Electronic device with retractable tray

• US 6,330,151 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bates, Charles Linsday III
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US09/583,163
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/726, 361/684-686, 361/724-725, 361/740, 361/759, D 6/396, D 6/397, D14/100, D14/114
• US Class Current: 361/679.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0718 the sensor being of the biometric kind, e.g. fingerprint sensors fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/13; biometric access-control systems in general, see G07C9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts

Abstract

An electronic device (10) such as an IC card, has a tray (14) with a component (20) such as a fingerprint sensor, where the tray can move out beyond the rear end of the device and back into the device with a double click mechanism (34), in a simple and rugged configuration. The tray is slideably guided by a tray guide (50) that is mounted on the housing of the device, with a spring (36) urging the tray rearwardly from a stowed position (14) to a deployed position (14A). The double click mechanism that holds the tray in its stowed position, includes a cam element (70) and a cam follower element (72), with one element integrally molded with the tray and the other element integrally molded with the tray guide. The tray has a forwardly-extending arm (112) that holds the front end of the tension spring, while the rear end of the tension spring is mounted on the tray guide. The tension spring is located in an isolated area (150) between one side (110) of the tray guide and a side (146) of the housing of the electronic device. An electrical connecting arrangement (22) that couples the component on the slideable tray to a fixed mother board (24), includes a flat flexible cable (166) with a 180° bend (174) about a horizontal axis (176), and with upper and lower cable parts (170, 172) each lying in a horizontal plane.

Claims

1. An electronic device that includes a mother board having top and bottom surfaces and front and rear ends, and a housing which includes top and bottom cover portions that lie respectively above and below said mother board and that are mechanically connected to said mother board, said housing having longitudinally-spaced front and rear ends and laterally spaced opposite sides, comprising:

a tray guide mounted on said housing;

a tray which is moveably mounted on said tray guide so said tray can move forward and rearward between a stowed position and a deployed position;

an electronic component mounted on said tray, with said component lying rearward of said housing rear end in said deployed position of said tray and lying within said housing in said stowed position of said tray;

a connecting arrangement that electronically couples said tray to said mother board at least when said tray is in said deployed position;

a spring that is coupled to said tray and that urges said tray rearwardly toward said deployed position;

a double click mechanism that includes a cam element and a follower element, which latches said tray in said stowed position when said tray is pushed forward from said deployed position to said stowed position and which releases said tray from said stowed position when said tray is pushed slightly forward therefrom, said double clock mechanism including a cam element and a follower element where one element is mounted on said tray and the other is mounted on said tray guide;

said tray and said tray guide are each molded polymer parts, with one of said elements of said click mechanism molded integrally with said tray and the other element of said click mechanism molded integrally with said tray guide.

2. The device described in claim 1 wherein:

said tray guide includes a largely U-shaped part with a base having laterally opposite sides and a pair of legs extending rearwardly from said opposite sides, and with said follower element being in the form of a bendable beam having a front end merging with said U-shaped part at a location near the intersection of the front end of a second one of said legs and said base, with follower element extending rearwardly from said location and having a rear end with a laterally extending follower part that engages said cam element;

said tray has opposite sides with a second of said sides having a groove that forms cam element, with said follower part of said follower element projecting into said groove.

3. The device described in claim 1 wherein:

said tray guide has laterally opposite sides and has a spring mount at one of said sides;

said tray has a component holder with laterally opposite sides, and has a spring holder arm that extends forwardly from one of said component holder sides and that has a holder arm front end;

a tension spring having a front end mounted on said holder arm front end, said spring having a rear end mounted on said spring mount.

4. The device described in claim 1 wherein:

said connecting arrangement includes a flat flexible cable having upper and lower cable parts that each lies substantially in a horizontal plane, with said upper and lower cable parts joined by a substantially 180°

bend in said cable about a laterally-extending axis, and with one of said cable parts connected to said tray to connect to said component and with the other of said cable parts connected to said mother board.

5. The device described in claim 1 wherein:

said tray guide has laterally-spaced locations with projecting lugs, and said housing has a pair of slots that each receives one of said lugs, with said slots being undercut and said lugs matching said slots to lock to said housing at said locations.

6. The device described in claim 2 wherein:

said tray has a first side lying opposite said second side and forming a first one of said legs with a longitudinally extending slot having top and bottom slot walls that lie closely above and below said tray second side to form a tongue-and-groove sliding connection at said first side of said tray.

7. The device described in claim 2 wherein:

said tray guide has a second side with a second of said legs lying at said tray guide second side;

said tray has top and bottom projections that extend respectively above and below said beam formed by said follower element and that slideably engage said second leg of said tray guide.

8. The device described in claim 4 wherein:

said tray guide has a largely U-shaped part with longitudinally extending legs having leg front ends and a base connecting said leg front ends;

said base has a slot and said cable extends through said slot.

9. An electronic device that includes a mother board having top and bottom surface and front and rear ends, and a housing which includes top and bottom cover portions that lie respectively above and below said mother board, said housing having longitudinally-spaced front and rear ends and laterally opposite sides, comprising:

a tray guide mounted on said housing and having a tray-receiving space and a first leg on one side of said space;

a tray which is slideably mounted on said tray guide to slide in said space, in forward and rearward directions between a stowed position and a deployed position;

said tray has a forwardly-projecting arm with a front end forming a front spring mount lying on a side of said first leg of said tray guide that is opposite said tray-receiving space;

said first leg of said tray guide has a rear spring mount lying directly rearward of said front spring mount;

a tension spring having a front end mounted on said front spring mount of said tray arm, and having a rear end mounted on said rear spring mount.

10. The device described in claim 9 wherein:

said tray guide has an arm-guide leg projecting forwardly from said first leg, with said tray guide having a longitudinally-extending passage;

said first spring mount on said forwardly-projecting arm of said tray, projects laterally through said passage.

11. The device described in claim 9 wherein:

said housing has laterally opposite sides, and said spring lies between said tray guide first leg and a first of said sides of said housing, and said spring is vertically enclosed between said top and bottom cover portions.

12. The device described in claim 11 including:

a tray guide mounted on said housing, with said tray slideably mounted on said tray guide, said tray guide including a U-shaped part with a base and laterally opposite legs that extend rearwardly from said base, with said base having an upper end with a slot and with said upper cable part extending through said slot.

13. An electronic device that includes a mother board having top and bottom surfaces and front and rear ends, and a housing which includes top and bottom cover parts that lie respectively above and below said mother board, said housing having front and rear ends and laterally spaced opposite sides, comprising:

a tray which is moveably mounted in said card housing to move forward and rearward respectively between a stowed position and a deployed position;

an electronic component mounted on said tray with said component lying rearward of said housing rear end in said deployed position of said tray and lying within said housing in said stowed position of said tray;

a connecting arrangement that electronically couples said component to said mother board at least when said tray is in said deployed position;

said connecting arrangement includes a flat flexible cable having upper and lower cable parts that each lies substantially in a horizontal plane, with said upper and lower cable parts joined by a substantially 180°

bend in said cable about a laterally-extending axis, and with one of said cable parts connected to said tray to connect to said component and with the other of said cable parts connected to said mother board.

14. The device described in claim 13 including:

a tray guide mounted on said housing, with said tray slideably mounted on said tray guide;

a tray cable connector mounted on said tray and a board cable connector mounted on said mother board, with said upper cable part having a rear end connected to said tray connector and with said lower cable part having a rear end connected to said board connector, and with said 180°

bend lying forward of both of said connectors.

15. An electronic device that includes a mother board having top and bottom surfaces and front and rear ends, and a housing which includes top and bottom cover portions that lie respectively above and below said mother board and that are mechanically connected to said mother board, said card housing having longitudinally-spaced front and rear end walls and laterally spaced opposite side walls, comprising:

a tray guide mounted on said housing;

a tray which is moveably mounted on said tray guide so said tray can move forward and rearward between a stowed position and a deployed position;

an electronic component mounted on said tray, with said component lying rearward of said housing rear end in said deployed position of said tray and lying within said housing in said stowed position of said tray;

a connecting arrangement that electronically couples said tray to said mother board at least when said tray is in said deployed position;

said housing has at least a pair of laterally-spaced lugs that each projects into said housing from one of said walls of said housing;

said tray guide has opposite sides, with each side having a slot that closely receives one of said lugs, with each slot being undercut and each lug having a corresponding shape to lock to the slot.