US20100020481A1 - Pistol grip for a portable terminal with an internal receptacle for a stylus - Google Patents
Pistol grip for a portable terminal with an internal receptacle for a stylus Download PDFInfo
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- US20100020481A1 US20100020481A1 US12/180,865 US18086508A US2010020481A1 US 20100020481 A1 US20100020481 A1 US 20100020481A1 US 18086508 A US18086508 A US 18086508A US 2010020481 A1 US2010020481 A1 US 2010020481A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- handle
- stylus
- receptacle
- arm
- distal end
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
- G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
- G06K7/10—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
- G06K7/10544—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
- G06K7/10821—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum further details of bar or optical code scanning devices
- G06K7/10881—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum further details of bar or optical code scanning devices constructional details of hand-held scanners
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
- Y10T428/28—Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
- Y10T428/2848—Three or more layers
Definitions
- This invention relates to a stylus storage mechanism for a handle of a portable terminal.
- a handle for scanning device such as a portable scanner for logistics environments.
- handles are typically either molded as an integral portion of the housing of the scanning device, or are connected to the housing using fasteners and corresponding tools.
- detachment of the handle from the scanning device is at best problematic, depending upon the tools available in the field to a user of the scanning device.
- desired removal of the handle is not possible without potentially damaging the housing.
- current scanner handles may not allow for easy removal (e.g., for replacement, repair, cleaning, alternative configuration of the scanning device, etc.).
- attaching the handle to the housing in a releasable fashion, while providing for a control connection between a trigger of the handle and electronic components of the scanning device is problematic.
- a further disadvantage of current portable scanning devices is hidden storage of a stylus for interacting with a user interface of the scanning device.
- the stylus of the device is attached (e.g. via a cord) and fastened to an external surface of the device housing or handle, when not in use by the user of the device.
- these external storage techniques of stylus can result in damage to the housing of the device, misplacement (e.g. loosing) of the stylus by the user, and/or positioning of the stylus in an awkward location on the device/handle that may interfere with the user when operating the scanning device without the current need for the stylus.
- triggers of current handles may not be ergonomically comfortable for operation by many different users having different sized hands.
- the known handles and triggers can provide a non-contoured/ergonomic grip configuration, which tends to make such known triggers uncomfortable to use (e.g. premature fatigue felt by the hand of the user).
- the stylus of the device is attached (e.g. via a cord) and fastened to an external surface of the device housing or handle, when not in use by the user of the device.
- these external storage techniques of stylus can result in damage to the housing of the device, misplacement (e.g. loosing) of the stylus by the user, and/or positioning of the stylus in an awkward location on the device/handle that may interfere with the user when operating the scanning device without the current need for the stylus.
- a handle for a portable terminal having a user interface configured for interaction with a stylus.
- the handle comprises a handle body having the grip portion shaped for grasping by a hand of the user of the portable terminal, a proximal end of the grip portion for coupling to a housing of the portable computer, and a distal end of the grip portion.
- the handle has a receptacle connected to the handle body and located in the interior of the handle body, such that the receptacle is adapted for releasably retaining the stylus in the interior of the handle body.
- the handle body 21 has an aperture for facilitating access of the stylus into the receptacle.
- the receptacle has at least one arm having a first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion and/or notch/groove) adapted for engaging a second shaped feature (e.g.
- the arm is biased towards a first position for facilitating the engagement of the first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion and/or notch/groove) with the second shaped feature (e.g. corresponding notch/groove and/or protrusion).
- first shaped feature e.g. protrusion and/or notch/groove
- second shaped feature e.g. corresponding notch/groove and/or protrusion
- a first aspect is a handle for a portable computer having a user interface configured for interaction with a stylus
- the handle comprising: a handle body having a grip portion shaped for grasping by a hand of a user of the portable computer, a proximal end of the grip portion for coupling to a housing of the portable computer, and a distal end of the grip portion; a receptacle connected to the handle body and located in an interior of the handle body, the receptacle adapted for releasably retaining the stylus in the interior of the handle body, the handle body having an aperture for facilitating access of the stylus into the receptacle; and at least one member of the receptacle having a first shaped feature adapted for engaging a second shaped feature of the stylus for providing the releasable retaining of the stylus when resident in the receptacle, the member biased towards a first position for facilitating the engagement of the first shaped feature with the second shaped feature.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of components of a portable terminal for interaction with a logistics environment
- FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a proximal end view of a handle of the terminal of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 4 shows an example coupling operation of an embodiment of the handle of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 5 a a rear side view of the handle of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 b a side view of the handle of FIG. 5 a;
- FIG. 6 a shows an example latch configuration section A-A view of FIG. 5 a as a releasable coupling between the handle and the terminal of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 6 b shows a further view of the latch configuration of FIG. 6 a
- FIG. 7 is an alternative embodiment of the latch configuration of FIGS. 6 a and 6 b;
- FIG. 8 shows an example assembled stylus configuration of the handle of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 9 a shows an example stylus of the stylus configuration of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 9 b is an example receptacle for the stylus of FIG. 9 a;
- FIG. 9 c shows a top section view B-B of the receptacle of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 9 d is an alternative embodiment of the receptacle of FIG. 9 c;
- FIG. 10 a is an alternative embodiment of the stylus of FIG. 9 a;
- FIG. 10 b is an alternative embodiment of the receptacle of FIG. 9 b;
- FIG. 11 shows an disassembly of the stylus configuration of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 12 shows a partial assembly of the stylus configuration of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 13 is an alternative embodiment of the receptacle of FIG. 9 b;
- FIG. 14 shows an example actuation assembly of the handle of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 15 shows a front view of the actuation assembly of FIG. 14 ;
- FIG. 16 shows an alternative embodiment of the actuator mechanism of FIG. 14 ;
- FIG. 17 is a top rear perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 18 is a bottom front perspective view of the portable terminal of FIG. 1 .
- a portable terminal 10 for providing imaging and/or scanning features (and/or functions) in data capture/communications 12 and asset tracking/management, for example in wireless communication 14 with tracking (e.g. information) objects 16 (e.g. barcode labels and/or RFID tags) present in one or more logistics environments 18 (e.g. industrial, retail, supply chain). It is recognised that the tracking objects 16 can be attached to products that are being transported from one location to another in the logistics environment 18 . Examples of these environments 18 can include such as but not limited to: front store retail and/or warehousing for mobile stock checking, price checking, and merchandising; and utilities for meter reading, surveying, parking enforcement, and asset tracking.
- tracking e.g. information
- logistics environments 18 e.g. industrial, retail, supply chain
- these environments 18 can include such as but not limited to: front store retail and/or warehousing for mobile stock checking, price checking, and merchandising; and utilities for meter reading, surveying, parking enforcement, and asset tracking.
- the portable terminal 10 can have an optional handle 20 , connected via a release securable connection 22 , to an enclosure 23 of a handheld computer 24 .
- the handle 20 may be permanently or otherwise fixedly attached (e.g. not releasable) to the enclosure 23 by fastening means such as but not limited to: protrusions engaged in slots, latch mechanisms, fasteners (e.g. screws), adhesives or other bonding agents, etc.
- the handle 20 may be formed (e.g. molded) as integral to at least a portion of the enclosure 23 . It is recognised that in the description, the terms “housing” and “enclosure” can be used interchangeably.
- the computer 24 has a number of components 19 including a user interface 26 , including a keyboard 28 and a display 30 (e.g. touch screen), one or more onboard processors 32 (e.g. inside of the enclosure 23 ), and a scanner/radio communications module 34 (e.g. laser, WLAN with VoIP and Bluetooth, imager, etc.—inside of the enclosure 23 ) for facilitating the wireless communication 14 .
- the portable terminal 10 also has an onboard power source 36 for helping to satisfy power requirements of the onboard processor(s) 32 , the user interface 26 , and optionally the communication module 34 .
- the handle 20 is shaped for grasping by a hand (not shown) of a user of the portable terminal 10 , a body 21 of the handle 20 having a proximal end 50 for coupling to the enclosure 24 of the computer 26 , a distal end 52 , and a grip portion 54 between the ends 50 , 52 for grasping by the hand of the user.
- the grip portion 54 can optionally have an overmold portion 56 , preferably made of a resiliently flexible material (e.g. rubber or other suitable polymers), for enhancing the grip of the user's hand on the body 21 of the handle 20 .
- the overmold portion 56 can be referred to as an additional layer formed around the first part (e.g.
- the body 21 that can be a previously molded part that is reinserted into a secondary mold for forming the additional layer on the previously molded part.
- the component is rotated on a core from the one mold cavity to another.
- the second mold cavity is different from the first mold cavity in that the detail for the second molded part is included and used to add the overmold potion 56 .
- the material e.g. rubberized polymer
- the overmold 56 is then injected into the second mold cavity detail before the completed part (i.e. handle 20 and overmold portion 56 ) is ejected from the second mold.
- the handle 20 is where the body 21 is made of a hard/rigid plastic material (e.g. thermoplastic polymer) while the overmold 56 is made of a softer, resilient material (e.g. thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) materials) that is adhered to the material/substrate (e.g. polypropene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), Nylon etc.) of the body 21 , thus facilitating a combined comfortable, non-slip, and abrasion-resistant grip portion 54 of the handle 20 .
- a hard/rigid plastic material e.g. thermoplastic polymer
- TPE thermoplastic elastomer
- the overmold portion 56 can also be referred to as a resilient covering that can be bonded or otherwise adhered to the exterior surface of the handle body 21 . It is recognised that an overmolding process is one example embodiment of the bonding/adhering of the resilient cover (e.g. the portion 56 ) to the grip portion 54 of the handle body 21 .
- the proximal end 50 can be attached to the grip portion 54 of the body 21 via a plurality of fasteners 70 (e.g. screws), see FIG. 3 , which can be configured to releasably secure the proximal end 50 to the grip portion 54 , as desired.
- a plurality of fasteners 70 e.g. screws
- the handle 20 also has an actuator assembly 43 (shown in dotted lines underneath the overmold portion 56 ).
- the actuator assembly 43 can have a raised portion 58 , for facilitating user identification of the actuator assembly 43 underneath the overmold 56 .
- the overmold 56 can have an indicator section 60 for indicating to the user the location of the actuator assembly 43 on the grip portion 54 underneath the overmold 56 .
- the indicator section 60 can have a material texture, colour, and/or shading different from other material of the overmold 56 .
- the proximal portion 50 of the handle 20 has a first surface 62 configured for mating with a second surface 64 of the enclosure 23 of the computer 24 , such that a depression portion 63 of the first surface 62 can be configured to accommodate the shape (e.g. protruding portion 64 a ) of the enclosure 23 surrounding the communications module 34 (see FIG. 1 ). Maintaining the mating of the first surface 62 with the second surface 64 is facilitated by the connection 22 , as further described below.
- the handle 20 is shaped for grasping by a hand 140 (see FIG. 15 ) of a user of the portable terminal 10 .
- the handle 20 is coupled to the computer 24 via the connection 22 , which includes both a mechanical coupling 38 for retaining the handle 20 as physically attached to the enclosure 23 (e.g. frame) and a control coupling 40 for facilitating communication (e.g. instruction/control signals 42 ) between the actuator assembly 43 (e.g. trigger) of the handle 20 and one or more components 19 of the computer 24 .
- control coupling 40 can be configured to include an electrical contact 40 a (e.g. printed circuit board (pcb) connectors such as electrically conductive pads) coupled to one or more components 19 of the computer 24 and a mating electrical contact 40 b (e.g. pogo pins) coupled to the actuator assembly 43 , as further described below.
- the electrical contact 40 b is configured to establish a temporary operative electrical connection between the actuator assembly 43 and one or more components 19 of the computer 24 via the electrical contact 40 a . It is recognised that the contact 40 a can be the electrically conductive pad(s) and the contact 40 b can be the pogo pins, as desired.
- the pogo pin can take the form of a slender cylinder containing two spring-loaded pins, such that when pressed between two electronic circuits (e.g. of the computer 24 via the electrical contact 40 a and the actuator assembly 43 ), points at each end of the pogo pin make secure electrical contacts with the two electronic circuits and thereby connect them together.
- the actuator assembly 43 is configured for affecting the operation of one or more of the components 19 of the computer 24 via the instruction/control signals 42 generated through physical interaction (e.g. depressing of the trigger) of user with the actuator assembly 43 .
- an optional seal 68 e.g.
- the mating of the electrical contact 40 a with the electrical contact 40 b can include a biasing member 40 c for facilitating the mating contact between the contacts 40 a,b when the mechanical coupling 38 is engaged.
- a biasing member 40 c is the springs of the pogo pins.
- Another example of the biasing member 40 c is a resilient arm included in the configuration of at least one of the contacts 40 a,b, thereby biasing the contacts 40 a,b against one another when they are brought into proximity with one another during engagement of the mechanical coupling 38 .
- mating of the control coupling 40 is configured so as not to interfere/inhibit with the operation (e.g. attachment and release) of the mechanical coupling 38 .
- the biasing member 40 c can be included in the contact 40 a , in the contact 40 b or in both of the contacts 40 a,b, as desired.
- the mechanical coupling 38 can be configured to include one or more slots 38 a and mating protrusions 38 b (with lip 45 ) and one or more latches 38 c (with lip 45 ) and corresponding slots 38 d on opposing sides 79 of the proximal portion 50 , as further described below. It is recognised that the slots 38 a can be located on the enclosure 23 and the protrusions 38 b located on the handle 20 as shown, the slots 38 a can be located on the handle 20 and the protrusions 38 b located on the enclosure 23 (not shown), or a combination thereof.
- the latch(s) 38 c can be located on the handle 20 and the corresponding slot(s) 38 d on the enclosure 23 (as shown), the latch(s) 38 c can be located on the enclosure 23 and the corresponding slot(s) 38 d on the handle 20 (not shown), or a combination thereof.
- the mechanical coupling 38 is configured so as to facilitate attachment of the optional handle 20 to the enclosure 23 without the aid of additional tools and corresponding fasteners (e.g. screwdrivers and screws, etc.). Further, the mechanical coupling 38 is configured so as to be compatible with a specified drop rating of the portable terminal 10 , while facilitating the retention of the handle 20 to the enclosure 23 , once attached, until subsequently released by the user through operation of the latch(s) 38 c .
- the protrusions 38 a can be engaged/inserted 70 into the slots 38 b (resulting in contact of the lips 45 (see FIGS. 5 a,b and 6 a,b ) with an interior surface 25 (e.g.
- the handle 20 can be pivoted 72 about the engaged protrusions 38 a and slots 38 b towards the enclosure 23 so as to engage the latch(es) 38 c with the corresponding slot 38 d (resulting in contact of the lip 45 with the interior surface 25 that is adjacent to the slot 38 d ).
- the first external surface 62 of the proximal portion 52 is located adjacent to the second external surface 64 of the enclosure 23 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 ).
- the engagement of the latch(es) 38 c with the slot(s) 38 d also causes the mating of the electrical contacts 40 a,b in order to provide or otherwise enable the control coupling 40 . It is recognised that the latch 38 c and/or the protrusions 38 b project/extend outwardly from the surface 62 of the handle, when positioned thereon, and the latch 38 c and/or the protrusions 38 b project/extend outwardly from the surface 64 of the enclosure 23 , when positioned thereon.
- the latch 38 c has a protrusion 44 (that projects transversely (or otherwise outwardly) from the surface 62 —see FIG. 3 ) with a lip 45 configured for engaging 72 (see FIG. 4 ) with the slot 38 d (see FIG. 2 ).
- the protrusion 44 is coupled to the body 21 of the handle 20 by an arm 46 that has a resilient connection 48 (e.g. at a base 150 of the arm 46 ) to the body 21 .
- the resilient connection 48 can be configured as integrally connected with the material of the body 21 with a slit 80 between the body 21 and the arm 46 on either side 152 of the arm 46 .
- resilient connection 48 is a button 47 on the arm 46 and spring 49 interposed between the button 47 and the arm 46 , see FIG. 7 .
- the positioning of an abutment surface 55 restricts travel 57 of the arm 46 (in a gap 59 between the arm 46 and the body 21 ) during engagement 72 of the latch 38 c with the corresponding slot 38 d .
- other resilient connection 48 configurations can be used for the latch 38 c , as apparent to one skilled in the art.
- the slits 80 in the wall 84 of the body 21 on either side 152 of the arm base 150 can be varied in length and/or separation distance with respect to one another so as to facilitate the configuration of a degree of resiliency of the resilient connection 48 .
- a distance between the ends of the slits adjacent to the base 150 can facilitate the degree of resiliency of the resilient connection.
- the slits 80 can be arcuate in shape along their length.
- the resilient connection 48 is used to bias the latch 38 c towards a first position 74 (see FIG. 6 a by example) as compared to a second position 76 (see FIG. 6 b by example), whereby positioning of the latch 38 a towards the abutment surface 55 in the second position 76 facilitates engagement 72 of the protrusion 44 with the slot 38 d while positioning of the latch 38 a away from the abutment surface 55 of the first position 74 facilitates the retention of the protrusion 44 in the slot 38 d via the interaction between the lip 45 and the inside surface 25 of the slot 38 d , once engaged 72 and until removed 72 .
- FIG. 6 a shows the position of the latch 38 c in the first position 74 and external/unengaged with the slot 38 d
- FIG. 6 b shows the position of the latch 38 c in the second position 76 (towards the abutment surface 55 ) and internal/engaged with the slot 38 d.
- the above example operation of the latch 38 c with the slot 38 d can be done before the protrusions 38 b are inserted into the slots 38 a (e.g. the engagement 72 is performed before the engagement 70 —see FIG. 4 ) or as shown such that the engagement 70 is performed before the engagement 72 .
- the latch(es) 38 c could be in the location of the protrusions 38 b and the protrusion(s) 38 b could be in the location of the latch(es) 38 c , as desired.
- the protrusions 38 b are located on either side of the depression portion 63 of the proximal portion 50 , so as to engage with the corresponding slots 38 a on either side of a portion of the enclosure 23 housing the communications module 34 (e.g. protruding portion 64 a ).
- the location of the latches 38 c and/or the protrusions 38 b could be located other than as shown (e.g. on opposing sides 78 —see FIG. 3 ) of the proximal portion 50 as compared to opposing ends 79 of the proximal portion 50 .
- the handle 20 for the portable computer 10 having one or more scanning functions for interacting with information objects 16 in the logistics environment 18 .
- the handle 20 is releasably secured with the housing 23 of the portable computer 10 such that once attached, the handle 20 facilitates directional pointing of the portable computer 10 by the user.
- the handle comprises the handle body 21 having the grip portion 54 shaped for grasping by the hand of the user of the portable computer 10 , the proximal end 50 of the grip portion 54 for coupling to the housing 23 of the portable computer 10 such that the proximal end 50 having the proximal surface 62 for mating with the adjacent surface 63 of the housing 23 , and the distal end 52 of the grip portion 54 .
- the handle also has the actuator assembly 43 for affecting the operation of the one or more scanning functions and is located in the grip portion 54 of the handle body 21 , the actuator assembly 43 for coupling via the control coupling 40 to one or more components 19 of the portable computer 10 providing the one or more scanning functions.
- the handle also has the releasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on the proximal surface 62 including the operable latch 38 c extending outwardly from the proximal surface 62 and adapted for engaging with the corresponding first slot 38 d in the adjacent surface 63 of the housing 23 , and at least one protrusion 38 b extending outwardly from the proximal surface 62 on a side 78 , 79 of the proximal surface 62 opposite (e.g.
- control coupling 40 is established once the proximal surface 62 is mated with the adjacent surface 63 through engagement of the releasable connection mechanism 38 .
- the depression portion 63 is shaped to accommodate the corresponding protruding portion 64 a on the adjacent surface 64 of the housing 23 .
- the handle 20 can have a pair of the protrusions 38 b , such that one of the pair of the protrusions 38 b is located on either side of the depression portion 63 and the adjacent surface 64 has a corresponding pair of the second slots 38 a located on either side of the protruding portion 64 a of the housing 23 .
- the handle 20 can comprising a pair of the slots 38 a , such that one of the pair of the slots 38 a is located on either side of the depression portion 63 and the adjacent surface 64 has a corresponding pair of the protrusions 38 b located on either side of the protruding portion 64 a of the housing 23 .
- the handle 20 can have one slot 38 a and one protrusion 38 b on either side of the depression portion 63 and the enclosure can have a corresponding configuration of one protrusion 38 b and one slot 38 a , as desired.
- the surface of the depression portion 63 can have a protrusion 38 b for engaging with a corresponding slot 38 a located on the protruding portion 64 a of the enclosure 23 . Further, it is recognised that the surface of the depression portion 63 can have a slot 38 a for engaging with a corresponding protrusion 38 b located on the protruding portion 64 a of the enclosure 23 .
- a stylus 90 housed/stored in an interior 88 of the walls 84 of the handle 20 (shown by cut away portion 87 ), for use as part of the user interface 26 (see FIG. 1 ) of the computer 24 .
- the stylus can have an arcuate tip 94 (e.g. rounded) at one end, a narrow elongated portion 92 (e.g. body), similar to a ballpoint pen or other traditional writing instrument, and a textured portion 96 at the other end that is configured for grasping by the user of the portable terminal 10 (see FIG. 1 ).
- the textured portion 96 can be arcuate in shape or otherwise have a surface 144 that is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis 93 of the receptacle 106 , thereby facilitating removal of the stylus 90 from the receptacle 106 through pressure exerted by the user's finger(s) and/or thumb.
- the stylus 90 is used as an input method of the user interface 26 , such that the stylus 90 may not secrete ink, rather is configured to touch a touch screen (e.g. the display 30 ) instead of the user's finger to help inhibit getting the natural oil from the user's hands onto the display 30 .
- the stylus 90 can also be configured so that the tip 94 is shaped so as to help improve precision of touch with the display 30 , thus providing for the presence of smaller interface elements on the display 30 .
- the stylus 90 can be configured for handwriting or drawing on the display 30 by the user. Positioning of the stylus 90 in the interior 88 of the handle 20 facilitates ease of storage until subsequently released from the interior 88 of the handle 20 of the terminal 10 for subsequent use by the user with the user interface 26 (see FIG. 1 ).
- the elongated portion 92 has one or more notches and/or grooves 100 configured for receiving one or more protrusions 102 located on one or more resilient arms 104 of the body 21 .
- the arms 104 can be configured so as to be independently operable, so as to become displaced to either side of the stylus 90 , once inserted 108 into (see FIG. 11 —or otherwise removed 108 from) the receptacle 106 coupled to a wall 84 of the body 21 .
- the receptacle 106 has a proximal opening/aperture 116 for receiving the tip 94 of the stylus, a body 115 for contacting a side surface 146 (e.g.
- the receptacle 106 is shown located at the distal end 52 of the handle 20 , by example only, and provides for access and storage of the stylus 90 in the interior 88 of the handle 20 . It is recognised that the receptacle 106 can also be located in the grip portion 54 of the body 21 , as desired.
- the notch 100 can extend around at least a portion of a cross-sectional periphery of the exterior surface of the stylus 90 and the corresponding protrusion 102 can extend around at least a portion of the interior surface of the member 104 of the receptacle 106 .
- the notch 100 can be a groove extending around the circumference of the stylus 90 .
- the arms 104 can be referred to as members 104 .
- the member 104 as an arm 104 can have a proximal end 142 connected to a distal end 140 by a central portion 144 (see FIG.
- the biasing of the arm 104 is due to a resiliency of the material composition of the arm 104 as connected at the proximal end 142 to the body 21 .
- the arm 104 is rigidly connected at the proximal end 142 to the handle body 21 and the distal end 140 is adapted to be displaced away 112 from an exterior surface of the stylus 90 when received in the receptacle 106 .
- the resilient arms 104 are used to bias the body 115 towards a first position 121 , as compared to a second position 122 (see FIG. 12 by example), whereby inserting the stylus 90 from the proximal end 116 towards the distal end 114 facilitates engagement 72 of the protrusions 102 with the notches and/or grooves 100 , thereby displacing 112 the arms 104 from the first position 121 to the second position 122 and then back to the first position 121 .
- Positioning of the arms 104 in the first position 121 when the stylus 90 is present in the receptacle 106 , facilitates the retention of the stylus 90 in the receptacle 106 via the engagement of the protrusions 102 in the notches/grooves 100 , until removed therefrom via subsequent displacement 112 of the arms 104 .
- FIGS. 9 c , 9 d shown are example embodiments of an end view B-B of the arms 104 , at any desired location(s) 110 along the elongated portion 92 of the stylus 90 , such that an interior surface 105 of the arms 104 is shaped (e.g. arcuate) so as to contact an exterior surface 146 of the stylus 90 at two or more locations 110 along exterior surface 146 , thus facilitating contact between the arms 104 and the stylus 90 .
- an interior surface 105 of the arms 104 is shaped (e.g. arcuate) so as to contact an exterior surface 146 of the stylus 90 at two or more locations 110 along exterior surface 146 , thus facilitating contact between the arms 104 and the stylus 90 .
- the contact at the multiple locations 110 can also be provided by multiple sets of protrusions 102 received in corresponding notches and/or grooves 100 , in addition to, in combination with, and/or in substitution of the correspondingly shaped surfaces 146 , 105 .
- the arms 104 are connected to or are otherwise extensions of the wall 84 .
- the arms 104 could be alternatively connected to the walls 84 using secondary connections 148 , as desired, and the notches 100 can be located on one or more of the arms 104 , can be located in the same or different (shown in FIG. 10 b ) locations on each of the arms 104 , and/or be configured as connected directly to the wall 84 , as desired.
- the arms 104 are formed from a tube shaped receptacle 106 , by example only, with one or more slots 109 cut into the tube wall at the distal end 114 of the tube, so as to provide for the two or more arms 104 operable 112 with respect to once another, i.e. the arms 104 are resilient so as to accommodate the cross sectional extent of protrusions 102 prior to being received in the notches and/or grooves 100 .
- FIG. 8 shows the position of the arms 104 in the first position 121 and the stylus retained within the receptacle 106 , via engagement of the protrusions 102 with the notches/grooves 100 .
- FIG. 12 shows the increase in separation distance between the arms 104 , i.e. in the second position 122 as displaced 112 away from the surface 146 of the elongated portion 92 of the stylus 90 , as the protrusions 102 become disengaged with the notches/grooves 100 .
- a proximal end 150 of the stylus 90 can have an abutment surface 91 for contacting a corresponding abutment surface 91 of the body 21 of the handle 20 , as desired, the abutment surfaces 91 for restricting a magnitude of displacement of the stylus 90 into the receptacle 106 .
- one of the arms 104 can be fixed (i.e. rigid) in position relative to one or more resilient second arms 104 , such that displacement 112 of the resilient arm(s) 104 provides for an increase in the separation distance between the arms 104 , thus facilitating the engagement of the protrusions 102 with the notches/grooves 100 .
- the body 115 of the receptacle 106 can be configured to include only one resilient arm 104 that is biased with respect to the wall 84 of the body 21 , thus facilitating the retention of the stylus 90 between the one arm 104 and the wall 84 (and/or other rigid secondary structures 106 of the body 21 ).
- the notches/grooves 100 can be positioned in the arm(s) 104 and the protrusions 102 can be positioned on the elongated portion of the stylus 90 , so long as the protrusions 102 can be inserted through the proximal end 116 of the receptacle 106 . It is also recognised that the notches 100 also refer to holes in a wall of the stylus 90 having a hollow core (not shown) of the elongated portion 92 , for example, and/or in as a hole in the arm(s) 104 , as desired.
- the arms 104 and the corresponding stylus 90 can be configured using any of the configurations of same, shown by example in FIGS. 9-15 .
- a handle 20 is given for a portable terminal 10 having a user interface 26 configured for interaction with the stylus 90 , the handle 20 comprising: the handle body 21 having the grip portion 54 shaped for grasping by the hand 140 of the user of the portable terminal 10 , the proximal end 50 of the grip portion 54 for coupling to the housing 23 of the portable computer 10 , and the distal end 52 of the grip portion 54 ; the receptacle 106 connected to the handle body 21 and located in the interior 88 of the handle body 21 , the receptacle 106 adapted for releasably retaining the stylus 90 in the interior 88 of the handle body 21 , the handle body 21 having an aperture for facilitating access of the stylus into the receptacle; and at least one member 104 (e.g.
- the arm of the receptacle 106 having a first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion 102 and/or notch/groove 100 ) adapted for engaging a second shaped feature (e.g. corresponding notch/groove 100 and/or protrusion 102 ) of the stylus 90 for providing the releasable retaining of the stylus 90 when resident in the receptacle 106 , the member 104 biased towards a first position 121 for facilitating the engagement of the first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion 102 and/or notch/groove 100 ) with the second shaped feature (e.g. corresponding notch/groove 100 and/or protrusion 102 ).
- first shaped feature e.g. protrusion 102 and/or notch/groove 100
- second shaped feature e.g. corresponding notch/groove 100 and/or protrusion 102
- the handle 20 can include the handle body 21 have the releasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on the proximal surface 62 including the operable latch 38 c extending outwardly from the proximal surface 62 and adapted for engaging with the corresponding first slot 38 d in the adjacent surface 64 of the housing 23 , and at least one slot 38 a on the side 78 , 79 of the proximal surface 62 opposite to the operable latch 38 c and adapted for engaging with the corresponding protrusion 38 b extending outwardly from the adjacent surface 64 of the housing 23 ; wherein the control coupling 40 is established once the proximal surface 62 is mated with the adjacent surface 64 through engagement of the releasable connection mechanism 38 .
- the handle 20 can include the handle body 21 the releasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on the proximal surface 62 including the first slot 38 d for engaging with the corresponding operable latch 38 c extending outwardly from the adjacent surface 64 , and at least one protrusion 38 b extending outwardly from the proximal surface 62 on the side 78 , 79 of the proximal surface opposite/opposing to the first slot 38 d and adapted for engaging with the corresponding second slot 38 a on the adjacent surface 64 of the housing 23 ; wherein the control coupling 40 is established once the proximal surface 62 is mated with the adjacent surface 64 through engagement of the releasable connection mechanism 38 .
- the handle 20 can include the handle body 21 the releasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on the proximal surface 62 including the first slot 38 d for engaging with the corresponding operable latch 38 c extending outwardly from the adjacent surface 64 , and at least second slot 38 a of the proximal surface 62 on the side 78 , 79 of the proximal surface opposite/opposing to the first slot 38 d and adapted for engaging with the corresponding protrusion 38 b extending outwardly from the adjacent surface 64 of the housing 23 ; wherein the control coupling 40 is established once the proximal surface 62 is mated with the adjacent surface 64 through engagement of the releasable connection mechanism 38 .
- the actuator assembly 43 is configured for affecting the operation of one or more of the components 19 of the computer 24 via the instruction/control signals 42 generated through physical interaction (e.g. depressing of the trigger from a first position to a second position) of the user with the actuator assembly 43 .
- the grip portion 54 has the resilient covering, for example, portion 56 , preferably made of a resiliently flexible material, for enhancing the grip of the user's hand on the body 21 of the handle 20 .
- the actuator assembly 43 (shown in dotted lines underneath the resilient covering 56 ) has a raised portion 58 on a face portion 58 , for facilitating user identification of the actuator assembly 43 underneath the overmold 56 .
- the raised portion 58 projects in a direction transverse or otherwise extending outwards from the surface of the grip region 54 , and can be optionally covered by the resilient covering 56 .
- the resilient covering 56 can be used to cover a gap 131 (see FIG. 14 ) between an actuator body 120 and an opening or aperture 133 of the adjacent wall 84 , in which the actuator body 120 is positioned, so as to inhibit foreign matter (e.g. water) penetration into the interior 88 of the body 21 . It is also recognised that the resilient covering 56 can only be adhered to the body 21 of the handle and not to the actuator body 120 , thus providing for unhindered actuation/displacement of the actuator body 120 with respect to the handle body 21 .
- the resilient covering 56 is also adhered to exterior surfaces 138 of the actuator body 120 and the handle body 21 , the resilient covering 56 material is sufficiently resilient/elastic in nature to provide for corresponding actuation/displacement of the actuator body 120 with respect to the handle body 21 , in order to result in sufficient switching of the switch 134 by a control arm 132 (see FIG. 14 ), when the actuator assembly 43 is displaced into the interior 88 of the handle body 21 from the first position to the second position.
- the switch 134 is mounted in the interior 88 of the handle body 21 , such that the switch 134 facilitates generation of the control signal 42 for affecting the operation of the one or more scanning functions of the portable terminal 10 , the switch 134 operated as a result of the actuator body 120 being displaced from one of the first and second positions to the other of the first and second positions.
- the resilient covering 56 can have an indicator section 60 for indicating to the user the location of the actuator assembly 43 on the grip portion 54 underneath the resilient covering 56 .
- the indicator section 60 can have a material texture, colour, and/or shading different from other material of the resilient covering 56 and/or can have a label identifying the location of the actuator body 120 underneath the resilient covering 56 .
- the indicator section 60 can be use by the user to help identify the actuator assembly 43 region of the handle 20 from the remainder of the grip region 54 , which can be beneficial in inhibiting accidental actuations of the actuator assembly 43 . Inhibiting of accidental actuations can be desirable in view of conserving battery 36 life as well as reducing exposure of the environment 18 (see FIG. 1 ) to the wireless communications 14 (e.g. laser).
- the actuator assembly 43 has the actuator body 120 connected to the body 21 at a proximal end 124 by a pivot point 122 (e.g. hinge with an optional biasing member such as a coiled spring, etc.) and at a distal end 126 to a member 128 (e.g. a biasing member such as a spring).
- the biasing member(s) are configured for biasing the actuator body 120 towards an unactivated/unactuated position 129 (e.g. the first position at which the control signals 42 are not generated).
- the member 128 is also connected to the body 21 (e.g.
- depression of the actuator body 120 in a direction 130 in to the interior 88 of the body 21 , about the pivot point 122 , from the biased position 129 causes the control arm 132 (connected to the actuator body 120 ) to activate/depress the switch 134 when the actuator assembly 43 is displaced into the second position.
- Activation of the switch 134 generates the control signals 42 , or otherwise causes a circuit 136 (optional) to generate the control signals 42 .
- the control signals 42 are communicated via the electrical contact 40 b to the computer 24 , when coupled to the handle 20 (see FIG. 1 ).
- the switch 134 and the optional circuit 136 are also mounted on the body 21 of the handle 20 .
- the pivot point 122 can be located at the distal portion 126 of the actuator body 120 and the member 128 can be located at the proximal portion 124 . Further, it is recognised that the pivot point 122 and/or the member 128 can be located at the respective end of the portions 124 , 126 and/or can be located adjacent to the respective end of the portions 124 , 126 , as desired.
- first position can be the unactuated position and the second position can be the actuated position (i.e. of the switch) or the first position can be the actuated position and the second position can be the unactuated position (i.e. of the switch), as desired.
- the biasing member(s) can bias the actuator body to either the first position or the second position, as desired.
- the actuator body 120 has a plurality of trigger/actuation regions 136 a,b,c for contact by the user's hand 140 , in order to actuate the actuator mechanism 43 .
- the user can: put pressure on the actuator region 136 c to cause the switch 134 to be depressed; put pressure on the actuator region 136 b to cause the switch 134 to be depressed; and/or put pressure on the actuator region 136 a to cause the switch 134 to be depressed, as described above.
- the biasing member(s) e.g. member 128 and/or 122 ) moves the actuator body 120 back towards the unactivated/unactuated position 129 .
- the actuator body 120 is shaped so as to provide for these different trigger regions 136 a,b,c, either alone or in combination.
- the trigger region 136 a of the body 120 can start adjacent at one end (e.g. substantially flush with—e.g. the surfaces 138 at the ends of the actuator body 120 , that are adjacent to the exterior surface of the handle body 21 , are substantially parallel to one another) to the wall 84 of the body 21 and then incline/rise to towards the raised portion/point 58 at the other end.
- the trigger region 136 c of the body 120 can start adjacent at one end (e.g. substantially flush with) to the wall 84 of the body 21 and then incline/rise to towards the raised portion/point 58 at the other end.
- the trigger region 136 b can be positioned at the raised portion/point 58 .
- the trigger portions 136 a,c are connected to one another at the raised portion/point 58 and their outside surfaces 138 can be oriented at an obtuse angle (any angle more than 90° but less than 180°) as measured between the outside surfaces 138 of the face portion 59 .
- the pivot point 122 can be positioned at the end 126 and the biasing member 128 at the other end 124 , such that the switch 134 is configured to be activated when any of the trigger regions 136 a,b,c are depressed.
- one or more of the actuator regions 136 a,b,c can be actuated at any one time by the user's hand 140 (e.g. one finger can contact the actuator region 136 c , one finger can contact the actuator region 136 b , one finger can contact the actuator region 136 a , one finger can contact the actuator region 136 c together with another finger contacting the actuator region 136 b , one finger can contact the actuator region 136 a together with another finger contacting the actuator region 136 b , one finger can contact the actuator region 136 a together with another finger contacting the actuator region 136 c , or one finger can contact the actuator region 136 c together with another finger contacting the actuator region 136 b together with another finger contacting the actuator region 136 a ).
- the configuration of the raised portion 58 and the surfaces 138 of the face portion 59 of the actuator body 120 can be as described above as well as in other configurations.
- the one embodiment described is where the first inclined surface 138 and the second inclined surface 138 of the face portion 59 are configured such that the first inclined surface 138 rises from one end of the face portion 59 to the raised portion 58 and the second inclined surface 138 rises from the other end of the face portion 59 to the raised portion 58 , such that the raised portion 58 is positioned between the ends of the face portion 130 .
- Another configuration is where the inclined surface rises from one end of the face portion 59 to the raised portion 58 located at the other end of the face portion 59 , such that there is only on inclined surface 138 of the actuator body 120 .
- inclined surfaces 138 can be planar and/or arcuate in shape. In the case of arcuate inclined surfaces 138 , they can be concave for providing a contoured surface for interaction with the one or more fingers of the user's hand 140 .
- any of the trigger regions 136 a,b,c provides the same movement 130 of the actuator body 120 about the pivot point 122 and thus provides a same/similar tactile feel to the user each time the switch 134 is activated.
- the ends of the trigger regions 136 a,c can be as shown (e.g. flush with the adjacent wall 84 of the body 21 ), or can be raised (e.g. at a different height) with respect to the adjacent wall 84 of the body 21 to further denote the presence of the actuator body 120 under the overmold 56 , as desired.
- an expansion cover 140 for use in positioning 143 in a correspondingly shaped depression 142 surrounding the electrical contacts 40 a , when the handle 20 is not connected to the enclosure 23 .
- the expansion cover 140 can be used to When the handle 20 is to be connected to the enclosure 23 , the expansion cover 140 is removed from the depression 142 , thus exposing the electrical contact 40 a (and the slot 138 d ), and then stored in a similarly shaped depression 144 in the proximal end 50 of the handle 20 (see FIG. 3 ). Connection of the handle 20 to the enclosure 23 provides for the expansion cover 140 to be retained between the handle 20 and the enclosure 23 until the handle 20 is once again detached from the enclosure 23 and the expansion cover 140 is replaced in the depression 142 .
- the expansion cover 140 is used to inhibit foreign matter (e.g. water) penetration into the interior of the body enclosure, via the slot 38 d , and/or fouling of the electrical contact 40 a , when the handle 20 is not connected/coupled to the enclosure 23 .
- foreign matter e.g. water
- the handle 20 is configured for connection to the enclosure 23 of the portable terminal 10 , such that the portable terminal 10 has one or more scanning functions for interacting with information objects 16 in the logistics environment 18 .
- the handle 20 has the handle body 21 having the grip portion 54 shaped for grasping by the hand 140 of the user of the portable terminal 10 , the proximal end 50 of the grip portion 54 for coupling to the housing 23 of the portable terminal 10 , and the distal end 52 of the grip portion 54 .
- the actuator assembly 43 is configured for affecting the operation of one or more scanning functions and is positioned in the aperture 133 of the handle body 21 for access by one or more fingers of the user's hand 140 .
- the actuator assembly 43 includes the actuator body 120 connected at a proximal portion to the handle body 21 by the pivot connection 122 , the biasing member(s) for biasing the actuator body 120 towards the first position, and the face portion 59 of the actuator body 120 configured for contacting with the one or more fingers such that the face portion 59 has the raised portion 58 for defining the plurality of actuator regions 136 a,b,c for interaction with the one or more fingers for facilitating the rotation 130 of the actuator body 120 about the pivot connection 122 for displacement from the first position to the second position into the interior 88 of the handle body, wherein the displacement of the actuator body 120 affects the operation of the one or more scanning functions (e.g. via activation of the switch 134 by the control arm 132 .
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Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to a stylus storage mechanism for a handle of a portable terminal.
- It is generally known to provide a handle for scanning device such as a portable scanner for logistics environments. However, such known handles are typically either molded as an integral portion of the housing of the scanning device, or are connected to the housing using fasteners and corresponding tools. In either case of a fastened handle, detachment of the handle from the scanning device is at best problematic, depending upon the tools available in the field to a user of the scanning device. In the case of an integral or otherwise permanently bonded handle to the housing of the scanning device, desired removal of the handle is not possible without potentially damaging the housing. Accordingly, current scanner handles may not allow for easy removal (e.g., for replacement, repair, cleaning, alternative configuration of the scanning device, etc.). Further, attaching the handle to the housing in a releasable fashion, while providing for a control connection between a trigger of the handle and electronic components of the scanning device, is problematic.
- A further disadvantage of current portable scanning devices is hidden storage of a stylus for interacting with a user interface of the scanning device. Typically the stylus of the device is attached (e.g. via a cord) and fastened to an external surface of the device housing or handle, when not in use by the user of the device. Unfortunately, these external storage techniques of stylus can result in damage to the housing of the device, misplacement (e.g. loosing) of the stylus by the user, and/or positioning of the stylus in an awkward location on the device/handle that may interfere with the user when operating the scanning device without the current need for the stylus.
- Further, triggers of current handles may not be ergonomically comfortable for operation by many different users having different sized hands. As such, the known handles and triggers can provide a non-contoured/ergonomic grip configuration, which tends to make such known triggers uncomfortable to use (e.g. premature fatigue felt by the hand of the user).
- It is an object of the present invention to provide a handle for a portable terminal to obviate or mitigate at least some of the above-presented disadvantages.
- Typically the stylus of the device is attached (e.g. via a cord) and fastened to an external surface of the device housing or handle, when not in use by the user of the device. Unfortunately, these external storage techniques of stylus can result in damage to the housing of the device, misplacement (e.g. loosing) of the stylus by the user, and/or positioning of the stylus in an awkward location on the device/handle that may interfere with the user when operating the scanning device without the current need for the stylus. Contrary to current handles there is provided a handle for a portable terminal having a user interface configured for interaction with a stylus. The handle comprises a handle body having the grip portion shaped for grasping by a hand of the user of the portable terminal, a proximal end of the grip portion for coupling to a housing of the portable computer, and a distal end of the grip portion. The handle has a receptacle connected to the handle body and located in the interior of the handle body, such that the receptacle is adapted for releasably retaining the stylus in the interior of the handle body. The
handle body 21 has an aperture for facilitating access of the stylus into the receptacle. The receptacle has at least one arm having a first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion and/or notch/groove) adapted for engaging a second shaped feature (e.g. corresponding notch/groove and/or protrusion) of the stylus for providing the releasable retaining of the stylus when resident in the receptacle. The arm is biased towards a first position for facilitating the engagement of the first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion and/or notch/groove) with the second shaped feature (e.g. corresponding notch/groove and/or protrusion). - A first aspect is a handle for a portable computer having a user interface configured for interaction with a stylus, the handle comprising: a handle body having a grip portion shaped for grasping by a hand of a user of the portable computer, a proximal end of the grip portion for coupling to a housing of the portable computer, and a distal end of the grip portion; a receptacle connected to the handle body and located in an interior of the handle body, the receptacle adapted for releasably retaining the stylus in the interior of the handle body, the handle body having an aperture for facilitating access of the stylus into the receptacle; and at least one member of the receptacle having a first shaped feature adapted for engaging a second shaped feature of the stylus for providing the releasable retaining of the stylus when resident in the receptacle, the member biased towards a first position for facilitating the engagement of the first shaped feature with the second shaped feature.
- Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the following drawings, by way of example only, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a side view of components of a portable terminal for interaction with a logistics environment; -
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the portable terminal ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a proximal end view of a handle of the terminal ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 shows an example coupling operation of an embodiment of the handle ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 a a rear side view of the handle ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 b a side view of the handle ofFIG. 5 a; -
FIG. 6 a shows an example latch configuration section A-A view ofFIG. 5 a as a releasable coupling between the handle and the terminal ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6 b shows a further view of the latch configuration ofFIG. 6 a; -
FIG. 7 is an alternative embodiment of the latch configuration ofFIGS. 6 a and 6 b; -
FIG. 8 shows an example assembled stylus configuration of the handle ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 9 a shows an example stylus of the stylus configuration ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 9 b is an example receptacle for the stylus ofFIG. 9 a; -
FIG. 9 c shows a top section view B-B of the receptacle ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 9 d is an alternative embodiment of the receptacle ofFIG. 9 c; -
FIG. 10 a is an alternative embodiment of the stylus ofFIG. 9 a; -
FIG. 10 b is an alternative embodiment of the receptacle ofFIG. 9 b; -
FIG. 11 shows an disassembly of the stylus configuration ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 12 shows a partial assembly of the stylus configuration ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 13 is an alternative embodiment of the receptacle ofFIG. 9 b; -
FIG. 14 shows an example actuation assembly of the handle ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 15 shows a front view of the actuation assembly ofFIG. 14 ; -
FIG. 16 shows an alternative embodiment of the actuator mechanism ofFIG. 14 ; -
FIG. 17 is a top rear perspective view of the portable terminal ofFIG. 1 ; and -
FIG. 18 is a bottom front perspective view of the portable terminal ofFIG. 1 . - Referring to
FIG. 1 , shown is aportable terminal 10 for providing imaging and/or scanning features (and/or functions) in data capture/communications 12 and asset tracking/management, for example inwireless communication 14 with tracking (e.g. information) objects 16 (e.g. barcode labels and/or RFID tags) present in one or more logistics environments 18 (e.g. industrial, retail, supply chain). It is recognised that thetracking objects 16 can be attached to products that are being transported from one location to another in thelogistics environment 18. Examples of theseenvironments 18 can include such as but not limited to: front store retail and/or warehousing for mobile stock checking, price checking, and merchandising; and utilities for meter reading, surveying, parking enforcement, and asset tracking. - The
portable terminal 10 can have anoptional handle 20, connected via a releasesecurable connection 22, to anenclosure 23 of ahandheld computer 24. It is also recognised that thehandle 20 may be permanently or otherwise fixedly attached (e.g. not releasable) to theenclosure 23 by fastening means such as but not limited to: protrusions engaged in slots, latch mechanisms, fasteners (e.g. screws), adhesives or other bonding agents, etc. Further, it is recognised that thehandle 20 may be formed (e.g. molded) as integral to at least a portion of theenclosure 23. It is recognised that in the description, the terms “housing” and “enclosure” can be used interchangeably. - The
computer 24 has a number ofcomponents 19 including auser interface 26, including akeyboard 28 and a display 30 (e.g. touch screen), one or more onboard processors 32 (e.g. inside of the enclosure 23), and a scanner/radio communications module 34 (e.g. laser, WLAN with VoIP and Bluetooth, imager, etc.—inside of the enclosure 23) for facilitating thewireless communication 14. Theportable terminal 10 also has anonboard power source 36 for helping to satisfy power requirements of the onboard processor(s) 32, theuser interface 26, and optionally thecommunication module 34. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , thehandle 20 is shaped for grasping by a hand (not shown) of a user of theportable terminal 10, abody 21 of thehandle 20 having aproximal end 50 for coupling to theenclosure 24 of thecomputer 26, adistal end 52, and agrip portion 54 between theends grip portion 54 can optionally have an overmoldportion 56, preferably made of a resiliently flexible material (e.g. rubber or other suitable polymers), for enhancing the grip of the user's hand on thebody 21 of thehandle 20. The overmoldportion 56 can be referred to as an additional layer formed around the first part (e.g. body 21) that can be a previously molded part that is reinserted into a secondary mold for forming the additional layer on the previously molded part. For example, after injection and forming of the first molded part, i.e. thebody 21, the component is rotated on a core from the one mold cavity to another. The second mold cavity is different from the first mold cavity in that the detail for the second molded part is included and used to add theovermold potion 56. The material (e.g. rubberized polymer) for the second molded part (i.e. the overmold 56) is then injected into the second mold cavity detail before the completed part (i.e.handle 20 and overmold portion 56) is ejected from the second mold. It is recognised that one example embodiment of thehandle 20 is where thebody 21 is made of a hard/rigid plastic material (e.g. thermoplastic polymer) while theovermold 56 is made of a softer, resilient material (e.g. thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) materials) that is adhered to the material/substrate (e.g. polypropene (PP), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), Nylon etc.) of thebody 21, thus facilitating a combined comfortable, non-slip, and abrasion-resistant grip portion 54 of thehandle 20. It is recognised that other fabrication methods can be used to assemble theovermold 56 to thebody 21 of thehandle 20, as known to a person skilled in the art. It is also recognised that theovermold portion 56 can also be referred to as a resilient covering that can be bonded or otherwise adhered to the exterior surface of thehandle body 21. It is recognised that an overmolding process is one example embodiment of the bonding/adhering of the resilient cover (e.g. the portion 56) to thegrip portion 54 of thehandle body 21. - The
proximal end 50 can be attached to thegrip portion 54 of thebody 21 via a plurality of fasteners 70 (e.g. screws), seeFIG. 3 , which can be configured to releasably secure theproximal end 50 to thegrip portion 54, as desired. - The
handle 20 also has an actuator assembly 43 (shown in dotted lines underneath the overmold portion 56). Theactuator assembly 43 can have a raisedportion 58, for facilitating user identification of theactuator assembly 43 underneath theovermold 56. Alternatively, or in addition, theovermold 56 can have anindicator section 60 for indicating to the user the location of theactuator assembly 43 on thegrip portion 54 underneath theovermold 56. Theindicator section 60, can have a material texture, colour, and/or shading different from other material of theovermold 56. - Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3 , theproximal portion 50 of thehandle 20 has afirst surface 62 configured for mating with asecond surface 64 of theenclosure 23 of thecomputer 24, such that adepression portion 63 of thefirst surface 62 can be configured to accommodate the shape (e.g. protruding portion 64 a) of theenclosure 23 surrounding the communications module 34 (seeFIG. 1 ). Maintaining the mating of thefirst surface 62 with thesecond surface 64 is facilitated by theconnection 22, as further described below. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , thehandle 20 is shaped for grasping by a hand 140 (seeFIG. 15 ) of a user of theportable terminal 10. Thehandle 20 is coupled to thecomputer 24 via theconnection 22, which includes both amechanical coupling 38 for retaining thehandle 20 as physically attached to the enclosure 23 (e.g. frame) and acontrol coupling 40 for facilitating communication (e.g. instruction/control signals 42) between the actuator assembly 43 (e.g. trigger) of thehandle 20 and one ormore components 19 of thecomputer 24. - Further, for example, the
control coupling 40 can be configured to include anelectrical contact 40 a (e.g. printed circuit board (pcb) connectors such as electrically conductive pads) coupled to one ormore components 19 of thecomputer 24 and a matingelectrical contact 40 b (e.g. pogo pins) coupled to theactuator assembly 43, as further described below. Theelectrical contact 40 b is configured to establish a temporary operative electrical connection between theactuator assembly 43 and one ormore components 19 of thecomputer 24 via theelectrical contact 40 a. It is recognised that thecontact 40 a can be the electrically conductive pad(s) and thecontact 40 b can be the pogo pins, as desired. - For example, the pogo pin can take the form of a slender cylinder containing two spring-loaded pins, such that when pressed between two electronic circuits (e.g. of the
computer 24 via theelectrical contact 40 a and the actuator assembly 43), points at each end of the pogo pin make secure electrical contacts with the two electronic circuits and thereby connect them together. It is recognised that theactuator assembly 43 is configured for affecting the operation of one or more of thecomponents 19 of thecomputer 24 via the instruction/control signals 42 generated through physical interaction (e.g. depressing of the trigger) of user with theactuator assembly 43. Further, an optional seal 68 (e.g. made of resilient material such as but not limited to rubber and other resilient polymers) can be positioned around a periphery of the contact(s) 40 a,b (e.g. seeFIG. 3 ) as part of thecontrol coupling 40, in order to inhibit the ingress of water or other foreign matter between thecontacts 40 a,b when thehandle 20 is coupled to theenclosure 23 via themechanical coupling 38. - Further, it is recognised that the mating of the
electrical contact 40 a with theelectrical contact 40 b, i.e. thecontrol coupling 40, can include a biasingmember 40 c for facilitating the mating contact between thecontacts 40 a,b when themechanical coupling 38 is engaged. One example of the biasingmember 40 c is the springs of the pogo pins. Another example of the biasingmember 40 c is a resilient arm included in the configuration of at least one of thecontacts 40 a,b, thereby biasing thecontacts 40 a,b against one another when they are brought into proximity with one another during engagement of themechanical coupling 38. In any event, due to the biased nature of thecontacts 40 a,b with respect to one another, it is recognised that mating of thecontrol coupling 40 is configured so as not to interfere/inhibit with the operation (e.g. attachment and release) of themechanical coupling 38. It is also recognised that the biasingmember 40 c can be included in thecontact 40 a, in thecontact 40 b or in both of thecontacts 40 a,b, as desired. - For example, the
mechanical coupling 38 can be configured to include one ormore slots 38 a andmating protrusions 38 b (with lip 45) and one ormore latches 38 c (with lip 45) andcorresponding slots 38 d on opposingsides 79 of theproximal portion 50, as further described below. It is recognised that theslots 38 a can be located on theenclosure 23 and theprotrusions 38 b located on thehandle 20 as shown, theslots 38 a can be located on thehandle 20 and theprotrusions 38 b located on the enclosure 23 (not shown), or a combination thereof. Further, the latch(s) 38 c can be located on thehandle 20 and the corresponding slot(s) 38 d on the enclosure 23 (as shown), the latch(s) 38 c can be located on theenclosure 23 and the corresponding slot(s) 38 d on the handle 20 (not shown), or a combination thereof. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , themechanical coupling 38 is configured so as to facilitate attachment of theoptional handle 20 to theenclosure 23 without the aid of additional tools and corresponding fasteners (e.g. screwdrivers and screws, etc.). Further, themechanical coupling 38 is configured so as to be compatible with a specified drop rating of theportable terminal 10, while facilitating the retention of thehandle 20 to theenclosure 23, once attached, until subsequently released by the user through operation of the latch(s) 38 c. In order to attach thehandle 20 to theenclosure 23, theprotrusions 38 a can be engaged/inserted 70 into theslots 38 b (resulting in contact of the lips 45 (seeFIGS. 5 a,b and 6 a,b) with an interior surface 25 (e.g. of the enclosure 23) that is adjacent to theslots 38 b), and then thehandle 20 can be pivoted 72 about the engagedprotrusions 38 a andslots 38 b towards theenclosure 23 so as to engage the latch(es) 38 c with the correspondingslot 38 d (resulting in contact of thelip 45 with theinterior surface 25 that is adjacent to theslot 38 d). - Once engaged, the first
external surface 62 of theproximal portion 52 is located adjacent to the secondexternal surface 64 of the enclosure 23 (seeFIGS. 2 and 3 ). The engagement of the latch(es) 38 c with the slot(s) 38 d also causes the mating of theelectrical contacts 40 a,b in order to provide or otherwise enable thecontrol coupling 40. It is recognised that thelatch 38 c and/or theprotrusions 38 b project/extend outwardly from thesurface 62 of the handle, when positioned thereon, and thelatch 38 c and/or theprotrusions 38 b project/extend outwardly from thesurface 64 of theenclosure 23, when positioned thereon. - Referring to
FIGS. 5 a,b and 6 a,b, thelatch 38 c has a protrusion 44 (that projects transversely (or otherwise outwardly) from thesurface 62—seeFIG. 3 ) with alip 45 configured for engaging 72 (seeFIG. 4 ) with theslot 38 d (seeFIG. 2 ). Theprotrusion 44 is coupled to thebody 21 of thehandle 20 by anarm 46 that has a resilient connection 48 (e.g. at abase 150 of the arm 46) to thebody 21. For example, theresilient connection 48 can be configured as integrally connected with the material of thebody 21 with aslit 80 between thebody 21 and thearm 46 on eitherside 152 of thearm 46. Another example of theresilient connection 48 is abutton 47 on thearm 46 andspring 49 interposed between thebutton 47 and thearm 46, seeFIG. 7 . The positioning of anabutment surface 55, further described below, restrictstravel 57 of the arm 46 (in agap 59 between thearm 46 and the body 21) duringengagement 72 of thelatch 38 c with the correspondingslot 38 d. It is recognised that otherresilient connection 48 configurations can be used for thelatch 38 c, as apparent to one skilled in the art. - The
slits 80 in thewall 84 of thebody 21 on eitherside 152 of thearm base 150 can be varied in length and/or separation distance with respect to one another so as to facilitate the configuration of a degree of resiliency of theresilient connection 48. For example, a distance between the ends of the slits adjacent to the base 150 can facilitate the degree of resiliency of the resilient connection. Further, theslits 80 can be arcuate in shape along their length. - Referring again to
FIGS. 6 a,b, theresilient connection 48 is used to bias thelatch 38 c towards a first position 74 (seeFIG. 6 a by example) as compared to a second position 76 (seeFIG. 6 b by example), whereby positioning of thelatch 38 a towards theabutment surface 55 in thesecond position 76 facilitatesengagement 72 of theprotrusion 44 with theslot 38 d while positioning of thelatch 38 a away from theabutment surface 55 of thefirst position 74 facilitates the retention of theprotrusion 44 in theslot 38 d via the interaction between thelip 45 and theinside surface 25 of theslot 38 d, once engaged 72 and until removed 72. For example,FIG. 6 a shows the position of thelatch 38 c in thefirst position 74 and external/unengaged with theslot 38 d, whileFIG. 6 b shows the position of thelatch 38 c in the second position 76 (towards the abutment surface 55) and internal/engaged with theslot 38 d. - Subsequent release of the
latch 38 c by the user results indisplacement 57 of thelatch 38 c away from theabutment surface 55 and then contact occurs with thearm 46 with a side of theslot 38 d, thus providing for a releasablysecure engagement 72 of thehandle 20 with theenclosure 23, until thelatch 38 c is subsequently displaced 57 towards thesecond position 74 and theprotrusion 44 is removed 72 from theslot 38 d to provide for detachment of thehandle 20 from the enclosure 23 (e.g. such that thelip 45 of theprotrusion 44 is disengaged from the inside surface of theenclosure 23, thus facilitating the removal of theproximal surface 62 away from theadjacent surface 64. - In view of the above, it is recognised that the above example operation of the
latch 38 c with theslot 38 d can be done before theprotrusions 38 b are inserted into theslots 38 a (e.g. theengagement 72 is performed before theengagement 70—seeFIG. 4 ) or as shown such that theengagement 70 is performed before theengagement 72. As well, it is recognised that the latch(es) 38 c could be in the location of theprotrusions 38 b and the protrusion(s) 38 b could be in the location of the latch(es) 38 c, as desired. For example, theprotrusions 38 b are located on either side of thedepression portion 63 of theproximal portion 50, so as to engage with the correspondingslots 38 a on either side of a portion of theenclosure 23 housing the communications module 34 (e.g. protruding portion 64 a). Further, the location of thelatches 38 c and/or theprotrusions 38 b could be located other than as shown (e.g. on opposingsides 78—seeFIG. 3 ) of theproximal portion 50 as compared to opposing ends 79 of theproximal portion 50. - Accordingly, provided is the
handle 20 for theportable computer 10 having one or more scanning functions for interacting with information objects 16 in thelogistics environment 18. Thehandle 20 is releasably secured with thehousing 23 of theportable computer 10 such that once attached, thehandle 20 facilitates directional pointing of theportable computer 10 by the user. The handle comprises thehandle body 21 having thegrip portion 54 shaped for grasping by the hand of the user of theportable computer 10, theproximal end 50 of thegrip portion 54 for coupling to thehousing 23 of theportable computer 10 such that theproximal end 50 having theproximal surface 62 for mating with theadjacent surface 63 of thehousing 23, and thedistal end 52 of thegrip portion 54. The handle also has theactuator assembly 43 for affecting the operation of the one or more scanning functions and is located in thegrip portion 54 of thehandle body 21, theactuator assembly 43 for coupling via thecontrol coupling 40 to one ormore components 19 of theportable computer 10 providing the one or more scanning functions. The handle also has thereleasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on theproximal surface 62 including theoperable latch 38 c extending outwardly from theproximal surface 62 and adapted for engaging with the correspondingfirst slot 38 d in theadjacent surface 63 of thehousing 23, and at least oneprotrusion 38 b extending outwardly from theproximal surface 62 on aside proximal surface 62 opposite (e.g. opposed to) to theoperable latch 38 c and adapted for engaging with the correspondingsecond slot 38 a in theadjacent surface 63 of the housing, wherein thecontrol coupling 40 is established once theproximal surface 62 is mated with theadjacent surface 63 through engagement of thereleasable connection mechanism 38. - It is recognised that in view of the above, the
depression portion 63 is shaped to accommodate the corresponding protrudingportion 64 a on theadjacent surface 64 of thehousing 23. For example, thehandle 20 can have a pair of theprotrusions 38 b, such that one of the pair of theprotrusions 38 b is located on either side of thedepression portion 63 and theadjacent surface 64 has a corresponding pair of thesecond slots 38 a located on either side of the protrudingportion 64 a of thehousing 23. Alternatively, thehandle 20 can comprising a pair of theslots 38 a, such that one of the pair of theslots 38 a is located on either side of thedepression portion 63 and theadjacent surface 64 has a corresponding pair of theprotrusions 38 b located on either side of the protrudingportion 64 a of thehousing 23. Alternatively, thehandle 20 can have oneslot 38 a and oneprotrusion 38 b on either side of thedepression portion 63 and the enclosure can have a corresponding configuration of oneprotrusion 38 b and oneslot 38 a, as desired. Further, it is recognised that the surface of thedepression portion 63 can have aprotrusion 38 b for engaging with acorresponding slot 38 a located on the protrudingportion 64 a of theenclosure 23. Further, it is recognised that the surface of thedepression portion 63 can have aslot 38 a for engaging with a correspondingprotrusion 38 b located on the protrudingportion 64 a of theenclosure 23. - Referring to
FIGS. 5 a and 8, shown is astylus 90 housed/stored in an interior 88 of thewalls 84 of the handle 20 (shown by cut away portion 87), for use as part of the user interface 26 (seeFIG. 1 ) of thecomputer 24. The stylus can have an arcuate tip 94 (e.g. rounded) at one end, a narrow elongated portion 92 (e.g. body), similar to a ballpoint pen or other traditional writing instrument, and atextured portion 96 at the other end that is configured for grasping by the user of the portable terminal 10 (seeFIG. 1 ). Thetextured portion 96 can be arcuate in shape or otherwise have asurface 144 that is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal axis 93 of thereceptacle 106, thereby facilitating removal of thestylus 90 from thereceptacle 106 through pressure exerted by the user's finger(s) and/or thumb. - The
stylus 90 is used as an input method of theuser interface 26, such that thestylus 90 may not secrete ink, rather is configured to touch a touch screen (e.g. the display 30) instead of the user's finger to help inhibit getting the natural oil from the user's hands onto thedisplay 30. Thestylus 90 can also be configured so that thetip 94 is shaped so as to help improve precision of touch with thedisplay 30, thus providing for the presence of smaller interface elements on thedisplay 30. Thestylus 90 can be configured for handwriting or drawing on thedisplay 30 by the user. Positioning of thestylus 90 in theinterior 88 of thehandle 20 facilitates ease of storage until subsequently released from theinterior 88 of thehandle 20 of the terminal 10 for subsequent use by the user with the user interface 26 (seeFIG. 1 ). - Referring to
FIGS. 9 a,b, theelongated portion 92 has one or more notches and/orgrooves 100 configured for receiving one or more protrusions 102 located on one or moreresilient arms 104 of thebody 21. Thearms 104 can be configured so as to be independently operable, so as to become displaced to either side of thestylus 90, once inserted 108 into (see FIG. 11—or otherwise removed 108 from) thereceptacle 106 coupled to awall 84 of thebody 21. Thereceptacle 106 has a proximal opening/aperture 116 for receiving thetip 94 of the stylus, abody 115 for contacting a side surface 146 (e.g. the notches and/or grooves 100) of theelongated portion 92 of thestylus 90 for facilitating retention of thestylus 90 in thereceptacle 106, and adistal end 114 of thearms 104. Thedistal end 114 may be open or closed, as long as thearms 104 are independently operable with respect to one another. Thereceptacle 106 is shown located at thedistal end 52 of thehandle 20, by example only, and provides for access and storage of thestylus 90 in theinterior 88 of thehandle 20. It is recognised that thereceptacle 106 can also be located in thegrip portion 54 of thebody 21, as desired. - The
notch 100 can extend around at least a portion of a cross-sectional periphery of the exterior surface of thestylus 90 and the corresponding protrusion 102 can extend around at least a portion of the interior surface of themember 104 of thereceptacle 106. For example, thenotch 100 can be a groove extending around the circumference of thestylus 90. Further, thearms 104 can be referred to asmembers 104. Themember 104 as anarm 104 can have aproximal end 142 connected to adistal end 140 by a central portion 144 (seeFIG. 10 b for example) and the biasing of thearm 104 is due to a resiliency of the material composition of thearm 104 as connected at theproximal end 142 to thebody 21. For example, thearm 104 is rigidly connected at theproximal end 142 to thehandle body 21 and thedistal end 140 is adapted to be displaced away 112 from an exterior surface of thestylus 90 when received in thereceptacle 106. - Referring to
FIGS. 8 and 11 , theresilient arms 104 are used to bias thebody 115 towards afirst position 121, as compared to a second position 122 (seeFIG. 12 by example), whereby inserting thestylus 90 from theproximal end 116 towards thedistal end 114 facilitatesengagement 72 of the protrusions 102 with the notches and/orgrooves 100, thereby displacing 112 thearms 104 from thefirst position 121 to thesecond position 122 and then back to thefirst position 121. Positioning of thearms 104 in thefirst position 121, when thestylus 90 is present in thereceptacle 106, facilitates the retention of thestylus 90 in thereceptacle 106 via the engagement of the protrusions 102 in the notches/grooves 100, until removed therefrom viasubsequent displacement 112 of thearms 104. - Referring to
FIGS. 9 c,9 d, shown are example embodiments of an end view B-B of thearms 104, at any desired location(s) 110 along theelongated portion 92 of thestylus 90, such that aninterior surface 105 of thearms 104 is shaped (e.g. arcuate) so as to contact anexterior surface 146 of thestylus 90 at two ormore locations 110 alongexterior surface 146, thus facilitating contact between thearms 104 and thestylus 90. It is also recognised that the contact at themultiple locations 110 can also be provided by multiple sets of protrusions 102 received in corresponding notches and/orgrooves 100, in addition to, in combination with, and/or in substitution of the correspondingly shapedsurfaces - The
arms 104 are connected to or are otherwise extensions of thewall 84. Referring toFIGS. 10 a,b, it is recognised that thearms 104 could be alternatively connected to thewalls 84 usingsecondary connections 148, as desired, and thenotches 100 can be located on one or more of thearms 104, can be located in the same or different (shown inFIG. 10 b) locations on each of thearms 104, and/or be configured as connected directly to thewall 84, as desired. - Referring again to
FIG. 11 , shown is thestylus 90 located externally to the interior 88, prior toinsertion 108. Thearms 104 are formed from a tube shapedreceptacle 106, by example only, with one ormore slots 109 cut into the tube wall at thedistal end 114 of the tube, so as to provide for the two ormore arms 104 operable 112 with respect to once another, i.e. thearms 104 are resilient so as to accommodate the cross sectional extent of protrusions 102 prior to being received in the notches and/orgrooves 100. As thestylus 90 is travels along thebody 115 of thereceptacle 106, contact between theelongated portion 92 of thestylus 90 and the protrusions 102 causes theresilient arms 104 to increase in separation distance (seeFIG. 12 ) with respect to one another in order to accommodate theelongated portion 92 being positioned between the opposing protrusions 102 of theadjacent arms 104.Further insertion 108 of thestylus 90 into the receptacle causes the protrusions 102 to become received in the notches/grooves 100, thus returning thearms 104 from thesecond position 122 to thefirst position 121. - Further, for example, for removal once the
stylus 90 is engaged (i.e. retained) within thereceptacle 106,FIG. 8 shows the position of thearms 104 in thefirst position 121 and the stylus retained within thereceptacle 106, via engagement of the protrusions 102 with the notches/grooves 100.FIG. 12 shows the increase in separation distance between thearms 104, i.e. in thesecond position 122 as displaced 112 away from thesurface 146 of theelongated portion 92 of thestylus 90, as the protrusions 102 become disengaged with the notches/grooves 100.Subsequent removal 108 of thestylus 90 from thereceptacle 106 causes thearms 104 to return to thefirst position 121 as shown inFIG. 11 , thus releasing thestylus 90 from thehandle 20 of the terminal 10 for subsequent use by the user with the user interface 26 (seeFIG. 1 ). Further, referring toFIGS. 9 b and 12, aproximal end 150 of thestylus 90 can have anabutment surface 91 for contacting acorresponding abutment surface 91 of thebody 21 of thehandle 20, as desired, the abutment surfaces 91 for restricting a magnitude of displacement of thestylus 90 into thereceptacle 106. - Referring to
FIG. 13 , it is also recognised that one of thearms 104 can be fixed (i.e. rigid) in position relative to one or more resilientsecond arms 104, such thatdisplacement 112 of the resilient arm(s) 104 provides for an increase in the separation distance between thearms 104, thus facilitating the engagement of the protrusions 102 with the notches/grooves 100. It is also recognised that thebody 115 of thereceptacle 106 can be configured to include only oneresilient arm 104 that is biased with respect to thewall 84 of thebody 21, thus facilitating the retention of thestylus 90 between the onearm 104 and the wall 84 (and/or other rigidsecondary structures 106 of the body 21). It is also recognised that the notches/grooves 100 can be positioned in the arm(s) 104 and the protrusions 102 can be positioned on the elongated portion of thestylus 90, so long as the protrusions 102 can be inserted through theproximal end 116 of thereceptacle 106. It is also recognised that thenotches 100 also refer to holes in a wall of thestylus 90 having a hollow core (not shown) of theelongated portion 92, for example, and/or in as a hole in the arm(s) 104, as desired. - In view of the above description of the protrusions 102 and corresponding notches/
grooves 100, it is recognised that thearms 104 and the correspondingstylus 90 can be configured using any of the configurations of same, shown by example inFIGS. 9-15 . - Accordingly, as described above, a handle 20 is given for a portable terminal 10 having a user interface 26 configured for interaction with the stylus 90, the handle 20 comprising: the handle body 21 having the grip portion 54 shaped for grasping by the hand 140 of the user of the portable terminal 10, the proximal end 50 of the grip portion 54 for coupling to the housing 23 of the portable computer 10, and the distal end 52 of the grip portion 54; the receptacle 106 connected to the handle body 21 and located in the interior 88 of the handle body 21, the receptacle 106 adapted for releasably retaining the stylus 90 in the interior 88 of the handle body 21, the handle body 21 having an aperture for facilitating access of the stylus into the receptacle; and at least one member 104 (e.g. arm) of the receptacle 106 having a first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion 102 and/or notch/groove 100) adapted for engaging a second shaped feature (e.g. corresponding notch/groove 100 and/or protrusion 102) of the stylus 90 for providing the releasable retaining of the stylus 90 when resident in the receptacle 106, the member 104 biased towards a first position 121 for facilitating the engagement of the first shaped feature (e.g. protrusion 102 and/or notch/groove 100) with the second shaped feature (e.g. corresponding notch/groove 100 and/or protrusion 102).
- Alternatively the
handle 20 can include thehandle body 21 have thereleasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on theproximal surface 62 including theoperable latch 38 c extending outwardly from theproximal surface 62 and adapted for engaging with the correspondingfirst slot 38 d in theadjacent surface 64 of thehousing 23, and at least oneslot 38 a on theside proximal surface 62 opposite to theoperable latch 38 c and adapted for engaging with the correspondingprotrusion 38 b extending outwardly from theadjacent surface 64 of thehousing 23; wherein thecontrol coupling 40 is established once theproximal surface 62 is mated with theadjacent surface 64 through engagement of thereleasable connection mechanism 38. - Alternatively, the
handle 20 can include thehandle body 21 thereleasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on theproximal surface 62 including thefirst slot 38 d for engaging with the correspondingoperable latch 38 c extending outwardly from theadjacent surface 64, and at least oneprotrusion 38 b extending outwardly from theproximal surface 62 on theside first slot 38 d and adapted for engaging with the correspondingsecond slot 38 a on theadjacent surface 64 of thehousing 23; wherein thecontrol coupling 40 is established once theproximal surface 62 is mated with theadjacent surface 64 through engagement of thereleasable connection mechanism 38. - Alternatively, the
handle 20 can include thehandle body 21 thereleasable connection mechanism 38 positioned on theproximal surface 62 including thefirst slot 38 d for engaging with the correspondingoperable latch 38 c extending outwardly from theadjacent surface 64, and at leastsecond slot 38 a of theproximal surface 62 on theside first slot 38 d and adapted for engaging with the correspondingprotrusion 38 b extending outwardly from theadjacent surface 64 of thehousing 23; wherein thecontrol coupling 40 is established once theproximal surface 62 is mated with theadjacent surface 64 through engagement of thereleasable connection mechanism 38. - Referring again to
FIG. 2 , theactuator assembly 43 is configured for affecting the operation of one or more of thecomponents 19 of thecomputer 24 via the instruction/control signals 42 generated through physical interaction (e.g. depressing of the trigger from a first position to a second position) of the user with theactuator assembly 43. As is shown by example, thegrip portion 54 has the resilient covering, for example,portion 56, preferably made of a resiliently flexible material, for enhancing the grip of the user's hand on thebody 21 of thehandle 20. The actuator assembly 43 (shown in dotted lines underneath the resilient covering 56) has a raisedportion 58 on aface portion 58, for facilitating user identification of theactuator assembly 43 underneath theovermold 56. The raisedportion 58 projects in a direction transverse or otherwise extending outwards from the surface of thegrip region 54, and can be optionally covered by theresilient covering 56. - The
resilient covering 56 can be used to cover a gap 131 (seeFIG. 14 ) between anactuator body 120 and an opening oraperture 133 of theadjacent wall 84, in which theactuator body 120 is positioned, so as to inhibit foreign matter (e.g. water) penetration into the interior 88 of thebody 21. It is also recognised that theresilient covering 56 can only be adhered to thebody 21 of the handle and not to theactuator body 120, thus providing for unhindered actuation/displacement of theactuator body 120 with respect to thehandle body 21. Otherwise, in the case where theresilient covering 56 is also adhered toexterior surfaces 138 of theactuator body 120 and thehandle body 21, theresilient covering 56 material is sufficiently resilient/elastic in nature to provide for corresponding actuation/displacement of theactuator body 120 with respect to thehandle body 21, in order to result in sufficient switching of theswitch 134 by a control arm 132 (seeFIG. 14 ), when theactuator assembly 43 is displaced into the interior 88 of thehandle body 21 from the first position to the second position. Accordingly, theswitch 134 is mounted in theinterior 88 of thehandle body 21, such that theswitch 134 facilitates generation of thecontrol signal 42 for affecting the operation of the one or more scanning functions of theportable terminal 10, theswitch 134 operated as a result of theactuator body 120 being displaced from one of the first and second positions to the other of the first and second positions. - Alternatively, or in addition, the
resilient covering 56 can have anindicator section 60 for indicating to the user the location of theactuator assembly 43 on thegrip portion 54 underneath theresilient covering 56. Theindicator section 60, can have a material texture, colour, and/or shading different from other material of theresilient covering 56 and/or can have a label identifying the location of theactuator body 120 underneath theresilient covering 56. Accordingly, theindicator section 60 can be use by the user to help identify theactuator assembly 43 region of thehandle 20 from the remainder of thegrip region 54, which can be beneficial in inhibiting accidental actuations of theactuator assembly 43. Inhibiting of accidental actuations can be desirable in view of conservingbattery 36 life as well as reducing exposure of the environment 18 (seeFIG. 1 ) to the wireless communications 14 (e.g. laser). - Referring to
FIG. 14 , shown is theexample actuator assembly 43 with theresilient covering 56 and exterior shell of thebody 21 removed to show the interior 88 of thehandle 20. Theactuator assembly 43 has theactuator body 120 connected to thebody 21 at aproximal end 124 by a pivot point 122 (e.g. hinge with an optional biasing member such as a coiled spring, etc.) and at adistal end 126 to a member 128 (e.g. a biasing member such as a spring). The biasing member(s) are configured for biasing theactuator body 120 towards an unactivated/unactuated position 129 (e.g. the first position at which the control signals 42 are not generated). Themember 128 is also connected to the body 21 (e.g. the arm 104). Depression of theactuator body 120 in adirection 130 in to the interior 88 of thebody 21, about thepivot point 122, from thebiased position 129 causes the control arm 132 (connected to the actuator body 120) to activate/depress theswitch 134 when theactuator assembly 43 is displaced into the second position. Activation of theswitch 134 generates the control signals 42, or otherwise causes a circuit 136 (optional) to generate the control signals 42. The control signals 42 are communicated via theelectrical contact 40 b to thecomputer 24, when coupled to the handle 20 (seeFIG. 1 ). Theswitch 134 and theoptional circuit 136 are also mounted on thebody 21 of thehandle 20. - Alternatively, referring to
FIG. 16 , thepivot point 122 can be located at thedistal portion 126 of theactuator body 120 and themember 128 can be located at theproximal portion 124. Further, it is recognised that thepivot point 122 and/or themember 128 can be located at the respective end of theportions portions - It is recognised that the first position can be the unactuated position and the second position can be the actuated position (i.e. of the switch) or the first position can be the actuated position and the second position can be the unactuated position (i.e. of the switch), as desired. Further, it is recognised that the biasing member(s) can bias the actuator body to either the first position or the second position, as desired.
- Referring to
FIGS. 14 and 15 , theactuator body 120 has a plurality of trigger/actuation regions 136 a,b,c for contact by the user'shand 140, in order to actuate theactuator mechanism 43. For example, the user can: put pressure on the actuator region 136 c to cause theswitch 134 to be depressed; put pressure on theactuator region 136 b to cause theswitch 134 to be depressed; and/or put pressure on theactuator region 136 a to cause theswitch 134 to be depressed, as described above. Once theactuator body 120 is released by the user'shand 140, the biasing member(s) (e.g. member 128 and/or 122) moves theactuator body 120 back towards the unactivated/unactuated position 129. - The
actuator body 120 is shaped so as to provide for thesedifferent trigger regions 136 a,b,c, either alone or in combination. For example, thetrigger region 136 a of thebody 120 can start adjacent at one end (e.g. substantially flush with—e.g. thesurfaces 138 at the ends of theactuator body 120, that are adjacent to the exterior surface of thehandle body 21, are substantially parallel to one another) to thewall 84 of thebody 21 and then incline/rise to towards the raised portion/point 58 at the other end. The trigger region 136 c of thebody 120 can start adjacent at one end (e.g. substantially flush with) to thewall 84 of thebody 21 and then incline/rise to towards the raised portion/point 58 at the other end. Thetrigger region 136 b can be positioned at the raised portion/point 58. In this manner, thetrigger portions 136 a,c are connected to one another at the raised portion/point 58 and theiroutside surfaces 138 can be oriented at an obtuse angle (any angle more than 90° but less than 180°) as measured between theoutside surfaces 138 of theface portion 59. It is also recognised that thepivot point 122 can be positioned at theend 126 and the biasingmember 128 at theother end 124, such that theswitch 134 is configured to be activated when any of thetrigger regions 136 a,b,c are depressed. - Further, it is recognised that one or more of the
actuator regions 136 a,b,c can be actuated at any one time by the user's hand 140 (e.g. one finger can contact the actuator region 136 c, one finger can contact theactuator region 136 b, one finger can contact theactuator region 136 a, one finger can contact the actuator region 136 c together with another finger contacting theactuator region 136 b, one finger can contact theactuator region 136 a together with another finger contacting theactuator region 136 b, one finger can contact theactuator region 136 a together with another finger contacting the actuator region 136 c, or one finger can contact the actuator region 136 c together with another finger contacting theactuator region 136 b together with another finger contacting theactuator region 136 a). - It is recognised that the configuration of the raised
portion 58 and thesurfaces 138 of theface portion 59 of theactuator body 120 can be as described above as well as in other configurations. The one embodiment described is where the firstinclined surface 138 and the secondinclined surface 138 of theface portion 59 are configured such that the firstinclined surface 138 rises from one end of theface portion 59 to the raisedportion 58 and the secondinclined surface 138 rises from the other end of theface portion 59 to the raisedportion 58, such that the raisedportion 58 is positioned between the ends of theface portion 130. Another configuration is where the inclined surface rises from one end of theface portion 59 to the raisedportion 58 located at the other end of theface portion 59, such that there is only oninclined surface 138 of theactuator body 120. - Further, the
inclined surfaces 138 can be planar and/or arcuate in shape. In the case of arcuateinclined surfaces 138, they can be concave for providing a contoured surface for interaction with the one or more fingers of the user'shand 140. - In view of the above, it is recognised that manipulation of any of the
trigger regions 136 a,b,c, either alone or on combination, provides thesame movement 130 of theactuator body 120 about thepivot point 122 and thus provides a same/similar tactile feel to the user each time theswitch 134 is activated. Further, it is recognised that the ends of thetrigger regions 136 a,c can be as shown (e.g. flush with theadjacent wall 84 of the body 21), or can be raised (e.g. at a different height) with respect to theadjacent wall 84 of thebody 21 to further denote the presence of theactuator body 120 under theovermold 56, as desired. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , also shown is anexpansion cover 140 for use in positioning 143 in a correspondingly shapeddepression 142 surrounding theelectrical contacts 40 a, when thehandle 20 is not connected to theenclosure 23. Theexpansion cover 140 can be used to When thehandle 20 is to be connected to theenclosure 23, theexpansion cover 140 is removed from thedepression 142, thus exposing theelectrical contact 40 a (and the slot 138 d), and then stored in a similarly shapeddepression 144 in theproximal end 50 of the handle 20 (seeFIG. 3 ). Connection of thehandle 20 to theenclosure 23 provides for theexpansion cover 140 to be retained between thehandle 20 and theenclosure 23 until thehandle 20 is once again detached from theenclosure 23 and theexpansion cover 140 is replaced in thedepression 142. Theexpansion cover 140 is used to inhibit foreign matter (e.g. water) penetration into the interior of the body enclosure, via theslot 38 d, and/or fouling of theelectrical contact 40 a, when thehandle 20 is not connected/coupled to theenclosure 23. - Therefore, as further described below, the
handle 20 is configured for connection to theenclosure 23 of theportable terminal 10, such that theportable terminal 10 has one or more scanning functions for interacting with information objects 16 in thelogistics environment 18. Thehandle 20 has thehandle body 21 having thegrip portion 54 shaped for grasping by thehand 140 of the user of theportable terminal 10, theproximal end 50 of thegrip portion 54 for coupling to thehousing 23 of theportable terminal 10, and thedistal end 52 of thegrip portion 54. Theactuator assembly 43 is configured for affecting the operation of one or more scanning functions and is positioned in theaperture 133 of thehandle body 21 for access by one or more fingers of the user'shand 140. Theactuator assembly 43 includes theactuator body 120 connected at a proximal portion to thehandle body 21 by thepivot connection 122, the biasing member(s) for biasing theactuator body 120 towards the first position, and theface portion 59 of theactuator body 120 configured for contacting with the one or more fingers such that theface portion 59 has the raisedportion 58 for defining the plurality ofactuator regions 136 a,b,c for interaction with the one or more fingers for facilitating therotation 130 of theactuator body 120 about thepivot connection 122 for displacement from the first position to the second position into the interior 88 of the handle body, wherein the displacement of theactuator body 120 affects the operation of the one or more scanning functions (e.g. via activation of theswitch 134 by thecontrol arm 132.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US12/180,865 US7651029B1 (en) | 2008-07-28 | 2008-07-28 | Pistol grip for a portable terminal with an internal receptacle for a stylus |
US12/689,072 US8800875B2 (en) | 2008-07-28 | 2010-01-18 | Pistol grip for a portable terminal with an internal receptacle for a stylus |
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US12/180,865 US7651029B1 (en) | 2008-07-28 | 2008-07-28 | Pistol grip for a portable terminal with an internal receptacle for a stylus |
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US12/689,072 Continuation US8800875B2 (en) | 2008-07-28 | 2010-01-18 | Pistol grip for a portable terminal with an internal receptacle for a stylus |
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US20100020481A1 true US20100020481A1 (en) | 2010-01-28 |
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US12/689,072 Active 2029-03-31 US8800875B2 (en) | 2008-07-28 | 2010-01-18 | Pistol grip for a portable terminal with an internal receptacle for a stylus |
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Cited By (2)
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US20120307439A1 (en) * | 2011-05-30 | 2012-12-06 | Acard Technology Corp. | Extension holder applied in tablet pc |
US20160215926A1 (en) * | 2010-09-29 | 2016-07-28 | James W. Pollex | Tablet computer holder and stand |
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US8071878B2 (en) * | 2008-07-29 | 2011-12-06 | Psion Teklogix Inc. | Sealing system and seal component for a display assembly of a portable device |
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USD676850S1 (en) * | 2011-11-04 | 2013-02-26 | Datalogic Ip Tech S.R.L. | Portable terminal |
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US6407911B1 (en) * | 2000-10-10 | 2002-06-18 | Juniper Systems, Inc. | Sealed portable electronics device having expansion port |
US6708887B1 (en) * | 2001-08-18 | 2004-03-23 | Gsl Solutions, Inc. | Detachable hand-held computer handle |
US20050017078A1 (en) * | 2003-07-23 | 2005-01-27 | Sudhir Bhatia | Mobile terminal with handle that houses a stylus |
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US20160215926A1 (en) * | 2010-09-29 | 2016-07-28 | James W. Pollex | Tablet computer holder and stand |
US20120307439A1 (en) * | 2011-05-30 | 2012-12-06 | Acard Technology Corp. | Extension holder applied in tablet pc |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US20100170952A1 (en) | 2010-07-08 |
US7651029B1 (en) | 2010-01-26 |
US8800875B2 (en) | 2014-08-12 |
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