Sliding Display Assembly for Compact Handheld Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld electronic communication devices face a challenge in balancing the need for a compact size with the requirement for a larger display screen area, as smaller devices restrict the size of display screens, limiting usability and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A sliding display assembly is integrated into the device's housing, allowing the display screen to retract within a cavity for compactness and extend for increased visibility, while maintaining accessibility to the keyboard and housing components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the device size is reduced for better portability, then the device becomes more portable, but the display screen area becomes smaller
Solution Approach 1:
The display assembly is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to slide between retracted and extended positions. This dynamic configuration enables the display area to change size independently of the device's external dimensions, resolving the contradiction between compact device size and large display area.
Solution Approach 2:
The display assembly utilizes the depth dimension by sliding in and out of the device housing along the longitudinal axis. This allows the display area to be expanded or contracted without increasing the device's width or height, maintaining portability while providing variable display sizes.
2Area of stationary object
If a larger display screen is used, then the display area increases, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display assembly is nested within the device housing when in the retracted position, with portions of the display screen received within a cavity formed by the base and keyboard support member. This nesting allows the large display to be concealed within the compact device body, preventing the device size from increasing when a large display is used.
Solution Approach 2:
The sliding mechanism allows the display assembly to dynamically adjust its position, extending only when needed for increased visibility. When retracted, the display area is minimized within the housing, maintaining a compact device profile.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the display assembly is made movable, then the display area becomes adjustable, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into movable and stationary portions, with the display assembly separated from the housing and connected via a sliding mechanism. This segmentation allows the display to move independently while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple and modular.
Solution Approach 2:
A flex circuit board acts as an intermediary between the movable display assembly and the stationary housing, providing electrical connectivity while accommodating the relative motion. This intermediary component enables display area adjustability without requiring complex wiring or connection mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A handheld electronic device comprising a housing having a keyboard support member and a base, the base having a first section spaced apart from and opposing the keyboard support member to define a cavity therebetween, the base having a second section that extends from the first section beyond an open end of the cavity, the housing further comprising opposed first and second sidewalls, the first sidewall protruding from a first peripheral side edge of the second section of the base and the second sidewall protruding from a second peripheral side edge of the second section of the base. A display assembly is slidably mounted to the housing and comprising a display screen on a front face thereof, the display assembly being slidable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein in the retracted position a first portion of the display screen is received within the cavity facing towards the keyboard support member and a second portion of the display screen is viewable outside of the cavity and disposed between the first and second sidewalls, and in the extended position the first portion and the second portion of the display screen are viewable outside of the cavity.