DE20020171U1 - Chip card with integrated SIM module - Google Patents

Description

GRÜNEECKER-KINKELDEY.

S£hWaI$IHOUSES

LAW FIRM

GKS & S MAXIMILIANSTRASSE 58 D-80538 MUNICH GERMANY

Applicant:

Mühlbauer AG Werner-von-Siemens-Str.

93426 Roding

YOUR REF.

LAWYERS PATENT ATTORNEYS PATENT ATTORNEYS LAWYERS EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS MUNICH MUNICH COLOGNE DR. HELMUT EICHMANN DR. HERMANN KINKELDEY DR. MARTIN DROPMANN GERHARD BARTH PETER H. JAKOB DR. ULRICH BLUMENRÖDER, LLM. WOLFHARD MEISTER CHEMNITZ CHRISTA NIKLAS-FALTER HANS HILGERS MANFRED SCHNEIDER OR. MAXIMILIAN KINKELDEY, LL.M. DR. HENNING MEYER-PLATH SONJA SCHAEFFLER ANNE EHNOLD BERLIN DR. KARSTEN BRANDT THOMAS SCHUSTER DIETER JANDER ANJA FRANKE ₁ LLM. DR. KLARA GOLDBACH UTE STEPHANI MARTIN AUFENANGER DR. BERND ALLEKOHE, LLM. GOTTFRIED KLITSCH DR. HEIKE VOGELSANG-WENKE OF COUNSEL REINHARD KNAUER PATENT ATTORNEYS DIETMAR KUHL DR. FRANZ-JOSEF ZIMMER AUGUST GRÜNEECKER BETTINA K. REICHELT DR. GUNTER BEZOLD DR. ANTON K. PFAU DR. WALTER LANGHOFF DR. UDO WEIGELT RAINER BERTRAM JENS KOCH, M.S. (U of PA) M.S. BERND ROTHAEMEL DR. WILFREED STOCKMAIR DR. DANIELA KINKELDEY (-1996) DR. EN/OUR REF. DATE \2loe 27.11 .2000

Chip card with integrated SIM module

GRÜNECKER KINKELDEY TEL. +49 89 21 23

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DEUTSCHE BANK MUNICH No. 17 51734 BLZ 700 700 SWIFT: DEUTDE MM

Chip card with integrated SIM module

The present invention relates to a chip card with a card base body and integrated SIM module, wherein the SIM module is separated from the card base body via slot areas and is held on the base body by retaining webs bridging the slot areas so that it can be pushed out by hand.

Such chip cards are particularly widely used in mobile communications. The structure and dimensions of the chip cards as well as the shape and position of the contact surfaces are largely defined by international standards. For SIM modules, which also have a standardized size, it has become common practice to specify this by pre-punching a chip card in standard size. The SIM module is then only connected to the card body via a few connection points. The SIM module is then detached from the rest of the card body by pressing it onto it.

EP 0535436 A2, for example, discloses such a chip card with a SIM module. The SIM module is connected to the card body via three retaining webs. Each retaining web is assigned to a different side edge of the chip module. EP 0521778 B1 shows a SIM module that has a retaining web on each of its edges.

There are also embodiments in which the SIM module remains almost completely connected to the card body on one side and only a retaining bar is arranged opposite. Such a chip card is shown, for example, in DE 19606789 C2.

Although all of these variants are in use, some still experience problems when removing the SIM module. At the very least, this process is sometimes unnecessarily difficult.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to improve a chip card of the type mentioned at the outset so that the SIM module can be removed more easily.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the SIM module is held by four separate and spaced-apart holding webs, which are assigned in pairs to each side edge of the SIM module, wherein the two side edges with the two holding webs each are arranged opposite each other.

This solution appears to be astonishingly simple at first glance. However, the effect of this retaining bar arrangement is quite significant. If one of the retaining bars is pushed through when a force is applied, this usually also results in the adjacent retaining bar being severed as well, because less force is then required on this side than on the other side. Due to the fact that there are always two retaining bars on the opposite side, the SIM module pivots outwards around these two retaining bars and can then be pulled off due to the stretching of the retaining bars. With many other chip cards that only have a single bar on one side edge, the SIM module often twists around this bar, and cutting through the retaining bar is more difficult due to torsion than bending. The invention also avoids the use of hinge lines along an entire side edge of the SIM module, which requires more effort to break it out. Even if the pressure on the SIM module is such that two retaining bars arranged on opposite side edges break through first, the module will still swing out around the two remaining retaining bars. Since the bars are usually arranged off-center due to the paired arrangement, the SIM module always swings out of the plane of the card body due to the hinge effect and does not rotate around a single remaining bar or something similar.

According to a further embodiment, the SIM module can have a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, with the retaining webs being arranged on the transverse edges of the SIM module. This allows greater forces to be absorbed by bending.

of the SIM module, which leads to the holding bars being severed. The arrangement on the transverse edges also means that when two holding bars are severed, the largest possible section of the SIM module swings out of the plane of the card body and can therefore be gripped more easily.

One variant provides that the retaining webs have an essentially rectangular shape in plan view.

Furthermore, the length of the retaining bars can be 1.0-1.5 mm, preferably 1.2 mm, and the width of the retaining bars 1.0-2.0 mm, preferably approx. 1.5 mm. This size of the retaining bars guarantees relatively easy cutting through with a force applied by hand and still provides a good hinge effect with subsequent tear-off capability.

Preferably, the distance between the retaining webs on one side edge can be greater than the distance between the retaining webs on the opposite side edge. This creates a preference so that the webs on one of the two side edges are more likely to break through than on the other.

In addition, the retaining webs on one side edge can be arranged symmetrically to a center line of the SIM module and the retaining webs on the other side edge can be arranged asymmetrically to the center line of the SIM module. This can be the longitudinal or transverse center line.

The preference effect can be increased by having two retaining bars on opposite side edges that are the same distance from a center line. This allows one corner of the SIM module to be pressed in more than the others, which is why the force needed to break out the SIM module can be applied here. The adjacent bars then break through first.

A favourable ratio to the preferred breaking out on one side is obtained by the distance between the retaining webs on one side edge

2 - 3 mm, preferably approx. 2.5 mm, smaller than the distance between the retaining bars on the other side edge.

Furthermore, the invention can also relate, independently of the above, to a chip card with a card base body and integrated SIM module, wherein the SIM module is separated from the card base body via slot areas and is held on the base body so that it can be pressed out by hand by retaining webs that bridge the slot areas, and wherein at least one retaining web has a notch on at least one side and the notch ends at a distance from the edge of the retaining web on at least one side.

On the one hand, the notch is intended to make breaking out the module easier and also to make it cleaner. The notching is primarily done by using a knife with an adjustable depth to notch the retaining bars, preferably along the outer contour of the SIM module. This is intended to serve as a predetermined breaking point. However, some of the materials to be used, e.g. ABS, PC, etc., are very susceptible to notch effects, which is why they break prematurely and may not be able to meet the required bending and torsion tests (e.g. ISO/IEC 10373/1). In order to reduce the notch effect, the invention proposes not to make the notch continuous, but to end it at a distance from the edge of the retaining bar, so that an area of full thickness of the card base body is still retained. This leads to an interruption of the notch effect.

Conveniently, the notch can also end at a distance from the opposite edge of the holding web. This means that two places of full card material thickness are retained on each holding web, which improves the notch effect. The width of these remaining areas could, for example, be selected depending on the material in question and depending on the shape and depth of the notch (notch effect).

Preferably, the notch is not formed by cutting out material, but by embossing. This protects the material of the card body.

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compresses, which can cause hardening, which may lead to a more brittle fracture.

According to a further embodiment, a notch arranged on the top and one on the bottom of the retaining web together form a predetermined breaking point. The notches are then located exactly opposite each other, so that a reduction in thickness is achieved both from the top and from the bottom at one point on the card base body. This means that it does not matter in which direction the SIM module is broken out.

Tests have shown that the notch effect can be controlled very well, even with materials that are difficult to handle, if the distance between the notch and the edge of the holding web is 0.05 to 0.2 mm, preferably 1 mm. This means, for example, that with a web width of the holding web of 1.5 mm, the notch could only be 1.3 mm long, leaving a residual web of 0.1 mm on the left and right.

The invention further relates to a punching die for pre-punching a SIM module into a card base body of a chip card. The punching die has a substantially circumferential punching web that defines the outer contour of the SIM module, is interrupted at four points and has a gap at each of these points, and the gaps are arranged in pairs in a straight section of the punching web, with the punching web sections having the two gaps being arranged opposite each other. All other parameters present on the chip card can also be generated by appropriately designing the punching die.

In the following, an embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. They show:

Fig. 1 a chip card with SIM module in a top view, Fig. 2 a first variant of a punching die in a top view,

Fig. 3 a second variant of a punching die in a plan view,

Fig. 4 a second embodiment of a chip card with SIM module in a plan view and

Fig. 5 shows the chip card from Fig. 4 cut along the line V-V in an enlarged view.

The chip card 1 shown in Fig. 1 can be produced using a wide variety of manufacturing processes. Lamination or injection molding processes are known, for example. The invention is intended to relate to all of the manufacturing variants known to date. These manufacturing methods produce a card base body 2 of rectangular shape. The corners are rounded for better handling. In the middle left area of the card base body there is a microchip embedded in the interior of the chip card, but not visible. Only the contact surfaces 3, through which the microchip can be electrically contacted, are visible.

The chip card 1 shown is a standard chip card size. However, smaller SIM modules are required for mobile phones. These are produced, as in the present case, by pre-punching the shape of a SIM module 4 from the card base body 2.

The SIM module 4 also has a substantially rectangular (in plan view) basic shape, with the bottom right corner being generously bevelled. Both the contact surfaces 3 and the microchip (not shown) are located inside the SIM module 4. The SIM module 4 is surrounded by several continuous slot areas 5 to 8. These slot areas are created by punching out material from the card base body 2. The course of these slot areas 5 determines the outer contour of the SIM module 4. The upper and lower slot areas 5 and 7 each extend over the entire longitudinal edge 9 and 10 of the SIM module 4 and also delimit the corner areas of the same. The slot areas 6 and 8, which are assigned to the transverse edges of the SIM module 4, are exclusively straight. Overall, the slot areas 5 to 8 are surrounded by four, in plan view essentially

chen rectangular holding webs 13 to 16. The SIM module 4 is still connected to the card base body 2 by these holding webs 13 to 16. The length of the holding webs and thus the width of the slot areas 5 to 8 is 1.0 to 1.5 mm, preferably 1.2 mm, while the width of the holding webs 13 to 16 is 1.0 to 2.0 mm, preferably 1.5 mm. The two upper holding webs 13 and 16 are arranged at the same distance from the upper longitudinal edge 9. The two lower holding webs 11 and 15 have a different distance from the upper longitudinal edge 9. Thus, the distance between the two retaining webs 13 and 14 on the right transverse edge 11 is smaller than the distance between the retaining webs 15 and 16 on the left transverse edge 12. As a result, the slot area 6 is 2 to 3 mm, preferably 2.5 mm, shorter than the slot area 8 on the opposite transverse edge 12. As a result of this arrangement, the retaining webs 15 and 16 are arranged symmetrically to a longitudinal center line S, while the retaining webs 13 and 14 are arranged asymmetrically to this longitudinal center line S.

In the following, the functionality of the chip card 1, particularly with regard to breaking out the SIM module 4, is explained in more detail.

The greater distance between the retaining web 14 and the lower longitudinal edge 10 compared to the retaining web 15 determines a preferred side for breaking off. The lower right corner can be bent further than the other corners, so that the retaining web 14 is the first to break through when hand force is applied, e.g. by pressing on it with a thumb. As soon as the retaining web 14 breaks through, the additional force immediately severs the retaining web 13. The SIM module 4 then swings outwards over the remaining hinge points formed by the retaining webs 15 and 16, where it can be fully grasped and pulled off the rest of the card base body 2. This is easily possible because the retaining webs 15, 16 are already very strongly overstretched. However, the normal case of the SIM module 4 breaking out described here does not always have to occur. It is quite possible that the holding bars 15 and 16 break through first due to the force. Here, too, the SIM module 4 swings out completely over its entire length around the holding bars 13 and 14. Something similar happens if the two lower holding bars 14 and 15 break through first, then

the SIM module is swung out around the retaining bars 13 and 16. In this case, too, the SIM module can be grasped over a large area and pulled off. This also applies to the reverse case, in which the retaining bars 13 and 16 break through first and the module is swung out around the retaining bars 14 and 15.

It can therefore be seen that, regardless of the force applied to break out the SIM module 4, it always swings out around two remaining retaining webs. These retaining webs are then always arranged laterally near a longitudinal edge 9 or 10, so that the SIM module 4 cannot be rotated within the window recess defined by the slot areas 5 to 8, as is the case with a central arrangement of a retaining web. The design according to the invention always offers the user the largest possible gripping surface, so that the SIM module 4 can be securely grasped between thumb and index finger and pulled off the card base body 2. Even this pulling off takes place with the least possible effort, since the SIM module 4 is only connected to the card base body 2 via these small areas and not via a complete hinge side, as is sometimes usual in the prior art.

In the following, an embodiment of a punching die 17 is shown with reference to Fig. 2, which is used to punch out the slot areas 5 to 8 from the card base body 2. On a punching plate 18, which is adapted to the shape of the chip card 1, there is a circumferential punching web 19, which defines the outer contour of the SIM module 4. This punching web 19 is interrupted at four points by a gap 20 to 23, so that the holding webs 13 to 16 remain during later punching. The width of the punching web 19 corresponds to the width of the slot areas 5 to 8. The same applies to the dimensions of the gaps 20 to 23 and their arrangement, which corresponds to the arrangement of the holding webs 13 to 16 in the chip card 1. By pressing a card base body 2 onto the punching die 17, the punching web 19 is pushed completely through the card material, so that the support areas 5 to 8 are created. As a result, the SIM module 4 is only connected to the card base body 2 via the holding webs 13 to 16, which are created by the gaps 20 to 23. An opening 24 adapted to the shape of the SIM module 4 is bordered by the punching web 19.

The embodiment according to Fig. 3 differs only in that the punching die 17 does not have an opening 24.

In the following, a further embodiment of a chip card 1 is explained in more detail with reference to Fig. 4. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, only the differences from the embodiment according to Fig. 1 are discussed below. For this reason, the same reference numbers are used for identical and functionally equivalent components and reference is made to the above description.

The main difference is that the retaining webs 13, 14, 15, 16 each have a notch 25, 26, 27 and 28. The notch extends in its longitudinal direction following the outer contour of the SIM module 4. As can be seen from Fig. 5, the notch is triangular in cross section. The notch is preferably embossed into the card base body 2 by a knife whose depth is adjustable. It can also be seen that such a notch is present on both the top and bottom of the card base body 2. This means, for example, that the notch 25 is essentially congruent with a similarly designed notch on the bottom of the card base body 2. As a result, the thickness of the retaining web 13 is reduced on both sides at this point, so that a predetermined breaking point 29 is formed between the two notches 25. The notches 26 to 28 on the other retaining webs 14 to 16 also have such a structure with an opposite partner notch.

The special feature of the notches 25 to 28 is that the ends of the notches end at a distance from the edge of the holding webs 25 to 28. This means that the notches 25 to 28 do not reduce the thickness of the holding web across its entire width, but that a piece or remaining web of the full material thickness is retained at each end. From Fig. 4 it can be seen that both ends of the notches 25 to 28 end at a distance from the edge of the holding webs 13 to 16. This should make the notch effect of the notches 25 to 28 easier to control, especially for materials that are difficult to handle, such as ABS and PC.

In the present embodiment according to Fig. 4 and 5, the width of the holding webs 13 to 16 is 1.5 mm, whereas the length of the notches 25 to 28 is 1.3 mm, so that on both sides there remains an area of 0.1 mm width which has the full material thickness.

Depending on the desired notch effect, a wide variety of cross-sectional shapes of notches and length ratios of the retaining web width and notch length as well as the distance to the edge can be used. The arrangement of the notches according to Fig. 4 is such that the SIM module 4 can be separated out as cleanly as possible. Other arrangements of the notches are also conceivable if this is not particularly important.

Claims (14)

1. Chip card with a card base body ( 2 ) and integrated SIM module ( 4 ), wherein the SIM module ( 4 ) is separated from the card base body ( 2 ) via slot areas ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) and is held on the base body ( 2 ) by hand by retaining webs ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) bridging the slot areas ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ), characterized in that the SIM module ( 4 ) is held by four separate and spaced-apart retaining webs ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ), which are assigned in pairs to a side edge ( 11 , 12 ) of the SIM module ( 4 ), wherein the two side edges ( 11 , 12 ) are each connected to the two retaining webs ( 13 , 14 ; 15 , 16 ) are arranged opposite each other. 2. Chip card according to claim 1, characterized in that the SIM module ( 4 ) has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view and the holding webs ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) are arranged on the transverse edges ( 11 , 12 ) of the SIM module ( 4 ). 3. Chip card according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding webs ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) have a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. 4. Chip card according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the length of the holding webs ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) is 1.0 to 1.5 mm, preferably about 1.2 mm, and the width of the holding webs ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) is 1.0 to 2.0 mm, preferably about 1.5 mm. 5. Chip card according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that on one side edge ( 12 ) the distance between the holding webs ( 15 , 16 ) is greater than the distance between the holding webs ( 13 , 14 ) on the opposite side edge ( 11 ). 6. Chip card according to claim 5, characterized in that the holding webs ( 15 , 16 ) on one side edge ( 12 ) are arranged symmetrically to a center line (S) of the SIM module ( 4 ) and the holding webs ( 13 , 14 ) on the other side edge ( 11 ) are arranged asymmetrically to a center line (S) of the SIM module ( 4 ). 7. Chip card according to claim 6, characterized in that two holding webs ( 13 , 16 ) on opposite side edges ( 11 , 12 ) have the same distance from the center line (S). 8. Chip card according to claim 7, characterized in that the spacing between the holding webs ( 13 , 14 ) on one side edge ( 11 ) is 2 to 3 mm, preferably about 2.5 mm, smaller than the spacing between the holding webs ( 15 , 16 ) on the other side edge ( 12 ). 9. Chip card, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 8, with a card base body ( 2 ) and integrated SIM module ( 4 ), wherein the SIM module ( 4 ) is separated from the card base body ( 2 ) via slot areas ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) and is held on the base body ( 2 ) by holding webs ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) bridging the slot areas ( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ) so that they can be pressed out by hand, characterized in that at least one holding web ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) has a notch ( 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ) on at least one side and the notch ends at a distance from the edge of the holding web on at least one side. 10. Chip card according to claim 9, characterized in that the notch ( 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ) also ends at a distance from the opposite edge of the holding web ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ). 11. Chip card according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the notch ( 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ) is formed by an impression. 12. Chip card according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that a notch ( 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ) arranged on the upper side and a notch on the lower side of the holding web ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) together form a predetermined breaking point ( 29 ). 13. Chip card according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the distance of the notch ( 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ) to the edge of the holding web ( 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ) is 0.05 to 0.2 mm, preferably 0.1 mm. 14. Punching die for pre-punching a SIM module ( 4 ) in a card base body ( 2 ) of a chip card ( 1 ), with a substantially circumferential punching web ( 19 ) which defines the outer contour of the SIM module ( 4 ), which is interrupted at four points and has a gap ( 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ) at each of these points, the gaps ( 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ) being arranged in pairs in a straight section of the punching web ( 19 ), the two punching web sections having gaps ( 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ) being arranged opposite one another.