WO2007113571A1

WO2007113571A1 - Support foot

Info

Publication number: WO2007113571A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/001260
Authority: WO
Inventors: Philip L. Ross
Original assignee: Pace Micro Technology Plc
Priority date: 2006-04-04
Filing date: 2007-04-04
Publication date: 2007-10-11

Abstract

A foot (2) for attachment to apparatus to support and space said apparatus from a support surface, said foot (2) including a first resilient member (4) , and a second compressible member (6) for dampening vibration, arranged such that when placed under load the foot (2) is moved from a configuration in which the second members (6) are in contact with the support surface, to a configuration in which both first and second members are in contact with the support surface, the second members (6) being compressed to the level of the first members (4) .

Description

Support Foot

The invention to which this application relates is a foot, and although the following description refers almost exclusively to attachment of one or more feet to an article in the form of a broadcast data receiver, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention can be attached to other apparatus which needs to be supported at a given distance from a support surface.

Broadcast data receivers (BDRs), also known as set-top boxes (STBs) can be provided with storage devices such as hard drives for storing the transmitted data for later playback and viewing by the user.

However, larger and/or faster hard drives experience heating which requires ventilation, and vibration which requires damping, to avoid failure of components and other undesirable effects on the operation of the apparatus.

It is known to provide electronic devices and other apparatus with feet made of foam which are cheap and efficient at absorbing vibration. However, a disadvantage of foam feet is that they are compressed by the weight of the BDR and any other devices such as VCR recorders, DVD players, and the like, being stacked on top of the BDR. As such, as the base of the BDR is caused to come close to or into contact with the supporting surface, the air circulation underneath the apparatus is restricted. In addition, foam feet tend to shear off when the BDR is dragged across a surface.

It is also known to provide air holes in the casing of the BDR to help improve ventilation, but this increases the cost of manufacturing and can easily be blocked if other equipment is placed on or adjacent the BDR.

Electronic devices can be provided with rubber feet, which allow the gap between the underside of the device and the device to be maintained to a greater degree than foam feet as they are more resilient, but disadvantageously absorb less vibration. The vibration can lead to component failure and/or may be noisy and irritating to the user.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a foot for an electronic device which dampens vibration and allows airflow between the electronic device and supporting surface.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a foot for attachment to apparatus to support and space said apparatus from a support surface, said foot including: a base; at least one first member; at least one second member; characterised in that the at least one first member is more resilient to compression than the at least one second member, and, in an uncompressed condition, the at least one second member extends from the base to a greater distance than the at least one first member.

Typically the first and second members each have a contact surface for contact with the support surface with both contact surfaces capable of contacting the support surface simultaneously depending upon the weight applied to the foot at that time.

Typically the contact surface of the second members extend to a first contact position from the base when the foot is not in use or the weight of the supported apparatus is below a certain level, and a second contact position when the said weight of the apparatus is above said level thereby compressing the at least one second member.

Typically the second members are compressible and are capable of contacting the surface in the first and second contact positions.

Typically the first members are compressible, but less compressible than the second members .

Typically the first members are more resilient than the second members and contact the surface in the second contact position.

In one embodiment the foot is compressed from the first contact position to the second contact position by the weight of apparatus to which the foot is applied, or the weight of a device to which the foot is applied and at least one further device mounted thereon.

In one embodiment the first member includes a recess, and at least part of the second member is disposed within the recess. Typically the second member is compressed into the recess when weight is applied to the foot.

Thus when apparatus with at least one foot attached thereto is placed on a surface, the weight of the apparatus causes the compressible second member to be compressed into the recess until the resilient first member also contacts the surface, at which point further compression of the second member is minimised and the space defined between the support surface and the apparatus is maintained. The electronic device thus benefits from the vibration damping provided by the compressible member while the resilient member protects the compressible member from shearing and allows airflow underneath the electronic device.

In one embodiment the first member is an upturned bowl- shaped holder for the second member, and/or is provided with an inverted rim. Typically the second member is a pad at least a part of which is designed to fit inside the first member.

In a further embodiment the second member is positioned around or adjacent the first member.

In one embodiment attachment means are provided, in one example in the form of a rivet integral to one of the foot or apparatus, which engages the edges of an opening in the other.

In one embodiment the first members and/or attachment means are integral to the base. In an alternative embodiment the first members and/or attachment means are selectively attachable to the base.

Typically the base and/or first members are manufactured from rubber, acrylic, or other resilient material.

In one embodiment the second members are formed as one part with a backing layer connecting the same. Typically the base is provided with openings through which the second members protrude. The second members are more resistant to shearing forces due to the retention thereof by the backing layer behind the base. The first members also help prevent shear by maintaining a minimum gap between the supporting surface and the apparatus, and thus restricting the maximum friction ¹ that could occur between the second members and the supporting surface. In one embodiment the second members are hollow, recessed or formed as shells to improve compressibility of the same.

Typically the second members and/or backing layer are manufactured from foam, poron, rubber or other non-slip and/or compressible material.

Typically a plurality of the feet are provided at spaced locations on a surface of the apparatus.

In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a foot for supporting and spacing apparatus from a support surface, said foot including: a first part including a base and one or more first members; a second part including one or more second members; the second part associated with the first part such that the second members protrude through openings provided in the first part; the first and second members each being provided with a contact surface for contact with a support surface; the first members being manufactured from a material more resilient to compression than that of the second members; characterised in that in an uncompressed condition, the second members extend from the first part to a greater distance than the first members, and both contact surfaces are capable of contacting the support surface simultaneously depending upon the weight applied to the foot at that time.

Typically the first part is provided with attachment means to allow attachment of the foot to apparatus. In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided electrical apparatus including a housing; said housing provided with one or more feet; each foot formed of first and second parts to contact and space the housing from a support surface at a first contact position; characterised in that under loading, the second part is compressible to also bring the first part of the foot into contact with the support surface at a second contact position and provide greater resistance to further compression and thereby maintain a gap between the housing and support surface.

In one embodiment the weight of the apparatus which is sufficient to move the same from the first contact position to the second contact position is that of a further item of apparatus.

In a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a foot for use to support a housing for electrical apparatus at a spaced distance from a support surface with which the foot contacts, said foot having a first part which acts to maintain a gap between the underside of the housing and the support surface in a first contact position, and a second part which contacts with the support surface in conjunction with the first part in a second contact position.

In one embodiment the second part is made of a material so as to dampen the effects of vibration on the housing.

In one embodiment the second part is provided to protrude beyond the end face of the first part such that when the first part contacts the support surface the second part ,is partially compressed. However the second part is not wholly compressed such that it retains a dampening effect and the first part retains the spacing.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described wherein:-

Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of a non-slip foot attached to an electronic device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the foot of Figure 1 with the weight of the electronic device attached thereto being applied.

Figure 3 illustrates the foot of Figure 1 in use, fully under the weight of the electronic device attached thereto.

Figure 4 illustrates a sectional view of a non-slip foot in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of a non-slip foot in accordance with a yet further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 illustrates a sectional view of a non-slip foot in accordance with a yet further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 illustrates a plan view of a foot in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

Figure 8 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the foot of Figure 7 along line A-A'.

Figure 9 illustrates the foot of Figure 7 from the side (a) with no weight applied thereto, (b) with weight applied thereto. Figure 10 illustrates a top perspective view of the base of a foot.

Figure 1 1 illustrates a bottom perspective view of a foot.

Figure 12 illustrates a schematic arrangement of first and second members of a foot.

Figure 13 illustrates a BDR fitted with feet in accordance with the invention.

With reference to Figure I ₅ there is illustrated a foot 2 having a base 5 which allows the foot to be attached to an item and said foot further including a first member in the form of a resilient rubber upturned bowl-shaped holder 4, with a second member in the form of a compressible poron foam pad 6 disposed within the recess 8 defined by the holder 4, and an inverted rim 20.

The foot 2 is attached to the base of the outer casing of apparatus such as a BDR 10 or other electronic device via attachment means in the form of a bolt 14 and nut 12, then placed on a supporting surface 16. It will be appreciated that other types of fasteners can be used to attach the foot to the BDR.

With reference to Figures 2-3, when the BDR is placed on a supporting surface 16, the weight of the BDR compresses the pad 6 into the recess 8 of the rubber holder 4. The BDR thus sinks slightly towards the surface 16 as indicated by arrows 18.

However, the rubber holder 4 is sufficiently robust to prevent the BDR from sinking much further when the holder 4 comes into contact with the surface 16 as illustrated in Figure 3. The rim 20 is inverted so that the holder contacts the surface smoothly if the BDR is at an angle to the surface 16. Thus the foam pad 6 provides vibration dampening while the rubber holder 4 prevents the BDR 10 from contacting the surface 16 thereby allowing airflow underneath BDR 10.

In addition, because the foam pad 6 is substantially located within the rubber holder 4, it is protected from shearing forces if the BDR is dragged along the surface 16.

With reference to Figure 4, a further embodiment of the foot 102 is illustrated, in which the first member is a rubber protrusion 104 secured to the outer casing of a BDR H O via base 105, and the second member is a circular foam pad 106 surrounding the protrusion 104. The rubber protrusion is recessed to accept the head of the bolt 1 14. This prevents the bolt 114 from protruding and scratching the surface while providing easy access to the same if the user wants to secure or remove the foot from the BDR 210.

As before, when weight is applied to the foot, the pad 106 is compressed until the BDR 110 rests on both the pad 106 and the protrusion 104, thereby providing vibration damping and spacing for air circulation respectively.

With reference to Figure 5 a yet further embodiment is illustrated, in which the BDR is supported by a plurality of elongate members, arranged such that alternate members are made of a first material such as rubber 204 and a second material such as foam 206. The BDR 210 is illustrated in a first position spaced from the surface 216 in which the foam members 206 extend beyond the rubber members 204. As the weight of the BDR 210 is applied to the foam members, the BDR 210 is moved to a second position spaced from the surface, in which the foam members 206 are compressed to the same height as the rubber members 204 such that both the foam members 206 and the rubber members 204 contact the surface 216 and support the BDR 210. Thus vibration damping and spacing for air circulation is provided to the BDR 210.

Referring to Figure 6 a further embodiment is illustrated, in which a plastic holder 304 is provided with an integrally formed rivet 322, which can be forced into an opening 324 of the BDR 310, the diameter of the opening being slightly smaller than the maximum diameter of the rivet head. The rivet can therefore be inserted relatively easily into the opening compared to removal of the same. As the rivet 322 is integrally formed with the holder 304, the potential risk of damage to the surface 316 by a broken or otherwise protruding fastener connected to the BDR 310 is minimised. The foot is thus secured to the BDR 310 to allow support thereof as hereinbefore described.

With reference to Figures 7-8, there is illustrated a foot 402 having a first part in the form of an acrylic base plate 430 which allows the foot to be attached to apparatus such as a BDR surface via attachment means in the form of an integral rivet 422. A plurality of feet are provided at spaced locations to allow the BDR 500 to be supported from a support surface 502 as shown in Figure 13.

The base 430 is provided with three openings 434 to receive a first group of resilient members 420, and a further three openings 432 to receive a second group, of compressible members 406. It will be appreciated that the groups can consist of alternative numbers of members and the invention is not limited to three members in each group. In the example shown, the second members are hollow rubber hemispherical shells 406, which are more compressible than the second members in the form of acrylic stops 420.

The shells 406 may be extruded from a single piece of rubber such that the shells 406 are formed with a backing layer (not shown) as one part, connecting the shells together. This helps prevent tearing of the rubber due to shearing forces, as may occur if the BDR supported by one or more feet is dragged across a surface, as the shells 406 protrude through the base plate 430 individually but are formed as one part which helps resist such forces. The backing layer, if provided, is retained between the base 430 and the BDR to which the base is attached.

The first member 420 may be formed integrally with the base plate 430, and may be rounded at the edges to prevent the same scratching the supporting surface.

With reference to Figures 9a-b, when the foot is placed under load, for example by attachment to and supporting the BDR device as shown in Figure 13, the weight of the BDR compresses the second members 406, from a configuration as shown in Figure 9a to that shown in Figure 9b. The BDR sinks slightly towards the supporting surface as a consequence. As the shells are hollow they can be further compressed i.e if further apparatus is stacked on the BDR until the level of the resilient stops 420 is reached. The stops limit the level that the electronic device can sink to, and hence maintain an air gap between the electronic device 500 and the supporting surface 502.

Figure 10 shows a further view of the base 430 from the top, showing the attachment means 422 and Figure 11 shows a further view of the foot from below, as described above. Figure 12 shows a schematic view of the foot illustrating the radii on which the shells 406 and stops 420 are located relative to the base 430. The stops 420 are typically equi-spaced around the centre of the base 430 and between each of the three openings 432 and towards the outer edge to give greater stability of the foot and hence to each of the feet fitted to the BDR and to the BDR itself on the support surface.

Thus the compressible second members 406 provide vibration dampening while the first members 420 prevent the supported apparatus from contacting the supporting surface directly thereby maintaining airflow underneath the electronic device. Vibration is therefore dampened while preventing heating of the apparatus to which the feet are attached.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention may also include further additional modifications made to the device which does not affect the overall functioning of the device.

Claims

1. A foot (2) for attachment to apparatus to support and space said apparatus from a support surface, said foot including: a base (5); at least one first member (4); at least one second member (6) ; characterised in that the at least one first member (4) is more resilient to compression than the at least one second member (6), and, in an uncompressed condition, the at least one second member extends from the base (5) to a greater distance than the at least one first member (4) .

2. A foot according to claim 1 wherein the first and second members each have a contact surface for contact with the support surface with both contact surfaces capable of contacting the support surface simultaneously depending upon the weight applied to the foot at that time.

3. A foot according to claim 2 wherein the contact surface of the second members extend to a first contact position from the base when the foot is not in use or the weight of the supported apparatus is below a certain level, and a second contact position when the said weight of the apparatus is above said level thereby compressing the at least one second member.

4. A foot according to claim 3 wherein the second members are compressible and are capable of contacting the surface in the first and second contact positions.

5. A foot according to claim 3 wherein the first members are more resilient than the second members and contact the surface in the second contact position.

6. A foot according to claim 3 wherein the foot is compressed from the first contact position to the second contact position by the weight of apparatus to which the foot is applied, or the weight of a device to which the foot is applied and at least one further device mounted thereon.

7. A foot according to any preceding claim wherein the first members are compressible, but less compressible than the second members .

8. A foot according to any preceding claim wherein the first member includes a recess, and at least part of the second member is disposed within the recess.

9. A foot according to claim 8 wherein the second member is compressed into the recess when weight is applied to the foot.

10. A foot according to claim 8 wherein the first member is an upturned bowl-shaped holder for receiving the second member.

11. A foot according to claim 10 wherein the holder is provided with an inverted rim.

12. A foot according to claim 8 wherein the second member is a pad at least a part of which is designed to fit inside the first member.

13. A foot according to any of claims 1 -7 wherein the second member is positioned around or adjacent the first member.

14. A foot according to any preceding claim wherein attachment means are provided.

15. A foot according to claim 14 wherein the attachment means includes a rivet integral to one of the foot or apparatus, which engages the edges of an opening in the other.

16. A foot according to claim 14 wherein the first members and/or attachment means are integral to the base.

17. A foot according to claim 14 wherein the first members and/or attachment means are selectively attachable to the base.

18. A foot according to any preceding claim wherein the base and/or first members are manufactured from rubber, acrylic, or other resilient material.

19. A foot according to any preceding claim wherein the second members are formed as one part with a backing layer connecting the same.

20. A foot according to claim 19 wherein the base is provided with openings through which the second members protrude.

21. A foot according to any preceding claim wherein the second members are hollow, recessed or formed as shells to improve compressibility of the same.

22. A foot according to any preceding claim wherein the second members are manufactured from foam, poron, rubber or other non-slip and/or compressible material.

23. A foot (402) for supporting and spacing apparatus from a support surface, said foot including: a first part including a base (430) and one or more first members (420); a second part including one or more second members (406) ; the second part associated with the first part such that the second members protrude through openings (432) provided in the first part; the first and second members each being provided with a contact surface for contact with a support surface; the first members being manufactured from a material more resilient to compression than that of the second members; characterised in that in an uncompressed condition, the second members (406) extend from the first part to a greater distance than the first members (420) , and both contact surfaces are capable of contacting the support surface simultaneously depending upon the weight applied to the foot at that time.

24. A foot according to claim 23 wherein the first part is provided with attachment means (422) to allow attachment of the foot to apparatus.

25. Electrical apparatus including a housing; said housing provided with one or more feet; each foot formed of first and second parts to contact and space the housing from a support surface at a first contact position; characterised in that under loading, the second part is compressible to also bring the first part of the foot into contact with the support surface at a second contact position and provide greater resistance to further compression and thereby maintain a gap between the housing and support surface.

26. Electrical apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the weight of the apparatus which is sufficient to move the same from the first contact position to the second contact position is that of a further item of apparatus.

27. Electrical apparatus according to claim 25 wherein a plurality of the feet are provided at spaced locations on a surface of the apparatus.

28. A foot for use to support a housing for electrical apparatus at a spaced distance from a support surface with which the foot contacts, said foot having a first part which acts to maintain a gap between the underside of the housing and the support surface in a first contact position, and a second part which contacts with the support surface in conjunction with the first part in a second contact position.

29. A foot according to claim 28 wherein the second part is made of a material so as to dampen the effects of vibration on the housing.

30. A foot according to claim 28 or 29 wherein the second part is provided to protrude beyond the end face of the first part such that when the first part contacts the support surface the second part is partially compressed.