Card Reader Anti-Skimming Assembly and Method

Abstract

An anti-skimming assembly for a card reader device includes, for example, a displacement bar mountable on a front plate of a card reader device proximate a card entry opening formed in the front plate, which displacement bar has first and second legs. The displacement bar is mountable on the front plate with the first leg aligned with an internal read head inside the card entry opening of the card reader device. An infrangible fastener is connectible to the first leg through a first fastener opening formed in the front plate, and a non-conductive frangible or breakable fastener is connectible to the second leg through a second fastener opening formed in the front plate. In addition, first and second electrically conductive leads are carried by the non-conductive frangible fastener electrically connected to one another via an electrically conductive spring and connectible to an alarm circuit.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . An anti-skimming assembly for a card reader device, comprising:
 a displacement bar mountable on a front plate of a card reader device proximate a card entry opening formed in the front plate, said displacement bar having at least one leg;   at least one non-conductive frangible fastener connectible to the at least one leg of the displacement bar through a fastener opening formed in the front plate;   first and second electrically conductive terminal connectors carried by said non-conductive frangible fastener electrically connectible to one another via an electrically conductive compression spring also carried by said non-conductive frangible fastener and coupleable to said alarm circuit.   
     
     
         23 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said first and second electrically conductive terminal connectors are coupleable to said alarm circuit via first and second electrically conductive leads, respectively. 
     
     
         24 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said displacement bar further comprises a second leg spaced from said at least one leg of the displacement bar. 
     
     
         25 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 24 , further comprising a second fastener connectible to the second leg of the displacement bar through a second fastener opening formed in the front plate. 
     
     
         26 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 25 , wherein said second fastener further comprises an infrangible fastener. 
     
     
         27 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 26 , wherein said displacement bar is mountable on the front plate with the second leg proximate the card entry opening of the card reader device. 
     
     
         28 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 24 , wherein said displacement bar is mountable on the front plate with the second leg aligned with an internal read head inside the card entry opening of the card reader device. 
     
     
         29 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 24 , wherein said displacement bar is mountable on the front plate with the second leg proximate an entry path of a magnetic stripe of a magnetic stripe card into the card entry opening of the card reader device. 
     
     
         30 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 24 , wherein said displacement bar has a U shape. 
     
     
         31 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 26 , wherein said infrangible fastener comprises a metal fastener. 
     
     
         32 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 31 , wherein said infrangible fastener comprises a steel fastener. 
     
     
         33 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 26 , wherein said infrangible fastener comprises a threaded metal screw receivable in an internally threaded opening formed in the second leg. 
     
     
         34 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said non-conductive frangible fastener comprises a non-metallic fastener. 
     
     
         35 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said non-conductive frangible fastener comprises a nylon fastener. 
     
     
         36 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said non-conductive frangible fastener comprises a non-metallic threaded screw receivable in an internally threaded opening formed in said at least one leg. 
     
     
         37 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said first and second electrically conductive terminal connectors further comprise first and second ring terminal connectors, respectively. 
     
     
         38 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said electrically conductive compression spring is carried by the non-conductive frangible fastener between the first and second electrically conductive terminal connectors. 
     
     
         39 . The anti-skimming assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said electrically conductive compression spring is carried by the non-conductive frangible fastener between the first and second electrically conductive terminal connectors in a compressed condition. 
     
     
         40 . An anti-skimming method for a card reader device, comprising:
 providing a displacement bar mountable on a front plate of a card reader device proximate a card entry opening formed in the front plate, said displacement bar having at least one leg;   connecting at least one non-conductive frangible fastener to the at least one leg through a fastener opening formed in the front plate, said at least one fastener being operatively coupleable to an alarm circuit.   carrying first and second electrically conductive terminal connectors by said non-conductive frangible fastener electrically connectible to one another via an electrically conductive compression spring also carried by said non-conductive frangible fastener and coupleable to said alarm circuit.