Waterproof Electronic Appliance Cable Sealing via Adhesive Tape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waterproof structures for electronic appliances, such as mobile phones, fail to reliably seal gaps between separate signal lines, compromising the waterproofness, especially when using separate signal lines instead of flexible cables.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof electronic appliance design featuring a casing with double-sided adhesive tapes on the upright and vertical walls, sandwiching a tube covering signal lines, which ensures watertight adhesion and improved reliability by conforming to the shape of the tube and using a soft waterproof film material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate signal lines are used instead of flexible cables, then connection flexibility and routing adaptability improve, but waterproof reliability deteriorates due to gaps among signal lines
Solution Approach 1:
A waterproof film is introduced to cover the gaps among separate signal lines, creating a continuous waterproof barrier. The film conformally wraps around the signal lines and casing structure, preventing water penetration through the gaps that would otherwise exist when using separate cables instead of a flexible cable assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproof film acts as an intermediary element between the signal lines and the external environment. It mediates the contradiction by providing a waterproof barrier without requiring the signal lines themselves to be waterproof, allowing separate cables to be used while maintaining waterproof integrity.
2Reliability
If sealing compound is used to seal casing holes, then waterproofness improves, but manufacturing complexity increases due to difficulty in verifying gap sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical sealing approach (using sealing compound that requires flow into gaps) with a film-based sealing system. The waterproof film provides a more reliable and verifiable seal without the manufacturing complexity of ensuring proper compound flow and curing in difficult-to-access gaps among signal lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The waterproof film can be designed with visual indicators or color-coded edges that make it easy to verify during assembly whether the film is properly positioned and sealed. This visual verification capability reduces manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need for complex inspection procedures to verify gap sealing.
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 solution provides a reliable and effective waterproof structure for electronic appliances with separate signal lines, ensuring watertightness by conforming adhesive tapes to the shape of the tube, enhancing the reliability of waterproofness even when using separate signal lines.
Implementation Method 1
a first double-sided adhesive tape adhered on a top end surface of the upright wall, a second double-sided adhesive tape adhered on a bottom end surface of the vertical wall
Data Source
AI summary
A waterproof electronic appliance has a casing including a bottom panel, a top panel, and a side wall which is divided into an upright wall adjacent to the bottom panel and a vertical wall adjacent to the top panel. A first double-sided adhesive tape is adhered on a top end surface of the upright wall. A second double-sided adhesive tape is adhered on a bottom end surface of the vertical wall. A cable including signal lines and a tube covering the signal lines, extends from inside to outside of the casing through the upright wall and the vertical wall. The first and second double-sided adhesive tapes adhere to an outer surface of the tube sandwiched between the upright wall and the vertical wall, and the adhesive tapes adhere to each other in an area adjacent to the sandwiched tube.