Breakable Corner Bumpers for Drop-Resistant Computing Housings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices, such as mobile phones and laptops, are vulnerable to damage from falls and impacts with hard surfaces, leading to potential structural damage and loss of functionality.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of breakable bumpers at the corners of the device housing, which are designed to absorb impact energy through plastic deformation, breakage, and scattering of bumper pieces to dissipate force, thereby protecting the internal components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If breakable bumpers are added to protect corners from impact, then impact protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper is divided into multiple segments including a main body portion and a breakable portion, allowing the breakable section to detach upon impact while the main body remains attached to the housing. This segmentation enables impact absorption without requiring complete bumper replacement or complex attachment mechanisms throughout the entire bumper structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable portion is designed as a sacrificial element that can be easily replaced after impact. By using a simple, low-cost breakable component rather than a complex reusable mechanism, the solution provides effective impact protection while minimizing the increase in device complexity and cost.
2Loss of energy
If the bumper is designed to break away upon impact, then energy dissipation is improved, but bumper strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper is divided into a main body portion with high strength for normal protection and a separate breakable portion designed to fracture at controlled stress levels. This segmentation allows the strong main body to remain attached to the housing while the sacrificial breakable portion absorbs impact energy through controlled fracture, achieving both energy dissipation and maintained structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable portion is pre-positioned between the housing and potential impact surfaces to absorb impact energy before it reaches critical components. By having this sacrificial element in place beforehand, the design dissipates energy through controlled breakage rather than requiring the main housing structure to absorb the full impact force.
3Force
If the breakable bumper pieces scatter upon impact, then impact force distribution is improved, but ease of repair worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The bumper is segmented into a permanently attached main body portion and a detachable breakable portion. Upon impact, only the breakable portion scatters or detaches while the main body remains in place, providing impact force distribution without creating excessive debris. This segmentation simplifies repair by requiring replacement of only the breakable portion rather than the entire bumper assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable portion is designed to be extractable from the housing after impact. By separating the sacrificial breakable element from the permanent main body, the design allows impact energy to be dissipated through the breakable portion's detachment and scattering, while the main body remains attached and functional, simplifying the repair process to merely replacing the extracted breakable portion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The breakable bumpers effectively reduce the impact force experienced by the device, minimizing damage and maintaining functionality by absorbing and dissipating energy, with the potential for reusable components.
Implementation Method 1
breakable bumpers...designed to absorb impact energy through plastic deformation
Implementation Method 2
breakable bumpers...breakage, and scattering of bumper pieces to dissipate force
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device can include a processor, memory accessible to the processor; a display operatively coupled to the processor, a housing that includes four corners formed by opposing side edges that extend between opposing front and back edges; and breakable bumpers, where each of the breakable bumpers is coupled to the housing at one or more of the four corners.