Dashboard Tablet Mount with Movable Shutter for Airbag Safety
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tablet supports for vehicles are aesthetically unpleasing, mechanically fragile, and pose safety risks during airbag deployment, as they protrude from the dashboard and can conflict with the airbag, potentially endangering occupants.
Innovation Solution
A removable easel-style support that maintains dashboard aesthetics by forming a continuous surface when the tablet is installed or not, featuring a shutter that opens to allow easy installation, is positioned above the airbag to prevent contact, and includes wedging means to secure the tablet, ensuring safety and intuitive use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a protruding tablet support is installed on the dashboard, then the tablet can be viewed without holding it, but the aesthetics of the dashboard surface is compromised and concavities are created
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is made movable between open and closed positions. When closed, it maintains surface continuity with the dashboard; when opened, it allows tablet installation. This dynamic element resolves the contradiction by allowing the support to adapt its form based on operational state.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is divided into separate functional elements: a fixed housing integrated into the dashboard and a movable shutter that can be opened independently. This segmentation allows the main dashboard surface to remain intact while providing access to the tablet compartment.
2Reliability
If a fixed tablet support structure is used, then the tablet is securely held, but the structure becomes mechanically fragile and difficult to install
Solution Approach 1:
The movable shutter simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for complex folding or retractable mechanisms. The shutter can be opened manually or by the tablet itself during installation, and spring means automatically return it to the closed position, providing secure tablet holding without mechanical fragility.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower edge of the tablet can automatically push the shutter open during installation, and spring means automatically return the shutter to its closed position after installation. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex manual operation systems while ensuring reliable tablet securing.
3Ease of operation
If the tablet support is positioned in the upper dashboard zone, then the tablet is visible to driver and passenger, but it may conflict with airbag deployment during vehicle impact
Solution Approach 1:
The movable shutter acts as an intermediary element between the tablet housing and the airbag deployment space. In the event of airbag deployment, the shutter can be pushed back by the airbag, allowing the airbag to expand freely without being blocked by the rigid housing structure, thus eliminating the conflict while maintaining tablet visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic nature of the shutter allows it to move during airbag deployment rather than remaining fixed. This movement capability enables the support structure to coexist with the safety system, as the shutter can be displaced by the expanding airbag without causing obstruction or damage.
4Ease of operation
If the shutter is made movable to allow easy installation, then installation becomes intuitive, but the mechanism becomes more complex and potentially fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter mechanism is designed to be actuated automatically during installation by the tablet itself, eliminating the need for separate actuators or complex control systems. The spring means provide automatic return to closed position, creating a simple yet effective self-service mechanism that enhances installation ease without adding significant complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter is designed as a separate, extractable component from the main housing structure. This allows the shutter to be opened independently for tablet installation while the main housing remains fixed and integrated into the dashboard, separating the movement function from the structural support function to reduce overall complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~5
Figure 6~9
Figure 10
AI summary
The invention relates to a support for a touch tablet (3), comprising a structure in which a housing (2) is provided for receiving a lower edge (30) of the tablet (3), characterized in that the housing (2) opens to the outside of the structure through a slot delimited by lower (51) and upper (52) edges of an outer skin (5) of the structure, and includes a shutter (6) movable between a closed position of the housing (2) and an open position of the housing (2).