Patent Application
20050075138
This invention relates in general to the field of electronics and more specifically to an electronic card holder and an electronic device using the card holder.
With the constant marketplace pressure to keep reducing the overall size of portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones, one of the major areas of concern when designing a new mobile telephone is its overall size. An area that can be targeted to reduce overall product volume is in the implementation of memory card (also known as smart card) systems such as Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card systems used in mobile telephones and other electronic devices. Past mobile telephones have utilized off-the-shelf smart card holders that for example integrate the cardholder into the plastic battery floor of the mobile telephone. Off-the-shelf memory smart card holders are typically too large in size and take up too much internal volume. Molding the smart card retention system into the battery floor is at times expensive and not feasible when the battery floor is made of sheet metal as is the case with many present day electronic devices which are concerned with radio frequency interference.
Furthermore, some of these card retention systems introduce bypass or access holes which allow for audio to leave the product which degrades the product's audio performance and also provides paths for water, noise, dirt and other damaging environmental factors to enter the product. Given the above, a need exists in the art for an apparatus for retaining a memory card in an electronic device which helps alleviate one or more of the problems mentioned above.
The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures.
Referring to
Radio telephone 108 is shown without its battery cover in place in order to highlight the SIM card access opening 106 which allows the user to remove the SIM card 102 out of the radio telephone 108. If the SIM card 102 has to be removed, a person simply removes the battery cover and battery and pushes the SIM card 102 out by pushing the card out with his/her finger through opening 106. The design of the SIM card access opening 106 is such that no special tools are required to remove the SIM card 102 once it is loaded into the portable telephone 108. Prior art smart card systems require the use of a special tool(s) to remove the SIM card once it is loaded into the SIM carrier.
In
The sheet metal used to manufacture the SIM tray 206 in one embodiment is approximately 0.20 millimeters (mm) thick and has a thickness tolerance of 0.02 mm. The design introduces a low profile design which takes up minimal space inside of the radio telephone 108 and helps reduce system design thickness. The SIM tray can be shaped and formed from a piece of sheet metal so it is fairly inexpensive to manufacture. The SIM tray 206 helps guide and center the SIM card 102 as it is being inserted. The SIM card's electrical contacts (not shown) are directed by the tray 206 to the corresponding connector contacts (not shown) found on a printed circuit board inside of the radio telephone 108. The printed circuit board would lie above the battery floor 202, with the SIM contacts being exposed through an opening in the SIM tray (see opening 312 in
Referring to
The tray ceiling 310 has a cut out 312 which allows the SIM card electrical contacts (not shown) to make electrical contact to contacts found on a printed circuit board (not shown) located inside of mobile radio 108. The flat outside ledge 302 lays flat against the metal battery floor 202 and allows the tray 206 to be attached to the battery floor 202. The flat outside ledge 302 surrounds the SIM tray except where the SIM card is inserted into the SIM tray 206. The SIM tray 206 can be attached in a number of ways, such as by laser welding the tray 206 on to the battery floor 202. Other attachment techniques can include the use of adhesives, or other types of fastening techniques. As shown in FIG, 3, the SIM tray 206 is flip over and the flat outside ledge 302 is rested in alignment over battery floor 202 prior to the SIM tray 206 being welded. The SIM tray can include alignment apertures for use in placement onto the battery floor if desired.
An angled notch 306 matches the notch found in SIM card 102. Notch 306 prevents the SIM card 102 from being inserted in the wrong way since the notch 306 will not allow an improperly inserted SIM card to be fully inserted into tray 206. A ramp 305 in the trailing edge of the tray helps with the removal of the SIM card when used in association with the removal aperture 106. The ramp 305 is aligned with the access opening 106 and allows a person to slide a finger or pen and push the SIM card out through SIM card aperture 104.
The use of a formed or stamped sheet metal tray 206 to align and enclose the SIM card 102 helps provide for a very low profile SIM retention tray which helps reduce product thickness. Using a single or integral piece of sheet metal which is formed or stamped into shape helps reduce the cost of the tray. The design also helps eliminate any extra openings in the battery floor which keeps out any damaging environmental factors such as water and dust which may damage the internal electronics.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
