# US 2016/0353902 A1 · Floor brake assembly for an article of furniture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0353902 A1 - Document ID: US20160353902A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/213,652 - Filed: 2016-07-19 - Published: 2016-12-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-05 - Assignees: Sauder Manufacturing Co. - Applicants: Sauder Manufacturing Co. - Inventors: Timothy J. Johnson; Steven Stieglitz; Martin J. Krause, JR.; Anthony J. Warncke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160353902A1 ## CPC - B60B 33/0089: {acting on the floor} - A47C 19/024: {Legs} - B62B 5/049: {locking against movement by contacting the floor or a wall} - A47B 97/00: Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass - B60B: VEHICLE WHEELS (making wheels or wheel parts by rolling B21H1/00, by forging, hammering or pressing B21K1/28); CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION - A47C: CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS - B62B: HAND-PROPELLED VEHICLES, e.g. HAND CARTS OR PERAMBULATORS; SLEDGES (characterised by animal propulsion B62C; propulsion of sledges by driver or engine B62M) - A47B: TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE (furniture jointing F16B) ## Abstract A floor brake assembly for an article of furniture includes a base adapted to be affixed to an article of furniture, a plunger having a brake pad at a plunger first end where the brake pad engages a floor and a second position where the brake pad is free of the floor, a pivot arm rotatably mounted to the base, a first activation arm pivotally mounted to the base, and a second activation arm pivotally mounted to the base. The pivot arm is rotated to a braking position and an unbraking position ## Claims ### Claim 1 A floor brake assembly, comprising: a base adapted to be affixed to an article of furniture and having a pivot point at a base first end, and a bore at a base second end; a plunger extending through the bore and having a brake pad at a plunger first end and head at a plunger second end, wherein the plunger is moveable within the bore between a first position where the brake pad engages a floor and a second position where the brake pad is free of the floor, and wherein the plunger is biased away from the first position; a pivot arm rotatably mounted to the base intermediate the base first end and the base second end, and having a free end with a boss extending normally therefrom, wherein the pivot arm is rotatable between a braking position and an unbraking position; a first activation arm pivotally mounted to the base at the pivot point, and having an activation point engaging the head of the plunger and a cam surface between the mounting to the pivot point and activation point wherein the boss engages the cam surface; a second activation arm pivotally mounted to the base at the pivot point, adjacent to the first activation arm, having a free end biased away from the base, and having a continuous channel, wherein the boss engages the continuous channel, and the continuous channel includes a catch; and a user controllable interface linked to the pivot arm to cause the pivot arm to rotate; wherein when the pivot arm is rotated to the braking position by urging the user controllable interface in a first direction, the boss traverses the continuous channel to stop at the catch while simultaneously engaging the cam surface to urge the activation point of the first activation arm against the head to force the plunger to the first position so that the brake pad engages the floor, and when the pivot arm is rotated to the unbraking position by urging the user controllable interface again in the first direction, the boss traverses the continuous channel out of the catch while simultaneously engaging the cam surface to enable the activation point of the first activation arm to move away from the base, allowing the bias of the plunger to move the plunger to the second position so that the brake pad is free of the floor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The floor brake assembly of claim 1 wherein the brake pad is configurable to adapt to different floor types to prevent lateral movement of the floor brake assembly relative to the floor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The floor brake assembly of claim 1 wherein the user controllable interface comprises at least one of a handle, a lever, a foot pad, a step pad, or an electro-mechanical mechanism. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The floor brake assembly of claim 3 wherein the user controllable interface is a mechanical interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The floor brake assembly of claim 4 wherein the mechanical interface is keyed to rotate the pivot arm in a predetermined direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The floor brake assembly of claim 5 wherein the pivot arm is biased opposed to the predetermined direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The floor brake assembly of claim 3 wherein at least one of a set of pivot arms or a set of brake pads are simultaneously controllable by a common mechanical interface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The floor brake assembly of claim 1, further comprising a dampener configured to reduce at least one of audible noise or vibration generated during operation of the floor brake assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The floor brake assembly of claim 1 wherein the rotation of the pivot arm to the braking position and the rotation of the pivot arm to the unbraking position are in identical directions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The floor brake assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second activation arms are positioned adjacent to a first side of the pivot arm having the boss. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The floor brake assembly of claim 10 wherein the pivot arm includes a first boss extending normally from the pivot arm on the first side, and a second boss extending normally from the pivot arm on the first side, wherein the first and second bosses are axially aligned, and wherein the second boss extends past the first boss. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The floor brake assembly of claim 11 wherein the first boss is configured to engage the cam surface of the first activation arm and the second boss is configured to engage the channel of the second activation arm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The floor brake assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second activation arms are positioned on opposing sides of the pivot arm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The floor brake assembly of claim 13 wherein the pivot arm includes a first boss extending normally from the pivot arm on a first side, and a second boss extending normally from the pivot arm on an opposing second side. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The floor brake assembly of claim 14 wherein the first boss is configured to engage the cam surface of the first activation arm and the second boss is configured to engage the channel of the second activation arm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The floor brake assembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second activation arms are independently pivotable about the pivot point. ### Claim 17 An article of furniture comprising: a frame supporting the article of furniture relative to a floor and having a traversal interface configured to allow movement of the article of furniture relative to the floor; and a floor brake assembly, comprising: a base adapted to be affixed to the frame and having a pivot point at a base first end, a bore at a base second end; a plunger extending through the bore and having a brake pad at a plunger first end and head at a plunger second end, wherein the plunger is moveable within the bore between a first position where the brake pad engages a floor and a second position where the brake pad is free of the floor, and wherein the plunger is biased away from the first position; a pivot arm rotatably mounted to the base intermediate the base first end and the base second end, and having a free end with a boss extending normally therefrom, wherein the pivot arm is rotatable between a braking position and an unbraking position; a first activation arm pivotally mounted to the base at the pivot point, and having an activation point engaging the head of the plunger and a cam surface between the mounting to the pivot point and activation point wherein the boss engages the cam surface; a second activation arm pivotally mounted to the base at the pivot point, adjacent to the first activation arm, and having a free end biased away from the base, and having a continuous channel, wherein the boss engages the continuous channel, and the continuous channel includes a catch; and a user controllable interface linked to the pivot arm to cause the pivot arm to rotate; wherein when the pivot arm is rotated to the braking position by urging the user controllable interface in a first direction, the boss traverses the continuous channel to stop at the catch while simultaneously engaging the cam surface to urge the activation point of the first activation arm against the head to force the plunger to the first position so that the brake pad engages the floor, preventing movement of the article of furniture relative to the floor, and when the pivot arm is rotated to the unbraking position by urging the user controllable interface again in the first direction, the boss traverses the continuous channel out of the catch while simultaneously engaging the cam surface to enable the activation point of the first activation arm to move away from the base, allowing the bias of the plunger to move the plunger to the second position so that the brake pad is free of the floor, allowing movement of the article of furniture relative to the floor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The article of furniture of claim 17, wherein the floor brake assembly is removably affixed to the frame. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The article of furniture of claim 17 wherein the frame is configured to support a set of floor brake assemblies. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The article of furniture of claim 19 wherein the set of floor brake assemblies are simultaneously controllable by the user controllable interface.