Bi-directional cover for a bed frame leg with top mirrored slit configuration and sidewall stickers

Abstract

A decorative bed leg cover has a primary structure that includes an outer shape that is substantially spherical. The sidewall is discontinuous in that it has a top and bottom opening defined in it. The top opening includes bed frame accepting slots extending to either side of the top opening, the slots being mirrored such that the cover can be placed in one of two directions to accommodate placement of a bed frame leg therein. Two opposing sides each includes a circular side opening surrounded by an outwardly-facing circular and flat planar surface. Each circular opening can be covered by an attachable and complementary sidewall of the bed leg cover that can be configured in a variety of shapes such as a flat surface or some other shaped surface. This sidewall is referred to as a “sticker” as the sidewall can be attached temporarily or permanently to the primary structure.

Description

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082 filed Mar. 21, 2023, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 137,192 filed Dec. 29, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 127,636 filed Sep. 11, 2018 which claims priority to United States Provisional Ser. No. 62 / 559,527 filed on Sep. 16, 2017.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a decorative bed leg cover for a bed frame having a rectangular configuration, with at least one perpendicularly extending leg, the leg connected to and extending downwardly from a corner of the rectangular frame. The bed leg cover is of the type described in applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082 and that description is incorporated herein by reference. As to the present disclosure, it provides for a more universal type of bed leg cover. Specifically, the bed leg cover is bidirectional and can be used in a multitude of ways by including a number of accessory items.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Most beds comprise a mattress supported on a metal bed frame. The bed frame is designed to provide even support for a box spring and the mattress. Sometimes referred to as a bedstead, they can describe a wide variety of support structures built specifically for mattresses and box springs. Traditionally, this includes the header, footer, legs, and side rails. The frame is a rectangular frame, with typically four perpendicularly extending bed frame legs also made of metal, each leg extending from a corner of the rectangular frame. It is common to have a wheel or roller attached to the bottom of the bed frame leg for allowing the bed frame to be moved around. While usually made of metal, it is to be understood that the bed legs can also be made of other materials, such as wood or plastic, and can be provided with or without wheels. Further, the bed frame legs and side rails can have different profiles depending on the design of the frame and when the frame was made, i.e., there are older types of bed frames and newer types of bed frames. The bed leg cover of the present invention is more universally designed with both types of bed frames in mind.

[0004] With such beds, the metal bed frame and its bed frame legs are often visible, and the frame legs are easily accessible from at least one side of the bed. As a result, it is not uncommon for a person to stub a toe against the bed frame leg or a wheel disposed at the bottom of the bed frame leg, if provided. Further, since most people often sleep in the dark, there is little if any light around the bed to aid a person in seeing exactly where the bed frame legs are located, or they may not even think about it until after the toe is stubbed.

[0005] What is needed is a way to cover the unsightly metal bed frame, the bed frame legs and the wheels disposed at the bottom of the legs, if provided, and to help provide the user with light around the base of the bed in the dark. Further, there is a need to provide a bed leg cover that is aesthetically-pleasing while providing the intended functionality of preventing toe stubbing that is not provided by the prior art, with the exception of similar specific designs devised by the present inventor. There is also a need to provide a bed leg cover that is made of a less rigid material to help prevent injury if a person accidentally kicks the bed leg, day or night. There is also a need to provide a bed leg cover that can be used with a wide variety of bed frames and firmly held in place between the floor and those portions of the bed frame that it comes in contact with. There is also a need to provide a bed leg cover that provides a top mirrored slit configuration and sidewall stickers, the nature and properties of which will be more apparent later in this disclosure.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Disclosed is a one embodiment of a decorative bed leg cover having a primary structure that includes a sidewall forming an outer shape or surface that is substantially spherical in shape. The sidewall is, however, discontinuous. That is, the spherical sidewall has a number of openings defined in it, each opening having a specific purpose.

[0007] The top of the bed leg cover comprises a substantially round top opening for receiving a substantially vertical bed frame leg, with or without a wheel attached to the bed frame leg, within it. The bottom opening is complementary to this structure as it allows the bottom of the bed frame leg or bed frame leg wheel to contact the floor that the bed frame sits on. The top opening also includes bed frame accepting slots extending to either side of the top opening and in a “mirrored” fashion, the slots being substantially parallel to one another.

[0008] Further, two opposing sidewalls of the bed leg cover include a circular side opening, each circular side opening being surrounded by an outwardly-facing circular and flat planar surface. Each circular opening can be covered by an attachable and complementary half-moon shaped structure of the bed leg cover, although the half-moon structure can be configured in a variety of shapes such as a flat surface or some other shaped surface. This structure is referred to herein as a “sticker” as the sticker can be attached temporarily to the primary structure, thereby making it removable and replaceable desired or required by the user. That is, the user can use a wide variety of “themed” stickers which can be switched out for other themed stickers the variety of which would be virtually without limit. The sticker may also, however, be permanently attached to the primary structure as well. The would be done as may be desired or required by the user.

[0009] To a front side of the primary bed leg cover structure and extending between each of the circular side openings, is a pocket for housing a light-emitting device defined within a housing and a light-emitting diode (or “LED”) or other light-emitting device (collectively referred to herein as the “light-emitting device”) that is disposed on or within the front sidewall of the bed leg cover. Because the primary bed leg cover structure is bi-directional, the user can position the light-emitting device in one of two different directions, each direction being 180° from the other. Other functionality of the light is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082. Lastly, it is to be noted that the front side of the primary bed leg cover structure in accordance with the present invention could alternatively be configured to be alternatively thicker than its back side counterpart. This thicker front sidewall enables the light-emitting device to be suitably fitted within the primary bed leg cover structure.

[0010] The foregoing and other features of the decorative bed leg cover of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the primary structure, together with opposing sidewall stickers of the decorative bed leg cover constructed in accordance with the present invention. The light-emitting device is not shown in this FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 2 is another view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the sidewall stickers attached to the primary structure.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a right side of a flat wheel-themed sticker of the type that could be used with the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the primary structure shown in an rectangular shape.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 6 and showing the sticker as a wrap-around structure.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0019] Disclosed in FIGS. 1-4 is a decorative bed leg cover (generally identified 100) constructed in accordance with the present invention. The cover 100 comprises a primary structure (generally identified 10) for use with a bed frame (not shown) having at least four perpendicularly and downwardly-extending bed legs (also not shown), each leg extending from a corner of the rectangular frame, as shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082, in particular. It is to be understood that the precise placement of the leg relative to the frame will vary between manufacturers and between different manufacturer configurations. The bed legs may terminate in a wheel or roller. See, for example, FIG. 8 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082. It is also to be understood that several such covers 100 could be used in a stackable fashion together with other covers 100. When presented in a “stacked” format, adhesive may be applied to make the stacked covers 100 part of a cohesive unit. In alternative embodiments, the cover 100 may be in shape other than a sphere. For example, the cover may assume a more rectangular shape as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. That particular shape will be discussed later in this detailed description.

[0020] Referring back to FIG. 1, the bed leg cover 100 according to this disclosure significantly comprises the primary structure 10 with several essential elements. Specifically, and although shaped as a hollow sphere, the primary structure 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises an outer surface 20 having a top sidewall 11, a rear sidewall 12, and a front sidewall 13. A pocket 16 is defined in the front sidewall 13. The pocket 16 can be a rectangular structure formed within the front sidewall 13. In this configuration, the rear sidewall 12 and the front sidewall 13 are substantially the same thickness, as would be the case with the top sidewall 11 as well. All of the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 are continuous but have intervening structure. That is, the primary structure 10 can be considered “discontinuous” in view of these intervening structures. As used herein, the term “sidewall” is not limited to a curved structure. A sidewall may be curved, planar, or some shape in between.

[0021] As shown, the primary structure 10 comprises an outer shape or surface 20 that is substantially spherical in shape although the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 are somewhat discontinuous. It is to be understood that the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 are curved, and curved in such a way that the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 form complementary parts of a complete structure. The spherical primary structure 10 top sidewall 11 has a top opening 21 and a number of slots 22 defined in it, the opening 21 and each slot 22 having a specific purpose. That is, the top opening 21 receives the bed leg within it. The slots 22, which are mirrored, allow that the bed leg structure of the frame elements to fit within them. A bottom opening 23 is complementary to this structure 10. The slots 22 are also substantially parallel to one another for receiving the bed frame rail elements (not shown) within them. When formed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the primary structure 10 can be used in one of two ways, making the primary structure 10 bi-directional, which provides the “mirroring” effect.

[0022] As also shown in FIG. 1, two opposing sidewalls 14 (the right wall) and 15 (the left wall) each includes a circular side opening 17, 18, respectively. Each circular side opening 17, 18 is surrounded by an outwardly-facing circular and flat planar surface 24, 25. See also FIGS. 3 and 4. Each circular opening 17, 18 can be covered by an attachable and complementary half-moon shaped sidewall, each generally identified 30, although the half-moon sidewalls 30 shown in FIG. 1, for example, can be configured in a variety of shapes such as a flat surface or some other shaped surface as has been previously described. See FIG. 6, for example, which shows a wheel-themed sidewall 130. The sidewalls 30 are also referred to herein as “stickers” as the sidewalls 30 can be attached temporarily or permanently to the primary structure 10, as may be desired or required by the user.

[0023] It is to be understood that the stickers 30 are attachable to the sidewalls 14, 15 using the outwardly-facing circular and flat planar surfaces 24, 25 associated with those sidewalls 14, 15. As shown in FIG. 1, the half-moon stickers 30 include complementary structure by means of flat planar surfaces 34, 35 respectively. Again, the attachment or securement means can be permanent or temporary, and by using an appropriate adhesive for such permanent or temporary attachment. See FIG. 2. Further, the stickers 30 can be curved, flat, or other shape that can be used to change the look of the primary structure 10, to create or supplement any of the designs previously patented by this inventor infra and by any that may be patented by this inventor in the future. It is also to be noted that each sticker 30, 130 comprises an upper portion 32, 132 that comprises a slot 38, 138. This slot 38, 138 is colinear with and complementary to the slots 28 formed in the primary structure 10. This allows the cover 100 to be “bi-directional” with each side of the cover 100 being “mirrored” by the other side.

[0024] Referring back to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the front sidewall 13 of the primary bed leg cover structure 10 and extending between each of the circular openings 24, 25, is a pocket 16 for housing a light-emitting device (or “LED”) or other light-emitting device (collectively referred to herein as the “light-emitting device”) that is disposed on or within the front sidewall 13 of the bed leg cover structure 10. Because the primary bed leg cover structure 10 is bi-directional, the user can position the light-emitting device in one of two different directions, each direction being 180° from the other. Other functionality of the light is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082, Pub. No. US2023 / 0218094. It is to be noted that the front sidewall 13 enables the light-emitting device to be suitably fitted within the pocket 16. That is, the pocket 16 defined within the primary structure 10 comprises a thin-walled and “bump in” structure 29 that is rigid enough to retain the light-emitting device therein. See FIGS. 1 and 5.

[0025] The material that is used for the primary structure 10 and the stickers 30 can be a low durometer elastomeric material on the Shore A hardness scale. That is, Shore hardness, using either the Shore A or Shore D scale, is the preferred method for determining the softness or pliability of rubbers / elastomers and is also commonly used for “softer” plastics such as polyolefins, fluoropolymers, and vinyls. The Shore A scale is used for “softer” rubbers while the Shore D scale is used for “harder” ones. The hardness value is determined by the penetration of a “durometer indenter foot” into a sample of the material. The stickers 30 can be made of softer or more rigid materials including, but not limited to, plastic, rubber, paper, vinyl, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or other materials that enable the function of the present invention. Other than paper, the primary structure 10 can be made of the same materials.

[0026] Lastly, the stickers 30 can also be made to complement the shape of the overall primary structure 10 to complete the shapes of other bed leg covers to change the look of the bed leg without replacing the entire bed leg cover. By way of example, this could include a volleyball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,242); a soccer ball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,243); a hockey puck-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,246); a round football-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,247); a baseball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. D959,244); a tennis ball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D976,088); and basketball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D976,087); among many others that have been created and / or patented by this inventor or are yet to be created and / or patented by this inventor. It is to be understood that the themes used are virtually without limit. Here again, it is also to be understood that the leg covers of any of these designs can be used in a “stacked” formation (one on top of the other) when used with a bed leg that is longer than one such leg cover 100.

[0027] In application, the primary structures 10 will be sold individually or in sets and not all of them will require lights. The user can specify which of them 10 will and will not have lights. The goal is to provide light, where desired, for walking about the bed in the dark or helping the user to see under the bed, for example, for cleaning. The bed leg covers 10 are made of a softer material to help prevent injury to the user's foot if it contacts the bed leg cover 10 as opposed to the bed leg itself whether there is light available or not. The primary structure 10 of the bed leg covers 100 also offers an aesthetic appeal when coupled or used with stickers 30, 130, which is desirable.

[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, they illustrate a second embodiment of a cover, generally identified 200, which comprises the same features as described above relative to the first embodiment. That is, the cover 200 comprises a top 211 and sidewalls 213, 214 (the other sidewalls not being visible in the views provided). There is a top aperture 221 and a bottom aperture (not shown) for receiving the bed leg (also not shown). The top 211 comprises slots 222, 228 that are mirrored and allow the cover 200 to be bi-directional as described above. The sticker 230 is an overwrap of the primary portion 210 of the cover 200. This sticker 230 can come in any design or special theme.

[0029] Various other features of this disclosure are set forth in the appended claims which follow.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0019]Disclosed in FIGS. 1-4 is a decorative bed leg cover (generally identified 100) constructed in accordance with the present invention. The cover 100 comprises a primary structure (generally identified 10) for use with a bed frame (not shown) having at least four perpendicularly and downwardly-extending bed legs (also not shown), each leg extending from a corner of the rectangular frame, as shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082, in particular. It is to be understood that the precise placement of the leg relative to the frame will vary between manufacturers and between different manufacturer configurations. The bed legs may terminate in a wheel or roller. See, for example, FIG. 8 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082. It is also to be understood that several such covers 100 could be used in a stackable fashion together with other covers 100. When presented in a “stacked” format, adhesive may be applied to make the stacked covers 100 part of a coh...

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082 filed Mar. 21, 2023, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 137,192 filed Dec. 29, 2020, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 127,636 filed Sep. 11, 2018 which claims priority to United States Provisional Ser. No. 62 / 559,527 filed on Sep. 16, 2017.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a decorative bed leg cover for a bed frame having a rectangular configuration, with at least one perpendicularly extending leg, the leg connected to and extending downwardly from a corner of the rectangular frame. The bed leg cover is of the type described in applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082 and that description is incorporated herein by reference. As to the present disclosure, it provides for a more universal type of bed leg cover. Specifically, the bed leg cover is bidirectional and can be used in a multitude of ways by including a number of accessory items.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Most beds comprise a mattress supported on a metal bed frame. The bed frame is designed to provide even support for a box spring and the mattress. Sometimes referred to as a bedstead, they can describe a wide variety of support structures built specifically for mattresses and box springs. Traditionally, this includes the header, footer, legs, and side rails. The frame is a rectangular frame, with typically four perpendicularly extending bed frame legs also made of metal, each leg extending from a corner of the rectangular frame. It is common to have a wheel or roller attached to the bottom of the bed frame leg for allowing the bed frame to be moved around. While usually made of metal, it is to be understood that the bed legs can also be made of other materials, such as wood or plastic, and can be provided with or without wheels. Further, the bed frame legs and side rails can have different profiles depending on the design of the frame and when the frame was made, i.e., there are older types of bed frames and newer types of bed frames. The bed leg cover of the present invention is more universally designed with both types of bed frames in mind.

[0004] With such beds, the metal bed frame and its bed frame legs are often visible, and the frame legs are easily accessible from at least one side of the bed. As a result, it is not uncommon for a person to stub a toe against the bed frame leg or a wheel disposed at the bottom of the bed frame leg, if provided. Further, since most people often sleep in the dark, there is little if any light around the bed to aid a person in seeing exactly where the bed frame legs are located, or they may not even think about it until after the toe is stubbed.

[0005] What is needed is a way to cover the unsightly metal bed frame, the bed frame legs and the wheels disposed at the bottom of the legs, if provided, and to help provide the user with light around the base of the bed in the dark. Further, there is a need to provide a bed leg cover that is aesthetically-pleasing while providing the intended functionality of preventing toe stubbing that is not provided by the prior art, with the exception of similar specific designs devised by the present inventor. There is also a need to provide a bed leg cover that is made of a less rigid material to help prevent injury if a person accidentally kicks the bed leg, day or night. There is also a need to provide a bed leg cover that can be used with a wide variety of bed frames and firmly held in place between the floor and those portions of the bed frame that it comes in contact with. There is also a need to provide a bed leg cover that provides a top mirrored slit configuration and sidewall stickers, the nature and properties of which will be more apparent later in this disclosure.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Disclosed is a one embodiment of a decorative bed leg cover having a primary structure that includes a sidewall forming an outer shape or surface that is substantially spherical in shape. The sidewall is, however, discontinuous. That is, the spherical sidewall has a number of openings defined in it, each opening having a specific purpose.

[0007] The top of the bed leg cover comprises a substantially round top opening for receiving a substantially vertical bed frame leg, with or without a wheel attached to the bed frame leg, within it. The bottom opening is complementary to this structure as it allows the bottom of the bed frame leg or bed frame leg wheel to contact the floor that the bed frame sits on. The top opening also includes bed frame accepting slots extending to either side of the top opening and in a “mirrored” fashion, the slots being substantially parallel to one another.

[0008] Further, two opposing sidewalls of the bed leg cover include a circular side opening, each circular side opening being surrounded by an outwardly-facing circular and flat planar surface. Each circular opening can be covered by an attachable and complementary half-moon shaped structure of the bed leg cover, although the half-moon structure can be configured in a variety of shapes such as a flat surface or some other shaped surface. This structure is referred to herein as a “sticker” as the sticker can be attached temporarily to the primary structure, thereby making it removable and replaceable desired or required by the user. That is, the user can use a wide variety of “themed” stickers which can be switched out for other themed stickers the variety of which would be virtually without limit. The sticker may also, however, be permanently attached to the primary structure as well. The would be done as may be desired or required by the user.

[0009] To a front side of the primary bed leg cover structure and extending between each of the circular side openings, is a pocket for housing a light-emitting device defined within a housing and a light-emitting diode (or “LED”) or other light-emitting device (collectively referred to herein as the “light-emitting device”) that is disposed on or within the front sidewall of the bed leg cover. Because the primary bed leg cover structure is bi-directional, the user can position the light-emitting device in one of two different directions, each direction being 180° from the other. Other functionality of the light is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082. Lastly, it is to be noted that the front side of the primary bed leg cover structure in accordance with the present invention could alternatively be configured to be alternatively thicker than its back side counterpart. This thicker front sidewall enables the light-emitting device to be suitably fitted within the primary bed leg cover structure.

[0010] The foregoing and other features of the decorative bed leg cover of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the primary structure, together with opposing sidewall stickers of the decorative bed leg cover constructed in accordance with the present invention. The light-emitting device is not shown in this FIG. 1.

[0012] FIG. 2 is another view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the sidewall stickers attached to the primary structure.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a right side of a flat wheel-themed sticker of the type that could be used with the primary structure shown in FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the primary structure shown in an rectangular shape.

[0018] FIG. 8 is a view of the primary structure shown in FIG. 6 and showing the sticker as a wrap-around structure.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

[0019] Disclosed in FIGS. 1-4 is a decorative bed leg cover (generally identified 100) constructed in accordance with the present invention. The cover 100 comprises a primary structure (generally identified 10) for use with a bed frame (not shown) having at least four perpendicularly and downwardly-extending bed legs (also not shown), each leg extending from a corner of the rectangular frame, as shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082, in particular. It is to be understood that the precise placement of the leg relative to the frame will vary between manufacturers and between different manufacturer configurations. The bed legs may terminate in a wheel or roller. See, for example, FIG. 8 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082. It is also to be understood that several such covers 100 could be used in a stackable fashion together with other covers 100. When presented in a “stacked” format, adhesive may be applied to make the stacked covers 100 part of a cohesive unit. In alternative embodiments, the cover 100 may be in shape other than a sphere. For example, the cover may assume a more rectangular shape as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. That particular shape will be discussed later in this detailed description.

[0020] Referring back to FIG. 1, the bed leg cover 100 according to this disclosure significantly comprises the primary structure 10 with several essential elements. Specifically, and although shaped as a hollow sphere, the primary structure 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises an outer surface 20 having a top sidewall 11, a rear sidewall 12, and a front sidewall 13. A pocket 16 is defined in the front sidewall 13. The pocket 16 can be a rectangular structure formed within the front sidewall 13. In this configuration, the rear sidewall 12 and the front sidewall 13 are substantially the same thickness, as would be the case with the top sidewall 11 as well. All of the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 are continuous but have intervening structure. That is, the primary structure 10 can be considered “discontinuous” in view of these intervening structures. As used herein, the term “sidewall” is not limited to a curved structure. A sidewall may be curved, planar, or some shape in between.

[0021] As shown, the primary structure 10 comprises an outer shape or surface 20 that is substantially spherical in shape although the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 are somewhat discontinuous. It is to be understood that the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 are curved, and curved in such a way that the sidewalls 11, 12, 13 form complementary parts of a complete structure. The spherical primary structure 10 top sidewall 11 has a top opening 21 and a number of slots 22 defined in it, the opening 21 and each slot 22 having a specific purpose. That is, the top opening 21 receives the bed leg within it. The slots 22, which are mirrored, allow that the bed leg structure of the frame elements to fit within them. A bottom opening 23 is complementary to this structure 10. The slots 22 are also substantially parallel to one another for receiving the bed frame rail elements (not shown) within them. When formed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the primary structure 10 can be used in one of two ways, making the primary structure 10 bi-directional, which provides the “mirroring” effect.

[0022] As also shown in FIG. 1, two opposing sidewalls 14 (the right wall) and 15 (the left wall) each includes a circular side opening 17, 18, respectively. Each circular side opening 17, 18 is surrounded by an outwardly-facing circular and flat planar surface 24, 25. See also FIGS. 3 and 4. Each circular opening 17, 18 can be covered by an attachable and complementary half-moon shaped sidewall, each generally identified 30, although the half-moon sidewalls 30 shown in FIG. 1, for example, can be configured in a variety of shapes such as a flat surface or some other shaped surface as has been previously described. See FIG. 6, for example, which shows a wheel-themed sidewall 130. The sidewalls 30 are also referred to herein as “stickers” as the sidewalls 30 can be attached temporarily or permanently to the primary structure 10, as may be desired or required by the user.

[0023] It is to be understood that the stickers 30 are attachable to the sidewalls 14, 15 using the outwardly-facing circular and flat planar surfaces 24, 25 associated with those sidewalls 14, 15. As shown in FIG. 1, the half-moon stickers 30 include complementary structure by means of flat planar surfaces 34, 35 respectively. Again, the attachment or securement means can be permanent or temporary, and by using an appropriate adhesive for such permanent or temporary attachment. See FIG. 2. Further, the stickers 30 can be curved, flat, or other shape that can be used to change the look of the primary structure 10, to create or supplement any of the designs previously patented by this inventor infra and by any that may be patented by this inventor in the future. It is also to be noted that each sticker 30, 130 comprises an upper portion 32, 132 that comprises a slot 38, 138. This slot 38, 138 is colinear with and complementary to the slots 28 formed in the primary structure 10. This allows the cover 100 to be “bi-directional” with each side of the cover 100 being “mirrored” by the other side.

[0024] Referring back to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the front sidewall 13 of the primary bed leg cover structure 10 and extending between each of the circular openings 24, 25, is a pocket 16 for housing a light-emitting device (or “LED”) or other light-emitting device (collectively referred to herein as the “light-emitting device”) that is disposed on or within the front sidewall 13 of the bed leg cover structure 10. Because the primary bed leg cover structure 10 is bi-directional, the user can position the light-emitting device in one of two different directions, each direction being 180° from the other. Other functionality of the light is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082, Pub. No. US2023 / 0218094. It is to be noted that the front sidewall 13 enables the light-emitting device to be suitably fitted within the pocket 16. That is, the pocket 16 defined within the primary structure 10 comprises a thin-walled and “bump in” structure 29 that is rigid enough to retain the light-emitting device therein. See FIGS. 1 and 5.

[0025] The material that is used for the primary structure 10 and the stickers 30 can be a low durometer elastomeric material on the Shore A hardness scale. That is, Shore hardness, using either the Shore A or Shore D scale, is the preferred method for determining the softness or pliability of rubbers / elastomers and is also commonly used for “softer” plastics such as polyolefins, fluoropolymers, and vinyls. The Shore A scale is used for “softer” rubbers while the Shore D scale is used for “harder” ones. The hardness value is determined by the penetration of a “durometer indenter foot” into a sample of the material. The stickers 30 can be made of softer or more rigid materials including, but not limited to, plastic, rubber, paper, vinyl, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or other materials that enable the function of the present invention. Other than paper, the primary structure 10 can be made of the same materials.

[0026] Lastly, the stickers 30 can also be made to complement the shape of the overall primary structure 10 to complete the shapes of other bed leg covers to change the look of the bed leg without replacing the entire bed leg cover. By way of example, this could include a volleyball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,242); a soccer ball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,243); a hockey puck-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,246); a round football-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D959,247); a baseball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. D959,244); a tennis ball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D976,088); and basketball-themed bed leg cover (U.S. Des. Pat. No. D976,087); among many others that have been created and / or patented by this inventor or are yet to be created and / or patented by this inventor. It is to be understood that the themes used are virtually without limit. Here again, it is also to be understood that the leg covers of any of these designs can be used in a “stacked” formation (one on top of the other) when used with a bed leg that is longer than one such leg cover 100.

[0027] In application, the primary structures 10 will be sold individually or in sets and not all of them will require lights. The user can specify which of them 10 will and will not have lights. The goal is to provide light, where desired, for walking about the bed in the dark or helping the user to see under the bed, for example, for cleaning. The bed leg covers 10 are made of a softer material to help prevent injury to the user's foot if it contacts the bed leg cover 10 as opposed to the bed leg itself whether there is light available or not. The primary structure 10 of the bed leg covers 100 also offers an aesthetic appeal when coupled or used with stickers 30, 130, which is desirable.

[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, they illustrate a second embodiment of a cover, generally identified 200, which comprises the same features as described above relative to the first embodiment. That is, the cover 200 comprises a top 211 and sidewalls 213, 214 (the other sidewalls not being visible in the views provided). There is a top aperture 221 and a bottom aperture (not shown) for receiving the bed leg (also not shown). The top 211 comprises slots 222, 228 that are mirrored and allow the cover 200 to be bi-directional as described above. The sticker 230 is an overwrap of the primary portion 210 of the cover 200. This sticker 230 can come in any design or special theme.

[0029] Various other features of this disclosure are set forth in the appended claims which follow.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0019]Disclosed in FIGS. 1-4 is a decorative bed leg cover (generally identified 100) constructed in accordance with the present invention. The cover 100 comprises a primary structure (generally identified 10) for use with a bed frame (not shown) having at least four perpendicularly and downwardly-extending bed legs (also not shown), each leg extending from a corner of the rectangular frame, as shown in FIG. 3 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082, in particular. It is to be understood that the precise placement of the leg relative to the frame will vary between manufacturers and between different manufacturer configurations. The bed legs may terminate in a wheel or roller. See, for example, FIG. 8 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18 / 124,082. It is also to be understood that several such covers 100 could be used in a stackable fashion together with other covers 100. When presented in a “stacked” format, adhesive may be applied to make the stacked covers 100 part of a coh...

Claims

1. A bed leg cover comprising:a primary structure that is substantially spherical in shape and further comprises:a top and bottom sidewall;a front and back sidewall;a right and left side sidewall;the top sidewall comprises a top opening and slots ;the bottom sidewall comprises a bottom opening;the right side sidewall comprises a right side opening;the left side sidewall comprises a left side opening;a sticker for covering the right side opening; anda sticker for covering the left side opening.

2. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the slots are mirrored to either side of the opening of the top sidewall.

3. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the slots are aligned to either side of the opening of the top sidewall.

4. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers are permanently attached to the right and left side sidewalls, or alternatively to just one of the sidewalls.

5. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers are temporarily attached to the right and left side sidewalls, or alternatively just one of the sidewalls.

6. The bed leg cover of claim 5 wherein the stickers are fabricated to replicate a variety of bed leg cover shapes.

7. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers include features of at least one from a group consisting of sports-themed shapes including a volleyball, a hockey puck, a football, a round football, a baseball, a tennis ball, a basketball, and a golf ball.

8. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers are fabricated as a flat structure.

9. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers are fabricated as a curved structure, the curvature of the sticker matching the curvature of the primary structure.

10. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers are fabricated from one material from a group consisting of a plastic, rubber, a vinyl, a paper, an open cell foam, and a closed cell foam.

11. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the primary structure is fabricated from one material from a group consisting of a plastic, rubber, a vinyl, an open cell foam, and a closed cell foam.

12. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the primary structure is in a shape other than a sphere.

13. The bed leg cover of claim 11 wherein the sticker is formed as an overwrap of the primary structure.

14. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the front sidewall comprises a pocket.

15. The bed leg cover of claim 14 wherein the pocket is configured to receive a light-emitting device within it.

16. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein multiple primary structures are provided and stacked about a bed leg.

17. The bed leg cover of claim 16 wherein the stacked primary structures are attached to one another by an adhesive.

18. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers are attachable to any sidewall.

19. The bed leg cover of claim 1 wherein the stickers are attachable to all sidewalls.

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