U.S. patent application number 10/087625 was filed with the patent office on 2003-09-04 for self-leveling glide assembly.
Invention is credited to Jones, David K., Karsten, Gary.
Application Number | 20030163894 10/087625 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27803927 |
Filed Date | 2003-09-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030163894 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jones, David K. ; et
al. |
September 4, 2003 |
Self-leveling glide assembly
Abstract
A self-leveling glide assembly for use with a furniture leg
includes a glide housing attached to a furniture leg, a recess
formed in a bottom portion of the glide housing, and a pad member
snap attached to the glide housing and positioned to engage a floor
surface. The glide housing is self-leveling to accommodate uneven
floor surfaces. The pad member and glide housing can be easily
removed and replaced independently without having to replace the
other. The pad member is repositionable between two opposing sides
each having a wear surface that contacts the floor. The two
opposing sides can either be made of the same material or of two
different materials. In one embodiment the first side is made of a
relatively hard material and the second side is made of a softer
material than the first side.
Inventors: |
Jones, David K.; (Grand
Rapids, MI) ; Karsten, Gary; (Wayland, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PRICE HENEVELD COOPER DEWITT & LITTON
695 KENMOOR, S.E.
P O BOX 2567
GRAND RAPIDS
MI
49501
US
|
Family ID: |
27803927 |
Appl. No.: |
10/087625 |
Filed: |
March 1, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
16/42R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 91/066 20130101;
A47C 7/002 20130101; Y10T 16/209 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
16/42.00R |
International
Class: |
A47B 091/06 |
Claims
1. A self-leveling glide for use with furniture comprising: a glide
housing snap attached to a bottom of a furniture leg, said snap
attachment providing angular movement of said glide housing
relative to said furniture leg; a recess formed in a bottom portion
of said glide housing; and a replaceable pad member releasably
connected to said annular flanges and positioned to engage a floor
surface, wherein either said pad member or said glide housing can
be quickly replaced independently of the other.
2. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
recess includes a plurality of inner annularly spaced flanges.
3. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 2, wherein said pad
member includes a radially protruding ring retainer that snap
attaches to said plurality of annularly spaced flanges.
4. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pad
member is a plastic disk.
5. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 4, wherein said
plastic disk is constructed of Acetal.
6. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 1, wherein said
angular movement of said glide housing is less than or equal to
approximately 3 degrees from vertical.
7. A self-leveling glide member as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said furniture leg includes an annular protrusion, and said glide
housing includes a groove in a top portion of said glide housing,
wherein said groove is snap attached onto said protrusion.
8. A self-leveling glide for use with furniture comprising: a glide
housing attached to a bottom of a furniture leg said attachment
providing angular movement of said glide housing relative to said
furniture leg; a pad member connected to said glide housing
positioned to engage a floor surface and having a first side and an
opposite second side, said first side having a first wear surface
and said second side having a second wear surface, said first wear
surface includes a relatively hard material, and said second wear
surface includes a material that is softer than said first wear
surface; and wherein said pad member can be selectively oriented
into first and second positions, said first wear surface contacting
said floor surface in said first position and said second wear
surface contacting said floor surface in said second position.
9. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 8, wherein said pad
member is snap attached to said glide housing.
10. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 9, wherein said
glide housing includes a bottom portion defining a recess, said
recess including a plurality of inner annularly spaced flanges.
11. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 10, wherein said
pad member includes a radially protruding ring retainer that snap
attaches to said plurality of annularly spaced flanges.
12. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 11, wherein said
ring retainer is formed in said first side of said pad member.
13. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 8, wherein said pad
member is releasably attached to said glide housing such that
either said pad member or said glide housing is replaceable
independently of the other.
14. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
furniture leg includes an annular protrusion, and said glide
housing includes a groove in a top portion of said glide housing,
wherein said groove is snapped onto said protrusion.
15. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
angular movement of said glide housing is less than or equal to 3
degrees from vertical.
16. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
first wear surface is an Acetal material.
17. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 8, wherein said
second wear surface is a felt material.
18. A self-leveling glide for use with furniture comprising: a
glide housing snap attached to a bottom of a furniture leg, said
attachment providing angular movement of said glide housing
relative to said furniture leg; a pad member snap attached to said
glide housing and positioned to engage a floor surface, said pad
member including a first side and a second opposite side, said
first side having a first wear surface and said second side having
a second wear surface; and wherein said pad member can be oriented
into first and second positions, said first wear surface contacting
said floor surface in said first position and said second wear
surface contacting said floor surface in said second position.
19. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 18, wherein said
pad member is releasably attached to said glide housing and either
said glide housing or said pad member can be replaced independently
of the other.
20. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 18, wherein said
glide housing includes a recess formed in a bottom portion of said
glide housing and said recess includes a plurality of inner
annularly spaced flanges.
21. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 20, wherein said
pad member includes a radially protruding ring retainer that snap
attaches to said plurality of annularly spaced flanges.
22. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 21, wherein said
ring retainer is formed in said first side of said pad member.
23. A self leveling glide as set forth in claim 18, wherein said
first wear surface includes a relatively hard material, and said
second wear surface includes a material that is softer than said
first wear surface.
24. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 23, wherein said
first wear surface is an Acetal material.
25. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 23, wherein said
second wear surface is a felt material.
26. A self-leveling glide as set forth in claim 18, wherein said
angular movement of said glide housing provides approximately 3
degrees of tilt from vertical.
27. A self leveling glide as set forth in claim 18, wherein said
furniture leg includes an annular protrusion, said glide housing
includes a groove in a top portion of said glide housing, and
wherein said groove is snapped onto said protrusion.
28. An article of furniture comprising: a furniture unit having at
least one leg; and a reversible glide attached to the leg having a
first surface and a different second surface shaped and adapted to
optimally support the leg on different floor surfaces.
29. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 28, wherein said
glide attachment to said leg provides angular movement of said
glide housing relative to said furniture leg.
30. An article of furniture as set forth in claim 29, wherein said
angular movement of said glide provides approximately 3 degrees of
tilt from vertical.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a glide for use with a
furniture leg having a releasably attached and reversible
floor-contacting pad that enables a user to easily remove and
replace the pad without having to replace the entire glide
assembly.
[0002] Furniture glides with a self-leveling feature are known in
the art and are used to improve the stability of an article of
furniture when it is placed on an unlevel surface. The glides on an
article of furniture have to bear the load from the weight of the
article of furniture. The glide will also bear the additional load
of such things as the weight of a user in the instance of a chair,
or the load of objects being placed on other articles of
furniture.
[0003] In the instance of a desk or table, glides are also
subjected to wear created during use of the article of furniture.
Glides can become scuffed or broken from the article of furniture
being slid across a floor. Once a glide becomes worn or broken, it
needs to be replaced so that it does not create additional damage
to the furniture or the floor it rests on. It is therefore
desirable to have a glide with removable and changeable components.
However, the removability feature must be accomplished without
significant expense and without sacrificing aesthetics due to the
competitive nature of the furniture industry. Further, the glide
must be very securely retained so that glides are not accidentally
lost.
[0004] Furniture glides can be constructed of a variety of
materials depending on the surface that the article of furniture
will be supported on. For instance, a floor surface such as
carpeting will not be as susceptible to damage caused by a glide,
therefore a wear surface made of a hard material would be adequate
to use on this type of surface. However, a floor surface such as
linoleum or hard wood would be more susceptible to damage caused by
a glide scuffing across a floor surface. With this type of floor
surface, a soft wear surface would be desired to protect against
damage to the floor surface. Even if the above-noted retention
problems are resolved, the increased inventory of components can be
problematic.
[0005] Additionally, furniture glides may need to be changed from
time to time due to wear to the entire glide assembly or due to a
desire to change the appearance of the article of furniture.
Because of this, it is desirable to have a glide assembly that can
be easily removed and a new glide assembly installed without the
use of any tools.
[0006] Accordingly, the inventors have designed an apparatus
solving the aforementioned problems and having the aforementioned
desired advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In one aspect of the invention, a glide assembly includes a
glide housing snap attached to a furniture leg having a recess
formed in a bottom portion, and a replaceable pad member releasably
connected to the bottom portion and positioned to engage a floor
surface. The pad member and the glide housing are each
independently replaceable without having to replace the other or
increasing the overall height of the glide assembly, such that the
component receiving the most wear can be replaced without having to
replace the entire glide assembly. Furthermore, in other aspects of
the invention, the glide provides more than one wear surface so
that as one wear surface becomes worn and damaged, it can be easily
replaced with a second wear surface without having to purchase
additional components.
[0008] In another aspect of the invention, a glide assembly
includes a glide housing attached to a furniture leg and a pad
member connected to the glide housing and positioned to engage a
floor surface. The pad member having a first side and a second
opposite side. The first side includes a relatively hard material
and engages the floor surface when placed in a first position, and
the second side includes a material softer than the first side and
engages the floor surface when placed in a second position.
[0009] In yet another aspect of the invention, a glide assembly
includes a glide housing snap attached to a furniture leg and a pad
member snap attached to the glide housing. The pad member is
positioned to engage a floor surface and includes a first side and
a second opposite side. The first side engages the floor surface
when in a first position and the second side engages the floor
surface when in a second position of the pad member.
[0010] These and other features, advantages, and objects of the
present invention will be further understood and appreciated by
those skilled in the art by reference to the following
specification, claims, and appended drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair including the glide
of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1 showing a top
perspective of the glide housing;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of FIG. 1 showing a bottom
perspective of the glide housing;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view of the glide of the present invention
connected to a furniture leg;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the glide taken along line 5-5
in FIG. 4;
[0016] FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views of the glide taken along
line 5-5 in FIG. 4 showing a two-sided pad member positioned in two
different orientations; and
[0017] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the glide taken along line 5-5
in FIG. 4 showing the angular movement of the glide relative to the
furniture leg.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] For purposes of description herein, the terms "upper,"
"lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical,"
"horizontal," and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention
as oriented in FIG. 1 from the perspective of a person seated in
the chair. It is also to be understood that the specific devices
and processes illustrated in the attached drawings and described in
the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the
inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific
dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the
embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as
unnecessarily limiting, unless the claims expressly state
otherwise.
[0019] A glide assembly 20 (FIG. 1) embodying the present invention
includes a glide housing 22 attached to a bottom of a furniture leg
24 (such as a leg of a chair shown in FIG. 1). In the preferred
embodiment, the glide housing 22 is made of nylon and is snap
attached to a furniture leg 24 made of a glass filled nylon
material. The snap attachment includes an annular protrusion 26 on
furniture leg 24 and a groove 28 on glide housing 22 (FIG. 2).
Glide housing 22 can be attached to furniture leg 24 by snapping
annular protrusion 26 into groove 28. Because of the ease of the
snap attachment, the glide housing 22 can be quickly and easily
removed from the furniture leg and replaced. In the present
invention, the snap connection features are designed with clearance
between annular protrusion 26 and groove 28 to permit glide
assembly 20 to tilt in any direction through an angle of 3 degrees
from vertical to provide for self-leveling of the article of
furniture on an uneven floor surface (FIG. 8). At the same time,
the clearance is designed to ensure that glide housing 22 will be
held securely connected to furniture leg 24. It is to be
appreciated however, that the size and clearance between the
furniture leg and the glide can be designed such that a greater or
lesser angle of movement is permitted.
[0020] Glide assembly 20 also includes a pad member 30 attached to
a bottom portion 32 of glide housing 22. In the preferred
embodiment, pad member 30 is disk shaped and made of a plastic
material such as Acetal. Bottom portion 32 of glide housing 22
defines a recess 34 having a plurality of annularly spaced flanges
36 within recess 34 (FIGS. 3-5). Bottom portion 32 also has a notch
48 formed within the recess 34. Pad member 30 has a radially
protruding ring retainer 38 that snap connects to the annularly
spaced flanges 36 holding the pad member within the recess. In the
preferred embodiment, there are four annularly spaced flanges 36
placed at locations spaced an equal distance apart. Annularly
spaced flanges 36 provide a contacting surface for pad member 30
that is approximately at a 45 degree angle so as to ensure pad
member 30 remains held in position while at the same time is able
to be easily removed by the use of a simple hand tool such as a
screw driver. The tool can be inserted into notch 48 to release pad
member 30 from the snap connection with the annularly spaced
flanges 36. Pad member 30 has a first side 40 having a first wear
surface 42 and a second side 44 having a second wear surface 46
(FIGS. 2 & 3). Pad member 30 is designed to be reversible
between first and second sides 40 and 44 thereby allowing the user
to position the pad member such that either wear surface 42 or wear
surface 46 will contact the floor surface. In one embodiment, pad
member 30 (FIGS. 5 & 8) is constructed of a unitary material
where both first and second wear surfaces are made of the same
material. When pad member 30 is constructed of one material, as one
side becomes damaged or too worn for continued use, pad member 30
can be removed and reinstalled with the opposite side exposed to
the floor surface. This provides for an increase in the useful life
of pad member 30 by essentially getting two wear surfaces with one
glide. In an alternative embodiment (FIGS. 6 & 7), pad member
30 is constructed having two wear surfaces each constructed of a
different material. For instance, wear surface 42 may be
constructed of a relatively hard material such as Acetal, while
wear surface 46 is made of a material softer than wear surface 42,
such as felt, which can be insert molded into the pad member. With
this embodiment, the user can place the article of furniture on
virtually any type of floor surface by simply reversing the pad
member to expose the wear surface desired for the particular floor
surface. Further, the snap attachment of pad member 30 to glide
housing 22 allows a user to remove and replace pad member 30 as
needed and described above, without requiring the removal of glide
housing 22.
[0021] In the foregoing description, those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that modifications may be made to the invention
without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such
modifications are to be considered as included in the following
claims, unless these claims by their language expressly state
otherwise.
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