GB2280600A

GB2280600A - Furniture supports with castor

Info

Publication number: GB2280600A
Application number: GB9316335A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard John Spencer
Original assignee: British Castors Ltd
Current assignee: British Castors Ltd
Priority date: 1993-08-06
Filing date: 1993-08-06
Publication date: 1995-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 2013-08-06
Also published as: GB9316335D0; GB2280600B

Abstract

A foldable castor comprises a mounting plate having a central support portion (13) extending between end flanges (14 and 15). A carrier member (19) is pivotally mounted on the support portion (13) and carries a castor wheel thereon. The mounting plate is securable to the underside of a piece of furniture across a recess such that, when the end flanges (14 and 15) are secured to the furniture, the support portion (13) lies within the recess. The castor is pivotally movable by the carrier member between a first, operative position in which the castor engages the floor, and a second, storage, position in which the castor extends relative to the support portion (13) of the mounting plate by a reduced distance compared with the distance it extends in that direction when it is in the operative position. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Furniture Supports Description of the Invention This invention relates to furniture supports. Furniture supports according to the invention preferably are castors but the invention is also applicable, in its broadest aspect, to furniture supports other than castors, e.g.

glides or fixed feet.

The invention has been devised in relation to castors of a type intended for use with furniture which has on its underside, facing the floor surface on which the furniture is to stand, a recess within which the castors are partially disposed. It will be appreciated that in use part of each castor must protrude downwardly out of the recess in order to engage the surface on which the furniture is to stand, and the extent of such protrusion must be sufficient, in the case of castors, to give the furniture sufficient clearance to be able to surmount small surface irregularities when the furniture is moved.

Such protrusion of the supports presents a difficulty if the furniture is to be packed for transportation and/or storage. One method of packing commonly adopted for furniture is wrapping in sheeting of plastics material, and protruding castors or other supports provide points at which such sheeting is vulnerable to damage such as tearing. For this reason, furniture is often sold with its supports not fitted thereto, leaving the fitting to be carried out by the purchaser. Supports packed separately from the furniture itself are, however, likely to become lost or damaged, and the requirement for fitting by the purchaser is inconvenient.

Accordingly it is the object of the present invention to provide a furniture support which enables these disadvantages to be overcome or reduced.

According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a support for furniture, comprising mounting means adapted to be connected to an item of furniture; and support means movable relative to the mounting means between a first position, herein called the operative position, in which the support means is engageable with a floor surface to support the furniture, and a second position, herein called the storage position, wherein the support means extends relative to the mounting means by a reduced distance in a direction, compared with the distance it extends in that direction when in the operative position.

Preferably the direction, in which the support means extends relative to the mounting means by a lesser distance when in its storage position than when in its operative position, is the direction which, in use, is generally perpendicular to the surface on which furniture having the support is to stand. In the case of furniture having a recess in its underside, this is the direction in which the support means extends out of such recess, in use, to contact the floor surface.However, it will be appreciated that in some instances a furniture support may be required to extend laterally from a piece of furniture instead of and/or in addition to extending in the direction generally perpendicular to the surface on which the furniture stands in use, and for packing or storage purposes it may be required to reduce the extent to which a castor or other type of support protrudes in such other direction. It is within the broadest scope of the present invention for a furniture support to provide for a reduction in dimensions in such other direction.

The support means may be pivotable relative to the mounting means between its operative and storage positions.

Preferably there is provided means for retaining the support means in at least its operative position relative to the mounting means. Such retaining means may comprise detent means, clip means, or the like.

The support means preferably is a castor, comprising a wheel or wheels for engaging the floor surface in use, which wheel or wheels is/are carried by a support member for rotation about an axis, the support member itself being pivotable relative to a carrier member about a pivot axis which is substantially vertically oriented in use, the wheel or wheels being rotatable about an axis spaced from the pivot axis.

The mounting means may comprise a mounting plate adapted to be secured, by fasteners or otherwise, to an item of furniture, and the mounting plate and carrier member may have interengaging formations which constitute a hinge by which the carrier member is pivotable relative to the mounting plate.

The mounting plate may comprise portions adopted to be secured to parts of an item of furniture bordering a recess in the underside thereof, and a portion arranged to lie within such recess and to which the carrier member is connected.

According to another aspect of the invention, we provide an item of furniture having a recess in its underside, facing a surface on which the furniture stands in use, and a support for the item of furniture, the support comprising a support means engageable with said surface and a mounting means connected to the item of furniture, wherein said support means is movable relative to said mounting means between an operative position and a storage position, and wherein said support means when in said storage position extends out of said recess by a lesser distance than it does when in said operative position.

The support may have one or more of the features above set forth of a support according to the first aspect of the invention.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a castor according to the invention, in a first position; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the castor of Figure 1, in a second position.

Referring to the drawings, these show a furniture support in the form of a castor, positioned in relation to part of an item of furniture e.g. a bed, wardrobe, drawer divan, or other item. The item of furniture is one which has in its underside a recess facing the surface of the floor on which the furniture stands, and the drawing shows a corner of the item of furniture at which peripheral wall portions 10, 11 which partially bound the recess, 12, meet. The castor comprises a mounting means in the form of a mounting plate having a portion 13 which lies within recess 12 and extends diagonally between the walls 10, 11 of the item of furniture and which has at its ends flange formations 14, 15 which lie in a plane spaced from the mounting plate portion 13 therebetween.

The flanges 14, 15 have apertures 16, 17 respectively for receiving fasteners such as screws which can be driven into the walls 10, 11 to secure the mounting plate to the item of furniture. The portion 13 of the mounting plate has strengthening flanges 15, 16, 17 respectively along portions of its edges.

Between the flanges 16, 17 the mounting plate is provided with knuckles 18 in the manner of a hinge. A carrier member 19, made, like the mounting plate, of sheet metal, has a knuckle 20 which is received between the knuckles 18 and a hinge pin 21 is received in the interfitting knuckles so that the carrier member 19 is pivotable relative to the mounting plate.

The carrier member 19 supports a pivot pin, not shown, and the pivot pin carries a support member 22, for pivoting about an axis 23. The support member 22 carries two spaced parallel wheels 24 for rotation about an axis 25 which is spaced from the axis 23 in a manner which is well known for castors.

The carrier member 19 is provided on its opposite edges with tongues 26 which extend out of the general plane of the carrier member so as to be able to pass through respective apertures, one of which is shown at 27, in the portion 13 of the mounting plate. The configuration and/or dimensioning of the tongues 26 and apertures as 27 is such that some slight degree of deformation of the tongues is necessary as they enter the apertures as 27, to provide a detent or clip action.

Figure 1 of the apparatus shows the castor in its operative position wherein it may be used to support the item of furniture on a floor surface. In this position, the wheels 24 of the castor extend out of the recess 12 in the underside of the item of furniture by a relatively great distance, so that the walls 10, 11 can clear any irregularities in the floor surface if the item of furniture is moved. If the furniture should be lifted off the floor surface, the above described detent or clip action of the tongues 26 engaging with the apertures 27 in the mounting plate part 30 has the effect that the operative position of the castor is retained, despite the weight of the carrier member 19 and parts carried thereby.For storage or packing purposes, however, the tongues 26 can be disengaged from the apertures 27 and the carrier member 19 pivoted relative to the mounting plate to the position shown in Figure 2, wherein the amount by which any part of the castor protrudes from the recess 12 is much reduced. Thereby packing and/or storage of the item of furniture is facilitated.

It will be appreciated that modifications of the castor described may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, an arrangement other than the hinge knuckles illustrated could be used for securing the carrier member to the mounting plate whilst providing for movement of the former relative to the latter between operative and storage positions. Means other than the tongues 26 and apertures 27 could be provided for retaining the carrier member 19 and parts carried thereby in the operative position relative to the mounting plate, for example an over-centre spring mechanism, a fastener or fasteners, a clip or clips, or other expedient. There could be a spring, biasing carrier member to its operative position. The hinge connecting the carrier member to the mounting plate could be arranged to have a high frictional resistance to pivoting of the carrier member.It will be appreciated that the necessity for retaining the carrier member in the position shown in Figure 1 only arises when the furniture is lifted so its weight does not rest on the castor: when its weight is supported by the castor the disposition of the pivot pin carrying the support member on the carrier member 19 is such that the Figure 1 position is always retained. The invention is also applicable to glides or stationary feet as well as to castors.

It will further be appreciated that when we refer to castors, glides or feet according to the invention as being furniture supports, they may be equally applicable to the support of items other than furniture, and when we refer to items of furniture we include such other items.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims

1. A support for furniture, comprising mounting means adapted to be connected to an item of furniture; and support means movable relative to the mounting means between a first, operative, position in which the support means is engageable with a surface to support the furniture, and a second, storage, position wherein the support means extends relative to the mounting means by a reduced distance in a direction, compared with the distance it extends in that direction when it is in the operative position.

2. A support according to claim 1 wherein the direction in which the support means extends relative to the mounting means by a lesser distance when in its storage position than when in its operative position is the direction which, in use, is generally perpendicular to the surface on which the furniture having the support is to stand.

3. A support according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the support means is pivotable relative to the mounting means between its operative and storage positions.

4. A support according to any one of the preceding claims comprising means for retaining the support means in at least its operative position relative to the mounting means.

5. A support according to claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprises detent means, clip means, or the like.

6. A support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the support means is a castor, comprising a wheel or wheels for engaging the surface in use, the wheel or wheels being carried by a support member for rotation about an axis and the support member being pivotable relative to a carrier member about a pivot axis which is substantially vertically oriented in use.

7. A support according to claim 6 wherein the mounting means comprises a mounting plate adapted to be secured to an item of furniture, and the mounting plate and carrier member have interengaging formations whereby the carrier member is pivotable relative to the mounting plate.

8. A support according to claim 7 wherein the mounting plate comprises portions adapted to be secured to parts of an item of furniture bordering a recess in the underside thereof, and a portion arranged to lie within such recess and to which the carrier member is connected.

9. A support for furniture, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawings.

10. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.

10. An item of furniture provided with at least one support according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. An item of furniture having a recess in its underside facing a surface on which the furniture stands in use, and further comprising a support for the item of furniture, the support comprising a support means engageable with said surface and a mounting means connected to the item of furniture, wherein said support means is movable relative to said mounting means between an operative position and a storage position, and wherein said support means when in said storage position extends out of said recess by a lesser distance than it does when in said operative position.

12. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A support for furniture, comprising a mounting plate having mounting portions adapted to be secured to parts of an item of furniture bordering a recess in the underside thereof, and a support portion arranged to lie within such recess when the mounting plate is secured to such item of furniture; a carrier member pivotally mounted on said support portion of the mounting plate; and support means carried on said carrier member, said support means being moveable by said carrier member relative to said support portion of the mounting plate between a first, operative, position in which the support means is engageable with a surface to support the furniture, and a second, storage, position wherein the support means extends relative to the support portion of the mounting plate by a reduced distance in a direction, compared with the distance it extends in that direction when it is in the operative position.

2. A support as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mounting portions of said mounting plate comprise respective end portions thereof and said support portion of said mounting plate comprises a central portion thereof extending between ,said end portions, the mounting plate being adapted to be secured diagonally across a said recess in the underside of a said item of furniture with said central portion of the mounting plate lying within such recess.

3. A support as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the direction in which the support means extends relative to the support portion of the mounting plate by a lesser distance when in its storage position than when in its operative position is the direction which, in use, is generally perpendicular to the surface on which the furniture having the support is to stand.

4. A support as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising means for retaining the support means in at least its operative position relative to the mounting plate.

5. A support as claimed in claim 4 wherein said retaining means comprises detent means, clip means, or the like.

6. A support as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the support means is a castor, comprising a wheel or wheels for engaging the surface in use, the wheel or wheels being carried by a support member for rotation about an axis and the support member being pivotable relative to said carrier member about a pivot axis which is substantially vertically oriented in use.

7. A support for furniture, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawings.

8. An item of furniture provided with at least one support according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. An item of furniture having a recess in its underside facing a surface on which the furniture stands in use, and further comprising a support for the item of furniture, the support comprising a support means engageable with said surface and a mounting means connected to the item of furniture, wherein said support means is movable relative to said mounting means between an operative position and a storage position, and wherein said support means when in said storage position extends out of said recess by a lesser distance than it does when in said operative position.