In-Wall Projection Touchscreen Layout for Low-Profile Wall Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wall controllers are bulky and limited in features due to installation constraints and the desire to minimize visible alterations to walls, which affects their design and functionality in high-end environments.
Innovation Solution
A wall controller with a rotatable rear projection touchscreen that projects images or animations onto the wall, allowing for a sleek installation where the majority of the housing is mounted within the wall, providing a compact and feature-rich interface while minimizing visible components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a wall controller is mounted entirely to the wall surface, then installation is simplified, but the device appears bulky and utilitarian, limiting features and aesthetic appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two portions: a first portion that mounts to the wall surface and a second portion that extends into the wall cavity. This nesting approach allows the controller to be partially embedded in the wall, reducing its visual bulk while providing internal space for additional features and components.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a two-dimensional surface-mounted device to a three-dimensional partially embedded structure. By extending the housing into the wall cavity (adding depth dimension), the controller achieves a sleeker appearance while accommodating more features within the same wall opening.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wall controller housing extends into the wall cavity, then more features can be accommodated and aesthetics improved, but installation complexity and wall alteration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into a first portion for wall mounting and a second portion extending into the cavity. This segmentation allows the installation process to be divided into manageable steps: first securing the mounting portion to the wall surface, then installing features in the extending portion, reducing overall installation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first portion of the housing serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, attaches the device to the wall, and houses external features accessible from the wall surface. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying installation despite the extended housing design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more features are added to the wall controller, then functionality is enhanced, but the device becomes more obtrusive and alters the wall appearance
Solution Approach 1:
Additional features are nested within the second portion of the housing that extends into the wall cavity, keeping them hidden from view. Only essential controls are placed in the first portion on the wall surface, minimizing visible alterations while maximizing functionality through the embedded second portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The design moves excess features from the two-dimensional wall surface into the third dimension of the wall cavity. This allows enhanced functionality without increasing the visible footprint on the wall, as features are accommodated in the depth dimension rather than expanding the surface area.
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
The solution enables a compact, aesthetically pleasing, and feature-rich wall controller that maintains functionality while reducing the number of visible alterations to the wall, enhancing the subtlety and design of high-end environments.
Implementation Method 1
a projector to project images or animations onto the rear projection screen
Data Source
AI summary
A wall controller is provided. The wall controller includes a projection screen having an input device and a projector, wherein the projector has an optical axis that is non-orthogonal to the projection screen. The wall controller includes a housing having the projector at an end of the housing. The housing is dimensioned to fit the end of the housing through an aperture in a first wall, fit the end into a wall space between the first wall and a second wall, and fit a majority of another end of the housing into the aperture until the projection screen is parallel to a surface of the first wall and a front portion of the projection screen is flush with, recessed in or extends from the surface of the first wall.