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US 11,375,814 B1Granted
Elongate stabilizers for preventing furniture from tipping
AssigneeThoughtful Furniture Company, LLC
InventorDavid M. Stravitz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Stabilizer for a piece of furniture, such as a dresser or television, includes an elongate portion, a top flap or plate flexibly connected at an upper end of the rigid portion, and a bottom flap or plate flexibly connected at a lower end of the rigid portion. An outer planar surface of the top plate is attached to the piece of furniture while an outer planar surface of the bottom plate is attached to a vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture. When the stabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture at a location above the location at which the stabilizer is attached to the vertical support surface and the stabilizer is in a vertical orientation, the stabilizer provides resistance to tipping of the piece of furniture away from the vertical support surface.
Claims20
A method for stabilizing a piece of furniture, comprising:
- providing a stabilizer having a rigid elongate portion, a top plate having an inner major surface and an outer planar surface on a side of the top plate opposite the inner major surface of the top plate, and being flexibly connected to an upper end of the elongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surface of the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface and an outer planar surface on a side of the bottom plate opposite the inner major surface of the bottom plate, and being flexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate, the first hinge pivotally connecting the upper end of the elongate portion to the inner major surface of the top plate and the second hinge pivotally connecting the lower end of the elongate portion to the inner major surface of the bottom plate;
- attaching the top plate to a rear surface of the piece of furniture using first attachment structure at least partly on the outer planar surface of the top plate;
- and
- attaching the bottom plate to a vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture using second attachment structure at least partly on the outer planar surface of the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the vertical support surface at a location below a location at which the top plate is attached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture is alongside the vertical support surface.
1 more element
A method for stabilizing a piece of furniture, comprising:
- providing a stabilizer having a rigid elongate portion, a top plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to an upper end of the elongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surface of the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate;
- attaching the top plate to a rear surface of the piece of furniture using first attachment structure on a planar surface of the top plate;
- attaching the bottom plate to a vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture using second attachment structure on a planar surface of the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the vertical support surface at a location below a location at which the top plate is attached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture is alongside the vertical support surface;
- and
- providing the first and second hinges as integral hinges.
2 more elements
A method for stabilizing a piece of furniture, comprising:
- providing a stabilizer having a rigid elongate portion, a top plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to an upper end of the elongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surface of the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate;
- attaching the top plate to a rear surface of the piece of furniture using first attachment structure on a planar surface of the top plate;
- attaching the bottom plate to a vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture using second attachment structure on a planar surface of the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the vertical support surface at a location below a location at which the top plate is attached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture is alongside the vertical support surface;
- and
- providing the first and second hinges as living hinges that enable the elongate portion to lie against the top and bottom plates.
2 more elements
A method for stabilizing a piece of furniture, comprising:
- providing a stabilizer having a rigid elongate portion, a top plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to an upper end of the elongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surface of the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate;
- attaching the top plate to a rear surface of the piece of furniture using first attachment structure on a planar surface of the top plate;
- attaching the bottom plate to a vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture using second attachment structure on a planar surface of the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the vertical support surface at a location below a location at which the top plate is attached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture is alongside the vertical support surface;
- providing an additional stabilizer having an elongate portion, a top plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to an upper end of the elongate portion by a first hinge situated along the inner major surface of the top plate, and a bottom plate having an inner major surface and being flexibly connected to a lower end of the elongate portion by a second hinge situated along the inner major surface of the bottom plate;
- attaching the top plate of the additional stabilizer to the rear surface of the piece of furniture using third attachment structure on a planar surface of the top plate of the additional stabilizer;
- and
- attaching the bottom plate of the additional stabilizer to the vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture using fourth attachment structure on a planar surface of the bottom plate, the bottom plate being attached to the vertical support surface at a location below a location at which the top plate of the additional stabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture when the piece of furniture is alongside the vertical support surface.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.