JP2002298092A - PC card - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To prevent intrusion of foreign matter from a SIM insertion slot, and at the same time, to attach / detach a SIM card to / from a SIM insertion slot.
To provide a PC card that can be easily implemented without applying excessive force to an M card. SOLUTION: PC in which SIM insertion opening 7 is opened on the side
In a PC card conforming to the MCIA standard, the case 3
A substantially thin plate-like SIM holder 40 for fixing the position of the lower surface of the SIM card 5 which is fixed inside and inserted from the SIM insertion slot 7
And SI can move forward and backward along the SIM card 5 insertion direction.
A SIM ejector 50 which engages with the M holder 40 to regulate the position of the front edge 5b and the upper surface of the SIM card 5; and is hinged to the front end of the SIM ejector 50 to cover the SIM insertion opening 7 so as to be openable and closable. SIM inserted in mouth 7
A SIM cover 60 that regulates the position of the base-side upper surface of the card 5. The SIM cover 60 prevents intrusion of foreign matter from the SIM insertion slot 7, and the SIM ejector 50 slides through the SIM cover 60 to perform a sliding operation. The SIM card 5 can be ejected to improve the service life and operational reliability, and at the same time to improve the handling.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a memory card insertion slot for inserting a thin SIM card, UIM card, USIM card or other memory card into the side of a main body case forming an outer shape conforming to the PCMCIA standard. And a connection terminal in the main body case for pressing and contacting a contact terminal on a lower surface of the memory card inserted from the memory card insertion slot to electrically connect a circuit in the main body case and a circuit in the memory card. Is related to a PC card equipped with.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a PC card conforming to the PCMCIA standard used for extending the functions of a portable computer, for example, a card functioning as a hard disk,
Various devices have been developed, such as a device that functions as a SCSI card and a device that functions as a transmitting / receiving terminal for wireless communication.

[0003] In the case of a PC card used as a transmission / reception terminal for wireless communication, a thin plate-like SI is provided on the side surface of a main body case forming an outer shape conforming to the PCMCIA standard.
M (Subscriber Identity Module) card, UIM (Us
er Identity Module) USIM (Universal Subscriber)
A memory card insertion slot for inserting a memory card such as an Identity Module) is opened, and the inside of the main body case is pressed into contact with a contact terminal on the lower surface of the memory card inserted from the memory card insertion slot. A circuit provided with a connection terminal for electrically connecting the circuit of FIG. 1 with a circuit in a memory card has been developed.

A memory card such as a SIM card, a UIM card, and a USIM card used in such a wireless communication terminal is, for example, identification data for identifying an individual user of the communication terminal, and a contract telephone indicating a caller. A memory card in which various types of personal data such as number data and a credit number for billing are recorded in accordance with a prescribed format, and is sometimes called a subscriber identification card.

[0005] When a PC card is used as a transmitting / receiving terminal for wireless communication, if each user replaces the above-mentioned SIM card with his / her own dedicated card, communication history, billing, etc., can be changed for each user. , Individual management can be performed, and even when a single PC card is shared by a plurality of persons, unauthorized use can be prevented.

[0006]

In a notebook personal computer, an IC is mounted on a side surface of the apparatus main body.
When equipped with a card slot for installing a memory card, open and close the card slot opening on the side of the computer body to prevent foreign objects from entering the device through the card slot opening. It is common to equip with a cover to cover. It is not unusual to provide an ejection mechanism for ejecting a memory card inserted in a card slot inside the apparatus main body in order to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the memory card (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-8).
No. 3435).

However, in a conventional PC card on which a memory card is mounted, the memory card insertion slot provided on the surface of the main body case has a simple always open structure without an open / close cover. Is equipped with a memory card holder that guides and locks the inserted memory card to the reference position when the memory card is inserted into the memory card slot, and has an eject mechanism for ejection. I haven't.

This is for the following reason. One is that the PC card (PC-CARD Standard Type II) has a thickness of about 5
mm, and the dimensions are much smaller than a notebook personal computer. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to secure a space for installing an eject mechanism. The technology of the eject mechanism employed in the computer cannot be simply applied. One is that the SIM card, which is a memory card, has a thickness of 0.8 mm and a length and width of about 15 × 25 mm, and is a thinner and smaller quadrangular plate than a PC card. The SIM insertion opening has a minute slit shape. For this reason, when attempting to form an opening / closing cover that matches the dimensions of the SIM insertion slot, the opening / closing cover itself becomes too small, making it difficult to secure strength, and making it difficult to connect the PC card to the main body case. Again, unlike the case of a card slot in a notebook personal computer, the conventional technology used in the card slot cannot be easily applied.

A conventional PC card without a cover for opening and closing the SIM insertion slot has a high risk of failure due to intrusion of foreign matter from the SIM insertion slot.
There is a possibility that the C card may be damaged at an early stage and the operation reliability may be reduced. In a conventional PC card which does not have an eject mechanism for ejecting the SIM card from the SIM insertion slot in the main body case, the SIM card is ejected by directly hooking a finger on an end of the SIM card where the SIM insertion slot is exposed. Therefore, the SIM card must be pulled out with fingers, and not only the detachability of the SIM card is reduced, but also the SIM card may be damaged due to excessive bending stress acting on the SIM card when pulled out with fingers.

In a conventional PC card without an eject mechanism, a SIM card is ejected when the SIM card is ejected.
A notch for hooking the finger on the SIM card is continuously provided in the SIM insertion slot so that the finger can be easily hooked on the end of the card. When the SIM card is pulled out due to the notch, the notch becomes larger. It has also been pointed out that the opening is exposed and foreign matter easily enters through the SIM insertion opening.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering through a memory card insertion slot such as a SIM card, and at the same time, attach or detach a memory card to or from a memory card insertion slot. It is an object of the present invention to provide a PC card which can be easily implemented without using excessive force, and ultimately can improve the life and operational reliability and at the same time improve the handleability.

[0012]

A PC card according to the present invention for achieving the above object has a memory card insertion slot for inserting a thin memory card into a side surface of a main body case forming an outer shape conforming to the PCMCIA standard. In the main body case, the circuit in the main body case is electrically connected to the circuit in the memory card by pressing and contacting the connection terminal on the lower surface of the memory card inserted from the memory card insertion slot. PC card equipped with a connection terminal to
A bottom plate and a side wall that regulate the position of the lower surface and both side surfaces of the memory card, a substantially thin dish-shaped memory card holder inserted from the memory card insertion slot and fixed in the main body case, An upper wall that regulates the position of the upper surface of the memory card, a holder engaging portion that engages with a side edge of the memory card holder so as to be able to advance and retreat along an insertion direction of the memory card, and abuts on a front edge of the memory card. A memory card locking portion, a memory card ejector for projecting a base end of the memory card from the memory card insertion slot by an advance operation to the memory card insertion slot side, and a memory card ejector capable of opening and closing the base end side of the memory card. When the memory card ejector is hinged to the front end of the memory card ejector and retreats to the inside of the memory card insertion slot, the memory card is accommodated therein. Wherein with closing the memory card slot, and a the memory card cover exposed portion in the memory card insertion slot is an operation portion for operating advance the memory card ejector into the memory card insertion port side,
The memory card can be attached to and detached from the main body case by moving the memory card ejector back and forth through the memory card cover.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the memory card cover is rotatably connected to the front end of the memory card ejector, and cooperates with the memory card ejector so that the memory card is accommodated inside the memory card ejector. With the configuration that covers the top surface, compared to the size of the cross section of the memory card inserted into the memory card insertion slot, it becomes a part whose size is large enough to cover the top surface of the memory card, and molding is difficult because the size is too small There is no such thing. And
Since the memory card cover is configured to open and close the memory card insertion slot, and the memory card insertion slot is not always opened, foreign substances can be prevented from entering through the memory card insertion slot.

Also, the memory card ejector can be moved up and down the memory card holder through the memory card cover, and when the memory card ejector moves to the memory card insertion port side, the memory card on the memory card holder is inserted into the memory card insertion port. Plays the role of ejecting eject. That is, when pulling out the memory card from the memory card holder,
By causing the memory card ejector to advance through the memory card cover, the memory card can be pulled out to a position where it can be easily grasped. When inserting a memory card into the memory card holder, insert the memory card into the memory card ejector until the front edge of the memory card comes into contact with the memory card engaging portion, and then insert the memory card through the memory card cover. By retracting the ejector inside the memory card holder, the memory card can be inserted into the reference position of the memory card holder. Therefore, it is not necessary to directly pull the finger or the like and forcibly pull out or forcibly push the finger, and the memory card can be easily attached to and detached from the memory card insertion slot without applying excessive force to the memory card.

Further, since the base end of the memory card inserted into the memory card insertion slot is covered by the memory card cover, no external force acts on the memory card when carrying the memory card.

Preferably, in the above-mentioned PC card, the memory card cover has an elastic engagement between an elastic piece protruding rearward from both sides and engagement portions provided on both sides of the memory card ejector. In some cases, the memory card ejector may be rotatably connected to the memory card ejector. With this configuration, when an excessive tensile force is applied to the memory card cover, the elastic piece provided on the memory card cover is deformed to disengage the memory card ejector, thereby causing the memory card cover or the memory card to be disengaged. Breakage of the ejector can be avoided.

Further, when the memory card ejector is slid into the memory card holder from the rear end side of the memory card holder, the holder engaging portion is formed by elastic deformation of a part of the memory card ejector. It is preferable to engage with the side edge of the memory card holder, and after the engagement, the slide range is regulated by a stopper provided on the memory card holder. With this configuration, the memory card ejector can be assembled to the memory card holder by a simple fitting operation.

Further, it is preferable that the edge of the metal outer wall material of the main body case is formed so as not to contact the memory card cover at the time of attaching / detaching operation at the periphery of the memory card insertion slot. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the memory card cover or the memory card from being rubbed against the metal outer wall material and soiled when the memory card is attached or detached.

Preferably, in the PC card, when the memory card cover is closed and the memory card ejector is slid into the inside of the memory card insertion slot, when the slide length reaches a specified length, The elastic locking piece provided on the memory card holder may be configured to press and engage the lower surface of the memory card cover to restrict the movement of the memory card cover and the memory card ejector in the sliding direction. With this configuration, the operation of the memory card cover when the memory card is inserted is a two-action operation of a rotating operation of closing the memory card after the memory card is inserted and a sliding operation of pushing the memory card after the memory card is closed. The memory card holder is sandwiched between the elastic locking piece of the memory card holder and the outer wall on the upper surface side of the main body case, so that the memory card cover is securely locked, thereby preventing the memory card cover from being opened carelessly by the action of an external force.

Further, when the memory card ejector is pulled out to the memory card insertion slot side and the memory card cover is opened and the memory card card is pulled out, the memory card ejector is located at an appropriate position on the memory card holder exposed to the memory card insertion slot. , A submergence confirmation label may be provided. In this way, in particular, it is not necessary to equip the main body case with a window for a submersion confirmation label, and accordingly, the outer wall of the main body case can have a sophisticated design with little unevenness,
In order to check whether or not there is water submersion or water intrusion, it is only necessary to remove the memory card and visually check the submergence confirmation label window on the memory card holder from the memory card insertion slot.

Preferably, in the above-mentioned PC card, the memory card cover is formed of a transparent resin. With this configuration, the presence / absence of the memory card can be visually recognized only through the memory card cover without opening / closing the memory card cover.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a PC card according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 17 show an embodiment of a PC card according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a top view of the PC card according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a PC card shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a SIM holder, a SIM ejector and a SIM cover are attached to a resin frame in a main body case of the PC card shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a view from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where the SIM ejector is pulled out through the SIM cover. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where the SIM cover is opened from the state shown in FIG. 4 and a SIM card is inserted into the opened SIM insertion slot. FIG. 6 shows the SIM holder, the SIM ejector and the SIM shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the disassembled state of each of the covers.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the back side of each of the SIM holder, the SIM ejector, and the SIM cover shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a circuit board provided in the PC card shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a connection terminal portion of the circuit board in FIG. 8, FIG. 10 is a view taken in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11 is a SIM cover and SIM shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing a hinge connection with the ejector, FIG. 12 is a side view showing an assembling procedure of the SIM holder and the SIM ejector shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 13 is a state in which the SIM cover is closed as shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing an engaged state of the SIM cover and the SIM ejector at the time of the operation.
FIG. 15 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a positional relationship between a SIM card and a structural material around a SIM insertion opening of a main body case in the PC card shown in FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the PC card shown in FIG.
FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of the SIM holder exposed to the SIM insertion port when the SIM cover is opened and the SIM card is further removed, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a positioning relationship between the circuit board and the SIM holder. Embodiments will be described in which a SIM card is used as an example of a memory card inserted and fixed in a PC card according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to a SIM card, and a UIM card, Any small and thin memory card such as a USIM card can be applied.

The PC card 1 of the embodiment is a PCMCIA provided in a portable personal computer.
A SIM insertion slot 7 for inserting a thin SIM card 5 is provided on a side surface of a main body case 3 forming an outer shape conforming to the PCMCIA standard, which is used as a transmitting / receiving terminal mounted in a PC card slot conforming to the standard. In the main body case 3, the circuit on the circuit board 9 in the main body case 3 is pressed into contact with the contact terminal 5 a on the lower surface of the SIM card 5 inserted from the SIM insertion port 7 and the SIM card 5 A connection terminal 9a for electrically connecting to a circuit is provided.

The main body case 3 includes a resin frame 31 having a frame structure for mounting the circuit board 9 thereon,
Upper and lower outer wall members 33 made of sheet metal and attached to the resin frame 31 so as to cover the upper and lower surfaces of the circuit board 9 attached to the
And formed. Note that a connector connection terminal 9b for electrically connecting the circuit board 9 accommodated in the main body case 3 to a circuit on the PC card slot side is exposed at the front end side (the right end side in FIG. 1) of the main body case 3.

The resin frame 31 is composed of a pair of main frames 31a, 31b extending on both sides of the PC card, and sub-frames 31c, 31d,... Connecting the main frames 31a, 31b to each other with an insulating resin. In the integrally formed structural frame, a female screw member for fastening the circuit board 9 and the outer wall material 33 is buried and installed at an appropriate position by insert molding. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, at a position corresponding to the SIM insertion slot 7 of one main frame 31a,
A pair of cover posts 35a, 35b for restricting the position of a SIM cover, which will be described later, so as to be slidable are protruded.

The main frame 31 on the SIM insertion slot 7 side
As shown in FIG. 14, the peripheral edge of the SIM insertion port 7 a is formed by connecting the edge 33 a of the sheet metal outer wall material 33 of the main body case 3 as shown in FIG.
A step 37 is provided at a position separated by a distance L from a slide position of the SIM card 5 or a SIM cover described later. This is because when the SIM card 5 or the SIM cover is slid, the SIM card 5 or the SI
This is a consideration for preventing the M cover from contacting the metal outer wall material 33 and preventing the SIM card 5 and the SIM cover from being damaged by rubbing.

The SIM card 5 is provided in the main body case 3 described above.
The SIM holder 40, the SIM ejector 50, and the SIM cover 60 are assembled as members for detachably supporting the SIM. These SIM holders 40, SIM
Each of the ejector 50 and the SIM cover 60 is an integrally molded product made of an insulating resin.

The SIM holder 40 has a bottom wall 4 for regulating the position of the lower surface of the SIM card 5 inserted through the SIM insertion slot 7.
1 and a side wall 43 for regulating the position of both sides of the SIM card 5 inserted from the SIM insertion slot 7. The frame contact piece 4 is provided on the bottom wall 41 so as to project downward from the bottom wall 41 and contact the circuit board 9.
4, and positioning projections 45, 46 projecting downward from the bottom wall 41 and engaging with holder positioning holes 9c, 9d formed in the circuit board 9 are integrally formed. This S
When the IM holder 40 is placed on the circuit board 9 fixed to the resin frame 31, the frame contact piece 44 abuts on the edge of the circuit board 9, and the positioning protrusions 45 and 46 are inserted into the holder positioning holes 9 c and 9 d. (Fig. 1
7), as shown in FIG. 6, it is positioned and fixed at a reference position corresponding to the SIM insertion slot 7.

On the bottom wall 41 of the SIM holder 40,
An opening 41a for terminal connection is provided. The terminal connection opening 41a is provided in the SI holder 40 mounted on the SIM holder 40.
The contact terminals 5 a on the lower surface of the M card 5 are pressed against the connection terminals 9 a on the circuit board 9.

On both sides of the front end of the bottom wall 41 of the SIM holder 40, a pair of elastic locking pieces 47, 47 are projected. These elastic locking pieces 47 are provided with engaging irregularities 4 at their tips.
When the SIM ejector 50 is slid to the inner side of the SIM insertion slot 7 with the SIM cover 60 closed in the configuration having the 7a, as shown in FIG. The engaging unevenness 47a presses and engages with a locking rib 70 erected on the lower surface of the SIM cover 60 to restrict the movement of the SIM cover 60 and the SIM ejector 50 in the sliding direction.

The SIM ejector 50 has an upper wall 51 for regulating the position of the upper surface of the SIM card 5 inserted from the SIM insertion slot 7 and a side edge of the SIM holder 40 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the SIM card 5 insertion direction. And a holder engaging portion 52 that engages with the upper wall 51.
A SIM locking portion 54 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) which abuts on the front edge 5b of the SIM card 5 inserted from the SIM insertion slot 7 is vertically provided.

In the case of this embodiment, the holder engaging portion 52
Has a structure in which a holding piece 52b for pressing the lower end surface of the side wall 43 is protrudingly provided at the end of a vertical wall 52a which is in sliding contact with the outer side wall 43 of the SIM holder 40. In the gap between the holding piece 52b and the upper wall 51, both side walls 4 of the SIM holder 40 are provided.
3 is slidably fitted, so that the SIM ejector 50 can move forward and backward along the SIM card 5 insertion direction.
Locked to IM holder 40.

When the SIM ejector 50 advances (slides) to the SIM insertion port 7 side, the SIM ejector 50 described above is used.
The SIM card 5 is pushed out toward the SIM insertion slot 7 by the IM locking section 54, and the base end of the SIM card 5 is projected from the SIM insertion slot 7 as shown in FIG.

The above-described assembly of the SIM ejector 50 to the SIM holder 40 is performed according to the procedures shown in FIGS. That is, the holder engaging portion 52 of the SIM ejector 50
0 is fitted to the side wall 43. At this time, the SIM ejector 50 has the upper wall 51 flexibly deformed in response to the sliding operation, and rides on the stopper 48 standing upright on the bottom wall 41 of the SIM holder 40 as shown in FIG. . Then, as shown in FIG. 12C, when the upper wall 51 of the SIM ejector 50 completely passes over the stopper 48, the flexible deformation is eliminated, and the stopper 48 prevents the stopper 48 from falling backward. , The sliding range of the SIM ejector 50 is restricted. When the SIM ejector 50 is fitted from behind the SIM holder 40, the stopper 48
The rear end side has a tapered surface 48a so that it can easily ride on
It has become.

The SIM cover 60 has a flat plate portion 61 that covers the upper surface on the base end side of the SIM card 5 inserted into the SIM holder 40, and an elastic projecting rearward from both sides of the rear end of the flat plate portion 61. The elastic piece 62 is hinged to the SIM ejector 50 by elastic engagement between the distal end of the elastic piece 62 and engaging portions 56 protruding from both sides of the SIM ejector 50. SIM cover 60
Covers the base end side of the SIM card 5 inserted into the SIM insertion opening 7 so that it can be opened and closed (exposed) by hinge connection.

In the case of this embodiment, the SIM ejector 5
As shown in FIG.
Arm 5 protruding forward from both sides of SIM ejector 50
7 is a support shaft protruding from the support shaft 7. And SIM cover 6
The distal end of the zero elastic piece 62 has a configuration in which a hole 63 into which the engaging portion 56 is fitted is formed by a pair of elastic claws 64. The pair of elastic claws 64 are in a state in which the tip portions face each other with a clearance smaller than the outer diameter of the engaging portion 56,
As shown by the arrow B in FIG.
By engaging the M ejectors 50 in a direction approaching each other and pushing the engaging portion 56 into a gap between the pair of elastic claws 64, it is possible to bring the engaging portion 56 into a hinge connection state fitted in the hole 63. it can.

When the SIM ejector 50 has exited the inside of the SIM insertion slot 7, the SIM cover 60
The SIM card 5 is pulled into the main body case 3 integrally with the IM ejector 50 to close the SIM insertion opening 7 and press the upper surface of the SIM card 5 on the front end side. Then, the portion exposed to the SIM insertion port 7 becomes an operation unit 66 for hooking a finger when the SIM ejector 50 is operated to advance to the SIM insertion port 7 side. The operation unit 66 has anti-slip irregularities 66a formed on the surface. That is, in the PC card 1 of the present embodiment, the SIM ejector 5 through the SIM cover 60 is used.
The SIM card 5 is attached / detached by the forward / backward operation of “0”.

The flat plate portion 61 of the SIM cover 60 is
On the back side, as shown in FIG. 5, a concave portion 68 for accommodating the SIM card 5 is formed. The recess 68 is provided with a chamfered portion 5c for preventing the SIM card 5 from being erroneously inserted.
In the case where the SIM card 5 is erroneously inserted, a part of the SIM card 5 abuts on the convex surface 69 around the concave portion 68 to completely close the SIM card 5. It does not enter a state and functions as a means for detecting an incorrect insertion of the SIM card.

When the SIM ejector 50 is slid toward the inner side of the SIM insertion slot 7 with the SIM cover 60 closed, the slide length reaches the specified length on the back surface of the flat plate portion 61 of the SIM cover 60. As shown in FIG. 13, a locking rib 7 which presses and engages with the engaging unevenness 47a.
The movement of the SIM cover 60 and the SIM ejector 50 in the sliding direction is restricted by the engagement between the locking rib 70 and the unevenness 47a.

In the case of the present embodiment, the SIM cover 60 is formed of a transparent resin. In addition, the SIM
Pull out the ejector 50 to the SIM insertion port 7 side,
When the M cover 60 is opened and the SIM card 5 is removed, as shown in FIG. 16, a submergence confirmation label window 72 is provided at an appropriate position on the SIM holder 40 exposed to the SIM insertion slot 7. .

In the PC card 1 described above, the SIM
The cover 60 is hinged to the front end of the SIM ejector 50 and covers the upper surface of the SIM card 5 in cooperation with the SIM ejector 50. By comparison, SIM
The component has a large size by the flat plate portion 61 covering the upper surface of the card 5, and it is not difficult to form the component because the size is too small. And this SIM cover 60 is S
With the configuration in which the IM insertion port 7 is opened and closed, since the SIM insertion port 7 is not always in an open state, intrusion of foreign matter from the SIM insertion port 7 can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk of causing a failure due to the intrusion of foreign matter from the SIM insertion slot 7, and to improve the life and operation reliability of the PC card.

Further, the SIM ejector 50 can be moved up and down on the SIM holder 40 via the SIM cover 60, and when the SIM card 5 on the SIM holder 40 is moved forward to the SIM insertion port 7, the SIM card 5 on the SIM holder 40 can be moved. It plays the role of the eject operation of discharging to the user. That is, when pulling out the SIM card 5 from the SIM holder 40, the SIM cover 6
By letting the SIM ejector 50 advance through 0,
The SIM card 5 can be pulled out to a position where it can be easily grasped. When the SIM card 5 is mounted on the SIM holder 40, the SIM ejector 50 holds the SIM card 5 until the front edge 5 b of the SIM card 5 contacts the SIM locking portion 54.
After the card 5 is inserted, the SI
The SIM card 5 can be inserted into the reference position of the SIM holder 40 by retracting the M ejector 50 to the inner side of the SIM holder 40. Therefore, SIM card 5
It is no longer necessary to hook a finger or the like directly to the edge of the
The SIM card 5 can be easily attached to and detached from the insertion slot 7 without exerting an excessive force on the SIM card 5, and the handleability when attaching and detaching the SIM card 5 can be improved.

Further, the SIM attached to the SIM insertion slot 7
Since the base end of the card 5 is covered with the SIM cover 60, no external force acts on the SIM card 5 when carrying the SIM card 5, and the occurrence of inconvenience such as the SIM card 5 falling off by the action of the external force is prevented. Can also.

In the case of the present embodiment, the SIM cover 60 has elastic pieces 62 projecting rearward from both sides.
And engaging portions 56 provided on both sides of the SIM ejector 50.
When the SIM cover 60 is hinged to the SIM ejector 50 by an elastic engagement with the SIM cover 60, for example, when an excessive tensile force is applied to the SIM cover 60, the elastic piece 62 provided on the SIM cover 60 is deformed to form the SIM ejector 50. Of the SIM cover 60 and the SIM ejector 5
0 can be avoided.

In the case of the present embodiment, the holder engaging portion 52 of the SIM ejector 50 is
The SIM is configured such that it is flexibly deformed by a sliding operation from the rear end side and engages with the side edge of the SIM holder 40, and after the engagement, the slide range is regulated by a stopper 48 provided on the SIM holder 40. Holder 40 and SIM ejector 50
The SIM ejector 50 can be assembled to the SIM holder 40 by the simple fitting operation described above, and the assemblability is improved.

In the case of the present embodiment, the edge of the sheet metal outer wall material 33 of the main body case 3 is attached to the SIM cover 60 and the SIM card
SIM card 5
When the SIM cover 60 and the SIM card 5 are attached and detached, the SIM cover 60 and the SIM card 5 can be prevented from being rubbed against the metal outer wall material 33 and contaminated.
Even if the M card 5 is repeatedly attached and detached frequently, it is possible to prevent the SIM cover 60 and the SIM card 5 from being hurt, and to promote a longer life.

Further, in the present embodiment, the SIM card 5
The operation of the SIM cover 60 when attaching the SIM card 5 is a two-action operation of a turning operation of closing the SIM card 5 after the SIM card 5 is attached and a sliding operation of pushing the SIM card 5 after the SIM card 5 is closed. Locking piece 4
7 and the outer wall of the upper surface of the main body case 3 so that the SIM card 5 can be prevented from being opened carelessly by the action of an external force.
The ability to prevent the card 5 from falling off can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the SIM cover 6
When the SIM card 5 is pulled out by opening the SIM card 5,
Since the submersion confirmation label window 72 is provided on the SIM holder 40 exposed at the insertion slot 7, it is not necessary to equip the main body case 3 with the submergence confirmation label window. It can be a sophisticated design with few irregularities. If the SIM card 5 is removed, the presence or absence of submersion can be visually recognized through the submersion confirmation label window 72 of the SIM holder 40 exposed at the SIM insertion slot 7, making it easy to check for submersion. become.

In the present embodiment, the SIM cover 6
0 is made of a transparent resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyarylate (PAR), etc., and the SIM card 5 can be mounted only by visual inspection through the SIM cover 60 without opening / closing the SIM cover 60. The presence or absence of the presence can be visually recognized, and the handleability is good.

[0050]

According to the PC card of the present invention, the SIM cover is hinged to the front end of the SIM ejector,
In the configuration in which the upper surface of the SIM card is covered in cooperation with the SIM ejector, compared with the size of the cross section of the SIM card inserted into the SIM insertion slot, the size becomes a part larger than that of the SIM card by covering the upper surface of the SIM card. Molding is not difficult because it is too small. And this SI
Since the M cover opens and closes the SIM insertion port, and the SIM insertion port is not always open, it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering from the SIM insertion port. Therefore, the risk of failure due to intrusion of foreign matter from the SIM insertion slot is reduced,
The service life and operation reliability of the card can be improved.

The SIM ejector can be moved up and down on the SIM holder via the SIM cover.
The operation of advancing toward the insertion slot plays a role of an ejection operation of ejecting the SIM card on the SIM holder to the SIM insertion slot. That is, when pulling out the SIM card from the SIM holder, the SIM card can be pulled out to a position where the SIM card can be easily grasped by advancing the SIM ejector through the SIM cover. When the SIM card is mounted on the SIM holder, the SIM card is inserted into the SIM ejector until the front edge of the SIM card comes into contact with the SIM locking portion, and then the SIM ejector is connected to the SIM holder via the SIM cover. The SIM card can be inserted into the reference position of the SIM holder by retreating to the inner side.
Therefore, it is not necessary to directly pull a finger or the like on the edge of the SIM card and pull out or forcibly push it, and it is easy to attach and detach the SIM card to the SIM insertion slot without applying excessive force to the SIM card. And S
It is possible to improve the handleability when attaching and detaching the IM card.

Further, since the base end of the SIM card inserted into the SIM insertion slot is covered by the SIM cover,
No external force acts on the SIM card when carrying, etc.
It is also possible to prevent inconveniences such as the SIM card falling off due to the action of an external force.

Further, with the configuration described in claim 2, S
If an excessive tensile force acts on the IM cover, SI
Since the engagement with the SIM ejector is released by the deformation of the elastic piece provided on the M cover, it is possible to prevent the SIM cover and the SIM ejector from being damaged.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the SIM ejector can be assembled to the SIM holder by a simple fitting operation, so that the assemblability is improved.

Further, according to the configuration of the fourth aspect, S
When attaching / detaching the IM card, it is possible to prevent the SIM cover and the SIM card from being rubbed against the metal outer wall material and contaminated.
Even if the attachment and detachment of the M card are frequently repeated, it is possible to prevent the SIM cover and the SIM card from being damaged, and to promote a longer life.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, S
The operation of the SIM cover when installing the IM card
There are two actions, a pivoting operation to close the M card after mounting it and a sliding operation to push it in after it is closed. The pushed SIM cover is clamped between the elastic locking piece of the SIM holder and the outer wall on the top surface of the main body case. Is locked firmly, and S
The opening of the IM card can be prevented, and the performance of preventing the SIM card from falling off can be improved.

According to the structure of the sixth aspect, it is not necessary to equip the main body case with a submergence confirmation label window, particularly, so that the outer wall of the main body case has less irregularities. It can be a sophisticated design. If you remove the SIM card, SIM
The presence or absence of submergence can be visually recognized through the submergence confirmation label window of the SIM holder exposed at the insertion slot, and the work of checking for submergence becomes easy.

Further, according to the structure of claim 7, S
Without opening / closing the IM cover, it is possible to visually check the presence / absence of the SIM card only by looking through the SIM cover,
Good handling.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view of a PC card according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the PC card shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a SIM holder, a SIM ejector, and a SIM holder in a resin frame in a main body case of the PC card shown in FIG.
It is a perspective view in the state where an IM cover was attached.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a state where a SIM ejector is pulled out through a SIM cover from the state shown in FIG. 3;

5 is a perspective view showing a state where a SIM cover is opened from the state shown in FIG. 4 and a SIM card is inserted into an opened SIM insertion slot.

6 is an exploded perspective view of the SIM holder, the SIM ejector, and the SIM cover shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure on a back surface side of each of the SIM holder, the SIM ejector, and the SIM cover shown in FIG. 6;

8 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between a circuit board provided in the PC card shown in FIG. 1 and a SIM card.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a connection terminal portion of the circuit board of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a view as viewed in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing hinge connection between the SIM cover and the SIM ejector shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 12 is a side view showing a procedure for assembling the SIM holder and the SIM ejector shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing an engaged state between the SIM cover and the SIM ejector when the SIM cover is closed as shown in FIG. 1;

14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a positional relationship between a structural material around a SIM insertion slot of a main body case and the SIM card in the PC card shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the PC card shown in FIG. 1 in a state where a SIM cover is opened to expose the SIM card.

FIG. 16 shows a state in which the SIM cover is opened and the SIM card is further removed from the PC card shown in FIG.
It is an expansion perspective view of the SIM holder exposed to a SIM insertion opening.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a positioning relationship between a circuit board and a SIM holder.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 PC card 3 Main body case 5 SIM card 5a Contact terminal 5b Front edge 7 SIM insertion port 9 Circuit board 9a Connection terminal 9b Connector connection terminal 9c, 9d Holder positioning hole 31 Resin frame 31a, 31b Main frame 31c, 31d ... Subframe 33 outer wall material 35a, 35b cover support 40 SIM holder 41 bottom wall 41a terminal connection opening 43 side wall 44 frame contact piece 45, 46 positioning protrusion 47 elastic locking piece 47a unevenness 48 stopper 50 SIM ejector 51 upper wall 52 holder Joint part 52a Vertical wall 52b Nipping piece 60 SIM cover 61 Flat plate part 62 Elastic piece 70 Locking rib

Continued on front page F-term (reference) 2C005 MB04 NA02 NA19 5B035 BB09 CA08 5B058 CA03 CA13 KA12 KA24

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A memory card insertion slot for inserting a thin memory card is opened on a side surface of a main body case forming an outer shape conforming to the PCMCIA standard, and is inserted into the main body case from the memory card insertion port. A PC card provided with connection terminals for pressing and contacting the connection terminals on the lower surface of the memory card and electrically connecting the circuits in the main body case and the circuits in the memory card. A bottom plate that regulates the position of both sides and a side wall, a substantially thin dish-shaped memory card holder that is inserted from the memory card insertion slot and fixed in the main body case; An upper wall that regulates the position, a holder engaging portion that engages with a side edge of the memory card holder so as to be able to advance and retreat along a memory card insertion direction, and abuts on a front edge of the memory card. And a memory card locking portion,
A memory card ejector for projecting a base end of the memory card from the memory card insertion slot by an advance operation to the memory card insertion slot side; and a memory card ejector hingedly connected to a front end of the memory card ejector so that the base end side of the memory card can be opened and closed. When the memory card ejector retreats to the inside of the memory card insertion slot, the memory card is accommodated inside and the memory card insertion slot is closed, and the part exposed to the memory card insertion slot is used for the memory card ejector. A memory card cover serving as an operation unit for performing an advance operation to the memory card insertion port side, wherein a memory card is detachably attached to the main body case by an advance / retreat operation of the memory card ejector through the memory card cover. PC card characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The memory card cover pivots on the memory card ejector by elastic engagement between elastic pieces protruding rearward from both sides and engagement portions provided on both sides of the memory card ejector. The PC card according to claim 1, wherein the PC card is freely connected. 3. When the memory card ejector is slidably fitted into the memory card holder from the rear end side of the memory card holder, the holder engaging portion is formed through elastic deformation of a part of the memory card ejector. 3. The PC card according to claim 1, wherein the PC card is engaged with a side edge of the memory card holder, and after the engagement, a sliding range is regulated by a stopper provided on the memory card holder. 4. A peripheral edge of the memory card insertion slot, wherein an edge of a metal outer wall material of the main body case is formed so as not to come into contact with a memory card cover or a memory card at the time of an attaching / detaching operation. Any one of items 1 to 3
PC card according to the item. 5. When the memory card ejector is slid into the inside of the memory card insertion slot with the memory card cover closed, when the slide length reaches a prescribed length, an elastic member provided on the memory card holder is provided. 5. The stopper according to claim 1, wherein the stopper presses and engages with a lower surface of the memory card cover to restrict movement of the memory card cover and the memory card ejector in the sliding direction. 6. PC card. 6. When the memory card ejector is pulled out to the memory card insertion port side, and the memory card cover is opened and the memory card is removed, the memory card ejector is located at an appropriate position on the memory card holder exposed to the memory card insertion port. The PC card according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a submergence confirmation label. 7. The PC card according to claim 1, wherein the memory card cover is formed of a transparent resin.