Patent ID: 7832628

Claim:
A security device for preventing penetration of a foreign conductor into a region in fluid communication with a security switch of a point-of-sale terminal, wherein the point-of-sale terminal includes a keypad and an upper casing adjacent the keypad, wherein the upper casing includes a plurality of openings, each opening defined by an edge, and the keypad includes a plurality of keys, the keys extending through the openings, and the security switch is located under the keypad separate from the keys and not directly beneath any of the openings in the upper casing for the keys, and wherein the point-of-sale terminal includes a rigid post between the upper casing and the security switch, the post positioned to close the security switch when the keypad, upper casing, and security switch of the point-of-sale terminal are assembled together and wherein the security switch opens to detect that the point-of-sale terminal is disassembled, the device comprising: a barrier member configured to be disposed inside the terminal between the upper case and the security switch and the barrier member being sufficiently rigid to resist penetration by a hypodermic needle and configured to block the needle from penetrating through the keypad to the security switch, wherein, the barrier member includes an aperture configured to receive the rigid post therethrough and to fit sufficiently closely around the rigid post to prevent penetration by the hypodermic needle to the region in fluid communication with the security switch, and wherein the upper casing includes a lower surface, and further wherein the barrier member includes an upper surface, the upper surface configured to face the lower surface of the upper casing when the point-of-sale terminal is assembled, and wherein the aperture through the barrier member defines a width from a rim to a side wall, and wherein, with the terminal assembled, a ratio of x1/y1 is greater than a ratio of x2/y2 for the following definitions: x1 is a distance from the edge of the upper casing opening adjacent the barrier member aperture to the rim of the aperture; y1 is a distance from the lower surface of the upper casing to the upper surface of the barrier member; x2 is the width of the aperture from the rim to the side wall; and y2 is a distance from the upper surface of the barrier member to the region in fluid communication with the security switch.