Hinged Smartphone Case Sun Shade With Sliding Camera Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sun shades for smartphone displays are bulky and cumbersome, making it difficult to use a smartphone in bright environments while shading the screen with one hand.
Innovation Solution
A case with a hingeably attached shade panel that can be rotated from a stowed position to a shading position, featuring a sliding cover for a window to maintain usability of the camera and provide full shade when needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a retractable shade device is added to shield the display from bright light, then the screen visibility in bright environments is improved, but the device becomes bulky and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sun shade with the phone case into a single integrated structure. The shade is attached to the case rather than being a separate accessory, eliminating the need for additional bulk while maintaining the shading function. This merging resolves the contradiction by achieving screen protection without increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The phone case serves multiple functions: it protects the phone from physical damage and simultaneously provides sun shading capability through the integrated shade panel. This multi-functionality allows the device to address both protection needs without requiring separate bulky components for each function.
2Illumination intensity
If a shade panel is positioned over the display screen, then the screen visibility in bright light is improved, but the camera access is obstructed
Solution Approach 1:
The shade panel includes a segmented design with a camera aperture that separates the shading function from the camera access function. This segmentation allows the shade to cover the display area while leaving the camera area open, enabling both functions to operate simultaneously without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The shade panel has different properties in different regions: the majority of the panel provides opaque shading for the display, while the camera region features a transparent or open aperture. This local quality differentiation allows the shade to provide protection where needed while maintaining camera accessibility where required.
3Illumination intensity
If a cover is added to close the window opening when shading, then the shading effectiveness is improved, but the device operation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to be dynamically adjustable rather than fixed, allowing users to open or close it based on whether camera access is needed. This dynamic capability provides shading effectiveness when required while maintaining operational flexibility, resolving the contradiction between shading effectiveness and operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A case for a smart phone includes a shade portion hingeably attached an edge of the case such that the shade can be rotated from a stowed position in which the shade is flat against the back side of the case to a variety of shading positions in which the shade is angled over the front side of the case to provide shading for a display screen of a smart phone in the case. The shade may be positioned and secured at several different angles and may include a closable window or opening that is aligned with a camera port when the shade is in the stowed position. In this way, a camera of a phone in the case will not be blocked when the shade is in the stowed positioned while the opening can be closed so that the shade will provide full shade when in a shading position.