Fiber-Laminated Cover Plate for Lightweight RF Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Glass cover plates for electronic devices provide limited aesthetic enhancement and increase device weight due to thickness requirements for rigidity, necessitating a solution that enhances both appearance and reduces weight.
Innovation Solution
A laminated cover plate structure incorporating a first layer with embedded fibers and a second layer with radio wave shielding, allowing for aesthetic effects and physical advantages such as low weight, electrical insulation, and impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the glass layer thickness is increased to ensure rigidity, then the structural strength is improved, but the weight of the electronic device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining fiber reinforcement (such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, or aramid fiber) with a resin matrix to create a cover plate that achieves high strength-to-weight ratio. The fiber-reinforced composite structure provides the necessary rigidity while significantly reducing weight compared to traditional thick glass layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by transitioning from homogeneous glass to composite fiber-reinforced materials, altering the density, strength, and weight characteristics. This parameter change enables the cover plate to maintain structural integrity with reduced thickness and weight.
2Strength
If the glass layer thickness is increased to ensure rigidity, then the structural strength is improved, but the aesthetic effect is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by incorporating surface treatment layers or coatings on specific surfaces of the fiber-reinforced cover plate to enhance aesthetic properties. Different surface finishes, textures, or transparent coatings can be applied to achieve desired visual effects while maintaining the structural benefits of the composite material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color changes or optical property modifications through surface coatings, tints, or transparent layers applied to the cover plate. These optical modifications allow the cover plate to achieve various aesthetic effects including transparency, coloration, or surface pattern variations without compromising the underlying composite structure's strength.
3Reliability
If a glass layer is used for protection, then the internal components are protected, but the weight and flexibility are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional glass with fiber-reinforced composite materials that provide equivalent or superior protection with reduced weight. The composite structure combines the strength of reinforcement fibers with a protective resin matrix, achieving both protection and weight reduction simultaneously.
4Reliability
If a glass layer is used for protection, then the internal components are protected, but the flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using composite fiber-reinforced materials that offer adjustable flexibility characteristics. The resin matrix and fiber composition can be optimized to provide the desired balance between flexibility and protection, enabling the cover plate to conform to complex shapes or provide impact resistance while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A cover plate for an electronic device may include: a first layer including a first surface facing a first direction, a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a specified type of fiber disposed between the first and second surfaces; and a second layer having a specified RF shielding effectiveness and disposed in the second direction with respect to the first layer. Various other embodiments are also possible.