Patent Publication Number: US-6334786-B1

Title: Subscriber identification module card fixing seat with slidable and laterally latching cover

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a subscriber identification module (SIM) card fixing seat with slidable and laterally latching cover. The upper cover of the fixing seat is slidably pivotally mounted in a shaft seat disposed on a lateral side of a receiving cavity of the base seat. The upper cover can be turned from a lateral side of the base seat and latched with the base seat so as to firmly press a SIM card against the connecting terminals to electrically connect therewith. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a conventional fixing seat for subscriber identification module (SIM) card used in a mobile phone. The fixing seat includes a base seat  5  and an upper cover  6  pivotally connected with the base seat  5 . Leaf springs and leads are disposed on the base seat  5  for respectively electrically connecting with the SIM card and the internal chip and circuit of the mobile phone. Two sides of one end of the base seat  5  are respectively formed with two transversely extending guide channels. Two sides of one end of the upper cover  6  are respectively formed with two pivot bosses for fitting into the guide channels. Two sides of the other end of the upper cover  6  are formed with two inward perpendicularly bent edges directed to the end edges of the base seat  5 . The end of the bent edge directed to the pivot boss is further formed with a restricting projecting plate. The horizontal bending length of the restricting projecting plate is larger than the horizontal bending length of the bent edge. In addition, the restricting projecting plate more projects to the base seat  5  than the bent edge. Therefore, a step is formed between the restricting projecting plate and the bent edge. In addition, two sides of the other end of the base seat  5  are formed with two horizontal restricting edges each having a notch corresponding to the restricting projecting plate of the upper cover  6 . 
     The above structure has some shortcomings as follows: 
     1. As shown in FIG. 2, the opposite pivot bosses  61  of two sides of front end of the upper cover  6  are pivotally fitted in the guide channels  51  of two sides of front end of the base seat  5 . The axis of the pivot bosses  61  is normal to the sliding direction of the upper cover  6 . In order to provide a sufficient space for the pivot bosses  61  to slide in a direction along the long axis Y of the base seat  5 , the base seat  5  must be elongated along the long axis Y to a certain extent. That is, the length L 1  of the base seat  5  in the direction of long axis Y must be considerably larger than the length L 2  of the SIM card C to be installed. This leads to waste of material. In addition, the space necessary for mounting the fixing cartridge on the mobile phone is relatively large. This makes difficult to reduce the volume of the mobile phone. 
     2. In use of the fixing cartridge, a user first places the SIM card C into the upper cover  6  which is turned up. Then the upper cover  6  with the SIM card C is closed toward the base seat  5  to make the SIM card C attach to the terminals of the base seat  5 . However, when placing the SIM card C into the upper cover  6 , the SIM card C must be placed in a certain direction. That is, a cut angle of the SIM card C must be aimed at an oblique side of a corner of the base seat  5 . However, the upward turned upper cover  6  and the base seat  5  contain an angle and are positioned on different levels. To some users, it often takes place that the SIM card C is placed into the upper cover  6  in an incorrect direction. Under such circumstance, in case that the upper cover  6  is forcedly closed toward the base seat  5 , the SIM card C will be damaged. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a subscriber identification module card fixing seat with slidable and laterally latching cover, including: a base seat, a top face of the base seat being recessed to form a receiving cavity in which a subscriber identification module card can be snugly received and bridged, multiple connecting terminals being arranged and inlaid in a bottom board body of the receiving cavity for electrically connecting with the subscriber identification module card, at least one shaft seat being disposed on one side of the receiving cavity of the base seat; and an upper cover including a cover board. A first side of the cover board is connected with a rotary shaft which is slidably pivotally mounted in the shaft seat of the base seat. At least one latch hook downward projects from a second side of the cover board for slidably hooking and latching the base seat, whereby the cover board can firmly press the subscriber identification module card against the base seat so as to make the subscriber identification module card electrically connect with the connecting terminals. The shaft seat of the base seat is disposed on a lateral side of the receiving cavity so that the length of the base seat is shortened and the room necessary for installation is reduced. 
     The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a conventional subscriber identification module card fixing seat; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the conventional subscriber identification module card fixing seat, showing that the upper cover of FIG. 1 is turned to cover the base seat; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the subscriber identification module card fixing seat of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a right perspective assembled view of the subscriber identification module card fixing seat of the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a left perspective assembled view of the subscriber identification module card fixing seat of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing that the upper cover of FIG. 5 is turned downward to cover the base seat; and 
     FIG. 8 is a view according to FIG. 7, showing that the upper cover is slided and firmly latched with the base seat. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Please refer to FIGS. 3 to  8 . The fixing seat  100  of the present invention includes: a base seat  1 , a top face of the base seat  1  being recessed to form a receiving cavity  10  in which a subscriber identification module (SIM) card  3  is snugly received and bridged, multiple connecting terminals  4  are arranged and inlaid in a bottom board body  11  of the receiving cavity  10  for electrically connecting with the SIM card  3 , at least one shaft seat  12  being disposed on one side of the receiving cavity  10  of the base seat  1 ; and an upper cover  2  including a cover board  21 . A first side of the cover board  21  is connected with a rotary shaft  22  which is slidably pivotally mounted in the shaft seat  12  of the base seat  1 . At least one latch hook  23  downward projects from a second side of the cover board  21  for slidably hooking the base seat  1 . The cover board  21  serves to firmly press the SIM card  3  against the base seat  1  so as to electrically connect the SIM card  3  with the connecting terminals  4 . The shaft seat  12  of the base seat  1  for pivotally connecting with the upper cover  2  is disposed on a lateral side of the receiving cavity  10  so that the necessary length of the base seat  1  is greatly shortened to reduce the occupied room. 
     Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4. The base seat  1  of the present invention is made of insulating material by integral injection molding. The base seat  1  includes: a board body  11  formed with multiple terminal insertion perforations  111  arranged on the board body  11 , a connecting terminal  4  being inlaid in each of the insertion perforations  111  with a contact end  41  of the connecting terminal  4  protruding beyond the board body  11 , each edge of the board body  11  having at least one upward perpendicularly projecting wall  112 , the projecting wall  112  and the board body  11  defining a receiving cavity  10  for snugly receiving therein a SIM card  3 ; at least one shaft seat  12  projecting from a first side A of the receiving cavity  10 , the shaft seat  12  being formed with a shaft hole  121 ; and a hook dent  13  disposed on a second side B of the receiving cavity  10  opposite to the shaft seat. An opening of the hook dent  13  is formed with a projecting section  131  for hooking and latching the latch hook  23  of the upper cover  2 . The bottom of the board body  11  is formed with multiple locating posts  17  which are correspondingly inserted onto a circuit board (not shown). 
     The inner side of a projecting wall  112  of one side of the receiving cavity  10  has at least one radially extending stop board  14 . The stop board  14  attaches to the upper edge of the SIM card  3  to stop the SIM card  3  from jumping and slipping upward. One side of the board body  11  is formed with a lengthwise elongated channel  15  under the stop board  14  as a projection thereof. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when placing in the SIM card  3 , a lateral edge of the SIM card  3  is first extended into the elongated channel  15  and then the other side of the SIM card  3  is pressed down so as to excessfully planely attach the SIM card  3  onto the board body  11 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the shaft seat  12  of the base seat  1  includes: an upper seat body  12   a  connected with upper edge of the base seat  1 , a bottom end of the upper seat body  12   a  being upward recessed to form an upper half  121   a  of the shaft hole; and a lower seat body  12   b  connected with the lower side of the base seat  1 . A top end of the lower seat body  12   b  is downward recessed to form a lower half  121   b  of the shaft hole. The lower half  121   b  and the upper half  121   a  of the shaft hole axially projectively together form a shaft hole  121 . One side of the shaft hole  121  has an open section  121 ′, whereby the rotary shaft  22  of the upper cover  2  can be laterally placed into the shaft hole  121 . 
     One corner of the receiving cavity  10  is formed with a standard slope face  16  corresponding to a cut angle of one side of the SIM card  3 , whereby a user can place in the SIM card  3  in a correct direction. 
     The upper cover  2  is made of insulating material by integral injection molding. The upper cover  2  includes: a cover board  21 , a face of the cover board  21  being formed with multiple slipproof stripes  211  and an indicating mark  212  for indicating the sliding direction of the upper cover  21 ; at least one rotary shaft  22  connected with bottom end of a first side A of the cover board  21 , the rotary shaft  22  being pivotally mounted in the shaft seat  12  of the base seat  1 , permitting the upper cover  2  to axially slide in a direction along the axis  20  of the rotary shaft  22 ; and at least one latch hook  23  which is L-shaped and radially extends from a second side B of the cover board  21 , a free end of the latch hook  23  having a projecting section  231  which can be correspondingly hooked and latched in the hook dent  13  of the base seat  1 . 
     The rotary shaft  22  of the upper cover  2  is formed with multiple recessed sections  221  where the rotary shaft  22  has an outer diameter smaller than or equal to the width of the open section  121 ′ of the shaft hole  121  of the shaft seat  12 . Therefore, by a specific angle, the rotary shaft  22  can be correspondingly installed into the shaft hole  121  of the shaft seat  12 . As shown in FIG. 3, the upper cover  2  is placed into the shaft seat  12  by 270 degrees. When the bottom of the base seat  1  is planely fixedly attached to an article, the upper cover  2  will be obstructed by the article from turning back to the position of 270 degrees. Therefore, the upper cover  2  can be firmly pivotally mounted in the shaft seat  12  without departing therefrom. 
     The SIM card fixing seat with slidable and laterally latching cover of the present invention is applicable to a general mobile phone for fixing the identification SIM card thereof. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when installing the SIM card  3  into the fixing seat, a user first aims the cut angle  31  of the SIM card  3  at the standard slope face  16  of the receiving cavity and then obliquely extends the front edge of the SIM card  3  into the elongated channel  15  of the base seat  1 . Then the other side of the SIM card  3  is pressed down in direction P so as to successfully place the SIM card  3  into the receiving cavity  10  and bridge the SIM card  3  over the connecting terminals  4  of the board body  11  of the base seat  1 . Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5, the user turns over the upper cover  2 , making the cover board  21  thereof bridge over the SIM card  3 . Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper cover  2  is slided in direction T to make the projecting sections  231  of the free ends of the latch hooks  23  of the upper cover  2  correspondingly hooked and latched in the hook dents  13  of the base seat  1 . Under such circumstance, the upper cover  2  is latched and cannot be turned up. Therefore, the cover board  21  of the upper cover firmly tightly presses the SIM card  3  against the connecting terminals  4  of the base seat  1  to electrically connect therewith. 
     The rotary shaft  22  of the upper cover  2  is slidably pivotally mounted in the shaft seat  12  of the lateral side of the base seat  1 , permitting the upper cover  2  to axially slide in a direction along the axis  20  of the rotary shaft  22 . Accordingly, the present invention has the following advantages: 
     1. The shaft seat  12  of the base seat  1  is disposed on a lateral side of the receiving cavity  10  so that the length of the base seat  1  is only about 27 mm, shorter than that of the conventional device. (In order to provide sufficient length for the pivot bosses of the cover body to slide along the end of the base seat, the conventional base seat is longer, about 30 mm. Therefore, the room necessary for installation is reduced so that the present invention is applicable to a more mini-type mobile phone. 
     2. When installing the SIM card, the SIM card is directly placed into the receiving cavity of the base seat. After the SIM card is well placed, the upper cover is then turned downward and slided to be latched. Therefore, the SIM card is protected from being damaged due to misinstallation. 
     The above embodiment is only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.