Pressable Storage Device Terminal Port Protection Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable storage devices with exposed terminal ports are prone to deformation or damage when not connected, leading to operational issues.
Innovation Solution
A pressable portable storage device design featuring an outer housing, main body, inner housing, elastic unit, and linear spring, where the inner housing slides to sleeve or expose the terminal port, using a guiding hook and ramps to provide spring forces for protection and exposure, ensuring the terminal port remains secure and accessible.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the terminal port is completely exposed outside the housing for connection, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to deformation or damage of the exposed terminal port
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic protective mechanism where the inner housing can slide between two positions: exposed position for connection and protected position for storage. The elastic unit provides automatic restoration force to return the inner housing to the protected position after connection, creating a dynamic system that adapts to different operational states without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic unit is configured to automatically restore the inner housing to the protected position after the terminal port is connected, without requiring manual operation. This self-service mechanism ensures the terminal port is automatically protected after use, eliminating the need for user intervention to maintain reliability.
2Reliability
If the inner housing is designed to slide automatically for protection, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional elastic units and spring forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the housing into two functional segments: the outer housing that provides structural support and connection interface, and the inner housing that moves to provide protection. This segmentation allows the protective function to be isolated to a specific component, simplifying the overall design compared to a completely integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic unit acts as an intermediary element between the inner housing and the protective mechanism, providing the necessary restoration force without requiring complex actuation systems. This intermediary component simplifies the design by using a simple elastic force rather than motors, sensors, or complex mechanical linkages.
3Ease of operation
If the terminal port is exposed for plugging, then the ease of operation is improved, but the object-affected harmful factors increase due to potential deformation and defacement
Solution Approach 1:
The inner housing is pre-positioned in the protected state during storage and transport. When connection is needed, the user simply pushes the inner housing forward to expose the terminal port. This preliminary positioning ensures the terminal port is automatically protected before use, preventing harmful factors from affecting it during non-operational periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static exposed state to a dynamic protected state through simple user interaction. The elastic unit provides the restoration force to automatically return to the protected state after connection, creating a dynamic system that actively prevents physical damage without requiring continuous manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively protects the terminal port from damage when not in use and ensures easy connection and disconnection without manual triggering of the inner housing, maintaining device functionality and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
the linear spring is configured to swing along a first direction. When the inner housing slides along a second direction to sleeve the terminal port, the guiding hook moves along an outer edge of the protrusion to drive the linear spring to swing along the first direction to deform for providing a first spring force
Implementation Method 2
the elastic unit provides a second spring force to the inner housing
Data Source
AI summary
A pressable portable storage device includes an outer housing, a main body fixedly accommodated inside the outer housing, an inner housing slidably accommodated in a sliding space between the main body and the outer housing, an elastic unit connected between the main body and the inner housing, and a linear spring. The main body has a terminal port exposed outside the outer housing. The inner wall of the outer housing is formed with a protrusion. The linear spring has a first end disposed on the inner housing and a second end formed with a guiding hook pointing toward the inner wall of the outer housing. When the inner housing slides to sleeve the terminal port, the guiding hook moves along an outer edge of the protrusion to drive the linear spring to deform for providing a first spring force, and the elastic unit deforms for providing a second spring force.