Rotating Button Mechanism for Tool-Free Cover Plate Detachment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic device housing designs require the use of additional tools to detach and reattach cover plates, which is inconvenient and often results in lost screws, making it difficult to replace internal components efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A housing structure with a separable cover plate and a button that rotates between a release and lock position, allowing the cover plate to be easily detached without tools and securely locked in place, using a groove and arm mechanism to prevent perpendicular separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws are used to attach the cover plate to the housing plate, then the cover plate can be securely fixed, but additional tools are required for detachment and reattachment, and screws may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fastening function from traditional screws and reattaches it to the cover plate itself through integrated recesses and protrusions. The cover plate includes recesses that receive protrusions from the housing plate, creating self-contained attachment features that eliminate the need for separate fasteners and tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cover plate and fastening mechanism into a single integrated structure. The attachment features (recesses and protrusions) are combined with the cover plate body, eliminating the need for separate screws and reducing the number of components that can be lost.
2Ease of repair
If a detachable cover design is used to allow component replacement, then maintenance convenience is improved, but the cover plate may become loose or misaligned during reattachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning features where the recesses and protrusions are specifically shaped and positioned to guide the cover plate into correct alignment. The asymmetric geometry ensures that the cover plate can only be attached in the proper orientation, preventing misalignment and ensuring stable reattachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover plate design includes self-aligning features where the recesses and protrusions automatically guide the cover plate into correct positioning during attachment. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external alignment tools or procedures, ensuring proper positioning through the design of the attachment features themselves.
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
Enables easy and tool-free detachment and secure reattachment of the cover plate, improving convenience and reducing the risk of lost screws, while maintaining structural integrity during component replacements.
Implementation Method 1
When the button rotates to the lock position, the long arm portion of the button extends out the edge of the housing plate and into the groove of the cover plate. In this configuration, the long arm portion interferes with the cover plate, so that the cover plate cannot be separated from the housing plate along a direction perpendicular to the housing plate
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device including a housing, a cover plate, and a button is provided. The cover plate is separably disposed on the housing and corresponds to an opening on the housing. A groove is formed on an edge of the cover plate. The button pivotally connects to an edge of the housing which encompasses the opening. The button can rotate on a housing plate of the housing and corresponds to the position of the groove. The button is behind the edge of the housing while the button is in a release position; a portion of the button extends out and into the groove of the cover plate while the button rotates to a lock position.