Modular Housing Plates Reduce Contamination Risk

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mobile computing devices face contamination issues due to numerous openings in their housings, which allow liquid and particulate contaminants to enter, affecting performance and requiring frequent maintenance of gasket arrangements, and repairs often necessitate disassembly of the unit.

Innovation Solution

A modular housing system with attachable housing plates that form segments for stylus compartments, hand strap attachments, and socket covers, reducing the need for penetrating openings and allowing for easy replacement of damaged components without disassembling the device.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If openings are provided in the housing for accessories and interface components, then functionality and accessibility are improved, but contamination risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into modular segments including removable housing plates that can be detached to access internal components. This segmentation allows the housing to maintain a sealed structure while providing access points through plate removal rather than permanent openings, thus reducing contamination risk while preserving functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Gasket arrangements are employed at sealing surfaces to provide flexible contamination barriers. These gaskets can deform to accommodate component variations while maintaining the seal, allowing the housing to remain closed and protected from contaminants while still enabling access when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Reliability

If gasket arrangements are used to prevent contamination, then reliability is improved, but maintenance complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection from contaminationVSAvoidmaintenance complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into modular segments including removable housing plates that can be detached to access internal components. This segmentation allows the housing to maintain a sealed structure while providing access points through plate removal rather than permanent openings, thus reducing contamination risk while preserving functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Gasket arrangements are employed at sealing surfaces to provide flexible contamination barriers. These gaskets can deform to accommodate component variations while maintaining the seal, allowing the housing to remain closed and protected from contaminants while still enabling access when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Strength

If the housing is assembled as a whole unit, then structural integrity is improved, but repairability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidrepairability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is divided into modular segments including removable housing plates that can be detached to access internal components. This segmentation allows the housing to maintain a sealed structure while providing access points through plate removal rather than permanent openings, thus reducing contamination risk while preserving functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The housing transitions from a static sealed structure to a dynamically accessible one through removable plates. The plates can be attached to maintain structural integrity and sealing, or removed to provide access for repairs and maintenance, thus combining the benefits of both sealed and accessible designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7536210B1Modular housing with housing plates

Publication Date: 2009.05.19 SYMBOL TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods that reduce a number of holes that penetrate into a housing of mobile computing device by employing a modular housing with a housing plate(s) attachable thereto. Such housing plates can form a segment of a stylus trough and also facilitate attachment of hand strap and socket cover arrangement to the housing of the mobile computing unit. By reducing number of openings into the housing, a risk of liquid or particulate contaminants entering into the device and degrading performance of the mobile computing unit can be reduced and reliability increased.