Surface contact card holder

The present invention generally relates to structures for holding card members in an electronic device and, particularly, to a surface contact card holder for holding a surface contact card in a portable electronic device.

With the development of wireless communication and information processing technologies, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones are now in widespread use. These electronic devices enable consumers to enjoy high-tech services anytime and anywhere. Surface contact cards having special circuits are widely used in portable electronic devices to enhance or specialize the functions of the portable electronic devices. For example, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card can be placed in a mobile phone to dedicate the mobile phone' functions to the SIM card owner. By changing SIM cards, a single mobile phone can be used by many different SIM card owners as a personal phone.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a conventional structure for holding a SIM card therein includes a base 42 made of insulating material and a holding structure 44 . The base 42 defines a receiving groove 421 and a SIM connector 40 including a plurality of contacts is set in the middle of the receiving groove 421 . The shape and size of the receiving groove 421 are the same as those of the SIM card. The holding structure 44 is located adjacent to one end of the receiving groove 421 and can be moved back and forth along the direction as indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 7 .

In use, firstly, the holding structure 44 is moved away from the receiving groove 421 and the SIM card is inserted into the receiving groove 421 . Then, the holding structure 44 is moved adjacent to the receiving groove 421 so as to latch the SIM card in the receiving groove 421 . In the same way, the SIM card can be released by moving the holding structure 44 away from the receiving groove 421 .

In the above conventional structure for holding a SIM card, the holding structure 44 can be easily moved, if a mobile phone employing such a structure for holding a SIM card is dropped, the shock may easily force the holding structure 44 to move off the receiving groove 421 . As a result, the SIM card may not connect well with the SIM contactor or may even become separated from the receiving groove 421 . Obviously, such a conventional structure cannot hold the SIM card steadily in the receiving groove 421 .

Therefore, there is a need for a new surface contact card holder which can hold a surface contact card steadily in a portable electronic device.

In one embodiment, a holder for holding a surface contact card includes a main body, a latch, a fixing portion and an elastic element. The main body defines a receiving groove and a sliding groove. The receiving groove is located at one side of the main body. The sliding groove is configured for receiving the surface contact card therein. The latch engages in the receiving groove and selectably resists one end of the surface contact card. The fixing portion is positioned on the opposite side of the main body adjacent to the sliding groove. The elastic element is located the fixing portion and is configured for resisting the other end of the surface contact card. The elastic element provides a force allowing removal of the surface contact card.

Other advantages and novel features of the present embodiment will become more apparent from the following detailed description thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Many aspects of the surface contact card holder can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present surface contact card holder. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a surface contact card holder with a surface contact card in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 but viewed from another aspect;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, schematic view of the latch shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, schematic view of the elastic element shown in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is an assembled view of the surface contact card holder with the surface contact card;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the surface contact card holder taken along the VI-VI line in FIG. 5 ; and

FIG. 7 is an assembled view of a conventional SIM card holder.

The present surface contact card holder is suitable for portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, and so on. The surface contact card holder can be used for holding surface contact cards such as SIM cards, compact flash cards (CFs), multimedia cards (MMCs), and so on.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a surface contact card holder for a SIM card 40 incorporated in a mobile phone/portable electronic device. The mobile phone and the SIM card 40 are taken here as an exemplary application for the purposes of describing details of the surface contact holder of the preferred embodiment. The mobile phone includes a main body 10 with a first surface 111 and an opposite second surface 113 . A receiving cavity 12 is defined at the main body 10 for receiving a battery (not shown). The receiving cavity 12 communicates with the first surface 111 and the second surface 113 , and includes an end wall 122 .

The surface contact card holder includes a stepped groove 14 , a receiving groove 16 , a sliding groove 17 , a fixing portion 18 , a latch 20 , an elastic element 30 and two springs 50 . The stepped groove 14 , the receiving groove 16 , the sliding groove 17 and the fixing portion 18 are formed in the main body 10 .

The stepped groove 14 is defined in the end wall 122 of the main body 10 , and is defined cooperatively by a bottom portion 142 and two stepped walls 144 . Each stepped wall 144 has a step 1442 . Adjacent to the stepped groove 14 , the first surface 111 has the receiving groove 16 defined cooperatively by a bottom wall 162 and a peripheral wall. The receiving groove 16 is substantially rectangular in shape, and perpendicularly communicates with the stepped groove 14 . The bottom wall 162 defines two pin holes 164 , which are blind holes. A protrusion 146 is formed at the intersection of the bottom portion 142 and the bottom wall 162 . The sliding groove 17 is defined in the bottom portion 142 , and is positioned under the bottom wall 162 . The shape and size of the sliding groove 17 are the same as those of the SIM card 40 , thus the sliding groove 17 may be used for receiving the SIM card 40 .

The second surface 113 defines a notch 114 , and the notch 114 communicates with the sliding groove 17 . The fixing portion 18 is formed adjacent to the sliding groove 17 . The fixing portion 18 includes a stopper board 182 and two connecting boards 184 . Each connecting board 184 is substantially L-shaped. A space 185 is cooperatively surrounded by the stopper board 182 and the connecting boards 184 . The space 185 communicates with the notch 114 and the sliding groove 17 . A slot 186 is defined between the stopper board 182 and the connecting boards 184 . Each connecting board 184 sets a pivotal shaft 188 . Each pivotal shaft 188 is substantially a short cylinder.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the latch 20 includes an operation portion 22 and two extending portions 24 perpendicularly extending from one side thereof. The shape of the operation portion 22 corresponds to that of the receiving groove 16 so that the operation portion 22 may be engaged in the receiving groove 16 . The operating portion 22 extends two spaced pins 222 from two sides of one end surface toward two extending portions 24 . Each pin 222 may be inserted into a corresponding pin hole 164 . Each extending portion 24 is substantially L-shaped, and has a horizontal end 242 . The horizontal ends 242 of two extending portions 24 are parallel to the operation portion 22 . Each extending portion 24 has a wedge end 244 opposite to a corresponding horizontal end 242 . A height of the operation portion 22 of the latch 20 is smaller than a depth of the receiving groove 16 so that the receiving groove 16 has a predetermined space allowing for the operation portion 22 to move upwards and downwards in the receiving groove 16 .

Referring also to FIG. 4 , the elastic element 30 may be sheet metal, and includes a main piece 32 . The main piece 32 is substantially a flat board defining an opening 322 , the opening 322 communicating with one side of the main piece 32 . The main piece 32 has a pivotal hole 324 defined at two sides of the opening 322 . The two pivotal shafts 188 of the fixing portion 18 may respectively engage in a corresponding pivotal hole 324 . A side piece 326 perpendicularly extends from one side of the main piece 32 opposite to the opening 322 . The side piece 326 further forms a bending piece 34 at one side thereof. The bending piece 34 is connected to a middle of the side piece 326 . Two sides of the bending piece 34 are respectively bent into a V-shape pointing toward the direction of the opening 322 . A resisting piece 36 is slantways formed in a middle of the bending piece 34 and the side piece 326 by cutting.

Each spring 50 is a cylindrical and helical element, and may be received in the pin hole 164 . A diameter of each spring 50 is larger than that of each pin 222 so that each spring 50 may be placed around a corresponding pin 222 .

During assembly, referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 , the main piece 32 of the elastic element 30 is placed on the fixing portion 18 of the main body 10 . Each pivotal hole 324 is aligned with a corresponding pivotal shaft 188 of the fixing portion 18 . Then, the elastic element 30 is pressed downward so that each pivotal hole 324 is placed around a given pivotal shaft 188 . At the same time, the side piece 326 engages in the slot 186 , with the resisting piece 36 resisting the stopper board 182 and the blending pieces 34 received in the space 185 of the fixing portion 18 . Accordingly, the elastic element 30 is attached to the main body 10 .

Next, the springs 50 are respectively placed around a corresponding pin 222 . The latch 20 is faced with the receiving groove 16 , with each pin 222 aligning with a corresponding pin hole 164 . The latch 20 is pressed downward so that each pin 222 of the latch 20 with a corresponding spring 50 together are inserted into a given pin hole 164 . Owing to the role of the springs 50 , the pins 222 are suspended in the pin holes 164 . At the same time, the extending portions 24 are lower into the stepped groove 14 , and the wedge ends 244 slide down along the stepped wall 144 until each wedge end 244 engages with a corresponding step 1442 . The horizontal ends 242 resist and partially enclose an entrance of the sliding groove 17 of the main body 10 . Accordingly, the latch 20 is attached to the main body 10 . Owing to the limitation of the step 1442 , the latch 20 cannot break away from the stepped groove 14 . The protrusion 146 may limit the movement range of the operation portion 22 of the latch 20 .

In use, the user presses the operation portion 22 of the latch 20 downward. Thus, the pins 22 resist the springs 50 and move downwards. The springs 50 are compressed, and the pins 22 moves downward in the pin holes 164 . After the latch 20 moves down until the extending portions 24 move away from the entrance of the sliding groove 17 , the SIM card 40 is partially inserted into the sliding groove 17 . Then, the user pushes one end of the SIM card 40 so that the SIM card 40 is entirely received into the sliding groove 17 . The other end of the SIM card 40 presses into the elastic element 30 so that the bending piece 34 is deformable. After that, the user releases the latch 20 so that the latch 20 automatically returns the original position under the role of the springs 50 . The extending portions 24 resist the entrance of the sliding groove 17 again so as to hold the SIM card 40 . The SIM card 40 abuts the PCB. The battery (not shown) is received in the receiving cavity 12 , with the battery abutting the latch 20 . The battery can prevent the latch 20 from becoming separated from the main body 10 . Thus, the SIM card 40 is held steadily in the main body 10 .

To remove the SIM card 40 , the user pushes the operation portion 22 of the latch 20 , and presses the latch 20 downward. Thus, the extending portions 24 move away from the sliding groove 17 . The SIM card 40 is pushed out by the elastic element 30 exerting a force on the SIM card 40 . Accordingly, the SIM card 40 is taken out from the sliding groove 17 .

In alternative embodiments, the stepped groove 14 may be not set adjacent to the receiving cavity 12 , and is positioned outside of the main body 10 . Accordingly, the SIM card 40 may easily be taken out without removing the battery. Alternatively, the stepped groove 14 may be omitted, and the latch 20 may be limited by other structures.

In a still further alternative embodiment, the fixing portion 18 and the elastic element 30 disclosed above may be replaced with other structures. Understandably, the fixing portion 18 may be omitted, and the elastic element 30 may be fixed in the main body 10 using adhesive. The elastic element 30 acts as a pushing element attached to the main body and exerts a force acting on the SIM card 40 , the latch 20 is slidable relative to the receiving SIM card groove so as to allow the insertion and removal of the SIM card 40 , and the pushing element serves to eject the SIM card 40 from the receiving SIM card groove. The latch 20 also may be replaced with other structures so that the latch may selectably resist one end of the SIM card 40 .

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.