Metal Bracket and Sub-Board Assembly for Thin Terminal Housings

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing number of components in mobile devices necessitates miniaturization of structural members like circuit board brackets, which are typically made of plastic combined with steel, leading to thickness increases and assembly challenges due to adhesive deformation and limited space constraints.

Innovation Solution

A metal bracket design with clamping and positioning parts allows for pre-positioning in multiple axes without adhesives, using metal stamping to reduce thickness and facilitate assembly, ensuring stability and precision.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If plastic combined with steel sheet is used for bracket, then assembly stability is improved, but thickness increases occupying more space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly stabilityVSAvoidbracket thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite structure combining metal bracket body with plastic buckles and plastic members. The metal bracket provides overall structural strength while the plastic components provide specific functional features like buckling mechanisms and positioning features, achieving both thinness and assembly stability through material composite

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If back adhesive is used to pre-fasten metal bracket, then assembly efficiency is improved, but detachment becomes difficult due to deformation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly efficiencyVSAvoiddetachment ease
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the chemical bonding mechanism of back adhesive with a mechanical fastening system consisting of plastic buckles, positioning parts, and lock screws. This mechanical system allows for both efficient assembly through automated locking and easy detachment by reversing the locking mechanism, eliminating the permanence issue of adhesive bonding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If more components are added to mobile device, then functionality is improved, but space for structural members decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidbracket space
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs thin-film plastic buckles and positioning parts that provide necessary mechanical functions with minimal thickness. These flexible yet structurally effective components reduce the space occupied by the bracket system, leaving more room for additional functional components within the device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Strength

If plastic member thickness is increased for strength, then bracket strength is improved, but device thickness increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebracket strengthVSAvoiddevice thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite structure where a thin metal bracket body provides the primary structural strength framework, while strategically placed plastic buckles and reinforcement members provide localized strength where needed. This composite approach achieves sufficient bracket strength without increasing overall device thickness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The bracket system is segmented into multiple functional components: the metal bracket body for overall structure, plastic buckles for specific fastening functions, and positioning parts for alignment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function rather than requiring the entire bracket to be thick for uniform strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4391505B1Terminal device
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP4391505B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4391505B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4391505B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

This application provides a terminal device, including a housing, a circuit board assembly, a metal bracket, and a fastening part, where the circuit board assembly includes a sub-board. The housing includes a plurality of fastening holes and a plurality of positioning parts, and the sub-board includes a plurality of positioning holes. The metal bracket includes a plurality of clamping parts and a plurality of mounting holes, the plurality of clamping parts are distributed at intervals on a periphery of the metal bracket, and the plurality of clamping parts are in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of positioning parts. The plurality of fastening holes are in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of positioning holes and the plurality of mounting holes. The sub-board and the metal bracket are sequentially mounted on the housing, and each clamping part is clamped to one positioning part, to pre-position the metal bracket and the housing in a Z-axis direction, so that the plurality of fastening holes are respectively aligned with the plurality of positioning holes in the Z-axis direction, the plurality of positioning holes are aligned with the plurality of mounting holes in the Z-axis direction; and the fastening part sequentially passes through the aligned mounting holes, positioning holes, and fastening holes, to lock the metal bracket, the sub-board, and the housing tightly in the Z-axis direction.