Abstract: A smart card connector has a housing (11) formed by an insulative contact holder (12) and a sheet metal cover (14) that has an upper plate (46) lying above an upper face of the contact holder, to form a card-receiving cavity (30) between them. A wire spring (16) has a spiral wound planar main portion (141) that is mounted to lie on the upper surface of the sheet metal upper plate (46). The wire spring has a first end portion (144) fixed to the cover and has a second end portion (158) with a right angle bend (160) leading to a downwardly-extending ejection spring part (162). The ejection spring part extends though a slot (66) in the cover upper plate portion and into the cavity to lie in the path of the card leading edge.

Abstract: A smart card connector has a housing (11) formed by an insulative contact holder (12) and a sheet metal cover (14) that has an upper plate (46) lying above an upper face of the contact holder, to form a card-receiving cavity (30) between them. A wire spring (16) has a spiral wound planar main portion (141) that is mounted to lie on the upper surface of the sheet metal upper plate (46). The wire spring has a first end portion (144) fixed to the cover and has a second end portion (158) with a right angle bend (160) leading to a downwardly-extending ejection spring part (162). The ejection spring part extends though a slot (66) in the cover upper plate portion and into the cavity to lie in the path of the card leading edge.

Abstract: An electrical switch assembly includes a dome-shaped switching element (100) that closes a switch when the dome center portion (118) is depressed against a terminal (104, 106), wherein an actuator member (36) has a lower portion (44) that extends through a hole (120) in the dome element and into a bore (46) that guides the actuator member lower portion in sliding movement. A coding wheel (52) that is fixed to the actuator member, includes a conductive portion (60) with at least one contacting tooth (62) and a non-contacting part or space (200) that both lie on an imaginary circle (220). A plurality of pairs of contacts (74, 84, 86) are in vertical alignment with the circle, and each contacting tooth engages a selected pair of the contacts in a selected rotational position of the actuation member about its vertical axis A.

Abstract: An electrical switch assembly includes a dome-shaped switching element (100) that closes a switch when the dome center portion (118) is depressed against a terminal (104, 106), wherein an actuator member (36) has a lower portion (44) that extends through a hole (120) in the dome element and into a bore (46) that guides the actuator member lower portion in sliding movement. A coding wheel (52) that is fixed to the actuator member, includes a conductive portion (60) with at least one contacting tooth (62) and a non-contacting part or space (200) that both lie on an imaginary circle (220). A plurality of pairs of contacts (74, 84, 86) are in vertical alignment with the circle, and each contacting tooth engages a selected pair of the contacts in a selected rotational position of the actuation member about its vertical axis A.

Abstract: An electrical connector (10, FIG. 5) is provided for connecting to a smart card C. The connector includes a two-piece molded plastic frame (11) having a horizontal planar top face (76), and also includes a plurality of resilient sheet metal electrical contacts (16). Each contact has a curved card-engaging part (30), a fixed part (46) that is fixed to the frame, and a central part (38) for connecting the card-engaging part to the fixed part. The central part has a first branch (44) forming a U-shaped fold of about 150.degree., a second branch (42) extending at an upward-rearward (U,R) incline from the fold to the card-engaging part, and a lower branch (40) that extends rearwardly from the fold to the fixed part. The branches (40,42,44) of the central part are each downwardly deflectable to enable easy deflection of the card-engaging part in a contact of small longitudinal (M) length.

Abstract: A contact element has a mating portion (20, FIG. 4B) that lies slightly above a card-engaging surface (48) to engage a terminal on a data card, with the mating portion constructed to avoid damage from small objects improperly pressed sidewardly against the mating portion. The middle (23) of the mating portion which lies above the horizontal card-engaging surface, is curved about both laterally-extending and longitudinally-extending axes, to form a dome with a convex upper surface, or a "spoon" shape.

Abstract: A connector is described with a slot for receiving an electronic memory card and with multiple terminals (32, 34 in FIG. 1) that engage card contact regions, which can be constructed at low cost. The multiple terminals are produced by cutting a strip of sheet metal to form a row of parallel elongated terminals (32 in FIG. 11) that have mount portions (40) lying between first and second terminal end portions (31, 38), and with the second end portions held on a carrier strip (204). A frame (22) of the housing is molded around the mount portions of the terminals, and thereafter the terminals are cut free of the carrier strip. A microcontact device (44 in FIG. 2) for detecting full insertion of the card, includes a first contact with a bent zone (64) projecting a distance forwardly into the slot, to be rearwardly deflected by the leading edge of a card, out of engagement with a second contact. The upper slot walls have a downwardly-facing concave portion (106 in FIG.

Abstract: An electrical contact switch for mounting on a printed circuit board, having a base provided with contacts, an illuminated cover movable with respect to the base and arched coil springs on the base arranged transversely to the direction of movement of the cover which resist downward movement of the cover. A shoe joined to the cover is guided for limited movement toward the base and is provided with contacts that engage the contacts on the base.