Anti-skid foot assembly

Abstract

An anti-skid foot assembly comprises an anti-skid foot having a closed end and an open end, the closed end configured to rest on a support surface when the anti-skid foot is secured to a device, and wherein the open end comprises an internally threaded cavity for threadably securing the anti-skid foot to the device.

Description

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices, such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants, gaming devices, etc., and other devices that are generally portable or are susceptible to movement from use thereof have non- or anti-skid feet. These anti-skid feet are generally formed from rubber or soft plastic and are located on the bottom or underside of the device to prevent the device from sliding on a support surface and/or to prevent scratching or marring of the support surface. However, these anti-skid feet are susceptible to falling off or being sheared off, especially if the anti-skid foot was adhesively secured to the device, resulting in the device no longer being level relative to a support surface and probable loss of the anti-skid foot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device in which an embodiment of an anti-skid foot assembly is employed to advantage; and

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an exploded assembly view of an embodiment of the anti-skid foot assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating an assembled view of the embodiment of the anti-skid foot assembly of FIG. 2A; and

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of an anti-skid foot assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device 10 in which an embodiment of an anti-skid foot assembly 12 is employed to advantage. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, electronic device 10 comprises a notebook or laptop computer 14 having a display member 16 rotatably coupled to a base member 18. However, it should be understood that anti-skid foot assembly 12 may be incorporated and/or otherwise used with other types of devices, electronic or non-electronic, such as, but not limited to, a personal digital assistant, tablet computer, and gaming device. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, display member 16 and base member 18 each comprise a housing 20 and 22, respectively. Each of housings 20 and 22 generally comprises various walls located on various edges, sides and/or surfaces thereof. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, housing 22 comprises a front wall 30, a rear wall 32, oppositely disposed side walls 34 and 36, an upper wall or working surface 38, and a bottom wall 40. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, four anti-skid foot assemblies 12 are illustrated as being disposed on bottom wall 40. However, it should be understood that the quantity of anti-skid foot assemblies 12 may be varied, and the locations of anti-skid foot assemblies 12 on device 10 may be varied. In FIG. 1, anti skid foot assemblies 12 are illustrated having a round or circular configuration. However, it should be understood that anti-skid foot assemblies 12 may be configured having square, rectangular, elliptical, or another type of geometric configuration.

FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an exploded assembly view of anti-skid foot assembly 12 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating an assembled view of anti-skid foot assembly 12 of FIG. 2A. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, anti-skid foot assembly 12 comprises an anti-skid foot 42 couplable to device 10. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, bottom wall 40 of housing 22 comprises an annular shoulder 44 (e.g., extending outwardly or away from an exterior surface 46 of bottom wall 40) forming a cylindrically-shaped cavity 48 for receiving anti-skid foot 42 therein. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, bottom wall 40 also comprises an annular shoulder 50 extending inwardly from an interior surface 52 of bottom wall 40 to facilitate forming of cavity 48. However, it should be understood that housing 22 may be otherwise configured for receiving and/or otherwise engaging anti-skid foot 42 (e.g., in some embodiments, anti-skid foot 42 may be attached directly to a planar surface of housing 22). In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, cavity 48 substantially reduces the likelihood of anti-skid foot 42 being sheared away from device 10 at least because shoulder 44 and corresponding walls surrounding cavity 48 substantially reduce a moment arm of any force applied to anti-skid foot 42 in a direction substantially parallel or planar to support surface 64.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, anti-skid foot 42 comprises a closed end 60 and an open end 62. In operation, anti-skid foot 42 is attached and/or otherwise coupled to housing 22 such that closed end 60 is disposed against and/or otherwise positioned to rest on a support surface 64 when anti-skid foot 42 is coupled to device 10 and device 10 is positioned to rest on support surface 64. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, anti-skid foot 42 comprises an outer portion 70 and an inner substrate portion 72. In some embodiments, outer portion 70 comprises an elastomer material such as, but not limited to, a thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic urethane, thermoplastic rubber or other material having anti-skid properties that preferably will not scratch or mar support surface 64 and is at least somewhat flexible and or resilient. In some embodiments, substrate portion 72 comprises a rigid, high-strength thermoplastic such as, but not limited to, polycarbonate. However, it should be understood that the materials used to form anti-skid foot 42 may be otherwise varied. In some embodiments, anti-skid foot 42 is manufactured using an injection molding process such that outer portion 70 is overmolded onto substrate portion 72, thereby creating a chemical or cross-linked bond between the materials forming outer portion 70 and substrate portion 72. As illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, outer portion 70 is disposed over and/or otherwise covers at least the portion of substrate portion 72 near closed end 60 such that only outer portion 70 is disposed in contact with support surface 64.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, anti-skid foot 42 also comprises a threaded insert 76 disposed within an annular shaped cavity 77 formed by substrate portion 72. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, substrate portion 72 comprises an annular wall 80 and a cross wall 82, thereby forming a cap-shaped substrate portion 72. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, threaded insert 76 is disposed within cavity 77 formed by substrate portion 72 such that anti-skid foot 42 is internally threaded to facilitate engagement of anti-skid foot 42 with an externally threaded member. In some embodiments, threaded insert 76 is ultrasonically welded or heat inserted into cavity 77 and to substrate portion 72 to fixedly secure threaded insert 76 to anti-skid foot 42. However, it should be understood that anti-skid foot 42 may be otherwise configured to be internally threaded (e.g., in some embodiments, threads may be formed directly on wall 80 of substrate portion 72).

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, anti-skid foot assembly 12 comprises an externally threaded member 90 (e.g., a screw or other type of fastening member) insertable through an opening 92 formed in housing 22 such that a threaded portion 94 of member 90 extends outwardly from and/or downwardly relative to housing 22 for engagement with threaded insert 76 of anti-skid foot 42. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, threaded portion 94 is inserted through opening 92 to threadably engage threaded insert 76 of anti-skid foot 42 such that anti-skid foot 42 is positioned and/or otherwise retained within cavity 48 by a head portion 96 of threaded member 90 seated against an interior surface 98 of bottom wall 40. In some embodiments, a thread retention adhesive may be used to further secure anti-skid foot 42 to threaded member 90.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of anti-skid foot assembly 12. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, threaded member 90 is formed and/or otherwise manufactured as an integral member of housing 22 and/or bottom wall 40 (e.g., a single, unitary structure). Thus, in this embodiment, anti-skid foot 12 threadably engages an outwardly extending threaded extension 100 of housing 22 to secure anti-skid foot 42 to housing 22. However, it should be understood that the extension 100 may be otherwise formed (e.g., as a separate and/or discrete component welded, bonded, or otherwise secured to housing 22).

Thus, embodiments of anti-skid foot assembly 12 provide an anti-skid foot 42 that is resistant to being sheared off or peeled away from device 10. Embodiments of anti-skid foot assembly 12 provide an anti-skid foot 42 that is also resistant to contaminants that may otherwise adversely affect an adhesive-based bond of an anti-skid foot to a device.

Claims

1. An anti-skid foot assembly, comprising:

an anti-skid foot removably couplable to a device via a threaded member configured to seat against an interior surface of a housing of the device, the anti-skid foot having a closed end and an open end, the closed end configured to rest on a support surface when the anti-skid foot is secured to the device, and wherein the open end comprises an internally threaded cavity for threadably securing the anti-skid foot to the device.

2. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 1, wherein the anti-skid foot comprises an elastomer portion molded to a rigid substrate.

3. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 2, wherein the elastomer portion is disposed over at least a portion of the closed end for resting on the support surface.

4. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 1, wherein the internally threaded cavity comprises a threaded insert fixedly secured therein.

5. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 1, wherein the anti-skid foot comprises an outer elastomer portion and an inner rigid portion.

6. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 5, wherein the internally threaded cavity comprises a threaded insert fixedly secured to the inner rigid portion.

7. An anti-skid foot assembly, comprising:

a device having a housing; and

an internally threaded anti-skid foot removably couplable to the device via a threaded member configured to seat against an interior surface of the housing and extending outwardly from the housing, the anti-skid foot having a closed end configured to rest on a support surface when the anti-skid foot is coupled to the housing.

8. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 7, wherein the threaded member extends through an opening formed in the housing to engage the anti-skid foot.

9. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 7, wherein the anti-skid foot comprises an elastomer portion molded to a rigid substrate.

10. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 7, wherein the anti-skid foot comprises a threaded insert fixedly secured therein.

11. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 7, wherein the anti-skid foot comprises an outer elastomer portion and an inner rigid portion.

12. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 7, wherein the anti-skid foot comprises an elastomer portion overmolded onto a rigid thermoplastic portion.

13. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 7, wherein the anti-skid foot is disposed at least partially in an cavity formed in the housing.

14. A method for manufacturing an anti-skid foot assembly, comprising:

providing a device having a housing; and

removably coupling an internally threaded anti-skid foot to the device with a threaded member configured to seat against an interior surface of the housing and extending outwardly from the housing, the anti-skid foot having a closed end configured to rest on a support surface when the anti-skid foot is coupled to the housing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein coupling the anti-skid foot to the housing comprises threadably engaging the anti-skid foot to a threaded member extending through an opening of the housing.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the anti-skid foot having a threaded insert disposed therein.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the anti-skid foot having an elastomer portion molded to a rigid substrate.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the anti-skid foot having an outer elastomer portion and an inner rigid portion.

19. An anti-skid foot assembly, comprising:

a housing means;

an anti-skid means having an open end and a closed end, the closed end configured to rest on a support surface when the anti-skid means is coupled to the housing means; and

means for threadably coupling the open end of the anti-skid means to the housing means, the means for threadably coupling configured to removably couple the anti-skid means to the housing means and to seat against an interior surface of the housing means.

20. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 19, wherein the anti-skid means comprises an elastomer means molded onto a rigid substrate means.

21. An anti-skid foot assembly, comprising:

an anti-skid foot removably couplable to a device via a threaded member configured to extend through an opening formed in a housing of the device, the anti-skid foot having a closed end and an open end, the closed end configured to rest on a support surface when the anti-skid foot is secured to the device, and wherein the open end comprises an internally threaded cavity for threadably securing the anti-skid foot to the device via the threaded member.

22. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 21, wherein the internally threaded cavity comprises a threaded insert fixedly secured therein.

23. The anti-skid foot assembly of claim 21, wherein the anti-skid foot comprises an outer elastomer portion and an inner rigid portion.