Furniture-foot assemblies

• US 7,837,161 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiwatt Products LLC
• Original Assignee: Hiwatt Products LLC
• Inventors: Chase, John
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, KO HUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/358,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 248/188.7, 248/188.9, 248/345.1, 16/42.R, 16/42.T, 297/448.2
• US Class Current: 248/188.9
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 91/06 Gliders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/002 Chair or stool bases A47C3/20 takes precedence

Abstract

A foot assembly is adapted to be removably attached to the elbow of a sled-type leg of a piece of furniture that is adapted to be supported upon a surface. The furniture-foot assembly includes a body defining a hollow interior adapted to removably receive the elbow of the leg and a bottom exterior portion. A glide is adapted to be removably mounted to the bottom exterior portion of the body and supported upon the surface for gliding movement of the furniture-foot assembly relative to the surface.

Claims

1. A furniture-foot assembly for a chair that has a sled-type leg, the sled-type leg having a first portion that extends above a supporting surface and a second portion that extends horizontally upon the supporting surface, wherein an elbow portion is defined where the first portion and second portion are joined, the furniture-foot assembly comprising:

a body defining a hollow interior that is assembled over the elbow portion, the body having a bottom exterior portion that extends horizontally from the elbow portion along the length of the second portion of the leg, and an island that protrudes toward the supporting surface is defined by a slot in the body provided on the bottom exterior portion;

a glide that includes a cap and a pad is assembled to the bottom exterior portion of the body with the cap facing the body and the pad facing the supporting surface, the glide is elongated and extends in the direction of the length of the second portion of the leg, the glide has a hollow area defined by a rib on the cap that is inserted into the slot to receive the island on the cap when the glide is assembled to the body.

2. The furniture-foot assembly of claim 1 wherein the glide is rectangular in shape and the slot is rectangular, and wherein the rib extends about the glide.

3. The furniture-foot assembly of claim 1 wherein the bottom exterior portion defines an orifice and the cap has a protrusion that is received in the orifice.

4. The furniture-foot assembly of claim 3 wherein the glide may be disassembled from the body by detaching the island from the hollow area and by removing the protrusion from the orifice, and wherein the glide may be replaced with a different glide without disassembling the body from the elbow portion.

5. A furniture-foot assembly for a chair that has a sled-type leg, the sled-type leg having a first portion that extends above a supporting surface and a second portion that extends horizontally upon the supporting surface, wherein the second portion defines an open end, the furniture-foot assembly comprising:

a head that has a bottom exterior portion that faces downwardly in a vertical direction, an island that protrudes toward the supporting surface is defined by a slot in the body provided on the bottom exterior portion;

a stem portion extending from one side of the head in a horizontal direction, wherein the stem portion is assembled into the open end of the second portion of the sled-type leg that extends horizontally upon the supporting surface;

a glide that includes a cap and a pad that is assembled to the bottom exterior portion of the head with the cap facing the head and the pad facing the supporting surface, wherein the glide is oriented to engage the supporting surface that is perpendicular to the direction in which the second portion of the leg extends, the glide has a hollow area defined by a rib provided on the cap, wherein the hollow area receives the island when the glide is assembled to the body with the rib being inserted into the slot.

6. The furniture-foot assembly of claim 5 wherein the glide has an arcuate edge and a flat edge, wherein the rib provided on the cap extends about the glide, and wherein the slot formed in the bottom exterior portion follows the arcuate edge and flat edge of the glide and receives the rib.

7. The furniture-foot assembly of claim 5 wherein the bottom exterior portion defines an orifice and the cap has a protrusion that is received in the orifice.

8. The furniture-foot assembly of claim 7 wherein the glide may be disassembled from the body by detaching the island from the hollow area and by removing the protrusion from the orifice, and wherein the glide may be replaced with a different glide without disassembling the stem portion from the open end of the second portion of the sled-type leg.