WO2000026845A1

WO2000026845A1 - Smart card reader with floating connector

Info

Publication number: WO2000026845A1
Application number: PCT/FR1998/002325
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philippe Guenebaud; Jean Yves Le Roux
Original assignee: Scm Schneider Microsysteme-Microsystemes Schneider Entwicklungs Und Vertriers Gmbh Sarl Developpement Et Vente
Priority date: 1997-07-30
Filing date: 1998-10-30
Publication date: 2000-05-11
Also published as: FR2766940A1; FR2766940B1

Abstract

The invention concerns a smart card reader comprising at least a connector (2) co-operating with a microcomputer interface, the reader including at least a housing for inserting a smart card, whereof the electrical contact pads are urged into contact with the connector (2) when the card is end-stopped at the housing floor. The invention is characterised in that: the connector (2) is made integral with the reader frame (6) by at least two flexible tabs (7) suspending the connector (2) in a movement substantially perpendicular and/or transversal to the card insertion movement; the connector (2) is placed in the smart card insertion movement kinematics before it is inserted and is released by the simple insertion of the card (3). The invention is particularly applicable in the field of PCMCIA readers.

Description

"Smart card reader with floating connector"

The invention relates to a smart card reader comprising at least one connector which cooperates with an interface of a microcomputer, the reader comprising at least one slot which allows the insertion of a smart card, including the electrical contact pads. come into contact with the connector when the card is in abutment at the bottom of its housing.

Until now the readers are either very simple, that is to say that their connector is mounted fixed inside the chassis of the reader, or of great complexity, that is to say -to say that the connector has a movement which is slaved to the movement of introduction or exit of the smart card. In the latter case, the servo-control is due to a set of links, with at least one return spring, or to a jack, which requires a hydraulic installation.

The use of a fixed connector requires that when the introduction of the smart card, there is, on the one hand, a dodging of the connector and / or the card and, on the other hand a permanent contact between said connector and card. The dodging will therefore require a deformation of the contactors of the connector and / or the card which is detrimental for the reliability of the assembly, in addition there will be a significant friction between the contactors and the card which can quickly deteriorate the quality of the electrical contacts when the card is in read mode. This effect is all the more important as said connector contactors will have to slide on the plastic part of said smart card before being in contact with the electrical contact pads of the card.

The current state of the art includes various patent applications.

Thus, the document WO 96/23271 relates to a smart card reader, with an envelope (3) having an insertion slot (1) for the smart card (2), a number of pairs of contacts (6, 7 ) corresponding to the number of tracks and a chassis (5) of contact carrier connected to the wires (4) supplying the contacts. On the side of the contact carrier frame (5) opposite the contact supply wires (4), there is an actuating element produced in the form of a lever (9, 10) with double arm; it is held in the envelope (3) by means of transverse torsion bars (8), and its force arm (9) is on the path of introduction of the smart card (2) so that the load arm (10) of the actuating lever is bent, when inserting the smart card (2), by bandaging the torsion bar (8) and pressing the chassis (5) of contact carrier and, thus, the contacts which carry it (6, 7), against the smart card (2).

Admittedly, the contact carrier chassis has a certain mobility, but the means for doing so are of a complex structure, therefore costly both for manufacturing and for assembly. In addition, the actuating element limits the possible mobility of the chassis, which can create areas of resistance during the insertion of the card and therefore damaging friction. Patent application EP-0.399. 763 relates to a smart card reader allowing the insertion of cards and the correct connection of contacts. According to this invention, the reader comprises a device for detecting the insertion of the card activating a contacting mechanism. The operating mode presented applies contacts to the card when it is inserted, and not dodging them when the card is inserted.

Furthermore, if the card is too thick, deterioration of the card and of the contacts may occur because only the elasticity of the contacts makes it possible to adapt to variations in thickness.

EP-0 patent application is also known. 785. 520 which discloses a smart card system capable of preventing deterioration of the electrical contacts. The system includes a smart card with a perforation and a contact structure formed on the card reader. The contact structure comprises a lug inserted in the perforation when the card is in the reading position.

According to this system, strong stress is applied to contact 356 at the start of card insertion. In addition, it is necessary to punch the card which limits the scope of this system.

Finally, only a vertical translation of the contacts is carried out which limits their ability to dodge during the insertion of the card.

Patent application EP-0 .338. 900 relates to a device for electrically contacting conductors distributed over a first

(20) and on a second element (14), the contacting of the conductors having to be carried out when the first element found in a determined position with respect to the second element. The device comprises, inter alia, a guide (1) from the first element to the determined position and a stop intended (8) to stop the first element when it has reached this determined position, the stop comprising means making it possible to set gradually in contact with the conductors.

This device applies the conductors of the reader to those of the card at the end of insertion and not a dodge during insertion. It requires the achievement of a particular stop therefore a significant cost price.

In general, current devices allow limited mobility of the card reader contacts.

Thus, no rotation in the direction of insertion of the card is permitted.

This degree of freedom is however useful for example if the card is not inserted perfectly in the insertion axis or if the card is not perfectly flat.

The present invention widens the possibilities of mobility of the conector while proposing means for achieving this less complex than the actuation means known up to now. Certain products, such as that described in document EP-A-0. 696. 010, provide a portable interface for two electronic chip cards, the interface being pluggable into a card reader, composed of a module, intended to be housed in the card reader and comprising at one end pluggable means electrical connection with the card reader, an end piece secured to the other end of the module comprising two slots for inserting the smart cards, a housing intended to receive at least partially each smart card and passing through said end piece at least partially, said housing comprising means for guiding and positioning the smart card, and means for electrical connection with the electrical contact pads of the smart card. In the case of a reader for two cards, it is often used fixed connectors so that the system remains relatively compact. This is very important in certain formats, as is the case with the PCMCIA standard. It is therefore not possible to use connectors whose movement is controlled, connectors which are moreover very expensive to implement. It can therefore only be used as a fixed connector with the problems mentioned above.

The present invention relates to a reader for at least one smart card which eliminates all the problems of the state of the art, by proposing a reader whose connector is inexpensive to implement, reliable and efficient, while retaining to the reader a compactness in relation to current or future standards. To this end, the invention relates to a chip card reader comprising at least one connector which cooperates with an interface of a microcomputer, the reader comprising at least one housing which allows the insertion of a chip card, whose electrical contact pads come into contact with the connector when the card is in abutment at the bottom of its housing, characterized in that the connector is mounted floating in a movement substantially perpendicular and / or transverse to the insertion movement of the card .

The connector is placed in the kinematics of the insertion movement of the smart card before its insertion and is avoided by the simple introduction of said card.

The connector is secured to the reader chassis by at least one flexible tab.

According to an alternative embodiment, the connector is secured to the chassis of the reader by four flexible tabs.

The connector is mounted on a plate secured to the flexible lug (s).

In this case, it is possible that the plate carries, in addition to the connector, a presence sensor. In the case of the variant embodiment, the four flexible tabs each join one of the corners of the connector or of the plate to the rest of the chassis.

In addition, the flexible legs are associated two by two, on the one hand longitudinally since there are two legs on the left and two legs on the right of the housing, and on the other hand transversely since there are two legs upstream and two tabs downstream of the connector.

The point of connection of one of the flexible tabs with the connector or the plate is at the same level or further from the entry of the housing as the point of connection of this tab with the chassis.

Therefore, each leg is substantially Z-shaped.

In the case where the reader is made up of a double slot, one of the slots allowing a partial insertion of a smart card, the other slot allowing an almost total insertion of another smart card, the connector floating connector is assigned to the reading of the card with partial insertion whereas a conventional connector is assigned to the reading of the card with almost total insertion.

The partial insertion housing is separated from the almost total insertion housing by at least one spacer integral with the chassis.

The partial insertion housing is separated from the almost total insertion housing by two integral spacers, one on the right side, the other on the left side of the chassis.

The distance separating the two right and left spacers is greater than or equal to the width of the connector, to which may be added the width of the embossings, or raised text, carried by the smart card with quasi-total insertion. underlying.

Each spacer is not present at the connector.

The attached drawings are given as examples indicative and not limiting. They represent an embodiment according to the invention. They will allow the invention to be easily understood.

FIG. 1 represents a top view of a floating connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 represents a top view of a floating connector according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 represents a cross-sectional view along A-A of FIG. 1.

4 shows a sectional view identical to Figure 3, after the insertion of a smart card.

5 shows a longitudinal sectional view along B-B of Figure 1. Figure 6 shows a sectional view identical to Figure 5, during the insertion of the smart card.

7 shows a sectional view identical to Figures 5 and 6, after the insertion of said smart card.

FIG. 8 represents a view in longitudinal section of a reader according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 represents a perspective view of a chassis which can be used with the reader exposed in FIG. 8.

Figure 10 shows a view identical to Figure 9 where the different parts, constituting the chassis, are exploded. Finally, FIG. 11 represents a top view of the reader of FIG. 8.

The present invention relates to a smart card reader 1. Whatever the embodiment of the reader 1, it always has the same reference. The same applies to all the constituent parts of said reader 1. Whatever the embodiment, from the moment when the element concerned has the same function, it is represented by the same reference.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, two embodiments of the floating connector 2 of the reader 1 are shown. The floating connector 2 is in fact mounted on a plate 8 and can be associated with a presence sensor 9, without this arrangement being necessary. This plate 8 is connected to the chassis 6 of the reader 1 by means of flexible lugs 7. A suspension system for the connector 2 is thus formed. The connector 2 is suspended relative to the chassis 6 by means of the flexible lugs 7.

The flexible tabs 7 can be elements added to the chassis 6. They can also be produced in the same material as the chassis 6, in particular when the chassis 6 is molded during manufacture.

The connector 2 is movable in a movement substantially perpendicular and / or transverse to the insertion movement of the card (3), which translates its freedom of rotation and translation by its suspension.

In the figures, there are four flexible legs 7. These flexible legs 7 are associated two by two. Relative to the longitudinal axis of the reader 1, two flexible tabs 7 are located to the left of said axis, and two flexible tabs 7 are located to the right.

On the other hand, according to the direction of introduction FI of the smart card 3, there are two tabs 7 located upstream, that is to say as close as possible to the input 17 of the reader 1, and two tabs 7 located downstream from this FI movement.

The flexible tabs 7 have a function which allows the plate 8 which carries the connector 2 to be movable in translation as is well represented by comparing Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3, the housing 4 inside the reader 1 which receives the smart card 3 is empty. In this case, the internal face of the plate 8 carrying the connector 2 is located in the interior space of said housing 4. Once the card 3 has been slid into the housing 4, the assembly consisting of the card 8 and the connector 2 goes up so that the inside of said plate 8 tends to come out of housing 4.

Nevertheless, and obviously, the connector 2 always remains in contact with the electrical contact pads 5 of the card 3. Of course, this is only possible due to the flexibility of the tabs 7.

In these Figures 3 and 4, these are the downstream legs 7 which are shown. The same phenomenon occurs at the legs

7 upstream. This is what is moreover well represented in FIGS. 5 and 7. However, it can be seen that if the deformation of the legs

7 upstream and downstream is identical, it is not simultaneous.

Thus, in Figure 5, before introduction of the card 3 according to FI, all of the tabs 7 are at rest.

In FIG. 6, the card 3 is partially inserted inside the housing 4. In this case, only the flexibility of the upstream tabs 7 is used.

If one continues the introduction according to FI, one finds oneself in the position of FIG. 7 in which the flexible downstream tabs 7 have also played, because the position of FIG. 7 corresponds to the position of FIG. 4.

A great freedom of movement is therefore possible for connector 2.

Translation in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the card 3 is first of all permitted. Freedoms in rotation along axes located in the plane of the card 3 complete the mobility in translation.

The connector 2 therefore adapts perfectly during the insertion of the smart card 3, even if the card 3 is of an abnormal thickness or if its surface is not perfectly flat.

Furthermore, we only play on the elasticity of the flexible tabs 7, without requiring deformation of the contacts of the connector 2.

According to another embodiment of the reader 1, shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the chassis 6 comprises two housings 4 and 14, allowing each to receive a smart card 3 or 13.

In fact, the smart card 3 is inserted partially along FI, while the smart card 13 is inserted almost completely along F2, this is what is well represented in FIG. 8.

The card 13 and the housing 14 operate in the same way as many conventional reader 1 currently on the market.

Of course, when the card 13 is in the almost completely inserted position in the housing 14, as shown in FIG. 8, the electrical contact pads 15 are found opposite a conventional connector 12, shown in the figure.

11.

Of course, in the same way, the conventional connector 12 can be associated with a presence sensor 9.

With regard to the card 3, this has an insertion which is identical to that shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

In fact, this type of reader 1 can be very small. In the case of the standard formerly PCMCIA, newly standard PC CARD, the maximum thickness is 5 mm.

In the case where two smart cards 3 and 13 are used, each card 3 or 13 has a thickness of substantially 0.72 mm. Sometimes, it is necessary to add to this thickness, the presence of embossings, or writings in relief 16, which further increase the thickness of each card 3 or 13.

Note on FIG. 8 the presence of the embossings 16. It is also necessary to take into account the presence of the electronic components, the thickest of which has a thickness of approximately 2.5 mm. To be able to allow the reader 1 which would have reduced dimensions to be able to take into account two cards 3 and 13, as shown in FIG. 8, there is between the housing 4, allowing the partial insertion according to F1 of the card 3, and the housing 14 allowing almost total insertion according to F2 of the card 13, of two spacers 10 and 11. There is on the one hand a spacer on the right 10, and on the other hand a spacer on the left 11. Their shape is adapted, in fact, the presence of embossments 16 on the smart card 13 with almost total insertion.

So in the space created between the two spacers

10 and 11, the embossings 16 can easily be moved. This leads to a gain in space sufficient to allow the production of a card reader 1, the thickness of which is entirely reduced and which allows two smart cards 3 and 13 to be taken into account.

REFERENCES

1. Smart card reader

2. Floating connector of reader 1

3. Partial insertion smart card. Card slot 3

5. Card 3 electrical contact ranges

6. Reader 1 chassis

7. Flexible chassis tabs 6

8. Plate carrying connector 2 9. Presence sensor

10. Straight spacer

11. Left spacer

12. Classic reader 1 connector

13. Chip card with almost full insertion 14. Card slot 13

15. Electrical contact ranges of the card 13

16. Embossing of the card 13

17. Reader 1 input

FI. Partial insertion of card 3 in slot 4 F2. Almost total insertion of the card 13 into the slot 14

Claims

EÏENDJLCATIΩNS

1. Smart card reader (1) comprising at least one connector (2 and / or 12) which cooperates with an interface of a microcomputer, the reader (1) comprising at least one housing (4 and / or 14 ) which allows the insertion of a smart card (3 or 13), whose electrical contact pads (5 or 15) come into contact with the connector (2 or 12) when the card (3 or 13) is in abutment at the bottom of its housing (4 or 14), characterized in that:

- the connector (2) is secured to the chassis (6) of the reader (1) by at least two flexible tabs (7) suspending the connector (2) in a movement substantially perpendicular and / or transverse to the insertion movement of the card (3), - the connector (2) is placed in the kinematics of the insertion movement of the smart card (3) before its insertion and escapes by the simple introduction of said card (3).

2. Reader according to claim 1, characterized in that the connector (2) is secured to the frame (6) of the reader (1) by four flexible tabs (7).

3. Reader according to any one of claims 1 to 2 characterized in that the connector (2) is mounted on a plate (8) secured to the flexible lug (s) (7).

4. Reader according to claim 3, characterized in that the plate (8) carries, in addition to the connector (2), a presence sensor (9).

5. Reader according to claim 2 alone or in combination with any one of claims 3 or, characterized in that the four flexible tabs (7) each secure one of the corners of the connector (2) or of the plate (8) the rest of chassis (6).

6. Reader according to claim 5, characterized in that the flexible tabs (7) are associated two by two, on the one hand longitudinally since there are two tabs (7) on the left and two tabs (7) at right of the housing (4), and on the other hand transversely since there are two tabs (7) upstream and two tabs (7) downstream of the connector (2).

7. Reader according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the connection point of one of the flexible tabs (7) with the connector (2) or the plate (8) is at the same level or further from the entrance to the housing (4) than the point of connection of this tab (7) with the chassis (6).

8. Reader according to claim 7, characterized in that each tab (7) is in the shape of a substantially Z.

9. Reader according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which consists of a double slot (4 and 14), one of the slots (4) allowing partial insertion of a smart card (3) , the other housing (14) allowing almost total insertion of another smart card (13), characterized in that the floating connector (2) is assigned to the reading of the partially inserted card (3) while a conventional connector (12) is assigned to the reading of the card with almost total insertion (13).

10. Reader according to claim 9, characterized in that the housing (4) with partial insertion is separated from the housing (14) with almost total insertion by at least one spacer (10 and / or 11) integral of the chassis (6).

11. Reader according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the housing (4) with partial insertion is separated from the housing (14) with almost total insertion by two spacers (10 and 11) integral, one (10) on the right, the other (11) on the left of the chassis (6).

12. Reader according to claim 11, characterized in that the distance separating the two straight spacers

(10) and left (11) is greater than or equal to the width of the connector (2) to which may be added the width of the embossings (16), or raised text, carried by the smart card (13) with insertion almost total underlying.

13. Reader according to any one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that each spacer (10 or 11) is not present at the connector (2).

14. Reader according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the flexible tabs (7) are made of the material of the chassis (6).