Replaceable Furniture Glide

Abstract

A replaceable furniture glide assembly for use with articles of furniture. The furniture glide assembly includes a base member removably attached to the undersurface of an article of furniture and a cup member which snap fits to removably engage with the base member. The cup member includes a glide member which engages with and protects the floor. The cup member can be easily removed by disengaging the snap fitting when the glide member becomes worn or needs to be replaced.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A replaceable furniture glide assembly adapted to support an article of furniture for ease of movement along a surface, the assembly comprising:
 a) a base member configured to be secured to a bottom side of an article of furniture, said base member configured to include a top surface, a bottom surface, and an annular sidewall, said annular sidewall including a flange extending from its periphery,   b) a cup member configured to be removably coupled to said base member by a snap-fit engagement, said cup member provided with a top wall formed to include a recess defined by an annular sidewall, said sidewall formed to include an annular groove that is configured to accept said annular flange of said base member in a snap fit engagement, said cup member being flexible with respect to said base member in order to allow removal of said cup member from said base member,   c) a ground engaging glide member attached to said bottom surface of said cup member, said glide member being composed of a floor-protective material.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said annular flange of said base member comprises a planar sidewall and a top wall that is generally perpendicular to the sidewall. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said cup member includes a tapered edge located on said inner surface of said sidewall at the periphery of said cup member, said tapered edge configured to assist in centering said cup member with respect to said base member to maintain the position between the two pieces as said base member is coupled to said cup member to allow said annular flange to snap fit in the groove of said cup member. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1  including a fastener adapted to secure said base member to an article of furniture. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4  wherein said fastener is an annular brad. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5  wherein said annular brad includes an annular flange, said flange being embedded within said base member. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said cup member includes a radially extending tab that protrudes from the periphery of said cup member, said tab configured to allow a user to flex said cup member to assist in the removal of said cup member from said base. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said ground engaging glide member is composed of felt or a felt-like material. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said ground engaging glide member is composed of a plastic material with a high degree of lubricity to facilitate sliding along the floor surface without causing damage. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9  wherein said ground engaging glide member is formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). 
     
     
         11 . A replaceable furniture glide assembly adapted to support an article of furniture for ease of movement along a surface, the assembly comprising:
 a) a base member configured to be secured to a bottom side of an article of furniture, said base member configured to include a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall, said sidewall including a flange extending from its periphery,   b) a cup member provided with a top wall formed to include a recess, said recess defined by an annular sidewall, the sidewall formed to include an annular groove configured to accept said annular flange of said base member in a snap fit engagement, said cup member being flexible with respect to said base member to allow removal or replacement of said cup member.   
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein said cup member is comprised of a floor-protective plastic material with a high degree of lubricity to facilitate sliding along the floor surface without causing damage. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12  wherein said plastic material is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 11  wherein said cup member is coated in a floor-protective material. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein said floor-protective material is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). 
     
     
         16 . A furniture glide assembly adapted to support an article of furniture for ease of movement along a floor surface, comprising:
 a) a base member having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an annular sidewall, said annular sidewall including a flange extending from its periphery,   b) a hollow annular brad connecting said base member to the article of furniture, said annular brad including a flange, said flange coupled to said base member to secure the annular brad to the base member,   c) a cup member having a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a retainer formed by an inward protrusion of said sidewall, said retainer being configured to assist in snap fit assembly and removal of said cup member with said base member, said cup member also having an annular groove formed in a recess between said retainer and said bottom wall of said cup member,   d) a ground engaging glide member attached to the bottom surface of said cup member, said glide member, when assembled, being in contact with both said bottom surface of said lower cup member and the floor surface, said ground engaging glide member being composed of felt or plastic.   
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16  wherein said retainer has a first tapered surface that causes said sidewall to expand outwardly as said cup member is pressed onto said base member. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein said retainer has a second tapered surface which assists the removal of said cup member from said base member by facilitating the sliding of said flange of said base member over the retainer of said cup member to disengage said cup member from said base member.