Elastomer Body and Plastic Strip Mounting for Conductor Foil
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices with conductor foils and sensors or display elements face challenges in attaching these components to non-flat control panels without gaps, leading to impaired sensor functionality and difficult assembly and dismantling, especially in limited spaces.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an elastomer body and a non-elastomeric plastic strip between the housing and the conductor foil, with the strip having a comb-like structure and the elastomer body featuring recesses for backlighting, allows for even contact and secure attachment to uneven control panels, enabling preassembly and testing before final attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the conductor foil is mechanically pressed onto the control panel using a spring-loaded housing, then assembly time is reduced and gluing is eliminated, but air pockets form between the sensor elements and the control panel due to surface unevenness, significantly reducing sensor sensitivity and functional reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the mounting structure by introducing an elastomeric body that can deform under compression. This elastomeric material adapts its shape to conform to surface unevenness, eliminating air pockets while maintaining mechanical pressing assembly. The elastomeric body's ability to change shape under load resolves the contradiction between fast assembly and reliable sensor contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an elastomeric body as a flexible mounting element between the conductor foil and control panel. This flexible component can deform to match the control panel's surface topology, ensuring uniform contact pressure across the entire sensor area without requiring complex assembly mechanisms, thus maintaining both assembly speed and sensor reliability.
2Reliability
If the conductor foil is glued directly behind the control panel or attached by overmolding, then secure attachment is achieved, but assembly becomes difficult and time-consuming, and the entire functionality can only be tested after final assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mounting function from the final assembly by introducing a separate elastomeric body that provides both mechanical support and contact pressure. This segmentation allows the conductor foil to be pre-assembled and tested independently, then easily mounted to the control panel using the elastomeric body, reducing overall assembly time while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric body acts as an intermediary element between the conductor foil and the control panel. It provides the necessary mechanical coupling and contact pressure without requiring direct bonding or overmolding processes, enabling simple夹持 mounting that allows pre-assembly and testing while ensuring secure attachment.
3Ease of operation
If a relatively wide flexible conductor foil is pressed onto a control panel with bulges or bumps, then attachment is simplified, but the functional section carrying the sensors cannot be evenly pressed onto the control panel, impairing sensor function
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric body functions as a flexible mounting layer that can deform to conform to the control panel's uneven surface. This flexibility allows the entire wide conductor foil assembly to be mounted simply while the elastomeric material automatically adapts to surface variations, ensuring uniform contact across the functional section without compromising mounting simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric body's ability to change shape under compression allows it to adapt to surface unevenness. When the assembly is pressed onto the control panel, the elastomeric material deforms to match the surface topology, maintaining uniform contact pressure across the entire functional section while keeping the mounting process simple.
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 solution ensures reliable operation on uneven control panels, simplifies assembly, and allows for easy preassembly and testing, while maintaining the functionality and visibility of sensors and display elements through a transparent control panel.
Implementation Method 1
an elastomer body and a strip made of a non-elastomeric plastic are arranged between an outer side of the housing and the rear side of the functional section of the conductor foil
Implementation Method 2
the strip connected to the housing fastens the elastomer body to the housing in a clamping or form-fitting manner
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to an electronic device and to an operating assembly having such an electronic device. The device comprises a housing and a conductive foil electrically connected to the housing, wherein the conductive foil has a functional section, which is located outside of the housing and which bears sensors and/or display elements and is designed to be installed on a back side of an operating panel, wherein an elastomer body and a strip composed of a non-elastomeric plastic are arranged between an outside of the housing and the back side of the functional section. Because of the interaction of the elastomer body and the strip, the sensors and/or display elements lie against the back side of the operating panel without intermediate space.