Mobile Card Reader With Rotatable Face Plate And Foot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile card readers are inconvenient to use as they tend to rotate during card swiping, requiring users to hold both the reader and the mobile device steady, which can lead to the reader disengaging and potentially turning off the device.
Innovation Solution
A magnetic strip card reader for mobile devices with a rotatable face plate that extends over the mobile device's face to prevent rotation, featuring a protrusion or foot to avoid pressing the on/off button and a cylindrical protrusion to prevent accidental device shutdown, allowing for easy card swiping without manual stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the card reader is simply plugged into a mobile device port, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the reader rotates during card swiping requiring manual stabilization
Solution Approach 1:
The face plate is pre-configured with a shape that extends over the mobile device face, creating a mechanical stop before the card swiping action begins. This preliminary structural arrangement prevents rotation during operation without requiring active control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The face plate acts as an intermediary element between the card reader body and the mobile device. It provides the rotational prevention function while allowing the reader to remain simply plugged into the port, mediating between the simple connection requirement and the stability requirement.
2Ease of operation
If the reader is made rotatable to improve ease of operation, then the user can adjust orientation, but the reader may disengage from the mobile device
Solution Approach 1:
The face plate is pre-shaped to extend over the mobile device face, creating a mechanical barrier that limits the range of rotation. This preliminary structural design allows easy orientation adjustment within safe limits while preventing disengagement beyond those limits.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the reader is held steady during card swiping, then rotation is prevented, but the user must hold both the reader and mobile device simultaneously increasing operation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The face plate structure provides self-stabilizing functionality by extending over the mobile device face to create a mechanical stop. The system serves itself by using its own structural elements to prevent rotation, eliminating the need for the user to manually stabilize the reader during card swiping.
4Reliability
If the reader is inserted deeply into the mobile device port, then connection reliability is improved, but the reader may accidentally press the on/off button causing device shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
Protrusions are pre-positioned on the reader body at specific heights that correspond to the location of the mobile device's on/off button. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that when the reader is inserted to the correct depth for reliable connection, the protrusions automatically prevent further insertion that would cause accidental button pressing.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions act as intermediary elements between the reader insertion mechanism and the mobile device's on/off button. They provide a mechanical barrier that mediates the insertion depth, allowing reliable connection while preventing harmful over-insertion.
Data Source
AI summary
A card reader for use with a mobile device includes a foot and/or a housing for a jack on the bottom of the card reader prevents the card reader from accidently turning off the mobile device during use.