Grounding Floor Glide for Shelving, Chairs, and Equipment to Reduce Risk from ESD (Electro-Static Discharge) and Protect Floors from Damage

Abstract

This conductive ESD protective foot is a grounding device consisting of a resilient conductive floor glide (foot) that provides an electrical path from a shelving unit, chair, or other equipment, to a conductive floor. The foot can be installed onto a leg leveling bolt or, alternatively, inserted into the shelf post itself. This foot provides an electrical connection for ESD purposes while it allows a device using this foot to be moved without causing damage to the floor. This device provides a conductive path to the floor, allows a shelving unit to slide more easily across a floor without damage and separates metal leg levelers (bolts) from the floor, which reduces risk from rust stains caused my metal legs rusting to the floor from use of water or cleaning methods

This Foot protective foot can be installed and removed without the use of tools and is held securely in place when attached. It allows for some variation in bolt-head size as well as post inside diameter, which increases its flexibility, as the Heavy-Hex bolts used as leg levelers have bolt-heads that often vary depending upon the manufacturer. If an electrically conductive version is not required, non-conductive material can be substituted to reduce cost.

Claims

1. A rust-proof floor glide providing a means of electrical interconnection between a shelving post leveling leg and a conductive floor that can be installed by installing onto the leg leveler or by directly inserting said floor glide directly the into post consisting of: a. An electrically conductive glide b. Optionally can be constructed with insulative material c. A means of urging said electrically conductive glide against said leveling leg bolt of various size head dimension d. A means of retaining the electrically conductive floor glide of said shelving unit leveling leg of various size head dimension e. A means of urging the electrically conductive floor glide against said post f. A means of retaining the electrically conductive floor glide inside of said shelving unit post g. Optionally may be fitted to other items such as chair legs

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional adjustable shelving unit FIG. 2 is a partial perspective of an exploded view showing one corner of the conventional shelving unit of FIG. 1

[0037] FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing one corner post 1 of a conventional shelving unit of FIG. 1 without leg levelers 3 and without threaded insert 2

[0038] FIG. 4 is a type of leg leveler 5 that includes a plastic insert 7 in the base 6 to protect the leg leveler 5 from scratching the floor

[0039] FIG. 5 is a type of leg leveler 8 with an integrated plastic disc 9 as the base

[0040] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an insulative rubber protective foot 4 that attaches to a the head of a leg leveler 3 as shown in FIG. 2

[0041] FIG. 7 shows a Top view of an insulative rubber protective foot 4 that attaches to a leg leveler as shown in FIG. 2

[0042] FIG. 8 shows a partially exploded perspective view of an insulative rubber protective foot 4 attached to a leg leveler 3 that is attached to an assembly of a post 1 and threaded Insert 2

[0043] FIG. 9 is top view of the present invention

[0044] FIG. 10 is a front view of the present invention

[0045] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the present invention

[0046] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention 10 with a leveling leg 3, post 1, and threaded insert 2

[0047] FIG. 13 is a partially exploded perspective view of the present invention 10 with a leveling leg 3

[0048] FIG. 14 is a top view of the present invention installed on a leveling leg 3

[0049] FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention 10 mounted inside of the post 1

[0050] FIG. 16 is a partially exploded view of the present invention 10 mounted inside of the post 1

[0051] FIG. 17 is a front view of the present invention 10 fully mounted inside of the post 1

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0052] The preferred embodiment of ESD protective foot 10 is shown in FIGS. 9 through 17. Foot 10 includes a main body with an internal modified hex-shaped cavity 10-F that accepts a hex bolt used as a leveling leg 3, and an external rounded-off hex shape that is a friction-fit into a round tube, such as post 1 and a resting surface 10-E that supports post 1 when inserted into said post 1 as shown in FIG. 15-FIG. 17.

[0053] Foot 10 is made of any sufficiently strong, electrically conductive, resilient, corrosion resistant, and flexible material such as a conductive plastic, conductive rubber, stainless steel, or other similar material.

[0054] Foot 10 is typically installed in one of two configurations. The first configuration is the external position, as shown in FIG. 9 through FIG. 14, where foot 10 is pressed onto a leveling bolt 3 where leveling bolt 3 is fully inserted into cavity 10-F as shown in FIG. 13. Tapered surfaces 10-A provide a lead-in for leveling bolt 3 and apply pressure on the flat surfaces 3-A of the leveling bolt 3 and provide a friction fit to retain foot 10 on leveling bolt 3 if leveling bolt 3 is raised off of the floor.

[0055] Allowance for variation the head size of the Heavy-Hex bolt used as a leveling leg 3 is provided by two features. The first feature is pressure on flat surfaces 3-A of the hex bolt are held in place by foot inside contact points 10-A The second feature that allows size variation is the hex bolt corner relief 10-B, which accommodates variation of hex bolt 3 points 3-B and.

[0056] FIG. 15-FIG. 17 demonstrate the second configuration of installing foot 10 which is to insert foot 10 directly into post 1. Rounded-off hex points 10-C are tapered to provide a friction fit into the inside surface of post 1 and to allow variation in the inner diameter of a post 1. When foot 10 is fully inserted into post 1, post bottom surface 1B will be touching foot surface 10-E as shown in FIG. 13. Post 1 will then be supported by foot surface 10-E and the friction fit inside of post 1 will keep the foot 10 secure inside of post 1.