Waterproof Key Structure With Arched Elastic Wall
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing waterproof key structures for outdoor electronic devices face issues with silicone members breaking away from the shell due to repeated deformation, leading to key failure and waterproofing failure, and struggle with precise positioning and durability under external forces.
Innovation Solution
A waterproof key structure featuring a tubular elastic member with an arched elastic wall and a press-fitted design, where the elastic wall deforms to absorb forces and maintain adhesion, combined with a PET layer for improved assembly and water resistance, and a post for enhanced user feedback and impact reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the silicone member is assembled to the shell using adhesive tapes, then the assembly is simple and easy to manufacture, but the adhesive tapes endure shear forces during repeated key presses and easily break away, leading to key failure and waterproofing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the adhesive-taped silicone member with a metal elastic member that has flexible sidewalls. The elastic member is inserted into a cavity in the shell, where the flexible sidewalls allow repeated deformation during key presses without breaking adhesion. This resolves the contradiction by providing both assembly simplicity (insertion into cavity) and reliability (metal flexibility resists fatigue).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a metal elastic member instead of soft silicone material. The metal material provides both structural integrity and elastic deformation capability, combining the benefits of rigidity and flexibility in a single component that resists repeated shear forces while maintaining adhesion to the shell.
2Ease of operation
If the bottom of the crown is thin to allow deformation, then the key can be pressed easily, but the thin bottom has limited buffering effect and strong impact forces are passed directly to the switch, causing switch destruction or failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an elastic member with flexible sidewalls that can deform during key presses. The flexibility allows easy key operation while the elastic nature provides impact buffering, absorbing strong forces without transmitting them directly to the switch, thus resolving the contradiction between pressability and impact resistance.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the silicone member is made of soft material to allow deformation, then the key can be pressed repeatedly, but precise relative positioning of the elastic member is difficult to achieve during assembly, affecting quality and productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the soft silicone material with a metal elastic member. The metal material maintains repeated press capability through elastic deformation while providing superior dimensional stability and precision during assembly. The metal's rigidity allows for accurate positioning in the shell cavity, resolving the contradiction between durability and manufacturing precision.
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
This design enhances the reliability of water resistance and key functionality by minimizing adhesion destabilization and improving assembly precision, while reducing key failure and ensuring consistent waterproofing and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic wall is of an arched structure, the elastic wall protrudes towards inside of the tubular structure to form the elastic member... the elastic wall deforms to absorb forces
Implementation Method 2
The elastic member is adhesively assembled to the shell... minimize adhesion destabilization
Data Source
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AI summary
A waterproof key structure, comprising a shell (1), a key (2), and an elastic part (3), wherein the elastic part and the shell are assembled together in a pasting manner, the key is movably assembled to the shell and matched with the elastic part. The elastic part comprises a tubular structure (31) provided with an elastic wall (33) thereon, the elastic wall is of an arched structure, and the elastic wall convexly projects towards a direction in the tubular structure to form the elastic part. Since the elastic wall of the arched structure stretches to have deformation under pressure, an assembly relation of the elastic part and other parts is not affected, so that the elastic part cannot be separated from the shell due to the paste slippage, and water resistance between the key and the shell is guaranteed.