Interchangeable Furniture Glide With Swivel-Roller Base Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture glides often fail to combine the correct means of attachment with a suitable base material for different flooring types, limiting their effectiveness in reducing friction and minimizing damage to both furniture and flooring.
Innovation Solution
A three-part swivel roller glide system that allows interchangeable bases with a removable snap, screw, or press connection, enabling easy assembly and replacement without tools, and featuring a swivel roller hub that can handle extreme angles, reducing friction on various flooring surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed attachment method is used, then the structure is simple, but the adaptability to different flooring types and furniture legs is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The glide is divided into three separable components: an outer locking rim, an inner attachment swivel roller hub, and a base. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and enables interchangeability of bases for different flooring types while maintaining a consistent attachment mechanism for various furniture legs.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment means is designed to accommodate multiple attachment methods (screws, bolts, nails, pins) and the base can be interchanged between hard and soft types. This universal design allows a single glide structure to adapt to different flooring surfaces (hardwood, tile, carpet, rug) and various furniture leg types without requiring complete redesign.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single base material is used, then the manufacturing is simple, but the suitability for different flooring surfaces is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The base is separated as an independent interchangeable component from the attachment mechanism. This allows manufacturers to produce standardized attachment hubs and outer locking rims, while offering separate base variants (hard base for hard flooring, soft base for carpet/rug) that can be independently manufactured and then assembled together.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is designed to be replaceable and recoverable. When a base becomes worn or when changing flooring types, only the base needs to be removed and replaced, not the entire glide assembly. The outer locking rim and inner attachment hub remain intact and are reused, reducing manufacturing complexity and waste.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a non-swivel glide is used, then the structure is simple, but the friction reduction capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The inner attachment component is designed as a swivel roller hub that can dynamically rotate and swivel. The swiveling action allows the glide to adapt to angled movements and reduce friction during furniture relocation. The rolling capability provides additional motion freedom. This dynamic mechanism significantly reduces friction compared to static non-swivel glides.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple functional elements are merged into a single integrated hub: the attachment stem, the swivel mechanism, and the roller function are combined in the inner attachment swivel roller hub. This consolidation achieves complex swivel-and-roll functionality without proportionally increasing overall device complexity, as the components work together in a unified structure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the attachment means bears the weight, then the structure is simple, but the interchangeability of bases is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The weight-bearing function is separated from the attachment function. The outer locking rim and inner attachment hub form a permanent weight-bearing structure that remains attached to the furniture leg. The base is separated as an interchangeable component that rests on the floor but does not bear the primary attachment load. This segmentation enables base interchangeability without affecting the structural integrity of the attachment mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer locking rim acts as an intermediary component between the permanent attachment hub and the interchangeable base. It provides a connection interface (snap fit, screw, or press connection) that allows the base to be attached and detached without disturbing the weight-bearing attachment means. This intermediary structure enables easy base replacement while maintaining the structural role of the original attachment hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A three component swiveling and rolling glide device, of which two components comprise the mounting assembly and one is an exchangeable base. The mounting assembly is designed to accept multiple fasteners such as screws, bolts, pins or nails. The glide base is removable by finger pressure only without the need for tools enabling the easy interchangeability of the glide base and the fastener as desired. This glide also has a tandem swiveling and rolling capability and will adapt to a singular rolling function in deep carpets or whenever the glide is at maximum tilt. The hard base has a unique base design to encourage the swiveling and rolling action of the glide. The soft base can accept different materials for the specific need, such as, felt to protect hardwood or tile flooring or rubber for a non-skid function. This glide is designed to combine all the above functions, allowing it to adapt to multiple furniture and flooring styles.