Laptop Cover with Integral Tabs and Resilient Perimeter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laptop protective covers lack a durable and secure attachment mechanism that effectively protects the device from drops and impacts, particularly at the corners, and do not seamlessly integrate with modern laptop designs featuring rubber bumpers and reinforced ports.
Innovation Solution
A protective cover with a main body and downwardly extending wall, featuring a plurality of integral tabs and a resilient perimeter covering, constructed from materials like thermoplastic polyurethane or polycarbonate, which securely attaches to the laptop via frictional engagement and provides additional protection with resilient corners and a ledge for easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If adhesive strips are used to attach the cover to the laptop, then the cover can be easily attached and detached, but the attachment is not secure enough to protect the device from drops and impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into multiple components: adhesive strips for easy attachment and multiple tabs for secure mechanical engagement. The tabs are distributed across the cover and engage with corresponding features on the laptop, providing multiple attachment points that collectively ensure secure protection while maintaining ease of operation through the adhesive component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges two attachment mechanisms into a single integrated system: adhesive strips and mechanical tabs. The adhesive provides initial attachment and ease of operation, while the tabs provide additional secure engagement. This combination resolves the contradiction by having both systems work together rather than relying on a single mechanism.
2Strength
If the cover uses a rigid structure for protection, then impact resistance is improved, but the cover cannot seamlessly integrate with modern laptop designs featuring rubber bumpers and reinforced ports
Solution Approach 1:
The cover employs local quality by using a rigid main body for overall structural strength and impact resistance, while incorporating flexible resilient corners at specific locations where the laptop has rubber bumpers. This allows the cover to provide rigid protection where needed while adapting to the flexible features of modern laptop designs through the resilient corner material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction combining rigid materials (polycarbonate or thermoplastic polyurethane) for the main body with flexible resilient material (rubber or silicone) for the corners. This composite approach enables the cover to simultaneously provide impact resistance through the rigid structure and seamless integration with modern laptop designs featuring rubber bumpers through the flexible corner material.
3Reliability
If the cover provides comprehensive protection for the laptop, then durability is improved, but the cover becomes more complex and difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is segmented into distinct functional components: a rigid main body providing structural protection, resilient corners providing impact absorption, adhesive strips for attachment, and tabs for mechanical engagement. Each component can be manufactured separately using appropriate processes and then assembled, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining comprehensive protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient corners are formed as thin film or shell structures that can be integrated into the cover assembly. These flexible elements provide durable impact protection while being relatively simple to manufacture using standard molding or lamination processes, avoiding the need for complex structural components.
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 provides a durable and secure attachment capable of withstanding drops of up to four feet on hard surfaces, protecting the laptop's corners and allowing easy access to ports while complementing modern laptop designs with enhanced impact resistance.
Implementation Method 1
the perimeter covering being formed of a resilient material
Implementation Method 2
securely attaches to the laptop via frictional engagement
Data Source
AI summary
A protective cover for a laptop computer having a screen portion has a main body that extends to an outer perimeter, the outer perimeter including a downwardly extending wall which extends downwardly from the outer perimeter. The cover further has a plurality of tabs extending inwardly from the downwardly extending wall of the top cover, adjacent the outer perimeter, adapted for attaching the top cover to the screen portion of the laptop computer. The main body, the plurality of tabs, and the downwardly extending wall are all of integral construction, and further have a perimeter covering that covers at least a portion of the main body and the downwardly extending wall, the perimeter covering being formed of a resilient material.