Laptop computers commonly have small rubber pads or feet on the bottom of the casing. These rubber feet serve important functions for the performance and usability of the laptop. In this article, we will refer to these rubber pads as “laptop feet” and explore what they are made of, their purpose, how they provide grip and stability, allow ventilation, absorb shocks, and can be customized.
Official Name
The rubber pieces on the bottom of laptops are officially referred to as “laptop feet” or “rubber bumpers”. Major laptop manufacturers and retailers use these terms when selling replacement feet. For example, according to Amazon, popular search terms for these parts include “laptop rubber feet” and more specific variations like “hp laptop rubber feet” [1]. Lenovo, Dell, HP, and other brands also use the “rubber feet” terminology when providing replacement parts for their laptop models.
So in summary, while these rubber pieces may be informally referred to as pads, grips, or strips, their official industry-standard names are “laptop feet” or “rubber bumpers”. This terminology is consistent across retailers, manufacturers, and repair guides when referring to these standard laptop parts.
Materials
The most common materials used for laptop feet are rubber, plastic, and silicone (Hongju, 2022). Rubber feet can be made from natural rubber or synthetic rubber compounds. Natural rubber provides good abrasion resistance and vibration dampening, while synthetic rubbers like silicone or thermoplastic rubber (TPR) offer increased durability and resistance to oils and chemicals (ETol Rubber, 2022).
Plastic materials like ABS and polycarbonate are also frequently used. They are lightweight and inexpensive but may not provide as much grip. Many plastic feet will have a layer of rubber or silicone added to improve traction and shock absorption (Hongju, 2022).
Silicone is a popular choice because it is flexible and retains its shape. Silicone feet can provide good friction and vibration dampening. The material is also heat resistant and waterproof, making it suitable for electronics (ETol Rubber, 2022). Manufacturers may use specialized silicone blends to optimize properties like compression set resistance.
Purpose
Laptop feet serve several important purposes. First, they provide grip and stability when the laptop is placed on a surface. The rubber helps prevent the device from sliding around or shifting during use. Second, the feet allow for ventilation underneath the laptop. There needs to be space between the bottom of the laptop and the surface it rests on for proper airflow and cooling. Without laptop feet, all the vent holes on the underside would be blocked. Third, the feet provide shock absorption to protect the laptop’s internal components from damage if bumped or dropped. The rubber cushions blows and provides a bit of a buffer zone.
Grip
The soft rubber material used for laptop feet provides grip against smooth surfaces like tables, desks, and laps to prevent sliding. As explained on Quora, the pliable rubber conforms to microscopic textures and irregularities on the surface it rests on, creating more contact area and friction to resist sliding forces. Tiny pores in the rubber also help create suction when pressed down. The grip depends on the rubber compound – soft, high-friction silicone or thermoplastic elastomers work better than hard plastics. Some manufacturers add tread patterns or texture to further enhance grip, like the grooved feet on Lenovo laptops.
Proper adhesion between the rubber feet and laptop case is also important for grip. If the glue deteriorates, the feet may detach and slide against the surface instead of gripping it. Users can improve grip by replacing worn feet or adding textured tape/pads, as discussed on the Framework community forum.
Stability
The rubber feet on the bottom of laptops play an important role in creating a stable base for the device. By raising the laptop slightly off the surface it is sitting on, the rubber feet create space underneath and prevent the bottom of the laptop from rubbing directly against the desk or table.
This raises the entire device and creates a small but important gap so that the laptop does not slide around easily (Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-laptops-have-rubber-feet). The high friction rubber material grips the surface well and prevents unintentional sliding. Additionally, the angled shape and height of the feet enable typing to be more ergonomic by providing a suitable incline for the keyboard.
Laptop manufacturers often strategically place larger rubber feet near the back corners to redistribute weight and maximize stability while typing on uneven surfaces. By lifting the rear corners off the flat surface, a stable triangular base is formed to firmly anchor the laptop during use (Source: https://www.essentracomponents.com/en-us/news/solutions/access-hardware/the-benefits-of-rubber-bumper-feet). Overall, the rubber feet are an important design element that creates a sturdy and stable platform for comfortable laptop use.
Ventilation
The rubber feet play an important role in allowing proper airflow and ventilation for laptop computers. When a laptop sits flat on a table or desk, the bottom vents can become fully or partially blocked. This restricts airflow and prevents heat from escaping efficiently, causing the laptop’s internal components to overheat. The small rubber feet, typically 0.25-0.5 inches tall, elevate the laptop just enough to allow space for air to pass through the bottom vents and facilitate necessary airflow.
By raising the chassis slightly off the table, the rubber feet create open channels or pathways for air to travel through. Cool air can enter through side and bottom vents, pass over internal components picking up heat, and exit through rear exhaust vents. The natural convection enabled by the feet allows the laptop to pull in air, cycle it across hot components like the CPU and GPU, and vent warm air out – effectively dissipating heat. Without this vital spacing, components could reach temperatures beyond safe operating limits and cause crashes, throttling, damage, or even fires.
Manufacturers carefully determine the ideal height for feet to optimize airflow while preserving stability. The increased airflow keeps laptops cool during processor-intensive tasks like gaming, video editing, data analysis, and more. So while small and often overlooked, those little rubber feet play a crucial role in the proper ventilation and thermal management of laptop computers.
Shock Absorption
The rubber feet on the bottom of laptops play an important role in protecting the device from bumps, drops, and other impacts. They act as shock absorbers that cushion the impact when the laptop is set down or dropped, preventing damage to sensitive internal components.
The rubber feet are typically made of materials like thermoplastic elastomers or polyurethane, which have excellent shock absorbing properties. These materials are able to compress and deform when force is applied. This compression absorbs some of the energy from the impact, reducing the shock that would otherwise transmit directly to the laptop chassis and electronics.
The feet extend out slightly from the bottom case, so they make first contact when the laptop is put down on a surface. The rubber compressing distributes the force over a longer period of time compared to a direct impact on the hard lower case. This cushioning effect protects components like the motherboard, hard drive, and display panel from cracks or dislodging from their mounts.
The shock absorbing properties become even more important if the laptop is accidentally dropped. As the laptop falls, the rubber feet are often the first point of contact when it hits the floor. The feet compress to decrease the deceleration force and absorb the initial impact energy. This greatly reduces the shock to the internal components compared to if the laptop made direct contact to the floor at high speed.
While the rubber feet provide important protection, their cushioning effect has limits. Very high drops can still potentially damage a laptop even with the shock absorbing feet. But under normal treatment and reasonable impact forces, the feet play an essential role in allowing laptops to withstand bumps, drops, and shocks that would otherwise cause more harm.
Customization
Laptop manufacturers often allow for customization of the rubber feet on laptops. Some companies offer customers the ability to laser engrave their own designs or logos onto the rubber feet, adding a unique personal touch.
For example, the website Alibaba offers many options for custom laptop rubber feet that can be customized with laser engraving (https://www.alibaba.com). Companies can order custom molded feet with their logo or design engraved. Individuals can also order small batches of custom feet to personalize their laptops.
This allows for creative customization like having a name, initials, or fun design engraved onto the rubber laptop feet. It serves both a functional purpose of gripping and stabilizing the laptop, while also showing off one’s personal style.
Conclusion
In summary, the rubber feet on the bottom of laptops, officially called “rubber bumpers” or “rubber feet,” serve several important purposes. They are made of rubber or silicone materials that provide grip, stability, ventilation, and shock absorption for laptops. The grip prevents the laptop from sliding on smooth surfaces. The feet lift the laptop slightly to allow airflow and prevent overheating. They also act as a cushion to minimize impact if the laptop is dropped. People can customize the feet with different shapes and colors for personalization. The rubber feet are an indispensable component of laptop design, protecting the device and improving the user experience.