Round furniture slide

Abstract

An apparatus for use in at least one of movement of at least one of furniture, appliances and movable wall structures and as a protective pad for floors wherein said apparatus is placed between such furniture to be moved and such floors. The apparatus comprises a first member formed from a first predetermined solid material having each of a first predetermined configuration and a first predetermined thickness. An outer perimeter of the first member having a first predetermined length. Such first predetermined configuration has a plurality of surfaces. A second member is formed from a second predetermined material having a second predetermined configuration and a second predetermined thickness and having a first surface engageable with the upper surface of the first member. An outer perimeter of the second member has a second predetermined length which is shorter than the first predetermined length thereby forming an exposed portion on the upper surface of the first member disposed between the outer perimeter of the first member and the outer perimeter of the second member. The second member being formed from a compressible material having such radially opposed second surface for contacting a predetermined portion of such at least one of such furniture, appliance and movable wall structures to be moved.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is closely related to and claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/513,065 filed Oct. 21, 2003.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to an aid for moving furniture and, more, particularly, the present invention relates to a furniture slide which also serves as a caster under furniture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In both the moving industry and the carpet cleaning industry it is quite common to be faced with the situation in which a relatively large piece of furniture or an appliance has to be moved. With limited manpower it is difficult to pick up the item and carry it to another location.

There have been a variety of prior art devices that have been used to assist in the moving of such furniture or appliance. Most of these devices involve placing the device under the legs of furniture or under the furniture itself in order to slide the furniture across the floor.

One problem that has been encountered with many of the prior art devices is that the furniture can slide off of the device while in the process of sliding the furniture across a floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for use in at least one of movement of at least one of furniture, appliances and movable wall structures and as a protective pad for floors wherein said apparatus is placed between such furniture to be moved and such floors. The apparatus comprises a first member formed from a first predetermined solid material and having each of a first predetermined configuration and a first predetermined thickness, an outer perimeter of the first member having a first predetermined length. Such first predetermined configuration has a plurality of surfaces including an upper surface and a bottom surface. A second member is formed from a second predetermined material having a second predetermined configuration and a second predetermined thickness and having a first surface engageable with the upper surface of the first member. An outer perimeter of the second member has a second predetermined length which is shorter than the first predetermined length thereby forming an exposed portion on the upper surface of the first member disposed between the outer perimeter of the first member and the outer perimeter of the second member when that portion of such at least one of such furniture, appliance and movable wall structures to be moved, and in contact with a radially opposed second surface of the second member, is smaller than a surface area of the second predetermined configuration of the second member. The second member being formed from a compressible material having such radially opposed second surface for contacting a predetermined portion of such at least one of such furniture, appliance and movable wall structures to be moved.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a furniture slide in which the furniture remains with the slide during movement of the furniture and does not slip off the slide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a furniture slide in which the slide can operate on carpeted floors.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a furniture slide in which the slide can be used as a caster under the furniture to protect the carpet when the furniture is not being moved.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a furniture slide in which the material that contacts the furniture to be moved is a compressible material.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a furniture slide in which the material that contacts the furniture includes an adhesive pad for securing such apparatus to the furniture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture slide in which the material that contacts the floor is disposed as an insert in the apparatus.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a furniture slide in which different inserts can be used for carpeted floors and for hard surface floors.

In addition to the numerous objects and advantages of the present invention which have been described with some degree of particularity above, it should be both noted and understood that a number of other important objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art of furniture moving from the following more detailed description of the invention, particularly, when such detailed description is taken in conjunction with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top or plan view of the furniture slide according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the furniture slide shown in FIG. 1 taken across the lines of II-II.

FIG. 3 is a top or plan view of the furniture slide according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the furniture slide shown in FIG. 3 taken across the lines of IV-IV.

FIG. 5 is a top or plan view of the furniture slide shown in FIG. 3 showing an alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the furniture slide shown in FIG. 5 taken across the lines of VI-VI.

FIG. 7 is a top or plan view of the furniture slide shown in FIG. 3 showing an alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the furniture slide shown in FIG. 7 taken across the lines of VIII-VIII.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the furniture slide shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 according to an alternate embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND VARIOUS ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention, it should be noted that for the sake of clarity in understanding the invention, identical components with identical functions have been designated with identical reference numerals throughout the drawing Figures.

Illustrated in the drawing Figures is an apparatus, generally designated 10, for use in the movement of furniture on carpeted floors or hard surface floors. Apparatus 10 is also used as a caster placed under furniture to protect carpeting or other types of floors. Such items of furniture would include virtually all items of furniture including appliances, entertainment centers, bookcases, sofas, desks, dressers, file cabinets and movable wall structures. Many furniture or appliance items include leveling screws which can mar a floor unless the floor is protected. Also many other pieces of furniture have rather narrow or pointed legs which can cause problems with the carpeting or other flooring underneath. The present invention not only is useful in moving the furniture but can be left under the furniture as a caster to protect the flooring and still be there in case the furniture or appliance has to be moved.

The apparatus 10 is placed between such furniture (not shown) to be moved and a floor. Apparatus 10 in one embodiment is used for carpeted floors while in an alternate embodiment such apparatus 10 is used on hard surface floors. To use apparatus 10 the item of furniture to be moved would be tilted slightly and an apparatus 10 would be placed under a corner of the furniture. This is repeated for each corner. The item to be moved could then be pushed or pulled to the desired location. It would, thus, require four apparatus 10 units for each item of furniture to be moved, although the same units could be used over and over again.

The apparatus 10 comprises a first member 2 which is formed a first predetermined material and has each of a first predetermined configuration and a first predetermined thickness. The first predetermined configuration having a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface 6. The bottom surface 6 has a predetermined texture for contacting such carpeted floors and a different texture for use with hard surface floors. It is presently preferred that such first predetermined configuration is generally circular.

There is a second member formed from a second predetermined material. Such second member has a second predetermined configuration and a second predetermined thickness and has a first surface 12 engageable with a surface radially opposed to the bottom surface 6 of the first member 2. The second member 8 is formed from such second material which is a compressible material and has a second surface 14 radially opposed to the first surface 6 for contact with a predetermined portion of such furniture to be moved. In one embodiment of the invention such second member is affixed to the first by the use of an adhesive.

In one embodiment of the invention the plurality of surfaces of the first member 2 includes an intermediate recessed surface 16, having a third predetermined configuration, that is radially opposed to the bottom surface 6 and is substantially centrally disposed for retaining the second member 8. Such intermediate recessed surface 16 is surrounded by a lip 18. Such second member 8 is disposed within such intermediate recessed surface 16 and the first surface 12 of the second member 8 is engageable with the first member 2. It is presently preferred that such third predetermined configuration of such intermediate recessed surface 16 is round.

Such second member 8 is formed from a material that is an elastomeric material and is selected from a group that includes natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate and various combinations thereof. It is presently preferred that such second member 8 is ethylene vinyl acetate. The second member 8 being compressible conforms to any item that is placed on it. Thus, the second member 8 grips the item being moved and stays with that item so as to substantially prevent the item from slipping off of the apparatus 10.

Such first member 2 is formed from such second material. Such second material is selected from a group of plastic materials including polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, tetrafluoroethylene, polyoxymethylenes and various mixtures thereof. It is presently preferred that such first member 2 is high density polyethylene.

The bottom surface 6 of such first member 2 has a third predetermined contour. It is presently preferred that such third predetermined contour include outer edges 22 of such bottom surface 6 of such first member 2 that are slightly arcuate to assist in sliding over any unforeseen impediment. This arcuate shape is readily seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6. The bottom surface 6 is substantially flat with the exception of the outer edges 22 which are arcuate. It is also presently preferred that the first predetermined contour of such first member 2 further includes side walls 24, having a fourth predetermined contour, that are substantially flat but have a slight taper from the top of the side walls 24 to the bottom where the side walls 24 meet the arcuate outer edges 22 of the bottom surface 6.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in which a double sided adhesive pad 26 is adhered to the top of second material 8. The other side of such adhesive pad 26 is adhered to a corner or a leg of such furniture when the apparatus 10 is being used as a caster and kept in place so as to protect the carpet.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. Illustrated therein is an apparatus 10 that can be used for either hard surface floors (FIG. 8) or carpeted floors (FIG. 9). In this embodiment the bottom surface 26 of such first member 2 is recessed. There is a third member 28 disposed in such recessed pocket that is formed between the arcuate edges 22 of the first member 2. Such third member 28 is affixed to the first member by means of an adhesive. The third member is formed of a third predetermined material and has a fourth predetermined configuration and a third predetermined thickness. The third predetermined material is selected from a group including felt, tetrafluoroethylene and polyethylene. It is presently preferred that such third predetermined material when used for hard surface floors is felt. It is also presently preferred that such third predetermined material when used for carpeted floors is either polyethylene or tetrafluoroethylene.

As is clearly evident from FIGS. 8 and 9 the third member 28 is allowed to protrude beyond the first member when such apparatus 10 is used for hard surface floors; whereas the third member is level with the bottom of such first member when such apparatus 10 is used for carpeted floors. This is necessary so that there are not any uneven edges that could catch on the carpet fibers or nap when the apparatus 10 is used on carpeted floors.

In this embodiment with the third member 28 as an insert the first member could be made of other and cheaper plastic materials rather than the ones listed previously. The main criteria is that the plastic material have sufficient strength to withstand the forces when a relatively large or heavy object is being moved, since it is not necessary that it have a low coefficient of friction since it basically has little contact with the floor.

While a presently preferred embodiment and alternate embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that various other adaptations and/or modifications of the invention can be made by those persons who are particularly skilled in the art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in at least one of movement of at least one of furniture, appliances and movable wall structures and as a protective pad for floors wherein said apparatus is placed between such furniture, appliances and movable wall structures to be moved and such floors, said apparatus comprising;

(a) a first member formed from a first predetermined solid material having each of a first predetermined configuration and a first predetermined thickness, an outer perimeter of said first member having a first predetermined length, said first predetermined configuration having a plurality of surfaces including an upper surface and a bottom surface;

(b) a second member formed from a second predetermined material having a second predetermined configuration and a second predetermined thickness and having a first surface engageable with a predetermined portion of said upper surface of said first member, an outer perimeter of said second member having a second predetermined length which is shorter than said first predetermined length thereby forming an exposed portion on said upper surface of said first member disposed between said outer perimeter of said first member and said outer perimeter of said second member, said second member being formed from a compressible material having a substantially radially opposed second surface for contacting a predetermined portion of such at least one of such furniture, appliance and movable wall structures to be moved.

2. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said first predetermined configuration is generally circular.

3. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of surfaces of said first member includes an intermediate recessed surface, having a third predetermined configuration, that is substantially radially opposed to said bottom surface and is substantially centrally disposed for retaining said second member.

4. The apparatus, according to claim 3, wherein said exposed portion on said upper surface of said first member disposed between said outer perimeter of said first member and said outer perimeter of said second member serves as a support portion.

5. The apparatus, according to claim 3, wherein said third predetermined configuration is generally round.

6. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said second member is secured to said first member by means of an adhesive.

7. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said second predetermined material of said second member is an elastomeric material.

8. The apparatus, according to claim 7, wherein said elastomeric material is selected from a group including natural rubber, synthetic rubber, polyurethane, ethylene vinyl acetate and various combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus, according to claim 8, wherein said elastomeric material is ethylene vinyl acetate.

10. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said bottom surface of said first member has a predetermined contour.

11. The apparatus, according to claim 10, wherein said predetermined contour includes a generally flat bottom portion and an arcuate portion disposed between a side wall portion having a fourth predetermined configuration and said generally flat bottom portion.

12. The apparatus, according to claim 11, wherein said fourth predetermined configuration includes a taper from an upper edge of said side wall portion to a bottom section of said side wall portion that merges with said arcuate portion of said bottom surface.

13. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said second surface of said second member further includes a double faced adhesive pad for attaching said apparatus to an item of furniture.

14. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said first predetermined material of said first member is selected from a group of plastic materials including polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, tetrafluoroethylene, polyoxymethylenes and various mixtures thereof.

15. The apparatus, according to claim 14, wherein said plastic material is high density polyethylene.

16. The apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said bottom surface of said first member includes a recessed surface that is radially opposed to said first surface of said second member.

17. The apparatus, according to claim 16, wherein said recessed bottom surface further includes a third member disposed within said recessed bottom surface of said first member, said third member formed from a third material and having a fourth predetermined configuration and a third predetermined thickness.

18. The apparatus, according to claim 17, wherein said third member is secured to said first member by means of at least one of an adhesive, a mechanical snap, friction fit and various combinations thereof.

19. The apparatus, according to claim 17, wherein said third material is selected from a group including felt, tetrafluoroethylene and polyethylene.

20. The apparatus, according to claim 19, wherein said third material is felt.

21. The apparatus, according to claim 18, wherein said third member is secured to said first member by means of said mechanical snap.