Abstract: A smart card connector has a card-receiving cavity with a recess (194, FIG. 73) at the rear that receives the rear edge (152) of the card. A cover or flap is then pivoted down on the support element and slid forward to slide hooks (288, FIG. 27) at the front of the cover under shoulders (292) on the support element. The rear edge of the card extends along the length (A′, FIG. 45) of the card, so the distance from the open front of the connector to the recess (194) and card rear edge is equal to about the smaller width of the card.

Abstract: A connector (10) mounted on a circuit board (40), has an insulative frame (12) and two laterally-spaced columns (66, 68) of contacts (14), each contact formed of a bent metal strip and having an upper portion (36) for engaging a contact of a mating device and having a lower portion (38) with a termination end (48) that presses against a trace on the circuit board. Each contact lower portion includes a deflectable section (42) that extends at an acute angle (a) such as 12° from the lateral direction (L). This results in the termination ends of the lower strips, which press against circuit board traces, extending along a single longitudinally-extending line (A), so the traces on the circuit board that engage the contacts, also lie along the single line. The result is that areas on opposite sides of the line of traces, can be used to hold other traces or even circuit components.

Abstract: A smart card connector includes an insulative support (52) with contacts thereon and a sheet metal cover (54) with an upper portion (60) that lies over a support face (62) to form a front portion of a card-receiving cavity (58) between them, and with the cover having a lower portion (191) lying under opposite sides of the cavity. The opposite sides of the cavity extend rearward of the support. A card ejecting mechanism (141) includes a pusher (144) that can be manually pushed forward to pivot a lever (146) that pushes the card rearwardly so the card can be grasped and manually pulled out. The pusher is formed of sheet metal with lower and upper flanges (190, 188) that lie against upper and lower portions of the cover, the pusher being confined to solely slideable movement and the lever being pivoting mounted about a pivot axis (A1) on the support.

Abstract: A compact electrical connector can receive two different kinds of circuit cards, of the type that are thin and flat and have contact pads on an active face, such as a MICROSIM card and a MMC card. The connector includes a body (52) with an insulative frame (81) and two sets of contacts (84, 114) on the frame, with each set of the contacts having pad-engaging ends arranged in patterns corresponding to the patterns of contact pads on the two types of circuit cards. A card-holder unit (54) has first and second card-holding compartments lying in horizontal planes that are vertically spaced. The cards can be inserted into the compartments and the unit is then slid into the body until pads of the two cards engage the two sets of contacts on the body.

Abstract: A smart card connector includes an insulative support (52) with a horizontal card-engaging face (62) and contacts mounted on the support and having contact ends (102) projecting above the face to engage pads on the active face of a smart card. The pad-engaging ends lie within a contact-holding face part (202) which has a longitudinal length (L1) not greater than half the length of the card, with the card rear portion extending in a cantilevered fashion rearward of the contact-holding face part. The support has a rear edge (84), with the contacts having tails (104) lying at the rear edge, and with the tails protected by side guide extensions (88, 90). A card hold-down includes a sheet metal cover (54) that is soldered to a circuit board P on which the support lies. A switch (150) that detects full card insertion, lies in a polarized region (220) adjacent to the polarized wall (98) of the support.

Abstract: A smart card connector has a card-receiving cavity with a recess (194, FIG. 73) at the rear that receives the rear edge (152) of the card. A cover or flap is then pivoted down on the support element and slid forward to slide hooks (288, FIG. 27) at the front of the cover under shoulders (292) on the support element. The rear edge of the card extends along the length (A′, FIG. 45) of the card, so the distance from the open front of the connector to the recess (194) and card rear edge is equal to about the smaller width of the card.

Abstract: A connector has an insulative frame (52) and has rows (34, 36) of identical contacts (70) for engaging pads on a smart card, where at least one of the contacts that otherwise could engage a pad, is used to close or open a switch to detect the presence of a smart card.

Abstract: A smart card connector for engaging contact pads of a smart card. The connector (10) includes a molded body (12) with cavities (24) having open rear ends (29) so contacts (14) can be inserted forwardly (F) therein. Each contact has an upper branch (42) with a rear free end forming a nose (32), and the body has a top crosspiece (66) at the open rear end of the cavity that lies against the nose. The cavity has a horizontal groove (52, 54) at its bottom. A lower branch of the contact has a foot (48, 50) that is inserted forwardly into the groove. During contact insertion, the upper branch is downwardly deflected sufficiently to pass under the top crosspiece while the foot is slid horizontally into the groove.

Abstract: A smart card reader includes a frame (102), a carriage (108) that can slide forwardly when pushed forwardly by the front end of an inserted smart card, and a double click mechanism (193) that latches the carriage in a forward position when pushed there by a card, until the card is pushed forward a second time, a spring then pushing the carriage rearwardly to partially reject the card. A cam follower (112) of the double click mechanism has a pivoted mount end (214) that is held with friction against free pivoting by the spring. The frame includes a rear body (104) with a pair of legs (118, 119) projecting forwardly from opposite sides and straddling the carriage and forming fixed stops (191, 193) on opposite sides of the carriage. The frame also includes a front body (106) attached to front ends of the legs and forming a middle cavity region that receives the carriage, spring, and cam follower.

Abstract: A connector has an insulative frame (52) and has rows (34, 36) of identical contacts (70) for engaging pads on a smart card, where at least one of the contacts that otherwise could engage a pad, is used to close or open a switch to detect the presence of a smart card.

Abstract: A connector has an insulative frame (52) and has rows (34, 36) of identical contacts (70) for engaging pads on a smart card, where at least one of the contacts that otherwise could engage a pad, is used to close or open a switch to detect the presence of a smart card.

Abstract: A smart card connector includes an insulative support (52) with contacts thereon and a sheet metal cover (54) with an upper portion (60) that lies over a support face (62) to form a front portion of a card-receiving cavity (58) between them, and with the cover having a lower portion (191) lying under opposite sides of the cavity. The opposite sides of the cavity extend rearward of the support. A card ejecting mechanism (141) includes a pusher (144) that can be manually pushed forward to pivot a lever (146) that pushes the card rearwardly so the card can be grasped and manually pulled out. The pusher is formed of sheet metal with lower and upper flanges (190, 188) that lie against upper and lower portions of the cover, the pusher being confined to solely slideable movement and the lever being pivoting mounted about a pivot axis (A1) on the support.

Abstract: A connector has an insulative frame (52) and has rows (34, 36) of identical contacts (70) for engaging pads on a smart card, where at least one of the contacts that otherwise could engage a pad, is used to close or open a switch to detect the presence of a smart card.

Abstract: A compact electrical connector can receive two different kinds of circuit cards, of the type that are thin and flat and have contact pads on an active face, such as a MICROSIM card and a MMC card. The connector includes a body (52) with an insulative frame (81) and two sets of contacts (84, 114) on the frame, with each set of the contacts having pad-engaging ends arranged in patterns corresponding to the patterns of contact pads on the two types of circuit cards. A card-holder unit (54) has first and second card-holding compartments lying in horizontal planes that are vertically spaced. The cards can be inserted into the compartments and the unit is then slid into the body until pads of the two cards engage the two sets of contacts on the body.

Abstract: A smart card connector includes an insulative support (52) with a horizontal card-engaging face (62) and contacts mounted on the support and having contact ends (102) projecting above the face to engage pads on the active face of a smart card. The pad-engaging ends lie within a contact-holding face part (202) which has a longitudinal length (L1) not greater than half the length of the card, with the card rear portion extending in a cantilevered fashion rearward of the contact-holding face part. The support has a rear edge (84), with the contacts having tails (104) lying at the rear edge, and with the tails protected by side guide extensions (88, 90). A card hold-down includes a sheet metal cover (54) that is soldered to a circuit board P on which the support lies. A switch (150) that detects full card insertion, lies in a polarized region (220) adjacent to the polarized wall (98) of the support.

Abstract: A smart card connector includes a base (36) that holds contacts (38) and a cover (76) with a rear end pivotally connected to the base and a front end that receives a card into a cavity or card receiver (31). The base is narrow, and laterally opposite sides of the cover move down on opposite sides of the base when the cover is lowered. The cover is a one-piece molded plastic part with a rear plate (116) that lies over the rear of the card, and with the front of the cavity being open. A locking bar (140) has a plate lying over the front of the cavity, the locking bar being slideable forwardly to lock the cover in the closed position.

Abstract: A switch (12, in FIG. 1) for mounting on a circuit board (P), has a minimum number of parts and a very small height. The switch includes an insulative support (29) for lying on the circuit board and a switch element (33) with a pedal (58) extending above the upper face (18) of the support to be downwardly deflected by a card as the card reaches its fully installed position. The switch element is formed of electrically conductive sheet metal material, with a connect tab (43) for permanently engaging a first switch trace (25) on the circuit board, and with a contacting part (44) for lying over a second trace (26) on the circuit board. When the pedal is depressed, it also depresses the contacting part (44) to press it against the second trace to thereby close the switch.

Abstract: An electrical connector 12 is provided for receiving and contacting pads on a smart card C, the connector including a molded dielectric support 14 that forms a card-holding recess 22, and a cover 52 that holds down the card against contacting ends 40 of contacts mounted on the support. When the card is fully inserted into the recess, with a rear edge 32 of the card abutting a recess rear wall 30, the front edge 50 of the fully inserted card projects forward of the recess front end 24, to provide a forwardly-projecting card portion that can be readily gripped to pull out the card. The cover 52 has depending sides 61 with lower ends 63 that project towards each other, so the cover can be slid in place around the support. The forward end 56 of the cover can lie rearward of the recess rear end.

Abstract: The invention provides a receiver for a smart card (C) that has contact pads (P), including a printed circuit board (10), an electrical connector (14) mounted on the circuit board and holding contacts (18) for engaging the contact pads on the card, and a molded plastic cover (30) mounted on the circuit board and lying around the connector. The cover forms a card-receiving slot (38) for receiving a card in a fully-installed card position (A), including upper and lower slot walls (32, 44) that extend laterally (Q) across the entire width of the slot only at the front of the slot, with short runners (56, 58) extending along the opposite sides of the card along most of the slot length. The lower slot wall has a rear edge (46) that lies over a depressed front end of the body to closely position the cover with respect to the connector.