Portable Electronic Device SIM Card and Battery Arrangement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing structure of portable electronic devices, where the battery pack is vertically superposed on the SIM card, hinders the reduction of the device's thickness and complicates maintenance by obscuring the SIM card's presence, especially in folding or sliding designs.

Innovation Solution

A portable electronic apparatus with a unit retention mechanism for slide-mounting the SIM card and a battery retention mechanism that allows the battery pack to hold a unit lock member immobile, enabling independent location of the battery pack and SIM card in a plane, allowing for easy verification of the SIM card's presence without removing the battery pack.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the battery pack is vertically superposed on the SIM card, then the SIM card can be retained, but the thickness of the apparatus main body increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSIM card retentionVSAvoidthickness of apparatus main body
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from vertical superposition (one dimension) to horizontal arrangement (another dimension). The SIM card and battery pack are positioned side-by-side along the width direction rather than stacked vertically, thereby reducing the thickness while maintaining both components' functionality and retention reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If the battery pack is positioned to hide the SIM card, then the structure is compact, but the SIM card presence cannot be confirmed without removing the battery pack

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural compactnessVSAvoidSIM card verification
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

By arranging the SIM card and battery pack in different horizontal positions rather than vertical stacking, the SIM card becomes visible and accessible from the front view without requiring battery pack removal, thus maintaining structural compactness while enabling easy verification

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the card socket is located on the bottom portion of the battery retention mechanism, then SIM card malfunction is prevented, but the device cannot be made thinner

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveSIM card operation safetyVSAvoiddevice thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent repositions the card socket from the bottom portion (vertical arrangement) to a horizontal position adjacent to the battery retention mechanism. This dimensional change allows the SIM card to be inserted and retained safely without requiring the battery pack to be removed first, while simultaneously reducing the overall device thickness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2086207B1Portable electronic device
Publication Date: 2017.05.31 NEC CORP
  • EP2086207B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2086207B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2086207B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

When a unit lock member (130) is engaged with a SIM card (220) mounted in a unit retention mechanism (120), a battery pack (210) can be mounted or removed. When the battery pack (210) is removed, the unit lock member (130) is permitted to slide thereby enabling mounting or removing the SIM card (220). Thus, the SIM card (220) cannot be mounted or removed while the battery pack (210) is mounted. Still, the battery pack (210) and the SIM card (220) are separately located in a plane, and hence a terminal main body (110) can be made thinner, and the presence of the SIM card (220) can be confirmed without the need to remove the battery pack (210).