IC Card Connector with Central Detection Terminal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IC card connectors face challenges in downsizing while accommodating multiple IC cards with the same external dimensions but different electrode pad layouts and data transfer speeds, leading to complex structures and increased component counts.
Innovation Solution
The IC card connector design includes a card accommodating portion with grounding contact terminals, data transmission contact terminals, and a card detection contact terminal, where the card detection terminal contacts a card detection electrode pad only after a predetermined time, allowing for selective mounting of IC cards with different data transfer speeds and reducing the number of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate card end detection switch is provided away from the contact terminals, then card detection function is achieved, but the structure becomes complicated and requires more components
Solution Approach 1:
The card detection terminal is integrated with the grounding contact terminals by making them adjacent to each other, allowing both grounding and card detection functions to be performed by closely positioned terminals rather than requiring a separate detection switch mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The contact terminals serve dual purposes: grounding contact terminals provide both grounding function and card detection capability through their adjacency relationship, eliminating the need for dedicated detection components
2Ease of manufacture
If the card detection terminal contact portion is arranged adjacent to the grounding contact terminal contact portion, then common electrode pad contact is achieved, but the layout becomes constrained for multiple IC card types
Solution Approach 1:
Different contact terminals are assigned specific functions based on their positions: grounding contact terminals are placed at specific locations to contact grounding electrode pads, while card detection terminal is positioned adjacent to detect card presence through contact with card detection electrode pads, allowing adaptation to different IC card layouts
3Volume of moving object
If the connector is downsized for electronic device integration, then device size is reduced, but the contact terminal layout becomes more difficult to arrange
Solution Approach 1:
The card detection terminal is positioned in the depth direction (insertion direction) adjacent to the grounding contact terminals rather than requiring lateral spacing, allowing compact planar layout while maintaining detection functionality in the reduced-size connector
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit (“IC”) connector includes a card detection contact terminal which is provided substantially at a central part of a housing unit and between a first grounding contact terminal and a second grounding contact terminal, and first and second contact terminals located so as to face each other along a direction of mounting and demounting of a first IC card, the first contact terminals provided adjacent to and both sides of the card detection contact terminal, the second contact terminals provided adjacent to both sides of the card detection contact terminal.