Reduced-Length, Low-Profile USB Device And Card-Like Carrier

An assembly comprising:

• a low-profile Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) device including:
• a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including:
• a printed circuit board (PCB) including a relatively wide PCB handle section and a relatively narrow PCB plug section, the PCB having opposing first and second surfaces,
• a plurality of metal contacts disposed on the first surface of the PCB plug section, and
• first and second integrated circuits (ICs) mounted on the second surface of the PCB, and
• a housing attached to the PCBA and including a cover plate extending over both the PCB handle section and the PCB plug section,
• wherein the cover plate includes a planar surface that is parallel to the PCB, and
• wherein a first thickness measured between the first surface of the PCB and the planar surface adjacent to the metal contacts is substantially equal to a second thickness between the first surface of the PCB and the planar surface adjacent to the IC;
• and
• a card-like carrier including:
• a base portion having peripheral walls surrounding a relatively wide main chamber;
• support structures disposed on lower edges of at least some of the peripheral walls and extending into the main chamber;
• one or more locking structures disposed along upper edges of at least one of the peripheral walls and extending into the main chamber;
• and
• an end portion attached to the base portion, the end portion including end walls defining a relatively narrow slot having a first end communicating with the main chamber,
• wherein the USB device is detachably mounted onto the carrier such that the plug structure of the USB device is received inside the slot and the handle structure is restrained by the support structures and the locking structures such that the peripheral wall of the base portion extends along the peripheral edge of the handle structure.