The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 10, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1998
Patrick Griffin, Limerick, IE;
Mike Keane, Galway, IE;
Molex Incorporated, Lisle, IL (US);
Abstract
A card reader is provided for a chip card having card contacts. The card reader includes a housing having a card receiving mouth and a plurality of receptacle contacts having resilient contact portions for engaging the card contacts after the card is inserted through the mouth to a fully inserted position. An actuator is movably mounted on the housing for movement between an inoperative position and an actuating position. In the inoperative position, the actuator allows the card to be inserted past the contact portions toward its fully inserted position with substantially zero force on the contact portions. In the actuating position, the actuator biases the card contacts into engagement with the contact portions of the receptacle contacts. The actuator includes a biasing portion for biasing the card and the card contacts against the contact portions of the receptacle contacts. The actuator includes an actuating portion engageable by the card when at its fully inserted position to move the actuator from its inoperative position to its actuating position.