said group of data-passing contacts in face-to-face relation, and spaced apart vertically, and for guiding said IC card connector and said IC card vertically relatively together to connect the group of data-passing contacts with said surface contacts of said IC card during operation of the raising lowering mechanism;

said grounding contact having a greater vertical height than said data-passing contacts so that said grounding contact protrudes vertically beyond said group of data-passing contacts towards the IC card so that during relative movement together, the surface of said IC card excluding the area of said surface contacts is brought into engagement first with said grounding contact and then with said group of data-passing contacts of said IC card connector.

4. An IC card connector for use in an IC card reader/writer having a lateral IC card transferring mechanism for moving the IC card in a lateral direction, edge first, relatively toward the IC card connector to enable the IC card connector to establish electrical connection with the IC card by contacting surface contacts provided thereon, the IC card connector comprising:

a grounding contact, for touching a surface of said IC card excluding an area of said surface contacts;

a group of data-passing contacts, for connection with said surface contacts;

a housing, which retains said grounding contact and said group of data-passing contacts therein and can receive said IC card; and

guiding means in the housing for aligning said surface contacts of said IC card inserted therein and said group of data-passing contacts in lateral, spaced apart relation, and for guiding said IC card edge-first in said lateral direction toward said IC card to connect the group of data-passing contacts with said surface contacts of said IC card during operation of the lateral IC card transferring mechanism, said grounding contact being located laterally beyond said group of data-passing contacts in said lateral direction so that said grounding contact protrudes in said lateral direction towards said edge of the IC card so that during relative movement together, the surface of said IC card excluding the area of said surface contacts is brought edge first into engagement first with said grounding contact and then with said group of data-passing contacts of said IC card connector.

5. An IC card connector according to claim 4 wherein said group of data-passing contacts are arranged in a substantially planar array.

6. An IC card connector according to claim 5 wherein said group data-passing contacts are arranged in a substantially planar array.

7. An IC card connector for use in an IC card reader/writer having a raising/lowering mechanism for moving the IC card and the IC card connector relatively together while located in parallel, spaced apart, face to face relation to enable the IC card connector to establish electrical connection with the IC card by contacting surface contacts provided thereon, the IC card connector comprising:

a grounding contact, for touching a surface of said IC card excluding an area of said surface contacts;

a group of data-passing contacts, for connection with said surface contacts;

a housing, which retains said group of data-passing contacts on a face thereof in substantially planar array perpendicular to a raising/lowering direction and retains said grounding contact protruding in the raising/lowering direction beyond said group of data-passing contacts so that during relative movement together in the raising/lowering direction, the surface of said IC card excluding the area of said surface contacts is brought into engagement first with said grounding contact and then with said group of data-passing contacts of said IC card connector.

8. An IC card connector for use in an IC card reader/writer having a lateral IC card transferring mechanism for moving the IC card in a lateral direction, edge first, relatively toward the IC card connector to enable the IC card connector to establish electrical connection with the IC card by contacting surface contacts provided thereon, the IC card connector comprising:

a grounding contact, for touching a surface of said IC card excluding an area of said surface contacts;

a group of data-passing contacts, for connection with said surface contacts;

a housing, which retains said group of data-passing contacts on a face thereof in substantially planar array parallel to the lateral direction and retains said grounding contact protruding in the lateral direction beyond said group of data-passing contacts so that during relative movement together in the lateral direction, the surface of said IC card excluding the area of said surface contacts is brought into engagement, edge first, with said grounding contact and then with said group of data-passing contacts of said IC card connector.