U.S. patent application number 09/864799 was filed with the patent office on 2001-12-06 for smart card connector with improved contacts.
This patent application is currently assigned to ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.. Invention is credited to Bricaud, Herve G..
Application Number | 20010049231 09/864799 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8850948 |
Filed Date | 2001-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010049231 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bricaud, Herve G. |
December 6, 2001 |
Smart card connector with improved contacts
Abstract
An electrical connector (12B) for connecting to contact pads on
a face of a smart card, where the contact projecting portions (30B)
are shaped to be depressed even when a side edge (100) of a smart
card (C) is inserted laterally (L) into place. The
upwardly-projecting portion of each contact has a first lateral
side (80B) that extends at an incline angle (A) of less than
70.degree., and preferably less than 60.degree., from the
horizontal, along more than half the width of the contact
projecting portion.
Inventors: |
Bricaud, Herve G.; (Dole,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Leon D. Rosen
Freilich, Hornbaker & Rosen
Suite 1220
10960 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles
CA
90024
US
|
Assignee: |
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
8850948 |
Appl. No.: |
09/864799 |
Filed: |
May 23, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/630 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 13/2442 20130101;
G06K 7/0021 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
439/630 |
International
Class: |
H01R 024/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 5, 2000 |
FR |
0007139 |
Claims
1. An electrical connector for connecting to contact pads on a face
of a smart card, which includes an insulative body having a
horizontal upper face and a plurality of contacts mounted on said
body, each contact lying on a vertical centerplane and having first
and second sides on laterally opposite sides of the centerplane,
and each contact having a projecting portion that projects above
said body upper face when a smart card is not present, wherein: the
projecting portion of each contact has a curved top part for
engaging one of said contact pads, and each projecting portion has
a first side that extends at a downward and outward incline, away
from said centerplane, at an angle to the horizontal that is no
more than 70.degree., down to at least about the level of said
upper face.
2. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: said first side of
each contact projecting portion extends at an angle of at no more
than 60.degree. to the horizontal.
3. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: said first side of
each of said contacts extends at an incline of at least 20.degree.
to the horizontal along a majority of the height by which said
pad-engaging portion projects above said upper face.
4. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: the projecting
portion of each of said contacts is nonsymmetrical about the
centerplane of the contact, and each projecting portion has a
second side which is opposite said first side, with said second
side having a smaller vertical height then said first side.
5. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: said curved top part
has a highest point that is offset from said centerplane to lie on
said second side of said centerplane that is opposite said first
side, whereby to allow for a wider first side.
6. The connector described in claim 1 wherein: a lateral direction
is normal to each vertical centerplane, and each vertical
centerplane extends in vertical and longitudinal directions that
are each perpendicular to said lateral direction; and including a
housing which includes said body and a case with a slot that is
open in a first lateral direction, to allow the sideward insertion
of a smart card in a primarily second lateral direction toward said
first sides of said contacts.
7. An electrical connector for connecting to contact pads on a face
of a smart card that has longitudinally spaced front and rear ends
and laterally spaced opposite side edges, where the connector
includes a housing with an insulative body having a horizontal
upper face and with a cover part that lies over said upper face to
form a card-receiving slot between them, wherein said connector
includes a plurality of contacts that each has sections elongated
in longitudinal directions and that each has a projecting portion
that projects above said upper face when a smart card is not
present and that can be resiliently depressed, wherein: said smart
card-receiving slot is open in a first lateral direction which is
perpendicular to said longitudinal directions, to allow insertion
of the smart card in a second lateral direction that is opposite
said first lateral direction; the projecting portion of each of
said contacts has a top and has a first side that is inclined at
least about 60.degree. from the horizontal to extend downward and
in said first lateral direction, to enable one of said side edges
of the smart card to engage said first side of said projecting
portion to depress said projecting portions.
8. The connector described in claim 7 wherein: said plurality of
contacts are arranged in a plurality of columns and rows, wherein
each column consists of two contacts that are longitudinally spaced
apart and that are of about the same shape and oriented so one is
turned 180.degree. about a vertical axis from the other, and both
have a first side inclined about 45.degree. from the horizontal to
extend downward and in said first lateral direction.
9. The connector described in claim 7 wherein: said contacts each
have a centerplane, with a majority of the length of each contact
being strip-shaped and with the centerplane lying halfway between
opposite sides of the strip shape, but with said projection being
nonsymmetric about said centerplane in that a top of each contact
projecting portion lies on a second side of the centerplane that is
opposite said first side of said projecting portion.
10. An electrical connector for connecting to contact pads on a
face of a smart card, wherein the connector includes a housing
having an insulative body with a horizontal upper face and a cover
lying over said upper face to hold down a smart card, and a
plurality of contacts mounted on said body with each contact being
in the form of a strip of sheet metal having a projecting portion
extending in a loop that is curved about a lateral axis and above
said body upper face when a smart card is not present, with said
contacts arranged in two laterally extending rows and with one
contact in each row being longitudinally spaced from a contact in
the other row, wherein: each of said contacts has a top part for
engaging one of said contact pads, and each contact has a first
lateral side facing upwardly and in a first lateral direction to be
depressed by a smart card side edge that moves primarily in a
second lateral direction that is opposite said first lateral
direction, across said first sides of said contacts, with said
cover permitting such movement of a smart card side edge primarily
in said second direction; said first sides of said contacts each
has a card-edge engaging surface for engaging a card-edge moving in
said second lateral direction, that extends at an angle of at least
20.degree. to the vertical.
11. The connector description in claim 10 wherein: each of said
contacts first side card-edge engaging surfaces extends at an angle
of at least 30.degree. to the vertical along a majority of the
height of said projecting portion, down to the level of said upper
face.
12. The connector described in claim 10 wherein: each of said
contacts has a vertical centerplane which is normal to said lateral
direction, and said top part of each contact is offset from said
centerplane to lie on a side of said centerplane that is opposite
said first side.
13. A contact for use in an electrical connector that receives a
smart card, comprising: a strip of sheet metal that has
laterally-spaced opposite sides and that has a section that is
elongated in a longitudinal direction and that has a vertical
centerplane that is normal to lateral directions, said section
forming a curved projecting portion that is curved about lateral
axes to form a curved top for engaging the card, and said curved
projecting portion having first and second laterally opposite sides
lying on laterally opposite sides of said top part, said first side
extending at an angle of about 45.degree. to the vertical.
14. The contact described in claim 13 wherein: said upper section
is nonsymmetrical about said centerplane, in that said first side
has a greater width than said second side.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] Applicant claims priority from French application 0007139
filed Jun. 5, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Smart cards, which are all of about the same thickness as a
credit card and of about the same or smaller width and length, have
contact pads on one face. A smart card reader includes a connector
with an upper face and with contacts having projecting portions
that project above the upper face. A cover holds down a smart card
close to the upper face, so the projecting portions of the contacts
engage the contact pads of the card.
[0003] The smart card has a longitudinal (front-to-rear) length
longer than its lateral width. In prior connectors the card is
intended to be inserted with its longitudinal front edge being the
leading edge that depresses the curved projecting portions of the
contacts. A connector of simple design and small size, which
enabled more versatile insertion of the card, would be of
value.
[0004] It is noted that connectors with depressable contacts are
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/741,640 filed Dec.
19, 2000, and owned by the assignee of the present application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,
an electrical connector is provided for connecting to contact pads
on a face of a smart card, which enables lateral sideward movement
of a smart card into the connector. The connector includes a body
with contacts arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, with
each row extending laterally and each column extending
longitudinally, with two contacts in each column. The contacts,
which are formed of sheet metal, each has an upper section with a
projecting portion that is bent into a long loop that is curved
about lateral axes. As a result, if a front edge of a card in
inserted to slide closely over the upper edge of the connector
body, then the front face will easily depress the contacts.
Applicant constructs the contacts so a card can be inserted
laterally wherein its side edge moves laterally across the contacts
while reliably depressing them, as well as the card being inserted
longitudinally.
[0006] Each contact is formed of a strip of sheet metal and lies on
a vertical centerplane that bisects most of the strip. The
projecting portion of each contact has a curved top part for
engaging a card pad, and has a lateral first side that extends at
an incline so it extends downwardly and away from the centerplane,
down to at least about the upper surface of the connector body. The
incline angle is less than 70.degree. and preferably less than
60.degree. from the horizontal, so a card that slides in a second
lateral direction over the body upper face, will reliably depress
the contacts.
[0007] Each projecting portion is preferably nonsymmetric about the
centerplane. The nonsymmetry results in a second side of the
contact projecting portion, having a smaller lateral width than the
first side, and with the top that engages the card being offset
from the centerplane and lying on the second side of the
centerplane. This results in a greater lateral width of the first
side so it can extend at a smaller angle to the horizontal for a
given available width for the contact.
[0008] The novel features of the invention are set forth with
particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best
understood from the following description when read in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an isometric top view of a connector of the type
described in earlier patent application Ser. No. 09/741,640 filed
Dec. 19, 2000.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a top view of the connector of FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the connector of FIG. 2.
[0012] FIG. 4 is an isometric top view of the body of the connector
of FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 5 is an isometric bottom view of the body of the
connector of FIG. 1, with the body shown upside down.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2.
[0016] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of one of the contacts of the
connector of FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of another form of contact that
can be used instead of the one in FIG. 8.
[0018] FIG. 10 is an isometric top view of the connector of the
present invention, wherein the connector has three pairs of
contacts.
[0019] FIG. 11 is an isometric top view of the connector of FIG.
10, taken along arrow F11 of FIG. 10.
[0020] FIG. 12 is a simplified view of the connector of FIG. 10,
shown in a case of a read-write device, and showing a smart card
partially inserted into the case.
[0021] FIG. 13 is a bottom isometric view of the connector of FIG.
10.
[0022] FIG. 14 is a top view of the connector of FIG. 10.
[0023] FIG. 15A and 15B are side views, with partial cutaways,
respectively taken along arrows F15A and F15B of FIG. 14.
[0024] FIG. 16 is an end view taken along arrow F16 of FIG. 14.
[0025] FIG. 17 is an isometric side view of a contact of a
connector of FIGS. 10-16.
[0026] FIG. 18 is an isometric side view of another contact of the
connector of FIGS. 10-16, with the contacts of FIGS. 17 and 18
being a pair of longitudinally-space contacts.
[0027] FIGS. 19 and 20 are isometric views taken along arrows F19
and F20 of FIGS. 17 and 18, and showing the opposite sides of the
contacts.
[0028] FIG. 20A is a sectional view taken on line 20A-20A of FIG.
11.
[0029] FIGS. 21 and 22 are isometric bottom views taken along
arrows F21 and F22, respectively, of FIGS. 19 and 20.
[0030] FIG. 23 is a top isometric view of a connector of another
embodiment of the invention, wherein the connector is thin.
[0031] FIG. 24 is an opposite side isometric view of the connector
of FIG. 23.
[0032] FIG. 25 is a simplified view of a casing with the connector
of FIG. 23 mounted therein, and showing how a card can be inserted
into the casing.
[0033] FIG. 26 is a bottom isometric view of the connector of FIG.
23.
[0034] FIG. 27 is plan view of the connector of FIG. 23.
[0035] FIG. 28 is a side elevation view of the connector of FIG.
23, with a portion being cut away.
[0036] FIG. 29 is an end view of the connector of FIG. 23.
[0037] FIG. 30 is a side isometric view of a contact of the
connector of FIG. 23.
[0038] FIG. 31 is a side isometric view of another contact of the
connector of FIG. 23, with the contacts of FIGS. 30 and 31 being a
pair of longitudinally-spaced contacts.
[0039] FIGS. 32 and 33 are opposite side isometric views of the
contacts of FIGS. 30 and 31.
[0040] FIG. 34 is a top view of the contact of FIG. 33.
[0041] FIG. 35 is a side elevation view taken on line F35 of FIG.
34.
[0042] FIG. 36 is an end view taken on line F36 of FIG. 34.
[0043] FIG. 37 is a sectional view taken on line 37-37 of FIG.
34.
[0044] FIG. 38 is a plan view of a contact of still another
embodiment of the invention.
[0045] FIG. 39 is a side elevation view taken on line F39 of FIG.
38.
[0046] FIG. 40 is a view taken along line F40 of FIG. 38.
[0047] FIG. 41 is a sectional view on line 41-41 of FIG. 38.
[0048] FIG. 42 shows a first step during the insertion of a card
into a connector of still another embodiment of the invention.
[0049] FIG. 43 shows a second step during the insertion of a card
of FIG. 42.
[0050] FIG. 44 is a schematic plan view indicating the process for
blanking and forming into strips, contact blades of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0051] FIGS. 1-10 show a connector and contacts of the construction
presented in earlier U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/741,640
filed Dec. 19, 2000.
[0052] The connector 10 includes a body 12 of insulating material
which is molded, and a plurality of contacts 14 that are mounted in
the body. The contacts are arranged in two rows that each extends
in a lateral L direction, with each row in the illustrated
connector including four contacts. Two contacts of the two rows
that are substantially aligned in a longitudinal M direction form a
pair. This arrangement mimics the contact pads of a smart card
constructed in accordance with PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory
Card International Association), wherein the contact pads are
arranged in two rows.
[0053] The body 12 is the general shape of a parallelepiped and has
a horizontal upper face 16 and a horizontal lower face 18. The body
has laterally spaced opposite sides 20 and longitudinal-spaced end
faces 22. The body of FIG. 1 has eight cavities 24 that are each
designed to hold one of the contacts. Each cavity opens vertically
upward from the upper face 16 and vertically downward from the
lower face 18.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 4, each cavity 24 has opposite sides 27
that extend up to the upper face 16 and that form an upper edge 26
of the cavity. FIG. 5 shows that a partition 28 forms the end of
each cavity 24 which is closest to the other cavity of the pair. As
shown in FIG. 8, each contact extends in the longitudinal direction
M and has a vertical centerplane PL, with the contact of FIG. 8
being symmetric about its vertical centerplane.
[0055] FIG. 6 shows that each contact 14 has a projecting portion
30 that projects above the upper face 16 of the body when a smart
card is not present. The projecting portion is in the form of a
spoon, in that it is curved about both lateral and longitudinal
axes of curvature.
[0056] Forward and rearward longitudinal directions F1, R1 are
designated for one row of contacts, with forward and rearward
longitudinal directions F2, R2 being designated for the other row.
Each contact has an approximately horizontal nose 32 lying rearward
of the projecting portion 30 to limit upward movement of the
projecting portion 30 and thereby fix its height above the upper
face 16. Each contact also has a termination end or tail 34 which
extends rearwardly beyond the corresponding end face 22 of the
body. The lower face of the tail lies in the plane of the lower
face 18 of the body, and can be soldered to a conductive trace on a
circuit board (not shown).
[0057] The contact includes a central linking part 38 with a lower
branch 40 that extends longitudinally, an upward branch 42, and an
approximately 180.degree. loop or central bend 44. This forms the
linking part as a U laid on its side, and forms an acute angle
between the lower and upper branches 40, 42.
[0058] Each contact is formed of a strip of sheet metal having a
width that is a plurality of times its thickness and with most of
the length being of about the same width. The bend at 44 results in
a contact of relatively short longitudinal length but with high
resilience due to the bend. The length of the projecting portion 30
in the longitudinal direction M is a plurality of times the lateral
width of the projecting portion. The top of the projecting portion
projects above the body upper face 16 by about the width of the
contact.
[0059] FIG. 2 shows that the lateral distance D separating the
vertical centerplane of a contact from the side face 20 is one-half
the pitch P that separates adjacent contacts. This allows two
connectors to be mounted side-by-side to form a connector with
twice the number of contacts. It is noted that each side face 20
has a recess 21 where any flash, molding gates, or other
irregularities lie.
[0060] FIG. 8 shows that each contact has a mounting portion 46
formed along the lower branch 40, with the mounting portion having
a greater width than the rest of the lower branch. The mounting
portion has a hole 45 that can receive a nose 32 when the
projecting portion 30 is depressed. The mounting portion has a
harpoon 48 on one lateral side of the middle and a stabilizing tab
50 on the other lateral side. The harpoon 48 and tab 50 slide into
slots 52 (FIG. 5) and 54 in the body. FIG. 4 shows that each cavity
has an open end extending into an end face 22, and forms a slot 60
opening to the upper face 16 for the projecting portion of the
contact to project above the upper face of the body. Each slot has
a front edge 62 furthest from the corresponding body end face and
has another edge 64 at a crosspiece 66 of the body. As shown in
FIG. 6, the crosspiece 66, which has a beveled edge 68, also forms
a stop 70 that limits upward movement of the nose 32 of the
contact. The contact is formed so the nose 32 presses from the
against the stop 70 to slightly prestress the contact in its
initial position before it is depressed by a smart card.
[0061] FIG. 9 shows another contact, where the termination tab or
tail 34A is short. This construction allows the tails 34A to be
located entirely inside the connector to reduce the longitudinal
dimension of the connector.
[0062] The connector and contacts of FIGS. 1-9 permit a smart card
to be slid in a longitudinal M direction across the contacts while
depressing them, until the card is in its final position, where its
contact pads are engaged by the contacts. FIG. 2 shows the
longitudinal direction of sliding indicated by arrow I. Because of
the fact that the projecting portion 30 of each contact has a
considerable length in the longitudinal direction M, the front (or
rear) edge of the inserted card can readily depress the projecting
portions of the contacts, which extend at small angles to the
horizontal so they are easily depressed. For example, in FIG. 6,
the opposite ends of the projecting portions 30 of each contact
extend at 30.degree. to 40.degree. from the horizontal, so they are
readily depressed by the leading edge of a card that moves along
the upper face 16 of the body. The contacts are not designed for a
card insertion in a lateral L direction (FIG. 1). This is because
the leading side edge of the card would encounter a side of the
projecting portion of each contact which does not extend down to
the level of the body upper face 16. Also, the bottom of the side
of each contact, extends at a large angle to the horizontal so the
contact is likely to be damaged by inelastic deformations in the
lateral direction instead of being depressed by the card side
edge.
[0063] In accordance with the present invention, applicant
constructs the contacts to allow sideward or lateral L insertion of
a smart card while assuring that the contacts will be depressed by
the side edge of the card instead of being damaged by it.
Applicant's FIG. 10 shows a connector 10B with a body 12B and with
contacts 14B of a new design that is shown in FIGS. 10-22. The
contact has a projecting portion 30B with a top or upper part at S
that is convexly curved about two horizontal axes and the contact
has first and second opposite sides 80B, 81 extending downwardly
and laterally from the top S.
[0064] Each contact has a top line portion 88, flat first side
portion 82 and curved first side portions 84, 86.
[0065] As shown in FIG. 20A, the first side 80B of the projecting
portion extends at an angle A to the horizontal, of about
45.degree., with its lower end 92 lying no higher than the upper
face 16 of the body 12B. That is, in the undeflected contact
position, the lower end should lie no higher above the upper face
16 than 10% of the projection height H, and preferably no higher
than a position even with the upper face 16. As a result, a lower
corner 102 of a leading side edge 100 of a smart card C can be
inserted in a lateral direction, and it will slide along the first
side 80B while depressing it to a level where the top part S is
only slightly above the upper surface of the body. It is noted that
a housing or case 94 on which the connector is mounted, has a cover
95 that holds down the card against the upper biasing force of the
contacts. The card can move up against the cover, so that the top
part S of each contact lies above the upper face 16 by the amount
that the card moves up until it contacts the cover.
[0066] The contact has a centerplane AL that is normal to the
lateral direction L. Most of the contact is symmetrical about that
centerplane. That is, each contact such as shown in FIG. 19, has
its mounting portion 46B, lower branch 40B, center loop 44B, upper
branch 42B, and nose 32 symmetric about the centerplane. However,
the projecting portion 30B is not symmetric about the centerplane
AL. Instead, FIG. 20A shows that the top part S lies on the second
side of the centerplane. This results in a longer first side 80B,
so the first side can extend at a smaller angle A to the horizontal
within the given width of the contact.
[0067] In FIG. 20A, the first side 80B extends at an angle A of
about 45.degree. to the horizontal. If the angle A exceeded about
70.degree., then there would be a danger that the card leading edge
corner 102 would damage the contact instead of depressing it. If
the angle A were made smaller, than depressing of the contact would
be assured with a lower insertion force, but the projecting portion
of the contact would either have to be wider or not as tall. As a
practical matter, if the angle is less than an angle B of about
20.degree., then the projecting portion of the contact will have to
project a small distance above upper face 16 or will have to be
very wide, in order than the lower edge 92 of the first side lie at
or below the level of the upper face 16. As shown in FIG. 10, the
first side 80B is generally in the form of a planar surface that
extends at an incline of about 45.degree. to the horizontal and to
the vertical. The second side 81 (FIG. 20A) of each contact extends
only a short distance in the second direction D2 away from the top
part S, while the first side 80B extends a long distance in the
first direction D1 from the top part S.
[0068] The nonsymmetrical shape of the projecting portion results
in the need for two type of contacts. FIGS. 19 and 20 show that the
two types of contacts are mirror images of each other and are not
identical. The width of each contact is about 1.2 mm and the offset
of the top S from the centerplane AL is about 0.25 mm. FIG. 20A
shows that the lower edge 92 of the second side of each contact
projecting portion lies above the upper face 16 of the body.
[0069] FIG. 12 shows the connector 10B mounted in a case to form a
cover over the upper face of the connector body 12B. The case has a
slot 96 that opens in a rightward or first lateral direction D1, so
a smart card C can be inserted laterally L in a second direction D2
into the slot. The card depresses the projecting portions of the
contacts and allows them to engage contact pads P on the lower face
of the card. The angle of the first face 80B of each contact from
the horizontal is about 45.degree., so the contacts are readily
depressed. The design of the contacts allows the card to be
inserted in three different directions into the slot 96. The
directions are the second lateral direction D2, and each of two
opposite longitudinal M directions. Only an insertion of the card
in the first lateral direction D1 is not allowed. The ability to
insert the card in a lateral direction can have advantages for the
card which has a longer length in a longitudinal direction than its
width in a lateral direction. The slot that receives the card can
have a smaller depth.
[0070] FIGS. 23-33 show another connector 10C which is similar to
that of FIGS. 10-22, but with the connector being of the thin type
that does not have a 180.degree. bend. The simple elongated
contacts of the connector 10C are often called "cross" contacts
because of the lack of a 180.degree. bend. Each of the contacts 14C
has a projecting portion 30C which is of the same shape as those of
the connector of FIGS. 10-22. FIGS. 32 and 33 show the shape of the
second side of the contacts 14C, while FIGS. 30 and 31 show the
shape of the first side of each contact.
[0071] FIGS. 38-41 show another contact 14D wherein the projecting
portion 30D of each contact is offset from the centerplane AL of
the contact. It can be seen from FIG. 38 that the first side 80D of
the projecting portion projects beyond the first side of the
section 40D of the contact. Such projection to one side allows the
first side 80D to project below the upper face of the body and have
its top S extend a considerable distance above the body upper face,
while the first side 80D extends at a moderate angle such as
45.degree. to the horizontal.
[0072] One can compare FIG. 38 to FIG. 34, to see that the contact
of FIG. 38 has its projecting portion first side 80D extending
considerably to the first side while its opposite or second side
does not extend beyond the width of the section 40C. This is
different from the contact of FIG. 34 where the first and second
sides both project slightly beyond the narrowest part of the
contact.
[0073] FIGS. 42 and 43 show another way for insertion of a card
into a case of a housing that includes the connector of the present
invention. The card C is initially inserted as shown in FIG. 42, at
an acute angle to the horizontal upper face 16E of the body 12E.
Then, as shown in FIG. 43, the card is slid in a second direction
D2. During such sliding, the lower corner 102 of the card side edge
100 may depress the contacts. Since the card extends at an angle to
the upper face, the contacts will be easily depressed by the
card.
[0074] FIG. 44 shows a portion of a piece of sheet metal which has
been blanked to form contacts 14. The portions at 30 that are to
form the projecting portions, can lie side-by-side to reduce the
amount of metal that is used. Only the center band, at B' is gold
plated. It is possible to have projecting portions 30 that are much
wider, and to allow both first and second opposite sides of the
projecting portions extend at a downward incline to below the upper
face of the body. However, this requires greater spacing between
contacts.
[0075] While terms such "horizontal" and "vertical" have been used
to help describe the invention as it is illustrated, it should be
understood that the connector can be used in any orientation with
respect to Earth.
[0076] Thus, the invention provides a connector and a housing that
holds the connector, which allows a smart card to be inserted with
its side edge forming the leading edge, and generally which also
allows the card to be inserted in a longitudinal direction. The
connector includes an insulative body with a horizontal planar
upper face and a plurality of contacts. The projecting portion of
each contact has a curved top part and has a first side that
extends at a moderate to small angle to the horizontal. The first
side, which is engaged by the side edge of the laterally inserted
card, extends at an incline of less than 70.degree. and at least
20.degree. to the horizontal upper surface of the body, and
preferably between 60.degree. and 30.degree. to the horizontal
upper surface. This angle occurs between a lower first side
location that is at about the same height as the body upper
surface, and along a majority of the height of the projecting
portion. The incline of no more than 70.degree. to the horizontal,
and preferably no more than 60.degree. to the horizontal,
preferably continues along the entire height of the first side of
the projecting portion, since the angle decreases to zero at the
top of the projecting portion. Each of the projecting portions is
preferably nonsymmetrical about the centerplane of the contact, to
provide a greater width along which the first side extends at a
downward and outward (away from the centerplane) incline. The
connector is mounted on or is part of a housing that includes a
cover that holds down the smart card and that forms a slot that is
open at a first lateral side of the housing for insertion of the
smart card in a second lateral direction into the slot.
[0077] Although particular embodiments of the invention have been
described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that
modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in
the art, and consequently, it is intended that the claims be
interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.
What is claimed is
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