Housing for hand held scanner

• US 7,325,743 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Sudhir, Jwo, Chinh-Hung, Swift, Philip, Hamilton, Alistair
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US10/861,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.43, 235/472.02, 235/472.01, 235/462.45, 235/462
• US Class Current: 235/472.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A housing for a hand-held scanner has an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion, a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion, side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces and a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion for receiving a finger of a hand holding the housing during use. The side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces a sufficient distance to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing during use.

Claims

1. A housing for a hand-held scanner, comprising:

an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces;

a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion oriented to receive a finger of a hand holding the housing in a first configuration; and

wherein the side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces substantially to the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces oriented to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing in a second configuration.

2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the size of the upper surface is greater than the size of the lower surface and the side surfaces taper gradually from the upper surface to the lower surface.

3. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface has a thumb activated switch disposed substantially opposite the first groove in the lower surface.

4. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface has a keyboard at the rear portion thereof and a flange extending upwardly from the rear surface and at least partially surrounding the keyboard.

5. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the front portion of the lower surface is rounded and has a rest extending therefrom to maintain the housing in a stable position when placed on a planar surface.

6. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising a scanner for one-dimensional scanning.

7. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising a scanner for two-dimensional scanning.

8. The housing according to claim 1, wherein a rear surface between the upper and lower surfaces has an infrared outlet and wherein the housing is configured to form a direct line of sight from the infrared outlet to a belt pack worn by a user holding the housing in one hand.

9. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface has a battery chamber for receiving a battery pack and including contacts for connecting to contacts on the battery pack and a sensor in the battery chamber sensing the removal of the battery pack from the battery chamber before the contacts of the battery pack disconnect from the contacts in the battery chamber.

10. The housing according to claim 9, wherein the battery sensor is sealed.

11. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the lower surface has a battery chamber for receiving a battery pack and an integrated circuit socket in the bottom of the chamber and covered by a removable door for receiving an integrated circuit.

12. A housing for a hand-held scanner, comprising:

an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces;

a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion oriented to receive a finger of a hand holding the housing in a first configuration; and

wherein the upper surface has a thumb activated switch disposed substantially opposite the first groove in the lower surface and a rest area adjacent the switch including a concave dip and a ridge for preventing inadvertent activation of the switch, wherein the side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces substantially to the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces oriented to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing in a second configuration.

13. A housing for a hand-held scanner, comprising:

an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces;

a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion for receiving a finger of a hand holding the housing; and

wherein the lower surface has a first fastener thereon for a strap disposed at the rear portion thereof and second fasteners for the strap at the side surfaces adjacent the front portion of the lower surface, whereby a strap fastened between the first fastener and one of the second fasteners is at a diagonal and extends over fingers of a hand holding the housing between the knuckles and the first joints thereof.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the first and second fasteners are recessed.

15. A housing for a hand-held scanner, comprising:

an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces;

a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion for receiving a finger of a hand holding the housing in a first configuration; and

wherein the front portion of the lower surface is rounded and has a rest extending therefrom to maintain the housing in a stable position when placed on a planar surface, wherein the side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces substantially to the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces oriented to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing in a second configuration.

16. A housing for a hand-held scanner, comprising:

an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces;

a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion for receiving a finger of a hand holding the housing in a first configuration;

and wherein a rear surface between the upper and lower surfaces has an infrared outlet and wherein the housing is configured to form a direct line of sight from the infrared outlet to a belt pack worn by a user holding the housing in one hand, wherein the side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces substantially to the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces oriented to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing in a second configuration.

17. A housing for a hand-held scanner, comprising:

an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces;

a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion for receiving a finger of a hand holding the housing in a first configuration; and

wherein the lower surface has a battery chamber for receiving a battery pack and including contacts for connecting to contacts on the battery pack and a sensor in the battery chamber sensing the removal of the battery pack from the battery chamber before the contacts of the battery pack disconnect form the contacts in the battery chamber, wherein the side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces substantially to the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces oriented to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing in a second configuration.

18. The housing according to claim 17, wherein the battery sensor is sealed.

19. A housing for a hand-held scanner, comprising:

an upper surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

a lower surface having a front portion and a rear portion;

side surfaces between the upper and lower surfaces;

a first groove in the lower surface between the front portion and rear portion for receiving a finger of a hand holding the housing in a first configuration; and

wherein the lower surface has a battery chamber for receiving a battery pack and a first door to provide access to the battery chamber, the battery chamber having an integrated circuit socket in the bottom of the chamber for receiving an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit socket being covered by a second door, the second door being covered by the battery pack when placed in the battery chamber such that the battery pack must be removed to open the second door and access the integrated circuit socket, wherein the side surfaces have second grooves therein extending from the first groove towards the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces substantially to the rear portion of the upper and lower surfaces oriented to receive the tips of at least two fingers of a hand holding the housing in a second configuration.