Furniture glide

Abstract

A furniture glide for supporting a furniture leg on a leg supporting surface. The furniture leg defines a leg free end. The furniture glide includes a slider, the slider including a slider body defining a body end surface. The body end surface has a substantially convex configuration. The body end surface is substantially covered with a plurality of substantially elongated textile fibres extending substantially away therefrom. A leg-to-slider attachment is operatively coupled to the slider for attaching the slider to the furniture leg substantially adjacent to the leg free end in an operative configuration in which the substantially elongated textile fibres extend substantially away from the leg free end with the body extending between the substantially elongated textile fibres and the leg free end. When the leg-to-slider attachment is attached to the furniture leg in the operative configuration and the furniture glide supports the furniture leg on the leg supporting surface, the slider defines a contact surface in which the slider abuts against the leg supporting surface. The contact surface includes a load transmitting portion in which the slider transmits load exerted onto the furniture leg to the leg supporting surface and an unloaded portion in which the substantially elongated textile fibres contact the leg supporting surface in a substantially unloaded state, the unloaded portion extending peripherally relatively to the load transmitting portion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the general field of furniture and is more particularly concerned with a furniture glide.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art proposes numerous glides, commonly referred to as chair glides, chair tips, glide caps, swivel glides or rubber feet, that are generally attached to the lower leg ends of conventional legged furniture such as chairs, tables, and the like.

Chair glides of the prior art generally consist of a base component that can take, for example, the form of a simple end cap that extends over the lower end limit of the chair leg, an end plug having its upper portion inserted in the open lower end of a tubular chair leg, or is composed of a two part assembly separated by a pivotable link.

While these chair glides of the prior art can generally fulfill the main objective of enabling a legged furniture to be easily glided around on a floor surface, they also offer one or more of the following disadvantages. First, in some prior art chair glides, the resilient material representing the contact surface of the chair glide with the floor, such as plastic, nylon, Teflon or rubber, can leave scratches, abrasion or dark rubber markings, particularly on shinny floors, as well as generate unpleasant noises and vibration sensations through the chair when the latter is glided around on the floor surface. Furthermore, the undesirable dark rubber markings generally result in high cleaning costs of floors, particularly in large schools, hospitals and other public buildings.

Furthermore, the chair glide is sometimes accidentally separated from the lower end of the chair leg due to the contour of the glide that is exceeding the peripheral sidewall of the chair leg and, hence, can get caught under a shoe heel's edge and be pulled out from under the chair leg.

Yet furthermore, in chair glides having a stick-on pad of cushioning material, such as fibres or felt, the cushioning material is often fastened to the chair glide using a simple adhesive. In these prior art chair glides, the cushioning material often ends up miss-aligned relatively to the chair leg and is relatively easily accidentally separated from the chair leg.

Yet furthermore, the resilient material representing the contact surface of the chair glide with the floor is subject to degradation and often need replacement, especially in the case of nylon caps and stick on felt pads.

Finally, some prior art chair glides have a relatively complex design and are relatively expensive to manufacture, particularly in the case of chair glides incorporating a swivel base.

Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved furniture glide. It is a general object of the present invention to provide such a furniture glide.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a broad aspect, the invention provides a furniture glide for supporting a furniture leg on a leg supporting surface. The furniture leg defines a leg free end. The furniture glide includes a slider, the slider including a slider body defining a body end surface. The body end surface has a substantially convex configuration. The body end surface is substantially covered with a plurality of substantially elongated textile fibres extending substantially away therefrom. A leg-to-slider attachment is operatively coupled to the slider for attaching the slider to the furniture leg substantially adjacent to the leg free end in an operative configuration in which the substantially elongated textile fibres extend substantially away from the leg free end with the body extending between the substantially elongated textile fibres and the leg free end. When the leg-to-slider attachment is attached to the furniture leg in the operative configuration and the furniture glide supports the furniture leg on the leg supporting surface, the slider defines a contact surface in which the slider abuts against the leg supporting surface. The contact surface includes a load transmitting portion in which the slider transmits load exerted onto the furniture leg to the leg supporting surface and an unloaded portion in which the substantially elongated textile fibres contact the leg supporting surface in a substantially unloaded state, the unloaded portion extending peripherally relatively to the load transmitting portion.

Advantageously, the proposed furniture glide provides a good contact with the leg supporting surface even if such contact is made with furniture legs that are not perpendicular to the leg supporting surface.

Also, the proposed furniture glide is relatively easily manufacturable using known materials and methods.

In some embodiments of the invention, the substantially elongated textile fibres prevent or reduce the generation of unpleasant sounds and vibrations when the furniture is moved and act as a protection against damage and/or dark rubber markings on a wide range of leg supporting surface textures and materials.

In some embodiments of the invention, the shape of the slider is such that the furniture glide only protrudes minimally in a radial direction relatively to the furniture leg, which reduces risks of accidental separation of the furniture glide from the furniture leg;

In some embodiments of the invention, the body end surface is substantially ellipsoidal cap shaped. This shape allows for the attachment of the proposed furniture glide to furniture legs that extend at various angles relatively to the leg supporting surface while keeping the above-mentioned advantages of the proposed furniture glide.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention will now be disclosed, by way of example, in reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1, in a perspective view, illustrates a furniture glide in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the furniture glide being shown attached to a furniture leg of a furniture element taking the form of a chair, the chair being shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 2, in a perspective view, illustrates the furniture glide shown in FIG. 1 attached to the furniture leg shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, in a side elevation view, illustrates the furniture glide shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4, in a bottom plan view, illustrates the furniture glide shown in FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIG. 5, in a side elevation view, illustrates the furniture glide shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the furniture glide being shown attached to a furniture leg; and

FIG. 6, in a side elevation view, illustrates the furniture glide shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 attached to the furniture leg shown in FIG. 5, the furniture glide being shown supporting the furniture leg on a leg supporting surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate a furniture glide 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the furniture glide 10 is usable for supporting a furniture leg 12 on a leg supporting surface 14 (shown in FIG. 6). Referring to FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, the furniture leg 12 defines a leg free end 16.

As shown in FIG. 1, in some embodiments of the invention, the furniture leg 12 is a leg of a chair 17. However, in other embodiments of the invention, the furniture leg 12 is a furniture leg 12 of any other suitable piece of furniture.

As seen in FIG. 1, in some embodiments of the invention, the furniture leg 12 extends in a non-perpendicular direction relatively to the leg supporting surface 14 (not seen in FIG. 1). However, in alternative embodiments of the invention, as seen in FIG. 6, the furniture leg 12 extends substantially perpendicularly to the leg supporting surface 14.

Referring to FIG. 3, the furniture glide 10 includes a slider 20 and a leg-to-slider attachment 22 operatively coupled to the slider 20 for attaching the slider 20 to the furniture leg 12 substantially adjacent to the leg free end 16 (not shown in FIG. 3). The slider 20 includes a slider body 24 defining a body end surface 26 having a substantially convex configuration, the body end surface 26 being substantially covered with a plurality of substantially elongated textile fibres 28 extending substantially away therefrom. In some embodiments of the invention, as seen in FIG. 3, the slider 20 also includes a spacing segment 30 extending between the slider body 24 and the leg-to-slider attachment 22. For example, and non-limitingly, the spacing segment 30 extends integrally from the slider body 24 and the leg-to-slider attachment 22 extends integrally from the spacing segment 30.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the leg-to-slider attachment 22 is provided for attaching the slider 20 to the furniture leg 12 substantially adjacent to the leg free end 16 in an operative configuration in which the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 extend substantially away from the leg free end 16 with the slider body 24 extending between the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 and the leg free end 16.

As seen in FIG. 6, when the leg-to-slider attachment 22 is attached to the furniture leg 12 in the operative configuration and the furniture glide 10 supports the furniture leg 12 on the leg supporting surface 14, the slider 20 defines a contact surface 32 in which the slider 20 abuts against the leg supporting surface 14. The contact surface 32 includes a load transmitting portion 34 in which the slider 20 transmits the loads exerted onto the furniture leg 12 to the leg supporting surface 14 and an unloaded portion 36 in which the substantially elongated textile fibres 36 contact the leg supporting surface 14 in a substantially unloaded state. The unloaded portion 36 extends peripherally relatively to the load transmitting portion 34.

This configuration of the contact surface 32 is formed by having substantially elongated textile fibres 28 that are relative easily deformable. In combination with the convex configuration of the body end surface 26, this causes some of the substantially elongated textile fibres 28, namely the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 located in the load transmitting portion 34, to be compressed between the body end surface 26 and the leg supporting surface 14 so as to transmit loads to the leg supporting surface 14. However, the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 that are located in the unloaded portion 36 are only relatively slightly deformed and, by their nature, do not transmit significant loads to the furniture leg 12.

The substantially elongated textile fibres 28 in the unloaded portion 36 have been found to surprisingly reduce the noises that may be caused when the furniture to which the furniture leg 12 is attached is slid unto a floor as their configuration absorbs sound waves that are produced at the interface between the load transmitting portion 34 and the leg supporting surface 14.

Yet, furthermore, it has been found that, surprisingly, the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 located in the unloaded portion 36 have a capability to prevent, at least in part, dust and small particles from reaching the load transmitting portion 34. Therefore, this reduces the risk that such dust and small particles become lodged between the load transmitting portion 34 and the leg supporting surface 14, which could lead to the formation of scratches and markings on the leg supporting surface 14.

Therefore, through a synergy between the convex configuration of the body end surface 26 and the physical and geometrical properties of the substantially elongated textile fibres 28, a new and unexpected result of a furniture glide that is relatively efficient in preventing the creation of noise and scratches on the leg supporting surface 14 has been achieved.

An example of a shape for the body end surface 26 that has been found to be suitable for achieving these results, while allowing for supporting the furniture leg 12 at various angles relatively to the leg supporting surface 14, is a body end surface 26 that has a substantially ellipsoidal cap shape. For example, the body end surface 26 is shaped substantially similarly to a cap of an ellipsoid, the ellipsoid defining three principal axes, the cap of the ellipsoid being obtained by cutting the ellipsoid in half along a plane extending perpendicularly to one of the three principal axes.

More specifically, in some embodiments of the invention, the body end surface is shaped similarly to a cap of a spheroid, which provides symmetry to the furniture glide and allows using the furniture glide 10 relatively easily with furniture legs 12 having different orientations with respect to the leg supporting surface 14. For example, the spheroid defines a spheroid minor axis and a spheroid major axis, the spheroid major axis extending substantially perpendicularly to the furniture leg 12 when the leg-to-slider attachment 22 is attached to the furniture leg 12 in the operative configuration. In a specific embodiment of the invention, and non-limitingly, it has been found that having the spheroid major axis that has a length of from about 2 to about 5 times the length of the spheroid minor axis provides optimal results in the distribution of the substantially elongated textile fibres 28, for example in cases in which the substantially elongated textile fibres all have substantially similar lengths.

Referring back to FIG. 6, the load transmitting portion 34 defines a load transmitting portion area and the contact surface 32 defines a contact surface area. In some embodiments of the invention, the load transmitting portion area is from about 0.2 to about 4% of the contact surface area. In some embodiments of the invention, for example, if the body end surface 26 is substantially spheroid cap shaped, the load transmitting portion 34 is substantially circular and defines a load transmitting portion diameter. Similarly, the contact surface 32 is also substantially circular and defines a supporting surface diameter. In these embodiments, the unloaded portion 36 is substantially annular. It has been found that having the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 and body end surface 26 configured in a manner such that the load transmitting portion diameter is from about 5% to about 20% of the contact surface diameter, once again, provides optimal results in reducing sounds produced by the furniture glide 10 and reducing the possibility of scratching the leg supporting surface 14 as the furniture glide 10 is moved across the leg supporting surface 14.

Optimal results are obtained when only a relatively small portion of the contact surface 32 is dedicated to load transmission, which leads to having a relatively large volume of unloaded textile fibres in the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 that can provide noise and dust insulation to the furniture glide 10. To achieve such relatively small load transmitting portion areas, the furniture glide 10 is typically manufactured out of a substantially rigid material such as, for example, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, acetal, nylon, polycarbonate, polyethylene and polystyrene.

In some embodiments of the invention, to improve the durability and ruggedness of the furniture glide 10, the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 are each partially embedded into the slider body 24. For example, the substantially elongated textile fibres are made out of a material selected from the set consisting of Nylon, polyester, thermoplastic and rubber.

For example, the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 have physical and geometrical characteristics substantially similar to the elongated textile fibres found in automotive carpet. However, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the substantially elongated textile fibres 28 have any other suitable properties. For example, the substantially elongated textile fibres have a length of from about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

In some embodiments of the invention, the plurality of substantially elongated textile fibres 28 covers the body end surface 26 substantially uniformly with a substantially uniform surface density. However, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the density of the substantially elongated textile fibres differs from section to section of the body end surface 26.

As seen, for example, in FIG. 5, in some embodiments of the invention, the slider body 24 defines an abutment flange 38 for abutting the leg free end 16 thereonto when the slider 20 is mounted to the furniture leg 12. For example, the abutment flange 38 is formed by the radially outwardmost located portion of the spacing segment 30. In some embodiments, the spacing segment 30 has a substantially frusto-conical shape with a longitudinal axis extending substantially parallel to the furniture glide 12. This shape provides good contact between the furniture leg 12 and the abutment flange 38 while allowing to have a relatively large area for the body end surface 26. Also, this shape allows the creation of a relatively smooth transition between the furniture leg 12 and the furniture glide 10, which reduces risks of accidentally detaching the furniture glide 10 from the furniture leg 12. This relatively smooth transition is achieved when the furniture leg 12 and the spacing segment 30 have substantially similar shapes and dimensions at their junction.

In a specific example of implementation, the furniture leg 12 is substantially tubular and defines a passageway 42 extending thereinto from the leg free end 16. In these embodiments, having a leg-to-slider attachment 22 that is substantially elongated and insertable into the passageway 42 has been proven advantageous as this provides a relatively easily manufactured and easily usable manner of attaching the furniture glide 10 to the furniture leg 12.

For example, referring to FIG. 3, the leg-to-slider attachment 22 has an attachment body 44 having a substantially cylindrical configuration. Attachment flanges 46 extend substantially radially outwardly from the attachment body 44 and are provided for frictionally engaging the furniture leg 12 inside the passageway 42 when the leg-to-slider attachment 22 is inserted into the passageway 42, as seen in FIG. 5 for example.

Returning to FIG. 3, in some embodiments of the invention, the attachment flanges 46 extend from the spacing segment 30 substantially away from the slider 20 and each have a tapered section 48 substantially opposed to the spacing segment 30. This tapered section 48 tapers in a direction leading away from the spacing segment 30 and facilitates the insertion of the leg-to-slider attachment 22 into the passageway 42 by guiding the leg-to-slider attachment 22 and centering the leg-to-slider attachment 22 relatively to the passageway 42. However, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the attachment flanges 46 have any other suitable configuration. Also, in some embodiments of the invention, an attachment end segment 50 having a substantially cylindrical configuration with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the attachment body 44 extend substantially longitudinally from the attachment body 44 substantially opposed to the spacing segment 30 to further facilitate the insertion of the leg-to-slider attachment 22 into the passageway 42.

In some embodiments of the invention, the leg-to-slider attachment 22 is substantially resiliently deformable. Therefore, by providing a leg-to-slider attachment 22 having dimensions slightly larger than the dimension of the passageway 42 in a radial direction, the leg-to-slider attachment 22 can be compressed as the leg-to-slider attachment 22 is inserted into the passageway 42 and can frictionally engage the furniture leg 12 inside the passageway 42 to prevent unintentional removal of the furniture glide 10 from the furniture leg 12.

Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of preferred embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A furniture glide for supporting a furniture leg on a leg supporting surface, said furniture leg defining a leg free end, said furniture glide comprising:

a slider, said slider including a slider body defining a body end surface, said body end surface having a substantially convex configuration, said body end surface being substantially covered with a plurality of substantially elongated textile fibres extending substantially away therefrom;

a leg-to-slider attachment operatively coupled to said slider for attaching said slider to said furniture leg substantially adjacent to said leg free end in an operative configuration in which said substantially elongated textile fibres extend substantially away from said leg free end with said body extending between said substantially elongated textile fibres and said leg free end;

wherein, when said leg-to-slider attachment is attached to said furniture leg in said operative configuration and said furniture glide supports said furniture leg on said leg supporting surface, said slider defines a contact surface in which said slider abuts against said leg supporting surface, said contact surface including a load transmitting portion in which said slider transmits loads exerted onto said furniture leg to said leg supporting surface; and an unloaded portion in which said substantially elongated textile fibres contact said leg supporting surface in a substantially unloaded state, said unloaded portion extending peripherally relatively to said load transmitting portion.

2. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said body end surface is substantially ellipsoidal cap shaped.

3. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said body end surface is shaped substantially similarly to a cap of an ellipsoid, said ellipsoid defining three principal axes, said cap of said ellipsoid being obtained by cutting said ellipsoid a plane extending perpendicularly to one of said three principal axes.

4. A furniture glide as defined in claim 3, wherein said body end surface is substantially half-spheroid shaped.

5. A furniture glide as defined in claim 3, wherein said body end surface is shaped substantially similarly to a half of a spheroid, said spheroid defining a spheroid minor axis and a spheroid major axis, said spheroid major axis extending substantially perpendicularly to said furniture leg when said leg-to-slider attachment is attached to said furniture leg in said operative configuration.

6. A furniture glide as defined in claim 5, wherein said spheroid major axis has a length of from about 2 to about 5 times a length of said spheroid minor axis.

7. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of substantially elongated textile fibres cover said body end surface with a substantially uniform surface density.

8. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said load transmitting portion defines a load transmitting portion area and said contact surface defines a contact surface area, said load transmitting portion area being of from about 0.2 percent to about 4 percent of said contact surface area.

9. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein

said load transmitting portion is substantially circular and defines a load transmitting portion diameter;

said contact surface is substantially circular and defines a contact surface diameter; and

said load transmitting portion diameter is from about 2 percents to about 15 percents of said contact surface diameter.

10. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said slider body defines an abutment flange for abutting said leg free end thereonto when said slider is mounted to said furniture leg.

11. A furniture glide as defined in claim 10, wherein said furniture leg defines a passageway extending thereinto from said leg free end, said leg-to-slider attachment being substantially elongated and insertable into said passageway.

12. A furniture glide as defined in claim 11, wherein said leg-to-slider attachment defines an attachment flange extending substantially radially outwardly for frictionally engaging said furniture leg when said leg-to-slider attachment is inserted into said passageway.

13. A furniture glide as defined in claim 12, wherein said leg-to-slider attachment is substantially resiliently deformable.

14. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said slider body is made out of a material selected from the set consisting of polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, acetral, nylon, polycarbonate, polyethylene and polystyrene.

15. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said substantially elongated textile fibres are each partially embedded into said slider body.

16. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said substantially elongated textile fibres are made out of a material selected from the set consisting of Nylon, polyester, thermoplastic and rubber.

17. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said substantially elongated textile fibres have a length of from about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

18. A furniture glide as defined in claim 1, wherein said substantially elongated textile fibres have substantially similar lengths.