Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

C&k Components S.a.s.

Itt Composants Et Instruments

Itt Corporation

Itt Composants Et Instrumets

Coactive Technologies, LLC

Fabrice Valcher

Herve Guy Bricaud

Laurent Kubat

Yves Pizard

Laurent Bouvier

Herve' Guy Bricaud

Philippe Gauthier

Herve'Guy Bricaud

Patrick Daubigney

Thierry Burnel

Jocelyn Mayot

Rémi Martin

Olivier Masson

Herv&eacute; Guy Bricaud

Herve'Guy Brioaud

Harve Guy Bricaud

Herv&eacute; Guv Bricaud

Harve' Guy Bricaud

A dome-actuator structure for use in a dome switch is disclosed. The dome-actuator structure comprises a lower substantially horizontal lower dome, an upper actuator portion attached to the lower dome and that is positioned vertically over the lower dome such that depressing of the actuator portion operates to depress the lower dome, and a lateral arm that couples the actuator portion to the lower dome. The lateral arm and the lower dome are formed from a common piece of material. The actuator portion comprises an actuation block, made of plastic or synthetic material or made of natural or synthetic elastomer, fixed to the lateral arm.

Dome-actuator structure for use in a dome switch, and a dome switch comprising such a structure

A control device includes an upper actuator panel, a lower support frame relative to which the upper panel is mounted to be mobile vertically, an electric switch the body of which is carried by the upper panel, and a set of two arms for actuating the electric switch. Each arm of the set includes a distal section that bears against a portion of the upper panel, a proximal section that bears on the actuator of the electric switch, and an intermediate section that bears against a portion of the lower frame and about which each actuator arm is mounted to pivot. The actuator arms cooperate with the upper panel and the lower frame to maintain the upper panel horizontal during its movement relative to the lower support frame.

Control device for an electronic unit, methods for adjustment of the control device and motor vehicle rear view mirror with an integral device of that kind

An electric switch of the normally closed type has a housing including a lower part that supports a fixed contact track, an internal contact blade that is resiliently deformable in order to assume a bottom rest position in order to establish an electric switching way, a first high non-stable position, in which the switching track is interrupted, and a second high stable position, in which the electric switching track is interrupted and in which the internal contact blade is locked such as by retractable locking structure, and an actuator to control the deformations of the internal contact blade.

Miniature electric switch of the normally closed type comprising an open contact locking position

An assembly includes an electrical switch and an elastically deformable control blade for controlling change of state of its trip member. The control blade comprises: (i) a fixing branch; (ii) an actuation branch which, in the absence of application of an actuation effort, stresses the trip member in the direction of closure of the electrical switch, and (iii) a control branch which can pivot about an axis to provoke tilting of the actuation branch against its elasticity to keep the electrical switch in an open free state. The assembly may include a locking device for locking the control blade in an initial position of delivery of the assembly. The unlocking of the control blade may be provoked automatically upon a first application of an actuation effort on the control blade.

Assembly comprising a normally-open electrical switch and a control blade for controlling its change of state which keeps it closed at rest

An electric switch of the normally open type includes a body, an actuator moveable between a high rest position and a low active contact position, and first second elastically deformable contact blades supported by the body. A first contact section of the first contact blade extends above a second contact section of the second contact blade. The contact sections are superposed and distanced from each other when the actuator is in high rest position, and they are in mutual electrical contact when the actuator is in low position to establish an electrical switching path. The first contact section includes a longitudinal rib that protrude downwards with respect to the plane of the underside of the first section and which is able to cooperate with the transversal contact edge of the central opening. The transversal contact edge comprises a transverse contact bend for cooperating with convexity of the longitudinal rib.

Electric switch of the normally open type

An electric switch of the normally open type includes a body made of insulating material, an actuator that is moveable between a high rest position and a low active contact position, a first elastically deformable contact blade supported by the body, and a second elastically deformable contact blade supported by the body. A first contact section of the first contact blade extends above a second contact section of the second contact blade. The first and second contact sections are superposed and are vertically distanced from each other when the actuator is in high rest position, and are in mutual electrical contact when the actuator is in low position so as to establish an electrical switching path.

A smart card connector with signal blade contacts having signal tails () lying at the rear end of the connector frame, and with the connector being provided with a shield structure () that prevents a person from fraudulently contacting the signal tails during use of the connector. The shield structure includes a grounded conductive shield () having a rear portion that lies rearward of the signal tails. The conductive shield is mounted on an insulative barrier () that has a front portion () lying over the signal tails during use of the connector. The insulative barrier is pivotally mounted on the frame, between an open position wherein the shield structure leaves a region above the signal tails exposed during soldering, and a protect position wherein the shield structure blocks a region above and rearward of the signal tails.

Smart card connector with fraud protection

A smart card connector with a signal blade contact (, FIG.) and a ground blade contact (), wherein the signal blade contact has a signal tail () at the rear end of the connector frame, and wherein the connector is provided with a shield structure () that prevents a person from fraudulently contacting the signal tail during use of the connector. The shield structure includes an insulative barrier () with a hole () through which the signal tail extends, and also includes a sheet metal shield () with a rear portion that extends largely around the signal tail to ground any conductor that is fraudulently inserted against the signal tail. The sheet metal shield has a transverse tongue () that extends to and engages the ground blade contact. The insulative barrier has a slot that extends largely around the signal tail, and the sheet metal rear shield portion lies in the slot.

Fraud protection for smart card connector

A smart card connector has a card-receiving cavity with a recess ( , FIG. ) at the rear that receives the rear edge ( ) of the card. A cover or flap is then pivoted down on the support element and slid forward to slide hooks ( , FIG. ) at the front of the cover under shoulders ( ) on the support element. The rear edge of the card extends along the length (A&prime;, FIG. ) of the card, so the distance from the open front of the connector to the recess ( ) and card rear edge is equal to about the smaller width of the card.

Ergonomic electrical connector for a smart card

A smart card connector includes an insulative support ( ) with contacts thereon and a sheet metal cover ( ) with an upper portion ( ) that lies over a support face ( ) to form a front portion of a card-receiving cavity ( ) between them, and with the cover having a lower portion ( ) lying under opposite sides of the cavity. The opposite sides of the cavity extend rearward of the support. A card ejecting mechanism ( ) includes a pusher ( ) that can be manually pushed forward to pivot a lever ( ) that pushes the card rearwardly so the card can be grasped and manually pulled out. The pusher is formed of sheet metal with lower and upper flanges ( ) that lie against upper and lower portions of the cover, the pusher being confined to solely slideable movement and the lever being pivoting mounted about a pivot axis (A ) on the support. The pivot axis of the lever lies forward of a front edge ( ) that limits full insertion of a card, and preferably lies in the area where a polarizing front corner of the card is cut at a 45&deg; angle.

Smart card connector

A smart card connector of simple design and small size is provided, which retains a fully inserted smart card until a person deflects a tab ( ) that releases the smart card, with the connector including a spring ( A) which then partially ejects the smart card so it can be grasped and removed. The apparatus includes a housing ( A) with a dielectric plastic plate-shaped support ( A) that holds contacts ( ) with pad-engaging ends ( ) projecting above an upwardly-facing face ( ) of the plate to engage contact pads of the smart card. The housing forms a forwardly-opening cavity ( ) for receiving the smart card when it is rearwardly inserted therein, the housing having a stop ( ) that limits rearward movement of the card to a fully inserted position. A card retainer ( A) has a largely rearwardly-facing shoulder ( A) at the front of the cavity to resist withdrawal of the card until the tab is manually deflected. The spring has a spring end ( ) lying at the rear of the cavity and biased toward a position forward of the stop, to directly engage the card rear edge to urge the card forwardly out of the cavity. Thus, manual deflection of the tab allows the spring to automatically push the card partially out of the cavity.

Smart card connector with retain and eject means

A connector with a slot for receiving a smart card with contact pads, includes contacts that are held away from the card slot until the card becomes fully inserted, using a mechanism with a minimum number of easily formed parts. The mechanism includes a rocker ( ) with a control part ( ) that is pivotally mounted about a rocker axis (Y&mdash;Y) and that has a rear end forming a tab ( ) that projects into the rear end of the card slot, to be deflected downwardly by the card reaching its fully inserted position. The control part also has a front end ( ) that is coupled to the contacts to depress them until the card is fully inserted, whereupon the contacts are released to move up. The rocker, which is formed from a single piece of sheet metal, includes a pair of laterally-spaced fastening plates ( ) that are fixed to the housing, and a pair of deflectable portions ( ) that can be resiliently deformed to permit the control part to pivot. The deflectable portions include torsion bars ( ) that can be twisted about the rocker axis and that bias the control part towards the position where the rear end extends into the card slot. The front end of the control part is coupled to the contacts through a plastic molded lever ( ) that is pivotally mounted about a second lateral axis (X&mdash;X) on the housing.

Smart card connector with landing contacts

An electrical connector system includes plate-shaped bases (,) that lie on a circuit board (,) and that have contacts (,) with contact tails (,) soldered to traces on the circuit board. A housing (,) that lies on the circuit board around the bases, is coupled to each of the bases to accurately locate the housing with respect to the bases, the housing having a plurality of guides (,) for receiving smart cards that can engage contacting parts of the contacts on the bases. The housing includes a frame (,) that is fixed with respect to the circuit board and bases, and a cover (,) having a rear end pivotally mounted about a lateral axis X-X on the frame and forming the guides for holding the smart cards, so the smart cards can pivot down against the contacts on the bases. The cover can be locked down by a latch (,) formed of a piece of sheet metal that slides on the cover and that has downwardly-extending tabs (,) that fit under slots on a front beam of the frame.

Connector system for smart cards

A switch assembly (,, FIG.,) for detecting full insertion of a smart card, is of small thickness and can be mass produced with high precision. The switch assembly includes a molded support (,) forming an upwardly-opening support cavity (,), outer and central contacts (,) mounted on the support and having dome-engaging parts (,) lying in the support cavity, and a tripping dome (,) lying in the support cavity with a center portion lying over the dome-engaging part of the central contact. A cover (,) receives the support in a downward-opening cover cavity (,), and holds an actuating device (,) that can depress the tripping dome to close the switch. The actuating device is of sheet metal, with a heel (,) that is fixed in the rear end of the cover cavity, with a second part (,) substantially engaged with the center portion of the tripping dome, and with a front end forming an actuating lever (,) that extends through an opening (,) in the cover to be depressed by a smart card. The contacts have intermediate portions lying in a common plane and embedded in the support, with the dome-engaging part of the central contact being downwardly bent.

Smart card actuated dome contact switch

A thin electrical connector for connecting to contact pads of a smart card, includes contacts (44) and a support plate (42) that holds the contacts on a circuit board (16), where the contacts and plate are thin. Each contact has a contact blade (60) that projects at an upward incline through and above a slot (52) in the support plate, and each contact has a rear portion (61) for mounting. The rear portion includes a mount part (66) joined to the blade and a pair of retainers (80) on laterally opposite sides of the mount portion. The retainers have ears (104,118) lying out of the plane of the mount part The support plate has a downwardly-opening recess (70) for receiving the mount part, and has upwardly-opening recesses (98, 120) for receiving the ears, to thereby fix the contact to the support plate. A switching contact (44A) includes a pair of laterally-spaced blades (162) and a switching beam (156) lying between the blades but connected to them so when the blades are depressed by a card, the beam is depressed against a trace (163) on a circuit board.

Growing community of inventors

Dole, France

Fabrice Valcher