Patent ID: 8593793

Claim:
A multi-portion housing for a portable terminal having a proximal end, a distal end, a bottom surface, and a top surface, the top surface configured for mounting a user interface between the proximal and distal ends, the multi-portion housing comprising: a central housing portion providing a rigid body extending between the proximal and distal ends for facilitating rigidity of the multi-portion housing to inhibit deformation of the multi-portion housing, the central housing portion having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface; a second housing portion comprising a first electronic module removably coupled to the central housing portion and having a first resilient seal positioned between a first mating surface at the outer periphery of the second housing portion and a corresponding mating surface of the central housing portion, the second housing portion being configured to be replaceable with a first different housing portion comprising a second electronic module that is different than the first electronic module; and a third housing portion comprising a third electronic module removably coupled to the second housing portion and having a second resilient seal positioned between a second mating surface at the outer periphery of the second housing portion and a corresponding mating surface of the third housing portion, the third housing portion being configured to be replaceable with a second different housing portion comprising a fourth electronic module that is different than the third electronic module; wherein the first resilient seal and the second resilient seal are configured for inhibiting penetration of foreign contaminants into an interior of the multi-portion housing.