JP2004222170A - Foldable portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a foldable portable electronic device that can realize a mounting structure for a plurality of IC cards in a small space.
A first housing having a display unit and a second housing having an operation unit are connected via a hinge to be openable and closable, and a battery chamber is provided in the second housing. And a SIM card facing the insertion slot 41 of the SD card (first IC card) 5 on the outer surface 2B of the second housing 2 and the battery chamber 25 inside the second housing 2. (Second IC card) 7 has an insertion slot 44, and also has a connector 43A for the SD card 5 and a connector for the SIM card 7, respectively. And a card room 4 for connection to a personal computer.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a foldable portable electronic device, and more particularly to a foldable portable electronic device on which an IC card having a built-in memory such as an SD card or a SIM card can be mounted.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, IC cards and the like have been developed as information recording media for recording various types of information and used in various fields. An IC card as one of the information recording media includes, for example, an SD (Secure Digital; one of the standards of a memory card) card, a memory stick, a multimedia card, and a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module); a card including subscriber information. ) Cards and the like are known.
[0003]
On the other hand, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), digital still camera, digital video camera, personal computer, and the like are known as electronic devices on which these IC cards are mounted. A device equipped with this IC card has been developed.
[0004]
At present, the size and thickness of the mobile phone are becoming smaller and thinner. However, as a means for storing a large amount of various kinds of information such as still images, moving images, music, etc. Expectations are growing. Under such circumstances, it is expected that the size and capacity of the IC card will be further improved in the future.
[0005]
By the way, a configuration in which a plurality of types of these IC cards can be mounted on this mobile phone has been proposed. As such a mobile phone, for example, those described in Patent Publications 1 and 2 are known. Have been.
That is, each of the mobile phones described in these publications has a configuration in which a card mounting space (slot) in which two IC card connectors are integrally formed, for example, a memory card such as an SD card is provided in a lower stage. And a SIM card at the top. Further, these two IC cards have a positional relationship in which the card insertion / removal directions are orthogonal to each other.
[0006]
[Patent Publication 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-251402 (page 3, left column middle to lower, FIG. 1)
[Patent Publication 2]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-307801 (upper to middle columns, left column, page 3, FIG. 1)
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in a conventional mobile phone in which two IC card connectors are integrally formed, since the directions of the two IC cards are determined, the degree of freedom in design is reduced and structural restrictions are increased. In mobile phones that require strong miniaturization, it is difficult to efficiently arrange the space for the card mounting portion, and the effective use of the internal space of the mobile phone is hindered. As a result, it has become an obstacle to the commercialization and versatility of the mobile phone, as well as the miniaturization.
[0008]
When these IC cards are mounted in two upper and lower stages, for example, the SIM card connector arranged in the upper stage has a smaller planar size than the IC card connector arranged in the lower stage. An extra space is generated in portions other than the connector for use, which is uneconomical in terms of space.
[0009]
In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a foldable portable electronic device that can realize a mounting structure for a plurality of IC cards in a small space.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, a foldable portable electronic device according to the present invention includes a first housing having a display unit and a second housing having an operation unit on an inner surface facing the first housing. A foldable portable electronic device having a battery chamber provided in the second housing near an outer surface opposite to the inner surface having the operation unit, the battery device being openably and closably coupled via a hinge portion,
The first IC card has an insertion opening for a first IC card and an insertion opening for a second IC card facing the battery chamber inside the second housing, respectively, on an outer surface of the second housing. And a card room for mounting and electrically connecting the first IC card and the second IC card. It is characterized by.
[0011]
Thereby, the mounting structure of a plurality of IC cards can be realized in a small space.
[0012]
Further, in the foldable portable electronic device of the present invention, the insertion opening of the first IC card is formed from the outer surface of the second housing to an end surface facing the hinge portion. And
[0013]
As a result, the insertion slot of the first IC card is located behind, which is invisible to the user using the foldable portable electronic device, so that the insertion slot is accidentally opened to drop the IC card inside. Can be prevented.
[0014]
Further, in the foldable portable electronic device of the present invention, a card tray for mounting the second IC card is attached so as to be slidable from the insertion slot on the battery chamber side toward the inside of the card chamber. It is characterized by having.
[0015]
Thus, the insertion operation of the second IC card can be easily performed, and the usability is improved.
[0016]
Further, the foldable portable electronic device of the present invention may be arranged such that a receiving portion for slidably holding the card tray is slidably provided in the card chamber facing the battery chamber inside the second housing. Features.
[0017]
Thereby, the insertion operation of the second IC card can be performed more easily, and the usability is further improved.
[0018]
Further, the foldable portable electronic device of the present invention is characterized in that a flexible board on which the connector for the first IC card is mounted is arranged in the card chamber near the outer surface of the second housing. I have.
[0019]
Thus, it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as the operation force of the operation section reaching the flexible substrate and not being able to obtain a click feeling, and it is possible to bend and absorb the stress from the outer surface to the flexible substrate. Therefore, a structure that is very advantageous against external force can be provided.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a folded state of a foldable mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention. And a second housing 2 arranged at a lower portion, and these housings 1 and 2 are connected by a hinge 3 so as to be openable and closable.
[0021]
The first housing 1 includes a main display unit 11 and a sub-display unit 12 as display units, and the main display unit 11 functions as a display unit when the foldable mobile phone is opened. The display unit 12 functions as a display unit when the foldable mobile phone is closed.
[0022]
The sub display unit 12 has functions such as displaying the remaining battery level, radio wave status and clock even when the foldable mobile phone is closed, and displaying the telephone number and name of the other party when receiving a call. Even when the mobile phone is closed, a highly convenient foldable mobile phone can be realized.
[0023]
As a protection means for each display unit, a main cover 11A is provided on the main display unit 11 on the inner surface (inner case) 1A side facing the second housing 2, and an outer surface (outer case) 1B side opposite to the inner surface 1A side. Each of the sub-display units 12 is provided with a sub-cover 12A.
[0024]
On the other hand, the second housing 2 disposed at the lower portion includes a key sheet 21 provided as a key operation unit on the inner surface (inner case) 2A side facing the first housing 1, and the second housing 2 includes A key board 22 and a circuit board (flexible board) 23 are provided inside the housing 2.
[0025]
The circuit board 23 has a deeper portion that is farther away from the inner surface 2A of the second housing 2 than the disposition position of the key board 22, that is, an outer surface (outer case) 2B opposite to the inner surface 2A of the second housing 2. A control circuit unit and a radio circuit unit (not shown) are formed near the unit, and a spacer 24 is arranged between the circuit board 23 and the key board 22.
[0026]
The spacer 24 is formed of an appropriate material having high rigidity. When the key sheet 21 is operated, the stress is received by the spacer 24, so that no direct stress is applied to the circuit board 23. Even if a key is pressed, it is possible to prevent damage to components mounted on the circuit board 23, and to prevent a click feeling from being impaired due to the operation force at the time of key operation reaching the circuit board 23. It is like that.
[0027]
The second housing 2 has an insertion opening 41 at a position near the end face facing the outer surface 2B and the hinge portion 3 (or at the outer surface 2B extending to the end surface facing the hinge portion 3). A card room 4 is provided inside the second housing 2 facing the insertion slot 41. The card room 4 has an SD card (first IC card) 5 and a SIM card (second IC card). 7, an SD cover 42 is provided in the insertion opening 41 so as to be openable and closable. In addition to the card compartment 4, a battery compartment 25 for accommodating the battery pack 8 is provided on the outer surface 2 </ b> B of the second housing 2 adjacent to the card compartment 4.
[0028]
Next, the card room 4 and the SD card 5 stored therein will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the card chamber 4, a flexible board 43 is mounted on one side of a holder body 40 composed of a substantially rectangular frame, and the circuit board 23 described above. Are mounted on the opposite side.
[0029]
That is, the holder body 40 is provided with a locking claw 4A, and the flexible substrate 43 is locked integrally with the holder body 40 by the locking claw 4A. Similarly, the holder body 40 is provided with locking claws 4B, and the circuit board 23 is integrally locked by the locking claws 4B.
[0030]
On this flexible board 43, an SD card connector 43B for connecting and mounting the SD card 5 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible board 43 is provided with a flexible drawer 43B drawn from a part of the flexible board 43. The drawer 43B has the same structure as the SD card connector 43B. Separately, a joining connector 43C is mounted, and is joined to the joining connector 23A on the circuit board 23 side, thereby achieving electrical connection.
[0031]
The Push-Push method is used as the insertion / removal method for the SD card 5 according to the present embodiment. For this reason, when the SD card 5 is slightly pushed in while the SD cover 42 is open, the card can be inserted and removed. Is released, and the user can jump out to the front (in the direction A in FIG. 1) to take out the camera.
[0032]
The SD card connector 43B is usually formed of a very thin resin or sheet metal for thinning, and is configured so as to be shifted toward the outer surface 2B via the flexible board 43. As described above, the SD card connector 43B is arranged as far as possible from the key sheet 21 provided as the key operation unit, and the portion of the SD card connector 43B which is weak in strength is the second housing 2. Is disposed at a position as far as possible from the outer surface 2B.
[0033]
The card compartment 4 having the SD connector 43A is formed near the outer surface 2B of the second housing 2 adjacent to a battery compartment 25 described later, but the SD cover 42 that covers the insertion slot 41 of the SD card 5 is Since the hinge cover 3 is provided over one end face, the SD cover 42 is visible to an operator or the like in a normal operation, for example, when the main body of the foldable mobile phone is opened or closed. Not in position. Thereby, excellent design properties can be realized. In addition, since the SD cover 42 of the card room 4 is usually located at a position where the SD cover 42 is not touched when the main body of the foldable mobile phone is held by hand, the SD cover 42 is accidentally opened during a call. Never.
[0034]
Next, the SIM card 7 (see FIG. 1) stored in the card room 4 from the battery room 25 will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing a configuration when the SIM tray 6 according to the embodiment of the present invention is pulled out, and FIG. 3B is a diagram when the SIM tray 6 according to the embodiment of the present invention is stored. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state when the SIM tray 6 is pulled out according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a view showing a state when the SIM tray 6 according to the embodiment of the present invention is stored. FIG.
[0035]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the card chamber 4 is provided with an insertion port 44 for inserting and removing the SIM card 7 on a side opposite to the insertion port 41 for taking out the SD card 5. A slide-type receiving portion 45 is formed on 44, and the SIM tray 6 is slidably mounted on the receiving portion 45.
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving portion 45 is provided with a concave portion 45A on the left and right sides on the inner surface on the outlet side, and a locking claw 62 of the SIM tray 6 described later is engaged with the concave portion 45A. Has become.
[0037]
The holder body 40 is provided with a notch 46 facing the insertion opening 44, and the protrusion 65 of the SIM tray 6 is inserted into the card chamber 4 from the notch 46. In other words, the SIM tray 6 normally prevents the protrusion 65 from coming out to the outside when the projection 65 hits the notch 46. Even if the SIM tray 6 comes out of the card chamber 4 and is pulled out, the SIM tray 6 returns to this position. It is structured such that the SIM tray 6 can be inserted and mounted by pushing the notch 46 down and passing it through the convex 65 and inserting it into the back.
[0038]
For the SIM tray 6, a material having good slidability such as POM (Poly Oxy Methylene; polyoxymethylene (polyacetal resin)) is used because the SIM tray 6 slides on the card chamber 4 and the outer surface 2B of the second housing 2. As shown in FIG. 2, it includes a chamfered portion 61, a locking claw 62, a protrusion 63, a notch 64, a protrusion 65, and the like.
[0039]
Of these, the chamfered portion 61 is for storing the SIM card 7 in the SIM tray 6 in the correct direction, and the position of the SIM card 7 is adjusted by aligning the chamfered portions on both sides of the SIM tray 6. Check that it can be stored correctly.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 4, the locking claw 62 includes a claw 62 </ b> A provided on the left and right ends of the main body of the SIM tray 6 and a claw 62 </ b> B provided on the left and right base ends, and pulls out or pushes the SIM tray 6. At the time of sliding, one of the locking claws 62 of the claws 62A and 62B is locked in the concave portion 45A provided in the receiving portion 45 of the card chamber 4, so that the sliding area is regulated to a constant stroke.
[0041]
In the present embodiment, the concave portion 45A of the receiving portion 45 and the protrusion 63 of the SIM tray 6 are formed on both left and right sides, respectively. 6, the concave portion 45A of the receiving portion 45 and the locking claw 62B may also be formed only on the right side so that the receiving portion 45 can be easily pulled out.
[0042]
The protrusion 63 is provided at one corner of the base end to facilitate the pull-out operation when the SIM tray 6 is pulled out. The protrusion 63 is used when the SIM tray 6 is pulled out by a finger. It constitutes
[0043]
The cutout portion 64 is provided to facilitate taking out the SIM card 7 when the SIM card 7 is put between fingers from above and below, and is formed on one side (the right side in FIG. 2) of the SIM tray 6.
[0044]
The convex portion 65 is protrudingly provided at one end of the SIM tray 6, and when the SIM tray 6 is pulled out with a strong force, the SIM portion 6 is bent and detached from the holder body 40. 6 is configured not to be damaged or destroyed.
[0045]
1 and 2, the SIM card 7 is connected to the terminal of the SIM connector 23B mounted on the circuit board 23 to achieve conduction. The SIM connector 23B is formed of only a resin mold and connection terminals in order to reduce costs.
[0046]
Therefore, according to the configuration as in the present embodiment, when used as a foldable mobile phone, by attaching the battery pack 8 to the battery compartment 25, the locking portion 62B of the SIM tray 6 may fall due to dropping or the like. Even when trying to ride over the concave portion 45A provided in the receiving portion 45 of the No. 4, the rib 25A provided in the battery chamber 25 becomes a wall and functions as a stopper. Further, since the SIM tray 6 is disposed in the battery compartment 25 inside the second housing 2 and cannot be used unless the battery pack 8 is removed, for example, the SIM tray 6 is erroneously turned on when the battery pack 8 is mounted and the power is turned on. A trouble that the card 7 is pulled out and the data of the SIM card 7 is damaged can be prevented.
[0047]
Next, an operation of pulling out the SIM tray 6 will be described.
When the protrusion 63 provided on the SIM tray 6 is pulled out with a finger (in the direction B in FIGS. 1 and 3A), the locking claw 62B gets over the concave portion 45A of the receiving portion 45 of the holder 4 and slides forward. It has been withdrawn.
[0048]
Then, since the locking claw 62A provided on the SIM tray 6 is locked and fixed to the concave portion 45A (see FIG. 2) on the receiving portion 45 side, the pulling-out operation is stopped when it is drawn out by a certain length. Can be. In this case, if the SIM tray 6 is to be pulled out with a strong force, as described above, the tip convex portion 65 of the SIM tray 6 is bent and detached from the holder body 40. 6 is not damaged or destroyed.
[0049]
Thus, in the battery chamber 25, the SIM card 5 can be picked out from the cutout portion 64 of the SIM tray 6 with a finger and taken out.
[0050]
In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a foldable mobile phone. However, the foldable mobile electronic device of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to various foldable mobile electronic devices. is there.
[0051]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the first housing having the display portion and the second housing having the operation portion on the inner surface side facing the first housing are openably and closably connected via the hinge portion. A foldable portable electronic device having a battery chamber provided inside a second housing near an outer surface opposite to an inner surface having an operation unit, wherein a first IC card insertion port is provided on an outer surface of the second housing. A first IC card connector and a second IC card connector, each having a second IC card insertion opening facing the battery chamber inside the second housing; Providing a card space for mounting and electrically connecting the first IC card and the second IC card, thereby realizing a space-saving mounting structure for the first IC card and the second IC card. Can be.
[0052]
Further, in the present invention, since the insertion slot of the first IC card is arranged near the hinge portion of the second housing, it is usually less noticeable when the foldable portable electronic device is used. Can be realized.
[0053]
Further, in the present invention, since the flexible board on which the first connector is mounted is arranged near the outer surface of the second housing, the operating force on the operation unit reaches the flexible board, and a click feeling cannot be obtained. Inconveniences can be avoided, and since it is possible to bend and absorb the stress applied to the flexible substrate from the outer surface side, it is possible to provide a structure that is very advantageous against external force.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a folded state of a foldable mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the foldable mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention.
3A and 3B are enlarged views of a main part showing a card room and a SIM tray in the foldable mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is a state in which the SIM tray is drawn out of the card room, and FIG. This shows a state where the SIM tray is stored in the card room.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing a state in which a SIM tray of the foldable mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention is pulled out of a card room.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing a state in which a SIM tray of the foldable mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention is stored in a card room.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st housing | casing 11 Main display part 12 Sub-display part 2 2nd housing | casing 2A Inner surface (inner case)
2B Outer surface (outer case)
21 key sheet 22 key board 23 circuit board (flexible board)
23A Connector for bonding (circuit board side)
23B SIM connector (for SIM card)
25 Battery compartment 25A Rib 3 Hinge part 4 Card compartment 4A Locking claw 4B Locking claw 40 Holder body 41 Insertion slot (for SD card)
42 SD cover 43 Flexible board (flexible board side)
43A SD card connector (for SD card)
43C Connector for connector 44 Insertion slot (for SIM card)
45 Receiving part 45A Concave part 46 Notch part 5 SD card (first card)
6 SIM tray (card tray)
61 Chamfered portion 62 Locking claw 62A Locking claw 62B Locking claw 63 Projection 64 Notch 65 Convex 7 SIM card (second card)
8 Battery pack

Claims (5)

A first housing having a display portion and a second housing having an operation portion on an inner surface side facing the first housing are openably and closably connected via a hinge portion, and are opposite to the inner surface having the operation portion. A foldable portable electronic device provided with a battery chamber in the second housing near the outer surface of
The first IC card has an insertion opening for a first IC card and an insertion opening for a second IC card facing the battery chamber inside the second housing, respectively, on an outer surface of the second housing. And a card room for mounting and electrically connecting the first IC card and the second IC card. A foldable portable electronic device characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The foldable portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion opening of the first IC card is formed from the outer surface of the second housing to an end surface facing the hinge portion. . 3. The card tray according to claim 1, wherein a card tray for mounting the second IC card is slidably attached to the inside of the card chamber from the insertion slot on the battery chamber side. 4. A foldable portable electronic device as described. The foldable portable device according to claim 3, wherein the card compartment facing the battery compartment inside the second housing is slidably provided with a receiving portion for slidably holding the card tray. Electronic devices. The flexible board on which the connector for the first IC card is mounted is disposed in the card chamber near an outer surface of the second housing. Portable electronic device.

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