Angled Cavities for Inconspicuous Mobile Device Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile computing devices lack efficient mechanisms for propping and suspending to multiple angles and orientations, limiting their functionality and usability in various scenarios such as ergonomic viewing, wireless communication, and multitasking.
Innovation Solution
The integration of strategically located angled and straight cavities on the back panel of mobile computing devices or their protective covers, which can receive matching support elements or structures, allowing for the device to be propped or suspended at various angles using styluses, hooks, or other support elements without adding weight, thickness, or cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If support elements are stored inside the mobile computing device or in open recessions, then the device gains propping functionality, but the device thickness and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support element is nested within a cavity formed in the back plate of the mobile computing device. The cavity houses the support element in a compact manner, allowing it to be stored within the device's existing structure without adding external protrusions or increasing overall device thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The support element is positioned at an angle relative to the back plate, utilizing three-dimensional space efficiently. By orienting the support element at an angle rather than parallel to the back plate, the design maximizes the use of available internal volume while maintaining a sleek external profile.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cavities are added to the back plate for different support elements, then the device can be positioned at multiple angles, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The back plate is segmented into multiple distinct cavities, each designed to receive a specific support element at a predetermined angle. This segmentation allows for modular manufacturing where each cavity can be independently formed, and support elements can be separately installed, simplifying the overall manufacturing process compared to creating a monolithic multi-angle support structure.
3Ease of operation
If the support element is made visible on the device exterior, then the propping function is enhanced, but the artistic style and aesthetic appearance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support element is extracted from the traditional external antenna location and repositioned within a cavity in the back plate. This extraction allows the support element to function effectively while remaining hidden from external view, preserving the device's aesthetic appearance and artistic style.
Solution Approach 2:
The back plate serves as a thin film or shell that conceals the support element within its cavity. The back plate's design allows it to maintain its sleek, aesthetic appearance while housing the functional support element internally, effectively masking the mechanical component from external observation.
Data Source
AI summary
An inconspicuous suspension system of angled and straight cavities for latching a support structure, such as a desktop stand, a floor stand, a hook, or a plurality of hooks, to mobile computing devices and its use to suspend these devices to multiple angles and orientations with respect to a resting surface or base.