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 assembles and disassembles using a single keystone assembly with sliding motion, eliminating screws and cables, and utilizing robotic arms for automated disassembly and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If screws are used to assemble housing and processing components, then system reliability and structural strength are improved, but system breakdown difficulty and recycling cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into modular components (keyboard assembly, display assembly, housing portions) that can be independently separated. The keyboard assembly is further segmented into key elements, scissor mechanisms, and support structures that can be disassembled without screws, enabling easy breakdown while maintaining structural integrity during use.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional screw-based mechanical fastening is replaced with spring-loaded retainers and friction-fit mechanisms. The spring retainers provide secure holding force during operation but allow easy release by applying opposite force, eliminating the need for screwdrivers and complex disassembly tools while maintaining structural strength.
2Reliability
If conventional cable connections are used to interface components, then electrical connectivity and signal transmission are ensured, but disassembly complexity and recycling time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional cable-based electrical connections are replaced with spring-loaded contact pins that provide both mechanical retention and electrical connectivity. The spring contacts maintain reliable electrical connection during operation but allow rapid disconnection by simply separating the components, eliminating the need to untangle and manage cables during disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The functions of mechanical retention and electrical connectivity are merged into a single integrated mechanism. The spring-loaded contact pins simultaneously provide structural support, retention force, and electrical connection, eliminating separate cables and connectors while ensuring both mechanical and electrical reliability.
3Reliability
If specialized housing arrangements with multiple screws are used, then system robustness and impact resistance are improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into standardized portions (main housing, lid housing, keyboard support) with standardized retainer mechanisms. This modular approach with uniform connection methods across all components reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining robustness through proven structural designs.
Solution Approach 2:
A universal retainer mechanism is designed to be used across multiple housing connections and component interfaces. The same spring-loaded retainer design secures the keyboard assembly, display assembly, and housing portions, simplifying manufacturing processes and reducing the variety of fastening components needed while ensuring consistent structural integrity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If components are securely fastened with multiple screws, then system stability and component retention are improved, but recycling efficiency and material recovery value decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Components are designed as separable modules with standardized connection interfaces. The keyboard assembly, display assembly, and housing portions can be independently removed and processed through recycling streams without requiring complete system disassembly, significantly improving recycling efficiency while maintaining component stability during normal use.
Solution Approach 2:
Screw-based fastening is replaced with spring retainers and friction-fit mechanisms that provide adequate component retention during use but allow easy separation by applying opposite force. This enables rapid component separation for recycling without specialized tools or complex disassembly procedures, dramatically improving material recovery efficiency.
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 housing cover having guide structures with stops disposed on opposing sides and aligned to engage with rails of the housing to slide to a cover position over the housing defined by the position of the stops. The keystone assembly completes the housing cover enclosure of the housing interior by coupling in a gap between the housing cover and housing at one side and overlapping the keyboard assembly to retain the keyboard assembly in position.