Throwable Communication Housing for Accurate Impact Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional throwable communication devices are cumbersome, difficult to deploy accurately, and lack a rugged design, which complicates their use in crisis situations.
Innovation Solution
A ruggedized communication device with a modular electronics package, a viscoelastic inner sleeve, and a substantially rigid outer shell, designed to withstand multiple impacts and facilitate easy deployment, featuring a spherical form factor and shock absorbers to enhance durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional throwable communication devices use rectangular cases and bulky designs, then they can accommodate standard electronics and components, but they are not easily thrown accurately to a chosen location and are cumbersome to deploy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by changing the device shape from a conventional rectangular case to a spherical form factor. This spherical design improves throw accuracy by eliminating the rotational instability of rectangular objects during flight, while also simplifying deployment as the sphere can be easily grasped and thrown with any hand, reducing the complexity of the deployment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements segmentation by dividing the device into modular components: a modular electronics package, a viscoelastic inner sleeve, and a rigid outer shell. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the electronics package for functionality, the inner sleeve for shock absorption, and the outer shell for structural integrity and aerodynamics - while collectively reducing overall device complexity and improving deployability.
2Reliability
If throwable communication devices are made rugged to withstand impacts, then they can survive deployment through windows and structures, but they become more bulky and cumbersome to deploy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nested doll principle by placing the modular electronics package inside a viscoelastic inner sleeve, which is then enclosed within a rigid outer shell. This nested structure provides multiple levels of protection - the inner sleeve cushions impacts with viscoelastic material, while the outer shell provides structural integrity - all within a compact spherical form that remains easy to grasp and throw, thus maintaining ease of deployment while achieving ruggedness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite materials by combining viscoelastic material in the inner sleeve with rigid material in the outer shell. This composite construction creates a device that can withstand high-energy impacts from windows and structures while maintaining a compact, manageable size that is easy to deploy, resolving the contradiction between ruggedness and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If the device uses a modular electronics package with shock absorbers, then it can withstand multiple impacts without malfunction, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by creating a modular electronics package that can be assembled separately from the viscoelastic inner sleeve and rigid outer shell. This modular approach allows the electronics to be pre-assembled and tested in a controlled environment, then integrated into the protective layers afterward, which simplifies the overall manufacturing process while ensuring the device can withstand repetitive impacts through the shock absorber design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by incorporating viscoelastic shock absorbers in the inner sleeve that are pre-installed before the rigid outer shell is assembled. This prior cushioning preparation ensures the device can withstand multiple high-energy impacts without malfunction, while the modular design allows these shock absorbers to be pre-assembled and tested before final integration, actually simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
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 device ensures accurate and reliable deployment, surviving repetitive high-energy impacts without malfunction, enabling effective communication in adverse environments.
Implementation Method 1
a viscoelastic inner sleeve conforming substantially to the interior surface and configured with a receptacle substantially conforming to the size and shape of the modular electronics package
Implementation Method 2
one or more shock absorbers coupling the user interface and the electronics board to the modular housing
Data Source
AI summary
In some implementations, the device may include a modular electronics package, the modular electronics package including: a modular housing; a user interface; an electronics board coupled to the user interface; and one or more shock absorbers coupling the user interface and the electronics board to the modular housing. In addition, the device may include a substantially rigid outer shell defining an exterior surface and an interior surface. The device may include a viscoelastic inner sleeve conforming substantially to the interior surface and configured with a receptacle substantially conforming to the size and shape of the modular electronics package.