Mouse Cover Plate With Silicone Layer And Button Hollow

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mouse devices with rigid plastic casings lack visual and tactile variety, resulting in inadequate user experience due to limited aesthetic appeal and discomfort during operation.

Innovation Solution

A mouse device design featuring a body, cover plate, and covering layer with an adhesive layer, where the covering layer is made of different materials than the cover plate and includes hollow portions corresponding to buttons, allowing for adjustable stiffness and improved touch feeling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If rigid plastic material is used for the casing, then structural strength is ensured, but aesthetic variety and touch comfort are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidaesthetic variety
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a rigid cover plate (PC material) and a flexible covering layer (silicone material) bonded together. This combination allows the device to maintain structural strength from the rigid cover plate while gaining aesthetic variety and touch comfort from the flexible covering layer that can be produced in various colors and textures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Ease of manufacture

If rigid plastic material is used for the casing, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but touch feeling and operation comfort are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidoperation comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The composite structure combines a rigid cover plate that is easy to manufacture with a flexible covering layer that provides superior touch feeling. The covering layer made of silicone material offers warmth and comfort to the user's hand during operation, while the overall structure remains relatively simple to produce through bonding processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of operation

If a covering layer is added to improve aesthetics and touch feeling, then user experience is enhanced, but the stiffness of the button structure may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experienceVSAvoidbutton stiffness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive layer features a hollow portion positioned exactly at the button location, creating local variation in stiffness. This allows the button area to maintain appropriate rigidity for responsive operation while the surrounding covering layer provides aesthetic and tactile benefits. The hollow portion prevents the covering layer from adding excessive stiffness to the button structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The adhesive layer incorporates a hollow portion that creates a porous or cavity-containing structure. This design allows the adhesive layer to bond the covering layer to the cover plate while maintaining flexibility at the button location, preventing the covering layer from making the button too stiff and ensuring proper operation feeling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

4Adaptability or versatility

If the covering layer is made of different material than the cover plate, then aesthetic appeal and touch variety are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaesthetic appealVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a composite material structure with a PC cover plate and silicone covering layer bonded together. While this involves multiple materials, the manufacturing process remains relatively straightforward using conventional bonding techniques. The use of standard materials like PC and silicone keeps the supply chain simple despite the multi-material construction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS11709556B2Mouse device
Publication Date: 2023.07.25 CHICONY ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • US11709556B2 patent drawing
  • US11709556B2 patent drawing
  • US11709556B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A mouse device includes a body, a cover plate, a covering layer, and an adhesive layer. The cover plate is disposed on the body and includes a button. The covering layer covers the cover plate, and the material of the covering layer is different from the material of the cover plate. The adhesive layer is bound between the cover plate and the covering layer, and the adhesive layer has a hollow portion corresponding to the button.