Hand-held portable data terminal having removably interchangeable, washable, user-replaceable components with liquid-impervious seal

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention is a housing and components assembly permitting rapid and intuitively obvious user replacement of device components.
Elements of the assembly, such as the rigid bezel, elastomer and the keypad elastomer aperture frame, cooperate to achieve an environmental seal and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection.
The keypad bezel may be fashioned of a high strength material, ribbed and attached with screws to prevent warping.
A pressure rib molded into the devices outer wall supports the keypad bezel and retains the elastomer underneath the keypad.
The case of the device is coated with an ESD shielding material to provide ESD protection to the printed circuit board (PCB) of the keyboard.
The invention further provides a touch panel assembly permitting rapid and intuitively obvious user replacement of touch panels.
Elements of the touch pad assembly, including the rigid securing bezel, sealing gasket, and the touch panel aperture frame, cooperate to achieve an environmental seal.
The securing bezel or frame may be ribbed or fashioned of a high strength material to prevent warping.
A downward extension of the inner lip of the touch panel aperture frame permits shock-resistant mounting of a display panel beneath the touch panel.
Accommodation is provided for electrical connection between the touch panel and the other electronic components of the device.
Other similar components of the portable electronic device may be analogously engineered to achieve substantially the same objectives.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a user-replaceable components and housing assembly for a portable electronic device.
A further object of this invention is to provide a user-replaceable keypad and housing assembly for a portable electronic device.
Another object is to provide a keypad assembly for an electronic device which is resistant to the environment.
A further object is to provide an electronic device assembly which permits replacement of the keypad while maintaining environmental protection of the inner circuitry of the electronic device