Protective Cap With Stiff End Wall For One-Finger Snapping

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing protective caps for optical devices are difficult to handle and require distributed pressure for proper snapping, making them cumbersome and inefficient for one-finger operation.

Innovation Solution

A protective cap design featuring an end wall and cap jacket made from materials with different rigidities or hardnesses, allowing for pre-centering and easy snap-on attachment with central pressure, facilitated by a multi-layered structure with a stiffer insert part and a softer outer layer for improved rigidity and insulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the protective cap is made of soft and elastic material, then sufficient protection and insulation effect is achieved, but the handling and snapping process becomes difficult requiring distributed pressure over the outer peripheral edge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection and insulation effectVSAvoidhandling and snapping process

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The protective cap is divided into two functional segments: a soft cap jacket made of elastic material for protection and insulation, and a stiff end wall made of rigid material for handling and snapping. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function optimally without compromise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the protective cap have different material properties tailored to their specific functions: the cap jacket is made soft and elastic for cushioning and sealing, while the end wall is made stiff and rigid for easy handling and force transmission during snapping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the protective cap is made of stiff material, then easy handling and one-finger operation is achieved, but sufficient protection and insulation effect is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling and snapping processVSAvoidprotection and insulation effect

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protective cap is divided into two functional segments: a soft cap jacket made of elastic material for protection and insulation, and a stiff end wall made of rigid material for handling and snapping. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function optimally without compromise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the protective cap have different material properties tailored to their specific functions: the cap jacket is made soft and elastic for cushioning and sealing, while the end wall is made stiff and rigid for easy handling and force transmission during snapping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the entire protective cap is made of one material, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the respective properties of individual components cannot be optimized for specific applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidapplication-specific properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The protective cap uses a composite structure combining two different materials: an elastic material for the cap jacket and a rigid material for the end wall. This composite approach allows optimization of each component's properties for its specific function while maintaining manufacturability through integrated production methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentEP2163947B1Protection cap

Publication Date: 2011.08.03 SWAROVSKI OPTIK KG

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AI summary

The invention relates to a protective cap (1) for an objective or eyepiece side of an optical device, such as an observation device, comprising an end wall (3) and a tubular cap shell (4) arranged at least partially on the outer circumference of the end wall (3). The end wall (3) comprises at least partially a first layer (10) or a separate insert part (12) formed therefrom, wherein the material of the first layer (10) or of the insert part (12) has a higher modulus of elasticity than the material of the cap shell (4).