Display Cover Gap Sealing for Moisture-Resistant Wearables
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable electronic devices face limitations in performance due to the inclusion of multiple components, which can compromise their functionality and durability when designed for portability, especially in harsh environments.
Innovation Solution
The housing of wearable electronic devices is designed with tailored arrangements of components, including epoxy seals and insulating materials, to form gaps and cavities that prevent moisture ingress while maintaining functionality and durability, utilizing conductive and non-conductive materials to create fluid-tight seals and separate internal volumes for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple components are included in the device to enhance functionality, then device performance is improved, but device reliability deteriorates due to increased susceptibility to moisture ingress and environmental damage
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple sealed compartments using partitions and seals. Each component or group of components is isolated in its own sealed space, preventing moisture ingress while maintaining multiple functionalities. This segmentation allows the device to include multiple components without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Epoxy seals and gaskets are introduced as intermediary elements between components and housing walls. These seals create fluid-tight barriers that prevent moisture from reaching internal components, thereby maintaining device reliability while allowing multiple functional components to coexist.
2Volume of moving object
If components are tightly integrated to improve device compactness, then portability is enhanced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in sealing and assembly
Solution Approach 1:
Flexible gaskets and epoxy seals are used to create compliant sealing interfaces that can accommodate minor dimensional variations during assembly. These flexible sealing elements maintain fluid-tight barriers even when components are tightly integrated, reducing the need for extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
Sealing surfaces are prepared in advance with specific surface treatments and geometries that facilitate reliable sealing. Epoxy seals are pre-positioned in designated channels or recesses before final assembly, ensuring proper alignment and reducing assembly complexity despite tight integration requirements.
3Reliability
If gaps are formed between housing and display assembly to create sealed cavities, then device reliability is improved through moisture protection, but device complexity increases due to additional sealing components
Solution Approach 1:
The epoxy seal serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a fluid-tight barrier, provides structural bonding between components, and fills gap variations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate sealing components, maintaining reliability while limiting complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sealing functions are merged into single components. For example, the epoxy seal combines waterproofing, structural support, and gap-filling functions. The housing structure itself is designed to provide both mechanical support and sealing pathways, reducing the number of discrete sealing elements required.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a housing sidewall defining an opening and a display component, such as a display cover, disposed in the opening to form a gap between the housing sidewall and the display component. In at least one example, the cavity is defined by the sidewall and the display cover with the cavity in fluid communication with an external environment through the gap. In at least one example, an epoxy component at least partially defines the cavity and can be in direct contact with the housing sidewall.