Patent Application
20140104767
1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates in general to electronic communication devices and more particularly to an inline tray assembly for receiving multiple data cards.
2. Background Art
Mobile electronic devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, and the like, are being made to accept multiple types of end-user external inserted cards. An example of an inserted card is a Subscriber Identity Module card (SIM card) which is an integrated circuit that securely stores the International Mobile Subscriber Identity and related keys used to identify and authenticate subscribers, store a limited amount of data such as 250 contact names and phone numbers, as well as subscribers identity, security, and personal information to identify users on a cell phone network, and can be transferred between different mobile devices. SIM cards have become smaller over the years. They come in the full-size SIM 1st form factor (1FF), mini-SIM 2nd form-factor (2FF), micro-SIM 3rd form-factor (3FF), and nano-SIM 4th form-factor (4FF). The 4FF SIM can be put into adapters for use as a 2FF or 3FF SIM, so they are backward compatible. On some networks, the mobile phone is locked to its carrier SIM card, meaning that the phone only works with SIM cards from the specific carrier.
Secure Device cards (SD cards), also known as Super Density cards, are another example of inserted cards used in mobile devices. SD cards are non-volatile memory cards used to store data for use in a range of portable devices. SD cards retain data without drawing power from the battery of a mobile device. SD cards are presently available in three different form factors. The standard SD, the miniSD, and the microSD (originally named the TransFlash or TF). The microSD (uSD) is the smallest memory card that can presently be purchased. It is about a quarter of the size of a standard SD card. There are adapters which make the uSD able to fit in the products which have slots for standard SD and miniSD. The uSD format was created by the company SanDisk. The amount of power used by uSD cards is different for each card because they are made by different manufacturers, but the card typically has a range of 20-100 mA at a supply voltage of 2.2 V.
The United States and Europe are SIM and uSD supported. Asia is dual SIM supported. However, each company producing SIM cards and each country uses its own version of SIM cards. Tablet devices use SIM cards if they have a cell version, or uSD cards if they have a WiFi only version. Music players use uSD cards.
Within a mobile device, different connectors are needed to load different cards. However, one card connector only loads one corresponding card, so the mobile device needs to be designed with different card connectors. Using multiple different connectors can be costly from a supply chain standpoint because multiple different connectors must be stocked. Therefore, a card connector which can load different cards is desirable.
In the past, data cards have been used in devices with separate connection and retention footprints. They are often cumbersome, take up a lot of space and can cause damage to a data card when it is forced into the wrong retention footprint.
It is therefore, desirable to provide an inline tray assembly for multiple data cards that overcomes many of the preceding disadvantages.
In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the disclosure can be obtained, a more particular description of the disclosure briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
The display 240 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a plasma display, a touch screen display or any other means for displaying information. The transceiver 250 may include a transmitter and/or a receiver. The audio input and output circuitry 230 can include a microphone, a speaker, a transducer, or any other audio input and output circuitry. The user interface 260 can include a keypad, buttons, a touch screen or pad, a joystick, an additional display, or any other device useful for providing an interface between a user and an electronic device.
The memory 270 may include a random access memory, a read only memory, an optical memory or any other memory that can be coupled to a wireless communication device.
Referring to the
Advantageously, this structure provides an improved arrangement adapted to accept a plurality of data cards in a small geometric area and minimizes the possibility of data cards being damaged, which is effective, economical, and easy to use, as detailed herein. In addition, this structure can accept a plurality of data cards in a user-friendly single assembly with the receptacles being configured to reject the wrong card. Thus, a user can easily insert and place data cards in a wireless communication device.
The inline tray assembly 300 can include the first data card receiving cavity 306 being complementarily configured to only receive a first data card 308 and the second data card receiving cavity 310 being complementarily configured to only receive the second data card 312, which can help in minimizing the possibility to data cards being damaged by users, In one embodiment, the tray module 302 is a shallow platform designed for carrying data cards and can be made of a plastic and metal. The tray module 302 can be flat, with boundaries and ledges, to minimize the possibility of a data card from sliding off of it, during handling, insertion and removal. As should be understood, various shapes can be used, but is generally rectangular in form, with a handle or door 318.
The tray module 302 includes a door 318 and a first rail 320 and a second rail 322 extending along an x-axis, as shown by compass 314, from a proximal portion 326 to a distal portion 328 and being separated by a width 332 along a y-axis sufficiently to provide an outer boundary 330 around at least a portion of the first and the second data cards 308 and 312 along the y-axis. As shown in
In one embodiment, the tray module 302 includes the proximal portion 326 of the first and the second rails 320 and 322 includes inwardly extending ledges 338 adapted to support the first data card 308 around the cavity 306, for an enhanced seating of the first data card 308.
The tray module can include a door 318, a first rail 320 and a second rail 322 extending from a proximal portion 326 to a distal portion 328 and a middle support section 340 being substantially parallel to the door 318, the middle support section 340 connecting a middle section 342 of the first rail 320 and a second rail 322, to provide enhanced structure and integrity between the first data card receiving cavity 306 and the second data card receiving cavity 310.
The tray receptacle 304 can include a planar shelf 344 including spring contacts, for enhanced connection. The shelf 344 can be a substrate, a printed circuit board and the like.
In one embodiment, the shelf 344 includes a proximal section 346 and a distal section 348, the proximal section 346 including a first set of contacts 350 for connection to the first data card 306 contacts when the first data card 306 is inserted into the first data card receiving cavity 306 and the distal section 348 includes a second set of contacts 352 for connection to the second data card 312 contacts when the second data card 312 is inserted into the second data card receiving cavity 310.
In a preferred embodiment, the first rail 320 and the second rail 322 include a termination point 354 terminating short of the second set of contacts 352, as shown in
In a preferred arrangement, the tray module 302 provides an inline construction for receiving a plurality of data cards, such as the first and the second data cards 308 and 312 in alignment, along an x-axis and can include a locking mechanism 360 including at least one of a push-push mechanism and push-pull mechanism. For example, the locking mechanism 360 can include a push-push ejector for guiding and/or ejecting the tray module 302. A user can insert the tray module 302 in the tray receptacle 304, as shown in
As shown in
In more detail, the tray module 302 is moveable from an open position extending outwardly, as shown in
As an example, the first data card 308 and the second data card 312 include at least one of: a subscriber identity module card (SIM card), full-size SIM 1st form factor (1FF) card, mini-SIM 2nd form-factor (2FF) card, micro-SIM 3rd form-factor (3FF) card, nano-SIM 4th form-factor (4FF) card, secure device card (SD card), standard SD card, miniSD card, microSD (uSD) card, memory card, storage card, and expanded external memory card. In a preferred embodiment, the first data card 308 includes a SIM and the second data card 312 includes a SD card.
As shown in the figures, the tray module 302 is generally rectangular and has a narrow profile or minimal z-dimension, for taking up minimal space in a portable device, for example.
In another embodiment, a wireless communication device, in the form of a user terminal 120 is disclosed in
Advantageously, the tray assembly 300 is portable and can be easily integrated into the housing and/or a circuit board of a wireless communication device. Advantageously, this arrangement can allow a supplier to stock a single assembly that can be used across a platform of wireless communication devices, to lower costs and increase profits, by using less parts.
In one embodiment, the first data card receiving cavity 306 is complementarily configured to only receive a first data card 308 and the second data card receiving cavity 310 is complementarily configured to only receive a second data card 312. This construction can minimize damage to data cards, by users trying to insert the wrong cards into the wrong receptacle, for example.
In one embodiment, the tray receptacle 304 includes a shelf 344 including a proximal section 346 and a distal section 348, the proximal section 346 including a first set of contacts 350 for connection to the first data card 308 when the first data card 308 is inserted into the first data card receiving cavity 306 and the first rail 320 and a second rail 322 terminating short of the second set of contacts 352, as detailed previously. Advantageously, the tray receptacle 304 can have two sets of contacts, each set specific to one of the memory cards accepted.
In one exemplary use case, a first data card 308, in the form of a SIM card, is loaded into the tray module 302 in the z direction, as shown in
In an alternative embodiment, the first data card 308 and second data card 312 can include: (i) a SIM and T-flash with complimentarily configured cavities; (ii) SIM and SIM with complimentarily configured cavities; and (iii) SIM, SIM and T-flash with three complimentarily configured cavities.
Although embodiments have been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications, substitutions, and rearrangements of parts, components, and steps, as well as other uses can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of the invention.
