US20100140446A1

US20100140446A1 - Wood-Plastic Composite Foot Device for Furniture

Info

Publication number: US20100140446A1
Application number: US12/330,070
Authority: US
Inventors: Min-Ju Chung
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-12-08
Filing date: 2008-12-08
Publication date: 2010-06-10

Abstract

A foot device for wooden furniture includes a main body made of a wood-plastic composite and having a top end, a bottom end, and an outer peripheral face which interconnects the top and bottom ends and which has a plurality of interconnected flat face portions each extending from the bottom end to the top end. A plurality of decorative layers are respectively attached to the flat face portions and each have a wood grain pattern. A screw rod is fixed to the main body, is surrounded by the flat face portions, and projects upwardly from the top end of the main body. The foot device has a wood-like appearance and can be produced from waste wood.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a foot device for furniture, more particularly to a foot device made of a composite of wood and plastic.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art to provide foot devices attachable to legs of furniture articles, such as desks, tables, cupboards, cabinets, etc., for adjustment of the heights of the legs. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional foot device 1 for use with a wooden furniture article is made by machining a piece of wood and has a peripheral groove 102 and a peripheral protrusion 101.
Because the width of the foot device 1 varies considerably from the groove 102 to the protrusion 101, a large part of the wood piece has to be cut out during the machining process, thereby wasting diminishing forest resources and increasing environmental problems.
In addition, if the foot device 1 is made of a wood material which is not sufficiently strong, the surface of the foot device 1 is not robust and is prone to be indented or damaged due to impact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a wood-plastic composite foot device that has a robust structure and that can be produced from recycled or waste wood, thereby saving natural resources.
According to the present invention, the foot device for furniture comprises: a main body made of a wood-plastic composite and having a top end, a bottom end, and an outer peripheral face which interconnects the top and bottom ends and which has a plurality of interconnected flat face portions each extending from the bottom end to the top end; a plurality of decorative layers each having an inner surface attached to one of the flat face portions, and an outer surface having a wood grain pattern opposite to the inner surface; and a screw rod fixed to the main body, surrounded by the flat face portions, and projecting upwardly from the top end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 shows a conventional wooden foot device for furniture;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a foot device for furniture according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a foot device for furniture according to the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the second preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown a foot device 100 according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, which includes a main body 10, a plurality of decorative layers 20, and a screw rod 30 mounted fixedly to the main body 10.
The main body 10 is made of a wood-plastic composite that contains a plastic material, such as PE, and a wood filler, such as wood powder, or wood chips, which can be obtained from waste resulting from the processing of lumbers. By using an appropriate amount of the wood filler, the wood-plastic composite can be provided with an increased hardness.
The main body 10 includes a bottom end 111, a top end 112, a surrounding wall 11 interconnecting the bottom end 111 and the top end 112 and confining an interior hollow space 14, a central post 12 extending from the bottom end 111 to the top end 112 inside the surrounding wall 11, and a plurality of spaced apart radial ribs 13 connecting the central post 12 to the surrounding wall 11. The cross section of the surrounding wall 11 has the shape of a square or a polygon, and an outer peripheral face 113 that has a plurality of interconnected flat face portions 114 each of which extends from the bottom end 111 to the top end 112. The cross section of the central post 12 is substantially circular and extends from the bottom end 111 to the top end 112. The screw rod 30 is fixed to the central post 12 and projects upwardly from the central post 12 in an axial direction of the central post 12. Each of the decorative layers 20 has an inner surface 21 attached to one of the flat face portions 114 of the surrounding wall 11, and an opposite outer surface 22 provided with a wood grain pattern. The decorative layers 20 are made of a material that may be a natural wood sheet or plate having the wood grain pattern. The material may also be a paper sheet or plastic sheet printed with the wood grain pattern.
Through a molding process, the main body 10 may be formed into a final shape without requiring any additional processing step. After molding, the decorative layers 20 are respectively attached to the flat face portions 114. The screw rod 30 may be fixed to the central post 12 by inserting the screw rod 30 into a hole drilled in the central post 12, or by molding the main body 10 over the screw rod 30. The manufacturing process for the foot device 100 is therefore easier than that for the prior art shown in FIG. 1.
Because only the decorative layers 20 of the foot device 100 are possibly made from a lumber and because the main body 10 is made from recycled wood, consumption of wood resources is considerably reduced in manufacturing the foot device 100, thereby saving forest resources and protecting the environment. Furthermore, no waste wood is produced in manufacturing the foot device 100.
By virtue of the material characteristic of the plastic material, the foot device 100 can be provided with a robust structure which will not deform when subjected to impact.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a foot device 100′ according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to include the main body 10′, the decorative layers 20, and the screw rod 30.
Like the main body 10 of the first preferred embodiment, the surrounding wall 11 of the main body 10, is made of the wood-plastic composite. However, the main body 10′ differs from the main body 10 in having a core 50 surrounded by the surrounding wall 11. The ribs 13 and the central post 12 of the first preferred embodiment are not provided in this embodiment.
The core 50 may be made from plywood or lumber, and has a square or polygonal cross section. An outer surface of the core 50 is in abutment with an inner surface of the surrounding wall 11. The screw rod 30 is fixed to the core 50 and projects upwardly and centrally from the core 50.
In manufacturing, the core 50 may be formed first, and the main body 10′ may be molded over the core 50. The screw rod 30 may be fixed to the core 50 by drilling the core 50.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A foot device for furniture, comprising:

a main body made of a wood-plastic composite, and having a top end, a bottom end, and an outer peripheral face which interconnects said top and bottom ends and which has a plurality of interconnected flat face portions each extending from said bottom end to said top end;

a plurality of decorative layers each having an inner surface attached to one of said flat face portions, and an outer surface having a wood grain pattern opposite to said inner surface; and

a screw rod fixed to said main body, surrounded by said flat face portions, and projecting upwardly from said top end.

2. The foot device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wood-plastic composite includes a plastic material and wood powder.

3. The foot device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said decorative layers are made from a material selected from a group consisting of wood sheets and plates each having the wood grain pattern, paper sheets each printed with the wood grain patterns, and plastic sheets each printed with the wood grain pattern.

4. The foot device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said main body further has a surrounding wall having said outer peripheral face and confining an interior hollow space, a central post extending from said bottom end to said top end inside said surrounding wall, and a plurality of spaced apart radial ribs connecting said central post to said surrounding wall, said screw rod being fixed to and projecting axially from said central post.

5. The foot device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said main body further has a core extending from said bottom end to said top end and made of wood, and a surrounding wall having said outer peripheral face and surrounding said core, said core and said surrounding wall abutting against each other, said screw rod being fixed to said core and projecting upwardly and centrally from said core.