FURNITURE FOOTPAD

Abstract

The present invention relates generally furniture legs and furniture anchors, more specifically, the invention relates to a furniture pad that prevents slip and is operable to temporarily anchor furniture to various surfaces without transferring residual adhesives to the mounting surface, and is washable and reusable.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally furniture legs and furniture anchors, more specifically, the invention relates to a furniture pad that prevents slip and is operable to temporarily anchor furniture to various surfaces without transferring residual adhesives to the mounting surface, and is washable and reusable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Furniture pads are used to either prevent the sliding of furniture or aid in moving furniture around without damaging flooring. Felt pads are often used to aid in moving furniture around. Most anti-slip or non-slip resistant pads and mats for furniture have a cupped structure that coves around the furniture leg or has a cup shape operable to receive the base of a furniture foot without the use of adhesives. Other non-slip furniture pads have a felt pad with a rubber bottom surface that is secured to the furniture leg. However, the furniture pads on the market perform poorly on different mounting surfaces, lose their adhesive properties over time and slip off the furniture leg causing adhesive residue to transfer to the floor, and often collect dirt and debris that is difficult to remove from the furniture pad without damaging the furniture pad's adhesive. Thus, there is a need for a furniture pad that is operable to secure to various furnishings, does not transfer adhesive residue to the floor, and is washable and reusable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an anti-slip footpad that is washable, reusable, and operable to temporarily anchor furniture to the floor without transferring any adhesive residue to a flooring surface. The footpad of the present invention may comprise mainly two pieces, (1) a rigid body and (2) an adhesive pad. The rigid body may have a cavity with a geometry that is complementary to a furniture leg's exterior geometry. The adhesive pad may secure permanently to a bottom surface of the rigid body cavity and may be operable to temporarily secure the furniture leg to various flooring surfaces. Ideally, a footpad is attached to the bottom foot of each leg of furnishing, for example, furniture may include tables, sofas, chairs, curio cabinets, desks, armoires, barstools, patio chairs, washers, dryers because some furniture has a leg positioned in the center of furnishing it may only be necessary to provide footpads on the exterior legs because the centered leg may be challenging to access.

The footpad of the present invention may be incorporated into various furnishings. Because furniture legs come in various shapes and sizes, the cross-sectional geometry of the footpad cavity may be shaped to have a substantially equivalent interior geometry and, in some embodiments, the cavity may be sized to frictionally secure around an exterior surface of the leg. The cavity includes a top edge and an interior surface that has a depth ranging from about one-eighth of an inch ( 1/16″) to about one and one-quarter inch (1-½″). The footpad may have a tapering exterior surface that connects a top edge of the cavity to a bottom edge of the exterior surface. The exterior surface may have a uniform thickness and has an interior surface and the cavity may have an outer surface that is separated from each other, creating a hollow construction. The bottom surface of the cavity may be offset from the bottom edge of the exterior surface to provide a space operable to receive the adhesive pad and allow for the exterior surface to flex about the top edge of the cavity when the footpad is secured to the furniture leg and under the weight of the furniture. In some embodiments, the footpad may have a front tab that protrudes out from the exterior surface and provide a user with a surface for removing, securing, and configuring the furniture pad in the desired configuration. Thus, the footpad may include a cavity, an exterior surface, and a front tab that are manufactured as a single piece from plastic materials, such as thermoplastics and elastomers, that are substantially rigid, for example, not limiting the invention, thermoplastics used may be polyamide, polystyrene, polypropylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or another suitable rubber material that is capable of being, injected, molded, or formed.

The footpad of the present invention includes an adhesive pad permanently secured to the bottom surface of the cavity. The adhesive pad may be provided as a Nano Gel, which has a nanostructure, that is operable to secure items to various surfaces without leaving behind a sticky residue on the mounting surface. The gel includes a soft and durable rubber that has strong adhesive properties that may be restored when the gel is washed with water, for example, Nano Polyurethane gel (Nano PU gel) sold under the trademark Nano Grab™ is a nano gel tape and may be used as an adhesive for securing the footpad system to the ground. The nano gel pad may be secured to the footpad's bottom surface with an adhesive that is operable to permanently fix the nano gel pad to the footpad. The footpad and combination nano gel pad may be washed with water to remove excess debris and dirt. Once the footpad and gel have dried, the adhesive properties of the nano gel pad return, and the footpad may be secured to the furniture leg foot and the furniture may be temporarily secured to the desired location. In some embodiments, the footpad may have a three-piece construction, including a flexible mid-plate, a permanent adhesive, and a nano gel tape. The permanent adhesive may fix the mid-plate to the cavity bottom surface. The nano gel tape may be fixed on the opposite side of the mid-plate and may be operable to secure the footpad to the ground temporarily. The nano gel tape may be washed and cleaned to remove dirt and dust from the footpad and the adhesive properties of the nano gel tape may be restored for resecuring furniture to the floor. The nano gel may adhere to various flooring surfaces such as vinyl, laminate, tile, hardwood, carpeting, concrete, and etc.

In some embodiments, the footpad of the present invention may include a base having a top and bottom surface that have a geometry complementary to the bottom surface of the furniture leg. The footpad includes a fastener centrally positioned and operable to thread into the bottom surface of the furniture leg. The bottom surface of the footpad may have an adhesive pad secured to the bottom surface and may have a single-piece nano gel construction that is cemented to the bottom surface with an adhesive, such as, for example, a nano adhesive.

It is an aspect of the present invention to provide an anti-slip furniture footpad comprising: a rigid body comprising a bottom surface, a top surface, a perimeter, and a cavity having a geometry operable to receive a foot of a furniture leg; and an adhesive pad secured to the rigid body's bottom surface, wherein the adhesive pad is permanently secured to the bottom surface of the rigid body on one end and is operable to temporarily secure the footpad to the floor on an opposite end thereby positioning the furniture and preventing slip of the furniture foot. The adhesive pad may have a polyurethane nanostructure that is washable with water and is reusable when the adhesive pad dries. The rigid body may be manufactured from thermoplastics using extrusion, injection, and molding manufacturing methods. The rigid body cavity may be secured around the furniture leg with a depth in a range of about 0.125 inches to 1 inch. The cavity may have a geometry that is complementary to the perimeter of the furniture leg. The temporary adhesive may be a polyurethane gel that may be operable to be cleaned with water while retaining the adhesive properties after drying. The footpad may be further comprising a tab tapering off the top edge of the top surface to the bottom surface and may be operable to provide a surface for gripping and removing the rigid body from the furniture leg. The adhesive pad may be further comprising a semi-flexible plate comprising a top surface having a permanent adhesive operable to secure the plate to the rigid body bottom surface and a bottom surface having a temporary adhesive. The temporary adhesive may be operable to anchor the rigid body to the floor without transferring adhesive residue to the floor.

It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a furniture footpad comprising: a rigid body comprising a bottom surface, a top surface, and a perimeter; a fastener on a top surface operable to secure said rigid body to a furniture leg; and a temporary adhesive pad having a top surface permanently fixed to the bottom surface of the rigid body and includes a bottom surface operable to secure the footpad to the floor temporarily, wherein the rigid body is secured to a bottom of a leg of the furniture with the fastener and replaces any existing pad of said furniture and may be operable to adhere to a surface thereby preventing slip of the furniture foot. The adhesive pad may include a polyurethane nanostructure that is washable with water and is reusable when the adhesive pad dries. The fastener may be threaded into the bottom surface of a foot of a furniture leg and permanently secures the footpad to the furniture leg. The fastener on the rigid body top surface may be centrally positioned on the top surface and may have a central axis that is perpendicular to the top surface. The rigid body perimeter is complementary to a perimeter of the furniture leg. The rigid body perimeter may be substantially circular, rectangular, square, oval, triangular and may be flush with the perimeter of the furniture leg. The polyurethane nanostructure may be operable to not transfer any residue to the floor after removal from the securing area.

Further aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those having skill in the art from the description and disclosure provided herein.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip foot pad for furniture that is washable, reusable, and operable to anchor furniture temporarily to the floor and prevent lateral movement or sliding.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an anti-slip footpad that is suitable for a plurality of different types of furnishings and does not require fabrication to secure the furniture's legs.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adhesive for temporarily mounting furniture to various surfaces without transferring any adhesive residue; surfaces may include vinyl, laminate, tile, hardwood, carpeting, and finished concrete.

The above-described objects, advantages and features of the invention, together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the several drawings described herein. Further benefits and other advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 provides a top view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 provides a frontal view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 provides a cross sectional view of a furniture leg footpad about the centerline A-A of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 provides a side view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 provides a bottom view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 provides a expanded cross-sectional view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 provides a top view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 provides an exploded front view of a furniture leg footpad, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10A provides a top view of a footpad and a fastener centrally positioned around the perimeter of the body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10B provides a top view of a footpad and a fastener centrally positioned around the perimeter of the body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 provides a perspective view of an anti-slip furniture footpad that may be incorporated into the legs of a chair, sofa, or other furniture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in reference to these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that are included within the spirit and scope of the invention. In the following disclosure, specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without all of the specific details provided.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to FIGS. 1-11. It is seen that this embodiment of the present invention concerns an anti-slip furniture footpad 100 that may be incorporated into the legs of a chair, sofa, or other furniture having legs 400L as illustrated in FIG. 11. It is seen that the footpad 100 includes a cavity 102 spanning from a bottom surface 101 to a top edge 109 and has an interior sidewall 107 that may be operable to secure around an exterior surface of the furniture legs footing. The cavity may have a bottom surface 102b on the underside of the footpad having a permanently secured adhesive pad 110 (e.g., nanostructure polyurethane gel) that may be operable to position and secure the footpad 100 to the ground. The adhesive pad 110 may be washable with water, and the adhesive properties of the pad are restored once dried and may be reused; the adhesive pad 110 is illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7. The footpad 100 may be washed with water to remove dirt and dust from the footpad 100 and the adhesive pads 110 viscidity is retained, and the strong adhesive properties are restored and may be reused once the pad is dried. The body 100 may be manufactured from thermoplastic or similar polymeric materials through extrusion, injection, molding, and similar manufacturing methods.

In some embodiments, the base perimeter 101 may have a wider perimeter than the top edge 109 such that exterior surface 106 tapers from the top edge 109 down to the base perimeter 101. The tapering exterior surface 106 may have a plurality of markings or designs 105 that provide a visually pleasing surface. FIG. 3 illustrates a frontal view of the footpad 100 and a front tab 103 attached to the exterior surface 106 with a ridge 104 that provides a surface suitable for a user's thumbnail when securing, orienting, and removing the footpad 100. The front tab 103 may be operable to provide a user with a surface for orienting the footpad 100 in the desired direction and for removing the footpad 100 from a furniture leg 400L in applications where the interior side wall 107 is snugly secured around the exterior surface of the furniture leg. The interior side wall 107 may have an exterior surface 107b providing a cavity thickness. FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of the footpad 100 of FIG. 3 about the line segments A-A and shows the base perimeters 101 bottom surface may be offset from the bottom surface 102b of the cavity 102 to allow clearance for the adhesive pad 110 and provide a flush surface when the weight of the furniture compresses the footpad 100 and the adhesive pad 110. Between the exterior inner surface 106i and the cavity outer side wall 107b there may be a hollow interior construction. The exterior surface 106 and the cavity may be attached together at the joint 108, the hollow construction is operable to allow the exterior surface 106 to flex about the corner 108 and top edge 109 when the footpad 100 is secured to a furniture foot 400L and may provide a flush fit of the base perimeter 101 with the floor. The exterior perimeter 106 and the interior surface 107 may have a complementary geometry with proportional cross-sectional geometries and form a side wall, for example, not limiting the invention, the geometry may be circular as illustrated in FIG. 2 or rectangular as illustrated in FIG. 8, The footpad 100 may have a perimeter 106 and interior surface 107 that are manufactured to complement the geometry of a furniture leg 400L. FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the footpad 100, which may include a removable film that is removed with a pull tab 111 to expose the adhesive pad 110.

In some embodiments, the adhesive pad 110 may have a three-piece construction, including a flexible mid-plate 110b, a permanent adhesive 110a, and a nano gel tape or pad 110c, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The permanent adhesive 110a may fix the mid-plate 110b to the cavity bottom surface 102b. The nano gel tape or pad 110c may be fixed on the opposite side of the mid-plate 110b and may be operable to secure the footpad 110 to the ground temporarily. The nano gel tape or pad 110c may be washed and cleaned to remove dirt and dust from the footpad, and the adhesive properties of the nano gel tape may be restored for resecuring furniture to the floor.

In some embodiments, the footpad 200 may have a body 201, a fastener 203, and an adhesive 210 shown in FIGS. 9-10B. The body may have a top surface 201t and a bottom surface 201b. The fastener may be centrally positioned and perpendicular to the top surface 201t of the footpad body 201 as illustrated in FIGS. 10A, 10B. The adhesive 210 may be permanently attached to the base bottom surface 201b. The gel adhesive 201b may have a strong viscosity that is washable, reusable, and operable to maintain the adhesive characteristics after drying. The fastener 203 may be advanced into the center of the furniture foot 400L. In such embodiments, the footpad 200 has a simple construction eliminating the conduit 102 and interior surface 107 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-8. In some embodiments, the gel adhesive 210 may have a similar construction as the adhesive pad 110 shown in FIGS. 1-7. FIG. 10A illustrates a top view of the footpad 200 and the fastener 203 centrally positioned around the perimeter of the body.

Claims

1. An anti-slip furniture footpad comprising: a. a rigid body comprising a bottom surface, a top surface, a perimeter, and a cavity having a geometry operable to receive a foot of a furniture leg; andb. an adhesive pad secured to said rigid body's bottom surface.wherein said adhesive pad is permanently secured to said bottom surface of the rigid body on one end and is operable to temporarily secure said footpad to the floor on an opposite end thereby positioning the furniture and preventing slip of said furniture foot.

2. The footpad of claim 1, wherein said adhesive pad comprising a polyurethane nanostructure that is washable with water and is reusable when the adhesive pad dries.

3. The footpad of claim 1, wherein said rigid body is a thermoplastic that is manufactured using extrusion, injection, and molding methods.

4. The footpad of claim 1, wherein said rigid body cavity is operable to secure around a furniture leg with a depth in a range of about 0.125 inch to about 1 inch.

5. The footpad of claim 1, wherein said cavity has a geometry complementary to a perimeter of said furniture leg.

6. The footpad of claim 1, wherein said temporary adhesive is a polyurethane gel that is operable to be cleaned with water while retaining the adhesive properties after drying.

7. The footpad of claim 1, further comprising a tab tapering off from a top edge of said to top surface to said bottom surface and is operable to provide a surface for gripping and removing said rigid body from said furniture leg.

8. The footpad of claim 1, wherein said adhesive pad further comprising a semi flexible plate comprising a top surface having a permanent adhesive operable to secure the plate to said rigid body bottom surface, and a bottom surface having a temporary adhesive.

9. The footpad of claim 6, wherein said temporary adhesive is operable to anchor said rigid body to the floor without transferring adhesive residue to the floor.

10. An anti-slip furniture footpad comprising: a. a rigid body comprising a bottom surface, a top surface, and a perimeter;b. a fastener on said rigid body top surface operable to secure said rigid body to a furniture leg; andc. a temporary adhesive pad having a top surface permanently fixed to said bottom surface of said rigid body and includes a bottom surface operable to temporarily secure said footpad to the floor.wherein said rigid body is secured a bottom of a leg of said furniture with said fastener and replaces any padding of said furniture and is operable to adhere to a surface thereby preventing slip of the furniture foot.

11. The footpad of claim 10, wherein said adhesive pad has a polyurethane nanostructure that is washable with water and is reusable when the adhesive pad dries.

12. The footpad of claim 10, wherein said fastener is threaded into the bottom surface of a foot of a furniture leg and permanently secures said footpad to said furniture leg.

13. The footpad of claim 10, wherein said rigid body perimeter is complementary to a perimeter of said furniture leg.

14. The footpad of claim 13, wherein said perimeter may be substantially circular, rectangular, square, oval, triangular and may be flush with said perimeter of said furniture leg.

15. The footpad of claim 11, wherein said polyurethan nano structure does not transfer any residue to said floor after removal from the securing area.

16. The footpad of claim 10, wherein said fastener on said rigid body top surface is centrally positioned on said top surface, and has a central axis that is perpendicular to said top surface.