Abstract:
An electronic device includes an electronic card connector. The electronic card connector includes a tray assembly configured to receive an electronic card, and a base configured to receive the tray assembly. The tray assembly includes a hook mechanism, and the base includes a hook engaging mechanism. The tray assembly is locked in the base by an engagement of the hook mechanism and the hook engaging mechanism. The base also includes an elastic member. The elastic member is configured to eject the tray assembly out of the base when the hook mechanism is disengaged from the hook engaging mechanism.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to electronic card connectors, and particularly to an electronic card connector having a tray assembly and an electronic device using the electronic card connector. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Some electronic devices have electronic cards, such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card or a flash memory card, installed in a sidewall of the electronic device. However, when the electronic device requires a dedicated tool to eject the electronic card out of the sidewall, it is inconvenient for a user to carry and use the dedicated tool. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    All the views are schematic. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an electronic device using an electronic card connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a partial, cutaway view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , showing the electronic card connector installed in the electronic device. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exploded, isometric view of the electronic card connector shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but viewed from another aspect. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a partial view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , showing a tray assembly of the electronic card connector being inserted into a base of the electronic card connector. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a partial view of the electronic device of  FIG. 1 , showing the tray assembly of the electronic card connector disengaged from the electronic device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    The disclosure, including the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements, is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references can mean “at least one.” 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , an electronic device  10  includes an electronic card connector  100 . A recessed receiving portion  12  is defined in a sidewall  11  of the electronic device  10 , and a slot  13  is defined in a bottom of the recessed receiving portion  12 . The electronic card connector  100  is installed adjacent to a corner of the electronic device  10 . 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , the electronic card connector  100  includes a tray assembly  1  and a base  2 . The tray assembly  1  includes a sliding tray  14 , a pair of locking rods  15 , a pivot  16 , two elastic components  17 , and a support member  18 . The sliding tray  14  includes a flat portion  140  and a baffle portion  141 . The flat portion  140  is substantially rectangular and includes an upper surface  1401  and a lower surface  1402 . A pivot through hole  1403  is defined in the flat portion  140 . Two recesses  1404  are defined in the upper surface  1401  adjacent to opposite ends of the flat portion  140 , respectively. An electronic card-receiving recessed portion  1405  is defined in the lower surface  1402 . 
         [0015]    The baffle portion  141  includes an inner surface  1410 , an outer surface  1411 , and a bottom surface  1412 . A sunk portion  1413  is defined in the outer surface  1411 , and two strip through holes  1414  are defined in a bottom of the sunk portion  1413 . The two strip through holes  1414  are on a same level and extend along a direction substantially parallel to the bottom surface  1412 . The flat portion  140  is connected to the inner surface  1410  of the baffle portion  141  and is located adjacent to the two strip through holes  1414 , and the lower surface  1402  is coplanar with the bottom surface  1412 . 
         [0016]    Each locking rod  15  includes a body  151 , a head  152  at one end of the body  151 , and a hook  153  at an opposite end of the body  151 . The head  152  is received in the sunk portion  1413 . The head  152  is a substantially rectangular tab and is angled with respect to the body  151 . The hook  153  is angled with respect to the body  151 . The body  151  defines an oblique groove  154 . A through hole  155  is defined in the bottom of the oblique groove  154 . A depth of the oblique groove  154  is substantially half the size of a thickness of the locking rod  15 . Two fixing pins  156  protrude from opposite sides of the body  151 . One of the two fixing pins  156  is adjacent to the hook  153 , and the other fixing pin  156  is adjacent to the head  152 . The fixing pin  156  adjacent to the head  152  and the head  152  extend away from a same side of the body  151 . The fixing pin  156  adjacent to the hook  153  and the hook  153  extend away from opposite sides of the body  151 . 
         [0017]    The base  2  includes a fixing body  21 , an elastic member  22 , and a number of fastening components  23 . The fixing body  21  is fixed to a bottom of the electronic device  10  by the fastening components  23 . The fixing body  21  defines a substantially rectangular receiving cavity  211  that receives the tray assembly  1 . An open end of the receiving cavity  211  faces the slot  13 . Two hook-receiving cavities  2111  are defined in a top surface of the fixing body  21 . The hook-receiving cavities  2111  communicate with the receiving cavity  211 . In the illustrated embodiment, the two hook-receiving cavities  2111  are defined in opposite bottom corners of the receiving cavity  211 , and each of the two hook-receiving cavities  2111  is similarly angled with respect to a corresponding sidewall of the receiving cavity  211 . The elastic member  22  is arranged at a bottom surface of the receiving cavity  211  and includes an arcuate portion  221  protruding toward the open end of the cavity  211 . 
         [0018]    In assembly of the tray assembly  1 , the two locking rods  15  are inserted through the two strip through holes  1414 , intersected and overlapped with each other by the two oblique grooves  154 . When the two locking rods  15  are overlapped, the overlapped portions are on the same level as the non-overlapped portions and the two through holes  155  of the locking rods  15  overlap each other. The hooks  153  of the two locking rods  15  are received in a corresponding hook-receiving cavity  2111 , and the two heads  152  are received in the sunk portion  1413 . The two heads  152  are flush with the outer surface  1411  and spaced a distance from the bottom of the sunk portion  1413 . The pivot  16  is received in the two overlapped through holes  155  and the pivot through hole  1403 , thereby rotatably connecting the two locking rods  15  to the sliding tray  14 . One of the two elastic components  17  is connected between the two fixing pins  156  adjacent to the hooks  153 , while the other elastic component  17  is connected between the two fixing pins  156  adjacent to the head  152 . The two elastic components  17  are partially received in a corresponding recess  1404 . The two elastic components  17  apply a pushing force to the two locking rods  15 . The support member  18  includes an open bottom slot  181 . The support member  18  covers the electronic card-receiving recessed portion  1405 , such that the open bottom slot  181  faces the card-receiving recessed portion  1405 . The electronic card  19  is received in the open bottom slot  181 . In the illustrated embodiment, the two elastic components  17  are springs. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , to insert the tray assembly  1  into the electronic device  10 , the two heads  152  are pushed toward each other, thereby causing the two locking rods  15  to rotate about the pivot  16 . The two hooks  153  move toward each other to be received in the receiving cavity  211 . The tray assembly  1  is then pushed until the flat portion  140  is completely received in the receiving cavity  211 . The two heads  152  are released, and the elastic components  17  resiliently push the two hooks  153  to be received in the two hook-receiving cavities  2111 , thereby locking the tray assembly  1  in the base  2 . The end of the flat portion  140  away from the baffle portion  141  resiliently abuts the arcuate portion  221  of the elastic member  22 . 
         [0020]    To release the tray assembly  1  from the base  2 , the two heads  152  are pushed toward each other, thereby causing the two locking rods  15  to rotate about the pivot  16 . The two hooks  153  then move toward each other to release from the two hook-receiving cavities  2111 . The tray assembly  1  is then ejected partially out of the electronic device  10  by the compressed elastic member  22  and can be pulled out of the electronic device  10 . 
         [0021]    Although certain inventive embodiments have been specifically described, the present disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the present embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.