Card reader contacts and non-contact coils on a printed circuit board

Abstract

A reader for contactless data cards includes a printed circuit, contacts for establishing contact with a contact-type data card, and at least one drive coil for transmitting in contactless manner energy and data between the printed circuit and a data medium on the data card. The at least one drive coil forms a component of the printed circuit and the printed circuit in turn includes a flexible portion which establishes an electrical connection to outside the reader for both the contacts and the drive coil, thereby reducing the height of the reader. A variety of carriage configurations may be provided to bring the drive coils and/of contacts into proximity with the card, or for bringing the card into proximity with the drive coils and/or contacts in order to avoid wear on the contacts and ensure a good electromagnetic coupling between the drive coils and the card when the card is of the contactless type.

We claim: 
     
       1. A reader for a contactless data card, comprising: a printed circuit including at least one drive coil;   at least one corresponding magnetic yoke, wherein the at least one drive coil forms a means for establishing a contactless connection for transmitting energy and data between the printed circuit and a data medium on the data card, and wherein the magnetic yoke is positioned to establish a magnetic return for the at least one drive coil;   a carriage arranged to descend toward a data card being inserted into the reader, and   a printed circuit board which carries said printed circuit and which is affixed to the carriage, said circuit board including a flexible connection zone extending out of the reader,   wherein the printed circuit board comprises contact strips electrically connected to corresponding contacts which project toward the card in an inserted position of the card, and wherein an electrical connection for both the at least one drive coil and the contact strips to an electrical connector is established by means of the flexible connection zone.   
     
     
       2. A reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is completely flexible. 
     
     
       3. A reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is folded to form at least two superposed layers. 
     
     
       4. A reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one drive coil which forms a component of the printed circuit includes two mutually spaced but adjacent coils. 
     
     
       5. A reader as claimed in claim 1, wherein electrical connection strips of the at least one drive coil run parallel to the contact strips electrically connected to the contact in the common flexible connection zone. 
     
     
       6. A reader as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a stationary housing arranged to receive a data card, and wherein the printed circuit is a component of a printed circuit board affixed to the housing and the at least one drive coil is mounted on surfaces of the board selected from the group consisting of the surface which faces the data card, the surface which faces away from the data card, and both the surface which faces the data card and the surface which faces away from the data card. 
     
     
       7. A reader as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing comprises a carriage arranged to receive the data card and in response descend in the direction of the printed circuit board. 
     
     
       8. A reader as claimed in claim 6, wherein the printed circuit board consists of a base body coated on at least one side with a foil comprising the printed circuitry and the at least one drive coil.