Furniture-glide assembly

Abstract

A glide assembly is adapted to be securely fastened to the free end of a leg of a piece of furniture. The assembly includes a body defining a bore extending partially through the body to define an interior surface, an open end, and a closed end of the body. The free end of the leg is adapted to be inserted within the bore. A post extends from the closed end at least partially toward the open end of the body and is adapted to be received through an opening of and within the free end of the leg with the free end of the leg being adapted to be matingly received between the post and body. A clip is supported upon the post and adapted to be in abutting contact with an interior surface of the free end of the leg to securely fasten the body about the free end of the leg.

1 . A glide assembly adapted to be securely fastened to the free end of a leg of a piece of furniture, said glide assembly comprising: 
 a body defining a bore extending partially through said body to define an interior surface, an open end, and a closed end of said body, the free end of the leg adapted to be inserted within said bore;    a post extending from said closed end at least partially toward said open end of said body and adapted to be received through an opening of and within the free end of the leg with the free end of the leg being adapted to be matingly received between said post and said body; and    a clip supported upon said post and adapted to be in abutting contact with an interior surface of the free end of the leg to securely fasten said body about the free end of the leg.    
     
     
         2 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said post defines a support shoulder thereof that tapers toward said open end of said body and said clip is supported upon said support shoulder and extends outward and slightly downward therefrom into space defined between said post and said body.  
     
     
         3 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said post defines an axial hole extending longitudinally therethrough to define an open end of said post, said clip defines an opening that is aligned with said hole when said clip is supported upon said post, and a fastener is adapted to be received through said opening of said clip and said open end of said post and within said hole of said post to secure said clip to said post.  
     
     
         4 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said clip defines an outside diameter thereof slightly greater than an inside diameter defined by the free end of the leg and said clip is resiliently deformable such that as the free end of the leg is inserted within said bore of said body, the free end of the leg engages said clip and deforms said clip inward toward the smaller inside diameter of the free end of the leg.  
     
     
         5 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said clip defines a spring force that biases said clip outward to frictionally engage the interior surface of the free end of the leg to, thereby, securely fasten said glide assembly to the free end of the leg.  
     
     
         6 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein said clip defines a clip hub and at least one clip arm extending outward and slightly downward from said clip hub into said space defined between said post and said body.  
     
     
         7 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said clip defines a plurality of clip arms such that a substantially semi-circular space is defined between adjacent ones of said plurality of clip arms.  
     
     
         8 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said clip hub is supported upon said post such that said at least one clip arm is supported upon said support shoulder of said post.  
     
     
         9 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said at least one clip arm defines said outside diameter of said clip slightly greater than the inside diameter of the free end of the leg and said at least one clip arm is resiliently deformable such that as the free end of the leg is inserted within said bore of said body, the free end of the leg engages said at least one clip arm and deforms said at least one clip arm inward toward the smaller inside diameter of the free end of the leg.  
     
     
         10 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said at least one clip arm defines said spring force that biases said at least one clip arm outward to frictionally engage the interior surface of the free end of the leg to, thereby, securely fasten said glide assembly to the free end of the leg.  
     
     
         11 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said post includes a substantially hollow support structure and a support column extending upward from said closed end of said body within said support structure and adapted to support said clip upon said support column.  
     
     
         12 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said support structure defines said support shoulder of said post.  
     
     
         13 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said clip defines a clip hub and at least one clip arm extending outward and slightly downward from said clip hub into said space defined between said post and said body and said clip hub is supported upon said support column such that said clip arms are supported upon said support shoulder of said support structure.  
     
     
         14 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein a space is defined about said support column between said support structure and said support column and said post further includes at least one rib extending from said support structure to said support column to provide structural integrity to said post.  
     
     
         15 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said support column defines an axial hole extending longitudinally therethrough to define an open end of said support column, said clip defines an opening that is aligned with said hole of said support column when said clip is supported upon said support column, and a fastener is adapted to be received through said opening of said clip and said open end of said support column and within said hole of said support column to secure said clip to said support column.  
     
     
         16 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said clip is substantially disk-shaped.  
     
     
         17 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said clip is formed from a resilient metal.  
     
     
         18 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said body is made of a soft PVC material.  
     
     
         19 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said body defines an exterior surface including a plurality of raised surfaces adapted to facilitate smooth frictional contact between said glide assembly and a surface upon which said glide assembly is supported.  
     
     
         20 . A glide assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said body is substantially spherical such that substantially the same amount of surface area of said glide assembly contacts the floor independent of the angle at which the free end of the leg is engaged relative to the floor.