Rigid Material Segmentation for Flexible Electronic Enclosures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rigid materials used in electronic device enclosures require additional components like hinges for flexibility, increasing size and manufacturing costs due to the need for separate flexible elements.
Innovation Solution
Creating flexible portions within rigid materials by incorporating geometric patterns that allow the material to bend through recessed and/or cut features, enabling the material to deform without disconnecting, thus eliminating the need for external hinges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid material is used for the enclosure, then structural strength and protection are improved, but flexibility and bendability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid material is segmented into multiple rigid segments that are connected through recesses and cuts. These segments can move relative to each other while maintaining the overall rigidity of the material. The segmentation allows the enclosure to bend at specific locations without compromising the structural strength of the rigid material itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces geometric patterns including recesses and cuts that create movement in a different dimension. The rigid segments are arranged to allow bending motion perpendicular to the original plane of the rigid material, enabling flexibility through dimensional transformation while maintaining in-plane rigidity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate flexible components like hinges are added to enable bending, then flexibility is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the flexible hinge function directly into the rigid material structure through geometric patterns of recesses and cuts. Instead of adding separate hinge components, the flexibility is integrated into the rigid material itself, combining what were previously separate elements (rigid material and flexible hinge) into a unified structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid material structure provides its own flexibility through the geometric patterns without requiring external assistance from separate hinge components. The recesses and cuts enable the rigid material to bend and flex on its own, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for additional flexible components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate flexible components are added to enable bending, then flexibility is improved, but the size of the enclosure increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the flexible hinge functionality into the rigid material structure through geometric patterns, the patent eliminates the need for separate hinge components that would occupy additional space. The combined structure achieves the same flexible functionality within a more compact footprint, reducing the overall enclosure volume.
4Adaptability or versatility
If geometric patterns with recesses and cuts are created in rigid material, then flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The geometric patterns are segmented into discrete recesses and cuts that create distinct rigid segments. This segmentation allows for standardized manufacturing processes where each segment can be precisely formed independently, making the overall precision requirement more manageable through modular fabrication approaches.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for creating a flexible portion or bending portion within a rigid structure. The method can also be used for creating a flexible structure from a rigid material. The method includes providing a substantially rigid material, such as, but not limited to, metals, alloys, hard plastics, and the like, and selectively removing portions of the rigid material defining a geometric pattern in the rigid material. A bending radius of the flexible portion is defined by the geometric pattern. The rigid structure may be used to create an enclosure, a cover for an electronic device, one or more hinges, or the like.