This invention relates to a connector which is provided in an external device, such as a card reader for a game-program IC card, and which is adapted for connection to the IC card.
A conventional connector provided in an external device for an IC card is constructed as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C. An 1C card which is inserted into this connector has a structure such as that shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C. As shown in these figures, a card reader connector 1 which is a connector disposed in an external device (not shown) for the card has a card-insertion opening 2 and a card-receiving portion 3. An IC card 4 is formed such that it can be inserted into and pulled out of the card-receiving portion of the card reader connector. The IC card 4 has a package 5 in which a semiconductor device 4a is encapsulated, metal panels 5a disposed on upper and lower surfaces of this package, and a plurality of external terminals 6 arranged on one end of the package 5. The package 5 is formed of an insulating material, and an insulating material coats all surfaces of the metal panels 5a. A card shutter 7 is provided on the package 5 of the IC card 4 so as to be slidable in an insertion direction of the IC card and adapted to protect the external terminals 6 when the card is not used. The card reader connector 1 is provided with shutter-opening-closing pins 8 adapted to open the shutter 7 by moving it in the direction opposite to that of the insertion of the card, and a plurality of electrodes 9 capable of being elastically deformed to contact with the external terminals 6 respectively when the card is inserted into the connector. The shutter-opening-closing pins 8 can be made of metal or an insulating material. The shutter 7 is provided with slide members 10 having pin-contact portions 10a (see FIG. 2B) which contact the pins 8 when the IC card 4 is inserted into the card reader connector 1.
When the IC card 4 is used with the thus-constructed card reader connector 1, the IC card 4 is inserted through the card-insertion opening 2 into the card-receiving portion 3 of the card reader connector 1. At the same time, as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, the pin-contact portions 10a of the slide member 10 are brought into contact with the pins 8 so as to open the shutter 7 and to connect the external terminals 6 of the IC card 4 and the electrodes 9 of the card reader connector 1 to each other.
The connection of the electrodes 9 of the card reader connector 1 and the external terminals 6 of the IC card 4 is released by pulling the IC card 4 out of the card-receiving portion 3.
In this type of connector for connecting an external device to the IC card, friction between the card reader connector 1 and the IC card 4 and/or between the shutter 7 and the package 5 of the IC card 4 tends to generate static electricity when the IC card 4 is inserted into or pulled out from the card reader connector 1. If this static electricity flows through the external terminals 6, there is a possibility of the semiconductor device 4a in the IC card 4 being damaged or a possibility of software errors occurring due to noise, resulting in reduction of the reliability of the IC card operation.