Rotating Cap Mount for Secure Electronic Device Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bike and car mounts for electronic devices face a trade-off between easy attachment and removal, and secure holding, often resulting in inconvenient attachment and removal processes or insecure device placement.
Innovation Solution
A mount design featuring a case with an attachment portion and a mount having a locking cap, a rotatable cap, and a biased switch, allowing for easy attachment and detachment while securely holding the device through a mechanism of protrusions and grooves, and a biased switch for additional security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the mount uses a simple attachment mechanism for easy attachment and removal, then the ease of operation is improved, but the security and reliability of device holding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a mounting base, a rotating cap, and a locking cap. Each component performs a specific function - the mounting base provides attachment to the vehicle, the rotating cap enables secure engagement through rotational movement, and the locking cap maintains the locked position. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both easy operation through simple cap rotation and reliable holding through multiple engagement points
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting mechanism incorporates dynamic elements including a rotatable cap that transitions between locked and unlocked positions, and a spring-loaded latch that dynamically adjusts to maintain secure engagement. The rotating cap allows the user to dynamically change the state of the mounting - from attached to detached - through simple rotational motion, while the spring mechanism dynamically responds to maintain optimal locking force
2Reliability
If the mount uses a complex structure to securely hold the electronic device, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases making attachment and removal inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple security functions are merged into a single rotating cap mechanism. The rotation of one cap simultaneously engages multiple locking points, activates the spring latch, and secures the device in position. This merging eliminates the need for separate knobs, screws, or latches that would increase complexity, while still achieving reliable holding through combined mechanical advantage
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded latch mechanism provides self-service by automatically engaging and disengaging based on the rotational position of the cap. When the cap is rotated to the locked position, the spring automatically pushes the latch into the locking groove without requiring additional user action. Similarly, rotating the cap releases the latch automatically, eliminating the need for separate unlocking mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for mounting an electronic device includes a case for the electronic device; an attachment portion, formed on the case, having a groove; and a mount constructed to be attachable to a bicycle or a vehicle. The mount includes a locking cap having a protrusion; a rotatable cap having a tab groove wherein the rotatable cap is rotatable with respect to the locking cap; a biased switch having a tab wherein the tab is biased toward the rotatable cap. Here, the tab groove includes an opening and a groove is broadly defined to include an opening. The mount is attachable to the attachment portion by inserting the protrusion of the locking cap into the groove of the attachment portion and rotating the attachment portion or the locking cap with respect to each other.