U.S. patent application number 13/684690 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-31 for furniture leg cinching device.
The applicant listed for this patent is Carla Hollins. Invention is credited to Carla Hollins.
Application Number | 20140208547 13/684690 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51221341 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140208547 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hollins; Carla |
July 31, 2014 |
FURNITURE LEG CINCHING DEVICE
Abstract
Disclosed is a device for maintaining coordinated or matching
furniture pieces in close proximity by securing immediately
adjoining legs of the furniture pieces. The device is essentially
an elastomeric ribbed strap having a means of connecting one end of
the strap to the opposite end. The inner surface of the strap has a
ribbed texture which is coated with a tacky, friction-enhancing
substance to substantially increase the gripping power of the
strap. The entire strap, referred to as a "furniture cinch,"
essentially comprises a resilient, slightly expandable material
which may be a variety of materials, including silicon derivatives,
rubber, plastic, PVC, and similar substances.
Inventors: |
Hollins; Carla;
(Fayetteville, GA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hollins; Carla |
Fayetteville |
GA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51221341 |
Appl. No.: |
13/684690 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/16PB |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 13/005 20130101;
A47C 1/124 20130101; Y10T 24/1498 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/16PB |
International
Class: |
B65D 63/10 20060101
B65D063/10 |
Claims
1. A strap-like device for the secure binding together of adjacent
furniture legs, comprising: a first member comprising a primarily
longitudinal elastomeric strap having a first end, a second end, a
top surface, and a bottom surface, wherein said bottom surface
further comprises (a) regularly-spaced, parallel ribs oriented
orthogonally crosswise to the length of said strap, and (b) a tacky
substance coating the exterior of said ribs; a second member
comprising a male fastening means attached to the first end of said
strap; and a third member comprising a female fastening means
attached to the second end of said strap, whereby said female
fastening means corresponds to the structure of said male fastening
means.
2. A strap-like device for the secure binding together of adjacent
furniture legs, comprising: a first member comprising a primarily
longitudinal elastomeric strap having a first end, a second end, a
top surface, and a bottom surface, wherein said bottom surface
further comprises (a) regularly-spaced, parallel ribs oriented
orthogonally crosswise to the length of said strap, and (b) a tacky
substance coating the exterior of said ribs; a second member
comprising a free-plated clamp attached to the first end of said
strap; and a third member comprising a roller-designed cinch
attached to the second end of said strap; wherein said free-plated
clamp is attached to the first end of said strap by means of a
crimping tool and said roller-designed cinch is attached to said
second end of said strap, thereby allowing the first end of said
strap to be inserted within the roller-designed cinch attached to
the first end of said strap whereby the lever of said
roller-designed cinch may be closed upon said first end of said
strap and provide a secure, closed loop.
3. A furniture cinching strap device as in claim 1 wherein the male
fastening means comprises the hook component of a hook-and-felt
fastening mechanism and the female fastening means comprises the
felt component of a hook-and-felt fastening mechanism.
4. The furniture cinching strap device as in claim 1 wherein the
male fastening means comprises a belt buckle, and the female
fastening means comprises regularly-spaced, center-aligned holes
through the second end of said strap.
5. The furniture cinching strap device as in claim 1 wherein the
male fastening means comprises a plurality of regularly-spaced male
snap fasteners embedded in the first end of said furniture cinching
device, and the female fastening means comprises regularly-spaced,
female snap fasteners embedded in, and spaced in the second end of
said strap in correspondence with the spacing of said male snap
fasteners.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH. OR
DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] (1) Field of the Invention
[0005] The inventive concept presented herein generally is
concerned with devices and methods of ensuring that individual
seats or sections of residential ensemble-type furniture or
commercial seating equipment are maintained in as close proximity
as originally designed, thus maintaining the coordinated and
unitary appearance of the furniture or seating equipment.
[0006] (2) Description of the Related Art
[0007] The following patents and patent application publications
present a range of ideas and devices that have previously been used
to address the problems associated with this area of endeavor.
[0008] In U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,484 (Dec. 22, 1964; Kleffman) an
invention relates to a device for use in retaining the ensemble
relationship of sectional furniture. The device comprises a pair of
circular ring parts formed of flexible material and dimensioned to
fit over the opposed legs of the ensemble pieces.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,172 (Aug. 4, 1987; Lundquist). Here the
inventor devises a ganging system and connector for assembling a
plurality of like furniture elements such as stackable individual
chairs into a stable, unitary row of seats for use in an auditorium
or the like, A stylized "G"-shaped connector is used.
[0010] The inventor of U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,017 (Oct. 4, 1994;
Berning) presents an arrangement of pins and open-mouthed slots to
provide an apparatus for interconnecting furniture modules to form
a sectional sofa in order to enable rapid and easy blind
connection, while permitting both ease in disconnection and
elimination of stress on the frames of adjoining sections.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,938 (Aug. 13, 1996; Saul et al.) is a
mounting apparatus and method for releasably securing together
adjacent seating sections wherein the mounting apparatus includes a
bracket having a key-hole like opening formed therein and a
fastener having an enlarged head and a shaft.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,530 (Sep. 28, 1999; Gutgsell) is a
device for ganging chairs or other articles of furniture that
includes a connecting body with a pivot end and a ganging end. The
pivot end includes a first clip or a recess, and the ganging end
includes a second clip. The first clip (recess) and the second clip
releasably engage the structural frames of a first chair and second
chair.
[0013] The inventor in US patent application publication
#2004/0095000 A1 (May 20, 2004; Durling) designed a device
comprising components of knock-down furniture and modules of
sectional furniture which are equipped with interlocking brackets,
connector frames, and a shelf assembly at the time of manufacture,
thus providing for a method of assembling the components.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,689 B2 (Nov. 11, 2008; Carter et al.) is
a furniture member strap system which includes a first strap having
loop members at a first end and hook members at a second end and a
first sewn area positioned between the loop members and the hook
members. A second strap has opposed ends overlapping each other
creating a looped end. The assembly joins first and second members
of a furniture assembly having the first and second straps sewn to
the first and second furniture members.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT
[0015] The inventive concept herein discloses a device for
maintaining the close proximity of coordinated, or dissimilar,
furniture pieces by securing immediately adjoining legs of those
furniture pieces that are designed to fit adjacent to each other.
The device is essentially a ribbed strap having a means of
connecting one end of the strap to the opposite end. A preferred
embodiment is a roller-designed cinch on one end of the ribbed
strap and a free-plated opposite end, the free-plated end being
dimensioned to allow insertion into the end having the
roller-designed cinch. The inner surface of the strap has a ribbed
texture which is coated with a tacky, friction-enhancing substance
to substantially increase the gripping power of the strap. The
entire strap, referred to as a "furniture cinch," essentially
comprises an elastomeric, slightly expandable component which may
be selected from a variety of materials, including silicon
derivatives, rubber, plastic, PVC, and similar substances.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The objects, features, and advantages of the concept
presented in this application are more readily understood when
referring to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, totaling six
figures, show the basic functions of various embodiments and
methods. In the several figures, like reference numbers are used in
each figure to correspond to the same component as may be depicted
in other figures.
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a lengthwise view of the bottom, or interior
surface of the strap component of the furniture cinch.
[0018] FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the furniture cinch with the
interior ribbed surface downward.
[0019] FIG. 3 presents two matching sectional furniture pieces
spaced apart.
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates the two sectional furniture pieces of
FIG. 3 joined together by the furniture cinch.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a close-up view of the two adjacent legs of two
sectional pieces joined by the furniture cinch.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a view of the bottoms of the two sectional
furniture pieces with their adjacent legs joined by two separate
furniture cinches.
TABLE-US-00001 [0023] Nomenclature For Invention Components 1.
Furniture cinch 2. Outer surface 3. Ridge 3(a) Groove 4. Buckle
face 5. Buckle underside 6. Retaining surface 7. Plated tip 8.
Interior surface 9. Chair A 10. Chair B 11. A left front leg 12. A
right front leg 13. A right rear leg 14. A left rear leg 15. B left
front leg 16. B right front kg 17. B right rear kg 18. B left rear
leg 19. n/a 20. Inset
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIVE CONCEPT
[0024] The objects, features, and advantages of the concept
presented in this application are more readily understood when
referring to the accompanying drawings. The drawings, totaling six
figures, show the basic functions of various embodiments and
methods. In the several figures, like reference numbers are used in
each figure to correspond to the same component as may be depicted
in other figures.
[0025] The discussion of the present inventive concept will be
initiated with FIG. 1, where there is observed a segmented view of
the bottom surface of the furniture cinch 1. FIG. 1 further shows
an embodiment of the furniture cinch 1 having a roller-designed
cinch fastening mechanism, with the roller cinch 5 on one end of
the furniture cinch 1 and the plated tip 7 attached to the opposite
end of the furniture cinch 1. The main body length of the furniture
cinch 1, in its preferred embodiment is constructed from an
elastomeric substance, which may be selected from a variety of
materials, including silicon derivatives, rubber, plastic, PVC, and
similar substances.
[0026] The plated tip 7 is secured to one end of the furniture
cinch 1 by a crimping tool or by claw-like appendages on the inner
surface of the plated tip 7 arranged perpendicularly to the inner
flat surface of the plated tip 7 such that the claw-like appendages
penetrate the surface of the furniture cinch 1.
[0027] In viewing FIG. 2, a segmented side view of the furniture
cinch 1 is displayed. The undersurface of the furniture cinch 1 is
shown to have continuous, regularly-spaced ribs 3 with parallel
grooves 3(a) between successive ribs 3. FIG. 2 further shows that
the furniture cinch 1 is operated by placing the plated tip 7 into
the gap exposed when the buckle face 4 is opened. Once the plated
tip 7 is inserted within the roller cinch 5 to the necessary length
as to effect a loop thereby binding two adjacent furniture legs,
the buckle face 4 of the roller cinch 5 is rotated toward the
roller cinch 5 to securely grip the end of the furniture cinch 1 to
which the plated tip 7 is attached.
[0028] It is also pointed out that, with the roller cinch 5 type
fastening mechanism, it is not required that the opposite end of
the furniture cinch 1 comprise a plated tip 7. The opposite end
will function just as effectively with the continuation of the
strap portion being a solid, squared-off end. Other forms of
hastening the opposite ends of the furniture cinch 1 may comprise a
hook-and-felt fastening mechanism, a belt buckle-type fastener,
snap fasteners, press studs, ratchets, and other means of
connection.
[0029] FIG. 3 depicts two similar items of furniture, being
upholstered chairs, 9, 10 spaced apart, further showing front legs
11, 12, 15, and 16. FIG. 4 shows the two chairs 9, 10 placed
proximate one another, whereby front legs 12, 15, are substantially
adjacent one another, as shown in the inset 20. In FIG. 5, an
enlarged view of inset 20 illustrates the outer surface 2 of the
furniture cinch 1 as evidence of the inner ribs 3 of the furniture
cinch 1 having established a substantial gripping effect on the two
furniture legs 12, 14. The buckle face 4 of the furniture cinch 1
has been closed and tightened upon the furniture cinch 1 after
insertion of the plated tip 7, with the end result being a
curtailing any separation of the two chairs 9, 10, caused by normal
seating use or unexpected jostling of either chair.
[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates an underside view of the aforesaid two
chairs 9, 10 having been placed in close proximity. In the view
shown in FIG. 6, both the adjacent front legs 12, 15, and adjacent
rear legs 13, 18 are secured by two separate furniture cinches 1.
The two furniture cinches 1 thereby provide enhanced stability of
the two chairs in their side-by-side arrangement.
[0031] While preferred embodiments of the present inventive concept
have been shown and disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those
persons skilled in the art that such embodiments are presented by
way of example only and not as a limitation to the scope of the
inventive concept. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions
may occur or be suggested to those skilled in the art without
departing from the intent, scope, and totality of the inventive
concept. Such variations, changes, and substitutions may involve
other features which are already known per se and which may be used
instead of, or in addition to features already disclosed herein.
Accordingly, it is intended that this inventive concept not be
limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.
* * * * *