Portable Device Sliding Mechanism Thickness Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable devices with sliding mechanisms face a challenge in reducing their thickness due to the need for a guide member that extends in the sliding direction, which increases the overall thickness of the device.
Innovation Solution
A portable device design featuring a first unit with a protruding section and a second unit with a hollow section, where the guide member is formed within the protruding section, allowing the guide member to be partially housed in the second unit, thereby reducing the overall thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a guide member is provided extending in the sliding direction, then the sliding mechanism functions properly, but the thickness of the portable device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is nested within the protruding section of the first unit, which extends into the hollow section of the second unit. This nesting arrangement allows the guide member to be accommodated within the overlapping space between the two units, eliminating the need for additional thickness to accommodate the guide member externally.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is positioned in the sliding direction (horizontal dimension) rather than extending in the thickness direction (vertical dimension). By orienting the guide member along the sliding axis and utilizing the protruding-hollow section arrangement, the design transitions the guide member's spatial requirement from the thickness dimension to the sliding dimension, thereby reducing device thickness.
2Reliability
If the guide member is made thicker to ensure proper sliding, then the sliding mechanism is more reliable, but the overall device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is nested within the protruding section that extends into the hollow section of the second unit. This allows the guide member's thickness to be accommodated within the overlapping region between units, so the guide member can have sufficient thickness for reliability without increasing the overall device thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The protruding section is localized to specific areas where the guide member is needed, extending only in the sliding direction and not uniformly across the entire device. This localized approach allows the guide member to have adequate thickness where required while keeping other areas thin, maintaining overall device thinness.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable device according to the present invention includes a first unit including a guide member extending in a sliding direction, and a second unit including a sliding member that slides in a groove of the guide member. The first unit includes a protruding section in a second unit side, the protruding section extending in the sliding direction, and the second unit includes a hollow section in a place corresponding to the protruding section of the first unit. Further, at least part of the guide member is formed in the protruding section and formed in such a manner that the part of the guide member gets into the hollow section formed in the second unit. As a result, the thickness of the portable device can be reduced even when the portable device includes a sliding mechanism.