Recharging and data retrieval apparatus

Apparatus for interchange of data with a remote data collection terminal, the invention comprising:

• a hand-held data entry terminal device capable of storage of data therein,
• said hand-held data entry terminal device storing data provided thereto by electrical means,
• said hand-held data entry terminal device having an elongated body with a rear wall and end wall at one end of said rear wall,
• said rear wall having first elements for engagement with complementarily shaped second elements and said end wall of said hand-held data entry terminal device having a plurality of spaced apart electrically conductive elements mounted thereon,
• said electrically conductive elements being electrically connected to internal circuits of said hand-held data entry terminal device,
• a hand-held data entry terminal receiving dock comprising,
• a frame having at least one open side and having generally upstanding sidewalls, a rear wall of the frame interconnecting adjacent ones of the sidewalls and a lower wall adjacent the side wall and the rear wall of the frame,
• said rear wall of the frame having second elements disposed on the rear wall of the frame and deflectively movable into and out of the rear wall of the frame, said second elements movable into engagement with the first elements of said hand-held data entry terminal device upon installation of said hand-held data entry terminal device into the frame, said lower wall having disposed thereon in spaced apart interrelationship a plurality of electrically conductive members,
• said electrically conductive members of said lower wall disposed to make touching contact engagement with the electrically conductive elements of said hand-held data entry terminal device when said hand-held data entry terminal is selectively installed in said frame and said first elements of said hand-held data entry terminal device engage said second elements to establish a mechanically rigid position between the hand-held data entry terminal device and said frame to maintain solid engagement between the electrically conductive members of said lower wall and the electrically conductive elements of said hand-held data entry terminal device, and
• means for coupling said electrically conductive members of said lower wall to said electrical means, whereby the hand-held data entry terminal device becomes enabled to exchange data with a remote data collection terminal device.

Apparatus for selectively receiving a plurality of portable data entry terminal devices, each having an elongated body with a plurality of electrical contacts on the exterior of one end wall thereof and having entry and display means on a front wall thereof, and having first elements of complementarily shaped first and second elements, said first elements disposed spacedly on the exterior of a rear wall of the body of each data entry terminal device adjacent said one end wall with the electrical contacts thereon, the invention comprising

• a plurality of frames,
• each frame having at least one open side and having generally upstanding sidewalls, a rear wall and an end wall,
• said end wall of each of said frames having disposed thereat in spaced apart interrelationship a plurality of electrically conductive elements,
• said electrically conductive elements disposed to make touching contact engagement with the electrical contacts upon said data entry terminal devices when one or more of said data entry terminal devices is selectively installed in said plurality of frames, and
• second elements spacedly and deflectively movably disposed on the rear wall of each frame, the second elements complementarily engageable with said first elements disposed on said data entry terminals for engagement with said first elements of said data entry terminals upon installation of said data entry terminals into the frames, said second elements deflectively moveable to engage respective ones of the first elements of the data entry terminal for establishing mechanical rigidity between said data entry terminal and said frame to maintain solid engagement between the contacts of the data entry terminal and the electrically conductive elements of the respective frames,
• an elongated cradle for mounting the plurality of frames adjacent one another,
• said plurality of frames mounted adjacent one another within said elongated cradle, and
• a support bracket extending the length of the cradle the support bracket having a base and an upstanding wall.

Data terminal recharging and data retrieval docking apparatus comprising:

• at least one frame for receiving one end of an elongate data terminal having a housing including a plurality of spaced contacts at said one end thereof and retaining means disposed externally of said housing, said at least one frame having spaced, opposed sidewalls and front and rear walls for receiving the data terminal longitudinally within a space defined by said sidewalls and front and rear walls, and an end wall adjacent the sidewalls and front and rear walls;
• a plurality of conductive elements mounted in spaced relationship beneath said end wall, each such element including a contact portion extending upwardly through said end wall, said contact portion being resiliently downwardly deflectable to return to said upwardly extending position when not subject to a deflective force, the upwardly extending contact portion disposed to engage and become deflected downwardly by a selected one of the plurality of the spaced contacts at the one end of the data terminal upon insertion of the data terminal into the at least one frame;
• means disposed on said rear wall to engage said retaining means during the insertion of the data terminal into said at least one frame for locating said retaining means relative said end wall, said locating means and retaining means cooperating to position and retain the data terminal and each of said contacts of said data terminal in engagement with respective ones of said contact portions of said conductive elements against the resilient force of said conductive elements;
• and
• connector means, disposed beneath said end wall of said at least one frame, for coupling said conductive elements to battery recharging and data communications means, whereby said data terminal becomes coupled to said recharging and data communications means upon being inserted into said at least one frame.

Data terminal recharging and data retrieval docking apparatus comprising:

• at least one frame for receiving one end of an elongate data terminal device having a housing including a plurality of spaced contacts at said one end thereof and retaining means disposed on an exterior side of said housing, said at least one frame having a rear wall and an end wall interconnecting with said rear wall;
• means for receiving said data terminal device inserted into said frame along said rear wall toward said end wall;
• a plurality of conductive elements mounted in spaced relationship beneath said end wall, each such element including a contact portion extending upwardly through said end wall, said upwardly extending contact portion disposed to engage a selected one of said plurality of the spaced contacts at the one end of the data terminal device upon insertion of said data terminal device into said at least one frame;
• means for resiliently deflecting said contact portions of said conductive elements upon engagement with the spaced contacts at the one end of the data terminal device upon said insertion of said data terminal device into said at least one frame;
• means disposed on said rear wall to engage said retaining means during the insertion of said data terminal device into said at least one frame and for locating said retaining means relative said end wall, said locating means and retaining means cooperating to position and retain the data terminal device and each of said contacts of said data terminal device in engagement with respective ones of said contact portions of said conductive elements against a resilient deflection force of said contact portions of said conductive elements;
• and
• means for coupling said conductive elements to battery recharging and data communications means, whereby said data terminal device becomes coupled to said recharging and data communications means upon being inserted into said at least one frame.

A data terminal recharging and data retrieval docking system comprising:

• at least one frame for receiving an end portion of an elongate data terminal device having a longitudinal axis and having a series array of spaced contacts including outer contacts and intermediate contacts between the outer contacts disposed transversely to said longitudinal axis and forming part of the exterior surface of said end portion and having retaining means providing indentations as part of the exterior surface of said end portion, said at least one frame having a rear wall and an end wall interconnecting with said rear wall;
• receptacle defining means comprising said rear wall and end wall defining a receptacle for receiving said end portion of said data terminal device inserted into said frame along said rear wall toward said end wall;
• a series array of conductive elements mounted in spaced relationship by said receptacle defining means, each such element including a contact portion extending into said receptacle, said contact portion being disposed to engage a respective one of said series array of the spaced contacts of the data terminal device upon insertion of said data terminal device into said at least one frame;
• device engagement means for reliably retaining the contact portions of said series array of conductive elements in pressure engagement with the respective ones of said series array of spaced contacts of the data terminal device without any positive latching of the device in the receptacle, upon said insertion of said data terminal device into said at least one frame, while accommodating removal of the terminal device solely by manual grasping and direct axial withdrawing thereof;
• said device engagement means comprising locating elements of said receptacle defining means configured to interfit with the indentations provided by said retaining means during the insertion of said data terminal device into said at least one frame and for locating said end portion of said terminal device in a final retained position relative to said receptacle, said locating elements and said indentations provided by said retaining means cooperating to retain each of said series array of contacts of said data terminal device in engagement with respective ones of said contact portions of said series array of conductive elements in said final retained position while accommodating immediate manual gripping and direct axial removal of the terminal device from its final retained position without any antecedent unlatching or terminal device shifting step.