Electronic device with housing supplement

• US 6,487,397 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Umbach, Dirk, Fuhrmann, Thomas, Wilke, Annett
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/870,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20010024947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/575, 455/351, 455/117, 455/217, 455/347-349, 455/128, 455/550, 379/433.11, 379/433.01
• US Class Current: 455/90.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0283 for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device having a housing, which has a housing wall with openings for control elements and/or display elements. An external wall element, which at least partially covers the housing wall, is detachably connected to the housing. The external wall element has openings which are aligned with the openings in the housing wall. As a result, by using different external wall elements the external appearance of the electronic device can be easily modified.

Claims

1. A user attachable/detachable replacement external non-planar cover for replacing a user detachable external non-planar cover of a hand-held communications device and thereby modifying the external appearance of the hand-held communications device comprising:

a main face, having an upper surface which is exposed when the cover is attached to the hand-held device;

a side wall joining the main face at its edge and extending downwards, away from the upper surface of the main face whereby the main face and at least portions of the side wall define a cavity, the main face having a plurality of apertures therethrough to the cavity wherein the side wall provides at least one press-on catch closure element for forming a user releasable press-on catch closure with a hand-held communications device having had its user detachable cover previously removed, the press-on catch closure element providing for the attachment and detachment of the cover by a user; and

wherein the downwardly pointing side wall has an edge which is arranged to support the cover on step-like portions of the hand-held communications device and the side wall at the edge has a thickness corresponding to the step size of the step-like portions, such that when the cover is attached to the hand-held communications device, substantially no step remains in the connection area between the cover and the device.

2. A user attachable/detachable replacement cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one press-on catch closure element is recessed to form said press-on catch closure with a hand-held communications device having had its user detachable cover previously removed.

3. A user attachable/detachable replacement cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one press-on catch closure element comprises a notch located on the interior portion of a side wall.

4. A user attachable/detachable replacement cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures includes at least one microphone aperture positioned towards a second end of the main face.

5. A user attachable/detachable replacement cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures includes a display aperture having a transparent cover element.

6. A user attachable/detachable replacement cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures include at least one key aperture of distinctive shape positioned by a display aperture.

7. A user attachable/detachable replacement cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the downward extent of the side walls is such that the main face of the external cover does not touch or exert pressure on the hand-held communications device.

8. A user attachable/detachable replacement cover as in claim 1, wherein said cover can be attached or detached by a user without employing a tool.