Set-top boxes continue to be in high demand and an ever increasing need exists to reduce the size and improve aesthetic appeal and stability.
In particular, a stability problem that occurs is rocking of set-top boxes or the like when the devices are placed on surfaces that may be warped or not flat. In fact, in many consumer environments, set-top boxes are moved frequently for various reasons which can include general cleaning, rearrangement of entertainment centers, maintenance, etc. Such frequent moves increase the chance of stability variability, because different surfaces and different locations on a surface can have different contours.
Even though the sizes of set-top boxes and the like have been decreasing, these devices still require four feet for proper load handling and balancing. This requirement for four feet creates the opportunity for rocking, because the contact points of three feet will define a plane and a fourth foot may have a contact point out of tolerance and/or may have a contact point not in the same plane as the other three.
An additional stability problem for a set-top box is damage due to mechanical shocks and vibrations over the device's lifetime. Because the feet of devices are the principal mechanical contact points with the surrounding environment, the characteristics of the feet are paramount in dictating how shock and vibration are transferred to the set-top box.
In light of the above-mentioned stability problems, a need exists for an improved foot design that allows enhanced shock and vibration damping and eliminates the opportunity for device rocking.