Card reader connector with attachable cover

A card reader connector (10) includes a housing (12) having a base (14) and a cover (40) securable together and defining a card receiving slot (60) extending therebetween. The rear wall (22) and side walls (30) of the base (14) coextend alongside and inwardly of the rear wall (50) and side walls (56) of the cover (40) upon assembly. The cover side walls (56) each include at least one flange (58) extending inwardly, and the base side walls (30) each include flange-receiving openings (32) and flange-receiving slots (34) associated with the flanges (58) and the cover (40) and the base (14) include cooperating locking sections operable after final stages of assembly. During assembly the side wall flanges (58) of the cover (40) are moved into respective flange-receiving slots (34) securing the cover (40) and base (14) from movement directly apart, and the locking sections securing the cover (40) and base (14) from any further relative sliding movement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to an electrical connector and more particularly 
to an electrical connector for receiving a planar electronic card module. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Electrical connectors for electronic-memory cards, such as smart cards and 
subscriber identification modules (SIMs), are well know known in the 
computer and communications industries. These cards contain information 
that can be used by a card reader or card interface device to detect or 
read information stored in the card. Cards of this type are used, for 
example, in automatic teller machines, in security identification, such as 
smart keys or the like, or other devices. The cards contain an array of 
circuit pads that are accessible by the card reader connectors. The card 
reader connectors include a housing having a slot into which the card can 
be inserted and multiple terminals in the housing that engage the regions 
on the face of the card as it becomes fully inserted. The connector may 
further include end position or card detecting switches to assure that the 
card is fully inserted before reading occurs. The housings generally 
include a base in which the contacts are disposed and a cover securable to 
the base to define the card receiving slot. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,255 illustrates the use of bosses 109 that engage 
apertures in the cover in an interference fit. The cover may also be 
secured to the base by means of adhesives, heat staking, or other methods 
known in the art. Alternatively, the cover may be pivotable, that is one 
that is moved into position after the card is inserted. In some instances, 
however, it is desirable to have a cover that may be readily removed for 
access to the contact surfaces for repairing, cleaning or the like. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a card reader that alleviates some of 
the problems associated with the prior art. The card reader includes a 
plurality of data contacts disposed in a housing including a base and a 
cover securable together and defining a card receiving slot extending 
therebetween. The base and the cover include respective rear walls and 
opposed side walls. The base and cover are adapted such that the rear wall 
and side walls of the base co-extend along side and inwardly of the rear 
and side walls of the cover upon assembly. The cover provides a clearance 
spaced forwardly of the rear wall for receipt thereinto of the rear wall 
of the base during initial stages of the assembly such that the base is 
offset forwardly with respect to the cover. Each of the side walls 
proximate the base includes at least one flange extending inwardly that 
cooperates with a respective flange-receiving opening on each of the base 
side walls. The openings extend toward a bottom or cover-remote surface of 
the base and are in communication with flange-receiving slots extending 
forwardly therefrom adjacent the bottom surface of the base. The cover and 
base include cooperating locking sections operable after final stages of 
assembly. Upon assembling the cover to the base, the side wall flanges of 
the cover are received in the respective flange-receiving openings of the 
base side walls during the initial stages of assembly with the base offset 
forwardly with respect to the cover. The side wall flanges are moved 
forwardly into and along the flange-receiving slots of the openings until 
the cover is moved fully forwardly with respect to the base. The side wall 
flanges secure the cover and base from movement directly apart and the 
locking sections secure the base and cover from any further relative 
sliding movement. 
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rear wall of the base 
includes a latch-receiving opening extending therethrough adapted to 
cooperate with a respective latch of the cover during assembly. The cover 
includes at least one latch at the rear wall, and upon full assembly, the 
latch proximate the rear wall of the cover becomes engaged in the 
corresponding latch-receiving opening to prevent rearward movement of the 
cover on the base. The rear wall of the base in the preferred embodiment 
further includes boss-receiving recesses on the board proximate surface 
dimensioned to receive cooperating bosses on the rear wall of the cover 
thus securing the cover to the base along the rear wall as well as the 
side walls and preventing upward movement of the cover with respect to the 
base therealong. 
It is an object of the invention to provide a card reader connector having 
a cover that may be readily removed for access to the contact surfaces for 
repairing, cleaning or the like. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a card reader connector 
that is cost effective to manufacture and can be used either with or 
without a cover, as desired. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a cover for a card reader 
connector that is easy to assemble to a base, requires a minimum amount of 
board space to assemble to the base, and is held securely to the base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
For purposes of illustration, the card reader connector and housing will be 
described with reference to a smart card reader. It is to be understood 
that the housing assembly can be used with other size cards as well, such 
as SIM cards or the like. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 7, card reader connector 10 includes a housing 
12 having a base 14 and a cover 40 securable together and defining a 
card-receiving slot 60 extending therebetween from a mouth 62 at the 
forward end of the housing 12 to the rear thereof. Base 14 includes an 
inner surface 16 and a outer surface 18 and a plurality of 
contact-receiving slots 20 extending therethrough and having respective 
data contacts 64 disposed therein. 
Base 14 includes a rear wall 22 and opposed side walls 30 extending 
upwardly therefrom. Rear wall 22 further includes at least one 
latch-receiving aperture 24 that cooperates with a respective latch of the 
cover 40 during assembly, as more fully explained below. Each side wall 30 
includes at least one flange-receiving opening 32 extending therealong 
toward a cover-remote or bottom surface of the base from the edge thereof 
and in communication with a flange-receiving slot 34 extending forwardly 
therefrom adjacent the cover remote surface of the base 14. Outer surface 
18 of base 14 includes at least one alignment post 38 for aligning the 
card reader connector 10 on a circuit board (not shown). 
Cover 40 includes an inner surface 42 and an outer surface 44. Extending 
downwardly from surface 42 are a rear wall 50 and opposed side walls 56. 
Cover 40 also includes at least one latch arm 46 extending through the 
cover from and having a respective latch protrusion 48 extending inwardly 
from inner surface 42 proximate the rear wall 50. Rear wall 50 further 
includes bosses 52 extending inwardly at the board proximate surface 
thereof and adapted to engage in respective boss-receiving recesses 26 of 
the base when the card reader connector 10 is fully assembled. Side walls 
56 of the cover 40 include inwardly directed flanges 58 that cooperate 
with the flange-receiving openings 32 and flange-receiving slot 34. 
The base 14 and cover 40 are adapted such that the rear wall 22 and side 
walls 30 of the base 14 co-extend along side and inwardly of the rear wall 
50 and side walls 56 of the cover 40 upon assembly. The cover 40 provides 
a clearance spaced forwardly of the rear wall 50 for receiving the rear 
wall 22 of the base 14 during initial stages of assembly such that the 
base 14 is offset forwardly with respect to the cover 40, such as shown in 
FIGS. 4 and 5. 
FIGS. 4 through 6 illustrate the assembly of the base 14 and cover 40. FIG. 
4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 illustrating 
one of the sides of the connector 10 and the cooperating features that 
secure the housing 12 together. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the base 14 
and cover 40 prior to assembly. FIG. 5 shows the base 14 and cover 40 
partially assembled and FIG. 6 shows the fully assembled base 14 and cover 
40 forming the card reader connector 10. As can be seen from FIGS. 4 
through 6, as the base 14 and cover 40 are brought together, the 
corresponding flange 58 on cover side wall 56 is received in the 
corresponding flange-receiving opening 32 in base side wall 30 and is 
moved downwardly toward the cover remote surface 18 of the base as the 
cover 40 is moved downwardly toward the base 14, as shown in FIG. 4. 
During initial stages of assembly, the base 14 is off-set forwardly with 
respect to the cover 40. The base 14 is received in the clearance of cover 
40 with the cover rear wall 50 surrounding base rear wall 22 and the cover 
side walls 56 surrounding the base side walls 30. The cover requires only 
a minimum amount of space available on a circuit board (not shown) 
rearwardly of the base of the connector to effect assembly. 
As the cover is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, 
flange 58 is moved along flange-receiving slot 34 until the cover 40 is 
moved fully forwardly with respect to the base 14. As the cover 40 and 
base 14 are moved more closely together, the bosses 52 along the base of 
the rear wall 50 of cover 40 are received in the corresponding 
boss-receiving recesses 26 of the base 14. Concomitantly the latch arm 46 
is deflected upwardly when the leading end of latch protrusion 48 engages 
the rear wall 22 of base 14. Latch arm 46 remains deflected upwardly until 
the cover 40 is moved completely forward wherein the latch protrusion 48 
is received in latch-receiving aperture 24 and flange 58 is seated in 
flange-receiving slot 34. As can be seen in the assembled view of FIG. 6, 
the side wall flanges 58 secure the cover 40 and base 14 from movement 
directly apart and the locking sections, that is the latching protrusion 
48 and the latch-receiving aperture 24, prevent further relative sliding 
movement. 
Additionally the cover 40 and base 14 are held together securely along the 
rear walls by bosses 52 on the cover that are engaged in respective 
boss-receiving recesses 26 of base 14 as the cover 40 is moved toward the 
front of the card reader 10, as shown in FIG. 6. 
The present invention provides a card reader connector 10 that has a base 
and cover that can be secured together after the base has been soldered to 
the desired location on a circuit board (not shown) thus enabling 
inspection of the contacts on the circuit board prior to assembly of the 
cover. The cover, furthermore, can be removed by engaging the respective 
latch arms 46 and deflecting them upwardly to allow the cover to slide 
rearwardly until the bosses 52 are removed from the recesses 26 and the 
corresponding flange 58 are removed from the associated flange-receiving 
slots 34 and the cover 40 can be lifted directly upwardly from the base 
14. The cover 40 can be removed for repairing or cleaning the surfaces of 
the contacts. The card reader connector is cost effective to manufacture 
and can be used either with or without a cover, as desired. The cover is 
easy to assemble to a base, requires a minimum amount of board space to 
assemble to the base, and is held securely to the base along the rear and 
side walls. 
It is thought that the card reader connector of the present invention and 
many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing 
description. It is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, 
construction, and arrangement of parts thereof without departing from the 
spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material 
advantages.