COMPUTER WITH REMOVABLE CARTRIDGE

• US 20120099262A1
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xplore Technologies Corporation (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: REBER, David, Garel, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,699,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness

Abstract

A computer includes various features that improve its functionality and/or ease of use. A modular electronics cartridge that includes a piston seal and opposed-direction latches removably engages a cartridge bay of the computer. A high intensity touch-screen display and a high power processor are disposed in a sealed compartment of the computer, and a remote heat exchanger is used to cool the sealed compartment. An interface converter/adapter converts a standard mini-PCI Express slot into a specialized mini-PCI Express slot with voice capabilities. SIM and microSD card slots mount to a pivoting door on the computer such that opening the door provides easier access to the card slots.

Claims

1. A cartridge for removable engagement with a computer having a cartridge bay, the cartridge comprising:

a cartridge shell adapted to removably engage a cartridge bay of the computer;

electronics disposed within the shell;

an interface connector electrically coupled to the electronics and adapted to electrically engage an electronics interface of the computer so as to electrically couple the electronics to the computer; and

a piston seal surrounding the interface connector, the piston seal being constructed and positioned to compressively engage the cartridge bay when the cartridge engages the cartridge bay so as create a water-tight seal that separates the interface connector from an external environment.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, in combination with a computer, the computer comprising:

a case;

a chipset supported by the case;

a display supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset;

a cartridge bay supported by the case; and

an electronics interface disposed in the cartridge bay and electrically connected to the chipset,

wherein the cartridge is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position relative to the cartridge bay,

wherein when the cartridge is in the engaged position, the cartridge physically engages the cartridge bay such that the piston seal compressively engages the cartridge bay and creates a water-tight seal that separates the interface connector from an external environment, and the interface connector electrically engages the electronics interface such that the electronics electrically connect to the chipset,

wherein when the cartridge is in the disengaged position, the cartridge is physically disconnected from the computer.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein:

the cartridge bay comprises a side wall, and

a portion of the bay side wall slopes away from an opposing portion of the bay side wall as the portion projects outwardly such that when the cartridge moves from the disengaged position toward the engaged position, the piston seal slides along the portion and is disposed in an increasingly interference fit with the portion.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein the portion forms an angle of less than 30 degrees relative to a direction of movement of a part of the piston seal that contacts the portion as the cartridge moves into its engaged position.

5. The combination of claim 3, wherein:

the cartridge bay and the cartridge include complimentary surface features that form a hinge when engaged with each other, and

when the cartridge is in the engaged position, the hinge prevents a portion of the cartridge adjacent the hinge from disengaging from the cartridge bay.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein

the cartridge further comprises independently movable first and second latches that are each movable relative to the shell between locking and releasing positions and are spring biased toward their respective locking positions,

the latches are disposed on an opposite half of the cartridge as the surface feature of the cartridge,

when the cartridge is in the engaged position and one of the latches is in its locked position, the one of the latches engages a portion of the cartridge bay and prevents the cartridge from disengaging from the cartridge bay, and

when the cartridge is in the engaged position and the latches are in their releasing positions, the cartridge is movable into its disengaged position.

7. The combination of claim 2, wherein:

the cartridge further comprises independently movable first and second latches that are each movable relative to the shell between locking and releasing positions and are spring biased toward their respective locking positions,

when the cartridge is in the engaged position and one of the latches is in its locked position, the one of the latches engages a portion of the cartridge bay and prevents the cartridge from disengaging from the cartridge bay, and

when the cartridge is in the engaged position and the latches are in their releasing positions, the cartridge is movable into its disengaged position.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein movement of the latches toward their releasing positions moves the latches toward each other and movement of the latches toward their locking positions moves the latches away from each other.

9. The combination of claim 7, further comprising ramps disposed on the latches or portions of the cartridge bay such that movement of the cartridge from its disengaged position to its engaged position causes the latches to sequentially slide against portions of the cartridge bay so that the ramps cause the latches to move into their releasing positions, slide past the portions of the cartridge bay, and return to their locking positions.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein the latches each comprise a finger grip to facilitate one-handed operation of the latches such that a user may move the latches from their locking positions to their releasing positions by pinching the latches toward each other using only the fingers on one of the user'"'"'s hands.

11. The combination of claim 2, wherein:

the electronics interface comprises a first electronics interface;

the computer further comprises a second electronics interface; and

the interface connector is incompatible with the first electronics interface, but is compatible with the second electronics interface.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein:

the cartridge comprises a second interface connector that is compatible with the first electronics interface, and

the cartridge is configured to provide power to the electronics via the second interface connector.

13. The combination of claim 11, wherein the electronics comprise a video processor and a mass storage device, wherein the cartridge is configured to provide a data connection between the computer and both the video processor and the mass storage device via the first interface connector.

14. The combination of claim 11, wherein the cartridge further comprising a data cable having a first portion electrically coupled to the electronics, and a second portion extending out of the shell, the second portion being electrically coupled to the first interface connector such that the first interface connector is flexibly tethered to the shell by the cable.

15. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge shell comprises:

a top;

a bottom; and

a side extending between the top and bottom,

wherein the piston seal extends continuously around the side and forms a continuous perimeter.

16. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising a data cable having a first portion electrically coupled to the electronics, and a second portion extending out of the shell, the second portion being electrically coupled to the interface connector such that the interface connector is flexibly tethered to the shell by the cable.

17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the electronics comprise a video processor and a mass storage device, wherein the cartridge is configured to provide a data connection between the computer and both the video processor and the mass storage device via the interface connector.

18. The cartridge of claim 17, wherein the interface connector comprises a PCI, mini-PCI, or mini-PCI Express connector.

19. A computer comprising:

a case;

a chipset supported by the case;

a display supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset;

a cartridge bay supported by the case and shaped and configured to physically engage a modular electronics cartridge; and

an electronics interface disposed in the cartridge bay and electrically connected to the chipset,

wherein the electronics interface is shaped and configured to electrically connect to the cartridge when the cartridge is engaged with the cartridge bay, and

wherein the electronics interface is movably mounted to the case for movement between first and second positions, the first position comprising a position configured to initially connect the electronics interface to the cartridge when the cartridge is partially engaged with the bay and first contacts the electronics interface, the second position comprising a position configured to electrically connect the electronics interface to the cartridge when the cartridge is fully engaged with the cartridge bay.

20. The computer of claim 19, further comprising a spring that operatively extends between the case and the electronics interface and urges the electronics interface toward its first position.

21. The computer of claim 19, wherein the electronics interface pivotally mounts to the case for pivotal movement about an interface axis between the first and second positions.

22. The computer of claim 21, wherein:

the cartridge bay is shaped and configured to define at least a rough pivotal connection with the cartridge during engagement of the cartridge with the cartridge bay, and

the pivotal connection defines a cartridge axis that is parallel to the interface axis.

23. The computer of claim 19, further comprising:

an electronics cartridge comprising

a cartridge shell adapted to removably engage the cartridge bay,

electronics disposed within the shell, and

an interface connector electrically coupled to the electronics and adapted to electrically engage the electronics interface so as to electrically couple the electronics to the computer,

wherein the cartridge is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position relative to the cartridge bay,

wherein when the cartridge is in the engaged position, the interface connector electrically engages the electronics interface such that the electronics electrically connect to the chipset,

wherein movement of the cartridge from the disengaged position to the engaged position causes the electronics interface to move from its first position to its second position, and

wherein when the cartridge is in the disengaged position, the cartridge is physically disconnected from the computer.

24. A computer comprising:

a case;

a chipset supported by the case;

a cartridge bay supported by the case and shaped and configured to physically engage a modular electronics cartridge;

a first electronics interface disposed in the cartridge bay and electrically connected to the chipset, the first electronics interface being shaped and configured to electrically connect to an interface connector of the cartridge; and

a second electronics interface supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset, the second electronics interface being shaped and configured to electrically connect to a removable electronics device so as to electrically connect the removable electronics device to the chipset via the second electronics interface, the second electronics interface being accessible via an access hole in the cartridge bay to facilitate insertion and removal of the removable electronics device,

wherein the cartridge bay and access hole are constructed and positioned such that the cartridge covers the access hole when the cartridge is engaged with the cartridge bay, and

wherein the cartridge bay and access hole are constructed and positioned such that the cartridge bay provides external access to the access hole and second electronics interface when the cartridge is removed from the cartridge bay.

25. The computer of claim 24, further comprising:

an electronics cartridge comprising

a cartridge shell adapted to removably engage the cartridge bay,

electronics disposed within the shell, and

an interface connector electrically connected to the electronics and adapted to electrically engage the first electronics interface so as to electrically connect the electronics to the chipset,

wherein the cartridge is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position relative to the cartridge bay,

wherein movement of the cartridge into the engaged position covers the access hole, and

wherein movement of the cartridge from the engaged position to the disengaged position provides access to the access hole and second electronics interface.

26. The computer of claim 25, wherein:

the computer comprises a sealed compartment,

the second electronics interface is disposed in the sealed compartment,

movement of the cartridge from the disengaged position to the engaged position seals the access hole so as to separate the sealed compartment on an interior side of the access hole from an ambient environment on an exterior side of the access hole, and

movement of the cartridge from the engaged position to the disengaged position provides external access to the sealed compartment via the access hole.

27. The computer of claim 25, further comprising:

an electronics device that is shaped and configured to removably connect to the second electronics interface,

wherein the cartridge is movable between its engaged and disengaged positions while the electronics device is connected to the second electronics interface, and

when the electronics device is connected to the second electronics interface and the cartridge is disengaged from the computer, the electronics device is externally accessible and manually removable from the second interface and computer via the access hole.

28. The computer of claim 24, wherein the access hole has area of at least 5 square inches.

29. The computer of claim 24, further comprising a display supported by the case and electrically connected to the chipset.

30. The computer of claim 24, wherein the second electronics interface is a USB interface, a PCI Express interface, a mini-PCI Express interface, a SATA interface, an Î

2 C interface, or a PCMCIA interface.

31. The computer of claim 24, wherein the first electronics interface has a different interface specification than the second electronics interface.