Two piece snap-fit cap or glide

• US 7,770,853 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shiffler Equipment Sales, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shiffler Equipment Sales, Inc.
• Inventors: Rickard, William C., Shiffler, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, KO HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/673,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20080191106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 248/188.8, 248/188.9, 248/346.11, 16/18.CG, 403/361, 403/344, 403/309
• 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 protective cap or furniture glide is provided that includes a main body and a secondary body. Each body has multiple protrusions and multiple openings such that the protrusions from the main body are inserted into the openings on the secondary body and the protrusions on the secondary body are inserted into the openings on the main body. The main body further includes a circular base that includes a removable material attached to the bottom.

Claims

1. A protective cap adapted to be secured to a bottom portion of a furniture leg comprising:

a main body portion further comprising;

a first-connector-receiving portion;

a first-connector portion located below the first-connector-receiving portion; and

a circular base portion;

a secondary body portion further comprising;

a second-connector portion; and

,

a second-connector-receiving portion located below the second-connector portion;

wherein the main body portion further comprises;

a first-connection portion, wherein the first-connector-receiving portion and first-connector portion are located at each end of the first-connection portion and wherein each first-connector portion includes a first protrusion; and

a material removably attached to the bottom of the circular base portion; and

wherein the secondary body portion further comprises;

a second-connection portion, wherein the second-connector portion and second-connector-receiving portion are located at each end of the second-connection portion, and wherein each connector portion includes a second protrusion.

2. The protective cap of claim 1, wherein the first-connector-receiving portion comprises a channel and a first opening, wherein the first opening is located at an end of the channel, wherein the second-connector-receiving portion comprises a retaining projection and a second opening, and wherein the retaining projection is adjacent to the second opening.

3. The protective cap of claim 2, wherein the first-connector-receiving portion comprises a top, a bottom, a front and a rear, wherein the channel is located in the bottom of the first-receiving-connector portion and extends approximately halfway from the front of the first-connector-receiving portion to the rear of the first-connector-receiving portion.

4. The protective cap of claim 3, wherein the first-connection portion further comprises:

a curved-wall portion having two ends, an upper portion, and a lower portion;

an upper-rim portion having two ends and a top, the upper rim portion extending in a near horizontal direction from the upper portion of the curved-wall portion;

a lower rim portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction from the lower portion of the curved-wall portion; and

,

a semi-circular base,

wherein the curved-wall portion, the upper-rim portion, the lower-rim portion and the semi-circular base form a first receiving area.

5. The protective cap of claim 4, wherein the first-connector-receiving portion is located at each end of the upper rim portion of the first connection portion and wherein the thickness of the first-connector-receiving portion is greater than the thickness of the upper-rim portion, and wherein the top of the first-connector-receiving portion extends slightly above the top of the upper-rim portion.

6. The protective cap of claim 5, wherein the second-connection portion further comprises:

a curved-wall portion having two ends, an upper portion and a lower portion;

an upper-rim portion having two ends and a top, the upper-rim portion extending in a near horizontal direction front the upper portion of the curved-wall portion;

a lower rim portion extending in a substantially horizontal direction from the lower portion of the curved-wall portion; and

,

a semi-circular base,

wherein the curved-wall portion, the upper-rim portion, the lower-rim portion and the semi-circular base form a second receiving area.

7. The protective cap of claim 6, wherein the second-connector portion is located at each end of the upper rim portion of the second-connection portion, wherein the thickness of the second-connector portion is greater than the thickness of the upper-rim portion, and wherein the top of the second-connector portion extends slightly above the top of the upper-rim portion.

8. The protective cap of claim 7, wherein the first receiving area cooperates with the second receiving area to thereby surround the bottom portion of the furniture leg.

9. The protective cap of claim 2, wherein the first protrusion extends in a substantially horizontal-outward direction, and wherein the second protrusion extends in a substantially horizontal-outward direction.

10. The protective cap of claim 9, wherein the first protrusion further includes an arm and a latching portion, where the latching portion is located at a distal end of the arm, such that the latching portion extends in a direction away from the center of the cap, and wherein the second protrusion further includes an arm and a latching portion, where the latching portion is located at the distal end of the arm such that the latching portion extends in an upward direction.

11. The protective cap of claim 10, wherein the first protrusion is inserted into the second-connector-receiving portion and the second protrusion is inserted into the first-connector-receiving portion when the protective cap is secured to the bottom portion of the furniture leg.

12. The protective cap of claim 11, wherein the latching portion of the first protrusion engages the second opening in the secondary-body portion and the second protrusion engages the first opening in the main-body portion when the protective cap is secured to the bottom portion of the furniture leg.

13. The protective cap of claim 1, wherein the circular-base portion of the main body portion further includes a top surface and a bottom-support portion, wherein the top surface has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bottom-support portion such that a lip is formed around the circumference of the circular-base portion.

14. The protective cap of claim 13, wherein the secondary-body portion includes a semi-circular base and a lower rim portion extending below the semi-circular base such that a semi-circular recess is formed in the lower-rim portion below the semi-circular base, wherein when the main-body portion and the secondary-body portion are connected the lip on the circular-base portion is inserted into the recess formed in the lower-rim portion.

15. The protective cap of claim 14, wherein the top surface of the circular-base portion interfaces with a semi-circular base of the first-connection portion, and wherein a recess is formed between a front edge of the semi-circular base and the top surface of the circular-base portion.

16. The protective cap of claim 15, wherein the semi-circular base of the secondary-body portion further includes a lip formed at a front edge, and wherein when the main-body portion and the secondary-body portion are connected the lip of the semi-circular base on the secondary-body portion is inserted into the recess formed between the front edge of the semi-circular base and the top surface of the circular-base portion.

17. A furniture glide comprising:

a main body portion further comprising;

a curved-wall portion, an upper-rim portion, a lower-rim portion, and a semi-circular base portion;

a channel and a first opening located at each end of the upper-rim portion;

a first protrusion located at each end of the curved wall portion, each protrusion extending in a horizontal-outward direction such that the protrusions are generally parallel with each other; and

,

a circular base portion;

a material removably attached to the bottom of the circular base portion;

a secondary body portion further comprising;

a curved-wall portion, an upper-rim portion, a lower rim portion, and a semi-circular base portion;

a second protrusion located at each end of the upper-rim portion, each protrusion extending in a substantially horizontal-outward direction such that the protrusions are generally parallel with each other; and

,

a retaining projection and a second opening located in each end of the curved-wall portion, wherein the retaining projection is adjacent to the second opening and extends in a substantially horizontal direction such that the retaining projections are generally parallel with each other.

18. The furniture glide of claim 17, wherein each first protrusion further includes an arm and a latching portion, where the latching portion is located at a distal end of the arm, such that the latching portions extend in a direction away from each other, and wherein each second protrusion further includes an arm and a latching portion, where the latching portion is located at the distal end of the arm such that the latching portions extend in an upward direction.

19. The furniture glide of claim 18, wherein the latching portion of each first protrusion engages the second opening in the secondary-body portion and each latching portion of the second protrusion engages the first opening in the main-body portion when the protective cap is secured to the bottom portion of the furniture leg.

20. The furniture glide of claim 19, wherein the circular-base portion of the main body portion further includes a top surface and a bottom-support portion, wherein the top surface has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bottom-support portion such that a lip is formed around the circumference of the circular-base portion, wherein the secondary-body portion includes a semi-circular base and a lower rim portion extending below the semi-circular base such that a semi-circular recess is formed in the lower-rim portion below the semi-circular base, and wherein when the main-body portion and the secondary-body portion are connected the lip on the circular-base portion is inserted into the recess formed in the lower-rim portion.