Glide Device and Article of Furniture Incorporating the Same

Abstract

A glide device for use with various types os structures, which are supported above a support surface by a plurality of legs including a housing, a unitary body, and a resilient member positioned between the housing and the unitary body. The glide device adjustable to a variety of support surfaces to stabilize the furniture thereon

1 . A glide device adapted for use with a foot portion of a legged article of furniture to stabilize the article of furniture on a support surface, comprising:
 a. a housing mountable to said foot portion;   b. a unitary body configured to be at least partially received within said housing; and   c. a resilient member for interfacing said unitary body to said housing to define an assembled state, said resilient member formed of a pure polymer, closed-cell rubber material.   
   
   
       2 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said rubber material has a maximum compression set recovery measurement of 35% when subjected to a compression set test conducted in accordance with ASTM D 1056-00. 
   
   
       3 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said rubber material is classified as an ASTM D 1056 2A1 material. 
   
   
       4 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said rubber material is classified as an ASTM D 1056 2A2 material. 
   
   
       5 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said rubber material conforms to one of a B2 and a B3 ASTM D 1056 suffix requirement. 
   
   
       6 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said rubber material is ethylene propylene diene methylene (EPDM). 
   
   
       7 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said unitary body is constructed of a non-abrasive body material. 
   
   
       8 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said body material is an acetyl resin. 
   
   
       9 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said unitary body has an upper surface area in facing relationship to an interior wall of said housing when in the assembled state, and an opposed lower surface area for contacting the support surface, and wherein said unitary body has a plurality of cavities formed therein, with adjacent ones of said cavities being separated by at least one web element. 
   
   
       10 . A glide device according to  claim 9  wherein said cavities are spaced equiangularly around a central axis which extends between said upper and lower surface areas. 
   
   
       11 . A glide device according to  claim 9  wherein each of said cavities has a cavity cross-sectional geometry selected from a group consisting of pie-shaped, rectangular and arcuate. 
   
   
       12 . A glide device according to  claim 9  wherein said unitary body has a continuous, uninterrupted surrounding sidewall, each of said cavities extending from a respective cavity opening at the upper surface area axially toward the lower surface area. 
   
   
       13 . A glide device according to  claim 12  wherein said lower surface area is formed as a continuous, uninterrupted surface. 
   
   
       14 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said resilient member is toroidal in shape and has an associated upper surface for engaging said housing and an associated lower surface for engaging said unitary body. 
   
   
       15 . A glide device according to  claim 14  wherein each of said upper surface and lower surface of said resilient member includes a layer of adhesive for respectively interfacing said resilient member between said housing and said unitary body. 
   
   
       16 . A glide device according to  claim 1  wherein said housing is formed as an inverted cup which conceals said resilient member and at least some of said unitary body when said glide device is in the assembled state. 
   
   
       17 . A glide device adapted for use with a foot portion of a legged article of furniture to stabilize said foot portion on a support surface, wherein said foot portion includes an inverted cup having a sidewall which surrounds a cup interior, said glide assembly comprising:
 a. a unitary body configured to be received at least partially within said cup interior; and   b. a resilient member for interfacing said unitary body to said inverted cup, said resilient member comprising a pure polymer, closed-cell rubber material.   
   
   
       18 . A glide device according to  claim 17  wherein said rubber material has a maximum compression set recovery measurement of 35% when subjected to a compression set test conducted in accordance with ASTM D 1056-00. 
   
   
       19 . A glide device according to  claim 17  wherein said rubber material is classified as one of an ASTM D 1056 2A1 and 2A2 material and conforms to one of a B2 and a B3 suffix requirement. 
   
   
       20 . A glide device according to  claim 17  wherein said rubber material is ethylene propylene diene methylene (EPDM). 
   
   
       21 . A glide device according to  claim 17  wherein said unitary body is constructed of a non-abrasive body material having an upper surface area for facing an interior wall of said inverted cup when in a mounted state, and an opposed lower surface area for contacting the support surface, said lower surface being continuous and uninterrupted. 
   
   
       22 . A glide device according to  claim 21  wherein said unitary body has a plurality of cavities formed therein, with adjacent ones of said cavities being separated by at least one web element, each cavity extending from a respective cavity opening at the upper surface area axially toward the lower surface area. 
   
   
       23 . A glide device according to  claim 17  wherein said resilient member has an associated upper surface including an upper layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive for engaging said housing, and an associated lower surface including a lower layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive for engaging said unitary body. 
   
   
       24 . An article of furniture, comprising:
 a. a working surface;   b. a plurality of support legs each extending downwardly from said working surface to terminate in a respective foot portion; and   c. a glide device associated with each said foot portion, said glide device including:
 (i) a housing mounted to said foot portion; 
 (ii) a unitary body at least partially received within said housing; and 
 (iii) a resilient member interfaced between said unitary body and said housing to define an assembled state, said resilient member formed of a pure polymer, closed-cell rubber material. 
   
   
   
       25 . An article of furniture according to  24 , wherein said article of furniture has a configuration selected from a group consisting of a table, a chair, and a bar stool. 
   
   
       26 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said rubber material has a maximum compression set recovery measurement of 35% when subjected to a compression set test conducted in accordance with ASTM D 1056-00. 
   
   
       27 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said rubber material is classified as an ASTM D 1052 2A1 material. 
   
   
       28 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said rubber material is classified as an ASTM D 1056 2A2 material. 
   
   
       29 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said rubber material conforms to one of a B2 and a B3 ASTM D 1056 suffix requirement. 
   
   
       30 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said rubber material is ethylene propylene diene methylene (EPDM). 
   
   
       31 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said unitary body is constructed of a non-abrasive body material. 
   
   
       32 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said unitary body has an upper surface area facing an interior wall of said housing, and an opposed lower surface area for contacting the support surface, and wherein said unitary body has a plurality of cavities formed therein, with adjacent ones of said cavities being separated by at least one web element. 
   
   
       33 . An article of furniture according to  claim 32  wherein said unitary body is cylindrically shaped, and wherein said cavities are spaced equiangularly around a central axis which extends between said upper and lower surface areas. 
   
   
       34 . An article of furniture according to  claim 32  wherein each of said cavities has a cavity cross-sectional geometry selected from a group consisting of pie-shaped, rectangular and arcuate. 
   
   
       35 . An article of furniture according to  claim 32  wherein said unitary body has a continuous, uninterrupted surrounding sidewall and a continuous and uninterrupted lower surface, and wherein each of said cavities extends from a respective cavity opening at the upper surface area axially toward said lower surface. 
   
   
       36 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said resilient member has an associated upper surface including an upper layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive for engaging said housing, and an associated lower surface including a lower layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive for engaging said unitary body. 
   
   
       37 . An article of furniture according to  claim 24  wherein said housing is formed as an inverted cup which conceals said resilient member and at least some of said unitary body. 
   
   
       38 . An article of furniture according to  claim 37  wherein said housing has an aperture formed therethrough, and including a fastening element extending through said aperture to secure said housing to said foot portion. 
   
   
       39 . An article of furniture, comprising:
 a. a working surface;   b. a plurality of support legs each extending downwardly from said working surface to terminate in a respective foot portion; and   c. a glide device associated with each said foot portion, said glide device including:
 (i) a housing mounted to said foot portion; 
 (ii) a unitary body at least partially received within said housing; and 
 (iii) a resilient member interfaced between said unitary body and said housing to define an assembled state, said resilient member formed of non-hardening viscous material. 
   
   
   
       40 . An article of furniture according to  claim 39  wherein said non-hardening viscous material is butyl rubber.