Portable Keyboard Rail Guide Assembly for Screwless Disassembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable information handling systems are difficult to break down for recycling and reuse due to the use of screws and complex cable connections, leading to high costs and inefficiencies in component separation and recycling.
Innovation Solution
A portable information handling system design that couples components without screws, using a keystone assembly that slides and lifts off for automated disassembly, featuring a membrane with integrated circuit board and cable-free connections for efficient assembly and disassembly by robotic arms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws are used to assemble housing and processing components, then system robustness and impact resistance are improved, but system breakdown difficulty and recycling cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components (housing, processing components, keyboard, display) that can be independently assembled and disassembled. The keyboard assembly is separated from the housing, allowing selective replacement without affecting other components. This segmentation enables easy breakdown for recycling while maintaining robust assembly through standardized connection interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyboard assembly is extracted as a separate module that can be removed independently from the housing. This extraction allows the keyboard to be replaced or recycled without disassembling the entire system, reducing the complexity of system breakdown and enabling targeted recycling of specific components.
2Stability of the object's composition
If specialized housing arrangements with screws are used, then component securement and system stability are improved, but assembly and disassembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs segmented modular components with standardized connection interfaces. Each module (housing, keyboard, display) has dedicated connection points that simplify assembly and disassembly operations. This segmentation reduces overall assembly complexity while maintaining stable component securement through standardized mechanical and electrical connections.
3Reliability
If cable connections are used for component interfaces, then connection reliability is improved, but disassembly time and labor cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard assembly is segmented as a separate module with integrated cables that remain connected to the housing during disassembly. This segmentation allows the keyboard to be removed as a complete unit without disconnecting individual cables, reducing disassembly time while maintaining connection reliability through preserved cable interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Cables and connectors are pre-positioned and pre-connected during the assembly process, so that during disassembly, components can be separated by simple mechanical actions without requiring cable disconnection. This preliminary arrangement of connection elements enables rapid disassembly while maintaining reliable electrical connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable information handling system is assembled and disassembled by a keystone assembly that couples at an upper surface of the portable housing to overlap a keyboard assembly that covers processing components disposed in the portable housing. The keyboard assembly includes a membrane having a first portion with key press detection sensors contiguous to a second portion with a touch detection sensor that supports a touchpad. In one embodiment, the membrane integrates a printed circuit board that couples a key matrix controller and a touch detection controller interfaced with a communications hub, such as a USB hub, to communicate key and touchpad inputs to a motherboard through a flexible connector portion of the membrane.