Conventional type cases, although having various shapes, substantially comprise a main body which defines an area for receiving the mobile telephone.

In general, such cases have the purpose of protecting the telephone and, in some cases, are provided with a hook or with other clipping members which enable them to be fixed to external supports such as the user's belt.

Mobile or portable telephones and, in particular, cellular phones, employ a data card which comprises a memory device storing information of various types such as, for example, user identification data, information regarding the subscription associated therewith or the charge for calls made. The data cards most widely used in the cellular telephone field are SIM cards having dimensions equal to those of credit cards and the so- called micro-SIM cards having smaller dimensions, comparable to those of a postage stamp.

Mobile telephone service users are ever more attracted by the possibility of using, for a single mobile telephone, several data cards, each corresponding to a different type of subscription and therefore to a different tariff and telephone number.

In order to satisfy such requirements and to avoid the material substitution of the data card inserted into the mobile telephone with another data card which it is desired to use at that moment, data card support and switching devices that can be operably associated with the mobile telephone have been proposed.

The data card support and switching devices of known type have two housing seats for the two data cards and a switch which allows selective connection of the two data cards to a suitable reading device present in the mobile telephone. These support and switching devices can be electrically connected to the reading device by means of suitable electrical terminals.

The known support and switching devices may have different embodiments but share the common characteristic of having to be incorporated within the mobile telephone.

It has been observed that this type of solution requires structural modifications and, in some cases, also circuitry modifications of the telephone itself

which may be considerable. This makes it complicated to fit a conventional support and switching device to mobile telephones already existing on the market.

Moreover, it has been noted that incorporating the support and switching device within the mobile telephone involves an increase in its overall dimensions which is at odds with the tendency in this field, which is instead directed towards reducing the dimensions of the structural parts of the mobile telephone (external shell, battery housing) and miniaturizing the electronic circuitry.

The problem on which the present invention is based is that of remedying the drawbacks of the prior art described above which limit the wider use of data card support and switching devices.

This problem is solved by means of a mobile telephone case produced in accordance with claim 1.

A further subject of the present invention is a mobile telephone case produced in accordance with claim 10.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of some of its preferred embodiments, provided by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a data card support and switching device ; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a mobile telephone case in a closed configuration and according to a particular embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the case in Figure 2 in an open configuration; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the case in Figure 2 comprising a data card support and switching device analogous to that in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a particular embodiment of a data card support and switching device 100 according to the present invention.

The data card support and switching device 100 comprises a printed circuit board 101 on which are provided a first seat 102 and a second seat 103, respectively intended to receive a first and a second data card (not shown in Figure 1), for example, of the SIM type or, preferably, of the micro-SIM type. For example, in the case where the printed circuit board 101 is intended to house two micro-SIM cards said board 101 may be rectangular in shape and have dimensions which are approximately equal to 0.032 m x 0.048 m.

At the first seat 102 and at the second seat 103 are respectively provided a first plurality la-6a and a

second plurality lb-6b of contact terminals intended to come into contact respectively with suitable terminals with which the data cards to be inserted into the seats 102 and 103 are provided.

Preferably, the contact terminals of the first plurality la-6a and of the second plurality lb-6b are of the resiliently yielding type so as not to damage the corresponding data cards with which they come into contact.

Each terminal of the first and second plurality of contact terminals la-6a and lb-6b is electrically connected to a respective contact emplacement of a first and second plurality of contact emplacements or pads llla-116a and lllb-116b provided at the lateral edges of the first seat 102 and of the second seat 103.

Moreover, on the printed circuit board 101 are provided two switching pads 1A, 1B, an enabling pad 1C and six reading pads 1-6. The reading pad 1 is intended to receive an enabling signal for data cards and is connected, by means of an electrical line or track 10, to the switching pad 1C.

The switching pads 1A and 1B are respectively connected by means of tracks 11 and 12 to the contact pad llla of the first seat 102 and to the contact pad lllb of the second seat 103.

The reading pads 2-6 are connected to respective electrical lines or tracks 20-60. Each of said tracks 20-60, following suitable paths on the board 101 shown by way of example in the drawing, is connected to a contact pad of the second seat 103 and also to a contact pad of the first seat 102. In greater detail, the track 20 is connected to the contact pads 112b and 112a, the track 30 to the contact pads 113b and 113a, the track 40 to the contact pads 114b and 114a, the track 50 to the contact pads 115b and 115a and the track 60 to the contact pads 116b and 116a.

The printed circuit board 101 can be produced by conventional techniques, known to a person skilled in the art, and may comprise a protective plastics film arranged so as to cover the conductive tracks and to leave only specific electrical terminals or contact pads accessible.

Moreover, on the printed circuit board 101 are arranged switching means intended to select one of the two data cards arranged in the seats 102 and 103.

For example, said switching means are provided by a conventional switch 115 of electromechanical type equipped with a control member provided by a manually operable slider 117. Alternatively, any other type of switching means may be used which is suitable for the

purpose, such as, for example, switching means comprising an electronic switch provided with a control push button.

The switch 115 comprises an enabling terminal 118 connected to the enabling pad 1C.

The switch 115 is such as to connect the enabling terminal 118 selectively to the switching emplacement 1A and to the switching emplacement 1B, on the basis of the position assumed by the slider 117.

The support and switching device 100 makes it possible, by acting on the slider 117, to enable only one of the data cards arranged in the seats 102 and 103 to be read, and therefore to disable the other data card.

The operation of the support and switching device 100 is as follows.

Let it be assumed that the pad 1 is supplied with an enabling signal for data cards such as, for example, an enabling signal issuing from a suitable reading device of a mobile telephone. Said enabling signal, through the track 10, is fed to the enabling pad 1C.

In the case where the slider 117 is positioned so that the switch 115 makes an electrical connection between the enabling pad 1C and the switching pad 1A, said enabling signal is fed, by means of the track 11,

to the contact emplacement llla and to the terminal of the first seat 102. The enabling signal causes the first data card inserted in the first seat 102 to make available on the tracks 20-30, by way of the terminals 2a-6a, the data stored therein. Therefore, said data are available on the reading pad 2-6.

It will be observed that the possibility could be provided for the mobile telephone not only to read the data stored in the selected card but also to cancel said data and to write in new data.

Similarly, by moving the slider 117 with respect to the initial position it will be possible to enable the second data card inserted in the second seat 103 to be read and to exclude the first data card.

Figures 2 and 3 show as a whole a particular embodiment of a mobile telephone case 200 according to the invention.

The case 200, in addition to having the functions of housing and protecting the mobile telephone, makes it possible to house and protect a data card support and switching device that can be operably associated with the mobile telephone itself.

The case 200 defines a receiving area 201 for the mobile telephone (not shown in the drawings).

The case 200 may have a shape and dimensions which

are different from those illustrated in the drawings in order to adapt to the external shape of the mobile telephone which it is intended to receive. Various types of materials may be used for the production of the case 200, such as, for example, fabric, leather, plastics material, rubber.

Moreover, the case 200 may not wrap completely round the mobile telephone but allow some parts thereof to be directly accessible from the outside, such as, for example, the telephone keypad.

The particular case 200 shown in the drawings has a substantially box-like shape and comprises a front wall 202, preferably of transparent plastics material, a rear wall 203 and two side walls 204 (only one of which is visible in Figures 2 and 3) made, for example, of fabric. Said walls 202,203,204, which bound the receiving area 201, may be connected to one another by stitching. Moreover, the case 200 is provided with a base 205 having an opening 205'to allow access to the mobile telephone inserted into the case itself, for example, for fitting a plug to the telephone for battery charging.

The mobile telephone can be inserted into the receiving area 201 through an opening 209 provided at an opposite end of the case 200 from the base 205.

Advantageously, the front wall of plastics material 202 enables a screen or display of the telephone and its keypad to be seen.

Moreover, the rear wall 203 has associated with it an additional wall 211 made, for example, of fabric and comprising a portion 212, fixed to the rear wall 203 by gluing or stitching, and an offshoot or tongue 213.

At the opening 209, the front wall 202 is provided with a first flexible member 206 which acts as a cover for the opening 209.

Said member 206 may be releasably fixed, by means of the interposition of Velcro, to a second member 207 associated with the portion 212 of the additional wall 211.

The portion 212 is advantageously provided with two flexible lateral members 208 (only one of which is visible in the drawings) that can be fixed to the corresponding side walls 204 by means, for example, of the interposition of Velcro. The separation of said lateral members 208 from the side walls 204 enables the opening 209 to be widened further, facilitating the insertion and removal of the mobile telephone.

Preferably, the rear wall 203 is provided with a hook 210 for clipping to an external support such as, for example, a user's belt.

Moreover, the case 200 is provided with a seat 214 for housing a data card support and switching device, preferably analogous to the device 100 described above.

According to the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the housing seat 214 is provided in the rear wall 203 at an outer surface of the wall itself, or, at the opposite surface from the receiving area 201. The seat 214 is substantially rectangular in shape and is bounded by a raised edge 215.

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the housing seat for the data card support and switching device may have a shape different from that shown and may be arranged at different portions of the case 200 from that described.

The tongue 213 of the additional wall 211 may be folded between a closed position and an open position of the seat 214.

In the closed position (shown in Figure 2), the tongue 213 is substantially parallel to the rear wall 203, and in the open position (shown in Figure 3) is folded so as to be transverse to the rear wall 203.

The tongue 213 is a particular example of covering means for the seat 214 that are usable according to the invention.

Advantageously, the seat 214 has operably associated with it means for fixing the tongue 213 to the seat itself. In particular, fixing is effected with Velcro comprising strips 216 arranged on the wall 203 at edges of the seat 214 and opposable to strips 217 arranged on the tongue 213.

In the rear wall 203, in proximity to the region where the tongue 213 joins the rear wall itself, an opening 218 is provided which allows the passage, from the housing seat 214 to the receiving area 201, of electrical connection means used to connect the support and switching device 100 to the mobile telephone inserted into the case 200.

Figure 4 shows the case 200 described above comprising a support and switching device 100, of the type described with reference to Figure 1, and means for electrical connection between said device 100 and the mobile telephone to be inserted into the case.

For simplicity of representation, in the illustration of the device 100 of Figure 4 neither the connecting tracks on the printed circuit board 101 nor all the contact terminals or pads described in detail with reference to the preceding Figure 1 have been shown.

In the example of Figure 4, the first seat 102 and

the second seat 103 respectively comprise a receptacle 219 intended to contain a data card such as, for example, a micro-SIM card.

In the example of Figure 4, the receptacles 219 are of known type and comprise a substantially rectangular plate having lateral walls shaped so as to ensure the retention of the micro-SIM card, and have an access opening for the insertion of the card itself.

Moreover, the receptacles 219 are of movable type, that is to say, they can rotate about a hinge axis between two positions.

In a first position, the receptacles 219 are transverse to the printed circuit board 101 so as to allow the insertion or removal of the micro-SIM card.

In a second position, shown in Figure 4, the receptacles 219 lie within the respective seats 102 and 103 so as to ensure the electrical contact of each micro-SIM card with the contact terminals la-6a and lb-6b. As an alternative to the movable receptacles 219, it is also possible to use conventional receptacles of the slide type, that is to say, slidable parallel to the plane of the printed circuit board 101.

According to the particular embodiment of Figure 4, the means for electrical connection between the support and switching device 100 and the mobile telephone are

provided by means of a suitably flexible conventional flat electric cable 220.

Said electric cable 220 is provided with six conductors or electrical lines, each connected, at an end 221 of the cable 220, to a reading emplacement 1-6 of the device 100 and, at an opposite end 222, to an interface card 223.

The interface card 223 is intended to be inserted into a housing seat for data cards with which the mobile telephone is provided, and has dimensions, a shape and electrical contacts substantially identical to those of an actual data card of the micro-SIM type, but is without a memory device.

In this way the data made available on the reading emplacements 1-6, and stored in the single data card enabled for operation by the switch 115, can be read by a conventional reading device with which the mobile telephone is provided.

Advantageously, at the end 221 of the cable 220 fixing means for securing said end to the printed circuit board 101 may be used. For example, a fabric reinforcing strap 224 may be used. In a similar manner (not shown in the drawing) it is possible to effect the fixing of the end 222 of the cable 220 to the interface card 223.

The fitting of the support and switching device 100 to the case 200 is particularly easy. The interface card 223 connected to the cable 220 is passed through the opening 218 and the opening 209 and can then be inserted into the mobile telephone. It should be noted that if the mobile telephone provides a cover which closes the area in which the data card receiving seat is positioned, the cable 220, owing to its flexibility and its reduced thickness, is such as to be able to be interposed between the mobile telephone and this cover without suffering any damage and without compromising the closure of the cover itself.

After the insertion of the interface card, the mobile telephone can be introduced into the case 200 and the cable 220 will be suitably folded back. The support and switching device 100 housed in the seat 214 is maintained in position within the housing seat 214 by means of the tongue 213 closed back onto the rear wall 203.

The tongue 203 also constitutes sufficient protection for the printed circuit board 101.

The slider 117 which can be acted upon for the selection of the desired data card is accessible laterally, also while maintaining the tongue 213 in the closed position.

It should be noted that the support and switching device 100 can be removed and the case 200 can be used as a conventional case.

It should be observed that the teaching of the present invention enables data card support and switching devices to be used without modifying either the structure of the mobile telephone or its internal circuitry. Therefore, the support and switching device may be easily fitted to any type of existing mobile telephone on the market.

Moreover, since the support and switching device is housed in the case and is not incorporated in the mobile telephone, the overall dimensions of the telephone itself remain unchanged.

Obviously, a person skilled in the art, in order to fulfil contingent and specific requirements, may apply many modifications and variants to the case described above or to the support and switching device used, all, however, contained within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.