Sticky pad

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Sticky pads are friction devices used to prevent objects from sliding on a surface, by effectively increasing the friction between the object and the surface.

Sticky pads are used to fix items to otherwise smooth surface that are leaned or that moves, so that objects put on that surface could off due to insufficient friction when the surface inclines or moves.^[1] The pad has large friction coefficient both with the base surface and with the item laid on it, which prevent both the sticky pad from moving with respect to the surface, and objects laid on the pad from moving relative to the pad. Sticky pads are commonly used on car dashboards where forces caused by acceleration of the vehicle would cause objects put on dashboards slip off the otherwise smooth surface of the dashboard.

Contrary to fasteners, sticky pads do not affix objects to the surface. They merely prevent objects from slipping on the surface until the threshold acceleration or inclination angle is exceeded. Sticky pads also usually don't make use of adhesives. Because of this they are easily detached form the surface, and they need gravity to serve their purpose. In particular, the force acting on the object must have a component perpendicular on the surface and directed towards it. This is different from Microsuction tape where adhesion of object is achieved by microscopic bubbles on the surface that function as small suction cups. Sticky pads are made of rubber-like materials. This help dissipate kinetic energy when the base surface vibrates, such that object on the pad keep maintaining large enough contact surface with the pad and tangential friction forces keep preventing objects from slipping relative to the pad.