Housing for a portable electronic device

• US 6,724,618 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Thelemann, Carl, Lee, Roland W. F., Aran, Israel, Horan, Mike, Jenkins, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dataskovsky, Michael
• Application Number:
  US09/925,184
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 361/681, 361/683, 361/684, 361/737, 361/753, 361/814, 439/218, 439/331, 439/486, 439/492, 439/509, 439/159, 439/160, 439/638, 439/630, 455/90, 455/550, 455/558, 235/492, 235/439, 235/440, 235/441, 235/451, 235/475, 235/483, 235/486, 379/428, 379/429, 379/433, 206/706, 206/716, 206/711, 206/712, 211/41.17
• US Class Current: 361/679.32
• 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 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• 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 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the computer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1394 Article held by clip

Abstract

An improved housing configuration for a portable electronic device is provided. The housing includes a flash card slot configured within a battery compartment of the portable electronic device to protect a flash card from outside contaminants. The housing also includes a SIM module, the SIM module having a well to provide for proper alignment with a SIM card, a freely detachable SIM card cover, and a sealing gasket to provide a seal between the well and the SIM card cover. The housing also includes a pen slot, which enables a user to more easily remove the pen with a pushing action. The housing further includes a hand strap mount, which can be easily converted into a hip-clip.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a slot adapted to receive a flash card, the slot being located in a battery compartment of the portable electronic device;

the battery compartment of the portable electronic device being sealed from the outside environment;

an ejection mechanism coupled to the slot, and

a pen slot attached to the electronic device, the pen slot enables a pen to be pushed out therefrom via a bottom opening associated therewith.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, the flash card being a compact flash card.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, the flash card being a smart media card.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, the flash card being a PCMCIA card.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, the battery compartment further housing a SIM module.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, the compartment comprising a sealing gasket operable to provide a seal between a housing of the portable electronic device and a cover of the battery compartment.

7. The system of claim 6, the sealing gasket comprising an elastomer.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a compact flash card;

a slot adapted to receive the compact flash card and located within a battery compartment of the portable electronic device;

a sealing gasket operable to seal contents within the battery compartment from contaminants in the outside enviroment;

an ejection mechanism coupled to the slot for ejecting the compact flash card, and

a pen slot that guides a sliding pen into a secure position within the portable electronic device.

9. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a compartment including a slot with an ejection mechanism attached thereto, adapted to receive a flash card;

a SIM contact device;

a SIM card coupled to the contact device, the SIM card being able to be freely detached from the SIM contact device;

a SIM card cover, the cover being employed to protect the SIM card and to maintain a close connection between the SIM contact device and the SIM card;

a sealing gasket coupled to the SIM card, and

a pen compartment as part of the housing, the pen compartment with a slot that enables a pen to be pushed out therefrom or thereinto.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, the SIM contact device being located in a well in a battery compartment of the portable electronic device.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10, the well having sidewalls adapted to properly align the SIM card within the well.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11, the wall and the SIM card having cropped corners to ensure proper alignment of the SIM card within the well.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 10, the SIM card cover being freely detachable from the portable electronic device.

13. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a compartment including a slot with an ejection mechanism attached thereto, adapted to receive a flash card;

a SIM contact device located in well of a battery compartment for the portable electronic device;

a SIM card coupled to the contact device, the SIM card being able to be freely detached from the SIM contact device;

a SIM card cover, the cover being employed to protect the SIM card and to maintain a close connection between the SIM contact device and the SIM card, the SIM card cover being secured to the well by a screw; and

a sealing gasket coupled to the SIM card cover.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13, the sealing gasket provided between the SIM card cover and the well to ensure a seal between the SIM card cover and the well.

16. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing having a compartment including a slot with an ejection mechanism attached thereto, adapted to receive a flash card;

a SIM contact device located in well of a battery compartment for the portable electronic device;

a SIM card coupled to the contact device, the SIM card being able to be freely detached from the SIM contact device;

a SIM card cover, the cover being employed to protect the SIM card and to maintain a close connection between the SIM contact device and the SIM card, the SIM card cover having at least one protrusions on a side facing the SIM card, the at least one protrusion capable of engaging the SIM card with the SIM contact device; and

a sealing gasket coupled to the SIM card cover.

17. A housing for a portable electronic device, comprising:

a compact flash card slot, the compact flash card slot being located within a battery compartment of the portable electronic device;

a SIM module located within the battery compartment of the portable electronic device, the SIM module including a SIM card cover freely detachable from the SIM module and securable to the SIM module with a screw; and

a pen slot adapted to enable a pen to be pushed out of the slot from a bottom opening in the slot.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:

means to receive a flash card, the means for receiving the flash card being located within a means for housing a power supply for the portable electronic device;

means for ejecting the flash card; and

means for enabling a pen to be pushed into or out from a compartment of the portable electronic device.