Secure Housing With Flexible Walls For Electronic Components

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing secure boxes for electronic components, particularly payment terminals, face challenges in accommodating varying shell thicknesses and tolerances, leading to false alarms or damage when subjected to minor physical changes such as shocks or pressure, which are not addressed by current solutions.

Innovation Solution

A secure casing design that incorporates a physical opening sensor with an elastic element allowing for thickness variations up to 10 millimeters, coupled with flexible side walls and intrusion detection electrical tracks, enabling secure operation within variable volume and thickness conditions without triggering false alarms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a secure box uses rigid sealing and fixed-thickness housing to detect intrusions, then security detection accuracy is improved, but it cannot accommodate variable thickness shells causing false alarms or damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintrusion detection accuracyVSAvoidthickness variation tolerance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the side walls flexible rather than rigid. The side walls can bend and deform to accommodate thickness variations in the housing shell while maintaining the intrusion detection function. This dynamic structure allows the box to adapt to different shell thicknesses without triggering false alarms or causing damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state of the side walls from rigid to flexible, allowing them to deform within a certain range. This parameter change enables the box to tolerate thickness variations up to a predetermined limit while maintaining security detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of repair

If the housing is made non-sealed to allow component access, then ease of repair and component replacement is improved, but security protection against physical access is weakened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent accessibilityVSAvoidphysical access security
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the housing into a fixed front part and flexible side walls. The fixed front part maintains security sealing, while the flexible side walls can be locally deformed to access components. This segmentation allows the box to maintain overall security while enabling component replacement through controlled access paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

The solution allows secure housing in plastic shells with variable thickness, prevents untimely alarms, and enables safe access to electronic components while maintaining security, allowing for component replacement without compromising protection.

Implementation Method 1

a physical opening sensor with an elastic element allowing for thickness variations up to 10 millimeters

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a layer of conductive parts in order to detect any attempt at intrusion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical Conductivity: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentEP2102832B1Secured housing
Publication Date: 2012.02.08 COMPAGNIE INDUSTRIELLE ET FINANCIERE D INGENIERIE INGENICO SA
  • EP2102832B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2102832B1 patent drawingFigure 1C
  • EP2102832B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b

AI summary

The invention relates to a secured housing for electronic components, including a base plate (2), a lid (3), and side walls (4), defining a secured volume for the electronic components, and an opening detector (11). The side walls (4) allow for variations of the housing thickness between the base plate (2) and the lid (3). The opening detector (11) detects the opening of the housing only when the amplitude of the thickness variations exceeds a predetermined threshold.