Vacuum-sealed base for stabilizing a portable computing device on a surface
US9128672B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 11, 2013 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 6, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F1/206
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for stabilizing a computing device having a touch screen display on a flat surface. This helps prevent the device from being inadvertently moved, tipped over or otherwise displaced by a user when the display screen is tapped. By using a fan or a type of air pump to evacuate air from underneath a bottom surface of the device, a low-pressure region can be created that effectively pins the device to the flat surface. An airtight vacuum seal on the bottom of the device prevents air from entering or escaping the low-pressure region that has been created. A configurable actuator mounted within the device may regulate airflow to and from this low-pressure region. The fans or pump used to create the airtight seal may also be used for thermal management of internal device components.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.