JPS63133473A - Two-piece ic card connector device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to a connector for a two-piece IC card, and more particularly to a connector device attached to an IC card reader/writer, which is a connecting device for an IC card. It is something.

[Conventional technology]

With the development of electronic technology, IC cards have become widely used. Conventionally widely known IC cards can be roughly divided into card edge types and two-piece types based on the method of connecting to connected devices. .

The two-piece type has a hole on the edge of the IC card and a contact inside the hole.Generally, the IC card has a socket contact, and the connector of the connected device has a pin contact. Therefore, the electrical terminals of the IC card are designed to prevent direct contact with hands, fingers, and other objects in the outside world.

Therefore, this method is considered to be excellent in terms of countermeasures against static electricity and magnetism, since the connecting terminal does not come into direct contact with anything in the outside world.

When connecting this type of IC card to a connecting device such as a reader/writer, it is common to hold the IC card by hand and push it into the IC card insertion connector of the reader/writer.

In addition, the development of electronic technology, especially IC technology, has made it possible to make IC chips thinner, and as a result, the thickness of the IC card itself has decreased by 1.
It is also planned that things smaller than dragons will appear. This thin IC
The card has been praised for its portability and has high expectations.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The force required to insert and remove an IC card (insertion and removal force) is proportional to the number of poles (number of contacts) of the IC card. The development of IC technology is
The number of connections between IC cards and connected devices continues to increase, leading to higher density.

Inserting and removing high-density IC cards requires a considerably large insertion and removal force in proportion to the increase in density, and the required thickness of 111 mm is required.
Thin IC cards of less than 1.5 m in diameter have the disadvantage of being bent, bent, or damaged when inserted and removed by hand as in the past.

Therefore, for the insertion and removal of high-density, thin IC cards, the adoption of automatic insertion and removal methods, which have been in the spotlight recently, is being considered.
Piece-type IC cards have the following problems.

In other words, in automatic loading/injection, the IC card is generally held and transported by a machine, but since the number of contacts is large (the insertion force also increases), there is a risk that such a thin card will break when inserted. Moreover, even if the IC card can be inserted, it is difficult to remove it smoothly and reliably due to the IC card's flat appearance, which causes it to slip when it is removed.

[Means for Solving the Problems and Their Effects] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems. This can be achieved by providing the connector device with an IC card cassette section and a means for driving the cassette.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a connector device according to the present invention,
■ is a plan view, ■ is a front view, ■ is a side view, and I in Figure 1.
, n, and m, A is a connector section, B is a cassette section, C is a driving means, and D is an IC card.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of the connector device shown in FIG. 1, which is disassembled into constituent parts. The connector device of the present invention consists of three parts: a connector part A, a cassette part B, and a cassette driving means C. The connector part A basically consists of a contact 20, a connector base 21 on which the contact is implanted, and a cassette guiding means 22 for receiving the cassette L-B loaded with the IC card D, for accurate, reliable, and smooth insertion. It has become established. The contacts implanted in the connector base 21 may have any position, size, and shape that can fit into the contacts of the IC card to be connected.

However, generally, pin contacts are installed on the connector side, and socket contacts are installed on the IC card side. Further, in the case of the present invention, since the IC card D is fitted into the connector part while being installed in the cassette B, the contact is made longer than a normal contact.

The cassette guiding means attached to the connector base 21 can be of various types, such as a gear type, a rod or groove type, a traction type using a chain-like, string-like, or band-like object, etc.
In the specific example shown in FIG. 2, a sleeve 22 is illustrated in which guide grooves 23 are carved at both left and right ends of a connector base 21. The cassette B loaded with the IC card is guided by the guide grooves 23 of the sleeves 22 provided at both left and right ends of the connector base 21, approaches the connector base 21, and eventually comes into contact with the contacts 20 implanted in the connector base 21. The contacts of the IC card fit together and make an electrical connection. Note that 23 is a concave portion provided on the back surface of the connector base, and is fitted with a convex portion 41 provided on the surface of the drive source section C, so that they are connected to each other so as not to be easily separated.

The IC card cassette B in the connector device according to the present invention may be of any type as long as external force is applied as evenly over the entire IC card as possible. The specific example shown in FIG. 2 is basically box-shaped and consists of a bottom 30 and a frame 31 that extends around the entire circumference of the bottom 30 (however, the top lid can be omitted). The part of the frame 31 that faces the contacts of the IC card is cut out so that the contacts 20 of the connector base 21 can be fitted with the contacts of the IC card without any trouble. An IC card is fixed at a fixed position in the cassette B on one opposing side of the circumferential frame 31 by an elastic material such as a spring.

Further, the cassette B is provided with a guide means corresponding to the cassette guiding means attached to the connector base 21. In the specific example shown in FIG.
The frame 31 is provided with a fin-shaped protrusion 32 that is slidable and fits into the guide groove 23 provided on the sleeve 22 of the sleeve.

Further, the cassette B is provided with driven means for moving the cassette B toward the connector base 21 of the connector section A. In the specific example shown in FIG. 2, a female screw 33 is bored in the bottom 20 of the cassette B, and a male screw 40 and a screw protrude from the drive means C through the connector base 21 of the connector part A. and by rotating the male screw, I
The C card cassette can be moved forward, backward, and moved.

The driving means in the connector device according to the present invention may be of any type as long as it can move the IC card cassette B back and forth and stop the IC card cassette B at a proper position as designed in accordance with a predetermined signal.

In addition, the drive source for the drive means may be manual or other sources such as an electric motor, electromagnetic device, spring, or pressurized air, but at this stage it is generally considered that the use of an electric motor is the simplest. It is being

In the specific example shown in FIG. 2, the rotation of the electric motor is converted into the rotation of a male screw 40 inside the box of the driving means C, and the rotation of the male screw 40 is transmitted to the female screw 33 provided on the IC card, and the IC Change the movement of card cassette B to a forward or backward movement.

FIG. 3 schematically shows another example of the mechanism of the driving means in the connector device according to the present invention. In Fig. 3, 30, 31, 33 and 40 indicate the bottom of the IC card cassette, the frame, the male screw of the IC card cassette, and the male screw of the drive means, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and 42 indicates the electric motor. So, 43
is a bevel gear. In FIG. 3, the area around the electric motor, the area around the male screw 40 for transmitting driving force, and the area around the IC card cassette 8 are shown separately for easy understanding. 'Through male thread 4
0, and as the male screw 40 rotates, the IC card cassette, which is provided with a female screw that engages with the male screw 40, moves back and forth.

The connector device according to the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, etc., but to simply describe how it is used, it is generally carried out in the following order.

(1) Give a signal to start use to the connector device.

The drive section is started by this start signal, and the IC card cassette section B comes out from the connector section A.

When the IC card cassette part B protrudes from the connector part A to a predetermined position, the drive source stops and the movement of the cassette also stops.

(2) Load the IC card D into the predetermined location of the IC card cassette B as shown by arrow A in FIG.

The drive unit is started by a signal indicating that proper loading is completed, and the cassette part B loaded with the IC card D moves into the connector part, as shown by the arrow in FIG.
The contacts of the IC card loaded in the IC card and the contacts of the connector fit together. The drive source stops in response to the fitting completion signal, and the cassette part B also stops. Subsequently, the above I
Communication is performed between the IC card and the connected device by fitting the contacts of the C card and the contacts of the connector.

(3) After the predetermined communication is completed, the operation opposite to the above (11 and (2)) is performed in response to the completion signal, and the final IC card cassette B is accommodated in the connector section A.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The two-piece IC card connector device according to the present invention includes:
Since it has the structure and function described above, it exhibits the following remarkable effects unique to the present invention.

(1) Since the IC card is loaded into an IC card cassette and no external force is applied directly to the IC card, it is protected from damage or destruction by external force.

(2) Since the IC card D loaded in the cassette B is held down by the four sides of the frame, the insertion and removal force of the contacts of the connector A is applied evenly to the entire IC card.
Even though the C card is thin, the IC card cannot be bent when inserted or removed.
It is protected from damage and ensures smooth insertion and removal.

(3) Since the IC card D is held down by the four sides of the cassette B and fixed in a fixed position, the contacts of the connector part A and the contacts of the IC card D can be mated under certain conditions, ensuring a secure fit. A reliable connection is established.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a connector device according to the present invention, in which ■ is a plan view, ■ is a front view, and ■ is a side view. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of each component of the connector device shown in FIG. 1, and shows the mutual relationship of each component. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the driving section of the connector device according to the present invention. A...Connector section, B...Cassette section, C...Drive means, D/IC card, 20...Contact,
21... Connector base, 22... Sleeve (cassette guide means), 23... Guide groove, 30... Bottom, 31...
・Frame, 32... Projection, 33... Female thread, 40...
Male thread, 42... Drive source. Patent applicant: Denshi Kogyo Co., Ltd. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Procedural amendment January 14, 1988

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Connector part (A), IC card cassette (B)
and a drive means (C) for reciprocating the IC card cassette, wherein: (1) the connector part (A) has a required number of contacts (2
0) and a guide means for the IC card cassette (B);
The card cassette (B) consists of a bottom (30) and a frame (21), and the bottom (30) or the frame (21) has a driven means (3).
3) and guided means (32), (3) the driving means (C) is provided with a driving source (42) and a guided means (32);
Transmission means (40,
43) A two-piece IC card connector device comprising: