GB2417892A

GB2417892A - Castor with movable cover

Info

Publication number: GB2417892A
Application number: GB0420227A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Farrimond
Original assignee: ALPHASON DESIGNS Ltd
Current assignee: ALPHASON DESIGNS Ltd
Priority date: 2004-09-11
Filing date: 2004-09-11
Publication date: 2006-03-15
Also published as: GB0420227D0

Abstract

A support for a piece of furniture comprises a housing 1, a rotatable member (castor, spherical roller ball etc.) 2 and an outer tube 4. The outer tube moves from a position at which it extends beyond the rotatable member and a position where it does not. Preferably the outer tube will have a screw thread connection with the housing. The rotatable member can be held in place by a retaining cap 3, which may also have a screw thread connection with the housing. A grommet 6 may be attached to the outer tube 4. A boss/blind bore 7 8 system may be used to connect the support to the leg of a piece of furniture.

Description

1 2417892 A support The present invention relates to a support for a chair

leg, table leg, stand leg or the like.

S Currently, relatively heavy items of furniture are usually supported on castors where a degree of manoeuvrability is required. A castor is attached to the base of each leg and each castor comprises a rotatable member which is mounted for rotation about the transverse axis, preferably a horizontal axis and a vertical axis. As the item of furniture is pushed, the members align themselves with the direction of pushing by rotating or swivelling about the vertical axis and rotate about the horizontal axis to facilitate easy movement of the item of furniture. These castors work well but are disadvantageous in that they may mark the surface on which they are supported and may allow the item of furniture to be inadvertently moved. A solution to this is to place the castors on supports but this can be difficult to implement.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a support for chair leg, table leg or the like comprising a housing, a rotatable member disposed in the housing and a further member which may be moved relative to the housing between a position in which the rotatable member extends beyond the further member and a position in which it does not.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an item of furniture having one or more legs in which a support is connected to the base of the or each leg, the or each support comprising a housing' a rotatable member disposed in the housing and a further member which may be moved relative to the housing between a position in which the rotatable member extends beyond the further member and a position in which it does not, whereby the item may be moved on the rotatable r members in the first position and retained in a moved to position by retracting the rotatable members within the corresponding further members.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a main body to which a retaining cap is connected advantageously by means of a screw threaded connection. The retaining cap advantageously defines an aperture in its base through which the rotatable member extends. Preferably, the edge of the aperture is shaped in complementary manner to the shape of the rotatable member. On its side remote from this aperture the rotatable member contacts a cup which is also shaped in complementary manner to the rotatable member. Preferably this cup is made from nylon. The further member is generally cylindrical and is connected to the main body by means of a screw threaded connection. This further member has a grommet at its lower end. The main body has a boss at its end remote from the rotatable member.

This boss defines a blind bore which is advantageously internally screw threaded for connection to a complementary externally screw threaded rod extending from the corresponding leg of the item of furniture. The rotatable member is advantageously spherical but other shapes such as cylindrical may also be used.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an external elevational view of a support according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the support taken along the line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an underplan view ofthe support of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the support of Figures 1 to 3.

Figure S shows a perspective view of an item of furniture fitted with castors of the type illustrated in Figure 5 with the castors in an operative position, and Figure 6 shows the item of furniture of Figure 5 with the castors in an inoperative position.

Referring to the figures the support comprises a main body 1, roller ball 2, retaining cap 3, outer tube 4, nylon cup 5 and grommet 6. The main body 1 is generally cylindrical and comprises an upstanding boss 7 defining an internally screw threaded blind bore 8. On its underside a larger diameter solid boss 9 depends having a shallow recess 10 dimensioned to receive the nylon cup 5. The main body 1 is internally screw threaded at 11 and the retaining cap 3 is externally screw threaded in complementary manner. The retaining cap 3 defines a circular aperture 12 in its lower surface which has as diameter somewhat less than that of the roller ball 2. The edge of this aperture is spherically shaped to match the curvature of the ball 2. The ball therefore sits in the aperture and can rotate freely within it. The external surface of the main body I is screw threaded at 13 and the internal surface of the outer tube 4 is screw threaded in complementary manner. All parts other than the nylon cup 5 are normally made of metal although other materials such as plastics may be used.

The support is more easily assembled on the leg of the table, chair or other item of furniture with that item in an upside down position. In that position a spigot extends from the leg upwardly having an external screw thread matching that of the internal screw thread of the blind bore 8 already described above. The spigot is screwed into the blind bore 8. The nylon cup 5 is located in the shallow recess 10 (which with furniture upside down faces upwardly). The upper surface of the nylon cup (in this position) has a part spherically shaped recess 14 which matches the spherical roller ball 2. The ball is placed to sit in this recess 14.

The retaining cap 3 is then screwed into the main body 1 so that the ball 2 extends partially through the aperture 12 in the cap 3 and is held between the cap 3 and the nylon cup 5 in such a manner that it can rotate freely. If desired, the cup 5 and edges of the aperture 12 may be provided with a low friction material in order to facilitate rotation of the ball within the housing formed between the cup 5 and the retaining cap 3. To complete the assembly, the outer tube 4 is screwed onto the main body 1. The position of the outer tube axially in relation to the main body 1 may be varied between a position in which the roller ball 2 projects beyond the plane of the lower surface of the outer tube 4 and a position in which the ball 2 is contained wholly within the outer tube. In the first projecting position the ball 2 is operative as a roller member and in the second non-projecting position, it is not.

Once respective supports have been connected to respective legs as described above, the item of furniture may then be returned to its normal upright position. When it is desired to move the item of furniture across its supporting surface to a new position, the outer rubes 4 are screwed upwardly on their corresponding main bodies 1 to reveal the corresponding roller balls 2. The item may then easily be moved to its new position on the rolling roller balls 2. Once in its new position, the tubes 4 are screwed downwardly on their respective main bodies until the grommets 6 on the tubes 4 impact the supporting surface thus rendering the roller balls 2 inoperative. Any tendency for the grommets 6 to mark the supporting surface, which may be carpeted or not, may be lessened by increasing the cross sectional area of the grommet where it contacts the surface. The greater this area the less pressure is exerted on the surface for a given weight of item.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the item of furniture illustrated is a home entertainment stand for sound systems, videos and the like.

A castor of the type already described is shown at the lower extremity of each leg 10 of the item. In Figure S the outer tubes 4 of each castor are in the raised position revealing the respective balls 2, so that the item may easily be moved. In Figure 6 the tubes 4 of each castor are lowered to contact the ground so the respective balls 2 are rendered inoperative.

It will be appreciated that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only and that many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A support for a chair leg, table leg, stand leg or the like comprising a housing, a rotatable member disposed in the housing and a further member which may be moved relative to the housing between a position in which the rotatable member extends beyond the further member and a position in which it does not.

2. A support as claimed in claim 1, in which the housing comprises a main body to which a retaining cap is connected.

3. A support as claimed in claim 2, in which the connection between the main body and the retaining cap is a screw threaded connection.

4. A support as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the retaining cap defines an aperture through which the rotatable member extends.

5. A support as claimed in claim 5, in which the edge of the cap defining the aperture is shaped in complementary manner to the shape of the rotatable member.

6. A support as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which a cup is disposed in contact with the rotatable member on its side remote from the aperture.

7. A support as claimed in claim 6, in which the cup is shaped in complementary manner to the shape of the rotatable member.

8. A support as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which the cup is made of nylon.

9. A support a claimed in any preceding claim, in which the further member is cylindrical.

10. A support as claimed in claim 9, when appendant directly or indirectly to any of claims 2 to 8, in which the cylindrical further member is connected to the main body by means of a screw threaded connection.

11. A support as claimed in claim 10, in which the further member has a grommet at its lower end.

12. A support as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8, 10 and 1 1, in which the main body defines a boss at its end remote from the

rotatable member.

13. A support as claimed in claim 12, in which the boss defines a blind bore.

14. A support as claimed in claim 13, in which the boss is screw threaded for connection to complementary screwthreaded parts on an item of furniture.

15. A support as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the rotatable member is spherical.

16. A support as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the rotatable member is cylindrical.

17. A support for a chair leg, table leg, stand leg, or the like.

Substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. An item of furniture having one or more legs in which a support is connected to the base of each leg, each support being as claimed in any of the preceding claims.