Removable Electronic Device Feet With Retaining Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic device feet are often difficult to remove and replace without damaging the adhesive, and may become dislodged over time, requiring quick and easy solutions for replacement.
Innovation Solution
A removable device foot system with a concentric extraction surface angled toward the center, secured by a retaining ring within an aperture in the device housing, allowing for easy installation and replacement without adhesive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive is used to attach feet to electronic devices, then the feet provide stable contact with the work surface, but the feet become difficult to remove and replace without damaging the adhesive
Solution Approach 1:
The foot assembly is segmented into a base portion and a foot portion that can be easily separated. The base remains attached to the device housing while the foot can be independently removed and replaced, eliminating the need to remove adhesive from the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot portion is designed as a disposable or replaceable component that can be easily discarded when worn or damaged, and a new foot can be quickly installed by simply attaching it to the base, which remains in place on the device.
2Reliability
If adhesive is used to secure feet, then the feet remain firmly attached during device operation, but the replacement process becomes messy and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The base is pre-installed on the device housing with adhesive during manufacturing, and the foot is designed to snap onto or screw onto this pre-installed base. This preliminary action separates the permanent mounting operation from the replaceable foot attachment, making replacement quick and clean.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive bonding operation is extracted from the foot replacement process. Instead of adhering the foot directly to the housing, the adhesive is applied only to the base during manufacturing, and the foot is attached through mechanical means that can be easily reversed without involving adhesive removal.
3Strength
If feet are made resiliently elastic, then they resist damage from contact with work surfaces, but they may become inadvertently dislodged over time
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the foot assembly have different properties: the foot portion is made resiliently elastic to absorb contact shocks and protect the device, while the base is made rigid to provide stable mechanical attachment to the housing through threaded holes or other secure mounting features.
Solution Approach 2:
The foot assembly uses composite construction with the resilient foot material providing shock absorption and the rigid base material providing secure mechanical attachment. This combination allows the elastic foot to protect against contact damage while the rigid base prevents inadvertent dislodgment through secure mounting.
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
Enables secure attachment and easy removal of device feet, reducing the likelihood of accidental dislodgment and simplifying replacement processes, while maintaining stability and friction with the work surface.
Implementation Method 1
the device foot having a concentric extraction surface angled toward a center of the device foot and compressed by the retaining ring once installed within the aperture
Implementation Method 2
the feet are often made of a resiliently elastic material that resists damage thereto
Implementation Method 3
provide points of contact with the work surface with a high coefficient of friction
Data Source
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AI summary
Typical electronic device feet are adhered to a bottom surface of an electronic device housing. However, adhered feet are not generally readily removable and replaceable without also removing and replacing the adhesive, which may be messy and time consuming. Implementations described and claimed herein provide an electronic device with a device housing including an aperture therein, a retaining ring oriented within a seat, the retainer ring and the seat concentric with the aperture, and a device foot oriented within and protruding outward from the aperture. The device foot has a concentric extraction surface and the retaining ring compresses against the concentric extraction surface and secures the device foot in place against the device housing.