U.S. patent application number 13/083474 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-15 for protective cover/sleeve for furniture legs and/or feet.
Invention is credited to Amannda Schneider.
Application Number | 20120061545 13/083474 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45805713 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120061545 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schneider; Amannda |
March 15, 2012 |
PROTECTIVE COVER/SLEEVE FOR FURNITURE LEGS AND/OR FEET
Abstract
A furniture leg/foot protective cover/sleeve is provided for
placing on and/or around furniture legs/feet. The protective
cover/sleeve can include a base for engaging a supporting surface,
or in an alternative embodiment can be open at the base end. The
cover/sleeve is flexibly shaped and preferably extends from a
bottom edge of the cover/sleeve closest to the support surface to a
top open edge defining an interior cavity for receiving the
furniture leg/foot therein and substantially covers the furniture
foot/leg.
Inventors: |
Schneider; Amannda;
(Kirkland, WA) |
Family ID: |
45805713 |
Appl. No.: |
13/083474 |
Filed: |
April 8, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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61322864 |
Apr 11, 2010 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
248/345.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 91/00 20130101;
A47B 95/043 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/345.1 |
International
Class: |
A47B 96/00 20060101
A47B096/00 |
Claims
1. A protective cover for a furniture leg comprising: a
substantially hollow sleeve formed of padded material, the hollow
sleeve having an upper edge and a lower base portion, wherein said
upper edge defines an upper opening to an interior area sized and
shaped to enable said sleeve to receive a furniture foot, and said
lower base portion configured to rest on a surface; said hollow
sleeve extending, in use, upwardly from the lower base portion
terminating in the upper opening, wherein an outer peripheral
surface of the furniture leg is substantially covered by the hollow
sleeve.
2. The protective cover for a furniture leg, wherein the hollow
sleeve is substantially cylindrical and formed of a flexible
material.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0001] Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention
are described in detail below with reference to the following
drawings:
[0002] FIG. 1 is a bed frame with a combination wheel casters and
flat feet supports common in the prior art with an exemplary
embodiment of a protective cover/sleeve in accordance with the
present invention;
[0003] FIG. 2 is a metal storage rack common in the prior art with
an exemplary embodiment of a protective cover/sleeve for the
leg/feet of the storage rack;
[0004] FIG. 3A is an exemplary embodiment of a cylindrically shaped
protective cover/sleeve in accordance with the present
invention;
[0005] FIG. 3B is a bottom plan view of an exemplary embodiment of
a base end of the protective cover/sleeve shown in FIG. 3A in
accordance with the present invention;
[0006] FIG. 4 is an exemplary embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve in accordance with the present invention;
[0007] FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve in accordance with the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 6 is an exemplary embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve in accordance with the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 7 is an exemplary embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve in accordance with the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 8 is an exemplary embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve in accordance with the present invention; and
[0011] FIG. 9 is an exemplary embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] It is common when manipulating furniture to inadvertently
come in contact with a leg and/or foot of the furniture. For
example, painful injury can result from hitting toes and feet on
bed frame feet while making a bed, or just walking by the bed,
particularly when there are sharp metal pieces and/or wheels
attached to the furniture legs and/or feet.
[0013] A variety of coaster and furniture glides act as buffers
between furniture legs/feet and the floor on which a piece of
furniture rests. These devices focus on the placement of the
coaster or glider on the terminal end of the furniture leg to
prevent contact of the furniture leg with the floor and thus
prevent damage to the floor or noises and vibrations as a result of
contact of the leg with the floor.
[0014] Some devices further disclose extendable portions of the
coaster or glider to aid positioning onto the furniture leg thus
preventing disengagement of the coaster or glider while the
furniture is in use. By way of example, a self-adjusting furniture
guide with a sleeve to mount on to the terminal end of a furniture
leg. In this example the sleeve snugly fits the furniture leg to
keep the glider in position on the leg. While functional for its
intended purpose, it has certain limitations, in particular the
sleeve lacks padding to cover the furniture leg thus it does not
protect a user from having injurious contact with the furniture
legs/feet. Furniture glides and/or coasters fail to provide padding
around the furniture leg/feet to prevent contact and injury to a
furniture user.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, a protective sleeve/cover is a
pre-manufactured, low cost, and simple out of the box consumer
product that can fit over and/or around the foot/leg of furniture
to protect a furniture user's feet and toes from injury when coming
in contact with the furniture leg/foot. The protective sleeve/cover
can additionally reduce floor and carpet damage (floor scratches
and indentation) from the furniture leg/feet, and keep the
furniture leg/feet (e.g., beds, rack) from moving and/or sliding
along the floor. Common residential uses of the sleeve/cover
include, but are not limited to, placement on the feet of: metal
bed frames, metal storage racks, cribs, free standing chopping
blocks, dining tables, coffee tables, couches, and the like. For
example, in use the protective sleeve/cover can prevent injury
resulting from toes and feet bumping into a bed frame foot while
making a bed, vacuuming around the bed, or just walking around the
bed to get in it. Commercial uses include, but are not limited, to
use in restaurants, retail establishments, healthcare facilities,
daycare facilities, and retirements homes where any table, baking
rack, free-standing chopping block, display rack, hospital birthing
bed, child's bed/crib, or hospital bed.
[0016] In a preferred embodiment the product composition can be
polyurethane, foam, rubber and/or plastic based. Some exemplary
materials include, but not limited to, polyethylene foams,
polyester foam, vinyl nitrile foams, and the like. Alternative
flexible and hardwearing materials are also contemplated.
[0017] In one embodiment the protective sleeve/cover can be
pre-designed to fit a standard sized foot of a piece of furniture
(e.g., a metal bed frame with or without wheels). The material can
be of a sufficient thickness, density, and resilience to provide
ample padding and impact resistance to protect a user of the
furniture from injury if their foot comes in contact with the
foot/leg of the furniture. For example, in one embodiment a 0.1-4''
inch thickness polyurethane foam material is used to provide a
cylindrically-shaped protective cover/sleeve having an interior
cavity to accommodate the furniture foot. In this example, the
protective cover/sleeve can be slipped onto leg/foot of furniture;
encircling the furniture leg/foot. A complete range of sizes,
hardness/flexibility of material, and/or colors and designs of the
polyurethane foam material are contemplated depending on the
application and furniture leg to be housed in the protective
cover/sleeve.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows a metal bed frame with a combination of wheel
casters and flat feet support and an exemplary embodiment of a
protective cover/sleeve. As shown the protective cover/sleeve can
be configured to cover a variety of alternative furniture leg/feet
sizes and configurations including, but not limited to, a wheel
caster or a flat foot support of a metal bed. As will be further
discussed below, the protective/sleeve cover in a preferred
embodiment can be cylindrical in shape to slip over and/or wrap
around the furniture leg and/or foot to substantially cover the leg
and/or foot and protect a furniture user's feet from contact.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a metal storage rack with an exemplary embodiment
of a protective cover/sleeve. In this exemplary embodiment the
protective cover/sleeve is configured to cover a square metal
storage rack leg/foot. Alternative furniture leg/feet
configurations include, but are not limited to, a variety of
shapes, sizes and materials dependent on the end use of the
protective cover/sleeve.
[0020] FIG. 3A is an exemplary embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve 10 in a substantially cylindrical shape with a
continuous single side 20, an exterior face 25 and an interior face
35 defining an interior space 40 into which a furniture leg/foot 50
is inserted. The hollow, substantially cylindrical protective
cover/sleeve 10 can have an open top end 60, and a closed base end
65. In use, the closed base end 65 is in contact with the bottom of
the leg/foot 50 in the interior space 40, and with the floor on the
floor face 70 of the closed base end 65. The continuous side 20 and
the closed base end 65 of the protective cover/sleeve 10 may be
fully integrated. The diameter of the opening of the open top end
60 and of the interior space 40 is configured to permit the
protective covering/sleeve 10 to be positioned around the outer
peripheral surface of a furniture leg/foot 50 thereby facilitating
easy slipping on and off of the protective cover/sleeve 10 onto the
furniture leg/foot 50. In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B,
the closed base end 65 of the protective/cover sleeve 10 can have a
pad 80 affixed to the exterior surface. The pad is thus positioned
to protect the floor from scratching and impressions and also to
facilitate movement of the furniture leg/foot across a supporting
surface once enclosed within the protective cover/sleeve 10. For
example a felt pad or the like can be used.
[0021] FIGS. 4A and 4B show an embodiment of a protective
cover/sleeve 90, which can be cylindrical in shape with a
continuous single side 20, an exterior face 25 and interior face 35
defining an interior space 40, a first open end 60, and second open
end 90. In this exemplary embodiment, the single side 20 encircles
the furniture leg/foot 50 but the leg/foot 50 is engaged with the
support surface 110 rather than the closed base end 65 of the
protective cover/sleeve as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The single
side 20 can be made of a single molded form without seams, the open
top end forming an annulus at an upper edge and an annulus at a
lower edge. Alternatively, the single side 20 can be made of a
single piece of material sewn together at opposing sides to thus
form an annulus at an upper edge and an annulus at a lower
edge.
[0022] In alternative embodiments a protective cover/sleeve 150,
200 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively includes, a single piece
of padded material with an interior facing side 160, and exterior
facing side 170, and two opposing ends 180, 190. The cover/sleeve
150 can be configured to wrap around the peripheral surface of a
furniture leg/foot and fastened together by fastening means 210,
220 thus bringing the two opposing edges 180, 190 in close
juxtaposition. In this embodiment the protective cover/sleeve 150
forms a substantially tubular sleeve. In use, the protective
cover/sleeve 150 can either be slipped around the furniture leg, or
can be installed in situ with fastening means 210 or 220. In the
later embodiment, the protective cover/sleeve 150, 200 can be
wrapped around the furniture leg/foot and adjustably fastened
around the furniture leg/foot.
[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, in an embodiment a
protective cover/sleeve 300 can be substantially cylindrical in
shape with a continuous single side wall 310. The single side wall
310 further comprises an interior face 330 and exterior face 320
defining an interior space 340 into which the furniture foot/leg is
inserted or enclosed, a first open top end 350, and second base end
360. In this exemplary embodiment the continuous single side/wall
310 is inflatable; the inflation valve 370 is in communication to
an internal chamber 380 between the exterior face 320 and interior
face 330. The inflation valve 370 is in operable communication with
the internal chamber 380 of the side wall portion wherein the valve
370 permits rigid inflation of said unitary construction; air
circulating into the internal chamber 380 filling the chamber and
thus providing the padding and surrounding the furniture leg/foot.
The inflated chambers 380 of the protective cover/sleeve provide
the padding to protect the user's feet from injury when coming in
contact with the furniture leg/feet.
[0024] A single inflatable chamber, or multiple chambers in
communication with each other are contemplated. In one alternative
embodiment the protective cover/sleeve 300 can also have a base
portion whereby said base and said side portions define a unitary
construction for receiving the furniture leg. In use the
cylindrical protective cover/sleeve can be slipped into place prior
to inflation and then chambers inflated once the furniture leg is
inserted into the interior cavity defined by the sleeve.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, other exemplary embodiments
of a protective sleeve/cover 400, 500 can be substantially
rectangular or triangular in shape, respectively. Other shapes are
also possible depending on the end use of the protective
sleeve/cover 400, 500 so that when in use the protective
sleeve/cover 400, 500 is positioned around the foot and/or leg of
furniture to thus substantially cover the foot and/or leg. As shown
in FIG. 8, the protective sleeve/cover can be made from a molded,
fully integrated rectangular form. The rectangular form can
otherwise be produced and assembled from individual pieces and sewn
together to make the desired configuration. In this example the
protective sleeve/cover 400, 500 is a single unitary piece and the
protective sleeve/cover 400, 500 is slipped onto the furniture
foot/leg. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, the protective
sleeve/cover 400, 500 is formed by folding and curving the material
elements of the protective/sleeve 400, 500 together. In this
example, the opposing edges 180, 190 of the protective sleeve/cover
400, 500 are brought in close juxtaposition to form a substantially
tubular shape. The opposing edges 180, 190 can be fastened together
by fastening means 220, for example overlapping hook and eye tabs,
or straps with hood and eye pieces. When the opposing edges 180,
190 are brought together they produce an interior face 160 and an
exterior face 170 and define an interior space 40 that encloses the
furniture leg/foot 50. In this embodiment the protective
sleeve/cover 400, 500 adopts a pre-determined configurable
cylindrical or tubular shape made by curving the protective/cover
sleeve 400, 500 around the furniture leg/foot. The cylindrical or
tubular shape forms a first open end 60, a second opened end 90,
and an interior space 40; the furniture foot/leg 50 is positioned
within the interior space 40. Other pre-determined configurable
shapes are also contemplated. A variety of fastening means to hold
the protective cover/sleeve 400, 500 in place include, but are not
limited to, hooks and eye fasteners, ties, snaps, straps, and the
like. Alternatively, metal stays can be integrated into the padded
foam material, for example such that the side is flexible to
accommodate positioning around the leg, and then forms a fitted and
flexible fit once in place surrounding the leg. The protective
sleeve/cover 400, 500 can thus be installed in situ encircling the
furniture/leg foot 50.
[0026] The product can be made of various combinations engineered
of plastic rubber, polyurethane and foam extrusions, flexibly
shaped (cylindrical, rectangular, triangular, and the like) as to
fit specifically around furniture legs and or feet and thus
substantially cover the furniture leg and/or feet. Other features
include methods and process for shape, size, design and
strength/durability, and fasteners, specific for the purpose of
creating the flexibly shaped product for furniture legs and feet
and for maximizing foot and toe protection. The product dimensions
can vary based on size of furniture legs and feet.
[0027] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been
illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For
example, the protective cover/sleeve composition, dimensions, and
shape can vary based on the size of the furniture leg and feet.
Moreover the choice of material in terms of flexibility, density,
color, and external design details can vary depending on the
environment and intended use of the protective cover/sleeve.
Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the
disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention
should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that
follow.
* * * * *