WO2003068016A1

WO2003068016A1 - Storage case for sim cards

Info

Publication number: WO2003068016A1
Application number: PCT/CZ2002/000016
Authority: WO
Inventors: Zbynek Pytloun; Jaroslava PYTLOUNOVÁ
Original assignee: Zbynek Pytloun; Pytlounova Jaroslava
Priority date: 2002-02-01
Filing date: 2002-03-22
Publication date: 2003-08-21
Also published as: AU2002238372A1; CZ2002412A3

Abstract

The invention concerns storage cases for SIM cards the peripheral dimensions of which are close to the dimensions of a credit card and which are based on the fact that the case comprises a base plate (1) made of elastic plastic in which there is at least one compartment for storing a SIM card (2), always provided with at least one holding element adjusted for repeated insertion and removal of individual SIM cards (2).

Description

Storage Case for SIM Cards

Technical Field

The invention concerns mobile phone SIM card boxes, and holders and multiple mobile phone SIM card cases, or it may involve other carriers of electronic chips of a similar shape, size and, possibly also used like mobile phone SIM cards.

Background Art

At present various cases are well known, used to store multiple small flat objects such as post-office stamps, coins or credit cards, telephone cards, identification cards and other cards of this sort. Credit card cases are usually manufactured as a casing, which may have a side slot to facilitate the release of the card and also protrusions or embossments to prevent the card from being released by mistake from the case, as in the case of the CZ Utility Model No. 4104, for instance. If a case for more cards is needed, the solution is a cascade magazine in a diary of a larger size, similar to DE Patent No. 19851369, or more compartments for such cards in an ordinary purse or a separate case with more compartments, as with CZ Utility Model No. 4113, for instance, or US Patents No. 6089289 or 6155410. As far as the storage of chip carriers, typically telephone SIM cards, is concerned these can be kept and carried stored in the basic card, which looks like an ordinary credit card, and cased in this way these SIM cards are available on the market. The disadvantages however are that a comparatively small SIM card occupies an unnecessarily large space in combination with the large card and that taking the SIM card out of such a large basic card and putting it back into the cut-out hole is rather difficult. Although this manipulation is facilitated in the regulation according to the Patent Application EP 1117063, where the card with a chip is fixed in the basic card by a self-adhesive foil, this regulation deals merely with a simplified single insertion and extraction, because the self-adhesive adjustment loses its effectiveness if the card is inserted and taken out repeatedly. A case for storing small multiple flat objects is the case for storing coins and objects of this sort, according to the CZ Utility Model No. 732, with a box for at least two magazines linked by a connecting piece and equipped with bases on which there are parallel delimiting grooves and longitudinal risers, at the end of which, on the side of the connecting piece, are protuberances. This case is particularly suitable for storing coins, where it is easy to see the number and types of the coins, however for storing mostly SIM cards this case is unnecessarily large and tough, because in practice there may be the need to store up to ten such SIM cards, usually two to four, or chip carriers similar to them.

Disclosure of Invention

The above mentioned disadvantages are resolved to a great extent by a storage case for SIM cards the perimeter dimensions of which are close to the dimensions of a credit card and where the principle is that it is composed of a base plate made of elastic plastic which has at least one storage compartment for a SIM card with at least one holding element adjusted for repeated insertion and extraction of individual SIM cards. A convenient solution is to have two holding elements for each storage compartment, particularly as guide-rails located along the side margins of the storage compartment. The bottom of the storage compartment can be conveniently located below the level of its entry side rim. Another advantage can be that the bottom of the storage compartment is below the level of the base plate's front area. Alternatively, it may be convenient if at least one front side of the storage compartment is at least partly covered with an elastic plastic foil holding element. Preferably the elastic plastic foil should be transparent. Another convenient solution is to have the storage compartments as recessions in the base plate. The recessions may be advantageously made as recesses in the base plate the rest of which is even. Alternatively, shaping the base plate with its constant thickness preserved can form the recessions. Another alternative is to have the recessions as cut holes in the base plate covered with a tough foil on one front side. One of the peripheral sides of the recessions can be equipped with oblique run-outs. Alternatively, one of the peripheral sides of the recessions can be open and located no further than a fifth of the base plate's thickness from the periphery of this base plate. The alternative with an open peripheral side of the recession can be especially advantageous when the bottom and/or the front top cover of the recession having a recess up to a distance of 2-6 mm from the open peripheral side of the recession. This recess is advantageously adjusted with at least rounded transitions into the periphery of the base plate. For all variants it is an advantage if at least a part of one of the front surfaces of the base plate is rough so that it can be written on with a pencil, pen, ballpoint pen or a marker. Lastly, for all alternatives it may be convenient if there are additional guide-rails adjusted on the margins of the bottom front area of the base plate adapted for guiding a credit-card sized card. A convenient solution is a case adjusted to store from one to nine SIM cards.

Thus we achieve having a practical and simple case for storing chip carriers, in particular mobile phone SIM cards, with the possibility of also storing ordinary cases credit cards; concurrently the manipulation of the SIM cards is easy, fast and reliable, and the SIM cards are also sufficiently protected against damage. It is also possible to mark them, for instance with an operator's name, telephone number assigned to them, etc. In addition, conceivably, another credit card or in particular a telephone card may be added into the case like this, which virtually produces a magazine for a large number of backup telephone tools. Brief Description of Drawings

More details of the invention are included in the enclosed drawings, with a horizontal projection of the case with two SIM cards in Fig.1 , showing the variant with guide-rails; Fig.2 shows the same model in a longitudinal vertical section with additional guide-rails and a telephone card; Fig.3, also in a longitudinal vertical section, shows the variant with a shaped base plate of the case; Fig.4 shows a horizontal projection of the case with the front top area covered by an elastic foil; Fig.5 shows in a longitudinal vertical section the version with an elastic foil in a variant with a shaped base plate, while Fig.6 shows, in a longitudinal vertical section again, a variant with an even base plate and pressed recessions for SIM cards; Fig.7 is a similar variant of the same type of section as in Fig.6 but with the recessions cut in the base plate and the bottom front area covered with tough foil; Fig.8 shows a cross vertical section of a variant with a base plate equipped with a recession with an oblique nosing, and Fig.9 is a horizontal projection of the same version, finally Fig.10 is a horizontal projection of the variant of the case where both the bottom of the recession and its top cover are a short distance from the base plate's periphery.

Modes for Carrying out the Invention

The case has a base plate 1, in which the SIM cards 2 are stored either in a guide made up of guide-rails ___ or inserted in recessions 14, where they rest upon the bottom 3 covered by an elastic transparent foil 4.

There are pattern models of the recessions 14 either by the recessions pressed in the top front surface of the base plate 1_ or the entire base plate 1 is shaped in a way that the recessions 14 are made by the baseplate's sag and the thickness of the base plate 1 material remains basically unchanged in its entire area. In another variant, Fig.7 and Fig.10, the recession 14 is always made in a way that there are cut out holes in the base plate 1, and the hole is covered in the bottom by a tough foil 5. Only a part of the front top surface of the base plate 1 is covered by an elastic foil, thus always providing a certain section with an uncovered surface of the inserted SIM cards 2, which can thus easily be taken out of the case. The recession 1_4 may be opened into the space in one of its peripheral sides where in one variant, Fig.10, we can see how the elastic foil's 4 margin is embedded from the periphery of the base plate 1, particularly by 5 mm here, and concurrently we can see the embedded recession 1_4, particularly of the outer margin of the

■ bottom 13 of this recession 14 by 3 mm. In the variant in Fig.8 and Fig.9 shows a solution where the recession 1_4 is not open on any of its peripheral side and on one peripheral side of which there is an oblique nosing 1_5. One more variant, not pictured here, might combine the oblique nosing on the margin also for the recession 1_4 open on its peripheral side, with a reverse nosing angle, adjusted for an easier side insertion of a SIM card 2 into the hollow between the bottom 1_3 and the elastic foil 4. As far as the security of the SIM card 2 against unprompted slipping out of the case is concerned, one variant, apparent on Fig.1 , includes projections 12_. that constitute an entry side edge of the SIM card storage compartment 2. Once the SIM card sinks behind these projections 1_2 it is secured against slipping out. In other variants the SIM card 2 is secured because it is tightly fixed under the elastic foil 4, or because the SIM card 2 has to be slightly deformed in order to get into the recession 14. Thus, after the SIM card 2 becomes unbent in the recession 14 the SIM card 2 is secured against unprompted slipping out. Such a situation occurs in the variant in Fig.3, for instance, where the guide- rails 11 are parallel to the front surface of the base plate 1 and where the SIM card 2 is inserted through the entry side edge of the recession 14 while the SIM card 2 is slightly deformed. Supplementary guide-rails 1_6 adjusted to hold another card 3, an ordinary phone card for instance, may be added to all variants. The equipment works in the following manner. SIM cards that are currently not in use are stored in the case, which can be easily carried in a diary, purse, etc. , together with other credit cards and similar cards. When it is necessary to replace a SIM card, the correct SIM card is removed from the case and placed in a mobile phone, the SIM card taken out of the mobile phone is inserted into the case. It is convenient to choose a case with a number of free places equal to the total number of SIM cards, thus one position in the case remains empty if one of the cards is currently in the phone; This includes the advantage that one can mark the positions with the names of the respective operators and telephone numbers, thus facilitating the choice when a SIM card is being replaced.

Industrial Applicability

The storage case for SIM cards is applicable mainly in situations where alternating more SIM cards for one mobile phone is convenient or necessary and where the adapter for more SIM cards in the mobile phone is either unavailable or where the number of the SIM cards stored exceeds the adapter's capacity. In addition to mobile phone SIM cards the case can also be used for other information carriers, i.e. electronic chip carriers, if it is necessary to have one or more carriers of this sort at hand and to store them together with the other credit cards and similar cards.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. A storage case for SIM cards the peripheral dimensions of which are close to the dimensions of a credit card, characterized in that it consists of a base plate (1) made of elastic plastic in which there is at least one compartment for storing a SIM card (2), always provided with at least one holding element adjusted for repeated insertion and removal of individual SIM cards (2).

2. The case according to claim 1 , characterized in that there are always two holding elements for each storage compartment, in the form of guide-rails (11) located along the side margins of the storage compartment.

3. The case according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the bottom (13) of the storage compartment is located below the level of its entry side rim.

4. The case according to claims 1 to 3, cha racterized i n that the bottom (13) of the storage compartment is below the level of the base plate's (1) front area.

5. The case according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one front side of the storage compartment is at least partly covered with a holding element in the form of an elastic plastic foil (4).

6. The case according to claim 5, c h a ra cte rized i n that the elastic plastic foil (4) is a transparent foil.

7. The case according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the storage compartments are created in the form of recessions (14) in the base plate (1).

8. The case according to claim 7, ch a racterized i n that the recessions (14) are created in the form of a recess in the base plate (1) the rest of which is even.

9. The case according to claim 7, ch a racterized i n that the recessions (14) are made by shaping the base plate's (1) body while preserving its constant thickness.

10. The case according to claim 7, cha racterized in that the recessions (14) are created in the form of cut out holes in the base board (1), covered with a though foil (5) on one front side.

11. The case according to claims 7 to 10, characterized in that one of the peripheral sides of the recession (14) is equipped with an oblique run-out (15).

12. The case according to claims 7 to 11, characterised in that one of the peripheral sides of the recession (14) is open and located no further than a fifth of the base plate's (1) thickness from the periphery of this base plate (1).

13. The case according to claim 12, cha racterized in that the bottom (13) of the recession (14) and/or the front top cover of the recession (14) has a recess of up to a distance of 2-6 mm in the direction from the open peripheral side of the recession (14).

14. The case according to claim 13, cha racterized i n that the recess is adjusted with at least rounded transitions into the periphery of the base plate (1).

15. The case according to claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the roughness of at least a part of one of the front surfaces of the base plate (1) being of such a value so that it can be written on by pencil, pen, ballpoint pen or marker.

16. The case according to claims 1 to 15, characterized in that additional guide-rails (16) are adjusted on the margins of the bottom front area of the base plate (1) adapted to guide a credit-card sized card (3).

17. The case according to claims 1 to 16, characterized in that it is formed to hold one to nine SIM cards (2).