Card detecting connector

• US 6,485,319 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coactive Technologies Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bricaud, HervéGuy, Pizard, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): NASRI, JAVAID H
• Application Number:
  US10/010,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 439/188, 439/630, 200/51.R, 200/51.09, 200/51.1, 235/482, 235/441, 235/492
• US Class Current: 439/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam

Abstract

A connector has an insulative frame (52) and has rows (34, 36) of identical contacts (70) for engaging pads on a smart card, where at least one of the contacts that otherwise could engage a pad, is used to close or open a switch to detect the presence of a smart card.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for making electrical connections with contact pads on the active face of a circuit card, comprising:

an insulative frame with a frame face for substantially engaging said card active face, and a plurality of contacts mounted on said frame and having engaging ends lying above said frame face and being resiliently depressable to positions substantially no higher than flush with said frame face;

a switch that includes an electrically conductive switch blade that is fixed to said frame and that has a first switch branch that lies in engagement with the engaging end of a first of said contacts before said first contact is depressed by a card, with said first contact having a fixed part that is fixed to said frame and a cantilevered free end portion that extends from said fixed part to said engaging end and that is depressable by a card out of engagement with said first switch branch by bending of said cantilevered free end portion.

2. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said contacts are arranged in a plurality of columns that each has at least two of said contacts, with all of said contacts including said first contact, being identical to one another.

3. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said frame has a plurality of slots at said frame face, and a plurality of said contact engaging ends project upward through said slots and each has a free tip;

said frame face has a recess with a bottom wall;

said first switch branch lies in said recess and projects over an end of one of said slots and engages a free tip of said first contact to depress said first contact engaging end slightly while said first contact engaging end remains above said frame face, until said contact engaging end is depressed by a card.

4. The connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said switch blade is in constant engagement with a second of said contacts.

5. An electrical connector for making electrical connections with contact pads on the active face of a circuit card, comprising:

an insulative frame with a frame face for substantially engaging said card active face, and a plurality of contacts mounted on said frame and having engaging ends lying above said frame face and being resiliently depressable to positions substantially flush with said frame face;

a switch that includes an electrically conductive switch blade that is fixed to said frame and that has first and second switch branches that lie in engagement respectively with first and second of said plurality of contacts before said first and second contacts are depressed by a card, with said contact engaging ends being depressable by a card out of engagement with said switch branches to open said switch.

6. The contact described in claim 5, wherein:

said frame has a recess in said frame face;

said switch blade is formed of sheet metal of predetermined thickness and has a fixing part fixed to said frame and lying in said recess, and said first and second branches have branch ends that engage said contacts with said branch ends each lying no higher than the height of said frame upper face.

7. An electrical connector for making electrical connections with contact pads on the active face of a circuit board, comprising:

an insulative frame with a frame face for substantially engaging said card active face, and a plurality of contacts mounted on said frame and having engaging ends lying above said frame face and being resiliently depressable to positions substantially no higher than flush with said frame face;

a switch that includes an electrically conductive switch blade that is fixed to said frame and that has a first switch branch that lies in engagement with the engaging end of a first of said contacts before said first contact is depressed by a card, with said first contact engaging end being depressable by a card out of engagement with said first switch branch;

said frame face faces upwardly and has a recess with a recess bottom wall, and said frame has a post projecting up from said bottom wall;

said switch blade has a mount part with a hole, and said post projects through said hole and has a head that holds said switch blade mount part against said bottom wall, said head having a top lying at about the height of said frame