Device assembly for accomodating an electrically operated device

Abstract

A device assembly for accommodating an electrically operated device may include a housing made from a plastic, delimiting a housing interior space, and having a viewing window formed therein that may be closed by a window pane made of a transparent material. The device may include an electrically operated device arranged inside the housing interior space, on the outside of which at least one actuatable control element may be provided. An aperture may be formed in a housing wall in which an actuating element made from an elastic plastic may be arranged at least partially and may be operable by a user of the electrically operated device. The actuating element may be coupled mechanically to the control element such that the control element is operable from outside the housing. An inner housing part made from an elastic plastic may be arranged on an inner side of the housing wall.

Claims

1. A device assembly for accommodating an electrically operated device, comprising a housing made from a plastic, the housing delimiting a housing interior space and having a viewing window formed therein, the viewing window being closed by a window pane made of a transparent material; an electrically operated device arranged inside the housing interior space, on the outside of which at least one actuatable control element is provided; and an aperture formed in a housing wall of the housing and in which an actuating element made from an elastic plastic is arranged at least partially and is operable by a user of the electrically operated device; wherein the actuating element is coupled mechanically to the control element such that the control element is operable from outside the housing; wherein an inner housing part made from an elastic plastic is arranged on an inner side of the housing wall; and wherein the actuating element and the inner housing part are formed integrally with each other.

2. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the actuating element closes the aperture in a fluid-tight manner.

3. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner housing part is arranged together with a damping section on an inner side of the housing opposite the viewing window.

4. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of: an intermediate space is formed between a damping section of the inner housing part and the electrically operated device, the damping section being arranged on an inner side of the housing opposite the viewing window; or the inner housing part bears directly against the electrically operated device.

5. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner housing part bears against the control element on the inner side.

6. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein a cavity is formed in the actuating element, an actuator body being arranged in the cavity.

7. The device assembly according to claim 6, wherein the actuator body completely fills the cavity.

8. The device assembly according to claim 6, wherein a material of the actuator body is not elastically deformable or has a coefficient of elasticity smaller than a coefficient of elasticity of the actuating element.

9. The device assembly according to claim 8, wherein the actuating element extends to the outside through the aperture and has a radially outwardly protruding actuating element collar outside the housing, the collar bearing against the outside of housing.

10. The device assembly according to claim 9, wherein the actuating element collar is fastened to the outer side.

11. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein a material of the housing part has a lower coefficient of elasticity than a material of the inner housing part.

12. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein a material of the housing is a non-elastic plastic or includes a non-elastic plastic.

13. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the elastic plastic of the actuating element is or includes an elastomer.

14. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrically operated device is a tablet computer having a display.

15. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the housing is constructed in two parts, with a first housing part and a second housing part; and the aperture is arranged together with the actuating element in the first housing part and the viewing window is arranged in the second housing part.

16. The device assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transparent material is glass.

17. The device assembly according to claim 10, wherein the actuating element collar is fastened to the outer side via an adhesive bond.

18. The device assembly according to claim 13, wherein the elastomer is silicone.

19. The device assembly according to claim 14, wherein the display is fastened to the viewing window of the housing.

20. A device assembly for accommodating an electrically operated device, comprising a housing made from a plastic, the housing delimiting a housing interior space and having a viewing window formed therein, the viewing window being closed by a window pane made of glass; an electrically operated device arranged inside the housing interior space, on the outside of which at least one actuatable control element is provided; and an aperture formed in a housing wall of the housing and in which an actuating element made from an elastic plastic is arranged at least partially and is operable by a user of the electrically operated device; wherein the actuating element is coupled mechanically to the control element such that the control element is operable from outside the housing; wherein an inner housing part made from an elastic plastic is arranged on an inner side of the housing wall; wherein the actuating element and the inner housing part are formed integrally with each other; wherein a cavity is formed in the actuating element, an actuator body being arranged in the cavity and having a material that is not elastically deformable or has a coefficient of elasticity smaller than a coefficient of elasticity of the actuating element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The single FIGURE shows a partial view of an example of a device assembly 1 according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) Device assembly 1 comprises a housing 2 made from a plastic which delimits a housing interior space 3. A viewing window 4 is provided in housing 2, which is closed by a window pane 5 made from a transparent material, for example a transparent glass. An electrically operated device 6 is arranged in the housing interior space 3. The electrically operated device 6 may be a tablet computer 7 with a touch-sensitive display 8. The electrically operated device 6 is secured to the viewing window 4 of the housing 2 via an adhesive bond. A control element 9, which is operable by a user, is provided on the outside of the tablet computer 7, that is to say on the electrically operated device 6. The control element 9 may serve for example to place the tablet computer 7 in a standby mode, or to wake it from such a standby mode. However, such a control element 9 may also serve generally to activate other functions in the tablet computer 7.

(3) As may be seen in the FIGURE, an aperture 10 is formed in a housing wall 20 of housing 2, in which wall an actuating element 11 is arranged, which is operable by a user of the electrically operated device 6. The actuating element 11 is coupled mechanically with the control element 9, such that the control element 9 is operable from outside housing 2 by the user of the electrically operated device 6 or the tablet computer 7 respectively.

(4) As may be seen in the FIGURE, an inner housing part 13 made from an elastic plastic is arranged on an inner side 14 of the housing wall 20. In this arrangement, the actuating element 11 and the inner housing part 13 are formed integrally with each other, and actuating element 11 closes the aperture 10 in a fluid-tight manner. The inner housing part 13 arranged in the housing interior space 3 is positioned with a damping section 17 on an inner side 14 of the housing 2 opposite the viewing window 4. The inner housing part 13 made from the elastic plastic adds to the outer housing 2, which is constructed mechanically more rigidly than the inner housing part 13 and therefore has a lower coefficient of elasticity than the inner housing part 13. The inner housing part 13 made of the elastic plastic functions as a suspension and, alternatively or additionally, a damping apparatus when external and consequently mechanical shocks or impacts are applied to the housing 2. The inner housing part 13 bears against the control element 9 on the inside.

(5) As may also be seen in the FIGURE, a cavity 15 is formed in the actuating element 11, in which cavity an actuator body 12 is arranged. The actuator body 12 preferably fills cavity 15 completely. The material of the actuator body 12 is expediently not elastically deformable. Alternatively, the material of the actuator body 12 has a coefficient of elasticity which is lower than the coefficient of elasticity of actuating element 11. Actuating element 11 protrudes to the outside through aperture 10, thereby enabling convenient actuation by the user of the electrically operated device 6. The actuating element 11 has a radially outwardly protruding actuating element collar 16 outside of housing 2, which bears against an outer side 18 of the housing 2. The actuating element collar 16 may be fastened to the outer side 18 of the housing 2 by means of an adhesive bond (not shown).

(6) The inner housing part 13 may be arranged at a distance from the electrically operated device 6, forming an intermediate space 19, as shown in the FIGURE. In a variant which is not shown in the FIGURE, however, the inner housing part 13 may also be braced against the electrically operated device 6 or bear against it without forming an intermediate space 19 respectively (not shown).

(7) The material of housing 2 may also be a non-elastic plastic. The material of the actuating element 11, which is an elastic plastic, is preferably an elastomer such as silicone for example. As indicated in the FIGURE, the housing 2 may be constructed in two parts, with a first housing part 2a and a second housing part 2b. In this case, the aperture 10 is arranged with the actuating element 11 in one of the two housing partsin the example of the FIGURE in the first housing part 2a. The viewing window 4 with the window pane 5 is arranged in the other housing partthat is to say in the example of the FIG. 1 in the second housing part 2b. The second housing part 2b may be constructed in the manner of a window frame and may be fastened detachably to first housing part 2a, or permanently, that is to say non-detachably, to the second housing part 2b. As an alternative to the two-part configuration of the housing parts 2a, 2b explained above, in an alternative variation thereof a single-part configuration is also conceivable.

(8) If two or more control elements are provided on the electrically operated device 6, in a further development a corresponding number of apertures and actuating elements may also be provided, such that operation of these control elements is possible from outside the housing.