Card connector assembly for portable electronic device

A portable electronic device includes a main body and a card connector assembly mounted inside of the main body. The card connector assembly includes a base including a protrusion and a protrusion plate, a cover, and a movable plate. The protrusion includes a plurality of contacts. The protrusion plate includes an electromagnet. The cover is rotatably connected to the base, and includes a retaining member for retaining an electronic card. The movable plate is slidably connected to the protrusion plate, and is made of magnetic material. When in use, the cover is rotated until the electronic card contacts the contacts, the electronic device controls to power for the electromagnet, the electromagnet generates a magnetic field which drives the movable plate to slide toward the protrusion along the protrusion plate until the movable plate moves below the cover to prevent the cover from rotating in one direction.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to portable electronic devices and, particularly, to a portable electronic device with a card connector assembly.

2. Description of Related Art

A card connector assembly is often installed in an electronic device, such as a notebook computer. The electronic device can thus read data from or write data to an electronic card.

When removing or inserting the electronic card, a back cover of the portable electronic device usually needs to be removed. After frequently detaching the back cover, it may become loose or wear out and may tend to be detached unintentionally from the electronic device.

Therefore, what is needed is a portable electronic device which utilizes the card connector assembly to overcome the described shortcoming.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail below, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring toFIGS. 1-4, an embodiment of a portable electronic device1is illustrated. The portable electronic device1includes a main body10and a card connector assembly20mounted inside of the main body10. The card connector assembly20is configured for receiving an electronic card30. In the embodiment, the portable electronic device1is a notebook computer. In other embodiments, the portable electronic device1may be a mobile phone, or a digital camera, etc.

The card connector assembly20includes a base21, a cover22rotatably connected to the base21, and a movable plate23slidably connected to the base21.

The base21includes a first sidewall211, a second sidewall212, and a bottom213connecting the sidewalls211and212. A protrusion214protrudes from the bottom213. The first sidewall211and the second sidewall212are substantially perpendicular to the bottom213. A first permanent magnet217is placed between the protrusion214and the first sidewall211. The protrusion214includes a top surface2140. A number of contacts2141are mounted on the top surface2140. The contacts2141of the top surface2140are configured for respectively making contact with the contacts (not shown) of the electronic card30to establish an electronic connection. In the embodiment, the number of contacts2141of the top surface2140is six.

The base21further includes two opposing axle receivers215protruding from the bottom213and adjacent to the second sidewall212. Two axle holes2150are respectively defined in the two opposing axle receivers215arranged on one end of the base21, adjacent to the second sidewall212.

The base21further includes a protrusion plate216perpendicularly extending from an end2120of the second sidewall212and away from the second sidewall212. The protrusion plate216includes two opposing guide walls2161and2162, and a bottom2163between the guide walls2161and2162. Two opposing sliding grooves2164are respectively formed in the middle portion of two opposing guide walls2161,2162along a lengthwise direction perpendicular to the second sidewall212. The two sliding grooves2164are configured for providing a slideway for the movable plate23. A third permanent magnet218is arranged on the bottom2163away from the second sidewall212. An electromagnet219is arranged on the bottom2163adjacent to the second sidewall212.

The cover22includes a lower surface220, two opposing extending arms221extending from the lower surface220, two opposing retaining members223extending from the lower surface220, and a stopper222extending from the lower surface220.

Two axle holes2210are respectively defined in two opposing extending arms221arranged on one end of the cover22. The base21further incorporates two shafts229. The two shafts229respectively pass through the two axle holes2150and2210, thereby rotatably connecting the cover22to the base21. The electronic card30can be inserted into the cover22along the two opposing retaining members223until it is contacts the stopper222. A second permanent magnet224is arranged on the lower surface220away from the stopper222, and is opposite to the first permanent magnet217.

Two tabs230extend from two sides of the movable plate23along a lengthwise direction, and are respectively received into the two opposing sliding grooves2164, thereby slidably connecting the movable plate23to the protrusion plate216. The movable plate23is made of magnetic material, and is movable along the two sliding grooves2164under influence of a magnetic field. In an initial state, the movable plate23is attracted by the third permanent magnet218to be located in a position of the protrusion plate216away from the second sidewall212.

When assembling, the base21is attached inside the main body10, the cover22is rotatably connected to the base21by the two shafts229and two axle holes2150and2210, and the movable plate23is slidably connected to the base21by the two tabs230sliding in the two sliding grooves2164.

Referring also toFIG. 5, when in use, the electronic card30is inserted into the cover22along the two retaining members223until the electronic card30is stopped by the stopper222. The cover22is then manually rotated until the first permanent magnet217attracts the second permanent magnet224at which time the magnetic attraction completes the rotation of the cover22to a closed position, and the electronic card30electrically contacts the contacts2141of the top surface2140. A processor (not shown) of the main body10generates an electrical signal after detecting this electrical connection, and controls a power unit (not shown) to power the electromagnet219to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field attracts the movable plate23to move toward the second sidewall212. Because the attractive force applied to the movable plate23from the magnetic field exceeds the attractive force from the third permanent magnet218, the movable plate23is driven to move along the protrusion plate216toward the second sidewall212until the movable plate23moves below the cover22. According to the lever principle, the cover22is covered the base21by the movable plate23to prevent the cover22from rotating in one direction.

When attempting to remove the electronic card30from the card connector assembly20, a user can break the electrical connection between the electronic card30and the contacts2141. In the embodiment, the user breaks the electrical connection between the electronic card30and the contacts2141by closing the portable computer1. In another embodiment, the user can use software to break the electrical connection between the electronic card30and the contacts2141. The processor of the main body10then controls the power unit to cut off the power for the electromagnet219. Then the electromagnet219cannot generate the attractive force against the movable plate23. The movable plate23is attracted by the third permanent magnet218and slides along the protrusion plate216avoiding contacting with the second sidewall212. The cover22thus frees the limitation from the movable plate23. Then, the user can depress counter-clockwise a portion228of the cover22between the second sidewall212and the axle receiver215until the attractive force between the first permanent magnet217and the second permanent magnet224is overcome. The cover22then rotates away from the base21. The user can then remove the electronic card23from the card connector assembly20.