Movable Foot Pad Mechanism for Display Hinge Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Notebook computers with touch screens face instability issues when users interact with the screen, leading to shaking or tilting, which is mitigated by adding a thick pad but increases thickness and reduces portability.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device design featuring a pivotally connected display, a foot pad on the bottom side, and a transmission unit with gear mechanisms that moves the foot pad parallel to the supporting surface as the display rotates, stabilizing the device without increasing thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a thick pad is disposed on the bottom side of the notebook computer to prevent shaking or backward tilting, then the stability of the notebook computer is improved, but the thickness of the notebook computer increases and portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The foot pad is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to extend when needed for stability and retract when portability is prioritized. The transmission unit enables dynamic adjustment of the foot pad's position based on the display's rotation state, resolving the contradiction between stability and thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot pad can be retracted into the main body when not in use, allowing it to be nested within the device's profile. This nesting mechanism enables the foot pad to provide stability when extended while maintaining a compact form factor when retracted, thus resolving the thickness-stability contradiction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a thick pad is disposed on the bottom side of the notebook computer to prevent shaking or backward tilting, then the stability of the notebook computer is improved, but the portability of the notebook computer is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The foot pad transitions from a static thick structure to a dynamic movable component that can extend and retract. This dynamic capability allows the device to be portable when the foot pad is retracted and stable when extended, resolving the contradiction between portability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission unit automatically adjusts the foot pad's position based on the display's rotation state without requiring manual intervention. When the display rotates to a position where stability is needed, the foot pad automatically extends, and when the display closes, it automatically retracts, providing self-service functionality that resolves the portability-stability trade-off.
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 solution effectively stabilizes the device by allowing the foot pad to protrude and retract as the display opens and closes, preventing shaking and tilting while maintaining portability by integrating the stabilizing mechanism within the device's design.
Implementation Method 1
The transmission unit is disposed in the main body and connects the foot pad with the display. When the display rotates from a closed position to an open position relative to the main body, the foot pad moves in a first direction parallel to the supporting surface.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is provided, including a main body, a display, a foot pad and a transmission unit. The display is pivotally connected to the main body, and the foot pad is disposed on the bottom side of the main body and contacts a supporting surface parallel thereto. The transmission unit is disposed in the main body and connects the foot pad with the display. When the display rotates from a closed position to an open position relative to the main body, the foot pad moves in a first direction parallel to the supporting surface.