Patent ID: 7635089

Claim:
Apparatus for shielding a contactless smartcard, comprising: a first panel having opposed first and second ends, a flanged portion formed with a slot, and, an opening located between said first and second ends that borders said slot, the contactless smartcard being insertable into said slot at said first end of said panel and extending to said second end thereof in position so that at least a portion of the contactless smartcard is exposed through said opening, the smartcard being movable into and out of said slot and positionable therein by contact of the smartcard through said opening; a second panel including a shielding material; a hinge including a first hinging element coupled to said first panel, a second hinging element coupled to said second panel, and a biasing element for urging said first and second hinging elements into a closed position, each of said first and second hinging elements including an outwardly extending tab that are separated from one another to permit the insertion of the smartcard into said slot formed in said flanged portion of said first panel, said hinge being movable between said closed position in which said first and second panels are located in sufficient proximity to one another such that said shielding material of said second panel prevents reading of information on the smartcard, and an open position in which said first and second panels are spaced from one another to permit reading of the information on the smartcard.