Window-Mounted Camera Suction Structure for Long-Term Seal Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
The suction force of suction cups used in camera installations on transparent members, such as windows, decreases over time, leading to potential camera displacement or detachment.
Innovation Solution
A camera and suction cup apparatus design featuring a planar portion with an opening and an auxiliary member having a hole that communicates with the opening, where the auxiliary member is softer than the planar portion, forming a negative pressure to maintain attachment by increasing the contact area and reducing air entry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional suction cup is used to attach the camera to the transparent member, then the camera can be initially fixed, but the suction force decreases with the passage of time causing the camera to shift or fall off
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup is designed with a soft auxiliary member (contact portion) that is softer than the main body material. This local softness allows the contact portion to conform to surface irregularities of the transparent member, maintaining sealing contact and preventing air leakage that would otherwise cause suction force degradation over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary member is made of a soft, flexible material that can deform to match the contour of the transparent member's surface. This flexibility ensures continuous contact and sealing even when the surface has minor irregularities, preventing air from entering the suction chamber and maintaining stable suction force throughout the attachment duration.
2Reliability
If the suction cup material is made uniformly soft to improve contact, then the suction force is initially better, but the structural stability and positioning precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The suction cup employs a composite structure where the main body is made of a harder material for structural stability and positioning precision, while only the auxiliary contact portion is made of a softer material. This localized softness provides good initial contact and sealing without compromising the overall structural integrity and positioning accuracy of the camera assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction cup combines two materials with different properties: a harder main body material for structural stability and positioning, and a softer auxiliary member material for contact and sealing. This composite construction allows each material to perform its optimal function, achieving both positioning precision and reliable suction force.
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
This design effectively suppresses the decrease in suction force, ensuring the camera remains securely attached to the transparent member for extended periods without shifting or falling off.
Implementation Method 1
a suction portion causing the auxiliary member to be attached by suction to the transparent member by forming a negative pressure in the opening of the planar portion
Data Source
AI summary
A camera fixed by suction to a transparent member and configured to capture an image through the transparent member includes: a planar portion having an opening; an auxiliary member attached to a surface of the planar portion and including a hole formed therein, the hole communicating with the opening of the planar portion, the auxiliary member having a plate shape and being brought into contact with the transparent member; and a suction portion causing the auxiliary member to be attached by suction to the transparent member by forming a negative pressure in the opening of the planar portion, in which the auxiliary member is softer than a material of the planar portion.