Integrated Optically Transmissive Cover for Mobile Device Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing and assembly of mobile devices with separate display windows and auxiliary keypads are complicated due to their separate component nature, leading to inefficiencies in production and assembly processes.
Innovation Solution
A housing assembly for mobile devices is designed with a cover made from optically transmissive material, featuring integrated optically transmissive input regions, a touch pad with light guides, and light sources, along with tactile elements, which simplifies the user input system and reduces manufacturing complexity by integrating display and input components into a single enclosure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If display window and auxiliary keypad are mounted as separate components in outer case, then functional requirements are met, but manufacturing and assembly process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the display window and auxiliary keypad into a single integrated cover component. The cover includes both the display window region and auxiliary keypad region as unified structures, eliminating the need for separate mounting of these components. This integration directly resolves the technical contradiction by simplifying manufacturing and assembly while maintaining all required functions.
2Productivity
If multiple separate components are used for display and input, then functional requirements are satisfied, but number of parts and assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional elements (display window, auxiliary keypad, and their mounting structures) into a single integrated cover component. This merger reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured, stored, and assembled, thereby improving productivity and assembly efficiency while satisfying all functional requirements.
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 design enhances user interaction and reduces manufacturing complexity by integrating display and input components, improving the structural integrity and efficiency of the mobile device's housing assembly while minimizing the number of required light sources and power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a cover formed from optically transmissive material, and opaque material formed over a portion of the cover. The opaque material is arranged to define a display portion which is optically transmissive
Implementation Method 2
The touch pad includes a separate light guide associated with each of the plurality of optically transmissive input regions. Each light source is associated with one or more of the light guides to provide light to the plurality of optically transmissive input regions
Data Source
AI summary
A housing assembly for a mobile device includes a cover formed from optically transmissive material, and opaque material formed over a portion of the cover. The opaque material is arranged to define a display portion which is optically transmissive. The housing assembly further includes a frame sized to receive the cover, and a first housing structured to couple with the frame, such that the cover, the frame, and the first housing are structured to define an enclosure sized to contain electrical components for the mobile device.