The present disclosure relates to an attachment glider, and more particularly, an attachment glider that is secured to an object to be moved such that the attachment glider is located between the object and the flooring in which the object is to be moved.
In the moving industry, it is quite usual to face the situation of having to move large, heavy, and sometimes awkwardly shaped objects such as furniture within the confines of buildings. The movement of large objects and furniture are not limited to the venue of commercial buildings, but equally experienced in residential settings with interest in relocating furniture to achieve a new floor plan or moving the furniture or large objects to a new home. Other occurrences arise from office downsizing, team wiring upgrades, etc. that frequently mandate office reconfigurations requiring that the furniture be moved or rotated. Furniture is also frequently moved for example, in healthcare and educational facilities for cleaning. In these instances, as in the installation of modular carpet, it is desirable to move the furniture quickly, with the least possible effort and, preferably, after hours with a limited number of workers.
Office equipment is usually moved with a hand truck, four-wheel dolly, or the like and can take several individuals working together. The work is hard, labor expensive and injuries occur. Other furniture, such as workstations, computers, etc. are also difficult to move. The preferable method of moving the heavy objects is for professional movers to pick the object up and carry it by hand, but this is not always an economically feasible or a possible arrangement because of the lack or cost of labor.
One example embodiment of the present disclosure includes an attachment glider comprising an engagement surface having an adhesive plane for securing to an object. The attachment glider further comprises a plurality of attachment spikes extending from the engagement surface at an angle transverse to the adhesive plane and a supporting surface for nesting a fixture coupled to the attachment spikes. The fixture is positioned between the engagement surface and the supporting surface.
Another example embodiment of the present disclosure includes an attachment glider comprising an engagement surface having an adhesive plane for securing to an object and a plurality of attachment spikes extending from the engagement surface at an angle transverse to the adhesive plane. The attachment glider also includes an intermediate surface for supporting a fixture coupled to the plurality of attachment spikes. The fixture is positioned between the engagement surface and the intermediate surface. The attachment glider further comprises a transport surface positioned opposite the engagement surface, the intermediate surface being positioned between the engagement surface and the transport surface.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts unless described otherwise throughout the drawings and in which:
Referring now to the figures generally wherein like numbered features shown therein refer to like elements throughout unless otherwise noted. The present disclosure relates to an attachment glider, and more particularly, an attachment glider that is secured to an object to be moved such that the attachment glider is located between the object and the flooring in which the object is to be moved.
The transport surface 14 is located opposite the engagement surface 12 and designed to protect the floor from marring or damage during movement of the object across the surface of the floor. In the illustrated example embodiment, the engagement surface 12 and transport surface 14 are circularly shaped, but could be constructed to include any geometrical shape to match the geometry portion of the object in which the glider is secured without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Illustrated in
In one example embodiment, the transport surface 14 is a circular cup having an upwardly curved radial wall 26 supporting a cavity region 28. The cavity region 28 includes a number of support walls 30 for retaining the metal fixture 20 and to advantageously prevent the metal fixture from rotating or moving within the cavity during use. The number support walls 30 correspond to the number of curved ends 22. The cavity 28 further comprises an alignment projection 32 for guiding the metal fixture 20 having a corresponding opening 33 into the cavity during assembly.
Once the metal fixture 20 is seated into the cavity 28, the engagement surface 12 is positioned over the metal fixture and secured to the transport surface 14. That is, the engagement surface 12 comprises a double-sided adhesive plane 34, allowing for adhesive bonding to both an assembly side 36 and engagement side 38 of the engagement surface. In the illustrated example embodiment, the engagement surface is approximately 1/32″ of one-inch thick and both sides 36, 38 include a protective sheet to cover the adhesive surface that is removed upon assembly or attachment to the object.
In addition to the adhesive bond, the plurality of attachment spikes penetrate the engagement surface 12 during assembly. This penetration assists in the securing of the engagement surface 12 to the transport surface 14.
In the illustrated example embodiment, the transport surface 14 is molded from a thermoplastic of relatively hard properties and the metal fixture 20 is formed from 1020 steel. The transport surface 14 further comprises a contact area 40 for engaging the floor that has a relatively smooth low friction surface advantageous for efficient transport of the object across a floor. In the illustrated example embodiment of
The plurality of attachment spikes 18 protrude from the attachment surface 12 approximately 1/16″ of one inch and include a total of three located equally at 120 degrees from each other. This allows for securing to the object for transport, such as a wooden leg of furniture without the need of a hammer or tools. While the penetration of the spikes 18 are advantageously designed in size and configuration to eliminate the need for tools, the spikes' 18 design and configuration in combination with the adhesive bond of the adhesive plane 34 provide sufficient strength to resist separation after attachment, shear stresses, or failure during transport of the object.
The transport surface 114 is located opposite the engagement surface 112 and designed to protect the floor from marring or damage during movement of the object across the surface of the floor. In the illustrated example embodiment, the engagement surface 112 and transport surface 114 are circularly shaped, but could be constructed to include any geometrical shape to match the geometry portion of the object in which the glider is secured without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Illustrated in
In one example embodiment, the intermediate surface 115 is a circular disc having a radial wall 126 supporting a cavity region 128. The cavity region 128 includes a number of support walls 130 for retaining the metal fixture 120 and to advantageously prevent the metal fixture from rotating or moving within the cavity during use. The number support walls 130 correspond to the number of curved ends 122. The cavity 128 further comprises an alignment projection 132 for guiding the metal fixture 120 having a corresponding opening 133 into the cavity during assembly.
Once the metal fixture 120 is seated into the cavity 128, the engagement surface 112 is positioned over the metal fixture and secured to the intermediate surface 115. That is, the engagement surface 112 comprises a double-sided adhesive plane 134, allowing for adhesive bonding to both an assembly side 136 and engagement side 138 of the engagement surface. In the illustrated example embodiment, the engagement surface 112 is approximately 1/32″ of one-inch thick and both sides 136, 138 include a protective sheet to cover the adhesive surface that is removed upon assembly or attachment to the object.
In addition to the adhesive bond, the plurality of attachment spikes 118 penetrate the engagement surface 112 during assembly. This penetration assists in the securing of the engagement surface 112 to the intermediate surface 115. The intermediate surface 115 is secured to the transport surface 114 by an adhesive, such as glue positioned and cured between the surfaces. In an alternative example embodiment, another engagement surface 112 is positioned between for securing the intermediate surface 115 to the transport surface 114.
In the illustrated example embodiment, the transport surface 114 is a soft textile material, such as felt approximately ⅛″ of one inch in thickness and the metal fixture 120 is formed from 1020 steel. The intermediate surface 115 is molded from a relatively hard thermoplastic. In the illustrated example embodiment of
The plurality of attachment spikes 118 protrude from the attachment surface 112 approximately 1/16″ of one inch and include a total of three located equally at 120 degrees from each other. This allows for securing to the object for transport, such as a wooden leg of furniture without the need of a hammer or tools. While the penetration of the spikes 118 are advantageously designed in size and configuration to eliminate the need for tools, the spikes' 118 design and configuration in combination with the adhesive bond of the adhesive plane 134 provide sufficient strength to resist separation after attachment, shear stresses, or failure during transport of the object.
What have been described above are examples of the present invention. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the present invention, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
The following application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/495,102, filed Jun. 9, 2011 entitled ATTACHMENT GLIDER. The above-identified application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
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20130139351 A1 | Jun 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61495102 | Jun 2011 | US |