Sliding Housing Portion for Keypad Lock in Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable electronic devices with exposed keypads face issues of accidental activation during handling, leading to unwanted actions, and existing solutions such as mechanical covers or software locks are either complex, annoying to use, or consume battery power.
Innovation Solution
A displaceable housing portion that slides between a locked and active position to deactivate or activate the keypad, allowing intuitive operation without extra keys, reducing accidental activations, and enabling the user to determine the key lock status by touch or glance without needing to view the display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical cover is used to lock the keypad, then accidental key presses are prevented, but the device becomes more complex and thicker
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the key lock function with the existing displaceable housing portion that is already used to cover/uncover the display. By integrating the keypad locking mechanism into this existing moving part, the invention avoids adding separate mechanical cover structures, thereby preventing accidental key presses without increasing device complexity or thickness.
2Reliability
If a sliding cover is used to cover the keypad, then accidental key presses are prevented, but the sliding motion required is rather large and annoying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the keypad locking function with the display-covering housing portion, so that a single small displacement action simultaneously covers both the display and locks the keypad. This eliminates the need for separate large sliding motions, making activation simple and user-friendly.
3Device complexity
If software based key lock is used, then the structure remains simple, but the user must view the display to check lock status and battery power is consumed unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides tactile feedback through the displaceable housing portion itself - when the housing is in the displaced position, it physically blocks access to the keypad, providing immediate tactile confirmation that the keypad is locked. This eliminates the need for visual display feedback and reduces unnecessary battery consumption while maintaining structural simplicity.
4Ease of operation
If extra keys are added for key lock function, then the key lock can be activated intuitively, but the phone surface becomes cluttered and space is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing displaceable housing portion multi-functional - it serves both to cover/uncover the display and to lock/unlock the keypad. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated keys or buttons for key lock functionality, maintaining intuitive operation while preserving phone surface area.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a housing and a keypad arranged on an outer surface of the housing. The housing furthermore includes a displaceable portion which is displaceable between a “locked” position in which the keypad is deactivated and an “active” position in which the keypad is activated.