Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Itt Cannon, Ltd.

Jan Zeyfang

Werner Biermann

Gary C Bethurum

Andreas Michael Schremmer

Martin Gollhofer

Iain Thomas Learmonth

Tobias Schimmele-Brell

Iian Thomas Learmonth

A PC card (10) of standard width and thickness (e.g. 54 mm and 5 mm) is constructed to receive a chip card (20) of smaller width and thickness (e.g. 18 mm and 0.8 mm) so the PC card can be used to connect contact pads (60) of the chip card to an electronic device such as a laptop computer into which the PC card is inserted. A frame (22) is mounted in a fixed position on a circuit board of the PC card, the frame having a recess (82) substantially the same width as that of the chip card for closely receiving the chip card to locate it so pads on the chip card engage chip contacts (76) that are also mounted on the circuit board. A planar top portion (86) of a sheet metal cover part has an aperture (24) that communicates with the recess in the frame to permit the insertion of the chip card through the aperture and into the recess of the frame. A sheet metal lid (26) is slidably mounted directly under the top sheet metal cover portion between an open position to pass the chip card and a closed position to close the aperture so radio waves cannot pass therethrough.

PC card for receiving chip card

A PC card is provided with internal electromagnetic shielding to isolate two or more different circuit component areas of the card, which facilitates mounting of the shielding. In one card which is an extended card having a standard forward portion (102) containing electronic components, and having an extended rearward portion containing an antenna (100) for radiating electromagnetic energy, the shielding includes a strip-shaped portion (22) of electrically conductive material that extends across the width of the circuit board and that has opposite ends that terminate near the intersection between the two card parts, with the shielding having pins (31) that project into holes (150) in the circuit board. In another PC card a plate-like filler (38, 39)which lies between the circuit board (151) and a sheet metal cover part, has a plurality of holes (41-47), and strip-like shielding (21') extends around the periphery of the hole and is mounted thereat to the filler, with the shielding extending above and below the filler and contacting the sheet metal cover part and the circuit board.

PC card with internal EMI shielding

A frameless IC card is provided, with front and rear support structures that each includes an electrical connector, with a sheet metal cover mounted on the front and rear board supports without requiring a separate plastic frame to tie the components together. The rear support structure includes at least one rear connector (11', 12', FIG. 3) fixed to the circuit board rear end (104') and an end cap (16') at the rear of the IC card. The end cap has upper and lower flanges (126T, 126B) that form a recess therebetween that closely receives the rear of the rear connector housing to fix their relative vertical positions. The rear end cap has forwardly-extending legs (47, 48) at opposite sides, with each leg having a lug (51, 52) forming a rearwardly-facing shoulder (150) that fits into a cutout (53) at a side of the circuit board, to prevent forward movement of the connector and circuit board out of the rear end cap. Different types of IC cards have their circuit boards at different heights, which is accomplished by mounting the rear connector at different heights on the circuit board.

IC card rear board-connector support

Growing community of inventors

Leutenbach, Germany

Jan Zeyfang