Castor Apparatus For A Chair Base And A Chair Base With A Castor Apparatus

A chair base comprising:

• a central hub;
• a plurality of arms extending from the central hub radially outwardly, each of the plurality of arms having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end coupled to the central hub, with a castor bore positioned at the distal end thereof;
• a plurality of castor apparatuses, with one of the plurality of castor apparatuses positioned within the castor bore of each of the plurality of arms, at least one of the plurality of castor apparatus comprising:
• a body having a central region, a first side and a second side, the body including a first axis extending from the first side through the second side, and a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the first axis and extending through the central region between the first side and the second side;
• a first wheel positioned on the first side of the body rotatably coupled to the central region of the body and rotating about an axle corresponding to the first axis;
• a second wheel positioned on the second side of the body rotatably coupled to the central region of the body and rotating about the axle corresponding to the first axis;
• a castor bore pin extending from the body and corresponding to the transverse axis;
• and
• an impact dissipation device including a body having a proximal end extending in a direction opposite the castor bore pin and extending along the transverse axis in a direction opposite of the castor bore pin, with the distal end terminating short of the lowermost position of the first wheel and second wheel, so that when on an outside surface, without a loading, the distal end of the impact dissipation device is spaced apart from the surface.

A method of dissipating an impact comprising:

• providing a chair base including a central hub and a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly therefrom, with a castor bore positioned at a distal end of each of the plurality of arms;
• providing a castor apparatus within each castor bore of each arm, the castor apparatus having a body with a central region, a first wheel and a second wheel extending on opposing sides of the central region and rotating on a first axis extending through the body, and a castor bore pin extending into the castor bore of each arm, the castor bore pin extending along a transverse axis that is perpendicular to the first axis and spaced apart therefrom, and an impact dissipating device extending along the transverse axis in a direction opposite of the castor bore pin;
• positioning the chair base on an outside surface with the first and second wheels of each castor apparatus contacting the outside surface, and a distal end of the impact dissipating device being spaced apart from the outside surface;
• imparting a force on the chair base that is transferred to each castor apparatus;
• deflecting the castor apparatus in a direction other than along the transverse axis so as to direct the distal end of the impact dissipation device toward the outside surface;
• and
• allowing the distal end of the impact dissipation device to contact the outside surface prior to damage to either one of the castor bore or the castor apparatus.