Variable Stiffness Chassis for Ultrathin Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
As tablet information handling systems (IHS) become thinner, they face structural integrity issues due to high forces and stresses from handling and use, which existing chassis designs fail to adequately address, particularly at the edge sections where deformation and cracking occur.
Innovation Solution
A chassis design featuring a center portion made predominantly of Aluminum or Magnesium, with an edge section comprising an alloyed material including additional metals like Lithium, Titanium, Tungsten, Chromium, Hafnium, Lanthanum, or Ytterbium, providing varying stiffness to enhance structural integrity and resist flexure stresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the chassis is made thinner to reduce weight and improve portability, then the weight and thickness are reduced, but the structural integrity and resistance to deformation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material compositions to different regions of the chassis. The center portion uses a first metal alloy with specific properties, while the edge section uses a second metal alloy with enhanced strength and stiffness characteristics. This local differentiation allows the chassis to be thin and lightweight in the center while having high strength at the edges where deformation occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures by combining different metal alloys in a single chassis component. The edge section comprises a second metal alloy that is different from the first metal alloy in the center portion, creating a composite structure that optimizes both weight and strength properties for different functional requirements.
2Length of moving object
If the chassis is made thinner to improve portability, then the thickness is reduced, but the resistance to flexure stresses and deformation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different material compositions to different regions of the chassis. The center portion uses a first metal alloy with specific properties, while the edge section uses a second metal alloy with enhanced strength and stiffness characteristics. This local differentiation allows the chassis to be thin and lightweight in the center while having high strength at the edges where deformation occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters (composition, density, strength) between different sections of the chassis. The second metal alloy in the edge section has different compositional parameters compared to the first metal alloy, specifically providing higher strength and stiffness to resist flexure stresses while maintaining thin overall chassis thickness.
3Strength
If alloyed materials are used in the edge section to increase strength, then the strength and stiffness are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the chassis into distinct segments with different material compositions. The center portion and edge section are segmented as separate regions, each with its own specific metal alloy. This segmentation allows for optimized material selection in each region while providing a clear manufacturing roadmap for producing the multi-material chassis.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing a chassis is described. A chassis base that includes at least ninety-five weight percent of a first metal element that is one of Aluminum or Magnesium is provided. The chassis base is doped at an edge section, which extends around the circumference and that is located adjacent a center portion of the chassis base, with at least five weight percent of at least one second metal element that is selected from the group including Lithium, Titanium, Tungsten, Chromium, Hafnium, Lanthanum, and Ytterbium, such that the center portion is not doped with the at least one second metal element. The chassis base is heat treated such that the center portion includes at least ninety-five weight percent of the first metal element and the edge portion of the chassis base includes at least five weight percent of the at least one second metal element.