Sealed Protective Sleeve for Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices in high-traffic areas are prone to bacterial contamination, which can be resistant to conventional cleaning methods and pose health risks by transmitting harmful bacteria between users.
Innovation Solution
A protective sleeve for electronic devices that acts as a sealed barrier, using an expandable sheet member and fastener to encase the device, preventing bacterial transmission and allowing continued use while minimizing contamination risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional cleaning methods (chemical cleaning, submersion in soap and water, boiling) are used on electronic devices, then bacteria may be removed from the surface, but the electronics within the device are damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The protective sleeve is divided into multiple components: a front panel, a back panel, and an expandable sheet member that can be sealed independently. This segmentation allows the cleaning function to be applied to the removable sleeve rather than the entire electronic device, thus removing bacteria without damaging the electronics.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective sleeve acts as an intermediary barrier between the electronic device and the contaminated environment. By placing the device inside the sealable sleeve, bacteria are blocked from contacting the device surface, and the sleeve itself can be discarded or cleaned instead of the delicate electronics.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the surface of the electronic device is wiped, then some bacteria may be removed, but bacteria in crevices, corners, and narrow areas between buttons remain uncleanned
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic device is extracted from its contaminated environment by placing it inside a protective sleeve. This extraction allows comprehensive cleaning or disposal of the sleeve without needing to access and clean hard-to-reach areas of the device itself, achieving complete bacterial removal without requiring the device to be disassembled or subjected to harsh cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective sleeve uses flexible material that can conform to the device's shape and reach into crevices, corners, and narrow areas between buttons. The flexible nature of the sleeve allows it to provide complete coverage over complex device geometries, ensuring no bacteria are left uncleanned in hard-to-access areas.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective barrier is used to prevent bacterial transmission, then hygiene is improved, but the device requires additional components and structural complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The protective sleeve combines multiple functions into a single integrated structure: the front panel, back panel, and expandable sheet member work together as one sealable enclosure. This merging provides complete bacterial protection while avoiding the need for multiple separate protective components, thus reducing overall complexity despite the added protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable sheet member provides dynamic adaptability, allowing the protective sleeve to adjust its shape and volume to accommodate different device sizes and configurations. This dynamic feature enables a single protective structure to serve multiple purposes without requiring multiple rigid components, thereby managing complexity while maintaining effective bacterial barriers.
4Shape
If the protective sleeve uses an expandable sheet member to seal the bottom, then the internal volume can be modified to stand upright, but the sealing mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable sheet member is pre-configured with fold lines and sealing capabilities, allowing it to be quickly transformed into a standing configuration without requiring complex assembly or adjustment mechanisms. This preliminary preparation enables the protective sleeve to achieve its upright standing position through simple expansion and folding actions, minimizing the complexity of the sealing mechanism while maintaining shape adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for a protective sleeve for an electronic device according to various aspects of the present technology may function as a substantially impermeable barrier between moisture and/or air and the electronic device. Various embodiments of the protective sleeve may comprise a front panel coupled to a back panel, forming an internal volume that may be sealed toward a bottom open end by an expandable sheet member and a fastener toward a top open end. The expandable sheet member may fold inwardly towards a mid-portion of the internal volume to form a ridge flanked by two inwardly projecting surfaces. Expansion of the expandable sheet member may reduce a degree of inward projection of the two inwardly projecting surfaces above horizontal and may modify the shape of the internal volume to effect standing the protective sleeve upright on a surface.