Abstract:
The shell of an electronic handheld device is adapted for easy and repeated—even frequent—assembly with and disassembly from the electronics, and the shell is washable, preferably in a dishwasher. Preferably, the shell comprises a plurality of parts that can be easily and repeatedly assembled and disassembled by hand without use of tools. For example, the parts of a telephone handset shell are made to be easily snapped together around, and unsnapped from, the handset&#39;s electronics, thereby enabling the shells of the handsets of telephones to be washed to have this function performed by unskilled personnel.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to electronic devices, and relates specifically to hand-held communications devices. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Electronic devices that are intended to come into contact with users need to be kept clean and sanitized. A typical such device is a telephone handset, which is intended to come into contact with users&#39; hands and ears and into very close proximity to users&#39; mouths. When dirty, the device could simply be discarded, but that is cost-prohibitive. Wiping down the device often does not clean the device sufficiently well. Washing-off the dirt usually cannot be done effectively because it would damage the electronics. 
     Some electronic devices are adapted for use in water, such as submersible portable telephones and “shower” radios. However, the cost involved in making these devices water-proof is high. Furthermore, the water-proofing often interferes with the device&#39;s operation. For example, the water-proofing of the telephone and radio interfere with and degrade their audio quality. 
     The WhisperPhone headset is “dishwasher-safe”. However, it is a strictly-acoustical device that provides feedback of the user&#39;s speech to the user&#39;s ear, and has no electronics that could be damaged by water. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the invention, the shell of an electronic handheld device is adapted for easy and repeated—even frequent—assembly with and disassembly from the electronics, and the shell is washable, preferably in a dishwasher. Preferably, the shell comprises a plurality of parts that can be easily and repeatedly assembled and disassembled by hand without use of tools. For example, the parts of a telephone handset shell are made to be easily snapped together around, and unsnapped from, the handset&#39;s electronics, thereby enabling the shells of the handsets of telephones to be washed to have this function performed by unskilled personnel. 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a device comprises electronics for interfacing with a user and a washable shell substantially surrounding the electronics and adapting the electronics for hand-held use by the user, the shell being adapted for repeated assembly with and disassembly from the electronics, preferably by hand without the use of tools. The shell is preferably washable in a dishwasher. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a telephone handset that includes an illustrative embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view line drawing of the telephone handset of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view line drawing of a harness of the telephone handset of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view line drawing of a base of the handset of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view line drawing of an assembly of the harness and the base of the handset of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view line drawing of the inside of the cover of the handset of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view line drawing of the handset of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of the operation of cleaning the handset of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a telephone handset  100  comprising an earpiece  102 , a mouthpiece  104 , a handle  106  joining earpiece  102  to mouthpiece  104 , and a jack  108  for a handset cord. As shown in the exploded view of telephone handset  100  in  FIG. 2 , telephone handset  100  comprises a shell  200  and a harness  206 . When handset  100  is assembled, shell  200  houses harness  206  and adapts handset  100  to hand-held use. Shell  200  comprises a base  202  and a cover  204  that latch together to form a housing for harness  206 . 
     As shown in the exploded view of harness  206  in  FIG. 3 , harness  206  comprises a carrier  302  for electronics  350 ,  352 ,  354 , and a cap  304  that snaps onto carrier  302  to protect the electronics. The electronics interface with a user. In this instance, they do so communicatively: the electronics of this illustrative embodiment comprise a speaker  350 , a microphone  352 , and a plurality of conductors  354  that connect speaker  350  and microphone  352  to jack  108 . The electronics and jack  108  are mounted on carrier  302 . Cap  304  illustratively snaps onto carrier  302  via latches  310  that are formed by indents  312  in carrier  302  and corresponding tabs  314  in cap  304  that engage indents  312 . When cap  304  and carrier  302  are snapped together, they encase and protect the electronics. 
     Shell  200 , and optionally also carrier  302  and cap  304 , are made of a dishwasher-safe material, such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). This material is a terpolymer of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene. Usual compositions are about half styrene with the balance divided between butadiene and acrylonitrile. Considerable variation is possible, resulting in many different grades of ABS with a wide range of features and applications. In addition, many blends with other materials such as polyvinylchloride, polycarbonates and polysulfones have been developed. ABS can be processed by any of the standard thermoplastic processing methods. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , shell  200  comprises a pair of latches  502  and  504  that detachably attach harness  206  to base  202 , and a pair of latches  702  and  704  that detachably attach cover  204  to base  202  and harness  206 . Latches  502 ,  504 ,  702 , and  704  are adapted to facilitate easy and repeated disassembly and reassembly of handset  100 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , latch  602  comprises a pair of hooks  406  on base  202  and a pair of corresponding tabs  506  on harness  206 . When harness  206  is attached to base  202 , hooks  406  engage tabs  506 . Hooks  406  have flexible posts  407  that allow hooks  406  to be pushed away, and thus disengaged, from tabs  506 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , latch  504  comprises a pair of notches  410  in base  202  and a pair of corresponding tabs  510  on harness  206 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , when harness  206  is attached to base  202 , tabs  510  engage notches  410 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 7 , latch  702  comprises a slot  220  and a hook  222 . When cover  204  is mounted on base  202  and harness  206 , hook  222  engages slot  220 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , latch  704  comprises a pair of reciprocal hooks  720  and  722 . When cover  204  is mounted on base  202  and harness  206 , hooks  720  and  722  engage each other. Hook  720  has a flexible leg  724 , and a tab  726  that extends to the outside of shell  200  through a slot  420  (see  FIG. 4 ) in base  202 . Pressing on tab  726  causes leg  724  to flex and hook  726  to pivot out of engagement with hook  722 . 
     Shell  200  further comprises a plurality of alignment members that properly align with each other, and hold in alignment, base  202 , harness  206 , and cover  204 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , base  202  comprises a pair of bosses  402  that define a pair of shoulders  404 , and tabs  506  of harness  206  define a pair of corresponding holes  508 . When harness  206  is attached to base  202 , holes  508  engage ends  408  of bosses  402  and tabs  506  rest on shoulders  404 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , cover  204  defines a pair of orifices  602 . When cover  204  is mounted on base  202  and harness  206 , orifices  602  engage ends  408  of bosses  402  that protrude through holes  508 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , base  202  defines two pairs of posts  412  and  414 , and as shown in  FIG. 8 , cover  204  defines two pairs of corresponding orifices  612  and  614 . When cover  204  is mounted on base  202  and harness  206 , orifices  612  engage posts  412  and orifices  614  engage posts  514 . 
     Further as shown in  FIG. 4 , base  202  defines a plurality of key tabs  416 , and as shown in  FIG. 6 , cover  204  defines a corresponding plurality of key notches  516 . When cover  204  is mounted on base  202  and harness  206 , notches  516  mate with tabs  416 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , base  202  may optionally define a boss  420 , harness  206  may define a corresponding hole  520 , and cover  206  may define a corresponding orifice  620 . When shell  200  is assembled, base  420  protrudes through hole  520  and engages orifice  620 . Further optionally, boss  420  may define a hold there through for a screw, and orifice  620  may define threads for engaging by the screw. 
     The purpose of the illustrative structure of the handset  100  described above is to facilitate easy assembly and disassembly of handset  100 , preferably by hand without the need to use any tools, to enable washing of shell  200 .  FIG. 8  shows the steps involved in cleaning handset  100  by washing. A collector—such as a member of a hotel&#39;s janitorial staff, for example—detaches handset  100  from the handset cord of a telephone, at step  800 , and brings the handset  100  to a cleaning location. At the cleaning location, a handler unsnaps cover  204  from base  202 , at step  802 , by depressing tab  726  and rotating cover  204  away from base  202  around a pivot formed by latch  702 . The handler then detaches harness  206  from base  202 , at step  804 , by deflecting hooks  406  away from tabs  506  and rotating harness  206  away from base  202  around a pivot formed by latch  504 , and provides base  202  and cover  204  to a washer. The washer runs base  202  and cover  204  through a dishwasher, at step  806 , and provides the clean base  202  and cover  204  back to the handler. The handler reattaches harness  206  to base  202 , at step  808 , by inserting tabs  510  into notches  410  and then snapping tabs  510  into hooks  406 , snaps cover  204  back onto base  202 , at step  810 , by inserting hook  222  into slot  220  and then snapping hook  722  into hook  720 , and provides the reassembled handset  100  back to the collector. The collector then takes handset  100  back to the telephone and reattaches it to the telephone&#39;s handset cord, at step  812 . 
     Of course, various changes and modifications to the illustrative embodiment described above will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the invention is applicable not only to handsets, but to any handheld electronic devices, particularly those that interface with human users, such as portable telephones, personal digital assistants, handheld computers, remote controls, handheld radios, electronic gaming devices, etc. These changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the following claims except insofar as limited by the prior art.