Foldable USB ISO 7816 Card with Elastic Hinges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of USB electronic keys from chip cards with a standard thickness of 0.76 mm poses challenges due to the mismatch in dimensions with USB connectors, requiring additional mechanical elements or flexibility to ensure proper electrical contact, which can lead to weakened cards and ejection force issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating elastic hinges made of materials like elastomer or rubber into the chip card body to allow for a closed folding that increases the thickness to match the USB connector dimensions, enabling easy insertion and maintaining contact without additional mechanical elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the thickness of the chip card is reduced to match USB connector dimensions, then the card can be inserted into USB connectors, but the card becomes too thin to ensure good electrical contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the card body flexible rather than rigid. The card can dynamically change its shape during insertion, bending to conform to the USB connector's contact surfaces. This flexibility allows a thin card to achieve reliable electrical contact by adapting its form to match the connector geometry, resolving the contradiction between reduced thickness and contact quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the card by modifying its thickness profile. Instead of uniform thinness, the card features localized thickening at the contact zone while maintaining overall thinness for USB compatibility. This parameter change allows the card to meet USB dimensional requirements while ensuring sufficient contact pressure and electrical connection quality at critical interfaces.
2Reliability
If additional mechanical elements are added to ensure proper electrical contact, then contact quality improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the card body and the mechanical contact elements into a single integrated structure. Rather than adding separate springs, wedges, or adjustment mechanisms, the card body itself is designed with flexible properties and variable thickness to provide both structural support and contact pressure. This integration eliminates additional mechanical elements while maintaining reliable electrical contact.
3Reliability
If the card is made flexible to ensure good contact, then electrical contact improves, but the card may be ejected from the connector
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the mechanical properties of different card regions. The contact zone is designed with localized thickening and enhanced flexibility to ensure good electrical contact, while other portions of the card maintain sufficient rigidity for stable positioning and prevention of ejection. This spatial differentiation of properties allows the card to simultaneously achieve secure contact and stable retention.
4Adaptability or versatility
If elastic hinges are used to increase thickness, then USB connector compatibility improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the card structure into distinct functional zones: a thin main body for USB compatibility and localized thicker sections at the contact areas. This segmentation is achieved through strategic material deposition or lamination during manufacturing, allowing standard chip card production processes to be used for the base structure while adding specialized features only where needed, thus minimizing overall manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for the production of USB keys that are easier to manufacture and use, with improved durability and reduced risk of card weakening, while maintaining the ISO 7816 interface for dual functionality in access control and other applications.
Implementation Method 1
at least one elastic hinge (2, 3) going from one edge to the other of the card body, parallel to the longitudinal edges of the said USB contact layout formed of an elastic deformable material
Data Source
AI summary
A portable electronic device with a USB connector comprising a card body complying with chip card layout standards, with at least one elastic hinge going from one edge to another of the card body allowing a 180° folding, and a contour of the card body such that, in the closed folded state, a zone supporting a USB contact has the thickness and width of a standard male USB connector. Preferably the card body is an ISO 7816 standard card body, incorporating a corresponding connection contact, and it comprises two elastic hinges dividing the card body into a central portion and two lateral portions. The hinges may advantageously be positioned so as to incorporate an antenna and/or a magnetic strip.