Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a cellular phone capable of using an IC card equipped with a memory. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A GSM (group special modem/global system for mobile communication) system is known as one of digital cellular systems for cellular phone. In this GMS system, an IC card (SIM card) is used as a subscriber identity module (SIM). In this case, it is necessary for the cellular phone to be equipped with a small and detachable card holder. 
   On the other hand, a service for obtaining data from a Web server on the Internet by using a cellular phone has started. In some cases, a memory card is used to store the data obtained and to use the data in other electronic appliance. Also in the cases, it is necessary for the cellular phone to be equipped with a small and detachable card holder. 
   In order to use both SIM card and memory card on a cellular phone, the cellular phone must be equipped with two card holders for the SIM card and memory card. 
   To attain the ultimate portability, the cellular phone employs a mounting board as small as possible, whose degree of integration is maximized. However, since the card holder has such a size as to accommodate the IC card, it occupies a quite larger space than that of other parts mounted on the mounting board of the cellular phone. 
   As mentioned above, in order to mount two card holders on the cellular phone, the two card holders must be mounted on the mounting board. This prevents the mounting board of cellular phone from being downsized. 
   Thus, hitherto, if attempted to use both SIM card and memory card on the cellular phone, the cellular phone must increase in size, which does not meet the request for reducing the size of cellular phone. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention is devised to solve such problems, and it is hence an object thereof to allow two IC cards to be simultaneously mounted without increasing the size of cellular phone. 
   According to the invention, a cellular phone, which is used fitting a battery pack into a battery fitting portion of the main body of the cellular phone, comprises: 
   a card connector that is composed of a first slot for inserting a first IC card and a second slot for inserting a second IC card; 
   wherein the second slot is disposed above the first slot so that the inserting direction of the first IC card into the first slot and the inserting direction of the second IC card into the second slot are mutually in vertical relation. 
   According to another aspect of the invention, a cellular phone, which is used fitting a battery pack into a battery fitting portion of the main body of the cellular phone, comprises: 
   a card connector composed of a first slot for inserting a first IC card and a second slot for inserting a second IC card, the second slot being disposed above the first slot so that the inserting direction of the first IC card into the first slot and the inserting direction of the second IC card into the second slot are mutually in vertical relation; 
   a mounting board on which the card connector is mounted; and 
   a casing having the battery fitting portion, the mounting board being installed in the casing; 
   wherein an opening of the first slot of the card connector is disposed on the side of the casing, and 
   an opening of the second slot of the card connector is disposed on the side of the battery fitting portion. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a configuration of a card connector incorporated in a cellular phone in an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of the cellular phone in the embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view schematically showing a section of the cellular phone in FIG.  2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a detailed structure of a lock button  220  in FIG.  2 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below by referring to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a card connector in an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a card connector  100  of the embodiment comprises a slot  101  disposed in a lower stage and a slot  102  disposed above the slot  101 , and is installed in a cellular phone not shown in  FIG. 1. A  detachable slot card  120  is always inserted in the slot  101 , and a SIM card  130  storing information such as telephone number of user of cellular phone or the like is inserted in the slot  102 . In the slot  101  and slot  102 , the card inserting (or ejecting) directions are mutually in vertical relation. 
   In the card connector  100 , the cards inserted in the slot  101  and slot  102  are taken out by slide levers  101   a ,  102   a . The slot  101  is electrically connected to the specified wiring of the mounting board not shown in the drawing by means of leads  101   b , and the slot  102  is electrically connected to the specified wiring of the mounting board by means of leads  102   b.    
   In the slot  101 , terminals (not shown) for connecting to the leads  101   b  are disposed at specified positions, when the memory card  120  is inserted into the slot  101 , the terminals of the memory card  120  are in contact with and connected to the terminals in the slot  101 . As a result, the terminals of the memory card  120  are connected to the specified wiring of the mounting board through the leads  101   b  from the terminals in the slot  101 . 
   Similarly, in the slot  102 , terminals (not shown) for connecting to the leads  102   b  are disposed at specified positions. When the SIM card  130  is inserted into the slot  102 , the terminals of the SIM card  130  are in contact with and connected to the terminals in the slot  102 . AS a result, the terminals of the SIM card are connected to the specified wiring of the mounting board through the leads  102   b  from the terminals in the slot  102 . 
     FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cellular phone in which the card connector of the embodiment is incorporated.  FIG. 2  shows an example where the direction that the memory card as inserted into/ejected from the slot is 180 degrees different from that in FIG.  1 . 
   In  FIG. 2 , a cellular phone  200  has an opening  212  on the side  211  of a battery fitting portion  210  for holding a battery pack for driving. The cellular phone  200  also has an opening  202  on the side  201  of the cellular phone  200 . 
   The card connector  100  is installed in the side surface of the cellular phone  200  in the opposite direction of a memory card inlet, with a SIM card inlet disposed in the side surface of the battery fitting portion  210  of the cellular phone  200 . Therefore, the SIM card  130  is inserted in the slot  102  from the opening  212 , and the memory card  120  is inserted in the slot  101  from the opening  202 . The opening  202  for the memory card may be disposed at either side of the cellular phone  200 . 
   On the top of the side surface  211  of the battery fitting portion  210 , there is a lock button  220  for fixing the battery pack to be fitted into the battery fitting portion  210 . The lock button  220  is interlocked with the slide levers  101   a ,  102   a  shown in FIG.  1 . When the lock button  220  slides in direction A, the fixed state of the battery pack is released in the battery fitting portion  210 , and the slide lever  102   a  shown in  FIG. 1  is interlocked at the same time to eject the SIM card  130 . When the lock button  220  slides in direction B, the slide lever  101   a  is interlocked to eject, the memory card  120 . 
   As described herein, according to the embodiment, fixing and releasing of battery pack, removal of SIM card, and removal of memory card can be done all by the lock button  220  alone. 
     FIG. 3  is a sectional view schematically showing a section of the cellular phone  200  in FIG.  2 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cellular phone  200  is used by installing the battery pack  230 , and therefore the end face of the SIM card  130  inserted in the slot  102  is fixed by the installed battery pack  230 . As a result, the cellular phone of the embodiment prevents the SIM card from popping out due to an impact shock during use. 
   On the other hand, the memory card  120  inserted in the slot  101  can be ejected freely even when the battery pack  230  is installed. This memory card  120  is removed by sliding the lock button  220  shown in  FIG. 2  in direction B, and the lock button  220  does not slide in direction A. Therefore, without removing the battery pack  230  or SIM card  130 , only the memory card  120  can be ejected. 
     FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a detailed structure of the lock button  220 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the lock button  220  comprises a slide unit  221 , a slide unit  222 , and a base  223  provided in the cellular phone main body. The slide unit  221  slides in direction A in  FIG. 2  as a holding portion  221   a  and a holding portion  221   b  are held by a slip guide on the slide unit  222 . 
   The slide unit  221  has a slip bar  221   c  wound with a spring  224 , and the slip bar  221   c  penetrates through a guide hole  222   a  provided in the end face of the slide unit  222 . By this mechanism, the slide unit  221  slides back on the slide unit  222 . 
   The slide unit  221  is interlocked with the slide lever  102   a  shown in  FIG. 1 , and as the slide unit  221  slides on the slide unit  222 , the slide lever  102   a  is put in operation. 
   The slide unit  222  has a slip bar  222   b  extending in direction B in  FIG. 2  provided in its lower part, and is engaged with a guide groove  223   a  of the base  223 , and slides in direction B. The slide unit  222  is fixed to the base  223  (guide groove  223   a ) by means of a claw  222   c , and is limited in the move in the normal direction on the plane of the base  223 . The slide unit  222  is interlocked with the slide lever  101   a  in  FIG. 1 , and as the slide unit  222  slides on the base  223 , the slide lever  101   a  is put in operation. 
   As described herein, in the embodiment, two slots differing in the inserting direction of two IC cards are overlaid in two stages, and the occupied area in the mounting board of the cellular phone is reduced. Since two slots are different in the inserting direction, the inlet of one slot may be disposed on the side of the battery pack fitting portion of the cellular phone, and the inlet of other slot may be disposed on the side surface of the cellular phone. As a result, the IC card inserted in one slot can be fixed to the cellular phone by fitting the battery pack. 
   According to the invention as described herein, the first and second slots for inserting IC cards are overlaid in two stages, and the card connector for inserting IC cards in different directions are used, and therefore two IC cards can be used without requiring the mounting area for two IC cards on the mounting board of the cellular phone, and excellent effects are obtained. 
   Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiment for complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modification and alternative constructions that may be occurred to one skilled in the art which fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.

Technology Category: 3