Abstract:
A surface contact card holder includes a housing and a tray assembly. The housing includes a receiving frame and defining a receiving hole. The tray assembly includes a tray and a cover. The tray is slidable and receivable in the receiving frame from the receiving hole, the tray is configured for carrying a surface contact card therein. The cover is pivotally attached to the tray and covering the receiving hole. The cover includes a first end and a second end. When the first end of the cover is pressed to pivot the cover, the second end of the cover moves out of the receiving hole, the tray is slid out of the receiving frame to allow insertion and removal of the surface contact card from the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure generally relates to card use in electronic devices and, particularly, to a surface contact card holder for an electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With the development of wireless communication and information processing technologies, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones are now widely used. Surface contact cards having special circuits are widely used in portable electronic devices to enhance or add to 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&#39;s 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. 
     During the insertion and/or removal of SIM cards from personal electronic devices, friction is produced between the SIM card and a connector under the SIM card. Thus, after repeated use, the contact terminals of the SIM card and the connector are likely to wear. This wear may result, e.g., in an ineffective electrical connection between the chip card and the connector. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the disclosure 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 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 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but shown from another aspect. 
         FIG. 3  is a partially assembled isometric view of the surface contact card holder. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of the surface contact card holder omitting the PCB. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the surface contact card holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosed surface contact card holder can seat surface contact cards such as SIM cards, compact flash cards (CFs) and multimedia cards (MMCs), for example. The disclosed electronic device, shown in the exemplary embodiment as a mobile phone, can alternatively be a PDA, camera, recorder, or other devices, while remaining well within the scope of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  shows a surface contact card holder  100  mounted on an electronic device. The surface contact card holder  100  includes a housing  10 , a receiving frame  20 , a tray assembly  30 , and a printed circuit board (PCB)  50 . The tray assembly  30  may be slidably disposed between the housing  10  and the PCB  50  to receive a surface contact card  40 . 
     The housing  10  may be a portion of the electronic device, and includes a main section  12  integrally formed together with a sidewall  14 . Two opposite mounting portions  16  are formed on the main section  12 . Each mounting portion  16  defines a screw hole  162  for mounting the PCB  50 . The sidewall  14  defines a receiving hole  142  for receiving the tray assembly  30 . Two opposite latching portions  18  are formed on the main section  12 . Each latching portion  18  is adjacent to a corresponding mounting portion  16 , and defines a groove  182 . 
     The receiving frame  20  is positioned on the main section  12 , and faces the receiving hole  142 . The receiving frame  20  includes two flanges  22 , a base  24  and a plurality of resisting edges  28 . The flanges  22 , the base  24  and the resisting edges  28  cooperatively define a cavity  26  communicating with the receiving hole  142  for receiving the tray assembly  30 . Each flange  22  defines an opening  222 . Each latching portion  18  faces the opening  222 , and are exposed from the openings  222 . To mount the receiving frame  20  on the main section  12 , the base  24  may be adhered or welded on the main section  12 . The resisting edges  28  limit the inward movement of the tray assembly  30  into housing  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the tray assembly  30  of the embodiment is shown. The tray assembly  30  includes a tray  32 , a cover  33 , a pin  34 , a magnet  35  and a pin retainer  37 . 
     The tray  32  includes two opposite side edges  322 , an end edge  324 , a rectangular plate portion  326  and a plurality of stopper edges  327 . The side edges  322 , the end edge  324 , the plate portion  326 , and the stopper edges  327  cooperatively define a receiving compartment  328  to receive the surface contact card  40 . Each side edge  322  has an arcuate portion  3222  configured for being selectively received in the groove  182 . The arcuate portions  3222  position the tray  32  in the cavity  26  of the receiving frame  20 . At least one extending edge  3224  is formed on each side edge  322 . The extending edge  3224  and the stopper edges  327  are used for preventing the surface contact card  40  from separating from the receiving compartment  328 . The end edge  324  has a latching arm  3242  and a block  3246 . The latching arm  3242  defines a latching hole  3244 . In the embodiment, the pin  34  is formed on the block  3246 . 
     The cover  33  is made of metal, and includes a main body  332 , a first end  334 , and a second end  336 . Note that as used herein, “made of metal” may mean or include a non-metallic material coated with a metallic (magnetic) material. The first end  334  and the second end  336  are formed at opposite ends of the main body  332 . The first end  334  has a wedge surface  3340 . A protruding plate  338  extends from the second end  336  and is configured for engaging in the latching hole  3244  of the latching arm  3242 . The cover  33  defines a pin hole  3322  adjacent to the first end  334 . A distance between the pin hole  3322  and the first end  334  is smaller than that of the pin hole  3322  and the second end  336 . One end of the pin  34  is inserted into the pin hole  3322  to pivotally connect the cover  33  to the tray  32 . The pin retainer  37  defines a notch  372  for latching another end of the pin  37  and prevents the pin  34  from separating from the cover  33 . 
     The magnet  35  is mounted to the end edge  324  of the tray  32  for attracting the cover  33  on the tray  32 . In this exemplary embodiment, a latching member  36  is used for receiving the magnet  35 . The latching member  36  is mounted on the end edge  324  to position the magnet  35  on the tray  32 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the PCB  50  has a connector  52  and a sensor  54 . The connector  52  is configured for electronically connecting the surface contact card  40 . The sensor  54  includes a curved elastic end extending into the receiving frame  20  from the resisting edges  28 . When the tray  32  is received in the receiving frame  20 , the tray  32  deforms the elastic end of the sensor  54 . When the tray  20  is not received the receiving frame, the elastic sheet is at an original state. The sensor  54  will determine that the tray is or not in position according to the deformation of the elastic end, and transmit the results to the electronic device. 
     During assembly, the magnet  35  is mounted in the latching member  36 , and the latching member  36  is mounted on the end edge  324  to attach the magnet  35  on the tray  32 . The protruding plate  338  of the cover  33  is inserted into the latching hole  3244  and the magnet  35  attracts the cover  33  to the tray  32 . The pin  34  on the tray  32  extends through the pin hole  3322  of the cover  33  to allow the cover  33  to be pivotally connected to the tray  32 . The wedge surface  3340  is spaced from the end edge  324  to allow a space  38  to be defined between the first end  334  and the end edge  324 . The pin retainer  37  is mounted on the cover  33  for preventing the pin  34  from separating from the cover  33 . Thus, the assembly process of the surface contact card holder  100  is finished. 
     In use, referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the surface contact card  40  is taken here as an exemplary application for the purposes of describing details of the surface contact holder  100 . The surface contact card  40  is inserted into the receiving compartment  328  of the tray  32  to allow the surface contact card  40  to resist against the extending edge  3224  and the stopper edges  327 . Then, the tray  20  with the surface contact card  40  is pushed to slide in the cavity  26  of the receiving frame  20  from the receiving hole  142  until the arcuate portions  3222  are latched in the grooves  182 . At that time, the cover  33  covers the receiving hole  142 . The surface contact card  40  is electronically connected to the connector  52 , and one end of the surface contact card  40  abuts the sensor  54 . The sensor  54  will transmit a signal of the tray  32  in position to the portable electronic device Thus, the surface contact card  40  is thereby held steadily in the housing. 
     To remove the surface contact card  40 , referring to  FIG. 4 , the first end  334  is pressed toward the space  38  along an A arrow direction, the cover  33  is forced to pivot about the pin  34 . The second end  336  overcomes the magnetic force of the magnet  35  to move out of the receiving hole  142 . Then, the tray  32  is pulled to slide in the receiving frame  20  until the tray  32  is moved out of the receiving hole  142 , and the surface contact card  40  is easily removed from the tray  32 . 
     As described above, the exemplary embodiment provides a surface contact card holder for portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones. The surface contact card holder can be easily opened and is more user-friendly. 
     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 disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.