This patent application is directed to wireless electronic mechanisms, including handheld electronic devices with lanyard attachment mechanisms.
Lanyards can be attached to an item, such as a remote control or other handheld electronic devices. Lanyards provide a convenient handle or restraint, allowing the user to carry the item by the lanyard or to place the lanyard around the user's wrist while holding the item to safeguard against unintentionally dropping or losing it. Typically, lanyards are affixed to a clip or other structure that protrudes out of the side of the remote control unit. Alternatively, lanyards are integrally formed with the remote control unit, which reduces the ability to replace or modify the lanyard as desired.
Embodiments of the handheld electronic device with a lanyard attachment mechanism introduced herein may be better understood by referring to the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements:
The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed embodiments. Further, the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be expanded or reduced to help improve the understanding of the embodiments. Moreover, while the disclosed technology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the embodiments described. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the embodiments.
Overview
A handheld electronic device with a lanyard and a lanyard attachment mechanism is disclosed. The lanyard is molded into an anchor member. The anchor member fits within a receptacle formed in the handheld electronic device to which the lanyard is attached. In some embodiments, the anchor member is cylindrical in shape and fits into a cylindrical receptacle in the body of the handheld electronic device. A cover is attached to the handheld electronic device's body to capture the anchor member within the handheld electronic device. The cover can include a notch to provide clearance for the portion of the lanyard extending from the anchor member in the receptacle.
General Description
Various examples of the devices introduced above will now be described in further detail. The following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding and enabling description of these examples. One skilled in the relevant art will understand, however, that the techniques discussed herein may be practiced without many of these details. Likewise, one skilled in the relevant art will also understand that the technology can include many other features not described in detail herein. Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail below so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description.
The terminology used below is to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of some specific examples of the embodiments. Indeed, some terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this section.
Referring to
The device 101 includes a front housing 107 that mates with a corresponding rear housing 109. The front housing 107 includes a plurality of openings 111a-e that receive, respectively, a plurality of user input controls 113a-e therethrough. For example, the first user input control 113a can include a touch-sensitive surface that allows a user to provide input via touching or moving the user's finger across a touch-sensitive surface of the control 113a, and/or by depressing a button portion of the control 113a. Second and third user input controls 113b and 113c are volume-down and volume-up buttons, respectively, while the fourth user input control 113d provides a return or “back” function. The fifth user input control 113e is a power button. In other embodiments the user input controls can take a variety of configurations, including other touch-sensitive surfaces, depressible-buttons, or any other input mechanism.
Sandwiched between the front housing 107 and the rear housing 109 are an internal control assembly 115 and a support body portion 117. The internal control assembly 115 includes the plurality of input controls 113a-e on a front side 119 that faces toward the front housing 107. The control assembly 115 can include a printed circuit board 123, carrying associated electronics configured to process user input provided via the controls 113a-e and perform various other electronic functions of the device 101.
The support body portion 117 has a front side 125 that mates with the internal control assembly 115. The support body portion 117 also includes an access aperture 127 that provides access to a portion of the backside 121 of the control assembly 115 having connection terminals 131a, 131b (
As seen in
Referring to
In the illustrated embodiment, the anchor member 139, the support body portion 117 at the receptacle 133, and the rear housing 109 are configured to accommodate the lanyard 103 extending from the anchor member 139. For example, the lanyard 103 is molded or otherwise fixedly attached to the anchor member 139 and projects radially away from the cylindrical sidewall of the anchor member 139. In another embodiment, the lanyard can be positioned to extend away from the circular end wall of the anchor member 139, or from another selected portion of the anchor member 139. The substantially cylindrical receptacle 133 has an open slot 145 on one side that permits the lanyard 103 to extend therethrough when the anchor member 139 is in the installed position. When the device 101 is assembled, the slot 145 in the receptacle 133 is substantially aligned with a notch 141 formed in the end of the rear housing 109. As a result, when the anchor member 139 is in the installed position in the receptacle 133 and the rear housing 109 is fitted over the support body portion 117, a portion of the lanyard 103 extends from the anchor member 139, through the slot 145 in the receptacle, and through the notch 141 in the rear housing 109. The notch 141 is large enough to receive the lanyard 103 therethrough but small enough that the anchor member 139 cannot pass through. The lanyard and anchor member 139 can be removed as a unit, for example if the lanyard needs to be replaced, by removing the rear housing 109 to expose the rear side of the support body portion 117, and lifting the anchor member out of the receptacle 133 and away from the installed position to a removed position. A new lanyard 103 and anchor member 139 can be quickly and easily installed into the receptacle 133 and the rear housing 109 re-attached to the front housing 107 (
Remarks
The above description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in some instances, well-known details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. Further, various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the embodiments.
Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not for other embodiments.
The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the disclosure, and in the specific context where each term is used. It will be appreciated that the same thing can be said in more than one way. Consequently, alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein, and any special significance is not to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein. Synonyms for some terms are provided. A recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms. The use of examples anywhere in this specification, including examples of any term discussed herein, is illustrative only and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions, will control.
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