Floating Rubber Foot Structure for Rocking-Resistant Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rubber foot support systems for electronic devices, such as notebook computers, fail to absorb deformations caused by manufacturing variance and pressure changes, leading to rocking motions and potential contact with supporting surfaces as devices become lighter and smaller.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of floating rubber feet with a hollow design that protrudes through openings in the device case, allowing partial flexion into the case, providing increased clearance and deformation support without occupying additional space, and utilizing a pillar or plastic mounting device to control stiffness and motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional solid rubber feet are used, then the device structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but the feet cannot accommodate deformations from manufacturing variance or pressure changes, leading to rocking motions
Solution Approach 1:
The rubber foot is designed with a hollow interior cavity and floating structure that allows dynamic deformation and movement. The foot can flex upward into the case and deform in response to pressure changes and manufacturing variances, transforming from a static solid structure to a dynamic adaptive structure that maintains stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rubber foot utilizes a hollow shell structure with flexible walls that can deform and flex. This flexible shell design allows the foot to accommodate deformations and pressure changes while maintaining its supportive function, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and adaptive reliability.
2Reliability
If the rubber foot is designed to flex more to accommodate deformations, then stability improves, but the foot occupies more space at the bottom of the case
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow rubber foot is designed to nest partially within the device case, with the flexible portion extending through an opening at the bottom surface. The foot can flex upward into the available space within the case, utilizing the internal volume rather than requiring additional external space, thus achieving greater deformation clearance without increasing overall device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The rubber foot utilizes the vertical dimension by flexing upward into the case rather than expanding horizontally. This dimensional approach allows the foot to accommodate deformations in the vertical direction while maintaining a compact footprint at the bottom surface of the device.
3Weight of moving object
If the rubber foot is made lighter to match lighter devices, then weight compatibility improves, but the foot has less mass to absorb deformations and pressure changes
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow shell structure provides high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing the foot to be lightweight while maintaining the ability to absorb deformations. The shell structure distributes stress efficiently, compensating for the reduced mass and enabling the lightweight foot to handle pressure changes and manufacturing variances effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The rubber foot is made from elastomeric polymers that provide both light weight and high deformation absorption capability. These polymer materials offer excellent elasticity and energy absorption properties, allowing the foot to be lightweight yet highly effective at accommodating deformations and pressure changes.
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
The floating rubber feet effectively reduce the likelihood of contact with the supporting surface and minimize rocking motions by accommodating changes in device balance and usage-induced deformations, ensuring stable device positioning.
Implementation Method 1
The floating rubber foot may be made from any elastomeric polymer, including, but not limited to, silicon rubber
Implementation Method 2
easiness with which the central portion moves up into the case may be controlled by the depth of the pillar and the gap between the floating rubber foot and the case
Implementation Method 3
The amount of motion may be controlled by the depth of the pillar and the gap between the floating rubber foot and the case
Data Source
AI summary
A floating rubber foot structure is provided herein. The floating rubber foot structure includes a floating rubber foot extending through an opening in a device case. The floating rubber foot is mounted to an inner surface of the device case at a mounting point proximate to the opening, and the floating rubber foot is disposed with a gap between the floating rubber foot and a wall of the opening in the device case.