Data entry terminal having flexible, transparent front cover

Abstract

A durable, clear, protective cover for a device having a touch screen, keypad, or other user interface. The cover protects the device without interfering with the ability to use the device. The protective cover is constructed by vacuum-forming a thin sheet of transparent polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) on the front and at least a portion of the sides of a mold made of the target device. Accordingly, the protective cover made from a single piece of material will have the topography matching the device, which facilitates in the continued usability of the device when the protective cover is disposed on the device. Furthermore, the protective cover fits securely on the device such that no adhesives or other mechanisms are required to secure the protective cover onto the device, nor are any tools required to install or remove the protective cover.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to data entry terminals, and specifically, to protective covers for data entry terminals that have a touch screen interface and / or a keypad. The protective cover protects the data entry terminal from damage without interfering with the ability to use the data entry terminal.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Data entry terminals come in many forms such as stationary computer terminals, vehicle-mounted computer terminals, mobile or hand-held computers, barcode scanners, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or even cell phones. Such data entry terminals are convenient devices for entering, handling, and storing information in a variety of applications. For example, data entry terminals may be used for data collection applications in fields including industrial, retail, warehousing and distribution, manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and customer service. In ware...

Images