Storage Device Protective Cover With Foldable Pad Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current protective covers for hard disk drives require separate molds and material numbers for different thicknesses, leading to inefficient assembly processes and increased costs, as they cannot accommodate varying thicknesses without specific matching.
Innovation Solution
A protective cover design featuring a base plate, cover unit, and foldable pad members that adjust the accommodating space to fit different thicknesses of storage devices, allowing for the same cover to be used with both 7 mm and 9 mm devices by changing the pad members' position between unfolded and folded states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If separate molds are used for different thicknesses of storage devices, then the protective cover can fit precisely, but the assembly process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is designed with a universal structure that can accommodate multiple storage device thicknesses (7mm and 9mm) using the same cover body. The universality is achieved by making the pad member foldable and adjustable, allowing one cover to serve multiple functions for different device specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad member is designed to be foldable and dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. Workers can fold or unfold the pad member according to the specific thickness of the storage device being assembled, enabling dynamic adaptation to different device specifications without requiring multiple fixed designs.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate molds are used for different thicknesses of storage devices, then the protective cover can fit precisely, but production time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single protective cover design serves multiple thickness specifications, eliminating the need to produce and manage multiple mold types. This universal design streamlines production by reducing the variety of components that need to be manufactured and inventoried.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal accommodating space parameter is made variable through the foldable pad member mechanism. By changing the folding state of the pad member, the internal dimension of the cover can be adjusted to match different storage device thicknesses, allowing one cover design to adapt to multiple parameters.
3Reliability
If material numbers are assigned for different thicknesses, then the correct cover can be identified, but assembly time is wasted due to manual verification
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover structure itself provides the matching function through its physical design features. The foldable pad member and adjustable accommodating space allow the cover to self-adapt to the correct device thickness without requiring external verification through material number checking.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic foldable pad member allows workers to quickly adjust the cover to match the device thickness through a simple folding action, replacing the time-consuming process of checking material numbers and selecting the correct pre-made cover type.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective cover includes a base plate, and a cover unit cooperating with the base plate to define an accommodating space and including an opening communicating with the accommodating space for entry of a first or second storage device into the accommodating space. At least one pad member is connected foldably to the base plate and is operable to move between unfolded and folded positions. The pad member is folded over the base plate when in the folded position. The accommodating space is adapted to accommodate the first storage device when the pad member is in the unfolded position and the second storage device when the pad member is in the folded position.