Abstract:
A drawable SIM card holder of a mobile phone at least includes: (a) a drawer attached to the protective cover of the mobile phone; (b) an elastomer for bracing and bouncing the SIM card for the convenience of removing the SIM card; (c) a button for fixing the drawer on the protective cover.

Description:
This application incorporates by reference Taiwanese application Serial No. 89114571, Filed Jul. 20, 2000. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates in general to a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card holder, and more particularly to a drawable SIM card holder of a mobile phone. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card is for a special purpose for a digital mobile phone of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). While the GSM system was developed in Europe, the concept derived from the credit card has been integrated into the design of the digital mobile phone for improving on the protection available against pirated use of analog mobile phone. It is unique for the subscriber to have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) of the SIM card for using the mobile phone. The SIM card is a kind of micro-processing chip containing communication network-related information for specially identifying a subscriber, such as the mobile phone number and parameters of communication, and has memory for storing telephone directory or other personal information. 
     Each subscriber applying for an account from the system proprietor can get a SIM card representing a personal identification number. Thus, the subscriber could take out the SIM card and remove it to another mobile phone for the replacement of mobile phones whenever the mobile phone is upgraded. 
     Most SIM card contacting devices in the current market secure the SIM card by latching. However, some thorny problems might happen easily, such as falling off of the latch, taking out the SIM card with difficulty or failing to contact with the contact element. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a drawable Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card holder for the convenience of removing the SIM card. Meanwhile, using a simple mechanical design, such like an elastomer, enables to hold up the SIM card and the SIM card comes into contact with the contact element securely. 
     The invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing a drawable SIM card holder of a mobile phone, the main feature of the drawable card holder includes a drawer and an elastomer. The drawer for receiving a SIM card is attached to the protective cover of the mobile phone and coupled with the contact element. The elastomer installed in the drawer braces the SIM card when the drawer is in the room and enables the SIM card to pop out of the drawer when the drawer is drawn out of the room. The elastomer makes the plane formed by the SIM card incline with flexible angle for the convenience of removing the SIM card. 
     The invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing another drawable SIM card holder, which includes a drawer and an elastomer. The drawer further includes a button capable of clasping the button hole for fixing the drawer on the protective cover. 
     The invention achieves the above-identified objects by providing another drawable SIM card holder, which includes a drawer and an elastomer. The drawer further includes SIM card positions; the protective cover of the mobile phone has a number of ribs. When the SIM card is inserted into the mobile phone, the SIM card can be put in the right position without left or right deviation due to the withstanding of the SIM card positions disposed two-sidedly and without up or down deviation by a pressure of the ribs and a elasticity from the compression of the elastomer. It enables the SIM card to be coupled to the contact element of the printed circuit board. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an interior structural diagram of a drawable SIM card holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a drawable SIM card holder drawn out from a protective cover according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the interior of the protective cover is taken as the obverse side; and 
     FIG. 3 shows a functional flow diagram of operating a mobile phone with a drawable SIM card holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, an interior structural diagram of a drawable SIM card holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The drawable SIM card holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention at least includes a drawer  100  for receiving a SIM card  102  and an elastomer  104 . The elastomer  104  installed in the drawer  100  could be a spring wire, spring or leaf spring. Whenever drawing out the drawer  100 , the elastomer  104  enables the SIM card  102  to pop out of the drawer  100  for the convenience of removing the SIM card  102 . 
     Moreover, the drawer  100  further includes a bottom  106 , front edge  108 , rear edge  110 , first side edge  112   a , second side edge  112   b , and bevelling  114 . Two ends of the front edge  108  connect one end of the first side edge  112   a  and one end of the second side edge  112   b  respectively. Two ends of the rear edge  110  connect another end of the first side edge  112   a  and another end of the second side edge  112   b  respectively. The bottom connects the front edge  108 , rear edge  110 , first side edge  112   a  and second side edge  112   b  to construct the drawer  100 . 
     The connection between the first side edge  112   a  and the front edge  108  further includes a bevelling  114  for mating with the SIM card cutting angle  102   b . The bevelling  114  design can prevent the SIM card from being malpositioned and indicate proper SIM insertion and mating. 
     Two ends of the rear edge  110  of the drawer  100  have a first protruding piece  116   a  and a second protruding piece  116   b . The first protruding piece  116   a  and second protruding piece  116   b  protect the drawer  100  from being entirely drawn away. 
     The bottom  106  of the drawer  100  further includes a contact field  118 . The SIM card contact point  102   a  is coupled with the contact element  122  on the printed circuit board  120  of the mobile phone when the drawer  100  is buckled on the protective cover  200  (as shown in FIG.  2 ). 
     The drawable SIM card holder according to the preferred embodiment of the invention further includes a button  124  disposed on the front edge  108  of the drawer  100 . In addition, there are several blocks  126  on the first edge  112   a , second edge  112   b  and bottom  106  for fixing the elastomer  104  on the drawer  100 . The tangent plane formed by the elastomer  104  relative to the surface of the bottom  106  is an incline with flexible angle. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a schematic view of a drawable SIM card holder drawn out from a protective cover according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, wherein the interior of the protective cover is taken as the obverse side. As shown in FIG. 2, the interior side of the protective cover  200  includes the first slide member  204   a , second slide member  204   b  and the rear guard  206 . The room  208  inside the protective cover  200  is surrounded with the first slide member  204   a , second slide member  204   b  and the rear guard  206 . The drawer  100  can be either positioned in the room  208  exactly or drawn out along the first slide member  204   a  and second slide member  204   b.    
     The interior side of the protective cover  200   a  further includes the first guard  210   a  and second guard  210   b , which are disposed on the first slide member  204   a  and the second slide member  204   b  respectively near the room for battery cover  202   a . Thus, while the drawer  100  is drawn out, the first protruding piece  116   a  and the second protruding piece  116   b  of the drawer  100  can protect the drawer  100  from being entirely drawn away by the withstanding of the first guard  210   a  and a second guard  210   b.    
     Furthermore, the interior side of the protective cover  200  includes the first SIM card position  214   a , second SIM card position  214   b , which are disposed on the protective cover  200  respectively near two sides of the room for battery cover  202   a . Therefore, the SIM card can be put into the drawer  100  in the right position without left or right deviation. 
     Moreover, the interior side of the protective cover  200  includes a number of ribs, preferably two ribs. When the drawer  100  is buckled on the protective cover  200 , the ribs  212  can secure the SIM card  102  from up or down deviation by the pressure of the ribs and the elasticity from the compression of the elastomer and enable the SIM card  102  coupled to the contact element  122  of the printed circuit board  120 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a functional flow diagram of operating a mobile phone with a drawable SIM card holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. After the battery cover  202  of the mobile phone  300  is taken apart from the protective cover  200  by unclasping the button, the drawer  100  is drawn out from the protective cover  200  and the user can replace the SIM card  102 . The drawer  100  has a bevelling  114  for mating with the SIM card cutting angle  102   b  and thus the SIM card  102  can be inserted promptly in the right direction. In the course of insertion, the elastomer  104  can brace the SIM card  102  and make the plane formed by the SIM card  102  an incline with flexible angle relative to the surface of the bottom  106 . When the drawer is buckled on the protective cover  2 , the button  124  of the drawer  100  clasps the button hole  124   a  of the protective cover  200  so that the drawer  100  is fixed on the protective cover  200 . Hence, the SIM card  102  is properly and successfully inserted into the mobile phone  300  as the compression of the elastomer  104 . 
     The drawable SIM card holder according to the invention applies to not only the mobile phone but also the two-in-one or three-in-one device consisting of the mobile phone and other electric equipment, such as the device with the combination of the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and the mobile phone. 
     The drawable SIM card holder according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, which provides a drawable drawer applied in the mobile phone system for the convenience of removing the SIM card. Meanwhile, using a simple mechanical design of an elastomer enables to hold up the SIM card and the SIM card to come into contact with the contact element securely. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.