# US 7,743,995 B2 · Terminal design with shock isolation assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,743,995 B2 - Document ID: US7743995B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/558,159 - Filed: 2006-11-09 - Published: 2007-05-31 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2003-07-01 - Assignees: Symbol Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Wulff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743995B2 ## CPC - G06K 7/10881: {constructional details of hand-held scanners} - G06F 1/1626: {with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]} - G06F 1/1656: {Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203)} - G06F 1/1684: {Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675} - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Systems and methodologies are disclosed for isolating a portable hand held electronic unit from external mechanical shocks and/or vibrations by dampening them at several levels. The system can absorb an external mechanical shock at three different levels by employing an external bumper system, elastic housing design features, and an internal frame isolation. Moreover, such isolation assembly simplifies production of the portable electronic unit by enabling a “build to order process” according to a customer's specification. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable data terminal, comprising: a housing of a bar code reader comprising a segment being rotatable about a junction of the housing; and at least one circuit board partially encased by a rigid body within the housing, the rigid body positioned on a bumper system surrounding a perimeter of the rigid body inside the housing such that the rigid body is allowed to shift laterally within the housing, the bumper system interposed between the rigid body and the housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The terminal of claim 1, the housing further comprising a bottom portion coupled to a handle that pivots about a hinge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The terminal of claim 2, the hinge located between the bottom portion of the housing and the handle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The terminal of claim 1, the at least one circuit board encased by a rigid body occupying a section of the housing that is divided into two segments by a hinge, the at least one circuit board occupying one segment, and the segment designed to pivot about the hinge when an external bending flexure exceeds the bending stiffness of the section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The terminal of claim 4, the at least one circuit board having a length shorter than a length of the segment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The terminal of claim 4, wherein the rigid body comprises an electromagnetic interference shield that at least partially surrounds the at least one circuit board. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The terminal of claim 1, further comprising a rubberized frame that at least partially surrounds the segment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The terminal of claim 1, further comprising flexible energy absorbing material coupled to an external surface of the housing. ### Claim 9 A portable data terminal comprising: a plurality of circuit boards mounted on a sub frame, being at least partially encased by a rigid body positioned on a bumper system surrounding a perimeter of the rigid body within the terminal housing such that the rigid body is allowed to float within the housing; and a resilient member of the bumper system interposed between the rigid body and the housing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The terminal of claim 9, the rigid body selected from a group consisting of metals and plastic. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The terminal of claim 9, the resilient member forming an elastic frame around the rigid body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The terminal of claim 9, further comprising a handle coupled to the housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The terminal of claim 9, the plurality of circuit boards including a unique circuit board being readily interchangeable at a manufacturing level to enable a modular assembly of the portable terminal, the unique circuit board disposed within the terminal housing without the use of mounting screws. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The terminal of claim 13, the rigid body comprising at least one rigid frame maintaining mounting points shared between the unique circuit board and other circuit boards. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The terminal of claim 9, the sub frame rotatable about a junction of the housing. ### Claim 16 A method for manufacturing a plurality of bar code reading mobile terminal types, comprising: providing common components for the mobile terminal types that are respectively generic to the types; assembling a particular mobile terminal type by at least a subset of the respective common components; receiving a customer order for a specific mobile terminal type requiring at least one unique component, and fabricating the specific type via employment of the common components and the at least one unique component on a rigid body; providing a flexible housing for the mobile terminal comprising a handle coupled to a surface of the terminal housing via a hinge; and positioning the rigid body on a bumper system inside the terminal housing, wherein the unique component is not mounted in a fixed position within the housing and the bumper system surrounds a perimeter of the rigid body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising rotating the handle about a junction of the flexible housing upon a physical shock that exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a rigid frame having mounting parts shared between circuit boards of the common and unique components, the rigid frame for maintaining a planar configuration of the circuit boards. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, the flexible housing includes a first hinge between the handle and the surface of the terminal housing, and a second hinge located on the terminal housing section containing the common and unique components. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a generic shock assembly connected to an outer surface of the housing.