EP2293703A1

EP2293703A1 - A bumper foot

Info

Publication number: EP2293703A1
Application number: EP09757991A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alev FERADO LU; Murat Kubilay Elbay; Ozdemir Ozgen; Cemal Guler
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2008-06-05
Filing date: 2009-06-05
Publication date: 2011-03-16
Also published as: TR201716742T3; WO2009147644A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bumper foot (1) which can be mounted easily and comprises a base (2) in contact with the surface where the device on which it is mounted stands and a body (3) being inserted into the boss hole on the bottom of the device.

Description

Description Title of Invention: A BUMPER FOOT

[ 1 ] Field of the Invention

[2] The present invention relates to a bumper foot preventing the device from slipping on the surface and protecting the device against the impacts and scratches.

[3] Prior Art

[4] Bumper feet are used to prevent the devices and goods such as television, washing machine, toaster, furniture, etc from slipping on the surface on which they stands and to decrease the effects of the external impacts during usage. In general, bumper feet made of thermoforming plastic or polyurethane can be mounted in two different ways, adhesion or insert.

[5] Adhesive bumper feet may get loose or fall because the adhesive material loses its adhesion characteristics in time. In addition, its assembly is more expensive and difficult during production due to step of adhesive material application.

[6] Insert feet can be mounted more easily and more long lasting. However, in such kind of feet, the foot may be deformed by swelling while being inserted in the gap and may not fit in its place perfectly. Moreover, in the devices and goods where multiple feet are used on the same plane, devices or goods cannot be stabilized when the feet are not aligned.

[7] In JP9206148, an application within the state of the art, a bumper foot which is in- sertable and can be mounted by pressing into the peripheral wall part formed on the both sides of its upper part and having a room to move inside.

[8] In US2007263180, an application within the state of the art, a rubber bumper foot in the shape of a cylinder is disclosed. The parallel rubber flanges formed on the outer side of the cylinder structure enables the rubber foot to get inserted tightly into the boss hole by being compressed while the bumper foot is placed into the boss hole.

[9] Summary of the Invention

[10] The objective of the present invention is to realize a resilient bumper foot to be mounted easily.

[11] Another objective of the invention is to realize a bumper foot not to be deformed while being mounted and thus to enable the device on which it is mounted to fit perfectly onto the surface.

[12] The bumper foot realized to fulfill the objective of the present invention and defined in Claim 1 and its dependent claims facilitates production, assembly and usage by means of the body in the form of a polygonal prism with rounded edge. Located on a base in the form of disc, the body, in the form of a protrusion and being inserted into a boss hole preferably on the bottom of the device which is intended to be prevented from slipping on the surface, is in the shape of a polygonal prism with the rounded edges, for example in the shape of triangular prism. Radius (A) of the circle surrounding the body is larger than the inner radius (B) of the boss hole. Therefore, the lateral surfaces of the body in the shape of polygonal prism get a convex structure by swelling toward the inner wall of the boss hole while the body is inserted into the boss hole. However, as swelling property of the lateral surfaces and A/B ratio are chosen adequately, the body is not allowed to come into contact with the inner wall of the boss hole. Thus, the body and, accordingly, the bumper foot are prevented from being deformed due to undesired friction and air compression.

[13] Detailed Description of the Invention

[14] The bumper foot realized to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures wherein,

[15] Figure 1 is a top view of the embodiment of the inventive bumper foot having a body with triangular cross-section.

[16] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the inventive bumper foot having a body with triangular cross-section.

[17] Figure 3 is the schematic view of the embodiment of the inventive bumper foot having a body with triangular cross-section and the boss hole in which it will be mounted.

[18] Figure 4 is the schematic view of contact area between the embodiment of the inventive bumper foot having a body with triangular cross-section and the boss hole in which it will be mounted.

[19] Figure 5 is the perspective view of the embodiment of the inventive bumper foot having a body with rectangular cross-section.

[20] The components shown in the figures are numbered individually, where the numbers refer to the following:

[21] 1. Foot

[22] 2. Base

[23] 3. Body

[24] The bumper foot (1) comprises a base (2) in contact with the surface where the device on which the bumper foot (1) is mounted stands and a body (3) on the base (2) and being inserted into the boss hole on the bottom of the device. (Figure 1; Figure 2)

[25] The base (2) is on the bottom of the device and stays out of the device when the bumper foot (1) is inserted into the boss hole. The base (2) is between the device and the surface on which it stands. The base (2), preferably, made of plastic or polyurethane material and in the form of disc, prevents the device from slipping on the surface by increasing the surface friction. In addition, the base (2) decreases the effects of the impacts in the vertical direction to be formed on the device by means of its elastic and impact resistant structure. (Figure 3)

[26] The body (3), made of an elastic and resilient material, is in the shape of polygonal prism with rounded lateral edge. The boss hole on the device in which the bumper foot (1) is attached is in the form of a cylinder. The rounded lateral surfaces (Y) are the surfaces formed by being rounded the lateral edges of the body (3) in the form of polygonal prism. The cross-section of the body (3) is in the shape of polygon with rounded edges. The radius (A) of the circle surrounding the polygon with the rounded edges forming the cross section of the body (3) so as to include its edges is larger than the inner radius (B) of the cylindrical boss hole into which the body (3) will be inserted. The ratio of radius (A) of the circle surrounding the polygon to inner radius (B) of the cylindrical boss hole is arranged such as to enable the body (3) to enter into the boss hole, but to prevent the lateral surfaces of the body (3) in the shape of polygonal prism from contacting with the inner wall of the boss hole in spite of swelling outwardly while being inserted. In Figure 4, the shaded parts represent excesses of the body (3) cross-section extending over the boss hole before the body (3) is inserted into the boss hole. The said excesses are inserted into the boss hole by being compressed while the foot (1) is attached into the boss hole and are tolerated by flexion of the lateral surfaces of the body (3) toward the inner wall of the boss hole (in the direction indicated with the parallel arrows).

[27] The centre of the end of the body (3) which enters into the boss hole is higher than its edges, and due to this height, the upper side of the body (3) has a convex structure. The fact that the upper side of the body (3) is convex outwardly facilitates attaching the foot (1) into the boss hole.

[28] Because the radius (A) of the circle surrounding the body (3) is larger than the inner radius (B) of the boss hole, lateral surfaces of the body (3) get a convex structure by swelling toward the inner wall of the boss hole while the body (3) enters into the boss hole. As swelling on the lateral surfaces of the body (3) is tolerated by means of the gap between the body (3) and the boss hole, the swollen body (3) does not contact with the inner wall of the boss hole. Thereby, the body (3) and, accordingly, the base are prevented from being deformed in an unintended way. Moreover, air in the boss hole is discharged from the gap between the body (3) and the inner wall of the boss hole during placement of the body and thereby deformation resulting from compression of the air in the boss hole is prevented.

[29] As the radius (A) of the circle surrounding the body (3) in the shape of polygonal prism with rounded lateral edges is larger than the inner radius (B) of the boss hole into which the body enters, the bumper foot (1) swells outwardly while being mounted. However, the body (3) in the form of polygonal prism which swells while being inserted into the boss hole enables discharge of the air in the boss hole due to not taking a proper cylinder shape; therefore, the bumper foot (1) fits in its place perfectly. Thus, all of the feet stand on the same level and the device on which the bumper feet (1) are mounted stands on the surface evenly and stably. As the swelling on the body (3) while the bumper foot (1) is mounted by being inserted into the boss hole is tolerated by the gap between the body (3) and boss hole, tolerance range in the production of the bumper foot (1) increases, which facilitates its production.

[30] According to an embodiment of the invention, the body (3) has a cross-section in the form of equilateral triangle with rounded edges.

[31] According to another embodiment of the invention, the foot (1) comprises a discharge (T) at the centre of the body (3) and extending throughout the body (3). Thereby, the body (3) is made compressed to the inside (to the gap) from the rounded side surfaces while being attached to the boss hole on the device.

[32] Within the framework of this basic concept, it is possible to develop a wide variety of applications of the bumper foot (1). The invention is essentially according to the claims and cannot be limited to the examples provided herein.

Claims

[Claim 1] A foot (1) used for preventing the device on which it is mounted from slipping on the surface and protecting the device against the external impacts, comprising a base (2) in contact with the surface on which the device stands and a body (3) on the base (2) and being inserted into the boss hole on the bottom of the device; characterized by a body (3) made of flexible and resilient material and in the shape of polygonal prism with the rounded lateral edges.

[Claim 2] A foot (1) according to claim 1, characterized by a body (3) centre of whose end being inserted into the boss hole is higher than its edges, whose upper side is in the form of a convex structure.

[Claim 3] A foot (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by a body (3) in which the radius (A) of the circle surrounding the polygon with the rounded edges so as to include its edges is larger than the inner radius (B) of the cylindrical boss hole into which the body (3) will be inserted.

[Claim 4] A foot (1) according to Claim 2, characterized by a body (3) whose swollen lateral surfaces does not contact with the inner wall of the boss hole during entering into the boss hole, thereby allowing discharge of the air in the boss hole and being prevented from deformation during assembly.

[Claim 5] A foot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a body (3) having a cross-section in the form of equilateral triangle with rounded edges.

[Claim 6] A foot (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a body (3) comprising a discharge (T) extent through the centre of the body (3).