GB2364449A

GB2364449A - Connector for two SIM cards

Info

Publication number: GB2364449A
Application number: GB0016214A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mats Barvesten; Par Forslund; Hans Beckman; Henrik Landahl
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Current assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date: 2000-06-30
Filing date: 2000-06-30
Publication date: 2002-01-23
Also published as: GB0016214D0

Abstract

A connector allows two integrated circuit cards (such as SIM cards for a mobile phone) to be connected to a PCB. A first set of contacts 11-16 are biassed in one direction, to make contact with a first card 31, and a second set (21-26) are biassed in the opposite direction to make contact with a second card 32. The connector may be mounted in a hole in a PCB 2. This minimises the required area and the overall thickness of the device. Resilient holding means 35, 36 may hold the cards in place.

Description

2364449 CONNECTOR

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a connector, and more 5 specifically to a connector which can be used for holding two integrated circuit cards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

10 Integrated circuit cards are in widespread use.

Such cards are also known as IC cards, smart cards, or, in the specific case of their use in devices such as mobile phones, Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.

The cards include an integrated circuit, and include a 15 memory device. Thus, they can be used to identify a card holder, by storing verifiable personal information. Further, in the case of SIM cards used in mobile phones, they can be used to store a user's personal information, including that user's frequently 20 dialled numbers.

To hold an integrated circuit card in position within an electronic device, a connector is conventionally mounted to a circuit board. The connector includes contacts which are resiliently 25 biassed away from the circuit board, and the connector includes means for holding the integrated circuit card against the biassing action of the contacts, to ensure good electrical connection between the contacts on the connector, and correspondingly positioned contact areas 30 on the card itself.

It is now desired to allow the possibility of mounting two integrated circuit cards within the same device. However, the use of one conventional connector for each of these integrated circuit cards would take 35 up a relatively large amount of space within the device.

SUMULRY OF THE INVENTION 5 According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector, which allows two integrated circuit cards to be connected thereto.

More specifically, in one preferred embodiment, the connector is provided with a first plurality of 10 contacts which are biassed in a first direction, and a second plurality of contacts which are biassed in a second direction opposite to the first. A first integrated circuit card, can then be mounted to a first side of the connector, with its contact areas having a 15 connection to the first set of contacts, while a second integrated circuit card is mounted to a second side of the connector, with its contact areas having connections with the second set of contacts.

Advantageously, the connector can be mounted 20 within a circuit board. That is, the connector can advantageously be mounted within a hole, lying in the plane of the circuit board. The circuit board may for example, be a conventional printed circuit board.

Preferably, also, the connector includes a first mounting device for mounting a first integrated circuit card to one side thereof, and a second mounting device for mounting a second integrated circuit card to a second side thereof.

30 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a plan view of a connector in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through a 35 circuit board incorporating the connector of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is the cross-sectional view of Figure 2, showing two integrated circuit cards mounted to the connector.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the connector of 5 Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view through a circuit board incorporating the connector of Figure 1.

Figure 6 shows a further connector device in 10 accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODINEWS

The figures show a connector 1 in accordance with the present invention, mounted in a printed circuit board 2. As can be seen most clearly from the cross sectional views in Figures 2 and 5, a suitably sized hole is cut in the printed circuit board, and the connector 1 is mounted in the plane of the board.

20 The printed circuit board may form part of a wireless communication device, such as a mobile phone, for example. However, the invention is applicable to any type of device, in which an integrated circuit card may be mounted. Thus, the printed circuit board 2 will have many other electronic components mounted thereto, in the regions surrounding the connector 2, although these are generally not shown in the drawings for clarity. However, Figure 4 shows an integrated circuit card interface chip 6, which sends power and data to a 30 card mounted to the connector 1, receives signals from the card mounted to the connector 1, and interfaces with the other circuitry within the overall device.

The printed circuit board 2 is a relatively rigid planar board. However, the connector in accordance 35 with the invention can also be mounted in a flexible circuit board. For example, the flexible circuit board can be of a type which in use can be bent into a desired shape, to allow a more efficient use of space within an electronic device.

5 One conventional type of integrated circuit card is the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card, which is commonly used, for example in mobile phones operating under the GSM system. SIM cards are typically 15 x 30 mm in size, with a thickness of less than I mm. On one 10 side thereof, there are six contact regions, arranged in two rows of three, which allow signals to be read from the card, and written to the card, and supply power to the card.

Thus, a connector for a SIM card must include six 15 contacts, positioned relative to each other so that the contact regions on the card can make suitable electrical connections thereto. The connector 1 of the present invention includes a first set of six contacts 11-16, and a second set of six contacts 21-26. The 20 first set of contacts 11-16 is arranged in two rows of three contacts, and the second set of contacts 21-26 is similarly arranged in two rows of three contacts, with the contacts in each set being located relative to each other in such a way that each can make an electrical 25 connection with a contact area on the conventional SIM card. A first row of contacts 11-13 in the first set is located adjacent a first row of contacts 21-23 in the second set. Similarly a second row of contacts 14 16 in the first set is located adjacent a second row of 30 contacts 24-26 in the second set.

Each of the contacts 11-16, 21-26 is an elongate metal member. For example, the contact 11 is mounted to the body of the connector 1 at a f irst end 11a, and has a free end 11b. The other contacts are mounted to the connector in the same way.

The contacts 11-16, 21-26 are mounted such that each of them acts as a leaf spring, with the respective free ends of the contacts 11b etc. being biassed out of the plane of the circuit board 2.

5 Thus, the contacts 11-16 of the first set are all biassed such that their free ends are above the plane, while the contacts 21-26 of the second set are all biassed such that their respective free ends are below the plane. This can be seen most clearly in the cross 10 sectional views of Figures 2 & 5, Figure 2 being a view in the direction of arrow A in Figure 1, and Figure 5 being a view in the direction of arrow B in Figure 1.

The connector 1 further includes a first check contact 17, which is associated with the first set of is contacts 11-16, and a second check contact 27, which is associated with the second set of contacts 21-26. The check contacts 17, 27 act as switch contacts, and detect the presence of respective cards. When either one of the check contacts 17, 27 detects the presence 20 of a correctly inserted card, it allows power and signals to be sent to the card through the respective set of contacts 11-16, 21-26. However, when the check contact 17, 27 does not detect the presence of a card, it does not allow power or signals to be sent. This prevents the possibility of damage, which could be caused by, for example, sending power to an incorrectly inserted card.

Figure 3 shows a connector 1, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, having two integrated 30 circuit cards 31, 32 mounted respectively to a first side 33 and a second side 34 thereof. As can be seen from Figure 3, the first card 31 is held in place on the connector 1 by means of a resilient holding means 35, which biasses the card 31 against the surface of 35 the connector 1, in such a way that it f orces the contact areas on the card 31 into electrical connection with the first set of contacts 11-16. Similarly, a second resilient holding means 36 holds the second card 32 in place on the connector 1, forcing the contact 5 areas on the card 32 into connection with the contacts 21-26 in the second set of contacts.

It will be appreciated that the cards 31, 32 may be held in place by any suitable holding device. For example, arrangements are known in which cards are slid 10 underneath resiliently biassed arms similar to those shown in Figure 3. Also, arrangements are known in which SIM cards are mounted in card holders, which can be pivoted out of the plane of the connector for insertion and removal, and which can be clipped in is position to make electrical connections between the contact areas on the card and the contacts of the connector.

The invention has been described so far with reference to its use in connection with SIM cards.

20- However, it could also be used with Smart cards which have the dimensions of a conventional credit card (approximately 55 x 85 mm), or with any integrated circuit card of any set of dimensions, provided that the connector has a suitable device for holding that 25 card in position. It is noted that an international standard ISO 7816 defines the arrangement and functions of the contacts 11-17 and 21-27.

Further, although the invention has been described here with reference to the situation in which it is 30 holding two identical integrated circuit cards, the overall dimensions of the two integrated circuit cards could be different.

Further, it is possible to take advantage of the thin structure of the connector, by mounting multiple 35 connectors over each other. As an example, Figure 6 shows a device 60 in which there are two connectors 61, 62 in parallel planes. The first connector 61 includes contacts 63 which are biassed upwardly out of the plane of the connector, and a resilient holding means 64, for 5 holding a first integrated circuit card 65 with its contact areas against the contacts 63. The first connector 61 further includes contacts 66 which are biassed downwardly out of the plane of the connector, and a resilient holding means 67, for holding a second 10 integrated circuit card 68 with its contact areas against the contacts 66. The second connector 62 includes contacts 69 which are biassed upwardly out of the plane of the connector, and a resilient holding means 70, for holding a third integrated circuit card 15 71 with its contact areas against the contacts 69. The second connector 62 further includes contacts 72 which are biassed downwardly out of the plane of the connector, and a resilient holding means 73, for holding a fourth integrated circuit card 74 with its 20 contact areas against the contacts 72.

Thus, the device 60 allows four integrated circuit cards to be retained parallel to each other, within a space having relatively small overall dimensions.

The connector in accordance with the present 25 invention could be part of a telecommunications device such as a mobile phone which has provision for connection of two integrated circuit cards, a dual-chip GSM phone. For example, one of these cards might then act as a SIM card, while the other stores data required 30 for an additional service. Alternatively, the device could be used in any other context in which it is desired to provide two integrated circuit cards, while minimizing the required area, and the required thickness for mounting the devices.

Claims

1 A connector for an integrated circuit card, the connector being located generally in a plane, and 5 comprising:

a first plurality of contacts, which are biassed out of said plane in a first direction; and a second plurality of contacts, which are biassed out of said plane in a second direction opposite the 10 first direction.

2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, being mounted in a circuit board, the plane of the connector generally coinciding with a plane of the circuit board.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 2, being mounted in a hole within the circuit board.

4. A connector as claimed in claim 2, further 20 comprising an interface circuit mounted to the circuit board and connected to said contacts.

S. A wireless communications device, comprising a connector as claimed in any of claims 1-4.

6. A connector device, comprising a plurality of connectors mounted parallel to each other, each of the connectors being as claimed in any of claims 1-4.

30

7. A connector, comprising:

a first set of contacts, the contacts of the first set being arranged in first and second rows; and a second set of contacts, the contacts of the second set being arranged in third and fourth rows; 35 wherein:

the contacts of the first set are resiliently biassed in a first direction; the contacts of the second set are resiliently biassed in a second direction opposite to the first 5 direction; the third row of contacts is a continuation of the first row; and the fourth row of contacts is a continuation of the second row.

8. A connector as claimed in claim 7, being mounted in a circuit board, the plane of the connector generally coinciding with a plane of the circuit board.

15

9. A connector as claimed in claim 8, being mounted in a hole within the circuit board.

10. A connector as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an interface circuit mounted to the circuit 20 board and connected to said contacts.

11. A wireless communications device, comprising a connector as claimed in any of claims 7-10.

25

12. A connector device, comprising a plurality of connectors mounted parallel to each other, each of the connectors being as claimed in any of claims 7-10.

13. A connector, comprising:

30 a first retaining device, for holding a first integrated circuit card on a first side of the connector; a second retaining device, for holding a second integrated circuit card on a second side of the 35 connector opposite the first side; a first set of contacts, for making electrical connections to the first integrated circuit card when it is held by the f irst retaining device on the f irst side of the connector; and 5 a second set of contacts, f or making electrical connections to the second integrated circuit card when it is held by the second retaining device on the second side of the connector; the f irst and second set of contacts being 10 adjacent and substantially coplanar.

14. A connector as claimed in claim 13, being mounted in a circuit board, the plane of the connector generally coinciding with a plane of the circuit board.

15. A connector as claimed in claim 13, being mounted in a hole within the circuit board.

16. A connector as claimed in claim 14, further 20 comprising an interface circuit mounted to the circuit board and connected to said contacts.

17. A wireless communications device, comprising a connector as claimed in any of claims 13-16.

18. A connector device, comprising a plurality of connectors mounted parallel to each other, each of the connectors being as claimed in any of claims 13-1G.