WO2018126372A1

WO2018126372A1 - 2in1 sim card tray and volume button

Info

Publication number: WO2018126372A1
Application number: PCT/CN2017/070215
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dunxiang CHEN
Original assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
Priority date: 2017-01-05
Filing date: 2017-01-05
Publication date: 2018-07-12
Also published as: TW201834330A; WO2018127135A1

Abstract

An apparatus of for securing SIM and/or memory cards with integrated volume control is provided. The apparatus comprises a holding tray for securing one or more cards within a cavity of the housing of an electronic device. The volume control is configured to cover the cavity and to control the volume of the electronic device. The volume control may be movably attached to the holding tray through at least one or more positioning post so that the volume control can be pressed inwardly to adjust volume.

Description

2IN1 SIM CARD TRAY AND VOLUME BUTTON

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to a holding tray assembly with integrated control keys.

Background

Electronic devices such as cellular phones, tablets, media players, cameras, etc., often need a SIM card and/or a memory module. A SIM card stores user account information associated with a device, which is used by a communication network to configure and control access by the device to the networks. Memory modules can expand storage space of the device for storing photos, videos, and music. One of the commonly used memory modules is a Secure Device (SD) card, which may include various form factors, such as a microSD.

Traditionally, SIM cards and memory modules may be mounted under battery cover. Users have to open the battery cover to access the SIM cards and memory modules, which can be inconvenient and prone to exposure of the interior of the device to hazards. Alternatively, SIM cards and memory modules may be inserted into separate slots in the device housing, which may reduce the integrity of the device housing and increase the manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a holding tray assembly is provided. The holding tray assembly includes a holding tray for securing one or more cards in an electronic device； and a button for control of the electronic device. The button may be movably coupled to the holding tray via at least one positioning post and serves as a cover for the holding tray. The electronic device includes a cavity on a side of a housing of the electronic device to accept the holding tray and allow the holding tray to slide inwardly or outwardly.

In some aspects, the holding tray may be secured inside the cavity by pushing the button inwardly until the holding tray is latched in a closed position. The button includes a tool receptor opening for receiving a pin, wherein the holding tray is secured inside the cavity by pushing a pin through the tool receptor opening inwardly until the holding tray is latched in a closed position. The button includes a tool ejector opening, and the holding tray assembly is removable from the electronic device by pushing a pin through the tool ejector opening inwardly until the holding tray is released to a partially opened position.

In some aspect, the one or more cards include at least one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a memory card. Each of the at least one positioning post may fit in a corresponding positioning hole of the button, allowing a movement of the button. The button may be a rocker-type button including a volume up actuator on a first end and a volume down actuator on a second end, allowing volume adjustment of the electronic device by pushing either the first end or the second end of the rocker-type button. The volume up actuator and the volume down actuator may each include an inwardly facing plunger with an electrical contact.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, an apparatus for securing a SIM card and/or a memory card with integrated volume control is provided. The apparatus includes a holding tray for securing one or more cards within a cavity of the housing of an electronic device. The volume control may be configured to cover the cavity and to provide volume control of the electronic device. The volume control may be movably attached to the holding tray through at least one positioning post so that the volume control may be pressed inwardly on either end to adjust volume.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a method for an electronic device is provided. The method comprises securing one or more cards within a cavity of the electronic device using a holding tray； and covering the cavity with an external control configured to control a function of the electronic device, wherein the external control is movably coupled to the holding tray via at least one positioning post. The external control may be configured to provide volume control of the electronic device. When the holding tray is latched in a closed position inside the electronic device, each of the at least one positioning post may engage with a corresponding positioning holes of the external control, allowing a gap between the external control and an edge of the holding tray closest to the external control. The gap allows a movement of the external control so that either end of the external control can be pressed inwardly to control a function of the electronic device.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of the one or more aspects. These features are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating perspective views of an example electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example tray receptor opening in the electronic device and an example holding tray, respectively, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are diagrams illustrating an example holding tray, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an example assembly of the holding tray, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example schematic of the holding tray secured in a closed/latched position inside an enclosure, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating an example flexible printed circuit (FPC) with control switches of the electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of illustrating an example holding tray installed within the electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a sequence of steps for securing a holding tray to an electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to aspects of the disclosure, a holding tray assembly with an integrated external control, e.g., a control key or control button for securing a SIM cards and a memory card (or module) in an electronic device will now be described. According to an aspect, the holding tray may be a single SIM card or memory module card tray, or a multi-card tray holding multiple SIM cards, memory modules or a combination thereof. The holding tray may be secured inside the housing of the electronic device. A tray cover may include an external control in a form of a push button, a rocker button, or a slider. . The external control may interact with an internal control of the electronic device, and be configured as a volume control, a power control, or a camera control of the electronic device. The holding tray may be removed from the electronic device to insert, replace, or remove a SIM card and/or a memory module within the tray.

The holding tray assembly described herein may be designed and arranged to eliminate or reduce openings and entry points of the device housing that may reduce the assembly complexity, reduce manufacturing cost, increase usable antenna space, increase integrity of the device, and decrease or prevent the ingress of liquid or dust into the interior and the electronic circuitry of the device. In many implementations, no additional cover may be required for the memory module or SIM card that may impact the cosmetic appearance and overall design of the electronic device. Moreover, the holding tray assembly described herein may allow for increased printed circuit board space inside the electronic device, and the modular manufacturability of the external control may allow various colors and cosmetic shapes to be applied to the external control at late stages of production.

In one example implementation, the holding tray assembly includes a holding tray, and a cover with an external control. The holding tray may include at least one tray for receiving a SIM card and/or a memory module with the external control disposed on one end of the tray. The external control may be operatively associated with an internal control for various functions of the electronic device, such as volume and power. The holding tray may be moveable from an open position extending outwardly from the electronic device for access to the SIM card and/or memory module to a closed position disposed inside the electronic device for securing the SIM card or memory module. The holding tray assembly may slide into an opening of a device.

It is to be understood that, although the drawings and specification refer to SIM cards and memory modules, the holding tray may be configured to carry SIM cards and memory modules having other form factors. Also, even though the external control shown in the drawings is a rocker-type volume control, the external control may be implemented in a variety of ways, such as a push button or a slider control. For example, a pair of separate volume up/down push buttons may be disposed on the external control. As another example, the external control may include a simple slider with linear slider potentiometers to control the volume of the electronic device.

Example implementations of the subject technology will now be described in reference to FIGS. 1-7 of the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, a diagram illustrating perspective views of an example electronic device 100, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure is shown. The electronic device 100 may be a smartphone, a media player, a tablet, or any other devices. The electronic device 100 may include a housing 112, which includes a rectangular frame with a front surface 114 and a back surface (not shown) . The front surface 114 may be peripherally positioned around and secure an electronic display for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) , a home button, a camera, a speaker, and other components. The electronic display may be a touchscreen, a regular screen, or an impact resistant screen. The housing 112 may also include parallel

longitudinal sides

106 and 126, and parallel

lateral sides

116 and 118, which extend between and couple to the parallel longitudinal sides.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 may include one or more longitudinally spaced electronic controls, including a power button 104 and an external control 102. The external control 102 may be a volume control that includes a first button, which may increase the level of sound emitted from the electronic device, and a second button, which may decrease the level of sound emitted from the electronic device.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the housing 112 may have a cavity 200 including a holding tray receptor opening 208 for receiving a holding tray 210, and a tool receptor opening 206 for receiving, for example, a ejecting pin, to eject (or unlatch) the holding tray 210. The holding tray receptor opening 208 and the tool receptor opening 206 may be a slot, a notch, a hole, a recessed opening, or any other suitable formed opening that accommodates the holding tray. The housing 112 may also include, on the sides of the tray receptor opening 208, a pair of longitudinally spaced

volume control receptacles

202 and 204 that provide electrical contacts to

volume buttons

211 and 212 of the external electronic control 102 integrated with the holding tray 210. The pair of the

volume control receptacles

202 and 204 may be covered with caps made of conductive rubber or silicon to reduce ingress of liquid or dust into the interior of the electronic device 100.

FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C are diagrams illustrating an example holding tray, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 3A, the holding tray 210 may have one or more card-receiving

openings

301 and 302 for receiving at least one of a SIM card and a memory module, and a holding tray frame 303. The card-receiving

openings

301 and 302 may be a cavity, a cutout, an undercut, a pocket, or any other suitable opening. The holding tray frame 303 may include a supporting surface around the card-receiving

openings

301 and 302 for engaging and holding the SIM card and/or memory module. For example, FIG. 3A illustrates the holding tray 210 with two

SIM cards

311 and 312 installed in the card-receiving

openings

301 and 302, respectively. FIG. 3B illustrates the holding tray 210 with one memory module 313 and one SIM card 312 installed in the card-receiving

openings

301 and 302, respectively. FIG. 3C illustrates the holding tray 210 with the SIM card 312 and the memory module 313 engaged within an enclosure 336 in a closed (latched) position.

The external control 102 may be coupled to a lateral side of the holding tray frame 303 (as shown in FIG. 3A) to cover the tray-receiving opening 208 of the housing 112 (as shown in FIG. 2A) when the holding tray 210 is secured inside the electronic device (as shown in FIG. 1) . The holding tray 210 may also include one or more tool receptor openings, such as a tool-receiving hole 331 for receiving a ejecting pin 332 (as shown in FIG 3C) to eject the holding tray 210. When pushed through the tool receptor hole 331 and tool receptor opening 206 in the tray receptor opening 208 (as shown in FIG. 2A) , the ejecting pin 332 may reach and press an ejecting rod 337 to release the holding tray 210 from a closed (latched) position within an enclosure 336 inside the electronic device 100. The holding tray 210 can then move and slide outwardly from the electronic device 100 to an open position for access to the cards. Alternatively and in addition, the holding tray 210 may also be spring loaded to allow the holding tray to be either push in and closed or partially ejected and slide further out by a push-push operation .

The holding tray 210 may subsequently move and slide inwardly through the tray receptor opening 208 to a closed (latched) position inside the enclosure 336, which may engage the

SIM cards

311 and 312 and/or memory module 313 via electronic contacts and provide cushioning and electromagnetic shielding to the cards. In some implementations, when inserting the holding tray 210, the external control 102 may serve as a cover of the holding tray and be pushed inwardly towards the closed position inside the enclosure 336. Alternatively and/or in addition, the external control 102 may include a second tool receptor hole 333 for receiving a pushing pin 334, which when inserted, may be used to push the holding tray 210 into the closed position inside the enclosure 336.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an example assembly of the holding tray 210, in accordance with implementations of the subject technology. As shown in FIG. 4A, the holding tray 210 includes the holding tray frame 303, a connecting plate 420, and the external control 102. The external control 102 may include two

positioning holes

401 and 402 for engaging two positioning

posts

411 and 412, respectively, which may be perpendicular to the surface of the holding tray frame 303 on the lateral side. The lateral side of the holding tray frame 303 may also include multiple welding points, such as

points

421, 422 and 423. The connecting plate 420 may cover the positioning posts 411 and 412 and may be welded to the multiple welding points to affix the external control 102 to the holding tray frame 303. The holding tray frame 303 and the connecting plate 420 may be made of the same type of metal, e.g., stainless steel.

In some implementations, the positioning holes 401 and 402 may be oval and/or circular elongated hole openings. The positioning posts 411 and 412 may be of the same shape as, but of smaller size, than the corresponding positioning holes so that when assembled, the external control 102 may have a small degree of freedom to be pressed against the holding tray frame 303, as shown in FIG. 4B. More or less positioning hole and post pairs and/or different shapes of the positioning holes and posts may be utilized for coupling the external control 102 to the holding tray frame 303.

Referring now to FIG. 5, depicted is a diagram illustrating an example schematic of the holding tray 210 secured in a closed position inside the enclosure 336, in accordance with implementations of the subject technology. The enclosure 336 may include electronic contacts and

circuitries

502, 504 and 506 for establishing communicative coupling (e.g., through electrical or optical signal) between the SIM cards or memory modules and the electronic device. The enclosure 336 may also include a plate-spring 508 that may snap the holding tray frame 303 into a locked position inside the enclosure 336, when the holding tray 210 is close to the latched position. Other mechanisms may also be adopted, such as push-push latches, to secure the holding tray 210 inside the enclosure 336.

In the latched position, the external control 102 may be mounted inside and cover the tray receptor opening 208 of the housing 112 (as shown in FIG. 2A) . The positioning holes 401 and 402 may be sized to accommodate the

corresponding positioning posts

411 and 412 and also allow a gap 510 between the external control 102 and an edge of the holding tray frame 303 closest to the external control 102 when the holding tray 210 is latched (or secured) in a closed position inside the enclosure 336. The gap 510 may allow a limited amount of movement of the external control 102 so that the

volume buttons

211 and 212 may be pressed to control volume of the electronic device 100. The design of the external control 102 movably connected to the holding tray frame 303 may be compact, robust, and ensure that when either of the

volume buttons

211 and 212 is pressed, the external control 102 does not contact the holding tray 210. In an example implementation, the gap 510 may be 0.5mm.

As described above with reference to FIG. 2B, the external control 102 of the holding tray 210 may be operatively coupled to switches inside the cavity 200 for controlling various functions of the electronic device 100. For example, when configured as a volume control, the

volume buttons

211 and 212 of the external control 102 may be used to regulate and adjust the sound level of the electronic device 100. The external control 102 can also be configured as, for example, a power control or a camera control of the electronic device.

FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating an example flexible printed circuit (FPC) 602 for control switches of the electronic device 100, in accordance with implementations of the subject technology. The illustrated FPC 602 may include the volume control receptacles 202 and 204 (without silicon cap) and a power switch receptacle 606.

The FPC 602 can be installed along the cavity 200 from inside the electronic device 100, as shown in FIG. 6B. When installed, the

volume control receptacles

202 and 204 on the FPC 602 can be mounted through

openings

612 and 614 of the cavity 200, respectively. The

volume buttons

211 and 212 of the external control 102 may comprise inwardly facing rectangular or cylindrical plungers as switch actuators (as shown in FIG. 5) that provide electrical contacts. The

volume control receptacles

202 and 204 can then be operatively coupled to the

volume buttons

211 and 212, respectively, when the holding tray 210 is in the closed/latched position. The actuators of the

volume buttons

211 and 212 may be aligned with the

volume control receptacles

202 and 204 so that when the holding tray is pushed inwardly into the closed/latched position, the actuators engage and contact the receptacles when either of the

volume button

211 and 212 is pressed to increase or decrease the volume of the electronic device 100.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of illustrating an example holding tray installed within the electronic device, in accordance with implementations of the subject technology. As shown in FIG. 7, the holding tray 210 may secure the SIM card and/or memory module inside the housing 112 of the electronic device 100. The external control 102 is disposed at the entrance of the cavity 200 (not shown) and covers the cavity. The external control 102 may have an outwardly and laterally extending convex protuberance providing a rounded nose and a greater longitudinal span and width than the holding tray frame 303 (as shown in FIG. 5) .

The external control 102 may be used when the holding tray 210 is in the closed position regardless of whether a SIM card or a memory module is installed in the holding tray. In the open position of the tray, the external control may be prevented from controlling the electronic device. The external control 102 may also be configured as: a switch actuator, a key, a button, a rocker arm, a knob, or any other suitable control.

The holding tray 210 may include a rectangular tray, a slidable tray, or any other suitable structure. The tray may be molded of fabricated of plastic, metal, or a composite material. The tray receptor opening 208 in the housing 112 may be implemented in a variety of ways, e.g., as a slot or an elongated groove. The holding tray 210 may have detents providing track-engageable locks for interlockingly engaging the tracks and securing (e.g., latching) the tray in the closed position.

The memory module or SIM may have any suitable format and any suitable form factor. For example, the SIM may be a full-size SIM card, a mini-SIM card, a micro-SIM card, or a nano-SIM card. The memory module may be, for example, a secure device (SD) card, a standard SD card, a miniSD card, or a microSD card, among other types of memory card.

The electronic device 100 may be a portable electronic device, a cellular (cell) phone, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a flip phone, a slider phone, a tablet, a camera, a portable networking device, a portable gaming device, a portable media player, a personal digital assistant (PDA) , an electronic reading device, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or other electronic devices.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process for securing a holding tray to an electronic device, in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The process 800 starts at block 802 and continues to block 804, where a holding tray assembly is secured to the electronic device. In block 802, a holding try is used to secure one or more cards within a cavity of the electronic device. The one or more cards include at least one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a memory card. For example, the holding tray 210 may have one or more card-receiving

openings

301 and 302 for receiving at least one SIM card and/or a memory module, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The housing 112 of the electronic device 100 may have a cavity 200 including a holding tray receptor opening 208 for receiving the holding tray 210, as shown in FIG. 2A.

Next in block 804, the cavity of the electronic device can be covered with an external control configured to control a function of the electronic device. The external control is movably coupled to the holding tray via at least one positioning post. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the holding tray 210 may include an external control 102 movably coupled to the holding tray via two

positioning posts

401 and 402, each of which engages to two positioning

posts

411 and 412 disposed on a lateral side of the holding tray frame 303. When the holding tray is latched in a closed position inside the cavity of the electronic device, a gap may be kept between the external control and the lateral side of the holding tray, allowing a movement of the external control to be configured to control a function of the electronic device, such as volume control.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the holding tray can be secured within the cavity by pushing the external control inwardly until the holding tray is latched in a closed position. Alternatively or in addition, the external control may include a tool receptor opening for receiving a pin, and the holding tray can be secured inside the cavity by pushing the pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is latched in a closed position.

In some aspects of the disclosure, the external control may also include a tool receptor opening for receiving a pin, and the holding tray assembly is ejectable from the electronic device by pushing a pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is released to a partially opened position.

The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more. ” The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration. ” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C, ” “one or more of A, B, or C, ” “at least one of A, B, and C, ” “one or more of A, B, and C, ” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and/or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically, combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C, ” “one or more of A, B, or C, ” “at least one of A, B, and C, ” “one or more of A, B, and C, ” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. The words “module, ” “mechanism, ” “element, ” “device, ” and the like may not be a substitute for the word “means. ” As such, no claim element is to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for. ”

Claims

A holding tray assembly, comprising:

a holding tray to secure one or more cards in an electronic device； and

a button to control the electronic device, wherein the button is movably coupled to the holding tray via at least one positioning post and serves as a cover for the holding tray.
The holding tray assembly of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a cavity on a side of a housing of the electronic device, and the cavity is accessible by the holding tray to slide inwardly or outwardly.
The holding tray assembly of claim 2, wherein the holding tray is secured inside the cavity by pushing the button inwardly until the holding tray is latched in a closed position.
The holding tray assembly of claim 2, wherein the button includes a tool receptor opening for receiving a pin.
The holding tray assembly of claim 4, wherein holding tray is secured inside the cavity by pushing the pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is latched in a closed position.
The holding tray assembly of claim 1, wherein the button includes a tool receptor opening, and the holding tray assembly is ejectable from the electronic device by pushing a pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is released to a partially opened position.
The holding tray assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more cards include at least one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a memory card.
The holding tray assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one positioning post fits in a corresponding positioning hole of the button, allowing a movement of the button.
The holding tray assembly of claim 8, wherein the positioning hole allows a gap between the button and an edge of the holding tray closest to the button when the holding tray is latched in a closed position inside the electronic device.
The holding tray assembly of claim 1, wherein the button is a rocker-type button including a volume up actuator on a first end of the button and a volume down actuator on a second end of the button, and volume of the electronic device is adjusted by pushing either end of the rocker-type button.
The holding tray assembly of claim 9, wherein the volume up actuator and the volume down actuator each comprises an inwardly facing plunger with an electrical contact.
An apparatus comprising:

a holding tray to secure one or more cards within a cavity of an electronic device； and

an external control configured to cover the cavity and to control a function of the electronic device, wherein the external control is movably coupled to the holding tray via at least one positioning post.
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cavity is located on a side of a housing of the electronic device, the cavity allowing the holding tray to slide inwardly or outwardly of the electronic device.
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the holding tray is secured inside the cavity by pushing the external control inwardly until the holding tray is latched in a closed position.
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the external control includes a tool receptor opening for receiving a pin.
The apparatus of claim 15, wherein holding tray is secured inside the cavity by pushing the pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is latched in a closed position.
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the external control includes a tool receptor opening, the holding tray and the external control removable from the electronic device by pushing a pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is released to a partially opened position.
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more cards include at least one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a memory card.
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of the at least one positioning post engages in a corresponding positioning hole of the external control, allowing a movement of the external control.
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the external control is a button, and the positioning hole allows a gap between the button and an edge of the holding tray closest to the button when the holding tray is latched in a closed position inside the electronic device.
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the external control is a rocker-type button including a volume up actuator on a first end of the button and a volume down actuator on a second end of the button, and volume of the electronic device is adjusted by pushing either end of the rocker-type button.
The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the volume up actuator and the volume down actuator each comprises an inwardly facing plunger with an electrical contact.
A method for an electronic device, comprising:

securing one or more cards within a cavity of the electronic device using a holding tray； and

covering the cavity with an external control configured to control a function of the electronic device, wherein the external control is movably coupled to the holding tray via at least one positioning post.
The method of claim 23, wherein the holding tray is secured within the cavity by pushing the external control inwardly until the holding tray is latched in a closed position.
The method of claim 23, wherein the external control includes a tool receptor opening for receiving a pin, and wherein the holding tray is secured inside the cavity by pushing the pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is latched in a closed position.
The method of claim 23, wherein the external control includes a tool receptor opening for receiving a pin, and the holding tray is ejectable from the electronic device by pushing a pin inwardly through the tool receptor opening until the holding tray is released to a partially opened position.
The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more cards include at least one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and a memory card.
The method of claim 23, wherein each of the at least one positioning post engages with a corresponding positioning hole of the external control, allowing a gap between the external control and an edge of the holding tray closest to the external control when the holding tray is latched in a closed position inside the electronic device, the gap allowing a movement of the external control.
An apparatus for an electronic device, comprising:

means for securing one or more cards within a cavity of the electronic device using a holding tray； and

means for covering the cavity with an external control configured to control a function of the electronic device, wherein the external control is movably coupled to the holding tray via at least one positioning post.
The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each of the at least one positioning post engages with a corresponding positioning hole of the external control, allowing a gap between the external control and an edge of the holding tray closest to the external control when the holding tray is latched in a closed position inside the electronic device, the gap allowing a movement of the external control.