Self-adjustment restrictor
AssigneeCarpin Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsDavid Ferraro, Ralph Carpinella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device that prevents the self-adjustment of a leveling glide for the tubular legs of various types of furniture, including tables and chairs, is disclosed. The device comprises a threaded insert for a furniture leveling assembly that includes a polymeric washer secured to the bottom of the threaded insert. The polymeric washer is aligned with the axis of the internally threaded of the threaded insert and has a hole diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the externally threaded stem of the leveling glide.
Claims11
A threaded insert for a furniture leveling assembly, the threaded insert comprising:
- i. an internally threaded surface that is configured to accommodate an externally threaded stem of a leveling glide;
- ii. a polymer washer secured to the bottom of the threaded insert with an adhesive, wherein the polymer washer is made of a closed cell polyurethane foam material, wherein a diameter of a hole of the washer is smaller than a diameter of the externally threaded stem of the leveling glide;
- and
- wherein, an axis of a hole of the washer is aligned with an axis of the internally threaded surface of the threaded insert;
- and
- wherein the leveling glide is turnable about the threaded insert to adjust a height of a tubular furniture leg and the polymer washer resists self-adjustment or rotation but permits manual adjustment by a user to any position along the externally threaded stem based on a desired height of the tubular furniture leg, such that the polymer washer retains the leveling glide at the desired height,
- wherein the polymer washer compresses and/or expands to maintain interference between the polymer washer and the externally threaded stem of the leveling glide when under a load, and wherein the polymer washer returns to its original shape once the load is removed.
A furniture leveling assembly, the furniture leveling assembly comprising:
- i. a threaded insert with an internally threaded surface;
- ii. a leveling glide with an externally threaded stem, wherein the leveling glide is configured to make contact with a floor;
- and
- iii. a polymer washer secured to a bottom of the threaded insert;
- wherein the internally threaded surface of the threaded insert is configured to accommodate the externally threaded stem of the leveling glide;
- wherein a diameter of a hole of the washer is smaller than a diameter of the externally threaded stem of the leveling glide;
- and
- wherein an axis of the hole of the washer is aligned with an axis of the internally threaded surface of the threaded insert;
- and
- wherein the leveling glide is turnable about the threaded insert to adjust a height of a tubular furniture leg and the polymer washer resists self-adjustment or rotation but permits manual adjustment by a user to any position along the externally threaded stem based on a desired height of the tubular furniture leg, such that the polymer washer retains the leveling glide at the desired height,
- wherein the polymer washer compresses and/or expands to maintain interference between the polymer washer and the externally threaded stem of the leveling glide when under a load, and wherein the polymer washer returns to its original shape once the load is removed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.