CASE STUDY - Waterproof Tablet Wallmount
Background
With the development of mobile technology, more and more powerful processors come to the world and the component density on the mobile device is increasing rapidly. In nowadays, the mobile devices have combined the most cutting-edge technology in many fields, such as camera, display, battery, sensors, antenna, IC, and processors. They also integrate hardware and software seamlessly, making tablets more than just entertainment devices. They can handle light tasks or work efficiently and serve as versatile display devices with data processing capabilities. This makes them suitable for new applications such as POS or KIOSK.
Whereas, for POS and KIOSK applications, the devices may be installed indoors or outdoors. They need to have good weather resistance to function properly in different environments.
Challenge
Universal design
One of the challenges of creating a universal enclosure for tablet devices is that the size of the tablet is various by the year they're produced and by the brands. Creating a big universal enclosure may be a simple solution. However, it contradicts the trend, and the fitness is a big problem. It is not appropriate to put a small device in a universal enclosure with big screen opening. It will be difficult to operate and will look ugly.
Slim design
A simple enclosure can be easily made thin. But for an enclosure that is waterproof or dustproof, more space is required to ensure the protection from water or dust. This makes it hard to keep the enclosure slim.
Charging issue
The tablet's battery power is limited and will eventually deplete. A possible solution is to charge it outside the enclosure, but the waterproof/dustproof design may be weakened if taking the device out too many times. If the tablet is installed in the public area providing 24 hours service which requires continuous charging, the charging port will also be the weak point for the waterproof design. It will need more careful plan to get the balance between both requirements.
Weathering issue
Weather resistance is a crucial factor for outdoor equipment. It can be solved by choosing proper material when making the product. Using plastic material may be a convenient way to achieve the waterproof design while remain slim. However, normal plastic material is prone to degrade with time when being exposed under the sunlight.
High tech plastic material which can resist the weathering is too expensive to use. Another challenge is the heating and cooling cycle. Not much plastic material can endure the long thermal cycle in the outdoor environment. We have to choose a material which is easy to process while having good weather resist ability to gain the lifetime.
Solution
How to solve above issues
We have chosen to use stainless steel sheet for the tablet wallmount enclosure, as it offers several benefits. First, it allows us to customize the enclosure size to fit any tablet model that our client requires, without needing a special tool. Second, it is durable and suitable for outdoor use, as it can withstand sunlight and rain without degrading or rusting. Clients don't need to worry when using the enclosure.
To solve the leakage issue about the charging port, we create a recess in the wall where the charger and the wire can fit snugly and safely. The cables can also be neatly stored in a dedicated space.
About the waterproof
We applied multiple strategies from the inside to the outside to prevent water and dust from damaging the device. The installation is easy. You need only few steps to finish the installation. All you need to keep in mind is the lifetime of the tablet device.
With carefully consideration and design, we successfully create a robust and useful outdoor waterproof tablet wallmount which can handle any outdoor tasks. It helps protect your device from the harsh weather and extend the lifetime of your device. The tablet can serve longer and more stable.
