Rubber foot structure

Abstract

To provide a rubber food structure in which fixation of rubber feet to a bottom face part of a housing is improved.SOLUTION: A rubber foot structure according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a bottom face part of a housing, rubber feet attached to the bottom face part, and fixation parts located on the opposite side of the rubber feet with respect to the bottom face part and increasing the diameter to fix the rubber feet to the bottom face part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rubber foot structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the housings of notebook (clamshell) personal computers and the like have rubber feet made of elastic material attached to the bottom of the housing with adhesive tape, etc. These rubber feet increase the stability of the housing when it is placed on a desk or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-073919 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional rubber foot structure, there is room for further improvement in the structure for attaching the rubber feet to the bottom surface of the housing.

[0005] One example of a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a rubber foot structure that improves the fixation of the rubber feet to the bottom surface of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A rubber foot structure according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a bottom surface of a housing, a rubber foot attached to the bottom surface, and a fixing portion located on the opposite side of the bottom surface from the rubber foot and expanding in diameter to fix the rubber foot to the bottom surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the above aspect of the present invention, the diameter of the fixing portion is increased, so that the rubber feet can be fixed more firmly to the bottom surface portion, thereby making it possible to more effectively prevent the rubber feet from coming off the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of the bottom surface of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a rubber foot structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary perspective view of a rubber foot according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exemplary perspective view of the fixing portion of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary perspective view of a rubber foot structure according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram of the rubber feet of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram of the bottom surface of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exemplary view of the fixing portion of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are disclosed below. The configurations of the embodiments described below, as well as the actions and effects brought about by the configurations, are merely examples. The present invention can also be realized by configurations other than those disclosed in the following embodiments. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain at least one of the various effects (including derivative effects) obtained by the configurations.

[0010] Fig. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of an information processing device 1 according to an embodiment, seen from the front side, with a display unit 3 positioned in an extended position. Fig. 2 is an exemplary view of a bottom surface 6 of the information processing device 1 according to an embodiment.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 1 is configured as, for example, a notebook (clamshell) personal computer, and includes a base unit 2 and a display unit 3.

[0012] The base unit 2 is placed on a flat surface of a placement portion such as a desk, stand, or shelf. The display unit 3 is supported by the base unit 2 so as to be rotatable about a rotation center axis C relative to the base unit 2, and is movable between an unfolded position (FIG. 1) and a closed position. Specifically, the display unit 3 is connected to the base unit 2 via a hinge 5.

[0013] In this embodiment, for convenience, an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis are defined. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to one another. The X-axis runs along the depth direction (front-rear direction, short side direction) of the base unit 2, the Y-axis runs along the width direction (left-right direction, long side direction) of the base unit 2, and the Z-axis runs along the height direction (up-down direction) of the base unit 2.

[0014] Furthermore, in this specification, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are defined. The X direction is a direction along the X axis, and includes the +X direction indicated by the X axis arrow and the -X direction opposite to the X axis arrow. The Y direction is a direction along the Y axis, and includes the +Y direction indicated by the Y axis arrow and the -Y direction opposite to the Y axis arrow. The Z direction is a direction along the Z axis, and includes the +Z direction indicated by the Z axis arrow and the -Z direction opposite to the Z axis arrow.

[0015] The base unit 2 has a housing 4 and a keyboard 8 supported by the housing 4. The keyboard 8 is supported by the housing 4 at a position that allows it to be operated from above. A circuit board is also housed within the housing 4.

[0016] The board has a plurality of electronic components mounted thereon, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, etc. At least a part of the electronic circuit of the information processing device 1 is configured by the wiring provided on the board and the plurality of electronic components mounted on the board.

[0017] Furthermore, a storage device, a wireless module, a battery, etc. are housed inside the housing 4. The housing 4 is composed of a bottom surface 6 that is placed on a surface such as a desk, and a surface of a keyboard 8, and the bottom surface 6 is formed by a cover 7.

[0018] 2 is an exemplary diagram of the bottom surface 6 of the information processing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom surface 6 is formed by a cover 7. A plurality of rubber feet 10 are attached to the bottom surface 6 to support the housing 4 at a position spaced apart from a surface such as a desk.

[0019] The rubber feet 10 are also called elastic members, support members, rubber legs, etc. The rubber feet 10 are made of, for example, elastically deformable resin. The rubber feet 10 are, for example, circular in shape, but may also be oval, elliptical, or rectangular in shape that is long in the X direction. In this embodiment, the rubber feet 10 are provided at each of the four corners of the bottom surface 6.

[0020] The elastic deformation of the rubber feet 10 allows the information processing device 1 to be placed on an uneven surface with less rattle. In addition, the bottom surface 6 is less likely to come into contact with the surface, making it less likely that the cover 7 will be damaged.

[0021] FIG. 3 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the rubber foot 10 structure of an embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the rubber foot 10 is attached to the bottom surface 6 from the -Z direction (below). The fixing portion 20 is located on the opposite side of the bottom surface from the rubber foot. For example, it is provided on the surface of the bottom surface 6 opposite to the surface to which the rubber foot 10 is attached. The rubber foot 10 is fixed to the bottom surface 6 by, for example, expanding the diameter of the fixing portion 20.

[0022] The rubber foot 10 has an installation surface 11 that is placed on a placement surface such as a desk, an attachment surface 12 that abuts against the bottom surface 6 on the opposite side of the installation surface 11, a tubular portion 13 that extends in the Z direction (upward) from the attachment surface 12, a locking portion 14 that is connected to the top of the tubular portion 13, and a recessed portion 15.

[0023] The installation surface 11 is curved so that the center of the rubber foot 10 is convex on the opposite side (-Z direction) from the mounting surface 12. The mounting surface 12 forms the outer edge of the rubber foot 10. The locking portion 14 has, for example, three portions extending in the Z direction (upward) from a part of the tubular portion 13.

[0024] Next, the bottom surface portion 6 has substantially circular openings 9 with a diameter larger than that of the tubular portions 13 of the rubber feet 10. The number of openings 9 provided is, for example, the same as the number of rubber feet 10. For example, four openings 9 are provided.

[0025] The tubular portion 13 of the rubber foot 10 is inserted into the opening 9. A locking portion 14 provided on the upper part of the tubular portion 13 of the rubber foot 10 is locked into the opening 9 of the bottom surface portion 6, thereby preventing the rubber foot 10 from slipping out of the bottom surface portion 6 in the −Z direction.

[0026] Next, the fixing portion 20 has a cylindrical portion 21, claw portions 22 protruding from the cylindrical portion 21, and an outer peripheral portion 24.

[0027] Here, we will explain the structure for fixing the rubber feet 10 with the fixing parts 20. First, the tubular parts 13 of the rubber feet 10 are inserted into the openings 9 in the bottom surface 6 of the housing 4. The rubber feet 10 are then locked to the bottom surface 6 by the locking parts 14.

[0028] Next, the cylindrical portion 21 located in the center of the fixing portion 20 is fitted inside the tubular portion 13 of the rubber foot 10. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 21 is equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the tubular portion 13. This causes the cylindrical portion 21 to expand in diameter so that it opens outward, thereby sandwiching the tubular portion 13 of the rubber foot 10 between the opening 9 of the bottom surface portion 6 and the cylindrical portion 21 of the fixing portion 20, thereby fixing it.

[0029] The rubber feet 10 can be fixed to the bottom surface portion 6 by expanding the diameter of the fixing portion 20, so that they can be fixed without using adhesive tape, for example. This prevents the adhesive tape from peeling off.

[0030] Furthermore, when using adhesive tape to secure the rubber feet to the housing, the adhesive tape is used to attach the rubber feet to the bottom surface, which requires time to press the feet down and can cause variations in the pressing force depending on the installer.In this embodiment, adhesive tape is not used, so there is no time required to secure the rubber feet and no pressing force is required for installation.

[0031] Furthermore, when the rubber feet are fixed to the housing by thermal welding, replacing the rubber feet also requires replacing the cover. In this embodiment, the rubber feet 10 can be replaced individually without replacing the cover 7. This reduces the cost of replacement.

[0032] Furthermore, the rubber feet 10 are open in the Z direction inside the cylindrical portions 13. Therefore, when the rubber feet 10 contact the desk surface, the openings in the rubber feet 10 allow them to be elastic in the Z direction. Therefore, the elasticity of the multiple rubber feet 10 in the Z direction can prevent the housing 4 from rattling.

[0033] Furthermore, the claw portions 22 of the fixing portion 20 protrude outward from a part of the cylindrical portion 21. When the cylindrical portion 21 is positioned inside the tubular portion 13, the claw portions 22 fit into recessed portions 15 recessed in the Y direction of the tubular portion 13, making it difficult for the claw portions 22 to come off in the Z direction (upward).

[0034] The outer peripheral portion 24 is connected to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 21 via a connecting portion 23 that connects to the outside of the cylindrical portion 21. The outer peripheral portion 24 has a circular shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the locking portion 14, for example.

[0035] 4 is an exemplary perspective view of the rubber foot 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the rubber foot 10 has a mounting surface 11, an attachment surface 12, a cylindrical portion 13, a locking portion 14, and a recessed portion 15.

[0036] The rubber feet 10 are circular, for example, and the mounting surfaces 12 are also circular. The locking portions 14 extend upward from three locations on the cylindrical tube portion 13. Three recesses 15 are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the tube portion 13 below the locking portions 14. In this embodiment, the rubber feet 10 are provided at four locations on the housing 4.

[0037] Next, Fig. 5 is an exemplary perspective view of the fixing part 20 alone according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the fixing part 20 has a cylindrical part 21, claw parts 22, a connecting part 23, and an outer peripheral part 24. The upper surface shown in Fig. 5 is the surface that abuts against the bottom part 6. In other words, the orientation of the fixing part 20 shown in Fig. 3 is reversed.

[0038] The columnar portion 21 is located in the center of the fixed portion 20. The columnar portion 21 is cylindrical and has an opening in the center. The claw portions 22 protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the columnar portion 21. For example, three claw portions 22 are provided on the columnar portion 21.

[0039] The connecting portions 23 extend outward from parts of the cylindrical portion 21. For example, they extend from three places from the cylindrical portion 21. The outer peripheral portion 24 and the cylindrical portion 21 are connected by the connecting portions 23. A space is provided between the connecting portions 23. The space prevents interference with the locking portions 14 of the rubber feet 10.

[0040] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an exemplary perspective view of the structure of a rubber foot 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0041] 6, the device has a bottom surface portion 6, rubber feet 100, a fixing portion 200, and adhesive tape 210. The structure for fixing the rubber feet 100 is the same as in the first embodiment, in that the rubber feet 100 are attached to the bottom surface portion 6 and the fixing portion 200 is expanded in diameter.

[0042] The difference from the first embodiment is that the fixing part 200 is attached to the bottom part 6 using adhesive tape 210. Also, the rubber feet 100 fit into grooves 91 in the bottom part 6. The specific configuration will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 9.

[0043] Fig. 7 is an exemplary enlarged view of a portion of the rubber foot 100 of the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the rubber foot 100 has a mounting surface 101, an attachment surface 102, a tubular portion 103, a locking portion 104, and a rib 106. The mounting surface 101, the attachment surface 102, the tubular portion 103, and the locking portion 104 have the same configurations as the mounting surface 11, the attachment surface 12, the tubular portion 13, and the locking portion 14 of the first embodiment.

[0044] The rib 106 protrudes downward from a part of the bottom surface of the locking portion 104. The rib 106 fits into the groove 91 of the bottom surface portion 6, thereby preventing the locking portion 104 from coming off downward.

[0045] Next, Fig. 8 is an exemplary diagram showing the opening 9 of the bottom surface portion 6 of the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the bottom surface portion 6 has the opening 9. The opening 9 has a first opening 90 and a groove 91. In the first embodiment, the opening 9 is formed in a substantially circular shape, but in the second embodiment, the opening 9 has the first opening 90 and the groove 91.

[0046] The first openings 90 are large enough to allow the locking portions 104 of the rubber feet 100 to pass through. The first openings 90 are, for example, openings that partially expand outward from the opening 9. For example, three first openings 90 are formed.

[0047] The groove 91 is provided adjacent to the first opening 90. As an example, the groove 91 has a recessed shape in which a part of the groove 91 does not penetrate downward from the bottom surface portion 6.

[0048] 7 and 8, a method for attaching the rubber foot 100 to the bottom surface portion 6 will be described. First, the locking portion 104 of the rubber foot 100 is inserted into the first opening 90 of the bottom surface portion 6. Next, the rubber foot 100 is rotated so that the rib 106 fits into the groove 91 of the bottom surface portion 6. This allows the rubber foot 100 to be attached to the bottom surface portion 6.

[0049] Fig. 9 is an exemplary diagram of a fixing portion 200 of the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the fixing portion 200 has a cylindrical portion 201, a connecting portion 203, and an outer peripheral portion 204. An adhesive tape 210 is attached to the fixing portion 200. The cylindrical portion 201, the connecting portion 203, and the outer peripheral portion 204 have the same configurations as the cylindrical portion 21, the connecting portion 23, and the outer peripheral portion 24 of the first embodiment.

[0050] The fixing part 200 is fixed to the bottom part 6 with adhesive tape 210, with the rubber foot 100 attached to the bottom part 6 and the cylindrical part 201 positioned inside the tubular part 103 of the rubber foot 100. Furthermore, as the diameter of the cylindrical part 201 expands, the rubber foot 100 is sandwiched between the bottom part 6 and the cylindrical part 201, and is thereby fixed.

[0051] In the second embodiment, by rotating the rubber foot 100 in a position where the rubber foot 100 is fixed by the fixing portion 200, the rib 106 fitted into the groove 91 is released, and the engaging portion 104 can be removed downward from the first opening 90.

[0052] Since the fixing part 200 is fixed to the bottom part 6 with adhesive tape 210, it is possible to remove only the rubber feet 100 without disassembling the bottom part 6.

[0053] When reassembling the rubber foot 100, the engaging portion 104 is inserted into the first opening 90 and the rubber foot 100 is rotated so that the rib 106 fits into the groove 91. This allows, for example, a new rubber foot 100 to be attached.

[0054] As described above, in this embodiment, the rubber foot structure comprises a bottom surface portion of the housing, a rubber foot attached to the bottom surface portion, and a fixing portion located on the opposite side of the bottom surface portion from the rubber foot and expanding in diameter to fix the rubber foot to the bottom surface portion.

[0055] According to the above configuration, the rubber feet can be fixed to the bottom surface by expanding the diameter of the fixing portion. This further prevents the rubber feet from coming off the housing. Furthermore, the rubber feet can be fixed without using adhesive tape or the like. Furthermore, compared to when adhesive tape is used for fixing, the fixing time can be shortened. Furthermore, variations in installation depending on the rubber foot installer can be reduced. Furthermore, compared to when the rubber feet are fixed by thermal welding, only the rubber feet can be replaced.

[0056] Furthermore, with the rubber foot structure having the above configuration, the rubber foot has a tubular portion that is inserted into the opening in the bottom surface, the fixing portion has a cylindrical portion that is positioned inside the tubular portion, and the cylindrical portion of the rubber foot is fixed between the cylindrical portion and the bottom surface by expanding the diameter of the cylindrical portion, thereby achieving the same effects as the above configuration.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the rubber foot structure configured as described above, the rubber foot has a recessed portion provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, and the fixing portion has a claw portion that hooks onto the recessed portion on the cylindrical portion.

[0058] According to this configuration, the fixing portion can be made difficult to come out of the recessed portion by the claw portion.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the rubber foot structure configured as described above, the rubber foot has a locking portion connected to the tubular portion and locked to the bottom surface portion, and a rib protruding from the locking portion, and the bottom surface portion has a groove portion into which the rib fits.

[0060] With this configuration, the ribs make it difficult for the rubber feet to come out of the grooves.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the housing of the information processing device 1 is used as an example of an object to which the rubber feet 10 are applied. However, the rubber feet 10 may be applied to any housing other than the information processing device 1 as long as it is a movable housing. Although a notebook personal computer is shown as a specific example of the information processing device 1, the information processing device 1 is not limited to this. For example, the information processing device 1 may be a desktop computer, a printer, a display device, etc.

[0062] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the specifications of each configuration, shape, and the like (structure, type, direction, format, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1...Information processing device 4. Housing 6…Bottom part 7...Cover 10, 100...rubber feet 11, 101...Installation surface 12, 102...Mounting surface 13, 103...cylindrical part 14, 104...Latching part 15...Recessed part 91...Groove 106...Rib 20, 200...Fixed part 21, 201...Cylindrical section 22...Claw part 23, 203...Connection 24, 204...Outer periphery

Claims

1. a bottom surface of the housing; Rubber feet attached to the bottom surface portion; a fixing portion located on the opposite side of the bottom surface portion from the rubber feet, the fixing portion expanding in diameter to fix the rubber feet to the bottom surface portion; Equipped with rubber feet.

2. The rubber foot has a tubular portion that is inserted into the opening of the bottom surface portion, the fixing portion has a columnar portion located inside the cylindrical portion, The cylindrical portion of the rubber foot is fixed between the cylindrical portion and the bottom surface portion by expanding the diameter of the cylindrical portion. The rubber foot structure according to claim 1 .

3. The rubber foot has a recessed portion provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion, The cylindrical portion of the fixing portion has a claw portion that engages with the recessed portion. The rubber foot structure according to claim 2 .

4. the rubber foot has a locking portion connected to the tubular portion and locked to the bottom surface portion, and a rib protruding from the locking portion; The bottom surface portion has a groove into which the rib fits. The rubber foot structure according to claim 2 .

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