Abstract:
A chip card retaining mechanism for retaining a chip card ( 50 ) mounted in an electronic device, the electronic device including a housing ( 10 ). The chip card retaining mechanism includes a receiving portion, and a locking member ( 20 ). The receiving is formed on the housing for fittingly receiving the chip card therein. The locking member is slidably mounted on the housing and positioned over the receiving portion such that if the chip card is received in the receiving portion, the locking member stably locks the chip card in the receiving portion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention generally relates to chip card retaining mechanisms and, more particularly, to a chip card retaining mechanism for seating a chip card in an electronic device such as a mobile phone.  
       DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART  
       [0002]     Nowadays, electronic devices such as mobile phones are widely used and bring convenience to our lives, as such, electronic devices have become a part of modern life. Every electronic device has a chip card such as a SIM (subscriber identification module) card for carrying information necessary for operating the mobile phone. The chip card may also contain personal information for the subscriber, for example, a listing of frequently used telephone numbers. However, it is necessary to provide a chip card retaining mechanism to hold the chip card in the electronic device.  
         [0003]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a typical chip card retaining mechanism used in a mobile phone is as follows. The chip card retaining mechanism includes a mounting base  52  and a locking element  54 . A receiving groove  520  is defined in the mounting base  52  for receiving a chip card. A connector  50  is disposed in the receiving groove  520 . The locking element  54  is mounted on the mounting base  52  and located adjacent to the receiving groove  520 . The locking element  54  can move in a direction shown by an arrow. In assembly, the locking element  54  is pushed away from the receiving groove  520  to completely expose the receiving groove  520 . A SIM card is received in the receiving groove  520 , and the locking element  54  is pushed toward the receiving groove  520  to cover a portion of the receiving groove  520  so that the SIM card cannot be removed from the receiving groove  520 .  
         [0004]     Although the locking element  54  can be easily moved to assembly the SIM card, when a mobile phone inadvertently undergoes impact, this impact may result in an outer force which removes the locking element  54  remove from the receiving groove  520 , which can result in an ineffective electrical connection between the SIM card and the connector  50 . At worst, the SIM card may become completely separated from the receiving groove  520 , which badly affects stability of the mobile phone.  
         [0005]     What is needed, therefore, is a chip card retaining mechanism which overcomes the above-described shortcomings.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In a first preferred embodiment, a chip card retaining mechanism for retaining a chip card mounted in an electronic device, the electronic device including a housing. The chip card retaining mechanism comprises a receiving portion, and a locking member. The receiving portion is formed on the housing for fittingly receiving the chip card therein. The locking member is slidably mounted on the housing and positioned over the receiving portion such that if the chip card is received in the receiving portion, the locking member can stably lock the chip card in the receiving portion.  
         [0007]     Other advantages and novel features of the preferred embodiments of the present chip card retaining mechanism and its applications will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     Many aspects of the present chip card retaining mechanisms and their applications 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 chip card retaining mechanisms. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an electronic device, which employs a chip card retaining mechanism in accordance with a preferred embodiment.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, isometric view of the chip card retaining mechanism of  FIG. 1 , showing a first position of the locking member;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an assembled, isometric view of the chip card retaining mechanism of  FIG. 2 , showing a second position of the locking member;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of  FIG. 4 ; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded, isometric view of a typical chip card retaining mechanism. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     A chip card retaining mechanism is adapted for retaining a chip card in an electronic device such that the chip card is electrically connected with a connector in the electronic device. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the chip card retaining mechanism is applied to an exemplary mobile phone  200 , which includes a front cover  202 , a housing  10 , and a rear cover  204 . The front cover  202  and the rear cover  204  cooperatively define an enclosed space. The housing  10  is mounted in the enclosed space. Referring to  FIG. 2 , in order to identify the used mobile phone, when communicating, a chip card  50 , such as a subscriber identification module, also called SIM card, is provided. The housing  10  has a battery compartment  12  (partly shown) defined in an upper surface portion  11  thereof and defined by a bottom surface  122 . The chip card  50  is electrically connected to a printed circuit board (PCB, not shown) by a connector  52 . The battery compartment  12  is for receiving a battery (not shown).  
         [0015]     The chip card retaining mechanism includes a receiving portion such as a receiving groove  14  for receiving the chip card  50 , and a locking member  20 .  
         [0016]     The receiving groove  14  is disposed on a center of the bottom surface  122  of the battery compartment  12 , corresponding to the chip card  50 . A strip  15  protrudes from the bottom surface  122  of the battery compartment  12 . The strip  15  and a portion of the bottom surface  122  cooperatively define the receiving groove  14 . The strip  15  includes a first end portion  152 , two parallel side portions  154 , and an opposite second end portion  156 . Two parallel extending portions  16  extend from the two side portions  154  along a direction toward the first end portion  152 . The second end portion  156  defines an opening  158  for allowing the removal of the chip card  50 . Two parallel guide slits  17  are defined in the bottom surface  122  and adjacent to corresponding side portions  154 . Each guide slit  17  is arranged to extend from one end of the extending portion  16  to a center of a respective side portion  154  along a longitudinal direction. Each guide slit  17  is also arranged to transversely underlie a respective side portion  154 . Each side portion  154  and the corresponding extending portion  16  thus may function as a guide rail.  
         [0017]     The chip card  50  carries information that is necessary for operating the telephone and personal information of the owner and may be an integrated circuit card. The chip card  50  is electrically connected to a printed circuit board (PCB, not shown) by a connector  52 . The connector  52  is secured in the housing  10  and disposed in a middle of receiving groove  14 .  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the locking member  20  is an elastic board. The locking member  20  includes a body  22 , two opposite resisting portions  24  extending from two opposite distal ends thereof, and two latching portions  26  extending from the resisting portions  24  toward each other, thus forming two opposite guide slots  242 . The guide slots  242  engage with the guide rails of the receiving groove  14 . Each latching portion  26  is parallel to the body  22 . Each latching portion  26  can be slidably received in a corresponding guide slit  17 , thus stably attaching the locking member  20  to the housing  10 . The body  22  has an arcuate recess  28  recessed from a middle of a first surface thereof, thus forming an arcuate protrusion  230  functioning as a pressing portion on an opposite second surface thereof.  
         [0019]     Referring back to  FIG. 2 , in assembling the locking member  20  to the housing  10 , one latching portion  26  of the locking member  20  is received in one guide slit  17 , with one guide slot  242  engaging with one corresponding guide rail. The other latching portion  26  of the locking member  20  is pressed into the other guide slit  17 . Therefore, the locking member  20  is stably attached to the housing  10  and can slide on the housing  10  between a first position and a second position under engagement between the guide slots  242  and the guide rails.  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , in assembling and mounting the chip card  50 , the locking member  20  is pushed to the extending portion  16  and is in a first position as shown in  FIG. 2 . The chip card  50  lies in the receiving groove  14 . When the chip card  50  is completely contained in the receiving groove  14 , the locking member  20  is pushed in a direction toward the second end portion  156  of the receiving groove  14  until the locking member  20  reaches at the second position, this is at the middle of the side portions  154 . In this state, the arcuate protrusion  30  elastically abuts the chip card  50 , thus stably locking the chip card  50  in the receiving groove  14 . Thus, the chip card  50  is stably mounted in the receiving groove  14 , and an effective electrical connection between the chip card  50  and the connector  52  is provided. In addition, when mounting the battery in the battery compartment  12 , the battery presses on the locking member  20 , which further ensures an effective electrical connection between the chip card  50  and the connector  52 .  
         [0021]     When removing the chip card  50 , the locking member  20  is pushed to the extending portion  16 . As such, the chip card  50  can be removed from the housing  10  via the opening  158 .  
         [0022]     In an alternative embodiment, the latching portions  26  may extend from the resisting portions  24  outwardly. Thus, the guide slits  17  extend transversely in a direction opposite to the side portions  154 . The guide slits  17  may be defined in a side surface of the side portions  154 .  
         [0023]     In a further alternative embodiment, the receiving groove  14  may be recessed from the bottom surface  122  of the battery compartment  12 , thus the strip  15  may be omitted. In this embodiment, the guide slits  17  may be defined in the bottom surface  122  and adjacent to two sides of the receiving groove  14 .  
         [0024]     A main advantage of the chip card retaining mechanism is that there is little friction produced between the chip card  50  and the connector  52  because the chip card  50  lies in the receiving groove  14  in a top of the receiving groove  14 . Thus, the connector  52  has relatively long working lifetime. In addition, the arcuate protrusion  30  of the locking member  20  vertically presses a portion of the chip card  50  which contacts the connector  52 , which ensures an effective electrical connection between the chip card  50  and the connector  52 .  
         [0025]     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.