Apple gets patent for SIM card connector

Apple receives a patent for the Mini-SIM connector

Apple has received a patent from the USPTO and while the official title is for a Mini-SIM card connector, the technology involved will work with a SIM-card, Mini-SIM or a Micro-SIM card. Actually, it will work with any sized SIM card. The connector allows for easy insertion and removal of the SIM card and is resistant to any damage that could be caused by an incorrect insertion of the card, and provides for "reliable mechanical performance" of the connector.

The patent was originally filed by Apple in the third quarter of 2010 and was credited to Zheng Gao, Benjamin Rappoport, and Steve McClure. The main goal was to provide a connector that could not get damaged by the incorrect insertion of a SIM card. For example, let's say that someone inserts their SIM card in backward and needs to remove it. The patented technology makes it easy to remove the SIM card because it prevents the connector from getting damaged when the card was inserted improperly in the first place. Using a plunger system, the card is safely removed without any damage being dome to the connector. For those keeping track, the patent awarded to Apple is 8,337,223.

"Connectors that may allow SIM cards to be easily removed and replaced, may be resistant to damage by an improper insertion of a SIM card, and may provide reliable mechanical performance. One example may provide a plunger system where a user can push on a plunger rod and eject a SIM card. Another example may provide contacts that are not damaged by improper insertion of a SIM card. Another example may provide a plastic housing, the housing reinforced by a metallic shield and having a relatively uniform thickness"-Apple patent

source: USPTO,  PatentlyApple