Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-27
2003-05-13
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561851
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to PC cards and more particularly to PC cards configured to hold subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.
2. Description of Related Art
Today, users reliance on wireless communication continues to steadily increase. This reliance includes the use of wireless communication with laptop computers. These laptop computers have the ability to send and receive data, such as files and other attachments, using wireless PC cards such as wireless modems. The wireless PC cards typically used in wireless communication applications include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card.
The SIM card, which is interchangeable with PC cards, contains data specific to a user such as a telephone number, other telephone numbers which the user may contact and the like. A user may replace a SIM card in a PC card with another SIM card, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,748 ('748). As shown therein, a PC card
30
is configured to hold a small smart card C. In the '748 patent, the PC card
30
includes upper and lower half-shells
32
,
34
and an insertion slot
80
which attaches to the PC card
30
with a hinge. The smart card C fits into the PC card
30
through the insertion slot
80
when the insertion slot is an open position. Therefore, in order to place a smart card C into the PC card
30
, a user opens the insertion slot
80
and slides the smart card C through the insertion slot
80
.
In order to eject the smart card C from the PC card
30
, a user inserts an implement, such as a toothpick, into a notch
114
. Upon insertion of the implement, a user pushes the smart card C within the PC card
30
until a portion of the smart card C protrudes from the insertion slot
80
. Upon protrusion, the user manually pulls the smart card C from the PC card
30
since the PC card
30
lacks the capability to automatically eject the smart card C from the PC card
30
.
As may be appreciated, the application of the implement through the notch
114
may damage internal components of the PC card if the user is not careful upon insertion of the implement. In addition, the PC card
30
does not provide a way to automatically eject the smart card C from the PC card
30
. Furthermore, the hinged configuration of the insertion slot
80
unnecessarily complicates the overall design of the PC card in that the hinge may fail, thereby decreasing the overall reliability of the PC card
30
. The configuration of the PC card
30
also reduces the overall structural integrity of the PC card
30
since the insertion slot
80
and the notch
114
allow flexing of the PC card
30
during normal usage of the PC card
30
. Moreover, the insertion slot
80
and the notch
114
do not allow the PC card
30
to remain leak-proof. During normal usage of the PC card
30
, moisture may seep through the insertion slot
80
into the PC card
30
, thereby possibly damaging the smart card C and the PC card
30
.
In addition to '748, U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,706 ('706) discloses a PC card
10
which allows for removal of a chip card
20
. The PC card
10
of '706 includes a top portion
86
having an aperture
24
for passage of the chip card
20
onto a frame
22
within the PC card
10
. The frame
22
mounts below the top portion
86
and a lid
26
, which slides on rails
28
of the frame
22
, closes upon insertion of the chip card
20
. The configuration of the frame
22
allows fitment of the chip card
20
within the frame
22
.
In order to place the chip card
20
into the PC card
10
, a user slides the lid
26
into an open position and drops the chip card
20
into the frame
22
. After dropping the chip card
20
into the frame
22
, the user slides the lid
26
into a closed position. If the user decides to remove the chip card
20
from the PC card
10
, the user slides the lid
26
into the open position, reaches into the PC card
10
and pulls the chip card
20
out of the frame
22
and out of the PC card
10
.
As users will appreciate, the PC card
10
does not provide a way to automatically eject the chip card
20
from the PC card
10
. Instead, a user must physically reach into the PC card
10
and extract the chip card
20
from the PC card
10
. The small size of the chip card
20
makes retrieval through the aperture
24
extremely difficult, requiring a great amount of care on the users's part to avoid damaging both the chip card
20
and the PC card
10
during extraction of the chip card
20
. The lid
26
, the rails
28
and the frame
22
also increase the overall complexity of the PC card
10
, thereby decreasing the reliability of the PC card
10
since the added complexity increases the possibility of failure.
In addition, the aperture
24
compromises the structural integrity of the PC card
10
. The aperture decreases the overall rigidity and the ability of the PC card
10
to resist flexing from external stresses that may be placed on the PC card
10
. As a result, the overall reliability of the PC card
10
reduces due to the weakness of the overall structure of the PC card
10
resulting from the aperture
24
. Moreover, the aperture
24
does not allow the PC card
10
to remain leak-proof. Thus, moisture may seep into the PC card
10
via the aperture
24
, thereby increasing the possibility of damage to the chip card
20
and the PC card
10
. In addition to allowing the possibility of moisture admittance, the relatively large size of the aperture
24
allows radio frequency (RF) emissions from the PC card
10
. Therefore, the PC cards described in '748 and '706 do not present an attractive solution to a user wishing to use a PC card having the capability to insert and remove small electronic cards such as the chip card
20
due to the complexity and unreliability of the PC cards
10
and
30
.
Therefore, a need to exists to provide a PC card which allows for insertion and removal of electronic cards from the PC card. The new device should allow for easy insertion and removal of electronic cards from the PC card while maintaining overall structural integrity of the PC card. In addition, this new device should provide automatic ejection of electronic cards from the PC card while minimizing the amount of parts present in the PC card.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention fills the aforementioned needs by providing a PC card which releasably engages a SIM card. The PC card allows for easy insertion and automatic removal of a SIM card from the PC card.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a PC card which releasably engages of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card is disclosed. The PC card comprises a connector at a first end and a SIM carriage at an end opposite the connector. The connector facilitates connectivity between the PC card and a module such that the PC card provides communication capability to the module. The configuration of the SIM carriage allows releasable engagement of the SIM card with the PC card. The SIM carriage provides connectivity to allow communication between the SIM card and the PC card. The SIM carriage includes a sleeve, a locking mechanism and an ejection assembly. The sleeve holds the SIM card when the SIM card inserts into the SIM carriage. Upon insertion into the sleeve, the locking mechanism secures the SIM card with the SIM carriage and the PC card. When a user deactivates the locking mechanism, the ejection assembly automatically ejects the SIM card from the SIM carriage and the PC card.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a SIM carriage for engaging a SIM card with a PC card is disclosed. The PC card includes a connector located at an end opposite the location of the SIM carriage within the PC card such that the orientation minimizes the loss of structural integrity and rigidity of the PC card. The SIM carriage includes an ejection assembly, a sleeve and a locking mechanism. The ejection assembly allows for insertion of the SIM card within the sleeve. The sleeve holds the SIM card within the SIM carriage s
Gushi Ross
Sierra Wireless Inc.
Ta Tho D.
Thelen Reid & Preist LLP
LandOfFree
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