Movable Finger-Hold Phone Case for Secure Grip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulty in maintaining a secure grip on mobile phones during activities like texting, browsing, and taking pictures due to the lack of effective grip mechanisms in existing phone cases, especially when the phone is used in different orientations.
Innovation Solution
A phone case design featuring a movable finger-hold with a top and bottom member that can be extended for gripping and collapsed for storage, biased to the extended position for easy use, and rotatably attached to a recessed portion with overhangs to facilitate secure holding and easy orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional phone case without additional grip mechanisms is used, then the device maintains a simple and sleek design, but users cannot maintain a secure grip during activities like texting, browsing, and taking pictures
Solution Approach 1:
The finger hold is designed to be movable between an extended position for gripping and a collapsed position for storage. The biasing mechanism automatically returns the finger hold to the extended position after use, providing dynamic adaptability that enhances grip security while maintaining a relatively simple case structure when not in use.
2Reliability
If a fixed grip mechanism is added to the phone case, then users can maintain a secure grip, but the phone cannot be easily used in different orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The finger hold is rotatably attached to the phone case, allowing it to rotate freely as the user rotates the phone. This dynamic rotation capability enables the phone to be used in different orientations (portrait, landscape, selfie mode) while maintaining secure grip, resolving the contradiction between grip security and usage versatility.
3Reliability
If an extended finger hold is permanently attached to the phone case, then users can grip the phone securely, but the phone case becomes bulkier and less convenient for storage
Solution Approach 1:
The finger hold collapses to a compact size when not in use, significantly reducing the overall profile of the phone case. The biasing mechanism ensures it automatically extends when needed for gripping, providing a dynamic solution that maintains grip security while minimizing bulk during storage or transport.
Solution Approach 2:
When collapsed, the finger hold nests closely against the phone case body, with the top member positioned adjacent to the bottom member. This nested configuration minimizes the external dimensions of the phone case when the grip mechanism is not in use, reducing bulk while maintaining readiness for deployment.
4Ease of operation
If a movable finger hold with biasing mechanism is added to the phone case, then users can easily access the grip function, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing mechanism is designed to be integrated into the finger hold structure itself, allowing the component to self-bias to the extended position without requiring external actuators or complex control systems. This self-service approach simplifies the overall assembly process while maintaining ease of operation, as the mechanical biasing provides automatic functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A phone case includes a back and sides extending downward from the back, such that the sides and the back define a phone-receiving recess configured to receive and secure a phone therein. The phone case further includes a finger-hold attached to the back and having a top member and a bottom member. The finger-hold is movable between an extended position in which an opening is defined between the top member and the bottom member for use in gripping the phone case and a collapsed position in which the top member is substantially flat against the bottom member. The finger-hold can be biased to the extended position. The finger-hold can be rotatably attached to the back.