Wedge-Shaped Portable Computing Device Enclosure Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable computing devices face challenges in achieving a balance between being lightweight, durable, and aesthetically pleasing, as lighter enclosures tend to be flexible and prone to damage, while stronger enclosures are heavier and less portable, and often lack aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A wedge-shaped portable computing device design featuring a lightweight and durable multipart housing made from materials like aluminum, with a hollow clutch assembly for the lid and base connection, and a high-speed memory card with short signal paths and a split ground plane for improved structural integrity and RF shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the outer enclosure is made lighter and thinner, then portability and aesthetics are improved, but structural rigidity and durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs aluminum alloy materials that combine lightweight properties with high strength characteristics. The aluminum enclosure provides both the desired weight reduction for portability and sufficient structural rigidity to protect internal components, resolving the contradiction between lightness and strength through material composition optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure design incorporates varying thickness and reinforcement at specific locations rather than uniform construction. Critical areas such as corners, hinge mounting points, and component mounting zones are locally strengthened while other areas maintain thinner profiles, achieving optimal balance between overall weight and localized structural integrity.
2Strength
If the outer enclosure is made stronger and more rigid, then durability is improved, but weight increases reducing portability
Solution Approach 1:
The use of aluminum alloy provides a material solution that inherently combines high strength-to-weight ratio, delivering the necessary durability and structural strength while avoiding the weight penalty associated with traditional heavy metals like steel. The material selection directly addresses the contradiction by providing strength without excessive weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure design optimizes geometric parameters including wall thickness, rib configurations, and structural contours to achieve maximum strength with minimum material usage. Through careful parameter optimization, the design attains required durability thresholds while maintaining lightweight characteristics essential for portability.
3Length of moving object
If the enclosure is made thinner, then portability and aesthetics are improved, but flexibility increases leading to buckling and bowing
Solution Approach 1:
The thin-walled enclosure is compensated for stability through localized reinforcement elements such as internal ribs, corner strengtheners, and support structures positioned at critical stress points. This allows the overall enclosure to maintain thin profiles for portability and aesthetics while specific local areas provide the necessary stiffness to prevent buckling and bowing under operational loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The aluminum alloy material selection provides inherent high strength-to-thickness ratio, enabling the enclosure to achieve stable, buckling-resistant construction at reduced thickness. The material properties allow thinner walls to maintain structural integrity that would otherwise require greater thickness in less performant materials.
4Strength
If metal enclosure materials are used, then structural rigidity and EMI shielding are improved, but weight increases and aesthetic appeal may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies aluminum alloy as the enclosure material, which provides the necessary structural rigidity and EMI shielding properties of metal enclosures while significantly reducing weight compared to traditional steel constructions. The aluminum material delivers a favorable balance of mechanical strength, electromagnetic shielding capability, and lightweight characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal enclosure design applies metal construction selectively where structural rigidity and EMI shielding are most critical, while other areas may use alternative materials or thinner sections, optimizing the overall weight-to-performance ratio while maintaining necessary shielding and strength functions.
Data Source
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AI summary
A portable computing device includes at least a base portion of a lightweight material that includes at least a wedge shaped top case having a trough formed at an interfacing edge thereof. The trough includes a raised portion having a first contact surface and a receiving area, and a bottom case coupled to the top case to form a complete housing for at least a portion of the portable computing device for enclosing at least a plurality of operational components and a plurality of structural components. The portable computing device also includes at least a lid portion pivotally connected to the base portion by a hinge assembly. In the described embodiments, the lid portion has a display in communication with one or more of the plurality of components in said base portion by way of or more electrical conductors that electrically connect the base portion to the lid portion.