GB2474505A

GB2474505A - An adjustable leg for furniture

Info

Publication number: GB2474505A
Application number: GB0918225A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Christopher Manifold
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-10-17
Filing date: 2009-10-17
Publication date: 2011-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2029-10-17
Also published as: GB0918225D0; GB2474505B

Abstract

An adjustable leg 102 for furniture comprising an outer part 201 retaining plurality of latching elements 303, that are restrained from moving along the outer part while being moveable radially; an inner part 202 slidable within the outer part 201, and provided with a series of annular grooves 203 configured to receive a portion of each of the latching elements; a sleeve 305 located around the outer part and slidable along a portion of the outer part between an unlatched position and a latched position, having a first portion with an internal recess for receiving the latching elements when the sleeve is in the unlatched position and a second portion of reduced bore configured to push the latching elements radially inwards into one of the grooves when the sleeve is in the latched position. Preferably the latching elements are balls and the leg contains a spring biasing means. Also claimed is a leg with a foot portion with a flexible resilient joint allowing the foot to tilt with respect to the leg.

Description

A Leg For Furniture

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application represents the first application for a patent directed towards the invention and the subject matter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a leg for furniture and in particular an

adjustable leg.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adjustable leg for furniture comprising: an outer part having a structure retaining a plurality of latching elements such that said latching e'ements are restrained from moving along said outer part while being moveable radially; an inner part slidable within the outer part, said inner part being provided with a series of annular grooves configured to receive a portion of each said latching element; a sleeve located around said outer part and slidable along a portion of said outer part between an unlatched position and a latched position; and wherein said sleeve has a first portion having a bore defining an internal recess for receiving said latching elements when said sleeve is in said unlatched position and said recess is aligned with said latching elements, and said sleeve has a second portion of reduced bore configured to push said latching elements radially inwards into one of said grooves when said sleeve is in said latched position and said second portion is aligned with said latching elements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a chair 101 incorporating four legs 102A, 102B, 102C and 102D embodying the present invention; Figure 2 shows a lower portion of the leg 1 02A; Figure 3 shows the lower portion of leg 102A with a front portion of the outer sleeve of the adjustment mechanism 105 cut away; Figure 4 shows the leg I 02A with the sleeve 305 pushed up into its unlatched position; Figure 5 shows the leg 1 02A in the process of being adjusted; Figure 6 shows the chair 101 occupied by a person 602, when located on very uneven ground 601; and Figure 7 shows an alternative leg 702A for use on a piece of furniture where the leg is configured to fold away.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 A chair 101 incorporating four legs 102A, 102B, 102C and 102D embodying the present invention is shown in Figure 1. The chair 101 has a seat portion 103 supported above the ground 104 by the four legs 1 02A, 1 02B, 102C and 102D. Each of the four legs is adjustable in length by a mechanism 105 that is similar for each of the four legs.

Figure 2 A lower portion of the leg 102A is shown in Figure 2. The leg 102A comprises an outer part 201 formed of cylindrical metal tubing and an inner part 202, also formed from cylindrical metal tubing. The upper end of the inner part 202 is located within the outer part 201 such that it is slidable within the outer part. However, the leg also comprises the adjustment mechanism 105 that prevents the inner part 202 sliding within the outer part 201, when the adjustment mechanism 105 is in the configuration shown in Figure 2.

The inner part 202 is provided with a series of annular grooves, such as the annular grooves 203A and 203B that may be seen in Figure 2. As will be described below, in the present embodiment there are a total of seven annular grooves that are configured to engage latching elements within the adjustment mechanism 105.

The lower end 204 of the inner part 202 is connected to a foot 205 by a flexible resilient member 206. The flexible member 206 is relatively flexible when compared to the inner part 202 (formed of a metal tubing) and the foot 205, which is formed of a hard plastics material.

Figure 3 The lower portion of leg 102A is shown in a side view in Figure 3, in which a front portion of the outer casing of the adjustment mechanism 105 has been cut away to show the inner components.

The outer part 201 comprises a length of tubing 300 having a lower end 301 located within the adjustment mechanism 105. A structure 302 retaining a plurality of latching elements 303 is located on the outer part 201 adjacent to its lower end 301. In the present embodiments the structure 302 is formed of six holes 352 provided in the wall of the tubing forming the outer part 201. A latching element 303 is located in each of the six holes 352. In the present embodiment each latching element comprises a metal ball (i.e. a ball bearing) having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 352 formed in the tubing. Thus, the latching elements are able to move radially through the holes 352 but are restrained from moving along the outer part 201.

The outer part 201 further comprises a collar 304 rigidly fixed to the tubing 300. The collar is in the form of a short length of metal tubing located around the tubing 300 and welded in place.

The adjustment mechanism 105 includes a sleeve 305 that is shown in cross-section in Figure 3. The sleeve 305 has a cylindrical bore 306 that extends from its upper end 307, the bore 306 having a diameter providing a sliding fit over the collar 304. The bore 306 terminates at an annular internal stop 308 that has a bore providing a good sliding fit over the tubing 300.

A further portion of the sleeve 305, having a bore 309, extends down from the stop 308. The bore 309 is configured to allow a small portion of the ball bearings 303 to extend out from the outer surface of the tubing 300.

However, the bore 309 is sufficiently small to ensure that a relatively large portion of the ball bearings extends inwards from the internal surface of the tubing 300. It may be noted that this is only possible, because the ball bearings 303 are able to extend into one of the annular grooves formed in the inner part of the leg. In the present example, the ball bearings 303 are extending into the groove 203E.

The bore 309 has a bevel 310 at its lower end and the bevel 310 extends down to a further portion of the sleeve 305 having a wider bore 311.

i.e., the wider bore 311 has a larger diameter than the bore 309, and this will be further discussed below. The wider bore 311 extends down to the bottom end 312 of the sleeve 305. However, the end portion of the bore 311 is provided with an internal thread and a sealing plate 313 having an external thread is located within the end of the end of the bore 311. The sealing plate 313 itself has an internal bore that is just large enough to provide a sliding fit over the inner part 202.

A helical spring 314 is located around the tubing 300 and extends between the collar 304 and the internal stop 308 of the sleeve 305. The spring 314 is shown in Figure 3 in its relaxed configuration. To adjust the length of the leg 102A, the sleeve 305 is pulled upwards, thereby compressing the spring 314. This will be further described below.

The lower end 204 of the inner part 202 is provided with a threaded hole 314 allowing attachment of the flexible resilient member 206. The flexible resilient member comprises a moulded element formed of a resilient material and containing a pair of male threaded members 315A and 315B at opposing ends of the moulded element. In the present embodiment, the moulded element is formed of rubber and the resilient member comprises a component conventionally used for mounting an engine.

The foot 205 is also provided with an internal threaded hole 316, and the foot 205 is attached to the resilient member 206 by screwing the foot onto the threaded member 31 5B of the resilient member 206.

The resilient member 206 is shown in its relaxed configuration in Figure 3, and consequently the lower surface 317 of the foot 205 extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the leg 102A. However, because the resilient member 206 is relatively flexible, the foot 205 may be tilted with respect to the leg 102A. Consequently, if the chair 101 is used on uneven ground, the foot 205 is able to tilt so that the lower surface 317 is positioned firmly against the ground.

With the sleeve 305 in the position shown in Figure 3, the length of the leg is fixed. This is because the inner part. 202 is prevented by sliding within the outer part 201 by the latching elements 303 extending into the annular groove 203E. To adjust the length of the leg 102A, the sleeve 305 is pushed upwards against the force of the spring 314 so that the latching elements 303 are aligned with the recess provided by the wider bore 311. The length of the leg 1 02A may then be adjusted between seven different lengths corresponding to each of the seven annular grooves 203A, 203B, 203C, 203D, 203E, 203F and 203G. At each of these seven lengths, the latching elements 303 (in this case the ball bearings) are configured to reside in the respect one of the seven annular grooves to fix the length of the leg.

The chair 101, and hence the leg I 02A, are designed for use outdoors, typically in environments where the leg I 02A may become contaminated with soil. A potential problem with this is that soil attached to the inner part 202 of the leg 102A can be carried into the adjustment mechanism 105 when the leg is shortened. However, as the sealing plate 313 is a close fit around the inner part 202, the sealing plate prevents most of the soil from reaching the latching elements 303.

One embodiment is envisaged in which the sealing plate 313 is provided with a skirt extending from its bore. The skirt is resilient, typically being formed of rubber, or synthetic rubber, and is configured to extend at least partially into the annular grooves 203A to 203G as they pass through, during adjustment of leg length. The skirt has the effect of removing soil from the grooves as to prevent contamination of the latching elements.

In the present embodiment the latching elements are metal balls, and these have the advantage of being readily available and easily moved in and out of the holes 352 of the tubing 300. However, latching elements having alternative shapes may be used that are slidable radially inwards and outwards to perform the latching function. For example, an embodiment is envisaged in which the latching elements are a torpedo shape, having the form of a cylinder with rounded ends.

In the present embodiment, the sleeve 305 must be moved against a spring means in the form of compression spring 314 in order to place the adjustment mechanism 105 in its unlatched configuration. An alternative embodiment relies on the user of the chair to push the sleeve back to the latched position, and gravity then acts on the sleeve to maintain the adjustment mechanism in the latched position.

In the above-described embodiment, the resilient member 206 was provided with a pair of male threaded members for attachment to a leg and a foot having threaded holes. Alternative embodiments are also envisaged in which the resilient member is provided with a pair of female threaded members for connection to male threads provided on a foot and a leg.

Similarly, another embodiment is envisaged in which the resilient member comprises a female threaded member on one face and a male threaded member on the opposing face for attachment to corresponding threaded elements on the foot and leg.

Figure 4 The leg 102A is shown in Figure 4 with the sleeve 305 pushed up into its unlatched position. Consequently, the recess provided by the wider bore 311 is aligned with the latching elements 303. Thus, the latching elements are free to move radially outwards into the recess provided by the larger bore 311 as shown in Figure 4. It may be noted that the bore 311 is sufficiently large such that when the latching elements 303 touch the bore 311 of the sleeve 305 the latching elements no longer extend inwards from the interior wall of the tubing 300. Consequently, the latching elements 303 do not extend into the annular groove 203E and the inner part 202 is free to slide within the outer part 201 of the leg 102A. Thus, the length of the leg 102A may be adjusted by pushing or pulling the inner part 202 into or out from the outer part 201.

Figure 5 The leg 102A is shown in Figure 5 in the process of being adjusted.

Thus, as shown in Figure 5, the holes 352 and latching elements 303 are no longer aligned with one of the annular grooves 203A to 203G. It may be noted that while the leg length is being adjusted, the sleeve 305 is maintained in its raised unlatched position.

To fix the leg at a particular length, the required position of the inner part 202 is selected and then the sleeve is released such that the spring means 314 urges the sleeve back to its lower, latched position. When the sleeve is released, the bevel 310 acts against the latching elements 303 urging them radially inwards. When the latching elements 303 are sufficiently aligned with one of the annular grooves 203, the latching elements 303 are urged radially inwards by the action of the spring means 314 and the bevel 310 such that they are pushed into the selected one of the annular grooves 203.

Figure 6 The chair 101 is shown in use in Figure 6. The chair 101 has been located on very uneven ground 601 and is occupied by a person 602.

The chair leg I 02B has a foot 205 resting on a piece of ground that is steeply angled when compared to the surrounding ground. However, the foot 205 is able to tilt with respect to the length of the leg I 02B such that the lower surface of the foot 205 rests firmly against the ground.

Figure 7 In the above-described example, the legs 102 were used on a chair having fixed legs. However, it is envisaged that legs of the type described above will be used on chairs, chair beds and other furniture that is typically used outdoors and in which the legs are foldable for transport and storage.

Typically, the legs are attached to the seat of the chair or chair bed such that they may be folded to lie adjacent to the seat.

An alternative leg 702A is shown in Figure 7 for use on a piece of furniture where the leg is configured to fold away. The leg 702A is substantially the same as leg 102A except for the design of its foot 705. The foot 705 is provided with a recess 701 so that when the leg is folded up to the seat, the leg is allowed to lie adjacent to the seat without hindrance from the foot.

In the above-described embodiments, the legs, such as leg 102A, have both an adjustment mechanism (105) and a foot attached to the leg by a flexible resilient member. Thus, the legs benefit from both the adjustment mechanism and the ability of the foot to tilt with respect to the leg. However, in an alternative embodiment, there is an adjustable leg comprising the above described adjustment mechanism but with an alternative means for allowing the foot to be tilted with respect to the leg. For example, in one alternative embodiment a hinge mechanism is provided between the leg and the foot.

It will also be understood that the use of a resilient member to provide a joint between a foot and the bottom of a leg of a piece of furniture may be employed on a leg that does not include the above described adjustment mechanism 105. For example, a leg for an item of furniture is envisaged in which the legs are not adjustable in length but the feet are attached to the ends of the legs by a resilient member as described above.

Claims

Claims 1. An adjustable leg for furniture comprising: an outer part having a structure retaining a plurality of latching elements such that said latching elements are restrained from moving along said outer part while being moveable radially; an inner part slidable within the outer part, said inner part being provided with a series of annular grooves configured to receive a portion of each said latching element; a sleeve located around said outer part and slidable along a portion of said outer part between an unlatched position and a latched position; and wherein said sleeve has a first portion having a bore defining an internal recess for receiving said latching elements when said sleeve is in said unlatched position and said recess is aligned with said latching elements, and said sleeve has a second portion of reduced bore configured to push said latching elements radially inwards into one of said grooves when said sleeve is in said latched position and said second portion is aligned with said latching elements.
2. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 1, wherein said leg comprises a spring means biasing said sleeve towards said latched position.
3. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 2, wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring located about said inner part.
4. An adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each said latching element comprises a metal ball.
5. An adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said structure retaining said latching elements comprises a portion of said outer part that is provided with plurality of apertures, such that each latching element resides in one of said apertures.
6. An adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said leg has a foot attached to one end of said inner part, and the opposite end of said inner part is located within said outer part.
7. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 6, wherein a relatively flexible resilient member connects said foot and said inner part, whereby said foot is able to tilt with respect to said inner part by deformation of said resilient member.
8. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 7, wherein said resilient member comprises a moulded element containing a pair of threaded members at opposing faces.
9. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 8, wherein at least one of said threaded members is a male threaded member.
10. An item of furniture comprising an adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 9.
11. An item of furniture comprising an adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims 6 to 10 and a seat portion to which said adjustable leg is attached by a hinge mechanism, so that said leg is foldable, wherein said foot is provided with a recess to allow said leg to lie adjacent to said seat portion when said leg is in a folded configuration.
12. A leg for furniture comprising: a leg portion; a foot portion having a lower surface for resting upon the ground; a joint connecting said leg portion and said foot portion, wherein said joint comprises a flexible resilient material to allow said foot portion to tilt with respect to said leg portion.
13. A leg in accordance with claim 12, wherein said resilient member comprises a moulded element containing a pair of threaded members at opposing faces.
14. A leg in accordance with claim 13, wherein at least one of said threaded members is a male threaded member.
15. A leg in accordance with any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein said leg comprises a mechanism for adjusting the length of the leg.
16. An item of furniture comprising a leg in accordance with any one of claims l2to 15.
17. An item of furniture comprising a leg in accordance with any one of claims 12 to 15 and a seat portion to which said adjustable leg is attached by a hinge mechanism, so that said leg is foldable, wherein said foot is provided with a recess to allow said leg to lie adjacent to said seat portion when said leg Is In a folded configuration.
18. An adjustable leg substantially as herein described with respect to the accompanying figures.
19. An item of furniture comprising an adjustable leg substantially as herein described with respect to the accompanying figures.AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILED AS FOLLOWSClaims 1. An adjustable leg for furniture comprising: an outer part having a structure retaining a plurality of latching elements such that said latching elements are restrained from moving along said outer part while being moveable radially; an inner part slidable within the outer part, said inner part being provided with a series of annular grooves configured to receive a portion of each said latching element; a foot attached to one end of said inner part, and the opposite end of said inner part is located within said outer part; a sleeve located around said outer part and slidable along a portion of said outer part between an unlatched position and a latched position; wherein said sleeve has a first portion having a bore defining an internal recess for receiving said latching elements when said sleeve is in said *::::* 15 unlatched position and said recess is aligned with said latching elements, and said sleeve has a second portion of reduced bore configured to push * :1::. said latching elements radially inwards into one of said grooves when said sleeve is in said latched position and said second portion is aligned with said latching elements; and **** a relatively flexible resilient member connects said foot and said inner part, whereby said foot is able to tilt with respect to said inner part by deformation of said resilient member.2. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 1, wherein said leg comprises a spring means biasing said sleeve towards said latched position.3. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 2, wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring located about said inner part.4. An adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims I to 3, wherein each said latching element comprises a metal ball.5. An adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims I to 4, wherein said structure retaining said latching elements comprises a portion of said outer part that is provided with plurality of apertures, such that each latching element resides in one of said apertures.6. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 1, wherein said resilient member comprises a moulded element containing a pair of threaded members at opposing faces.7. An adjustable leg in accordance with claim 6, wherein at least one of said threaded members is a male threaded member. * ** * * S8. An item of furniture comprising an adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 7. ****SSS9. An item of furniture comprising an adjustable leg in accordance with any one of claims I to 8 and a seat portion to which said adjustable leg is attached by a hinge mechanism, so that said leg is foldable, wherein said foot is provided with a recess to allow said leg to lie adjacent to said seat portion when said leg is in a folded configuration.10. An adjustable leg substantially as herein described with respect to the accompanying figures.11. An item of furniture comprising an adjustable leg substantially as herein described with respect to the accompanying figures. * *SS..... * S * S. * S * * *SS *.S ****S *. .S *S. *