Abstract:
A chip card holding mechanism includes a support bracket defining a receiving chamber and an opening communicating with the receiving chamber; a resilient member fixed to the support bracket at an end of the support bracket opposite to the opening, and partial received in the receiving chamber; a latching assembly rotatably fixed to the support bracket and further comprising a pair of latching portions; and a tray slidably assembled to the support bracket, in which the tray comprises an accommodating space defined thereon to receive a chip card, and a pair of opposite sidewalls adjacent to the accommodating space, each sidewall defining a latching groove according to the corresponding latching portion; and the tray is received in the receiving chamber by having the latching portions of the latching assembly engaged in the latching grooves and resisting against the resilient member. An electronic device using the same is also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a holding mechanism, and particularly, to a chip card holding mechanism and an electronic device using the same. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A multifunctional portable electronic device uses chip cards for storage and communication such as, for example, secure digital memory card (SD Card), compact flash card (CF Card) and subscriber identification module card (SIM Card). 
     A typical portable electronic device includes a base body and a chip card holding mechanism for fixing a chip card. The base body defines a receiving chamber to receive the chip card. As is commonly used, the chip card holding mechanism includes a cover, a shaft, a resilient clip received in the receiving chamber of the base body. The chip card is fixed in the receiving chamber and resisted by the resilient clip. The cover rotatably connects with the base body via the shaft. The chip card is attached to the base body and resists the cover and the resilient clip. When the chip card is to be released from the chip card holding mechanism, one needs to push it so it can rotate the holding mechanism. However, the chip card holding mechanism may not unlock if the pressure of the push is not strong enough to rotate the holding mechanism, yet, too much pressure on the cover may cause the holding mechanism to be damaged. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement in 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 buffer mechanism. Moreover, in the drawings like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an embodiment of an electronic device having a chip card holding mechanism. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is similar to  FIG. 2 , but viewed from another aspect. 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of a circled portion IV of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled, isometric view of the embodiment of the chip card holding mechanism in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded, isometric view of the chip card holding mechanism of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 6 , but viewed from another aspect. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded, isometric view of a part of the electronic device of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , an electronic device  100  includes a housing  20 , a display panel  30 , a chip card  40 , and a chip card holding mechanism  50 . The display panel  30  is fixed on the housing  20 . The chip card holding mechanism  50  is received in the housing  20 . The components having other functions such as electronic panel, backlight module and so on are hereby omitted. The chip card may be various types of cards such as a SD Card, multimedia card (MMC Card) or SIM Card. In the embodiment, the chip card is a SIM Card. The electronic device  100  may be a tablet personal computer, a mobile phone or a digital cameral. In the embodiment, the electronic device  100  is a tablet personal computer. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , the housing  20  includes a bottom housing  21  and a support frame  22  fixed on the bottom housing  21 . The bottom housing  21  includes a bottom plate  211  and a plurality of sidewalls  212 . The sidewalls  212  extend from the edges of the bottom plate  211  along a predetermined direction. The bottom plate  211  smoothly connects with the sidewalls  212 , and has a plurality of arc-shaped corners. The bottom plate  211  and the sidewalls  212  cooperatively define a chamber  213 . One of the sidewalls  212  defines a through hole  214  adjacent to an end (see  FIG. 3 ) in a strip shape to allow the chip card  40  to pass through. 
     The support frame  22  includes a supporting base  221  and a fixing portion  223 . The supporting base  221  is substantially rectangular, and includes four reinforcement sidewalls  2210  connecting in order. The supporting base  221  further includes a continuous first stepped surface  2211  defined at a top of the four reinforcement sidewalls  2210  away from the bottom plate  211  of the bottom housing  21 . The first stepped surface  2211  defines a stepped hole  2213  corresponding to the through hole  214 . The stepped hole  2213  is substantially square. The supporting base  221  further includes a second stepped surface  2214  and a third stepped surface  2215  (see  FIG. 4 ) adjacent to the stepped hole  2213 . The second stepped surface  2214  is disposed between the first stepped surface  2211  and the third stepped surface  2215 . The fixing portion  223  is fixed to the supporting base  221  adjacent to the stepped hole  2213 . The fixing portion  223  includes an upper surface  2231  and a bottom surface  2233 . The upper surface  2231  is coplanar with the first stepped surface  2211 . The bottom surface  2233  includes three stepped matching surfaces  2235  corresponding to the first, second, third stepped surfaces  2211 ,  2214 ,  2215 , respectively. 
     The display panel  30  is fixed on the first stepped surface  2211  of the support frame  22 . In the embodiment, the display panel  30  is firmly adhered on the first stepped surface  2211 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 , and  5  through  8 , the chip card holding mechanism  50  is fixed in the chamber  213  of the housing  20  to hold the chip card  40 . The chip card holding mechanism  50  includes a support bracket  60 , a tray  70  and a latching assembly  80 . The support bracket  60  is fixed to the bottom plate  211  adjacent to the through hole  214 . In the embodiment, the support bracket  60  is adhered to the bottom plate  211 . The support bracket  60  includes a receptacle  61 , an end portion  63  adjacent to the receptacle  61  and a pair of resilient members  65 . The receptacle  61  connects with the end portion  63 . The peripheral of the receptacle  61  and the end portion  63  facing the though hole  214  matches with the inner surface of the bottom housing  21  correspondingly. The receptacle  61  is a hollowed cuboid and defines a receiving chamber  613  and an opening  611  facing the through hole  214 , the opening  611  communicates with the receiving chamber  613 . The tray  70  is received in the receiving chamber  613  via the opening  611 . The receptacle  61  includes two sidewalls  615  opposite to each other and a resisting wall  617  connecting with the two sidewalls  615  of the receptacle  60  at two ends. Each sidewall  615  defines a guiding groove (not shown) along a lengthwise direction and a first latching groove  6151  at a distal end from the opening  611 . The resisting wall  617  is disposed at the side of the receiving chamber  613  opposite to the opening  611 . The resisting wall  617  defines a pair of second latching grooves  6171  (see  FIG. 8 ) and a receiving groove  6173  located between the two second latching grooves  6171 . The receiving groove  6173  communicates with the two second latching grooves  6171 . The end portion  63  includes an arcuate side surface  631  and an upper surface  633  connecting with the side surface  631 . The side surface  631  defines an opening  6311  corresponding to the opening  611  of the receptacle  61  and the through hole  214  of the bottom housing  21 . The end portion  63  further includes a post  6331  located at the supper surface  633  adjacent to one of the sidewalls  615 . Each resilient member  65  is a bent resilient clip and detachably fixed in the resisting wall  617 . One end of the resilient members  65  is fixed in the second latching groove  6171 , and the other end of the resilient member  65  is bent towards the receiving chamber  613  and received in the receiving groove  6173 . 
     The tray  70  is slidably assembled to the support bracket  60 , and is capable of being received in the receiving chamber  613  via the latching assembly  80 . The tray  70  includes a supporting portion  71  and a shielding portion  73 . In the embodiment, the supporting portion  71  is a substantially rectangular plate. The supporting portion  71  defines an accommodating space  711  thereon in rectangular shape to receive the chip card  40 . The supporting portion  71  further defines an opening  713  in a bottom surface of the supporting portion  71  and communicating with the accommodating space  711 . The chip card  40  is received in the accommodating space  711  and can be electrically connected to a plurality of electronic connectors located in the support bracket  60  via the opening  713 . The supporting portion  71  includes a pair of opposite sidewalls  715  adjacent to the accommodating space  711 . Each sidewall  715  defines a third latching groove  7151  corresponding to one first latching groove  6151 . Each side wall  715  includes a rib  7153  extending outwardly corresponding to the guiding grooves of the support bracket  60 . The tray  70  is capable of sliding along the guiding grooves and received in the receiving chamber  613 . The shielding portion  73  has a shape corresponding to the through hole  214 . When the supporting portion  71  received in the receiving chamber  613  completely, the shielding portion  73  is received in the through hole  214  correspondingly. The shielding portion  73  further defines an unlocking hole  731  (see  FIG. 7 ) at one end. 
     The latching assembly  80  is assembled to the support bracket  60  to latch or release the tray  70 . The latching assembly  80  includes a fixing member  81 , a pair of hooking members  83 , an elastic member  84  and a resisting member  85 . The fixing member  81  is a substantial rectangular plate, and includes a base body  811  in strip shape, a pair of rotation posts  813  and a restricting protrusion  815 . The restricting protrusion  815  is a substantial trapezium plate and fixed at an edge of the base body  811 . The restricting protrusion  815  is also located at a middle position of the base body  811  lengthwise, and tapered toward the opposite edges of the base body  811 . The rotation posts  813  are fixed on a middle portion of the base body  811  symmetrically relative to a center of the base body  811 . The hooking members  83  are opposite to each other. Each hooking member  83  includes a connecting portion  831  at a first end, a latching portion  833 , and a hinging portion  835  at a second end thereof opposite to the first end. The connecting portion  831  defines a connecting hole  8312  rotatably connecting with one end of the elastic member  84 . The latching portion  833  extends from each hooking member  83  towards the tray  70  corresponding to the third latching groove  7151 . In the illustrated embodiment, the latching portion  833  is a substantially square block adjacent to the first end of the hooking member  83 . The hinging portion  835  is bent and extends away from the connecting portion  831 . The hinging portion  835  forms a shape on an inner side surface corresponding to that of the restricting protrusion  815  of the fixing member  81 , and a shape on an outer side surface corresponding to the resisting member  85 . The hinging portion  835  defines a connecting hole  837  corresponding to one rotation post  813 . Each rotation post  813  engages in the corresponding connecting hole  837  to enable the hooking member  83  to rotate about the rotation post  813 . The elastic member  84  and the two hooking members  83  cooperatively form a substantially square shape. The resisting member  85  includes a base body  851 , a releasing block  853  and a resisting portion  855 . The base body  851  is substantially a rectangular plate and defines a connecting hole  8511  at an end corresponding to the post  6331 . The resisting portion  855  is a stepped block extending from a middle portion of a side surface of the base body  851  towards the two hooking members  83 . The resisting portion  855  is tapered toward the hooking members  83 . The resisting member  85  is capable of rotating the hooking members  83  via having the resisting portion  855  resisting the hinging portions  835 . 
     When assembling the electronic device  100 , the support bracket  60  is fixed on the housing  20 , the opening  611  of the support bracket  60  is communicated with the through hole  214 . The supporting base  221  is fixed on the housing  20  with the stepped hole  2213  communicating with the through hole  214 . The fixing member  81  is fixed on the third stepped surface  2215  via two opposite ends thereof, and then the fixing member  81  is located upon the receptacle  61  adjacent to the end portion  63 . The elastic member  84  is connected to the hooking members  83  by two ends thereof, respectively. The hooking members  83  are then placed upon the receptacle  61 . The rotation posts  813  engage in the connecting holes  837  of the hooking members  83  respectively. The latching portions  833  engage in the first latching grooves  6151  respectively. Then, the fixing portion  223  of the support frame  22  is fixed on the supporting base  221  with the three stepped matching surfaces  2235  matching with the second stepped surface  2214 , the third stepped surface  2215  and the two end surfaces of the fixing member  81  respectively. The supporting portion  71  of the tray  70  is moved toward the receiving chamber  613 . The sidewalls  715  resist against the latching portions  833  of the hooking members  83  respectively to stretch the elastic member  84 . And then, the latching portions  833  slide out of the first latching grooves  6151  of the receptacle  61 . The tray  70  is moved toward the receptacle  61 , and the latching portions  833  engage in the first latching grooves  6151 , respectively, thus the tray  70  is received in the receiving chamber  613 . 
     When replacing the chip card  40 , a rod (not shown) is extended through the unlocking hole  731  and pushes the releasing block  853 , then the resisting portion  855  resists against the hinging portions  835 . The hooking members  83  rotate about the rotation posts  813 , respectively, to enable the connecting portions  831  to stretch the elastic member  84  transversally. In addition, the latching portions  833  is moved outwardly along the third latching groove  7151 . Finally, the tray  70  is ejected out of the support bracket  60  at the resistance of the resilient members  65 . 
     In the embodiment, The latching mechanism  80  is capable of engaging or disengaging with the tray  70  to enable the tray  70  to be received into or ejected out of the receiving chamber  613 , so that the chip card  40  may be replaced easily. The connecting reliability between the chip card  40  and the electronic connectors is improved because of the latching action of the latching mechanism  80  and the resistance of the resilient members  65 , thus a better connection between the chip card  40  and the electronic connectors is thereby achieved. 
     It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.