Electronic Pen Ring Seal for Water Ingress Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic pens are vulnerable to the entry of water, such as saliva, through gaps between the core body and casing, which can lead to functional failures, especially due to habitual behaviors like biting, mouthing, or licking, without complicating the pen's configuration or degrading its functionality.
Innovation Solution
An electronic pen design featuring a tubular casing with a ring-shaped protruding portion and a ring-shaped elastic member that fills the gap between the core body and casing, preventing liquid entry while allowing smooth pen pressure transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a core body with voids or pores is used to provide soft touch and prevent slipping, then writing comfort is improved, but water resistance deteriorates due to capillary action allowing saliva entry
Solution Approach 1:
The core body is divided into two functional zones: an upper portion with voids/pores for writing comfort and an lower waterproof portion without voids/pores for water resistance. This segmentation allows each zone to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the core body are given different structures: the upper portion has voids or pores for soft touch and anti-slip properties, while the lower portion is made solid or with reduced porosity to prevent capillary action and water entry.
2Ease of repair
If a gap exists between core body and casing for easy core replacement, then ease of repair is improved, but water resistance deteriorates due to saliva entry through the gap
Solution Approach 1:
A waterproof member is introduced as an intermediary component between the core body and casing. This waterproof member fills the gap to prevent water entry while still allowing the core body to be replaced by removing the waterproof member.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproof member is made as a flexible ring-shaped component that can be easily installed and removed, providing waterproof sealing while maintaining ease of core body replacement.
3Reliability
If waterproofing measures are added to prevent water entry, then water resistance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A simple ring-shaped waterproof member is used to provide effective waterproofing without complex multi-layer structures or additional components. The waterproof member is a single-element solution that seals the gap between core body and casing.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproofing function is segmented into a dedicated waterproof member rather than being integrated into the core body or casing, allowing for simple, modular design that is easy to manufacture and assemble.
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
Effectively prevents water ingress without hindering pen functionality, ensuring reliable operation and easy replacement of the core body, while maintaining waterproof properties and accurate pen pressure detection.
Implementation Method 1
a ring-shaped elastic member that fills the gap between the core body and casing, preventing liquid entry
Implementation Method 2
a core body provided with elasticity as described above can provide a soft touch when coming into contact with a protective material
Implementation Method 3
saliva easily enters a main body of the electronic pen through the voids or the pores due to capillarity
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an electronic pen including a casing that has an opening portion at a front end, has a ring-shaped protruding portion protruding toward an axis from an inner wall surface in a vicinity of the opening portion, and is mounted with a circuit part, a core body including a pen tip portion and a shaft portion extending from a rear end surface of the pen tip portion, and a ring-shaped elastic member so provided as to be penetrated by the shaft portion in a part in which a front end surface of the protruding portion of the casing and the rear end surface of the pen tip portion of the core body are opposed to each other, the ring-shaped elastic member having an inclined side surface by having a small opening on a pen tip side and having a large opening on a rear end side.