Force Sensing Compliant Enclosure with Strain Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices face challenges in integrating input mechanisms without compromising space or aesthetics, and existing methods limit the types and amount of input that can be recognized through the device's enclosure.
Innovation Solution
A force sensing compliant enclosure with deformable housing walls and strain concentration portions, equipped with sensors to detect and interpret applied forces, allowing for enhanced user input recognition and movement tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional input mechanisms (buttons, keys, external devices) are added to electronic devices, then user input capability is improved, but device space is consumed and aesthetic appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the input mechanism with the device enclosure itself, making the housing serve dual purposes: structural protection and input detection. The enclosure is designed with deformable portions that act as input interfaces, eliminating the need for separate buttons or external devices while preserving device space and aesthetic appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides structural protection, aesthetic appearance, and input detection capabilities. The deformable housing portions can detect various types of inputs including touches, presses, and gestures, making the single component universally functional for both structural and interactive purposes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the enclosure is made deformable to enable input detection, then input recognition capability is improved, but structural strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring thinner deformable portions at specific input zones and thicker portions in structural areas. This local variation in thickness allows the housing to be deformable where input detection is needed while maintaining structural strength in critical areas, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic structure with controlled deformability. The housing can elastically deform in response to user inputs and then return to its original shape, enabling input detection while maintaining overall structural integrity through reversible deformation rather than permanent damage.
3Measurement precision
If strain concentration portions with thinner sections are created to enhance sensing, then sensing precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The strain concentration portions are formed with curved surfaces and smooth transitions rather than sharp corners or abrupt thickness changes. These curved features naturally concentrate strain during deformation while being more amenable to conventional manufacturing processes like injection molding, reducing manufacturing complexity compared to sharp geometric features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies the thickness parameter of the enclosure continuously rather than using discrete steps, creating gradual transitions in the deformable portions. This continuous parameter change optimizes strain concentration for sensing precision while avoiding the need for complex multi-step manufacturing processes, as single-shot molding can accommodate gradual thickness variations.
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
Enables more nuanced and accurate user input detection, improving the functionality of electronic devices by concentrating strain at specific points for precise sensing and processing, thereby enhancing user interaction without adding bulk.
Implementation Method 1
At least one strain concentration portion may be located on the deformable housing wall where strain caused by application of a force that deforms the deformable housing wall is greater than at other portions of the deformable housing wall
Implementation Method 2
One or more sensors may be positioned in the strain concentration portion and may sense strain caused by the application of the force that deforms the deformable housing wall
Data Source
AI summary
A force sensing compliant enclosure for an electronic device may include at least one deformable housing wall. At least one strain concentration portion may be located on the deformable housing wall where strain caused by application of a force that deforms the deformable housing wall is greater than at other portions of the deformable housing wall. The strain concentrating portion may have a second thickness that is thinner than other portions of the deformable housing wall. One or more sensors may be positioned in the strain concentration portion and may sense strain caused by the application of the force that deforms the deformable housing wall.