Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02329220 2000-10-17
Desulption:
Support card
_ 5 The invention relates to a support card according to the preamble of claim
1 _
A support card with a mini-chip card set disposed in the support card is known
from DE 40 40
296 A1, wherein the mini-chip card is connected with the support card through
a hinged rib
arranged along a narrow side of the mini-chip card within a locating window of
the support
card. However, the mini-chip card is irreversibly arranged in the locating
window and can only
be separated from the suppott card once, namely by bending the mini-chip card
along the
hinged rib.
FR 2 747 811 discloses a telephone card that tan include an integrated chip
card. The
integration of the chip card is enabled by a recess having serrated edges,
with the chip
having matching contours being inserted in the recess. However, this approach
has
the disadvantage that the combination is difficult to manufacture and
therefore
refativeiy expensive.
EP 0 326 124 discloses a cash card with an fmpianted semiconductor chip. The
object
stated in the reference was to make it feasible to place a chip in a card and,
if
necessary, to remove the chip from the card and to insert the chip in another
device in
form of a significantly smaller unit. Disadvantageously, however, the chip is
difficult to
attach and to anchor which tends to make the device unreliable.
_ A support card of the aforedescribed type with a locating window for a mini-
chip card is
known from DE 196 44 614 C1, wherein the mini-chip card can be reversibly
inserted in the
locating window. The cross section of the edges of the locating window, on one
hand, and of
the mini-chip card, on the other hand, have matching shapes along the nafrow
sides of the
mini-chip card. However, this solution disadvantageously makes it difficult to
handle the mini-
chip card during insertion in and removal from the locating window. Straight
edges with a
pointed cross section extend along the narrow sides, which necessitates a
large force during
insertion and temoval of the mini-chip card.
It is therefore an object of the invention to improve a support card in such a
way that a mini-
chip card can be easily and reliably inserted in and removed from a locating
window of the
support card.
The invention is solved by the characterizing features of claim 1.
AMENDED SHEET
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2
Arbitrary bending lines can be defined by forming the narrow sides of the
locating window
and/or the mini-chip card with side sections that project outwardly and extend
in a card plane.
The comer regions of the mini-chip card can then be bent about the side
sections, so that the
card can be springably inserted in or removed from the locating window. The
location of the
bending line and the necessary bending force can be determined from the shape
of the
projecting side section. The mini-chip card can hence be inserted and gripped
in the locating
window like a piece of a puzzle.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the projecting side section has a
curved shape.
Alternatively, the side section can also be a rectangular or dove-tailed.
importantly, the
shape of the side section ensures that the mini-chip card is firmly gripped in
the locating
window.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the arcuate side section is in
the form of an arc
of a circle, thereby forming a defined bending line in a corner region of the
mini-chip card.
The bending force required for breaking away or inserting the mini-chip card
can be
predetermined through the size and the shape of the projecting arc.
Preferably, the
projecting arcuate side sections are securely clipped or locked in the
corresponding recesses.
2o According to another embodiment of the invention, the side sections have
beveled edges
extending in the transverse direction. The edges of opposing nan'ow sides of
the side .
sections of the locating window and the mlni~hip card, respectively, extend
from a top side of
the card to a bottom side of the card in different directions along an edge
plane that extends
crosswise to the card plane. This design reliably locks the mini-chip card In
the locating
window.
Additional advantages are recited in ttie additional dependent claims_
An embodiment of the invention will be described In detail hereinafter with
reference to the
3o drawings.
It is shown in;
Fig. 1 a top view of a mini-chip card embedded in a locating window of a
support card, and
Fig. 2 a section along the line Il-II of Fig. 1
A support card 1 is formed as a standard chip card with a standard locating
window 2 for a
mini-chip card 3. One side of the rnini--chip card 3 has contact surfaces 5
that are in electrical
CA 02329220 2000-10-17
contact with a chip (not shown) embedded in the mini-chip card 3. When the
mini-chip card 3
is flush with the edge of the locating window 2 after insertion in the
locating window 2, so that
the top side 4 of the card and the bottom side 6 of the card are even and
parallel with one
another.
The edge sections of the locating window 2 are formed as narrow sides 7 having
straight side
sections 8, with the side sections 8 extending from a comer region of the
locating window 2
along a straight line towards the center of the narrow side 7. A curved side
section 9 having
a circular shape and projecting from the narrow side 7 is disposed between the
straight side
sections 8 associated with a narrow side 7. In this case, the opposing end
portions 10 of the
straight side sections 8 transition abruptly, rather than gradually, into the
curved shape of the
side section 9. The abrupt transition tends to securely grip the mini-chip
card 3 in the locating
window 2.
i5 The mini-chip card 3 includes edge sections along Its narrow sides 7' that
correspond to the
narrow sides 7. The narrow sides T have straight side sections 8' and
corresponding
recesses 14 located in the region of the curved side sections 9. The side
sections 8, 8', 9 and
the recess 14 are formed in the card plane.
A curved side section 9 is associated with each narrow side 7. The side
sections 9 are
preferably ofFset form one another, i.e_, disposed at a different location of
the respective
narrow side 7. This causes an asymmetric distribution of the bending forces
acting on
different regions of the narrow sides 7. In particular, comer regions 11 of
the mini-chip card 3
of different size and extent can hence be defined, thereby forming bending
lines hawing a
different length in the transversely direction. For example, as seen in Fig.
1, a short bending
line 12 is formed in a first comer region 11 and a long bending line 13 is
formed in a second
opposite comer region 11, thereby forming a preferred location for interacting
with and
bending the comer region 11.
For example, a comer region 11 can be formed by adjacent curved side sections
9 having
large radii. The corner section 11 can have a large constriction to facilitate
bending of the
corner region 11 _ The comer region 11 having the large constriction can be
first acted on
when the mini-chip card 3 is removed_ Conversely, for insertion of the mini-
chip card 3, the
other comer regions 11 are first aligned, and the mini-chip card 3 is
subsequently placed in
the predetermined final position by bending the corner region 11 with the
large constriction.
The gripping action of the mini-chip card 3 in the locating window 2 can be
enhanced by
providing the curved side sections 9 and the corresponding recesses 14 of the
mint-chip card
3 with beveled edges 15 and 16, respectively, which make two-dimensional
contact with one
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4
another. As seen In Fig. 2, the faces of the beveled edges 15 of opposing to
nan-ow sides 7
are open with respect to the top side ~4 of the support card 1, forming an
acute angle with a
transversely extending edge plane 17.
To provide a reliable Locking action, the beveled edges 15 of adjacent narrow
sides 7 face in
the opposite direction. In other words, the beveled edges 15 extend from the
top side 4 to the
bottom side 6 not in the direction of the mini-chip card 3, but rather in the
opposite direction
away from the edge of the mini-chip card 3.
1 o The locking action can be further enhanced by forming continuous beveled
edges 15, 16
along the narrow sides 7, T of the locating window 2 and the mini-chip card 3,
respectively.
In this embodiment, the opposing straight side sections 8, 8' of, on one hand,
the locating
window 2 and, on the other hand, the mini-chip card 3 form a trapezoidal cross-
section.
Alternatively, the recesses 14 can also be implemented as a part of the
support card 1, with
the projecting curved side sections 9 being formed as part of the mini-chip
card 3. A reliable
locking action can also be provided by forming the edges not as beveled edges,
but rather as
a continuous centric raised portion extending along the side sections 8, 9 in
the card plane,
wherein raised portion engages with a recess of the corresponding side
sections 8', 14 of the
2o mini-chip card 3: Alternatively, two spaced-apart raised portions can be
formed that engage
with corresponding recesses like a tongue/groove connection.
