DE29506344U1 - Contact unit for card-shaped carrier elements - Google Patents

Description

Contact unit for card-shaped carrier elements

The invention relates to a contacting unit for card-shaped carrier elements of electronic assemblies, with an insertion channel with a substantially slot-like cross-section and at least one contact field,

In the field of computer technology in particular, electronic components are preferably arranged on card-shaped carrier elements. These carrier elements have contact areas and can be inserted into contact units, where they are electrically contacted and integrated into the data circuit. Card-shaped carrier elements according to the so-called PCMCIA standard are known, which are cards that have a standard matrix-like connection contact field and can accommodate a wide variety of IC circuits. Such cards can be memory expansion cards, drive cards, modem cards and the like. They can be contacted in contact units with a corresponding pin matrix, for which they are inserted into the slot of a computer, for example. So-called chip cards are also known, as they are currently used, for example, as telephone cards and the like. These have flat contact fields for contacting a chip and are also inserted into contact units designed in particular as reading units. Recently, the combination of known card systems has also become known, whereby, for example, a PCMCIA and a chip card are inserted into a corresponding contact unit at the same time.

In systems known from the state of the art, the card-shaped carrier elements are pushed into an insertion channel by hand until they are fully connected and then pulled out again. Recessing systems that use a motorized retractor are very complex and costly to manufacture, increase the size of the corresponding reading units on the electronic devices and are susceptible to malfunctions. The disadvantage of manual operation is that, on the one hand, a relative movement of the card is possible during a data exchange process, and, on the other hand, exact positioning is not always guaranteed.

Based on this state of the art, the present invention is based on the task of providing a contact unit for card-shaped

To improve support elements so that secure positioning is guaranteed.

To technically solve this problem, it is proposed that at least one actuator is arranged at the end of the insertion channel, which can be displaced from a front locking position to a rear locking position by exerting a pressure force and moves back to the front locking position under the force of an elastic element after exerting a renewed pressure force.

Such an actuator arranged at the end of an insertion channel of a contact unit works in a similar way to a known ballpoint pen pressure mechanism and provides a so-called "click-in/click-out" function. When a card is inserted into a contact unit, the actuator protruding into the insertion channel is pressurized and thus moved into the rear locking position. It remains there if the pressure is released or even reversed. If pressure is applied again, the actuator is pressed back into the front locking position by the force of an elastic element. This naturally exerts pressure on the card-shaped carrier element, which is pushed out of the insertion channel again so that it protrudes at least partially from the front insertion slot.

The design according to the invention defines, on the one hand, the precise operating position which is reached by the card-shaped carrier element, be it a PCMCIA card or a chip card, when the actuator is in the rear locking position. The chip card can also be inserted in a PCMCIA card in which a corresponding actuator according to the invention is arranged.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the actuator is arranged in the insertion channel in such a way that it lies in the insertion path of the front edge of the carrier element that is moved in the insertion direction. The at least one actuator is advantageously pin-shaped and has a cam/latching curve arrangement. The actuator is advantageously made of plastic and comprises a helical spring as an elastic element.

According to a further advantageous proposal of the invention, the actuator can be provided with an electrical contact. Furthermore, in addition to the actuator, further electrical contacts can be arranged, which interact with the edge contour of the carrier element according to a particularly advantageous proposal of the invention. This measure makes it possible to arrange actuators and/or electrical contacts in coding positions. Processing can only take place if the electrical contacts and/or actuators assume a certain position due to the edge contour of the card.

Finally, the invention proposes that the at least one actuator is connected to a counting unit. This measure makes it possible to determine the number of actuations and thus the number of insertion processes.

A particularly advantageous effect of the invention is that the exact time periods can be determined in which the electronic components of the card-shaped carrier element, for example the chip field of a chip card, are connected to the corresponding contact field of the contacting unit. This time period, which can be precisely determined based on the positioning of the actuator and/or one or more electrical contacts, can be used by the processing unit for reading and/or

Write functions can be used optimally. Above all, a write process can be completed based on an actuator and/or contact position.

Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the following description based on the figures. They show:

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment;

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the example according to Figure 1 and

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment with a different card positioning.

The figures show a contact unit 1 which, in the embodiments shown, corresponds to a so-called PCMCIA card. A chip card 2 which has a contacted chip 3 can be inserted into this. The PCMCIA card has a connection matrix 4 at one end in accordance with the standard. The PCMCIA card, which can be inserted into a slot of an electronic device, can be contacted via the connection matrix. Inside, the card has a contact field for contacting the chip 3 of the chip card 2 when the field of the chip 3 is positioned in the area of the contact field 5. For this purpose, the chip card 2 is inserted into an insertion channel 6. A circuit board 7 carries the contact field 5 and is connected to the connection matrix 4.

At the rear end of the insertion there is an actuator 8 with a pin 9 that projects into the insertion channel and can assume a front locking position and a spring-loaded rear locking position in a manner known per se. A changeover switch 10 and a further switch 11 are also shown.

When the chip card 2 is inserted into the insertion channel 6, the rear edge of the chip card 2 comes into contact with the pin 9 and moves it further in the insertion direction. A point in time can be determined, for example via the changeover switch 10 or switch 11, at which the contact field 5 and the connections of the chip 3 are in contact overlap. At this point in time, read/write functions can be started. The

The chip card can be released when the actuator has reached the rear locking position. If further pressure is then exerted on the chip card in the direction of arrow A as shown in Figure 3, the actuator is unlocked and moved forwards due to the spring load on pin 9, whereby the chip card is in turn guided out of the insertion channel 6. The contact field release time can be determined via the positioning and/or the contact positions of the switches and the card is mechanically guided out again.

List of reference symbols:

1 contact unit

2 Chip card

3 Chip

4 Connection matrix

5 Contact field

6 Insertion channel

7 Board

8 Actuator

9 pin

10 changeover switches

11 switches

Claims (11)

Expectations: 1. Contacting unit for card-shaped carrier elements of electronic assemblies, with an insertion channel with a substantially slot-like cross-section and at least one contact field, characterized in that at least one actuator is arranged at the end of the insertion channel, which can be displaced from a front locking position to a rear locking position by exerting a pressure force and moves back to the front locking position under the force of an elastic element after exerting a renewed pressure force. 2. Contact unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator is positioned in the insertion path of the front edge of the carrier element moved in the insertion direction. 3. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator is pin-shaped. 4. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator has a cam-VR locking curve arrangement. 5. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator is made of plastic. 6. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elastic element is a helical spring. 7. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator has an electrical contact. 8. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has additional electrical switching contacts. 9. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one actuator and/or the electrical contacts interact with the edge contour of the carrier element. 10. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one actuator and/or the electrical contacts are arranged in coding positions. 11. Contact unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one actuator is connected to a counting unit. R/RS/wr