Sealed portable electronics device having expansion port

• US 6,407,911 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Juniper Systems Inc.
• Original Assignee: Juniper Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Ricks, Jeffery D., Spence, Gary D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US09/685,467
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/724-727, 361/684-686, 248/556, 248/557, 312/223--22, 312/351.6, 312/351.8, 70/57--58, 701/54, 701/92, 174/35.GC, 174/35.MS, 174/35.R
• US Class Current: 361/679.3
• 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 1/1637 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 1/1664 Arrangements for ergonomically adjusting the disposition of keys of the integrated keyboard

Abstract

Portable electronics devices having a sealed housing and an expansion port that does not interfere with the sealed nature of the housing. The housing has a front portion and a back portion connected one to another at a sealed interface. The sealed interface can include a pliable gasket that conforms to both the front and back portions, making the housing substantially watertight. Near the distal end of the electronics device, where the expansion port is formed, the sealed interface is displaced toward the front of the housing. The expansion port can thereby be positioned behind the sealed interface such that the expansion port does not straddle or interfere with the sealed interface. Because the expansion port does not interfere with the sealed interface, the gasket can have a relatively simple shape. The electronics device can accept expansion cards and devices while maintaining the integrity of the sealed housing. The electronics device can therefore be used in adverse environments where water, dirt, or dust can be encountered without damaging the internal components of the electronics device.

Claims

1. A portable electronics device that is capable of receiving an expansion device, comprising:

a housing including a front portion and a back portion;

a seal at the interface between the front portion and the back portion of the housing; and

an expansion port for receiving an expansion device, the expansion port being positioned at one end of the electronics device and being formed in the back portion of the housing such that the expansion port does not straddle or interfere with the seal, the expansion port comprising;

a first door that is selectively removable and pivotally attached to the back portion of the housing; and

a chamber extending into the electronics device, the chamber being accessible when the door is open.

2. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 1, wherein said first door is replaceable with at least one second door, said second door having a different design than a design of the first door.

3. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal comprises a gasket sealingly engaged with both the front portion and the back portion of the housing.

4. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal extends about a periphery of the housing, the seal being displaced toward a front surface of the housing at a top end of the electronics device so as to provide sufficient space for the expansion port to be positioned in the back portion of the housing at the top end of the electronics device.

5. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal is substantially watertight, the portable electronics device further comprising:

a keypad structure having keys; and

a pliable protective structure covering the keypad structure such that the keys can be depressed through the pliable protective structure and such that the keypad structure is substantially watertight.

6. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a display device positioned in the front portion of the housing at the top end of the electronics device.

7. A portable electronics device that is capable of receiving an expansion device, comprising:

a housing including a front portion and a back portion;

a seal having an associated gasket at the interface between the front portion and the back portion of the housing, the gasket extending around a periphery of the housing, wherein;

the gasket, near a bottom end of the electronics device, lies in a sealing plane aligned substantially parallel to a plane defined by a keypad structure of the electronics device; and

the gasket, near the top end of the electronics device, is displaced from said sealing plane toward a front surface of the housing; and

an expansion port for receiving an expansion device, wherein the displacement of the gasket near the top end provides sufficient space for the expansion port to be positioned at a top end of the electronics device and to be formed in the back portion of the housing such that the expansion port does not straddle or interfere with the gasket, the expansion port including;

a door formed in the back portion of the housing; and

a chamber extending into the electronics device, the chamber being accessible when the door is open.

8. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 7, wherein the expansion port is positioned such that the expansion port receives expansion devices in a direction substantially parallel to the plane defined by the keypad structure.

9. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 7, wherein the seal is substantially watertight.

10. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 7, further comprising a display device positioned in the front portion of the housing at the top end of the electronics device.

11. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a keypad section having keys; and

a pliable protective structure covering the keypad section such that the keys can be depressed through the pliable protective structure and such that the keypad structure is substantially watertight.

12. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 7, wherein the door is selectively removable.

13. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 7, wherein the expansion port is aligned such that the expansion port is capable of receiving the expansion device as the expansion device is inserted into the expansion port along a line that is generally parallel to the plane defined by the keypad structure.

14. A portable computer that is capable of receiving an expansion device without compromising the integrity of a seal associated with the housing of the computer, comprising:

a housing including a front portion and a back portion;

a seal having an associated gasket at the interface between the front portion and the back portion, the seal being substantially watertight;

an expansion port for receiving an expansion device, the expansion port being positioned at a top end of the electronics device and being formed in the back portion of the housing such that the expansion port does not straddle or interfere with the gasket, the expansion port including;

a door formed in the back portion of the housing;

a chamber extending into the electronics device, the chamber being accessible when the door is open; and

connection hardware for electrically engaging an expansion device when the expansion device is received by the expansion port;

a keypad section having keys; and

a pliable protective structure covering the keypad section such that the keys can be depressed through the pliable protective structure and such that the keypad structure is substantially watertight.

15. A portable computer as recited in claim 14, wherein the seal extends about a periphery of the housing, the seal being displaced toward a front surface of the housing at the top end of the electronics device so as to provide sufficient space for the expansion port to be positioned in the back portion of the housing at the top end of the electronics device.

16. A portable electronics device that is capable of receiving an expansion device, comprising:

a housing including a front portion and a back portion;

a substantially watertight seal at the interface between the front portion and the back portion of the housing;

a keypad structure having keys;

a pliable protective structure covering the keypad structure such that the keys can be depressed through the pliable protective structure and such that the keypad structure is substantially watertight; and

an expansion port for receiving an expansion device, the expansion port being positioned at one end of the electronics device and being formed in the back portion of the housing such that the expansion port does not straddle or interfere with the seal.

17. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 16, wherein the expansion port comprises:

a door formed in the back portion of the housing; and

a chamber extending into the electronics device, the chamber being accessible when the door is open.

18. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 17, wherein the seal comprises a gasket sealingly engaged with both the front portion and the back portion of the housing.

19. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 16, further comprising a display device positioned in the front portion of the housing at the top end of the electronics device.

20. A portable electronics device as recited in claim 16, wherein the seal extends about a periphery of the housing, the seal being displaced toward a front surface of the housing at said one end of the electronics device so as to provide sufficient space for the expansion port to be positioned in the back portion of the housing at said one end of the electronics device.