Device comprising an assembly of several components with a component made of fibrous material.
A three-component assembly with a fibrous material pinched between two other components addresses the durability and environmental sensitivity of bamboo-based equipment, ensuring structural integrity and resistance to moisture and unauthorized access.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing computer and electronic equipment structures that utilize plastic materials face issues with mechanical durability, environmental sensitivity, and structural integrity due to the use of fibrous materials like bamboo, which are prone to wear and deformation under repeated assembly/disassembly and moisture exposure.
A device assembly comprising three components, where a fibrous material component is pinched between two other components, using a reversible fixing method that distributes stress transversely and avoids direct screw insertion, ensuring mechanical support and resistance while minimizing moisture absorption.
The solution provides a durable and moisture-resistant assembly that maintains structural integrity and prevents deformation, reducing the risk of unauthorized opening or dismantling, while using eco-friendly fibrous materials like bamboo.
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Device comprising an assembly of several components with a component made of fibrous material.
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of equipment, in particular computer and / or electronic equipment, and in particular payment terminals.
[0002] It is known to use plastic materials to form part of the structure of equipment, in particular computer and / or electronic equipment, the lifespan of which may be significant, and which must withstand mechanical environmental conditions which may vary.
[0003] However, it is desirable to limit the use of plastic materials and to replace these materials, at least in part, with fibrous materials, for example, natural materials for environmental reasons or artificial materials containing fibers to increase the strength of the device. For example, the use of bamboo, instead of plastic, is advantageous because bamboo is a bio-based material that also exhibits good mechanical strength.
[0004] However, given the significant lifespan of the equipment in question, it must be repairable. Fibrous materials are typically fastened with screws and therefore withstand a limited number of assembly / disassembly cycles. Indeed, repeated assembly / disassembly causes rapid and irreversible wear of the threads formed in fibrous materials. For example, bamboo can be fastened with small wood screws. Furthermore, bamboo, or other types of natural fibrous materials, are "living" materials that can be sensitive to humidity and undergo minor deformations under mechanical stress; this can pose problems for a structural component, particularly if safety features are connected to it, such as faulty keyholes.
[0005] The invention therefore aims to provide a solution to all or part of these problems.
[0006] To this end, the present invention relates to a device comprising an assembly of at least three components, the at least three components comprising a first component, a second component, and a component made of fibrous material, the first component and the second component being supported on said component made of fibrous material, on either side of said component made of fibrous material, so that said component made of fibrous material is pinched between the first component and the second component.
[0007] According to these provisions, the method of fixing the component made of fibrous material is reversible, and does not weaken the component made of fibrous material by the introduction into the fibrous material of a means of fixing, for example a screw.
[0008] According to one embodiment, the invention comprises one or more of the following features, alone or in a technically acceptable combination.
[0009] According to one possibility, the fibrous material comprises a natural fibrous material, such as wood, for example bamboo, or an agglomerated component comprising natural fibers and at least one binder, such as resin or glue.
[0010] According to another possibility, the fibrous material is a material comprising fibers of artificial material, in particular glass fibers or carbon fibers. The fibrous material may also include a binder, such as a resin or an adhesive.
[0011] According to one embodiment, the fibrous material component is a structural part of the assembly, configured to ensure mechanical resistance of the assembly.
[0012] According to one embodiment, the support of the first component, respectively of the second component, on the fibrous material component, exerts a pressure on the fibrous material component in a direction transverse to a plane of a main extension of the fibrous material component, said pressure being distributed over an extended part of the fibrous material component in the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component.
[0013] According to one embodiment, the first component and / or the second component has a main extension in another plane, the transverse direction to the plane of the main extension of the component in fibrous material also being transverse to the other plane.
[0014] According to these provisions, the stresses on the fibrous material part are distributed more effectively the larger the portion of the main extension on which the support is distributed. This prevents excessive stress on the fibrous material part and limits the effects of moisture absorption, such as twisting of the part, which is particularly detrimental to detecting unauthorized opening or fraudulent dismantling of the device.
[0015] According to one embodiment, the first component and the second component are held mechanically together by a means of fixing the second component to the first component.
[0016] According to one embodiment, the fastening means comprises at least one screw, and wherein the first component comprises at least one screw shank or at least one thread, the at least one screw shank or at least one thread being configured to receive at least one screw, and in which the second component is configured to accommodate the head of at least one screw.
[0017] According to one embodiment, at least one screw is a self-tapping screw, adapted to the material of the first component.
[0018] According to one embodiment, the material of the first component comprises a plastic material.
[0019] According to one embodiment, the first component is a touch panel.
[0020] According to one embodiment, the fibrous material component comprises a first face on a first side of the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component, the first face being configured to receive the first component resting on a part of the first face, the fibrous material component comprising a border around the first face on the part of the first face, projecting in a direction transverse to the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component, the first component being encapsulated in a volume delimited by said projecting border, said volume being formed in a hollow inside the first face, said projecting border being arranged around the first component.
[0021] According to one embodiment, the material of the second component comprises a plastic material.
[0022] According to one embodiment, the second component is a cover, configured to form with the touch panel a closed volume containing the assembly of the device.
[0023] According to one embodiment, the assembly includes a third component, the third component being an electronic board comprising a processing unit, the touch panel being configured to provide the interface with the processing unit, the electronic board being further configured to be inserted between the second component and the fibrous material component, the third component being supported on at least a part of the fibrous material component, so that the third component is also pinched between the fibrous material component and the second component.
[0024] According to one embodiment, the fibrous material component includes a second face which is supported by a portion of the second component located in a plane parallel to the plane of the main extension of the second component, said portion of the second component including an edge of the second component configured to encircle at least partially an edge of the second face.
[0025] According to one embodiment, the device is a computer or electronic terminal, for example an electronic payment terminal.
[0026] For better understanding, an embodiment and / or implementation of the invention is described with reference to the attached drawings representing, by way of non-limiting example, one embodiment or implementation respectively of a device and / or method according to the invention. The same references in the drawings designate similar elements or elements with similar functions.
[0027] [Fig-1] is a perspective and cross-sectional view of a device according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0028] [Fig.2] is a cross-sectional view of an enlargement of part of the device of [Fig.1]
[0029] [Fig.3] is a top perspective view of the device according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0030] [Fig.4] is a perspective view from below of the device in [Fig.3]
[0031] [Fig.5] is a perspective top view of a fibrous material component of the device the [Fig.3]
[0032] [Fig.6] is a perspective view from below of the fibrous material component of [Fig.5]
[0033] [Fig.7] is a perspective top view of a first component of the device of the [Fig.3]
[0034] [Fig.8] is a perspective view from below of the first component of the [Fig.7]
[0035] [Fig.9] is a perspective top view of a second component of the device of the [Fig.3]
[0036] [Fig. 10] is a perspective view from below of the second component of the [Fig. 9]
[0037] [Fig. 11] is a perspective top view of a third component of the device of the [Fig.3]
[0038] [Fig. 12] is a perspective view from below of the third component of the [Fig. 11]
[0039] The invention relates to a device 10 comprising an assembly of at least three components: a first component 11, a second component 12, and a fibrous material component 13, the first component 11 and the second component 12 being supported on said fibrous material component 13, on either side of said fibrous material component 13, so that said fibrous material component 13 is pinched between the first component 11 and the second component 12.
[0040] Thus, the method of fixing the component in fibrous material is reversible, and does not weaken the component in fibrous material by the introduction into the fibrous material of a means of fixing, a screw for example.
[0041] Fig. 1 represents a perspective and cross-sectional view along a cutting plane of an example of an embodiment of device 10 which will be described in more detail later.
[0042] Figures 3 and 4 represent another perspective view, respectively top view and bottom view, of the device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0043] The fibrous material component 13 can in particular be a structural part of the assembly, that is to say configured to ensure mechanical resistance of the assembly, i.e. mechanical support of the assembly.
[0044] In particular, the first component 11 and / or the second component 12 has a main extension in one plane, and the fibrous material component 13 has a main extension in another plane, substantially parallel to the plane of the main extension of the first component 11 and / or the second component 12; the support of the first component 11, respectively of the second component 12, on the fibrous material component 13, exerts a pressure on the fibrous material component 13 in a direction transverse to the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component 13, said pressure being distributed over at least a part of the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component 13.
[0045] Thus, the stresses on the fibrous material part are distributed more evenly the larger the portion of the main extension on which the pressure is distributed. This prevents excessive stress on the fibrous material part and limits the effects of moisture absorption, such as twisting of the fibrous material component, which would be particularly detrimental to detecting an opening or fraudulent dismantling of the device.
[0046] To ensure the pinching of the fibrous material component 13 between the first component 11 and the second component 12, the first component 11 and the second component 12 are held mechanically together by a fastening means, such as one or more screws.
[0047] In particular, as illustrated in [Fig. 1], the first component 11 may include at least one screw shank 15, 16 or at least one thread, the at least one screw shank 15, 16 or at least one thread being configured to receive the at least one screw 17, 18, the second component 12 being configured to accommodate the head of the at least one screw 17, 18.
[0048] More particularly, the screw 17, 18 is a self-tapping screw, adapted to the material of the first component 11, which can be, for example, a plastic.
[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment of the device 10, the first component 11 is a touch panel, configured for example to provide an interface with an electronic processing unit. An exemplary embodiment of a touch panel 11 is schematically represented in a top view perspective in [Fig. 7], and in a bottom view perspective in [Fig. 8].
[0050] According to a particular embodiment of the device 10, illustrated in [Fig. 1] and in [Fig. 2] enlarged, as well as in Figures 5 and 6 which show an example of an embodiment of a component made of fibrous material 13, the component made of fibrous material 13 comprises a first face 23 on a first side of the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component 13, the first face 23 being configured to receive the first component 11, for example the touch panel 11, resting on a part 20 of the first face 23; the fibrous material component 13 further includes a border 19 around the first face 23 on the part 20 of the first face 23; said border 19 forms a projection on the part 20 in a direction transverse to the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component 13, so that the first component 11 is encapsulated in a volume 24 delimited by said protruding border 19, said volume 24 being formed in a hollow inside the first face 23, said protruding border 19 being arranged around the first component 11.
[0051] The second component 12 is, for example, a cover which is attached to the first component 11, by pinching the fibrous material component 13 between the first component 11 and the second component 12. Said cover is, for example, configured to form with the first component 11, for example the touch panel 11, a closed volume enveloping the assembly of the device 10. An example of an embodiment of a cover 12 is shown schematically in a top view perspective in [Fig. 9], and in a bottom view perspective in [Fig. 10].
[0052] According to a further embodiment, the assembly includes a third component 14, the third component 14 being an electronic board 14 which includes a processing unit, the touch panel 11 being configured to provide the interface with the processing unit; the electronic board 14 is further configured to be inserted between the second component 12 and the fibrous material component 13, so that the third component 14 is supported on at least a part of the fibrous material component 13, and that the third component 14 is also pinched between the fibrous material component 13 and the second component 12.
[0053] An example of the embodiment of an electronic card 14 is schematically represented from a top view perspective in [Fig. 11], and from a bottom view in [Fig. 12].
[0054] According to a more particular embodiment, the fibrous material component 13 comprises a second face 25, opposite the first face 23, which is supported by a part 21 of the second component 12, said part 21 being located in a plane parallel to the plane of the main extension of the second component 12; the part 21 of the second component 12 further comprises an edge 22 of the second component 12 configured to encircle at least in part an edge of the second face 25 of the fibrous material component 13.
[0055] The device 10 according to one of the embodiment examples described above can be a computer or electronic terminal, for example an electronic payment terminal.
[0056] According to one possibility, the fibrous material shown is bamboo.
[0057] According to other possibilities, the material may comprise another natural fibrous material, such as wood, or an agglomerated component comprising natural fibers and at least one binder, such as glue.
[0058] According to yet another possibility, the fibrous material is a material comprising glass fibers or carbon fibers.
Claims
Demands
1. Device (10) comprising an assembly of at least three components, the device (10) being a computer or electronic terminal, the at least three components comprising a first component (11), a second component (12), and a component made of fibrous material (13), the first component (11) and the second component (12) being supported on said component made of fibrous material (13), on either side of said component made of fibrous material (13), so that said component made of fibrous material (13) is pinched between the first component (11) and the second component (12), characterized in that the fibrous material is a natural fibrous material.
2. Device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous material component (13) is a structural part of the assembly, configured to provide mechanical strength of the assembly.
3. Device (10) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the support of the first component (11), respectively of the second component (12), on the fibrous material component (13), exerts pressure on the fibrous material component (13) in a direction transverse to a plane of a main extension of the fibrous material component (13), said pressure being distributed over an extended part of the fibrous material component (13) in the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component (13), the first component (11) and the second component (12) being held mechanically together by a means of fixing the second component (12) to the first component (11).
4. Device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first component (11) and / or the second component (12) has a main extension in another plane, the transverse direction to the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component (13) also being transverse to the other plane.
5. Device (10) according to claim 5, wherein the fastening means comprises at least one screw (17, 18), and wherein the first component (11) comprises at least one screw shank (15, 16) or at least one thread, the at least one screw shank (15, 16) or at least one thread being configured to receive the at least one screw (17, 18), and in which the second component (12) is configured to accommodate the head of at least one screw (17, 18).
6. Device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first component (11) is a touch panel.
7. Device (10) according to claim 7, as it depends on claim 3, wherein the fibrous material component (13) comprises a first face (23) on a first side of the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component (13), the first face (23) being configured to receive the first component (11) bearing against a portion (20) of the first face (23), the fibrous material component (13) comprising a border (19) around the first face (23) on the portion (20) of the first face (23), projecting in a direction transverse to the plane of the main extension of the fibrous material component (13), the first component (11) being encapsulated in a volume (24) delimited by said projecting border (19), said volume (24) being formed as a recess within the first face (23), said projecting border (19) being arranged around the first component (11).
8. Device (10) according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the second component (12) is a cover (12), configured to form with the touch panel (11) a closed volume containing the assembly of the device (10).
9. Device (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the assembly comprises a third component (14), the third component (14) being an electronic board (14) comprising a processing unit, the touch panel (11) being configured to interface with the processing unit, the electronic board (14) being further configured to be inserted between the second component (12) and the fibrous material component (13), the third component (14) being supported on at least a portion of the fibrous material component (13), such that the third component (14) is also pinched between the fibrous material component (13) and the second component (12).
10. Device (10) according to claim 10, wherein the fibrous material component (13) comprises a second face (25) which bears against a portion (21) of the second component (12) located in a plane parallel to the plane of the main extension of the second component (12), said portion (21) of the second component 10 (12) comprising an edge (22) of the second component (12) configured to encircle at least in part an edge of the second face (25).
11. Device (10) according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the device is an electronic payment terminal.