Ruggedized hand held computer

• US 6,532,152 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Ryan R., Kunert, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): DATSKOVSKIY, MICHAIL V
• Application Number:
  US09/549,046
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/683, 361/686, 361/697, 361/731, 361/725, 361/679, 361/730, 361/759, 361/780, 364/708.1, 364/708, 312/223.1, 312/296, 312/223.2, 248/580, 248/602, 248/612, 248/615, 248/616, 248/618, 248/632-634, 248/636, 248/638, 248/917, 248/560, 174/52.1, 174/65.R, 174/52.3, 349/60, 349/65, 349/58, 349/150, 349/64, 349/187, 349/122, 349/161, 359/44, 359/48, 359/83, 359/100, 404/48, 401/591, 407/78, 206/586, 206/320, 345/905
• US Class Current: 361/692
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/816 Fastening of displays or touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/822 Adjustment of instruments during mounting
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/96 by assembling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/816 Fastening of displays or touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/822 Adjustment of instruments during mounting
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/91 Assembly of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/46 Fixing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/503 Arrangements improving the resistance to shock
• 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 1/1656 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 1/1658 related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/124 of the single recording/reproducing device, e.g. disk drive, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/1493 Electro-Magnetic Interference [EMI] or Radio Frequency Interference [RFI] shielding; grounding of static charges

Abstract

The present invention provides a durable, reliable, and ergonomic computing system that is highly customizable and ungradable. Product flexibility and ease of customization is provided by the ability to employ a wide range of peripherals and accessories. In one embodiment, a docking unit is provided that provides additional functionality and flexibility. Flexibility is further enhanced by a CPU upgrade path as well as easily ungradable main system memory and hard disk drive. In one embodiment, a T-shaped main logic board (MLB) is provided as is a method of positioning or arranging the internal components of a portable computer by employing the same. In this manner, the size and number of components that may be housed internally within the computer are greater than would be possible with a conventional generally rectangular main logic board. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a shock mounting system for a portable computer having a flat panel display, comprising a shock absorbing member encasing the perimeter of the flat panel display and a metal, e.g., magnesium alloy, frame mounted within the interior compartment retaining the shock absorbing member. In a related embodiment, the metal frame forms at least a portion of the peripheral walls housing the computer.

Claims

1. A shock resistant portable computer comprising:

a housing formed with an aperture,

internal components housed within the housing,

a display visible through the aperture,

a generally u-shaped shock absorbing frame encasing the perimeter of the display, and

a metal frame in which the u-shaped frame and the display are retained,

wherein one half of the u-shaped shock absorbing frame is adhered to the metal frame.

2. A shock resistant portable computer comprising:

a housing formed with an aperture,

internal components housed within the housing,

a display visible through the aperture,

a generally u-shaped shock absorbing frame encasing the perimeter of the display, and

a metal frame in which the u-shaped frame and the display are retained,

wherein the housing comprises an upper housing shell formed with said aperture and a bottom housing shell, and

wherein the metal frame is suspended within the upper housing shell by a plurality of fasteners.

3. A shock resistant portable computer comprising:

a housing formed with an aperture,

internal components housed within the housing,

a display visible through the aperture,

a generally u-shaped shock absorbing frame encasing the perimeter of the display, and

a metal frame in which the u-shaped frame and the display are retained,

further comprising a touch screen overlay mounted directly over the display and touchable through the aperture, and

further comprising a gasket providing a sealed engagement between the touch screen overlay and the housing.

4. A shock resistant portable computer comprising:

a housing formed with an aperture,

internal components housed within the housing,

a display visible through the aperture,

a generally u-shaped shock absorbing frame encasing the perimeter of the display, and

a metal frame in which the u-shaped frame and the display are retained,

further comprising a shielding member adhered to the metal frame to provide electromagnetic shielding.

5. A shock resistant portable computer comprising:

a housing formed with an aperture,

internal components housed within the housing,

a display visible through the aperture,

a generally u-shaped shock absorbing frame encasing the perimeter of the display, and

a metal frame in which the u-shaped frame and the display are retained,

wherein the metal frame is fixer employed as a mount for at least one of the internal components.

6. A method of constructing a shock resistant portable computer having a display comprising:

encasing the perimeter of the display with a generally u-shaped shock absorbing frame,

mounting the encased display onto a metal frame, and

mounting the metal frame in the portable computer,

wherein the u-shaped shock absorbing frame is adhered to the metal frame.

7. A shock resistant display apparatus for use in a shock resistant portable computer comprising:

a display

a generally u-shaped shock absorbing frame encasing the perimeter of the display, and

a metal frame in which the u-shaped frame and the display are retained,

wherein at least a portion of the u-shaped absorbing frame is a shock absorbing adhesive adhered to the metal frame.