Portable electronic device with upper housing and cover plate therefor

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a lower housing; and

an upper housing coupled to the lower housing and slidable relative thereto between a closed position and an open position, the upper housing including a removable cover plate affixed to a rear of the upper housing along a bottom side of the upper housing generally between first and second lateral sides of the upper housing,

wherein the removable cover plate is removable to allow access to at least a portion of at least one electrical connector,

wherein the removable cover plate is configured to maintain the lower and upper housings in a generally uniform spaced apart relationship as the upper housing moves between the closed and open positions,

and wherein substantially the entirety of the removable cover plate is adjacent the lower housing in the closed and open positions.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the removable cover plate conceals the at least one electrical connector housed in the upper housing.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one electrical connector comprises a primary flex connector configured to electrically connect the lower and upper housings.

4. The device of claim 3 further including a display, wherein the at least one electrical connector comprises at least one secondary flex connector configured to electrically connect the primary flex connector to the display.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the upper housing comprises an auxiliary input device disposed on a front of the upper housing, and the at least one electrical connector comprises at least one secondary flex connector configured to electrically connect the primary flex connector to the auxiliary input device.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the upper housing comprises a plurality of navigation keys disposed on a front of the upper housing, and the at least one electrical connector comprises at least one secondary flex connector configured to electrically connect the primary flex connector to the plurality of navigation keys.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the removable cover plate comprises spacing elements configured to engage the lower housing.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the spacing elements are disposed on opposing sides of the removable cover plate and generally adjacent to the first and second lateral sides of the upper housing.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the lower housing comprises a sacrificial wearing surface, and the spacing elements are configured to bear against and follow the sacrificial wearing surface as the upper housing moves between the closed and open positions.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the device further includes a keypad, and the sacrificial wearing surface is disposed generally about a periphery of the keypad.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the sacrificial wearing surface is generally complementary in shape to the spacing elements.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the upper housing comprises an auxiliary input device disposed on a front of the upper housing.

13. The device of claim 12 further including a display on the upper housing and a keypad on the lower housing, wherein the auxiliary input device is disposed generally between the display and the bottom side of the upper housing so that, when in the open position, the auxiliary input device is arranged generally between the display and the keypad.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the removable cover plate comprises an interior region arranged generally underneath and in alignment with the auxiliary input device to support the auxiliary input device.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive display.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary input device comprises an optically based user input device.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a lower housing; and

an upper housing coupled to the lower housing and slidable relative thereto between closed and open positions, the upper housing including:

a display disposed on a front of the upper housing generally between first and second lateral sides;

an auxiliary input device on the front of the upper housing;

a plurality of navigation keys disposed on the front generally between the display and a bottom side of the upper housing;

at least one flex connector configured to electrically connect the lower housing to the display, the auxiliary input device and the plurality of navigation keys; and

a removable cover plate affixed to a rear of the upper housing along a bottom side of the upper housing, and concealing the at least one flex connector, wherein the removable cover plate is removable to allow access to the at least one flex connector;

wherein the removable cover plate is configured to engage the lower housing to maintain the lower and upper housings in a generally uniform spaced apart relationship as the upper housing moves between the closed and open positions,

and wherein substantially the entirety of the removable cover plate is adjacent the lower housing in the closed and open positions.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a lower housing including:

a keypad; and

a sacrificial wearing surface disposed generally about a periphery of the keypad; and

an upper housing coupled to the lower housing and slidable relative thereto between a closed position in which the keypad is covered by the upper housing and an open position in which the keypad is exposed for user accessibility, the upper housing including:

a removable cover plate affixed to a rear of the upper housing along a bottom side of the upper housing, the cover plate concealing at least one electrical connector housed in the upper housing, the removable cover plate being removable to allow access to the at least one electrical connector, the removable cover plate including at least one spacing element configured to bear against and follow the sacrificial wearing surface of the lower housing to maintain the lower and upper housings in a generally uniform spaced apart relationship as the upper housing moves between the closed and open positions, substantially the entirety of the removable cover plate being adjacent the lower housing in the closed and open positions.