Abstract:
A smart card connector adapted to receive and place a smart card in a reading position is disclosed. The smart card connector comprises a contact support; a plurality of reading contacts attached to the contact support at a terminating end thereof, each of the reading contacts comprising a contact bulge for contacting a contact pad of the smart card and at least one control bulge for pivoting the contact bulge into contact with the contact pad of the smart card; a sliding element slidably mounted in the contact support so as to be movable between an initial position and an end position, the sliding element comprising a contact actuating member that engages the at least one control bulge as the sliding element moves toward the end position and presses the contact bulge against the contact pad of the smart card as the smart card reaches its reading position.

Description:
This application is a National Phase of PCT/EP2006/012396 filed 21 Dec. 2006, which claims priority to DE 10 2005 061 641.0 filed 22 Dec. 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a smart card connector having a contact support within which contact elements are arranged. Said contact elements will contact the contact pads of a smart card at the time the smart card (or chip card, in the following short “card”) is inserted into the smart card connector. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Smart card connectors with contact elements that contact the contact pads of a smart card at the time the smart card is inserted into the smart card connector are well known. By way of example., attention is drawn to the following documents:
         DE 101 29580   DE 3931 508   GB 2198 595       

     With such known smart card connectors, different problems occur. For example, if a smart card conector is frequently used, deteriorations of the contacts occur, a situation which has as a consequence, that the number of insert cycles is small. A further problem of smart card connectors of the known design is that if inserting the smart card into the smart card reader scratches will occur which are caused by the contact elements of the smart card connectors on the contact surfaces or contact pads of the smart card. 
     Inasmuch as the present invention relates in particular to the design of the reading contact elements, said reading contact elements will be referred to in the following description simply by “reading contacts”. 
     It is noted, that known smart card connectors have relatively large dimensions and use a plurality of individual components like a card sled or reciprocally mounted card receiving space. Another problem with smart card connectors is the low safety against intrusions. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention a smart card connector is designed such, that the disadvantages of the prior art are avoided. 
     The invention provides a smart card connector adapted to receive and place a smart card in a reading position. The smart card reader comprises a card support and least one—preferably a plurality—of long reading contacts. Each of said reading contacts has a first end (mounting end) and a second end (free end). Each of said reading contact elements comprises for contacting a contact pad or contact zone of the smart card, a contact bulge and at least one control bulge for pivoting the reading contacts by means of a reciprocally mounted sliding element arranged in the contact support moveable between an initial position and an end position, such, that the contact bulges contact one contact pad of the smart card shortly before the reading position (card abutment) is reached. The sliding element preferably comprises contact element actuating surfaces formed by depressions which can be brought into engagement with control bulges, such, that the contact bulge(s) of the reading contact(s) are pressed against the contact pads shortly prior to reaching the reading position. 
     In the following the invention will be described referring to a reading contact. As it is clear to the skilled person, in general a plurality of reading contacts are provided in a smart card connector. A smart card connector is described referring to the drawing for an embodiment having six reading contacts. 
     Besides the reading contacts, the smart card connector is frequently equipped with other contact elements serving different purposes e.g. the smart card connector can be provided with a card presence switch or an end position switch. 
     In accordance with a design of the present invention the reading contacts are all mounted with their mounting ends in the contact support, preferably by pressing said reading contact elements into the contact support. 
     The sliding element is movably mounted in the contact support such, that the sliding element is slidably moved (by the card) preferably only approximately on the last two millimeters prior to the abutment of the card at the contact support. The sliding element by its sliding movement and by means of an inclined surface activates the control bulges of the reading contacts. In this process the sliding element is moved within the smart card connector to a degree that the control bulges of the contact element come into abutment on a planar (flat) abutment surface formed on the sliding element. At the time the reading contacts are placed with their control bulges on said flat abutment surface of the sliding element, the reading contacts do not develop an ejection component (movement), i.e. the reading contacts do not press the inserted smart card into the direction of ejection. In this condition, in which the control bulges are placed on the planar abutment surface of the sliding element, the contact bulges of the reading contacts contact the contact pads of the smart card. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention the smart card connector comprises a cover preferably in the form of a resilient metal cover. This resilient metal cover is placed on the upper surface of the contact support and is preferably mounted thereto by snap means. Because the cover for the contact support is designed as a resilient metal cover the tolerances of the card are of no significance in the contact situation. 
     Another advantage caused by the use of the resilient metal cover is that it can be designed to act as a card brake. Moreover, the resilient metal cover allows a flat design for the smart card reader. 
     Each of the reading contacts comprises at a first end and a second end. The first end is a termination or mounting end or section. The second or free end is a contact section or contact end. The termination section in turn comprises a mounting section for anchoring the contact end at the contact support and further, protecting therefrom, a termination tongue. The termination sections of preferably all reading contacts are fixedly mounted at the contact support by means of the connecting sections and they are preferably pressed into the contact support. The second ends or contact ends of preferably all reading contacts project outwardly. In this manner, all reading contact terminations, i.e. the termination tongues of the reading contacts are arranged opposite to the card insert slot side. 
     So as to make it possible to safely press the reading contacts into the contact support, the reading contacts are provided preferably in their mounting sections with harpoon-like projections. 
     Because the metal cover abuts in a resilient condition onto the upper surface of the contact support, the metal cover will act as a brake at the time the smart card is inserted. This breaking effect makes it impossible that the smart card is ejected out of the smart card connector by means of the reset springs of the sliding element. Alternatively, the metal cover can be biased or moved by its resiliency towards the card support surfaces such, that the metal cover is spaced from the card abutment or support surfaces by a distance which is smaller than the thickness of the card. 
     The invention provides a smart card connector which features reading contacts which will land on the contact surfaces of the smart card without creating an ejection component. Preferably, the metal cover serves as card brake and causes a reduction of tolerances or a balance of tolerance. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages, objects and details of the invention can be gathered from the description of an embodiment which is shown in the drawing: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective top plan view of the upper surface of a contact support of a smart card connector shown in its entirety in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective top plan view of the contact support of  FIG. 1  seen from a different direction. 
         FIG. 3  the top plan view of the contact support with the smart card being inserted but not having reached its reading position and also without the use of a cover as is shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective top plan view of the bottom side of the contact support as is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective top plan view onto a sliding element as it is shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , a sliding element which is reciprocally mounted in the contact support; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the smart card reader showing the metal cover mounted on the upper surface thereof 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective top plan view of a cover of the smart card connector, the cover being designed as a resilient metal cover. 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view along line A-A in  FIG. 1  with the smart card being inserted into the contact support and being in abutment with the sliding element but with the sliding element not yet being moved into its abutment position which corresponds to the reading position of the card; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 8  showing the sliding element displaced by the distance A such that the contact elements i.e. the reading contacts are located with their control bulges on the abutment surfaces of the sliding element and with their contact bulges pressed against the contact zones of the smart card; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the reading contacts, and 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the reading contacts in particular showing the harpoon-like projections for mounting purposes in the contact support. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In particular  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4  disclose a contact support or insulating body  11  designed in accordance with the invention, Together with a cover  12  shown in  FIG. 6  the contact support  11  preferably forms the smart card connector  10  as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     A sliding element  13  as shown in detail in  FIG. 5  is reciprocally mounted within the contact support  11 . In the contact support  11  reading contact elements  14 , are mounted. In the following, the reading contact elements will be called reading contacts  14 ,  15 . A group of short reading contacts  14  and a group of long reading contacts  15  is provided. 
     Moreover, an end position switch  17  is provided in the contact support  11 . The end position switch  17  is activated by the smart card when it reaches its reading position. The smart card will be referred to below simply as the “card”. 
     The Contact Support  11 : 
     The contact support  11  comprises an upper surface shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and a bottom surface  21  shown in  FIG. 4 . The upper surface forms an bottom and/or support surface  22  and further support surface  23  as well as a support surface  24 . At the rear end—seen in the direction of insertion of the card—of the contact support  11  an end wall  25  is formed perpendicularly projecting with respect to the support surfaces  22 ,  23 ,  24 . Said end wall  25  defines a plurality of card abutment surfaces  26  defining the reading position of the card  1 . 
     At both sides  27 ,  28  of the contact support  1 , sides  27 ,  28  which project contrary to the direction of insertion, each one clamping and card guiding arm (or guiding nose)  29  is provided preferably formed integrally with the contact support  11 . On both sides, adjacent to an insert slot  5  for the card  1 , a preferably U-shaped guide wall  31  is provided at the contact support  11 . 
     In the area of the support surface  22  the contact support  11  forms an opening  33 , adapted to receive a sliding element ( 13 ). 
     Further, guiding noses  34  project from the wall  25  in a direction contrary to the direction of insertion E and form guiding slots  35  for the short reading contacts  14 . 
     As can be recognized in  FIG. 4  at the bottom side  21  of the contact support  11  mounting posts  40  are formed. Moreover, reinforcement ribs  42  are provided to reduce the weight of the contact support  11 . In the area of the receiving opening  33  of the sliding element, sliding element guiding means  43  are formed adjacent to the longitudinal sides  130 ,  131  of the sliding element  13 . The sliding element guiding means  43  are accessible via adjacent insert openings  44  so as to allow the insertion of four sliding element ribs  134 ,  135  of the sliding element  13  into the contact support  11 . 
     The Sliding Element  13 : 
     The sliding element  13  shown in  FIG. 5  defines support surfaces  50  for an inserted smart card  1 . The sliding element  13  comprises, as was mentioned, two spaced longitudinal sides  130  and  131  as well as two transversal sides  132 ,  133  extending in a transversal direction to the longitudinal sides. At the longitudinal side  130  preferably two sliding element ribs  134  are formed and at the longitudinal side  131 , two sliding element ribs  135  are formed with a spacing in between. Guide ribs  51  project from the transversal side  133  in longitudinal direction towards the transversal side ( 132 ). The guide ribs  51  end prior to a second recess  62  yet to be described. The guide ribs  51  form guide chambers  52  for the long reading contacts  15 . Moreover, ribs  53  are formed which form e.g. the side wall  130 ,  131  and guarantee the stability of the sliding element  13 . 
     At the transversal side  132 , angled means  55  are provided which project with respect to the transversal side  132  and are located adjacent to the respective ends of the longitudinal sides  130 ,  131 . Each one of the angled means  55  comprises an abutment surface  56  and  57  respectively for the smart card  1 . Spring receiving projections  58  project from the angled means  55  in the cart insert direction E. Reset springs  60 , not shown if  FIG. 5  but shown in  FIG. 1  are supported by the angled means  55  and abut against the contact support  11 . The reset springs  60  are preferably coil springs. The reset springs  60  are preferably supported in the card reader  1  only on one side. Preferably two coil springs  60  are provided with a distance in between. The reset coil springs  60  allow a simple assembly. A transversal rib  66  extends between a first transversally extending recess  61  and said second transversally extending recess  62 . 
     Adjacent to the recesses  61  and  62 , respectively, contact support surfaces  63 ,  64 —see FIG.  9 —are provided. The contact support surface  63  will also be called the first contact support surface and serves for the abutment of the long contact elements  15 . The contact support surface  64  is also referred to as the second contact support surface and serves as a support surface for the short reading contact  14 . 
     Cover  12 : 
     Cover  12  is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , Cover  12  is preferably a cover made of metal, i.e. metal cover which is designed such, that it resiliently abuts at the contact support  11  with a bias. Therefore, the cover preferably made of metal can also be called a metal cover (cover with spring effect). Alternatively, the metal cover can be slightly spaced with respect to the support surfaces  22 ,  23  so as to provide for a card receiving space for the card  1 . The resilient metal cover provides for a flat design of the smart card connector  10 . The metal cover  12  comprises a center pressing portion  80  and adjacent thereto a first wing  81  and a second wing  82 . At both wings  81 ,  82  electrical terminals  83  are provided. Further, each of said wings  81 ,  82  comprises a clamp recess  85 ,  86  for cooperating in conjunction with the clamp/guide arms  28  of the contact support  11 . In a recess of the pressing portion  80  an opening  87  is provided. Moreover, the center pressing portion  80  forms a recess  89  which is formed by a stepped side wall  90 . The upper surface of the center pressing portion  80  is referred to with the reference sign  91 . Reference sign  92  refers to an upper surface of the wing  81  and reference sign  93  refers to an upper surface of the wing  82 . As can be recognised, both wings  82  are bent upwardly with respect to the upper surface  91  of the center pressing portion so as to achieve said resilient spring effect. In this manner, the metal cover  21  can be placed on the contact support with a certain degree of resiliency (bias), with the clamp recesses  85 ,  86  being in engagement with the respective clamp/guide arms  29 . Thus, in the embodiment as shown, the metal cover  12  is shown as a resilient metal cover which allows for a flat design of the smart card reader and which can also be used as a card brake. When the smart card is inserted the resilient metal cover  12  serves the purpose of pressing the smart card onto the contact support  11  such, that tolerances of the card have no relevance for the contact forces. 
     The Reading Contacts  64 ,  65 : 
       FIG. 10  shows the short reading contacts  14  and the long reading contacts  15 , in an arrangement with which they are mounted in the contact support  11 . The short contact elements  14  each comprise a termination section  140 , a spring section  141 , a control section  142  with control bulges  143  and a contact section  144  with contact bulges  145 . 
     Similarly, the long contacts  15  comprise a termination section  150 , a spring section  151 , a control section  152  and a control bulge  153  and a contact section  154  with contact bulge  155 . 
     In  FIG. 11  a long reading contact  15  is shown in detail. 
     The termination section  150  comprises, on the one hand, a termination tongue  156  projecting out of the smart card connector, it comprises on the other hand a mounting section  157  which is preferably bent to be U-shaped. Said mounting section  157  being provided with harpoon-like noses and mounting edges, respectively, so as to be adapted to be pressed into a respective recess (not shown) of the contact support  11 . 
     Similarly, see  FIG. 10 , the termination sector  140  of the short reading contact  14  comprises a termination tongue  146  extending out of the smart card connector  10  and being preferably provided with a bent mounting section  147  with harpoon-like detent noses. 
     Preferably, the reading contacts  14 ,  15  are in the are of the spring sections,  141 ,  151  angled with respect to the termination section  140 ,  150  and thus extend in an inclined direction with respect to the reader  1  such, that the contact bulges  145 ,  155  are located adjacent to the reading contacts  14 ,  15 , one behind the other on a line parallel to the direction of insertion E. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9  the operation of the smart card connector of the invention will be explained. For reasons of simplicity, the smart card connector shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  is shown without the metal cover  12 . 
     In  FIG. 8  the card is shown largely inserted in the direction of insertion E into the card reader and the card has already contact with the abutments  56 ,  57  of the sliding element causing a slight lift of the reading contacts  14 ,  16  in the direction of the contact surfaces (contact pads) of the card  1 . One recognizes in  FIG. 8 , that the control bulges  143 ,  153  have moved onto the inclined surfaces formed by the recesses  61 ,  62  and the control bulges  143 ,  153  are thus slightly lifted. 
     In  FIG. 9  card  1  is shown in its reading position. The front edge of the card  1  abuts at the abutment surfaces  26  of the contact body  11  and the sliding element is located in its end position with the front edge of the card  1  also being in abutment with the abutment surfaces  57  of the sliding element. In the condition shown in  FIG. 9 , the reading contacts  14 ,  15  are in contact engagement with the contact pads of the smart card  1 , with the control bulges  143  and  53 , respectively being placed on respective contact abutment surfaces  63 ,  64  of the sliding element  13  so as to apply a well defined contact pressing force at the contact pads of the card  1 . The moving distance A (in  FIG. 9 ) of the sliding element is preferably only a few millimeters, preferably this distance is for a smart card  1  of customary design about two millimeters. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 List of Elements 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 1 
                 Smart Card 
               
               
                 5 
                 Insert Slot 
               
               
                 10 
                 Smart Card Connector 
               
               
                 11 
                 Contact Support 
               
               
                 12 
                 Metal Cover 
               
               
                 13 
                 Sliding Element 
               
               
                 14 
                 Short Reading Contacts 
               
               
                 15 
                 Long Reading Contacts 
               
               
                 17 
                 End Position Switch 
               
               
                 20 
                 Upper Surface 
               
               
                 21 
                 Bottom Surface 
               
               
                 22 
                 Support Surface 
               
               
                 23 
                 Support Surface 
               
               
                 24 
                 Support Surface 
               
               
                 25 
                 End Wall 
               
               
                 26 
                 Card Abutment Surface 
               
               
                 27 
                 Side 
               
               
                 28 
                 Side 
               
               
                 29 
                 Clamping and Card Guiding Arm 
               
               
                 30 
                 Guide Surface 
               
               
                 31 
                 Guide Wall 
               
               
                 33 
                 Sliding element Receiving Opening 
               
               
                 34 
                 Guiding Nose 
               
               
                 35 
                 Guiding Slots 
               
               
                 40 
                 Posts 
               
               
                 41 
                 Guide Chambers 
               
               
                 42 
                 Reinforcement Ribs 
               
               
                 43 
                 Sliding element Guides 
               
               
                 44 
                 Insert Openings 
               
               
                 50 
                 Support Surface of the Sliding element 
               
               
                 51 
                 Guide Ribs 
               
               
                 52 
                 Guide Chamber 
               
               
                 53 
                 Ribs 
               
               
                 55 
                 Angled Means 
               
               
                 56 
                 Abutment Surface 
               
               
                 57 
                 Abutment Surface 
               
               
                 58 
                 Spring Receiving Projections 
               
               
                 60 
                 Springs 
               
               
                 61 
                 First Connection 
               
               
                 62 
                 Second Connection 
               
               
                 63 
                 First Contact Support Surface 
               
               
                 64 
                 Second Contact Support Surface 
               
               
                 66 
                 Transversal Rib 
               
               
                 80 
                 Center Pressing Portion 
               
               
                 81 
                 First Wing 
               
               
                 82 
                 Second Wing 
               
               
                 83 
                 Termination 
               
               
                 85 
                 Clamp Recess 
               
               
                 86 
                 Clamp Recess 
               
               
                 87 
                 Opening 
               
               
                 88 
                 Recess 
               
               
                 89 
                 Recess 
               
               
                 90 
                 Stepped Side Wall 
               
               
                 91 
                 Upper Surface of the Pressing Portion 
               
               
                 92 
                 Upper Side of the First Wing 
               
               
                 93 
                 Upper Side of the Second Wing 
               
               
                 130 
                 Longitudinal Sides 
               
               
                 131 
                 Longitudinal Sides 
               
               
                 132 
                 Transversal Sides 
               
               
                 133 
                 Transversal Sides 
               
               
                 134 
                 Sliding Element Rib 
               
               
                 135 
                 Sliding Element Rib 
               
               
                 140 
                 Termination Section 
               
               
                 141 
                 Spring Section 
               
               
                 142 
                 Control Section 
               
               
                 143 
                 Control Bulge 
               
               
                 144 
                 Contact Section 
               
               
                 145 
                 Contact Bulge 
               
               
                 146 
                 Termination Tongue 
               
               
                 147 
                 Mounting Section 
               
               
                 150 
                 Termination Section 
               
               
                 151 
                 Spring Section 
               
               
                 152 
                 Control Section 
               
               
                 153 
                 Control Bulge 
               
               
                 154 
                 Contact Section 
               
               
                 155 
                 Contact Bulge 
               
               
                 156 
                 Termination Tongue 
               
               
                 157 
                 Mounting Section 
               
               
                 161 
                 Inclined Surface 
               
               
                 162 
                 Inclined Surface 
               
               
                 170 
                 Noses and Mounting Edges