Patent ID: 8146244

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a handheld device, the method comprising: providing an elongated enclosure having a substantially uniform cross-section along a longitudinal axis thereof, the enclosure defining an internal lumen configured for slidable receipt of at least one electronic component along internal rails formed in the lumen parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the enclosure has at least one open end, wherein the enclosure is formed from an extruded tube, the extruded tube having at least one access opening formed on a front face thereof; assembling electronic components into the extruded tube through the open end by sliding the electronic components along the internal rails, the internal rails providing a reference surface to position the electronic component assembly relative to the front face, wherein the electronic components include a first assembly having a display, and a second assembly having an input device, wherein the first assembly further includes: a printed circuit board having the display on a top surface thereof; and a memory component provided on a bottom surface of the printed circuit board, wherein each of the internal rails has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, a pair of the top surfaces defining a top reference surface and a pair of the bottom surfaces defining a bottom reference surface, and wherein assembling the electronic components comprises: inserting the first assembly into the lumen through a top open end of the extruded tube, the first assembly being positioned by the bottom reference surface such that the display is placed right behind a first access opening and wherein, in inserting the first assembly, the top surface of the printed circuit board abuts the bottom surface of the internal rails; and inserting the second assembly into the lumen through a bottom open end of the extruded tube, the second assembly being positioned by the top reference surface such that the input device is placed right behind a second access opening; and covering the open end of the enclosure with an end cap.