Furniture foot

Abstract

A furniture seat with a plurality of key slots having a key hole shape, on a bottom surface receives a plurality of feet. Each of the plurality of feet having a base portion and a unitary peg portion. The base portion having a floor engaging end with the peg portion extending upwardly from the base portion. The peg portion of each foot, when viewed from an end, having a key shape to interface with the key slots and to properly rotationally orient the foot in the respective key slot. The peg portion having a plurality of spring members unitary therewith that deflect as each peg is inserted into a respective key slot and that then retain peg portion in the key slot and the foot to the bottom surface of the furniture seat.

Description

[0001]^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1FURNITURE FOOT CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of U.S. Nonprovisional Application Number 18 / 826,002, filed September 5, 2024, the entire contents of which is incorporated by ^^ reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally directed to a keyed foot for attachment to a seat. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Furniture items used for seating commonly comprise a support structure covered by ^^^ upholstery and / or cushioning. In particular, sofas and chairs typically comprise a seat base, a back rest and a pair of arm rests. Typically, sofas and chairs are fully assembled at the furniture factory by factory workers or machinery to ensure the individual subcomponents are properly assembled and aligned to minimize the appearance of visible gaps or uneven edges in the assembled furniture item. ^^^ The inherent drawback of assembling the furniture item at the factory is that typical feet below the seating portion of sofas often prevents efficient packing of the furniture items for transport. Depending on the shape and size of subcomponents of the furniture item, inefficient packing of the furniture item can result in a significant amount of dead space within the shipping container or truck. In addition to increasing the cost of transportation, the dead space ^^^ can allow the furniture items to shift during transport resulting in damage to the furniture item. Furniture feet, in particular, are prone to breakage during shipment. The use of additional packaging to protect the feet adds to transport costs. An approach to addressing the drawbacks of factory assembled furniture items includes providing feet separately and requiring users or retailers to install the feet after delivery. This ^^^ may require tools for securing screws, nuts, bolts, or the like. Consumers who purchase^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1preassembled furniture may not have the experience or ready access to the tools necessary to properly assemble the subcomponents. In some instances, the foot may be askew if it rotates or is not properly aligned then the fastener is tightened. For many pieces of furniture, it may require multiple users to tilt and / or support the piece of furniture while the feet are attached. ^^ Further approaches may include providing individually upholstered subcomponents as a ready to assemble (“RTA”) furniture kit that can be assembled by the end user. Such furniture is often called Knock Down or KD furniture. The individual subcomponents can be more efficiently packed than the fully assembled furniture item and allows the furniture item to be assembled in situ, thereby eliminating the need for navigating the assembled furniture item ^^^ through the building. As discussed above, an inherent challenge of providing furniture kits, including RTA kits, is that the consumers who assemble the furniture kits are typically unfamiliar with furniture assembly and may not have the experience or ready access to the tools necessary to properly assemble the subcomponents. In addition, manually aligning the often heavy and large subcomponents to install the fasteners for connecting the subcomponents can ^^^ be difficult, particularly if a single individual is assembling the furniture item. Moreover, as the number of subcomponents assembled together increases, maneuvering the components becomes increasingly challenging as the weight and bulkiness of the assembly increases. A similar concern is that if the fasteners linking the subcomponents are not properly installed, the structural integrity of the furniture item could be compromised resulting in premature failure ^^^ of the furniture item. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally directed to a furniture foot that attaches to a piece of furniture and is retained therewith without the use of tools or separate fasteners. The present ^^^ invention is further directed to a furniture foot that self-aligns when installed. Improvements^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1in furniture with polymer components making assembly intuitive and simple with the assembled furniture being more robust would be well received by the consuming public. Any other improvements where there are fewer parts and where the components to be assembled, as well as the assembled sofa, would weigh less that current configurations, would be well ^^ received by manufacturers and the consuming public. Any improvements where assembly steps can be performed without the use of tools, without separate fasteners, and with minimal or no instructions, would also be well received by manufacturers and the consuming public. In one aspect, the invention relates to a furniture foot having a base portion and a keyed peg portion. The keyed peg portion, when viewed from an end, has a key hole shaped periphery, ^^^ and is configured to interface with a key hole shaped slot or “key slot” in a piece of furniture such that the peg portion can only be inserted into the key slot when properly aligned in a rotational sense about an axis of the peg portion and foot. The keyed peg portion may have spring members configured as cantilevered spring arms radially deflectable upon insertion into the key slot providing retention of the keyed peg in the key slot. The base portion may have ^^^ side wall surface or surfaces that are exteriorly exposed, that is, generally viewable after installation from the front, back and / or sides of the furniture piece, and a bottom wall surface that confronts and / or engages a floor surface. In embodiments, the base portion has a bottom panel and three side wall panels. Each side wall panel may have a trapezoidal shape with a first trapezoidal base affixed to the bottom panel and a trapezoidal leg affixed to a trapezoidal leg ^^^ of an adjacent wall panel, such that the three wall panels and bottom panel define an internal cavity region of the foot. A second trapezoidal base of each wall panel defines a continuous top edge of the base portion. The keyed peg extends upwardly beyond the top edge of the base portion. In some embodiments, the keyed peg is configured generally as a cylindrical post with ^^^ an exterior elongate projection extending in an axial direction. The projection being a “key”^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1for rotational alignment. In some embodiments, after insertion, the keyed peg is retained in the key slot by a friction fit. In some embodiments, the keyed peg includes one or more spring members, for example tabs configured to compress upon insertion into the key slot. In some embodiments, the one or more spring members extend axially and have a normal undeflected ^^ position extending radially outward beyond the radial dimension of the key hole. Upon deflection, the one or more spring members are then biased outwards, and the bias generates a force that retains the peg in the key slot upon insertion. In some embodiments, the tab includes a projection that engages the interior wall surface of the key slot thereby retaining the peg within the key slot. In some embodiments, the peg further includes a channel aligned with the ^^^ spring member providing freedom of movement allowing the spring member to flex inwardly. In some embodiments, the channel and tab are disposed about a post portion of the peg. The post portion may be cylindrical or tapered towards a distal end, that is, away from the furniture foot base portion. In some embodiments, the base portion of the furniture foot comprises a webbing ^^^ extending between the exterior wall portion of the base portion. In some embodiments, a bottom wall portion of the base portion comprises a central downward facing nub. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a furniture feet for an upholstered piece of furniture having a plurality of key slots on a bottom surface or surfaces of the furniture, the furniture foot having a body portion and a key portion. The body portion includes a bottom ^^^ panel having a perimeter affixed to a bottom edge of a continuous wall panel. The bottom panel and continuous wall panel define an interior cavity region. The key portion extends upwardly beyond a top edge of the continuous wall panel. The key portion has a profile conforming to the key slot such that the key portion can only be inserted into the key slot when the key portion and key slot are properly rotationally and axially aligned. The key portion having spring ^^^ members for retention of the key portion in the key slot.^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1In some embodiments, the continuous wall panel is tapered inwardly such that the interior cavity region is narrower at the bottom edge of the continuous wall panel than at the top edge of the continuous wall panel. In some embodiments, the continuous wall panel includes a first wall panel, a second wall panel, and a third wall panel such that the body portion ^^ has a triangular shape when viewed from the top or the bottom. In some embodiments, the first wall panel and the second wall panel have equal lengths. In some embodiments, the first wall panel and the second wall panel align with outside edges of the upholstered piece of furniture when the key portion is inserted into the key slot. In some embodiments, the key portion is retained within the key slot with a friction fit. In some embodiments, the key portion includes ^^^ a tab configured to compress when the key portion is inserted into the key slot. In some embodiments, the base portion and the key portion are formed from a polymer. In some embodiments, the base portion and the key portion are injection or blow molded. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method of affixing a furniture foot to a piece of upholstered furniture, the method including the steps of providing a piece of ^^^ upholstered furniture having a key slot on a bottom surface; providing a furniture foot having an upwardly extending keyed portion; aligning the keyed portion and the key slot; and inserting the key portion into the key slot until a body portion of the furniture foot is in contact with the bottom surface of the piece of upholstered furniture. In some embodiments, the method further includes repeating the steps of providing a furniture foot, aligning the key portion and the key ^^^ slot, and inserting the key portion into the key slot until a total of four feet are affixed to the piece of upholstered furniture. A feature and advantage of embodiments is that the furniture foot may be repeatedly precisely attached in the exact needed location during assembly of the sofa. Such precise location is accomplished during the production of the arm rest panels with keyed slots drilled ^^^ with precise locations for receiving the keyed portion of the furniture foot. This configuration^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1eliminates much of the component alignment needed in conventional feet, which are prone to rotating and being out of alignment when screws, bolts, or the like are tightened during assembly. A feature and advantage is a toolless design allowing the foot to be easily attached to a piece of furniture without requiring wrenches, screwdrivers, or the like. The robustly ^^ designed keyed portion of the foot allows for a secure connection when the foot is pushed into the corresponding key slot. A feature and advantage of embodiments is a furniture foot that is formed of a polymer and having a continuous smooth exposed exterior surface without any sharp corners or rigid projections that are present on wooden or metal feet. Polymer feet may also be lighter and less ^^^ prone to damage. A feature and advantage of embodiments is a furniture foot that may be conveniently injection molded with features of the furniture foot facilitating a simple mold while providing spring members on an insertion peg for retention of the foot when installed in furniture, and an open cavity region with webbing for reducing the amount of polymer utilized, for minimizing ^^^ weight of the foot, and for minimizing expense. The above summary of the various representative embodiments of the invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the invention. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. The figures in the ^^^ detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention can be completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a sofa according to an embodiments illustrating a seat base with arm rests, a backrest, and seat cushions. Figure 2 is a front perspective view of a wood frame of a seat base connected to a wood frame of the backrest according to embodiments. ^^ Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the wood frame of the seat base of Figure 2 with keyed slots. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a deboxed RTA sofa in a transport configuration in accord with embodiments. Figure 5A is a top perspective view of furniture foot according to embodiments. ^^^ Figure 5B is a bottom perspective view of the furniture foot of Figure 5A. Figure 5C is a cross-sectional view of the furniture foot of Figure 5A taken along the C-C line. Figure 5D is a side view of the furniture foot of Figure 5A. Figure 5E is an enlarged view of the peg portion of the furniture foot of Figure 5D. ^^^ Figure 5F is a top view of the furniture foot of Figure 5A. Figure 5G is an enlarged view of the peg portion of the furniture foot of Figure 5F. Figure 6A is an overlay of a top view of the peg portion of the furniture foot with the key hole in the furniture piece for receiving the peg portion. Figure 6B is a cross section view of the key hole in the furniture piece with the peg ^^^ portion overlaid showing the interference fit of the spring member of a peg portion. While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION ^^ Referring to Fig. 1, an assembled furniture seat configured as a sofa 20, is depicted having keyed furniture feet 48. The sofa generally comprises a seat base 24 and a backrest 26. The seat base having a pair of arm rests 28, 29 and a seating portion 30 extending therebetween. Seat cushions 45, 46, 47 are placeable on the seat base 24. The four keyed furniture feet 48 are attachable to the bottom side 70 of the seat base at four corners 49 of the seat base. Each keyed ^^^ furniture foot 48 may have outwardly facing, visually viewable, outward fascia side 55 and opposing non-outwardly facing and generally hidden inward side 56. The keyed furniture foot and key slots, as described below, properly orient the outward facias 55 of the furniture foot outward, and the inward facias 56 inward. The backrest 26, may have an attached backrest cushion 53 or a plurality of cushions. ^^^ In embodiments, the backrest cushion or cushions may be separate or separable or attached as part of the backrest. The seat base 24, backrest 26, and cushions 45, 46, 47 may have a general covering material 72 such as upholstery, leather, faux leather, vinyl, or similar material. The sofa of Fig. 1 may have be a ready-to-assemble (RTA) sofa with the backrest 26 readily separable and placeable on the seat base 24 as depicted in Fig.4 and as further described ^^^ below. Referring to Fig.2, such an RTA seat may have a seat frame 98 as depicted. The RTA seat frame may comprise a seat base frame 99 and a separable backrest frame 100 secured together by the interface between two elongate polymer KD brackets 50, 51 (only one shown in this view) on the inward panels 101 of the arm rest frames 104, 105 and slots 95 defined in ^^^ the side panelar frame members 103 of the backrest. The sofa frame as depicted in this^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1configuration is assembled for illustrative purposes. In embodiments, the seat may be a fully preassembled sofa such that the backrest frame is not separable from the seat base frame. In embodiments, the furniture incorporating the invention may be a chair, an ottoman, or other furniture pieces having a furniture frame and feet. In embodiments, the frames are formed from ^^ wood boards and / or wood products and may be constructed by conventional well known means. See the patents incorporated by reference below for further details and variations on sofa frame construction. Referring to Figs.2 and 3, the seat base frame 99 comprises a pair of arm rest frames 104, 105 with spanning rails 108, 109 extending left and right between the arm rest frames 104, 105 and spring stretchers 110 extending between the spanning rails. The ^^^ spanning rails comprise a forward base rail 108 and a rearward base rail 109 that support the seat deck 93. In embodiments, downward facing lower surfaces 112, 113 of the spanning rails are flush with the downward facing lower surfaces 115 of the arm rest frames. In embodiments, the arm rest frames, are rectangular with perimeter frame members 117 and bracing members 118. ^^^ A seat deck (not shown) may be positioned on the top of the seating portion of the seat base frame 99 and may be comprised of stretchable fabric, or spring supported sheet material, or other combinations. See, for example U.S. Patent Nos. 9,839,295; 9,420,892; 9,839,295; 10,980,354; and 11,344,135 owned by the owner of this application. Said patents are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. These patents show options for seat decks ^^^ that may be suitable for embodiments herein. The slots 95, 98 the sides of the inward arm rest panels 101 may receive portions of fabric or other material forming the seat deck of the seating portion as well as the exterior sofa covering 72 as shown in Fig.1. Continuing to refer to Figs. 2 and 3, the arm rest frames 104, 105 may further include key hole shaped slots, or key slots 202, through lower surfaces 115 configured to receive a ^^^ keyed furniture foot 48. In embodiments, the key slots 202 are generally positioned towards an^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1outward corner of the arm rest frame. Key slots have a central opening 204 and pathway or rotational positioning notch 206 such that a corresponding key, such as a keyed peg portion on a furniture foot, as described in detail below, may fit through the key slot 202 only when properly rotationally positioned and aligned. The proper rotational positioning and placement, ^^ as illustrated by the dashed lines of Fig. 3, position the intended outwardly facing facia 55 or sides of the furniture foot outwardly and intended inwardly facing facia 56 or sides inwardly. The depicted key slot 202 with a generally circular central opening 204 and oblong or rectangular pathway or positioning notch 206 is provided for illustrative purposes. Other shapes or configurations of a key slot are not beyond the scope of this disclosure. ^^^ The backrest frame 100, in embodiments, has a plurality of upright frame members 119 including the side panelar frame members 103, and a plurality of spanning cross members including a breast rail 121, an uppermost cross member 120 that with upholstery material 89 thereon defines the upper margin 71 of the sofa 20 not including backrest cushions, and that are each attached to each of the plurality of upright frame members and may include wood ^^^ bracing 118. In embodiments, portions of the sofa frames may be formed of other materials than wood or wood products. In this regard, see U.S. Pat. Pub.2022 / 0071398 owned by the owner of this application and incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. Referring to Fig 4, an RTA sofa is shown in the transport configuration with the ^^^ backrest 26 laying on the seat base 24. The transport configuration is amenable to boxing with box 121. The feet 48 along with instructions 122 and documentation may be included in the boxed sofa in a bag 124. Alternatively, or additionally, assembly instructions 122 may be secured to normally nonvisible locations 126 when in the use configuration, such as the rearward facing surface 128 of the seating portion 30 of the seat base 24, or the inward facing ^^^ surface 130 of an arm rest 28, 29, or the lower surface 131 of the rearward portion 66 of the^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1backrest 26. Seat cushions 45, 46, 47 and / or backrest cushions 52, 53 may be stowed in the transport mode in various locations. See, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 9,474,381 and 9,380,877 for storage options of cushions during shipment of sofas. Said patents are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In embodiments, the cushions may be ^^ compressed and stored in a sealed bag under vacuum conditions while in the transport configuration for minimizing size. Referring to Figs.5A – 5F, a furniture foot 48 has a body portion 502 and an upwardly extending keyed peg portion 504 projecting above the body portion 502. The peg portion 504 and foot 48 having an axis ^1 and an upper end 505. When installed on a furniture piece, such ^^^ as a seat as illustrate, the keyed peg portion in cooperation with the key slots 202 described above, orient the outward facia 55 of the body portion outwardly which may be generally aligned with the respective sides of the seat. In embodiments, the body portion 502 may have a bottom panel 506 with a bottom floor confronting surfaces 507 and a continuous wall panel 508 defining an interior cavity region 510. In embodiments, the continuous wall panel 508 may ^^^ include various segments or panels. In embodiments, the continuous wall panel 508 may include three wall panels 512, 514, 516 forming a generally triangular shape, as seen in the top view in Fig. 5F, and has an exterior wall surface 517. In embodiments, a first and a second side panel 512, 514 may be substantially similar and arranged at a right angle with respect to each other, and a third side panel 516 may be slightly larger than the first and second side ^^^ panels 512, 514, such that the triangular shape in the top view forms an isosceles triangle. Having similar sides panels 512, 514 facing outward from the furniture, a fascia side, presents an appealing aesthetic effect. In embodiments, each panel 512, 514, 516 may have a generally trapezoidal shape with a first base 518 affixed to the bottom panel 506 and a wider base 520 defining a top edge of the body portion 502. Accordingly, the furniture foot 48 may have a ^^^ slightly inward taper from the top edge towards the bottom panel. Referring to Figs. 5A and^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO15F, the body portion 502 may have a plurality of walls or dividers 522 forming a framework or webbing within the cavity region 510 and extending between portions of the continuous wall panel 508. The dividers 522 provide structural support to the furniture foot 48, for example, in supporting load from the piece of furniture as well as preventing portions of the wall panel 508 ^^ from flexing either inwardly or outwardly. In embodiments, the bottom panel 506 may have a small projection or nub 524. In embodiments, nub 524 may be smoothed or made of an alternate material such that it can protect flooring such as wood floors from scratching or the like. In embodiments, the body portion may generally have any other known furniture foot shape. For example, the body portion may have, when viewed from above may have circular, oval, ^^^ rectangular, or other polygonal shapes. Referring to Figs.5E and 5G, enlarged side and top views of keyed peg portion 504 are shown. The top view of the keyed peg portion 504 shows the generally cylindrical post portion 550 having a peripheral margin 551 and a positioning projection 552 or key extending axially and outwardly from a side of the post portion 550. The cylindrical post 550 and positioning ^^^ projection correspond to the central opening 204 and positioning notch 206 of the key slot 202 such that the furniture foot 48 can only be affixed in a single orientation. As discussed above, the shapes shown are illustrative, and other shapes or arrangements that allow for a single orientation of the components are not beyond the scope of the disclosure. An upper portion 554 of the post 550 may have recesses or channels 556 disposed about ^^^ an outer margin of the post. Corresponding spring members 558 configured as tabs may be unitary with a middle section 559 of the post 550 and extend upwardly in the channel 556 such that there is a gap 560 between the spring member 558 and the channel 556 allowing the spring member 558 to flex inwardly, the spring member 558 will be biased outwards when compressed. An upper portion 562 of the spring member 558 be tapered, beveled, or the like, ^^^ providing a cam surface that facilitates insertion of the peg portion 504 into the key slot 202,^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1the spring member 558 being deflected into the channel 556 during the insertion. In some embodiments, the peg portion is retained in the key slot with a friction fit. In some embodiments, the spring like action of the spring member creates a tighter friction fit to retain the peg in the key slot 202. In some embodiments, the spring member may have a ledge or ^^ hook feature that engages with the furniture at the key slot, inhibiting or preventing the peg from being removed after it is fully inserted. In embodiments, the peg is sized so that it can penetrate the key slot until the upper margin of the body portion of the foot confronts or abuts the outward surface of furniture piece. Referring to Figs. 6A and 6B, a keyed peg portion 504 overlaid with a key slot 202, ^^^ shown with the dot-dash lines, extending into a seat frame 98 is illustrated showing exemplary sizing. The key slot 202 is conformingly sized to the keyed peg portion 504. In embodiments a portion of the key slot is conformingly sized to the peg portion 504, for example, the locating notch could extend radially outward beyond the dimensions of the projection 552 or key without affecting the retention and fit of the furniture foot. In embodiments, the fit between the ^^^ peg portion and key slot may provide a friction fit and / or a spring loaded retention fit but is manually insertable without tools. The peg portion may seat in the key slot such that it is removable only with extraction force applied in an axial withdrawal direction. In embodiments, said extraction force sufficient to overcome a friction fit and / or the retention provided by one or more spring members. In embodiments, the extraction force may be ^^^ manually applied without tools. In embodiments, the spring members 558, configured as spring arms, have a normal undeflected position that extends beyond the size of the key hole, as depicted, such that upon insertion the spring members deflect inwardly. The spring arms, as illustrated extend in a cantilevered fashion from a mid portion 559 of the post. A rib 567 projecting radially from the post portion 550 may extend downwardly below the spring member ^^^ and provide a structural continuation of the spring member on the post. See also Fig.5E. Such^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1a continuation rib may also be sized to provide an interference fit with the key slot thereby aiding in retention. In embodiments, the key slot and / or the rib 567 may deform during the insertion. Additionally the continuation rib provides structural reinforcement to the spring arm making the spring arm-post portion connection 570 bet more robust. In embodiments the ^^ length L of the peg portion may be less than the thickness of the furniture frame into which it is inserted as generally illustrated by Fig. 6B. In embodiments, the thickness of the furniture frame into which the peg portion is inserted may be less than the length of the peg portion as indicated by dashed line 581. In such a case, the spring member projection 558 can hook onto the inward edge 583 of the furniture seat frame 98. ^^^ The furniture foot may be formed of a polymer. In embodiments, the furniture foot may be generally unitary as depicted in the sectional view of Fig. 5C, and formed by injection molding, 3D printing, or the like. In some embodiments, the foot may be formed of multiple materials for example overmolded of different polymers. In embodiments, the body portion may be wooden, and the peg and nub may be polymer. Further, various shapes are not beyond ^^^ the disclosure. For example, in embodiments, the body portion of the foot may be square, rectangular, circular, or the like. Similarly, although an inwardly tapered foot is shown, in some embodiments the foot may be outwardly tapered, or not tapered at all. Referring to Figs. 1 to 5C, the assembly steps affixing a furniture foot 48 to a sofa 20 include aligning the peg and the key slot; and inserting the peg into the key slot until a body ^^^ portion of the furniture foot is in contact with the bottom surface of the sofa. These steps may be repeated with additional feet until a total of four feet are affixed to the piece of upholstered furniture. While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail. ^^^ It is understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. All the features disclosed in this specification (including the references incorporated by ^^ reference, including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including references incorporated by reference, any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative ^^^ features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. When “about” is used herein with reference to a parameter, about means within 5% of the stated parameter. When “portion” is used herein, it may refer to all of or part of singular component, or of an assembly. ^^^ The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any incorporated by reference references, any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. ^^^ Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose could be substituted for the specific examples shown. This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be defined by the attached claims and their legal equivalents, as ^^^ well as the following illustrative aspects. The above described aspects embodiments of the^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. Further modifications of the invention herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the invention.

Claims

^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1CLAIMS 1. A furniture foot for insertion into a key hole shaped slot in a bottom facing surface of a furniture seat, the furniture foot comprising: a polymer base portion having a bottom floor confronting surface and an exterior wall ^^ surface or surfaces with a top margin; and a polymer keyed peg portion unitary with and extending upwardly from the base portion, the peg portion comprising an upwardly extending post portion having an axis, the peg portion having a with radially outward and axially extending key projection on the post portion, the post portion and key projection providing a key hole shaped periphery when viewed from ^^^ above for insertion into the key hole shaped slot, the post portion further having a plurality of elongate spring members unitary with and extending axially upward from a portion of the post, each spring member having projecting portion that extends radially outward such that each respective spring arm deflects radially inwardly when inserted in the key hole shaped slot. ^^^ 2. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein the projecting portion of each spring member is on an upper portion of the respective spring member and wherein the projecting portion extends beyond a peripheral margin of the post portion.

3. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein the post portion has a plurality of axially ^^^ extending channels, one channel for each of the plurality of spring members, each channel providing a recess for a respective one of the plurality of spring member to deflect inwardly upon insertion into the key hole shaped slot.

4. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein each spring member has an upper beveled portion ^^^ for facilitating insertion into the key hole shaped slot.^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO15. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein an axially extending outer surface of each spring member tapers radially inward from the projecting portion to a post connection portion of each respective spring member. ^^ 6. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein the post portion has a respective axially extending rib portion below each spring member, each respective rib portion providing a continuation of each respective spring arm on the post portion. ^^^ 7. The furniture foot of claim 1, where in the projection portion of each spring member ia an upper projecting portion and wherein an axially extending outer surface of each spring member tapers radially inward from the upper projecting portion to a post connection portion of each respective spring member. ^^^ 8. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein each spring member is a cantilevered spring member that has a connection to the post portion below an upper end of the post portion.

9. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein the polymer base portion has a fascia side for exterior visual exposure below a lower margin of the furniture seat and further has a opposing ^^^ side for non visual exposure, and wherein the key projection of the peg portion positioned on the post portion for orienting the fascia side to be visually exposed when installed on the furniture seat.^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO110. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein the polymer base portion comprises a bottom panel unitary with a continuous side wall panel, the bottom panel and continuous side wall panel defining an interior cavity region. ^^ 11. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein the polymer base portion comprises a bottom panel unitary with a continuous side wall panel, the bottom panel and continuous side wall panel defining an interior cavity region with polymer webbing extending between the bottom panel, the continuous side wall panel and the peg portion. ^^^ 12. The furniture foot of claim 1, wherein the polymer base portion comprises a bottom panel unitary with a continuous side wall panel, the bottom panel and continuous side wall panel and wherein the continuous side wall panel has two exterior side wall segments arranged in a right angle, and a third interior side wall segment that extends between ends of the two interior side wall segments. ^^^ 13. The furniture foot of any one of claims 1-12, in combination with the furniture seat and three additional like furniture feet, the seat having four key hole shaped slots on a bottom side of the seat, wherein a respective one of the four feet are inserted or insertable into respective ones of the four key slots. ^^^ 14. The combination of claim 13, wherein the furniture seat a ready to assemble seat packaged in a box with the four furniture feet.^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO115. The combination of claim 13, wherein the furniture seat a ready to assemble seat packaged in a box with the four furniture feet and instructions for installing the furniture feet and for assembling the furniture seat. ^^ 16. The combination of claim 13, wherein the top margin of the polymer base portion of each foot engages an exterior surface of the furniture seat when each foot is installed in the furniture seat.

17. The combination of claim 13, wherein upon installation of the four furniture feet, each ^^^ furniture foot has an exterior visually exposed side of the furniture base that visually differs from an interior side of the furniture base of said foot.

18. The furniture foot of any one of claims 1-12, in combination with the furniture seat and three additional like furniture feet, the seat having four key hole shaped slots on a bottom side ^^^ of the seat, wherein the key hole shaped slots are oriented such that when each of the peg portions of the four feet are inserted into respective ones of the four key slots, an exterior visually exposed side of each foot is visually different from an interior side of each said foot.

19. A furniture seat having a furniture frame with a downwardly facing furniture frame ^^^ surface, the seat having four corners with four key hole shaped slots into the downwardly facing furniture surface, one key hole shaped slot at each of the four corners, the furniture seat further comprising four furniture feet, each foot of the four furniture feet inserted into a respective one of the four key hole shaped slots, each foot comprising: a polymer base portion having a bottom floor confronting surface and a visually ^^^ exposed exterior wall surface with a top margin; and^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1a keyed peg portion unitary with and extending upwardly from the base portion, the peg portion comprising an upwardly extending post portion with radially outward and axially extending projection on the post, the post portion and projection providing a key hole shape when viewed from above for insertion into the key hole shaped slot, the post portion further ^^ having at least one spring member unitary with and extending from the post portion, each of the spring members deflected inwardly and thereby providing a radially outward bias providing retention of the respective foot in the respective key hole shaped slot.

20. The furniture seat of claim 19, wherein each of the at least one spring member is an axially extending cantilevered spring member. ^^^ 21. The furniture seat of claim 19 or 20, wherein an axially extending outer surface of each spring member tapers radially inward from an upper projecting portion to a post connection portion of each respective spring member.

22. The furniture seat of claim 19 or 20, wherein the peg portion of each furniture foot further comprises a respective recess in the post portion associated with each spring member. ^^^ 23. A plurality of furniture feet attached to an upholstered piece of furniture having a plurality of key slots on a bottom surface of the upholstered piece of furniture, each of the plurality of furniture feet comprising: a base portion comprising a bottom panel having a perimeter affixed to a bottom edge of a continuous wall panel, the bottom panel and continuous wall panel defines an interior ^^^ cavity; region and a key portion extending upwardly beyond a top edge of the continuous wall panel, the key portion having a profile conforming to the key slot such that the key portion can only be inserted into the key slot when the key portion can only be inserted into the key slot when the key portion and key slot are properly aligned.

24. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 23, wherein the continuous wall panel of each ^^^ of the plurality of feet is tapered inwardly in a downward direction such that the interior cavity^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1region is narrower at the bottom edge of the continuous wall panel than at the top edge of the continuous wall panel.

25. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 23 or 24, wherein the continuous wall panel of each of the plurality of feet comprises a first wall panel, a second wall panel, and a third wall ^^ panel such that the base portion has a triangular shape when viewed from the top or the bottom.

26. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 23, wherein the key portion of each of the plurality of feet is retained within the respective key slot with a friction fit.

27. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 23, 24, or 26, wherein the key portion of each of the plurality of feet comprises a tab configured to compress when the key portion is inserted ^^^ into the respective key slot.

28. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 23, 24, or 26, wherein the base portion and the key portion of each of the plurality of feet are formed from a polymer and are unitary.

29. A method of affixing a plurality of furniture feet to a piece of upholstered furniture seat, the method comprising: ^^^ providing the piece of upholstered furniture seat having a plurality of key slots on a bottom surface of the upholstered furniture seat; providing the plurality of furniture feet each having an upwardly extending key portion; aligning the key portion of each of the plurality of furniture feet with a respective key slot; and ^^^ inserting the key portion of each of the plurality of furniture feet into the respective key slots until a base portion of each of the furniture feet is in contact with the bottom surface of the piece of upholstered furniture.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising deflecting a spring member on each of the plurality of furniture feet as the furniture foot is inserted into the respective key slot. ^^^ 31. A furniture foot comprising:^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO1a base portion having a bottom, a lateral side with fascia for outward visual exposure, and a lateral side opposite the lateral side with fascia; and a keyed peg portion extending upwardly beyond a top edge of the base portion, the keyed peg portion having a key projection oriented with respect to the lateral side with fascia, ^^ keyed peg portion configured to interface with a key slot in a piece of furniture such that the keyed peg portion can only be inserted into the key slot when properly aligned rotationally and axially whereby the lateral side with fascia is oriented outward for visual exposure.

32. The furniture foot of claim 31, wherein the keyed peg portion is a cylindrical post with a radially outward and axially extending protrusion for rotational orienting the foot when ^^^ installed.

33. The furniture foot of claim 31 or 32, wherein, after insertion, the peg portion is retained in the key slot by a friction fit.

34. The furniture foot of claim 31 or 32, wherein the peg portion comprises a tab configured to deflect radially inward upon insertion into the key slot, the tab configured as a cantilevered ^^^ spring arm.

35. The furniture foot of claim 31, in combination with a seat and three additional like furniture feet, the seat having four key slots with a respective one of the four feet inserted into each of the four key slots.

36. The combination of claim 34, wherein the tab of each foot comprises a projection that ^^^ deflects radially inward when inserted into the respective key slot, and wherein the projection retains the peg within the respective key slot once inserted.

37. The combination of claim 36, wherein the peg portion of each furniture foot further comprises a channel aligned with the tab allowing the tab to flex inwardly.

38. The combination of claim 37, wherein the channel and tab of each furniture foot are ^^^ disposed about a cylindrical post portion of the respective peg portion.^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO139. The furniture foot of claim 31, wherein the base portion comprising three side wall panels defining a cavity region with webbing extending between the three wall panels.

40. A plurality of furniture feet attachable to an upholstered piece of furniture having a plurality of key slots on a bottom surface of the upholstered piece of furniture, each of the ^^ plurality of furniture feet comprising: a polymer base portion comprising a bottom panel having a perimeter affixed to a bottom edge of a continuous wall panel, the bottom panel and continuous wall panel defines an interior cavity region; and a polymer key portion unitary with and extending upwardly from the base portion ^^^ beyond a top edge of the continuous wall panel, the key portion having a profile conforming to the plurality of key slots such that each key portion can only be inserted into a respective key slot when the key portion key portion and key slot are rotationally and axially aligned.

41. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 40, wherein the continuous wall panel of each of the plurality of feet is tapered inwardly in a downward direction such that the interior cavity ^^^ region is narrower at the bottom edge of the continuous wall panel than at the top edge of the continuous wall panel.

42. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 40 or 41, wherein the continuous wall panel of each of the plurality of feet comprises a first wall panel, a second wall panel, and a third wall panel such that the base portion has a triangular shape when viewed from the top or the bottom. ^^^ 43. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 40 or 41, wherein the continuous wall panel of each of the plurality of furniture feet engage with a frame of the upholstered piece of furniture when the key portion is inserted into the key slot.

44. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 40 or 41, wherein the key portion of each of the plurality of feet may be retained within the respective key slot with a friction fit.^ ^ Attorney Docket No.: 2374.0546WO145. The plurality of furniture feet of claim 41, wherein the key portion of each of the plurality of feet comprises a tab configured to compress when the key portion is inserted into the respective key slot.

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