Electronic Component Case with Tearable Seal for Opening Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cases for electronic components fail to reliably determine if they have been opened, leading to potential mixing of different types of components during discharge, which can result in incorrect component supply to mounting devices.
Innovation Solution
A case design featuring a shutter and slider mechanism with a sealing seal portion that covers the operation opening, allowing for determination of the case's opening status through a removable and tearable seal that displays information about the components, ensuring only authorized access to the discharge port.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a case is designed with an operation opening to allow access to the slider for opening the discharge port, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because the case cannot securely prevent unauthorized opening and potential component mixing
Solution Approach 1:
A seal is attached to cover the operation opening before the case is opened. This preliminary sealing action ensures that the case remains securely closed and prevents unauthorized access to the slider, while still allowing legitimate operation when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal acts as an intermediary element between the operation opening and the external environment. It mediates by providing a removable barrier that maintains security when attached and allows access when removed, thus resolving the contradiction between security and operability.
2Productivity
If different types of electronic components are accommodated in the same case, then the productivity is improved by reducing the number of cases needed, but the reliability deteriorates due to the risk of mixing different component types during discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is attached in advance to the case containing different component types. This preliminary sealing provides visual confirmation that the case has not been opened, ensuring that components of different types are discharged intact without mixing with other cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal provides visual information through its presence or absence (and potentially through color coding as mentioned in the patent). This visual indicator allows operators to quickly determine whether a case has been opened, preventing accidental mixing of different component types while maintaining high productivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the case is designed without a seal, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because there is no way to determine whether the case has been opened
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is a simple, inexpensive, and easily replaceable component. Its attachment to the case provides reliable indication of opening status, and when removed or damaged, it can be easily replaced without affecting the case structure or incurring significant costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal serves as an intermediary indicator element that provides reliable information about the case's opening status. This simple mediator element solves the reliability problem without complicating the case structure, maintaining ease of manufacture while enabling reliable tracking of case integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A case includes a case body including an accommodation space to accommodate electronic components and a discharge port to discharge the electronic components accommodated in the accommodation space, a shutter slidable relative to the case body to open and close the discharge port, a slider integral with the shutter to perform a slide operation of the shutter, and an operation opening in the case body to expose the slider to outside to allow for operation of the slider. A seal including a portion that covers and seals at least the operation opening is attachable to the case body.