Padding Nexus 9 back cover with PU/PE sheet to prevent creaking and squeezing?

[biogon]

I've read a lot of reviews that say that the Nexus 9's back has a lot of give -- you can poke and squeeze the thin plastic back and it will sag inward.

Has any industrious individual taken that back plate off to see what it looks like?

I recall "fixing" an early tablet by sticking a thin sheet of polyurethane or HDPE polyethylene to the inside of the cover. The sheet provided rigidity as well as buffered the gap between the back cover and the battery or frame on the inside.

Think a similar thing could be done here with the N9?

 

[jstwondrng]

I've read a lot of reviews that say that the Nexus 9's back has a lot of give -- you can poke and squeeze the thin plastic back and it will sag inward.

Has any industrious individual taken that back plate off to see what it looks like?

I recall "fixing" an early tablet by sticking a thin sheet of polyurethane or HDPE polyethylene to the inside of the cover. The sheet provided by rigidity as well as buffered the gap between the back cover and the battery or frame on the inside.

Think a similar thing could be done here with the N9?

Not a bad idea. Apparently, the cover can be easily removed and you can probably put something safely between the innards and the back cover. Would be interested to hear if anyone tries this.

J

 

[brosko]

that would probably cause it to retain to much heat and possibly overheat the tablet. my guess is that the space is there for that very reason?

 

[biogon]

that would probably cause it to retain to much heat and possibly overheat the tablet. my guess is that the space is there for that very reason?

Ah, interesting idea.

But without any vents in that back plate, and given that air is a fairly good heat insulator, do you think it's really likely that somehow the heat would be able to escape?

The gap is probably less than a millimeter -- that doesn't sound like much of a heat sink (and air isn't really an optimal material for that purpose.)

 

[brosko]

Not without any vents. Not really sure what to say now.

 

[biogon]

Not without any vents. Not really sure what to say now.

Still, it's a really good point.

The last time I tried that I think was with.... an HTC Thunderbolt? Or maybe it was that early first Asus ICS tablet? I forget. Either way, the device never heated up, so it wasn't an issue. But I think I've read the N9 does get hot.

If the N9 has an internal thermometer that AndroSensors uses, I'll be sure to watch it while running benchmark software... when I eventually get one.

Debating if I should get one now or wait till Black Friday.

 

[littleemp]

Ah, interesting idea.

But without any vents in that back plate, and given that air is a fairly good heat insulator, do you think it's really likely that somehow the heat would be able to escape?

The gap is probably less than a millimeter -- that doesn't sound like much of a heat sink (and air isn't really an optimal material for that purpose.)

That's not how heat in thermodynamics works, because even if there is no convection, there is still conduction and radiation. I would be wary of putting more than some double sided tape to fill the gap, because you'd be effectively modifying whatever thermal design they had using a material with unknown properties.

 

[Trees138]

That's not how heat in thermodynamics works, because even if there is no convection, there is still conduction and radiation. I would be wary of putting more than some double sided tape to fill the gap, because you'd be effectively modifying whatever thermal design they had using a material with unknown properties.

And whatever material you use would LIKELY be a better conductor than air. I would use a solid material, pretty much any solid material over double sided tape.

Am I drunk? I might be drunk. Let me check back in the AM.


EDIT:
I see the problem, I'm thinking foam tape. In an application such as this I don't even kind of believe the product engineers would have such a small thermal margin that reinforcing a small area would effect cooling.

I'm definitely drunk now though. So... FWIW.

 

[jerrykur]

I an not too worried since I usually put a case on my tablets.

 

[biogon]

That's not how heat in thermodynamics works, because even if there is no convection, there is still conduction and radiation. I would be wary of putting more than some double sided tape to fill the gap, because you'd be effectively modifying whatever thermal design they had using a material with unknown properties.

I think some other posters have made the point better than I have, but, while true, and while I'm no materials engineer, I doubt I would be using any material that has a poorer coefficient of thermal conductivity than air.

If you trust the engineering toolbox, air comes in around 0.024 W/mK, whereas HDPE is 0.4 and PTFE is 0.25. (There is a reason that your nonstick pans are coated in the stuff. If it insulated better than air [for this purpose], I imagine it would be particularly difficult to cook.)

I suppose I shouldn't fill the gas with extruded polystyrene (like in the expand-a-gap spray foams you find at Home Depot), but maybe something like an isoprene sheet would work too.

At any rate, given that there's no heatsink and a transfer mechanism to that rear plate (at least, I didn't see such a mechanism in the iFixit break down), I strongly doubt that heat dissipation was a significant factor in the engineering process.

Again, IANAMS. I might be a neuroscientist and lawyer, but I only play a materials scientist on the forums.

 

[biogon]

Am I drunk? I might be drunk. Let me check back in the AM.
I'm definitely drunk now though. So... FWIW.

Dude. Drunk posting is the best!

Mental lubrication makes for all sorts of thinking that wouldn't normally happen (and I'm not being sarcastic).

 

[Trees138]

Now having this unit in hand I can say that this doesn't even bother me a little. My condolences to those that it does bother.