IC card

Abstract: An IC card having a shutter 30, in which the right and left ends 30d of the shutter with respect to its sliding direction are bent so as to embrace respectively at least one part of the sides of an electrode terminal board 5, the shutter sliding over the electrode terminal board.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an IC card and, more particularly, to an IC card having a shutter. Description of the Related Art Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional IC card 1 having a shutter 3 with the shutter 3 closed. The IC card 1 is constructed of a circuit board (see FIGS. 3 and 4) on which are mounted a plurality of electronic parts. The board is mounted in a frame 2, and panels 4 (generally metallic panels) are attached on the front and back sides of the frame 2 respectively to protect the electronic parts. The shutter 3 which is generally formed of a metallic material is arranged on the front of the card body so as to selectively open and close the IC card 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the conventional IC card, connected to an external device, having the shutter 3 with the shutter 3 opened. Under this condition, a plurality of electrode terminals 6 arranged on an electrode terminal board 5 are exposed to the outside to be electrically connected to an external device. The electrode terminal board 5 is mounted on the circuit board. The shutter 3 opens and closes as follows: when the IC card 1 is inserted into the external device, the shutter 3 opens by virtue of the fact that a pin 100, disposed on a connector (not shown) of the external device, pushes the shutter 3 along shutter grooves 7 formed on the sides of the shutter 3 in a direction opposite to that of the insertion direction of the card 1. The shutter grooves 7 include respective opening 70 formed on a front sides of the frame 2 where the IC card 1 is inserted and the grooves 7 extend along both sides of the electrode terminal board 5 from the openings 70. Further, when the IC card 1 is pulled away from the external device, the shutter 3 closes due to the restorative tension force of springs 3a (see FIG.5). One end of the spring 3a is fixed by screws 3b to the frame or the board, while the other end of the spring 3a is fixed to the shutter 3. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shutter portion, taken along line III - III of FIG. 1, with the shutter 3 closed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shutter portion, taken on line IV - IV of FIG. 2, with the shutter 3 open. As described above, the circuit board 8 is fixed in the frame 2, the circuit board 8 includes obverse and reverse main planes on which the electronic parts 9 are mounted respectively. The electrode terminal board 5, having a plurality of electrode terminals 6 for electrically connecting the electronic parts to the external device, is arranged on one end of the obverse main plane of the circuit board 8. These electrode terminals 6 are electrically connected to the electronic parts 9. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the entire conventional shutter 3 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the shutter portion perpendicular to the sliding direction of the shutter 3, taken along line VI - VI of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter 3 comprises a shutter body 3c, shutter bends 3d which are formed by bending the right and left ends of the shutter body 3c with respect to a sliding direction of the shutter body 3c and backward extending portions 3e respectively extending backward on the right and left sides of shutter body 3c. The shutter 3 further comprises spacer portions 3f which are formed by bending parts of the extending portions 3e in the same direction as the above shutter bends 3d and spring fixing portions 3g. As shown in FIG.6, the shutter bends 3d are mated with the shutter grooves 7 and travel in the grooves 7. The backward extending portions 3e are provided to prevent the shutter 3 from leaning rightward and leftward during the opening and closing operations of the shutter 3. The spacer portions 3f are provided for a fixed space between the shutter body 3c and the electrode terminals 6 so that the shutter 3 and electrode terminals 6 do not contact each other. Moreover, one end of the spring 3a is fixed to the spring fixing portion 3g and the other end of the spring 3a is fixed by the screw 3b to the frame or the board. Other grooves (not shown), where the spring fixing portions 3g are fitted, may be disposed on the sides of the frame or the board. The spring fixing portions 3g may travel along the above grooves. In such a conventional IC card having a shutter as described above, in order that the shutter be arranged to open and close over the electrode board without the shutter being lifted up, the distance denoted by character A in FIG. 3, where the panel disposed on the upper surface of the frame overlaps with the electrode terminal board, should be long. Because of the entire IC card structure, however, the distance A cannot be long. Accordingly, the shutter can be lifted up. Furthermore, if a force is added in the direction indicated by the character B in FIG. 3, the shutter may lift up causing the shutter to be deformed. FR-A-2 613 142, on which the preamble of claim 1 is based, discloses a device in which L-shaped bends are used, however misdirection of the shutter is still possible. US-A-4 868 714 shows an arrangement similar to that shown in the above-discussed Figure 1 - which suffers from similar problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the above-described problems and provides a highly reliable IC card whose shutter is prevented from being lifted up. The present invention provides an IC card for connection to an external device and having a shutter, said card comprising: an IC card body containing at least one electronic part therein; electrical connector means arranged on the IC card for electrically connecting the electronic part to an external device, said electrical connector means being capable of exposure to the outside of the IC card body; the shutter including L-shaped bends for covering the electrical connector means for protection, said bends being arranged so as to embrace at least one part of said IC card body including side electrical connecting means located at the right and left sides of the shutter with respect to the opening and closing direction of said shutter; and means defining grooves, for receiving the bends of said shutter, each said groove extending from an insertion end of the IC card body, and along a respective side of the IC card body over the length of the electrical connector means in the opening direction of the shutter; characterised in that each groove is generally L-shaped in cross section and each bend extends substantially to the insertion end of the shutter. The shutter with the IC card according to the present invention slides while the bends on both sides of the shutter embrace both ends of the electrode terminal substrates or one portion of the IC card body, so that the shutter is not easily lifted up nor does it get deformed after being lifted up even if a force is applied to the shutter in directions other than the sliding direction. Preferred features of the invention are set out in Claims 2 to 6. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the conventional IC card having the shutter closed; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the conventional IC card having the shutter with the shutter opened; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shutter portion, taken along line III - III of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shutter portion, taken along line IV - IV of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the entire conventional shutter; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the shutter portion, taken along line VI - VI of FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an entire shutter to be arranged in an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shutter portion with the IC card, taken in the same position as in FIG. 6; and FIG. 9 is a perspective view depicting the entire shutter to be arranged in the IC card according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the shutter to be arranged in the IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, L-shaped bends 30d are formed along the total length in the open-and-close direction of a shutter body 3c. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shutter portion of the IC card, taken along a line perpendicular to the sliding direction of the shutter (in the same position as in FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 8, in the case of an IC card according to the present invention, the width of the circuit board 8 should be shorter than that of the electrode terminal board 5 at least in the shutter portion. Although the same is true in the conventional IC card shown in FIG. 6, conventionally, this was not necessarily required. By this arrangement, L-shaped grooves 7a are formed on the right and left sides of the electrode terminal board 5. The L-shaped bends 30d formed on both sides of the shutter 30 extend along the L-shaped grooves 7a. The shutter 30 is attached to slide, i.e., to open and close freely, over the electrode terminal board 5 so as to embrace respectively the ends of the electrode terminal board 5. The shape of openings 70 formed on the entrances to the grooves 7a, i.e. an insertion face of the frame 2, is the same as in the conventional type shown in FIG. 1. Other parts are the same as in the conventional IC card, the explanations therefor being omitted. In such a shutter 30 as constructed above, even if the distance indicated by character A in FIG. 3, where the panel 4 overlaps the electrode terminal board 5, is short, the shutter 30 does not lift up. Further, the shutter 30 is less liable to become deformed or the like even if a force is applied to it in directions other than the sliding direction thereof, because the L-shaped bends 30d of the shutter 30 are slidingly supported by the under-face of the electrode terminal board 5. Although in this embodiment the L-shaped bends 30d are formed along the total length of the sides of the shutter body 3c, as shown in FIG. 9, L-shaped bends 31d of a shutter 31 may be formed by bending at least one part of both sides of the shutter body 3c, respectively. Furthermore, the L-shaped grooves 7a are formed by making the width of the circuit board 8 shorter than that of the electrode board 5. The present invention, however, is not limited to the above-mentioned arrangement. For example, grooves, whose vertical cross section is L-shaped, may be possible to formed differently in accordance with the bends of the shutter. Moreover, the structures of the backward extending portions 3e, springs 3a, etc. of the shutters 30, 31 are not limited to the above-described embodiments. As has been described above, according to the present invention, since the right and left ends of the shutter, with respect to the sliding direction thereof, are bent so as to embrace the ends of the electrode terminal board, the shutter does not lift up, whereby a highly reliable IC card is provided.

Claims: An IC card (1) for connection to an external device and having a shutter (30), said card (1) comprising: an IC card body (8) containing at least one electronic part therein; electrical connector means (5,6) arranged on the IC card (1) for electrically connecting the electronic part to an external device, said electrical connector means (5,6) being capable of exposure to the outside of the IC card body (8); the shutter (30) including L-shaped bends (30d) for covering the electrical connector means (5,6) for protection, said bends (30d) being arranged so as to embrace at least one part of said IC card body (8) including side electrical connecting means located at the right and left sides of the shutter (30) with respect to the opening and closing direction of said shutter (30); and means defining grooves (7a), for receiving the bends (30d) of said shutter, each said groove (7a) extending from an insertion end of the IC card body (8), and along a respective side of the IC card body over the length of the electrical connector means in the opening direction of the shutter (30); characterised in that each groove (7a) is generally L-shaped in cross section and each bend extends substantially to the insertion end of the shutter (30). An IC card according to Claim 1, wherein the said card body (8) comprises a circuit board (8) therein having obverse and reverse planes, said board (8) having mounted thereon at least one electronic part on the main plane of at least either side and said electrical connector means at the end of the card insertion side of said front side, a frame (2) encircling the surrounding sides of said circuit board (8), and a panel (4) arranged at least on the front of the sides to cover not only said circuit board (8) for protection but also one part of said electrical connector means (5,6) and one part of said shutter (30); said electrical connector means (5,6) including an electrode terminal board (5), arranged on said circuit board (8), having a surface on which a plurality of electrode terminals (6) electrically connected to said electronic part are arranged, said electrode terminal board (5) further having a width wider than that of said circuit board (8) at least in the open and close operation zone of said shutter (30); said L-shaped grooves (7a) including openings formed in the card insertion face of said frame (2) and gaps extending from said openings and formed along respective sides of said electrode terminal board (5) and said circuit substrate (8) and said frame (2); and said shutter (30) comprising a shutter body (3c) covering said electrical connector means (5,6) for protection, the said L-shaped bends (30d) being formed on the right and left sides of said shutter body (3c) with respect to said opening-and-closing direction, the said L-shaped bends (30d), which extend along said L-shaped grooves, being arranged so as to embrace the right and left sides of the said electrode terminal board (5); spring means (3a), for urging the shutter closed, having a first end which is fixed to the side of said card body; and backward extending portions which extend in the opening direction of said shutter body, and which include spring fixing means (3g) to which the second end of said spring means (3a) is fixed and spacer portions to leave a gap between said shutter body and said plurality of electrode terminals disposed on said electrode terminal board. An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein said L-shaped bends (30d) on the sides of said shutter body (3c) of said shutter (30) are respectively formed along the entire sides of said shutter body (3c) in said opening-and-closing direction. An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein said L-shaped bends (30d) on the sides of said shutter body (3c) of said shutter (30) are respectively formed along at only part of the sides of said shutter body (3c) in said opening-and-closing direction. An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein when the said IC card is inserted into an external device, pins arranged in the external device can advance along the L-shaped grooves from the said openings to push the said shutter in a direction opposite to the card insertion direction, so that the said shutter (30d) opens; and when said IC card is pulled away from an external device, the said spring means (3a) closes said shutter (30d). An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein the length of a portion, along said opening-and-closing direction of said shutter, in which said panel overlaps with said electrode terminal board is short, relative to the length of the shutter. An IC card according to Claim 2, wherein said shutter and said panel are made of metallic material respectively.

Inventors: MAEDA HAJIME C O KITAITAMI SEI, ONODA SHIGEO C O KITAITAMI SEI, MAEDA, HAJIME, C/O KITAITAMI SEISAKUSHO, ONODA, SHIGEO, C/O KITAITAMI SEISAKUSHO
Applicants: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP, MITSUBISHI DENKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: G06K19
IPC codes: G06K19