Protective cover for terminal keypad security switches
View Patent ↗A point-of-sale terminal may incorporate a security device for preventing penetration of a foreign conductor into a region in fluid communication with a security switch of the point-of-sale terminal. The device may include a barrier member configured to be disposed inside the terminal and to resist penetration by a hypodermic needle. The barrier member of the security device may be a rigid keypad cover configured to be disposed between a keypad of the terminal and an upper casing of the terminal, and may include a plurality of apertures configured to fit closely around keys of the keypad. The barrier member of the security device also may be a rigid light guide configured to be disposed between a printed circuit board of the terminal and a keypad of the terminal, and to provide backlighting to the keypad.
1. A security device for preventing penetration of a foreign conductor into a region in fluid communication with a security switch of a point-of-sale terminal, wherein the point-of-sale terminal includes a keypad and an upper casing adjacent the keypad, wherein the upper casing includes a plurality of openings, each opening defined by an edge, and the keypad includes a plurality of keys, the keys extending through the openings, and the security switch is located under the keypad separate from the keys and not directly beneath any of the openings in the upper casing for the keys, and wherein the point-of-sale terminal includes a rigid post between the upper casing and the security switch, the post positioned to close the security switch when the keypad, upper casing, and security switch of the point-of-sale terminal are assembled together and wherein the security switch opens to detect that the point-of-sale terminal is disassembled, the device comprising:
a barrier member configured to be disposed inside the terminal between the upper case and the security switch and the barrier member being sufficiently rigid to resist penetration by a hypodermic needle and configured to block the needle from penetrating through the keypad to the security switch, wherein, the barrier member includes an aperture configured to receive the rigid post therethrough and to fit sufficiently closely around the rigid post to prevent penetration by the hypodermic needle to the region in fluid communication with the security switch, and wherein the upper casing includes a lower surface, and further wherein the barrier member includes an upper surface, the upper surface configured to face the lower surface of the upper casing when the point-of-sale terminal is assembled, and wherein the aperture through the barrier member defines a width from a rim to a side wall, and wherein, with the terminal assembled, a ratio of x1/y1 is greater than a ratio of x2/y2 for the following definitions:
x1 is a distance from the edge of the upper casing opening adjacent the barrier member aperture to the rim of the aperture;
y1 is a distance from the lower surface of the upper casing to the upper surface of the barrier member;
x2 is the width of the aperture from the rim to the side wall; and
y2 is a distance from the upper surface of the barrier member to the region in fluid communication with the security switch.
2. The security device of claim 1 for use with the point-of-sale terminal, wherein the point-of-sale terminal includes a printed circuit board under the keypad, and wherein the security switch is disposed on the printed circuit board, wherein the barrier member includes a light guide configured to be disposed between the printed circuit board of the terminal and the keypad of the terminal, further wherein the light guide is configured to provide backlighting to the keypad.
3. A point-of-sale terminal configured to prevent penetration of a foreign conductor, the terminal comprising:
an outer case having a plurality of openings therethrough, each opening defined by an edge, and wherein the outer case includes a lower surface,
a keypad including a plurality of keys configured to pass through the openings of the outer case,
a printed circuit board for processing information entered using the keypad, the printed circuit board including a region with a security switch located separate from the keys and not directly beneath any of the openings in the outer case for the keys,
at least one rigid post between the outer case and the printed circuit board, the post configured to close the security switch when the terminal is assembled, and wherein the security switch opens to detect disassembly when the terminal is disassembled, and
a barrier member disposed within the outer case between the case and the printed circuit board and wherein the barrier member includes an upper surface, the upper surface facing the lower surface of the outer case when the point-of-sale terminal is assembled, the barrier member configured to resist penetration by a hypodermic needle inserted through one of the outer case openings, the barrier member positioned to block the needle from reaching the security switch region, the barrier member including an aperture configured to receive the rigid post therethrough and to fit sufficiently closely around the rigid post to prevent penetration by the hypodermic needle to the security switch region, wherein the aperture of the barrier member includes a rim and a side wall and defines a width between the rim and the side wall, and wherein the rim is positioned sufficiently far from the closest edge of one of the openings of the outer case and the width is sufficiently narrow and the lower surface of the outer case is sufficiently close to the upper surface of the barrier member to prevent the needle from passing through the opening and down the aperture to the security switch region.
4. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 3 , further including a sheet disposed over the printed circuit board, the sheet including a dome at the security switch region and wherein the rigid post depresses the dome to close the security switch.
5. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 3 , wherein the outer case includes a lower surface, and further wherein the barrier member includes an upper surface facing the lower surface of the outer case when the terminal is assembled, and wherein the aperture through the barrier member defines a width from a rim to a side wall, and wherein, with the terminal assembled, a ratio of x1/y1 is greater than a ratio of x2/y2 for the following definitions:
x1 is a distance from the edge of the outer case opening adjacent the barrier member aperture to the rim of the aperture;
y1 is a distance from the lower surface of the outer case to the upper surface of the barrier member;
x2 is the width of the aperture from the rim to the side wall; and
y2 is a distance from the upper surface of the barrier member to the security switch region.
6. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 3 wherein the barrier member is a light guide disposed between the printed circuit board and the keypad, wherein the light guide is configured to provide backlighting to the keypad.