Patent Application
20080148523
The present invention generally relates to mobile devices with handles.
Mobile devices often include a handle which allows a user to hold, pickup or manipulate the devices. A conventional mobile device may have a long “gun” style handle which makes the conventional device unwieldy. For example, the handle may cause the user to experience difficulty in taking the conventional device out of a holster or reaching into small spaces. In addition, if the conventional device is dropped, the size of the handle increases a likelihood that the conventional device is damaged.
The present invention relates to a handle for a mobile device. The handle comprises a housing coupled to the mobile device, a surface of the housing being contoured to substantially conform to a natural curvature of a hand of the user. The handle further comprises a perch coupled to the housing and extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the housing.
The present invention also relates to a mobile device comprising a first housing and a handle. The handle includes a second housing and a perch, the second housing being coupled to the first housing, the perch extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second housing, a surface of the second housing being contoured to conform to a natural curvature of a hand of a user.
The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with the same reference numerals. The present invention relates to mobile devices (e.g., MUs) with handles. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to an MU with a barcode scanner, however those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be implemented with any type of MU which utilizes a handle, such as an RFID reader, an image-/laser-based scanner, a mobile terminal, etc.
The handle 220 comprises a second housing and may be formed of the same or substantially similar materials as the first housing 210. For example, both the first housing 210 and the second housing may be molded from a hard polymer such as plastic. Alternatively, the first and second housings may be formed of a composite material, such as a metal alloy. In choosing the material(s), various factors such as weight, hardness, cost and general durability may be considered.
The handle may be ergonomically shaped to fit the user's hand. For example, a curved ridge 260 disposed on a rear of the handle 220 may enhance grip security during forward rotation of the MU 200. In addition, a surface of the second housing may be contoured to include a rounded end 250 conformed to a natural curvature of the hand. The rounded end 250 may terminate before the surface of the hand when the MU 200 is held. That is, a length of the second housing may be shorter than a width of the hand. In an alternative embodiment, the rounded end 250 may be substantially flush with the surface of the hand (e.g., the length of the second housing is equal to a width of the hand, or flush with a center of a palm of the hand (e.g., the length of the second housing is equal to half the width of the hand). Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, an overall length of the handle 220 may range from 3″ to 4″.
The handle 220 may further include a diving board-shaped perch 240 which is located between the trigger 230 and the rounded end 250, extending distally from the handle 220, perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the second housing. The perch 240 may separate two fingers (e.g., a trigger finger and a middle finger) of the user when the MU 200 is held, thereby enhancing grip security. In one embodiment, the perch 240 may have a predetermined length and a substantially uniform thickness. In another embodiment, the perch 240 may be non-uniformly shaped. For example, a proximal end of the perch 240 may be tapered or curved so as to provide a desired distance and/or maintain a desired relative position between the separated fingers while a distal end 242 of the perch 240 may be flared to enhance stability of the MU 200 when placed in a resting position, as will be described below.
As described above, the handle 220 may be formed of a hard plastic or polymer. In one embodiment, one or more portions of the handle 220 (e.g., the entire second housing) may be coated with a grip enhancing and/or shock absorbing substance, such as a hydrophilic rubber, a memory foam, a textured rubber, etc. For example, the distal end 242 may be rubber-coated to protect against impacts and/or enhance stability in the resting position. An interior of the handle 220 may be solid or hollow depending on a desired handling characteristic. For example, a material density of the handle 220 may be a determining factor when designing the interior, which may be filled or hollowed so as to contribute to a desired weight and/or center of gravity of the handle 220.
The perch 240 may enable additional resting positions. For example, the MU 200 may be rested against the surface 282 and a surface 284 of the handle 220. In this position, a scanning portion (e.g., a bar code scanner) of the MU 200 may be pointed in a horizontal direction, away from the surface 290. The user may then scan items by sweeping the items across the scanning portion without moving/aiming the MU 200.
In another exemplary embodiment, the handle 300 may also be rotatably coupled to the MU. For example, the receiving arrangement may allow the user to rotate the MU about a length (e.g., a longitudinal axis) of the handle 300. In yet another embodiment, the handle 300 may be pivoted with, for example, a pivot hinge coupled to the receiving arrangement.
The handle 300 may include an accessory device interface such as, for example, one or more attachment pins 342 disposed on a distal end of the perch 340. An accessory device may be any mechanical and/or electrical device which complements a functionality of the MU. For example, the accessory device may be a printer, an input device, etc. The handle 300 may either be sold/packaged with the MU or sold separately. For example, handles with varying features (e.g., size, grip, communications capabilities, etc.) may be sold as add-ons which may be used to customize the MU to user specifications.
In an exemplary embodiment, the attachment pins 342 may provide power and/or transmit/receive data signals to/from the accessory device. The handle may further include a communications arrangement for transmitting/receiving signals to/from the MU, such as, for example, one or more electrical contacts on or near the surface 360. In other embodiments, the accessory device may be self-powered (e.g., via a battery, a AC-to-DC converter, etc) and/or non-communicating. In further embodiments, wireless communication (e.g., infrared, radio-frequency, etc.) between the handle, the accessory device and the MU may also be possible.
The extension handle 520 may be formed of the same or a substantially similar material (e.g., plastic, rubber, etc.) as the handle 400 and may attach to the handle 400 in a manner similar to the attaching of the handle 300 to the MU. The extension handle 520 may be shaped to match a contour of the handle 400 and may also include a loop 522 for receiving a strap, a cord, a hook, etc. In other embodiments, the extension handle 520 may not include a loop and may, when coupled to the handle 400, comprise a long, contiguous handle. In yet other embodiments, the extension handle 520 may also include one or more perches separating fingers of one or more hands of the user.
The present invention provides several appreciable advantages over the conventional MU 100. For example, the MU 200 may be customized using a variety of handles that suit the user's needs. As previously described, handles may vary in both form and function. For example, physical characteristics such as size and grip may be varied. Furthermore, because the handle lengths can be sized to end in the middle of the hand, the handles can fit any number of users with different hand sizes. In addition, varying functional characteristics may allow the MU 100 to utilize any number of features, which may be included at a time of manufacture (e.g., a legacy or current feature) or at a later time (e.g., an upgrade feature).
Another advantage of the present invention lies in a general shape of the handles 220, 300 and 400. Each handle is shaped to fit comfortably in the user's hand(s). Furthermore, the handles 220, 300, 400 include perches (e.g., the perch 240) that provide further comfort and stability. Thus, the physical characteristics may be conducive to prolonging a period of use of the MUs 200 and 500.
It should also be noted that the handles 220, 300, 400 may be attached to any number of accessory devices. In addition to attachment via the perch 240, it may also be possible to attach accessories onto other portions (e.g., the rounded end 250) of the handles 220, 300, 400. Thus, the present invention may provide expandablility to MUs.
The present invention has been described with reference to the above exemplary embodiments. One skilled in the art would understand that the present invention may also be successfully implemented if modified. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the broadest spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings, accordingly, should be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
