Sliding-Cover Card Holder for Secure Viewing and Chip Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing card holders do not allow for selective exposure of the card's visual information while maintaining tamper-proof security, and often restrict access to machine-readable chips, making them undesirable for certain applications.
Innovation Solution
A card holder with a casing that includes a front aperture and a movable front cover, allowing partial or full exposure of the card's front face, along with a card slit and stopper mechanism to control card protrusion, and optional Faraday cage for wireless data protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the card is completely enclosed in the card holder, then security and tamper-proof protection are improved, but visual inspection and machine-readable chip access are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The card holder is segmented into multiple access points: a front aperture for visual inspection and a separate card slit for chip access. This segmentation allows different functions (security, viewing, chip reading) to be performed through different openings, resolving the contradiction between complete enclosure and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable card is introduced as an intermediary element. The card can be partially inserted into the holder, allowing the visual portion to remain enclosed for security while the chip portion can be accessed through the card slit. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by providing selective access without compromising overall security.
2Reliability
If the card is completely enclosed in the card holder, then security and tamper-proof protection are improved, but machine-readable chip access is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The card holder is segmented into multiple access points: a front aperture for visual inspection and a separate card slit for chip access. This segmentation allows different functions (security, viewing, chip reading) to be performed through different openings, resolving the contradiction between complete enclosure and chip accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The machine-readable chip portion of the card can be extracted or accessed through the card slit while the rest of the card remains enclosed. This selective extraction allows chip access without compromising the security of the enclosed card holder structure.
3Ease of operation
If a rigid wallet is used to allow card removal, then chip access is improved, but tamper-proof security is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allowing complete card removal, the design segments access into a card slit that permits only partial extraction of the chip portion. This segmentation maintains the tamper-proof security of the rigid holder while enabling chip access through the dedicated slit.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable card acts as an intermediary between the rigid holder and the chip reader. The card can be partially inserted/removed to expose the chip through the slit, mediating between the security requirements of the rigid holder and the access requirements of the chip reader.
4Ease of operation
If the card is partially exposed through a front aperture, then visual inspection is improved, but complete security coverage is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The card holder uses segmentation by providing a dedicated front aperture for visual inspection while maintaining the rest of the card enclosed. The separate card slit for chip access further segments the functionality, allowing visual inspection without compromising the security coverage of the enclosed card structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A card holder for carrying a card and movable between card hiding, showing and protruding configurations. The card holder includes a casing defining a front aperture and a card slit, and a front cover for selectively covering the front aperture. In the card hiding configuration, the front cover obstructs the front aperture and the card is entirely contained in the casing. In the card showing configuration, the front cover is retracted from at least part of the front aperture and the card is entirely contained in the casing. In the card protruding configuration, part of the card protrudes from the casing through the card slit.