GB2378129A

GB2378129A - Safety cover for furniture edges

Info

Publication number: GB2378129A
Application number: GB0118688A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Effie Chrysanthou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-08-01
Filing date: 2001-08-01
Publication date: 2003-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 2021-08-01
Also published as: GB2378129B; GB0118688D0

Abstract

The device comprises an energy absorbing body 20,30 (eg foamed plastics or a bead filling) which can be deformed around a furniture edge E or corner C and held in place by an adhesive surface on the body. The adhesive may allow removal and replacement of the body a number of times. The device may be fabric covered and can be circular, a rectangular pad or an elongate strip to be unwound from a reel and cut to length.

Description

Child safety device This invention relates to safety devices for cushioning impact of an external object with an edge such as an edge of an item of furniture.

Furniture is often designed with relatively sharp edges and comers. Such edges and comers are commonly at a height at which a child may easily knock into them and this may cause injury.

It is known to provide safety protectors and bumpers for furniture comers to help to prevent injury to children. However such protectors are often only suitable for certain sizes of comer or edge or require considerable adaptation to be used on different sizes of edge or comer. Because of these restrictions known protectors are not well suited for short term use on different items of furniture.

It is an object of this invention to help with some of these problems and/or to provide an improved safety device for cushioning impact of an external object with an edge such as an edge of an item of furniture. It is another object of the invention to provide an edge protection device which is usable over a short period of time, such as during a few day visit by children, and disposable thereafter.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a safety device comprising an energy absorbing body deformable around an edge to cushion impact of an external object with the edge in use, and an adhesive surface to enable retention of the device in use with the edge.

Preferably the safety device is deformable around a comer comprising three or more edges.

Preferably the safety device can be retained and removed onto and from a comer or edge a number of times.

Preferably the safety device according to claim 3 which is adapted to be removable from use on an edge and to be deformable around a different edge. including an edge of larger dimensions without being reshaped before application to the different edge.

In some embodiments the safety device according to any previous claim which is adapted to be wound and unwound and to be cut to a desired length.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a safety device to provide cushioning around an edge which is adapted to be wound and unwound and to be cut to a desired length. Preferably the safety device is wound around a reel.

Preferably the adhesive surface comprises substantially the region of the device in contact with the edge and/or its surrounding sides in use. Preferably the adhesive surface comprises strips such as cellulose or plastic tape comprising adhesive coating.

In certain embodiments the energy absorbing body comprises a displaceable collection of elements such as beads, in other embodiments the energy absorbing body comprises a resilient material such as foam.

Preferably the safety device comprises an outer flexible material such as fabric covering the energy absorbing body.

Preferably the adhesive surface is delimited by the outer flexible material.

Preferably the outer flexible material is shaped to decorative effect.

Preferably the safety device in use attaches by the adhesive surface to all sides adjacent the edge and more preferably has a region for contacting the edge and adjacent sides which is substantially circular in shape

In certain embodiments the safety device is elongate in shape.

Preferably the safety device comprises an adhesive surface, to enable retention of the device in use with the edge, that is substantially flat prior to use and a non adhesive dome shaped section to cushion impact of an external object with the edge in use Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a safety device according to the invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the safety device of Figure 1 viewed from underneath, Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a safety device according to the invention substantially similar in shape to the device of Figure 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the safety device of Figure 3 viewed from underneath, Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a safety device according to the invention, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the safety device of Figure 5 viewed from underneath, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the safety device of Figures 3 and 4 in use, Figure 8 is a perspective view of the safety device of Figures 5 and 6 in use, and Figure 9 is a side view of a fourth embodiment of a safety device according to the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a safety device 10. The device 10 comprises an energy absorbing section 12 covered by an outer flexible material 14 such as fabric and a substantially flat surface 16.

The energy absorbing section 12 in this embodiment comprises a soft synthetic foam.

This foam has some resilient properties such that the safety device 10 has a tendency to return to its original shape after impact with an object. The section 12 may be made of one single piece of foam or alternatively consist of a number of pieces of foam.

The outer flexible material 14 covers the energy absorbing section 12 in a dome shape.

The material 14 connects with the flat surface 16 such that all of the energy absorbing section 12 is covered. When the section 12 consists of a number of foam pieces, the

material 14 keeps these pieces located together and since all of the section 12 is covered Lil u t. Oge+LliLe and section I ? i---v-r-d they are kept within device 10. The material 14 could be fabric and may have a decorative effect, to for example lessen any negative aesthetic effect on the furniture it is used on or to be pleasing to children.

The flat surface 16 is the surface which contacts furniture in use and has a substantially circular border 19. The surface comprises a number of adhesive strips 18. The strips 18 can comprise cellulose or plastic tape comprising adhesive coating, and together the strips 18 cover a substantial part of the surface 16.

Figures 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of a safety device 20. Safety device 20 has a similar dome shape to device 10 and a similar flat surface 26. The safety device also comprises an energy absorbing section 22 and outer flexible material 24.

In this embodiment the energy absorbing section 22 comprises a displaceable collection of elements 28. Figure 3 is illustrative and preferably the elements 28 fill the section 22 shown. These elements need not be individually resilient and could be beads for example. The elements 28 are held together by the outer material 24 but can be displaced to absorb energy from an impact of an object. The safety device 20 has little or no tendency to spring back to a previous shape when it is bent or folded.

Beneficially, however, the original shape can be re-formed for example by manual or gravity aided reshaping.

The substantially flat surface 26 connects to the outer material 24 such that the elements 28 are kept within the device 20. In this embodiment the entire flat surface 26 is coated in adhesive, e. g. due to an adhesive sheet, and has a substantially circular border 29.

Figures 5 and 6 show a third embodiment of safety device 30. Safety device 30 again comprises an energy absorbing section 32, a substantially flat surface 36 and an outer flexible materiel 34 but is elongate rather than dome shaped.

The energy absorbing section 32 may comprise a resilient material as in device 10 or a collection of elements as in device 20. The outer flexible material 34 is substantially similar to materials 14 and 24.

The flat surface 36 has a rectangular border 38 and as shown in Figures 5 and 6 its entire surface is coated with adhesive though alternatively could comprise adhesive strips similar to those shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 7 and 8 show embodiments of the invention in use on a table T. Figure 7 shows safety device 20 in use on a comer C. The safety device 20 is placed onto and deformed around the comer C. The flat surface 26 forms the shape of the comer C and is in direct contact with the comer C on all four sides. The adhesive sticks to the table T and retains the safety device with the comer C. In place, as shown in Figure 7, the device provides cushioning around the comer C. Should a child collide with the comer C the impact of collision will be reduced by the energy absorbing section 22 and the likelihood of injury lessened. The adhesive is sufficiently strong to prevent accidental detachment of the device 20.

The adhesive on surface 26 is sufficiently weak to allow deliberate removal by hand and to leave the surface of the table T undamaged after such removal. After being

removed the safety device 20 is instantly in a condition to be reapplied to the comer C or any other furniture edge without prior deformation of the device 20.

Figure 8 shows safety device 30 in use on edges E. The safety device 30 is placed onto and deformed around the edges E. The flat surface 36 forms the shape of the side of the table T and is the area in direct contact with the edges E and all three adjacent sides.

The adhesive sticks to the table T and retains the safety device 30 with the edges E. In place as shown in Figure 8 the device and in particular section 32 provides cushioning around the edges E to reduce the impact of a collision. As with device 20 the adhesive is sufficiently strong to prevent accidental detachment of the device 30 and sufficiently weak to enable easy removal. The elongate nature of the device 30 makes it particularly suitable when long stretches of edge require cushioning.

Safety device 10 is used in a substantially similar way to device 20. The adhesive on strips 18 must be sufficiently strong to prevent the resilient nature of the energy-absorbing section 12 from causing the device to spring back from its deformed state around an edge or edges including a comer when in use.

All three safety devices 10,20 and 30 may be applied to the same or different edges innumerable times. After a certain number of uses the adhesive may become weakened. To overcome this problem the safety devices 10,20 and 30 may be adapted such that the new adhesive can be applied for example by replacement of strips 18 or replacement of part of flat surfaces 26 and 36. The rapid and easy nature of applying, removing and reapplying the devices 10,20 and 30 to and from edges make them suitable for short as well as long term use.

Figure 9 shows a fourth embodiment of safety device 40. The device 40 comprises a reel 42 with a long strip 44 wound around the reel 42 to form a number of layers 46.

Each of the layers 46 has a cross section substantially similar to that of device 30 shown in Figure 5. Each flat surface forms the bottom of a layer 46 and the adhesive sticks each layer 46 to the top of the layer immediately below it, or to the reel 42.

In use the strip 44 is unwound partly by the free end 48. It is then adhered to an item of furniture over an edge or edges. It is then cut to a desired length. The rest of the device 40 kept to be used again in the same way. This method of unwinding, adhering and cutting is similar to that used in conventional reels of sticky tape.

Once cut the section of strip 44 that is adhered to an item of furniture is used in substantially the same way as safety device 30 as shown in Figure 8. This embodiment of safety device 40 could be adapted such that new section of strip 44 is cut for each use and once used a section need not be reapplied.

Claims

Claims 1. A safety device comprising an energy absorbing body deformable around an edge to cushion impact of an external object with the edge in use, and an adhesive surface to enable retention of the device in use with the edge.
2. A safety device according to claim 1 which is deformable around a comer comprising three or more edges.
3. A safety device according to claim I or 2 which can be retained and removed onto and from a comer or edge a number of times.
4. A safety device according to claim 3 which is adapted to be removable from Z-k sal%., Ly % A%, Vl ---v use on an edge and to be deformable around a different edge, including an edge of larger dimensions without being reshaped before application to the different edge.
5. A safety device according to any previous claim which is adapted to be wound and unwound and to be cut to a desired length.
6. A safety device to provide cushioning around an edge which is adapted to be wound and unwound and to be cut to a desired length.
7. A safety device according to claim 5 or 6 in which the device is wound around a reel.
8. A safety device according to any previous claim in which the adhesive surface comprises substantially the region of the device in contact with the edge and/or its surrounding sides in use.
9. A safety device according to any previous claim in which the adhesive surface comprises strips such as cellulose or plastic tape comprising adhesive coating.

<Desc/Clms Page number 9>
10. A safety device according to any previous claim in which the energy absorbing body comprises a displaceable collection of elements such as beads.
11. A safety device according to any previous claim in which the energy absorbing body comprises a resilient material such as foam.
12. A safety device according to any previous claim which comprises an outer flexible material such as fabric covering the energy absorbing body.
13. A safety device according to claim 12 in which the adhesive surface is delimited by the outer flexible material.
14. A safety device according to claim 12 or 13 in which the outer flexible material is shaped to decorative effect.
15. A safety device according to any previous claim which in use attaches by the adhesive surface to all sides adjacent the edge.
16. A safety device according to claim 15 which has a region for contacting the edge and adjacent sides which is substantially circular in shape
17. A safety device according to any previous claim which is elongate in shape.
18. A safety device according to any previous claim comprising an adhesive surface, to enable retention of the device in use with the edge, that is substantially flat prior to use and a non adhesive dome shaped section to cushion impact of an external object with the edge in use