Handheld indicia reader having locking endcap

• US 10,002,274 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2017
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Gannon, Colleen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Seung
• Application Number:
  US15/398,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20170206389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 235435, 235454, 23546243, 23547201-47203
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/00 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An indicia-reading device including an indicia-capturing subsystem for acquiring information about indicia within the indicia-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view and an indicia-decoding module configured for decoding indicia information within the indicia-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view. The device also includes a hand-supportable housing, a battery compartment, an end cap for holding the battery compartment in place, and a locking mechanism for securing the end cap to the battery compartment during use.

Claims

1. A housing for receiving a battery, comprising:

a battery compartment;

an end cap removably coupled to the battery compartment, wherein the end cap comprises a recessed portion and a keyhole within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion; and

a rotatable locking mechanism for securing the end cap to the battery compartment, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism comprises;

an engaging member for engaging with the end cap'"'"'s keyhole;

a head bow for positioning the engaging member within the end cap'"'"'s keyhole, the head bow contiguously positioned atop the engaging member; and

a clip, coupled to the head bow, wherein the clip is received in the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion when the clip is in a downward locked position to restrict rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion, and wherein the clip is spaced apart from the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion, in an upward unlocked position, such that a rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion is permitted.

2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein substantially complete rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism is permitted when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in an unlocked position.

3. The housing according to claim 1, wherein complete rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism is prevented when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in a locked position.

4. The housing according to claim 1, wherein rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism is restricted to less than 30 degrees when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in a locked position.

5. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip facilitates hand rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in an unlocked position.

6. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s head bow includes a frictional interference slot for engaging the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip in the unlocked position facilitating hand rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in an unlocked position.

7. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is for a handheld scanner.

8. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the battery compartment is positioned within a base portion of the housing.

9. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism comprises a captive screw.

10. The housing according to claim 1, wherein:

as measured from the center of the end cap'"'"'s keyhole, the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion has a minimum radius r_recess-min;

as measured with respect to an axis defined by the engaging member, the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip has a radius r_up-max when unlocked and a radius r_down-max when locked; and

r_up-max<

r_recess-min<

r_down-max.

11. An indicia-reading device, comprising:

a battery compartment;

an end cap removably coupled to the battery compartment, wherein the end cap comprises a recessed portion and a keyhole within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion; and

a rotatable locking mechanism for securing the end cap to the battery compartment, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism comprises;

an engaging member for engaging with the end cap'"'"'s keyhole;

a head bow for positioning the engaging member within the end cap'"'"'s keyhole, the head bow contiguously positioned atop the engaging member; and

a clip, coupled to the head bow, wherein the clip is received in the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion when the clip is in a downward locked position to restrict rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion, and wherein the clip is spaced apart from the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion, in an upward unlocked position, such that a rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion is permitted.

12. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein substantially complete rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism is permitted when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in an unlocked position.

13. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein complete rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism is prevented when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in a locked position.

14. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism is restricted to less than 30 degrees when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in a locked position.

15. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip facilitates hand rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in an unlocked position.

16. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s head bow includes a frictional interference slot for engaging the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip in the unlocked position facilitating hand rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism when the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip is in an unlocked position.

17. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein the battery compartment is positioned within a base portion of the indicia-reading device.

18. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism comprises a captive screw.

19. The indicia-reading device according to claim 11, wherein:

as measured from the center of the end cap'"'"'s keyhole, the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion has a minimum radius r_recess-min;

as measured with respect to an axis defined by the engaging member, the rotatable locking mechanism'"'"'s clip has a radius r_up-max when unlocked and a radius r_down-max when locked; and

r_up-max<

r_recess-min<

r_down-max.

20. A housing, comprising:

a compartment;

an end cap removably coupled to the compartment, wherein the end cap comprises a recessed portion and a keyhole within the end caps recessed portion; and

a rotatable locking mechanism partly receivable in the keyhole for securing the end cap to the compartment, wherein the rotatable locking mechanism comprises;

a clip coupled to the rotatable locking mechanism such that the clip is receivable in the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion when the clip is in a downward locked position to restrict rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion, and wherein the clip is spaced apart from the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion, in an upward unlocked position, such that a rotation of the rotatable locking mechanism within the end cap'"'"'s recessed portion is permitted.