Abstract:
A wheel caster glide receives caster wheels therein and employs wheel engaging members to keep the glide removably engaged with the wheel in absence of sufficient removal force.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to caster wheels, and more particularly to a wheel caster glide for receiving caster wheels therein. 
         [0002]    With items having castor wheels, such as furniture articles, it is often desirable to provide a protective member between the wheel portion and the floor or carpet, in order to minimize scratching of floors or to spread the weight of the furniture over a larger area to minimize deformation of the carpet resulting from long term compression from the weight of the furniture article. These protective members have typically been disk shaped members, but they are easily disassociated from the wheel if the furniture is lifted or moved, resulting in scratching or marring of the floor from the wheel or of excessive compression of the carpet in a small area as a result of the user not realizing that the protector has become disassociated from the wheel. This can lead to frustration and annoyance for the user. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In accordance with the invention, a wheel caster glide comprises a receiving member for receiving a caster wheel therein, providing a larger base for engagement with a floor. 
         [0004]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved wheel caster glide. 
         [0005]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved wheel caster glide that receives a caster wheel in removable engagement. 
         [0006]    The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wheel caster glide; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a wheel caster glide with a wheel placed therein; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a wheel caster glide illustrating the manner of placement of a wheel therein; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the wheel caster glide; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the wheel caster glide; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the wheel caster glide. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a member adapted to engagingly receive a caster wheel therein to provide an improved base for placement on a floor or carpet. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the wheel caster glide comprises a base  12  which is substantially circular in the illustrated embodiment, with vertically extending wheel receiving well frame  14  mounted thereon. Inside frame  14 , a wheel engaging lip  16  is provided along an interior face near the peripheral edge of the frame  14 , with a corresponding wheel engaging lip  16 ′ being provided along the opposing interior face in a corresponding location (not visible in  FIG. 1 ). A wheel receiving space  18  is defined within the frame  14 , having a curved bottom shape to conform to a typical castor wheel profile. An axle receiving area  20  is provided at the opposite side walls from the walls carrying engaging lips  16 ,  16 ′, providing a space for the ends of the wheel axles to be received. An axle support frame receiving area  22  is also provided, shaped and sized to provide a space to allow the frame portion supporting the axle to be received. 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  illustrates the castor wheel glide with a caster wheel  24  position therein. The castor wheel comprises a wheel axle supporting frame  26  which mounts an axle  28  (visible in  FIG. 3 ) between the downwardly extending arms  30  of the frame, a castor wheel  32  being carried on the axle. The top of the frame carries an upwardly extending post  34  which is adapted to engage with the article to which the wheel is mounted, which may comprise a piece of furniture, such as a bed frame, for example. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  illustrates the operation of placing the castor wheel into the castor wheel glide. The wheel is suitably lowered in the direction of arrow  36 . As the wheel enters into the well defined by frame  14 , the lip portions  16 ,  16 ′ define therebetween a distance slightly less than the diameter of the caster wheel, while the frame walls define a distance at least as wide as the diameter of the wheel. The frame or lip portions (or both) are sufficiently pliable to allow deformation to let the wheel pass by the lip portions and into the well on insertion of the wheel with a certain amount of force, whereupon the frame returns to substantially the original configuration such that the lip portions act as lock or engaging members such that the caster wheel glide will remain engaged with the wheel, until the caster glide is intentionally removed from engagement with the castor wheel by sufficient force to deform the engaging member sufficiently to allow pulling the wheel and caster glide apart to remove the wheel out of the well. Accordingly, the glide  10  is likely to remain engaged with the wheel even if the furniture or article to which the castor wheel is mounted is lifted or moved, until such time as the glide is purposefully removed from engagement with the wheel. 
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the caster wheel glide illustrating the various components thereof.  FIG. 5  is a side sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 6  is a said view. 
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the caster wheel glide. In the illustrated embodiment, the glide is made of a molded plastic, and the curved shape of the bottom of the wheel receiving well  18  is provided via curved bottom portion  18 ′. Rib members  38  provide support strength. 
         [0020]    The device can be manufactured in various sizes to accommodate various caster wheel configurations and sizes. 
         [0021]    Accordingly, an improved wheel caster glide is provided that stays engaged with the wheel unless explicitly removed by the user. 
         [0022]    While the illustrated embodiment shows the engaging lips  16 ,  16 ′ as extending substantially the width of the walls of portion  14 , this is not required. An the lip portions can extend only a portion of the width, for example in a 6 cm wide portion  14 , the lips may be 8 mm in length. Further, while illustrated at the peripheral edge, the lips may suitably be positioned lower in the wall. In a particular embodiment, the upper portion of the lip is 8 mm below the top edge of the wall of portion  14 , the lip is 8 mm in length, and the lip is 1 to 2 mm in height, extending into the well region less than 1 mm. An alternative version of the device employs a single lip portion  16  or  16 ′, rather than both, as a single lip portion. 
         [0023]    The while the illustrated embodiment provides a substantially circular configuration of the base portion of the wheel castor glide, it can be of other configurations, such as square, rectangular, or multi-sided, whether regular equal shape edges or irregular. 
         [0024]    A typical material of which the wheel castor glide is made is plastic, such as by injection molding, but other manufacturing methods and materials can be employed. 
         [0025]    While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.