Card tray and electronic device

Abstract

To provide a card tray and an electronic device capable of suppressing damage to a slot and a card-shaped medium.SOLUTION: A card tray includes a tray portion having a storage space capable of storing card-shaped media, and a handle portion provided at one end of the tray portion. The tray portion includes a frame portion formed to surround the storage space and having a rectangular shape when viewed from a first direction, a support portion that supports the card-shaped media stored in the storage space from one side in the first direction, and a ride-up prevention portion formed at a base of the frame portion located between the storage space and the handle portion, and located on the other side in the first direction of the frame portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a card tray and an electronic device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic device in which a card tray (insert) for holding a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is insertable into a slot formed in a housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Such a card tray has a frame-shaped portion surrounding a space for accommodating a card-shaped medium such as a SIM card. Here, when the user sets the card-shaped medium in the card tray, the card-shaped medium may ride up on the frame-shaped portion. When the card tray is inserted into the slot in this state, the card-shaped medium may be sandwiched between the card tray and the slot, etc., and there is a possibility that the slot or the card-shaped medium may be damaged.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides a card tray and an electronic device capable of suppressing damage to the slot and the card-shaped medium.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a card tray according to Aspect 1 of the present invention includes a tray portion having an accommodation space capable of accommodating a card-shaped medium, and a handle portion provided at one end of the tray portion. The tray portion includes a frame-shaped portion formed to surround the accommodation space and having a rectangular shape when viewed from a first direction, a support portion that supports the card-shaped medium accommodated in the accommodation space from one side in the first direction, and a base portion formed at a base located between the accommodation space and the handle portion in the frame-shaped portion and having a ride-preventing portion located on the other side in the first direction than the frame-shaped portion.

[0007] Aspect 2 of the present invention is the card tray according to Aspect 1, wherein the ride-preventing portion has a protrusion that overlaps the accommodation space when viewed from the first direction.

[0008] Aspect 3 of the present invention is the card tray according to Aspect 2, wherein the frame-shaped portion has a pair of side frame portions and a tip frame portion, the base portion and the tip frame portion are arranged to sandwich the accommodation space in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the pair of side frame portions are arranged to sandwich the accommodation space in a third direction orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction, and the ride-preventing portion is arranged only on a part of the base portion in the third direction.

[0009] An electronic device according to Aspect 4 of the present invention includes the card tray according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, and an electronic device main body to which the card tray is detachably attached.

[0010] Aspect 5 of the present invention is the electronic device according to Aspect 4, wherein the electronic device main body includes a housing and a slot provided in the housing into which the card tray is insertable, and a gap is formed between the ride-preventing portion and the slot in a state where the card tray is inserted into the slot.

[0011] Aspect 6 of the present invention is the electronic device according to Aspect 5, wherein the housing has an opening on an outer surface of the housing that communicates with the slot, and inside the opening, there is provided a guide portion for guiding the card tray inserted into the housing through the opening into the slot, and the guide portion has a relief portion that avoids interference with the anti-riding portion in a state where the card tray is inserted into the slot.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the above aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a card tray and an electronic device that can suppress damage to the slot and the card-shaped medium.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] It is a view showing an enlarged part of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a view of the opening of the electronic device main body shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the Y direction. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing a card tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of the card tray of FIG. 4 as seen from a direction different from FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a view of the card tray of FIG. 4 as seen from the first direction. [Figure 7] It is a view showing a state where a card tray according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted in a slot of an electronic device main body.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, the card tray and the electronic device of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. (Electronic Device) The electronic device 1 according to this embodiment is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook personal computer, or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 1 includes an electronic device main body 2 and a card tray 5.

[0015] The electronic device main body 2 has a housing 20 and a display (not shown) provided on the housing 20. The housing 20 has a housing main surface 21 and a housing back surface 22 facing the side opposite to the housing main surface 21. The housing 20 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the housing main surface 21. That is, the housing main surface 21 and the housing back surface 22 are each rectangular.

[0016] Regarding the description of the housing 20, in this embodiment, the direction in which one side 21a of the housing main surface 21 extends is referred to as the X direction. The direction orthogonal to the X direction and in which the other side 21b of the housing main surface 21 extends is referred to as the Y direction. The direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction, that is, the thickness direction of the housing 20, is referred to as the Z direction.

[0017] The display is composed of a liquid crystal display panel or the like, and is provided, for example, on the housing main surface 21 of the housing 20. The display displays images, videos, etc. The display may be touch-inputtable.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 20 has a slot 30. The slot 30 is mounted on a circuit board 24 such as a motherboard provided in the housing 20. The circuit board 24 is plate-shaped and is arranged parallel to the housing main surface 21 and the housing back surface 22. A card tray 5 holding a card-shaped medium 100 is inserted into the slot 30. The circuit board 24 includes terminals (not shown) that can be electrically connected to the card-shaped medium 100.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 20 has a side surface (outer surface) 23. An opening 25 is formed in the side surface 23. The opening 25 has a shape extending in the X direction so that the card tray 5 can be inserted. The opening 25 of the present embodiment is oval, but for example, the opening 25 may be rectangular. The opening 25 communicates with a slot 30 provided in the housing 20.

[0020] The slot 30 is configured so that the card tray 5 can be detachably attached through the opening 25. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the slot 30 has a cover plate 31, a first wall portion 32, a second wall portion 33, and a terminal wall portion 34.

[0021] The cover plate 31 has a pair of side plates 31a and a connection plate 31b. The pair of side plates 31a are provided spaced apart in the X direction. Each of the pair of side plates 31a extends in the Y direction. The connection plate 31b is provided spaced apart on one side in the Z direction with respect to the circuit board 24. The connection plate 31b is provided parallel to the circuit board 24. The connection plate 31b connects the pair of side plates 31a to each other.

[0022] On each of the pair of side plates 31a, a locking projection (not shown) for restricting the movement of the card tray 5 inserted into the slot 30 in the Y direction is formed. Further, the slot 30 is provided with a release arm 38 for releasing the engagement of the locking projection with the card tray 5.

[0023] The first wall portion 32 is provided on the other side in the Z direction with respect to the connection plate 31b. The second wall portion 33 is provided on the circuit board 24. The second wall portion 33 is provided spaced apart on the other side in the Z direction with respect to the first wall portion 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal wall portion 34 is located at the end on the other side in the Y direction of the cover plate 31.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, a guide portion 27 is provided inside the opening 25. The guide portion 27 integrally includes a first guide portion 27a, a second guide portion 27b, and an end guide portion 27c. The first guide portion 27a extends in the X direction along the peripheral edge on one side in the Z direction of the opening 25. The second guide portion 27b extends in the X direction along the peripheral edge on the other side in the Z direction of the opening 25. The end guide portion 27c extends in a C shape along the end portion 25a on one side in the X direction of the opening 25 and connects the first guide portion 27a and the second guide portion 27b.

[0025] The first guide portion 27a and the second guide portion 27b are provided at a distance from each other in the Z direction. The guide portion 27 is provided such that the gap between the first guide portion 27a and the second guide portion 27b communicates with the gap between the first wall portion 32 and the second wall portion 33 when viewed from the X direction. Also, the first guide portion 27a and the second guide portion 27b are arranged at positions spaced apart in the X direction with respect to the end portion 25b on the other side in the X direction of the opening 25. A relief portion 29 for avoiding interference with a later-described anti-riding-up portion 57 is formed in the first guide portion 27a at the central portion in the X direction of the opening 25.

[0026] (Card Tray) FIGS. 4 to 6 show a card tray 5 that holds a card-shaped medium 100 (see FIG. 6). The card tray 5 is configured to be detachable from the slot 30 (see FIGS. 1 to 3) of the electronic device main body 2 while holding the card-shaped medium 100. Here, the card-shaped medium 100 is, for example, a SIM card. The SIM card as the card-shaped medium 100 is, for example, a full-size SIM card, a mini-SIM card, a micro-SIM card, a nano-SIM card, etc. The illustrated card-shaped medium 100 is a nano-SIM card. The card-shaped medium 100 is in the shape of a rectangular plate and includes a storage portion (not shown) capable of storing information such as subscriber identification information. The card-shaped medium 100 has a notch 101 at one corner for positioning with respect to the card tray 5.

[0027] The card tray 5 integrally includes a tray portion 51 and a handle portion 52. The tray portion 51 has a storage space Cs capable of storing the card-shaped medium 100. The handle portion 52 is provided at one end of the tray portion 51.

[0028] (Direction definition) In the following description of the card tray 5, the thickness direction of the card-shaped medium 100 stored in the tray portion 51 is referred to as the first direction D1. Also, the direction in which the tray portion 51 and the handle portion 52 are arranged, which is orthogonal to the first direction D1, is referred to as the second direction D2, and the direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is referred to as the third direction D3. In a state where the card tray 5 is attached to the electronic device main body 2, the first direction D1 coincides with the Z direction, the second direction D2 coincides with the Y direction, and the third direction D3 coincides with the X direction. When the user sets the card-shaped medium 100 in the card tray 5, the card tray 5 is often placed on a desk or the like so that the first direction D1 is the vertical direction. Therefore, in the following description, the first direction D1 may be referred to as the vertical direction, one side in the first direction D1 may be referred to as the lower side, and the other side in the first direction D1 may be referred to as the upper side.

[0029] The tray portion 51 integrally has a frame portion 54, a support portion 55, and a ride prevention portion 57. The frame portion 54 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the first direction D1 (vertical direction). The frame portion 54 has a base portion 54a, a pair of side frame portions 54b, and a tip frame portion 54c.

[0030] The base portion 54a is provided at one end of the frame portion 54 in the second direction D2 and is connected to the handle portion 52. The base portion 54a extends in the third direction D3. The base portion 54a is located between the storage space Cs and the handle portion 52.

[0031] The pair of side frame portions 54b are provided spaced apart from each other in the third direction D3. The pair of side frame portions 54b extend from both ends of the base portion 54a in the third direction D3 to the other side in the second direction D2. The pair of side frame portions 54b are arranged so as to sandwich the accommodation space Cs in the third direction D3. An engaged portion 56 that engages with a locking projection (not shown) formed in the slot 30 is formed on the pair of side frame portions 54b.

[0032] The front end frame portion 54c is provided at the end on the other side in the second direction D2 of the frame portion 54. The front end frame portion 54c extends in the third direction D3 and connects the pair of side frame portions 54b to each other. The base portion 54a and the front end frame portion 54c are arranged so as to sandwich the accommodation space Cs in the second direction D2.

[0033] An accommodation space Cs in which the card-shaped medium 100 can be accommodated is defined inside the base portion 54a, the pair of side frame portions 54b, and the front end frame portion 54c. An engaging portion 54k that engages with the notch 101 of the card-shaped medium 100 is formed at the connection portion between one end of the front end frame portion 54c in the third direction D3 and one side frame portion 54b. Thereby, the orientation of the card-shaped medium 100 with respect to the card tray 5 is restricted.

[0034] The support portion 55 is integrally provided on each of the pair of side frame portions 54b of the frame portion 54. The support portion 55 extends in the second direction D2. The support portion 55 protrudes from the frame portion 54 toward the inside of the accommodation space Cs in the third direction D3. The support portion 55 has a support surface 55f facing the other side (upward) in the first direction D1. The support surface 55f of each support portion 55 supports the card-shaped medium 100 accommodated in the accommodation space Cs from one side (downward) in the first direction D1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the ride-up prevention portion 57 is formed on the base portion 54a of the frame-shaped portion 54. The base portion 54a has a base surface 54f facing upward. The ride-up prevention portion 57 is located above the base surface 54f. The ride-up prevention portion 57 is formed on at least a portion of the base portion 54a in the third direction D3. In this embodiment, the ride-up prevention portion 57 is formed in the center of the base portion 54a in the third direction D3. The ride-up prevention portion 57 has a protrusion 57t that protrudes toward the storage space Cs when viewed from the base 54a. The protrusion 57t overlaps with the storage space Cs when viewed from the first direction D1. The ride-up prevention portion 57 and the protrusion 57t may be formed over the entire third direction D3 of the base portion 54a. Alternatively, a plurality of ride-up prevention portions 57 and a plurality of protrusions 57t may be formed at intervals in the third direction D3.

[0036] The handle portion 52 is connected to a base portion 54a of the frame-shaped portion 54. The thickness of the handle portion 52 in the first direction D1 is greater than the thickness of the frame-shaped portion 54 in the first direction D1. When viewed from the second direction D2, the handle portion 52 is formed in an oval shape with its major axis extending in the third direction D3. When the card tray 5 is attached to the slot 30, the handle portion 52 is inserted into the opening 25 of the housing 20 to close the opening 25. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the handle portion 52 has a pin insertion hole 52h. When a pin is inserted through the pin insertion hole 52h with the card tray 5 attached to the slot 30, the release arm 38 is actuated, and the engagement between the engaged portion 56 and the locking protrusion (not shown) is released.

[0037] (inserting the card tray into the slot) 7 shows how the card tray 5, with the card-like medium 100 set therein, is inserted into the slot 30. At this time, the card tray 5 is in a state where the first direction D1 coincides with the Z direction of the electronic device main body 2, the second direction D2 coincides with the Y direction, and the third direction D3 coincides with the X direction. The user mainly holds the handle portion 52 to insert the card tray 5 into the slot 30.

[0038] When the card tray 5 is inserted into the slot 30, the guide portion 27 formed in the housing 20 guides the position of the tray portion 51 with respect to the slot 30. Thereby, even if the user cannot visually see the slot 30, the user can insert the tray portion 51 at an appropriate position with respect to the slot 30. At this time, since the escape portion 29 is formed in the guide portion 27, it is possible to suppress the interference prevention portion 57 from interfering with the guide portion 27.

[0039] Here, in FIG. 7, the card-like medium 100 is accommodated at an appropriate position with respect to the accommodation space Cs. However, when the user sets the card-like medium 100 on the tray portion 51, the card-like medium 100 may ride up on the base portion 54a. In the card tray of the conventional product, even in such a state, since the inclination of the card-like medium 100 is small, there are cases where the tray portion 51 can be inserted into the slot 30. As a result, deformation or damage may occur in the card-like medium 100 or the tray portion 51.

[0040] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the anti-riding-up portion 57 is formed on the base portion 54a. Thereby, if the card-like medium 100 is set on the card tray 5 so as to ride up on the base portion 54a, due to the presence of the anti-riding-up portion 57, the card-like medium 100 tilts upward with respect to the accommodation space Cs. For this reason, the user can easily recognize that the card-like medium 100 is not properly set as compared with the case where the anti-riding-up portion 57 is not present. Further, even if an attempt is made to insert the card tray 5 into the electronic device main body 2 in that state, since the card-like medium 100 interferes with the electronic device main body 2, the insertion of the card tray 5 is inhibited. As a result, the anti-riding-up portion 57 exhibits an effect of preventing the card-like medium 100 from riding up on the frame-like portion 54.

[0041] As described above, the card tray 5 of the present embodiment includes a tray portion 51 having an accommodation space Cs capable of accommodating the card-shaped medium 100, and a handle portion 52 provided at one end of the tray portion 51. The tray portion 51 is formed so as to surround the accommodation space Cs, and includes a frame-shaped portion 54 that is rectangular when viewed from the first direction D1, a support portion 55 that supports the card-shaped medium 100 accommodated in the accommodation space Cs from one side (lower side) in the first direction D1, and a mounting prevention portion 57 formed on a base portion 54a located between the accommodation space Cs and the handle portion 52 in the frame-shaped portion 54 and located on the other side (upper side) in the first direction D1 than the frame-shaped portion 54. According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the card tray 5 from being inserted into the slot 30 in a state where the card-shaped medium 100 rides on the frame-shaped portion 54. Therefore, it is possible to suppress damage to the slot 30 and the card-shaped medium 100.

[0042] Further, the mounting prevention portion 57 has a protrusion 57t that overlaps the accommodation space Cs when viewed from the first direction D1. Thereby, when the card-shaped medium 100 rides on the mounting prevention portion 57, the card-shaped medium 100 tilts more greatly with respect to the accommodation space Cs. Therefore, it is possible for the user to more surely recognize that the card-shaped medium 100 is not properly set. Further, the protrusion 57t also has an effect of making it easier to maintain the state in which the card-shaped medium 100 is properly set in the accommodation space Cs.

[0043] Further, the frame-shaped portion 54 has a pair of side frame portions 54b and a tip frame portion 54c. The base portion 54a and the tip frame portion 54c are arranged so as to sandwich the accommodation space Cs in a second direction D2 orthogonal to the first direction D1. The pair of side frame portions 54b are arranged so as to sandwich the accommodation space Cs in a third direction D3 orthogonal to both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The mounting prevention portion 57 is arranged only at a part (central portion) of the base portion 54a in the third direction D3. Thereby, it becomes easier for the user to visually recognize the accommodation space Cs below the protrusion 57t, and it becomes easier to more appropriately set the card-shaped medium 100 in the accommodation space Cs.

[0044] The electronic device 1 according to this embodiment includes the card tray 5 described above and the electronic device main body 2 to which the card tray 5 is detachable. Such an electronic device 1 can prevent damage to the slot 30 and the card-like medium 100.

[0045] Furthermore, the electronic device main body 2 has a housing 20 and a slot 30 provided in the housing 20 into which the card tray 5 can be inserted, and when the card tray 5 is inserted into the slot 30, a gap S is formed between the climbing prevention portion 57 and the slot 30. In this case, when the card tray 5 is inserted into the slot 30, the climbing prevention portion 57 and the slot 30 do not interfere with each other. This allows the card tray 5 and the slot 30 to be securely engaged with each other.

[0046] Furthermore, the housing 20 has an opening 25 on its outer surface that communicates with the slot 30, and a guide portion 27 is provided inside the opening 25 to guide the card tray 5, which is inserted into the housing 20 through the opening 25, into the slot 30. The guide portion 27 may have a clearance portion 29 that avoids interference with the ride-up prevention portion 57 when the card tray 5 is inserted into the slot 30. In this case, when the card tray 5 is inserted into the slot 30, interference between the ride-up prevention portion 57 and the guide portion 27 can be avoided. This allows the card tray 5 to be easily inserted into and removed from the slot 30.

[0047] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0048] For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration of the slot 30 has been described, but the configuration of the slot 30 is merely an example and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a SIM card is used as an example of the card-shaped medium 100, but the card-shaped medium 100 may be of other types, such as an SD card, a micro-SD card, or a nano-SD card.

[0049] In addition, within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components, and the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0050] 1... Electronic device 2... Electronic device main body 5... Card tray 20... Housing 25... Opening 27... Guide portion 29... Relief portion 30... Slot 51... Tray portion 52... Handle portion 54... Frame-shaped portion 54a... Base portion 55... Support portion 57... Anti-riding-up portion 57t... Projection 100... Card-shaped medium Cs... Accommodation space D1... First direction D2... Second direction D3... Third direction S... Gap

Claims

1. A tray part having a storage space capable of accommodating a card-shaped medium, and a handle part provided at one end of the tray part, comprising: The tray part is formed to surround the storage space, a frame-shaped part that is rectangular when viewed from the first direction, and a support part that supports the card-shaped medium accommodated in the storage space from one side in the first direction, a ride-up prevention part formed on a base part located between the storage space and the handle part among the frame-shaped parts, and located on the other side in the first direction than the frame-shaped part, a card tray.

2. The ride-up prevention part has a protrusion that overlaps the storage space when viewed from the first direction, the card tray according to claim 1.

3. The frame-shaped part has a pair of side frame parts and a tip frame part, The base part and the tip frame part are arranged so as to sandwich the storage space in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, The pair of side frame parts are arranged so as to sandwich the storage space in a third direction orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction, The ride-up prevention part is arranged only on a part of the base part in the third direction, the card tray according to claim 2.

4. A card tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and an electronic device body in which the card tray is detachable.

5. The electronic device body has a housing, and a slot provided in the housing and into which the card tray can be inserted, In a state where the card tray is inserted into the slot, a gap is formed between the ride-up prevention part and the slot, the electronic device according to claim 4.

6. The housing has an opening communicating with the slot on an outer surface of the housing, Inside the opening, a guide part for guiding the card tray inserted into the housing through the opening into the slot is provided, The guide part has a relief part that avoids interference with the ride-up prevention part in a state where the card tray is inserted into the slot, the electronic device according to claim 5.

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