Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
PROTECTIVE SLEEVE FOR FURNITURE FOOT
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority benefit of Chinese Utility Model
Application No.
202220804403.1, filed on Apr. 8, 2022.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present application relates to daily necessities, and in
particular, to a protective
sleeve for a furniture foot.
BACKGROUND
[0003] As a furniture foot such as a chair foot is in contact with a floor,
when the chair is
moved on the floor, the chair foot rubs against the floor, making the floor
worn.
[0004] Some of existing chair feet are provided with plastic or nylon
protective sleeves. When
a chair is moved, a protective sleeve rubs against the floor. When the chair
is moved, a friction
force between the protective sleeve and the floor is so large that the
protective sleeve falls off
easily. In order to reduce the friction force between the protective sleeve
and the floor, bottom
surfaces of some existing protective sleeves are provided with anti-skid
layers, and the anti-
skid layers are bonded to the bottom surfaces of the protective sleeves via
glue. Because a
protective sleeve is usually made of a flexible material, it is inconvenient
to support the
protective sleeve during application of glue. As a result, it is highly
possible that the glue is
applied unevenly, so that the bonding strength may vary across the anti-skid
layer. Portions of
the anti-skid layer with a small glue thickness are prone to peel off during
moving of the chair,
causing portions of the anti-skid layer to warp and further making the anti-
skid layer peel off.
Then, the flexible material of the protective sleeve is in direct contact with
the floor, causing
the protective sleeve to fall off due to increased friction force.
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SUMMARY
[0005] A main objective of the present application is to provide a protective
sleeve for a
furniture foot, and aims to resolve the problem that an existing protective
sleeve for a furniture
foot is easy to fall off because a friction force against the floor is too
great.
[0006] In order to achieve the above objective, the protective sleeve for a
furniture foot
provided in the present application includes a sleeve body and a felt pad,
wherein
[0007] the sleeve body is of a cylindrical structure with an opening in one
end, which
includes a bottom wall and a lateral wall integrally formed with the bottom
wall, and the sleeve
body is made of a flexible material; and
[0008] the felt pad is attached to an outer surface of the bottom wall and is
in a hot-melt
connection with the bottom wall, and a friction coefficient of the felt pad is
smaller than a
friction coefficient of the sleeve body.
[0009] In some examples, the felt pad is provided with a first hole.
[0010] In some examples, the first hole is provided at the center of the felt
pad.
[0011] In some examples, the bottom wall is provided with at least one second
hole.
[0012] In some examples, there are a plurality of the second holes disposed on
the bottom wall
in a scattered manner.
[0013] In some examples, an edge of the felt pad extends to a surface of the
lateral wall to
form a wrapping edge, and the wrapping edge is in a hot-melt connection with
the lateral wall.
[0014] In some examples, a plurality of convex ribs are circumferentially
disposed on an inner
surface of the lateral wall.
[0015] In some examples, the lateral wall includes a first lateral wall
section, a second lateral
wall section, and a third lateral wall section that are sequentially connected
from bottom to top,
the first lateral wall section being connected to the bottom wall; when the
lateral wall is in a
naturally extended state, the second lateral wall section gradually contracts
from bottom to top,
and the third lateral wall section gradually expands from bottom to top; and
the convex rib is
strip-shaped from bottom to top and extends from the second lateral wall
section to the third
lateral wall section.
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[0016] In some examples, an inner surface of the bottom wall is provided with
at least one
convex block.
[0017] In some examples, there are a plurality of the convex blocks disposed
on the bottom
wall in a scattered manner; and/or, a top surface of the convex block is a
convex surface.
[0018] According to the present application, the felt pad is disposed on a
bottom surface of
the sleeve body. As the friction coefficient of the felt pad is smaller than
the friction coefficient
of the sleeve body, a friction force on the felt pad is smaller when a chair
foot is moved against
a floor, so that the protective sleeve for a furniture foot is prevented from
falling off. Owing to
the hot-melt connection between the felt pad and the bottom wall of the sleeve
body, the
material of the sleeve body can be partially infiltrated into the felt pad, so
that the felt pad is
firmly bonded to the bottom wall and is prevented from peeling off.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0019] In order to more clearly explain the technical schemes of the
embodiments of the
present application, the drawings needed in the description of the embodiments
are briefly set
forth below, and apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following
description are only
some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art,
other drawings
can be derived on the basis of these drawings without any inventive effort.
[0020] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a bottom of a protective sleeve for a
furniture foot
according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0021] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a lateral wall of a protective sleeve
for a furniture foot
according to an embodiment of the present application;
[0022] Fig. 3 is a front view of a protective sleeve for a furniture foot
according to an
embodiment of the present application; and
[0023] Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of an internal structure of a
protective sleeve for a
furniture foot according to an embodiment of the present application.
[0024] List of reference numerals:
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Reference Name Reference Name
numeral numeral
100 Sleeve body 110 Lateral wall
120 Bottom wall 130 First lateral wall section
131 Second hole 132 Convex block
140 Second lateral wall 150 Third lateral wall section
section
160 Convex rib 200 Felt pad
210 Wrapping edge 220 First hole
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The technical schemes in the embodiments of the present application are
clearly and
completely described in the following with reference to the drawings in the
embodiments of
the present application. It is obvious that the described embodiments are only
some of the
embodiments of the present application and are not all the embodiments. All
other
embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the
embodiments of the
present application without inventive effort are within the scope of the
present application.
[0026] Embodiments of the present application disclose a protective sleeve for
a furniture
foot, in particular, used on a chair foot. When used, the protective sleeve
sheathes a bottom end
of the chair foot. A shape of the protective sleeve may conform to a shape of
the chair foot. For
example, when the chair foot has a circular cross section, the protective
sleeve is provided with
a cylindrical cavity; and when the chair foot has a rectangular cross section,
the protective
sleeve is provided with a cavity having a rectangular cross section.
[0027] Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, in some examples, the protective sleeve
includes: a sleeve
body 100 and a felt pad 200, wherein the sleeve body 100 is used as a main
structure and is
used for sheathing the chair feet.
[0028] The sleeve body 100 is of a cylindrical structure, and includes a
bottom wall 120 and
a lateral wall 110 connected to the bottom wall 120. The bottom wall 120 and
the lateral wall
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110 enclose and define an inner cavity. An opening providing access to the
inner cavity is
formed in one end of the sleeve body 100. The lateral wall 110 has a lower end
and an upper
end that are disposed axially, wherein the lower end of the lateral wall 110
is connected to the
bottom wall 120, and the upper end of the lateral wall 110 forms the opening.
The chair foot
extends into the inner cavity through the opening. A bottom surface of the
chair foot can be
attached to an inner surface of the bottom wall 120. The lateral wall 110
encloses a
circumferential periphery of the chair foot. In some examples, the bottom wall
120 is integrally
formed with the lateral wall 110. During manufacture of the sleeve body 100,
the bottom wall
120 and the lateral wall 110 may be integrally formed via a hot-melt process,
to make the
bottom wall 120 more fninly connected to the lateral wall 110. In some
examples, the sleeve
body 100 is made of a flexible material, so that the sleeve body 100 can be
mounted to a chair
foot conveniently. The hot-melt process is one of existing injection molding
processes. In this
process, a molten material is poured into a mold through a sprue, and a target
shape is formed
after the molten material is solidified and shaped in the mold. The sleeve
body 100 may be
made of a thermo-plastic-rubber material (TPR), a thermoplastic elastomer
(TPE), rubber,
silicone, or another material.
[0029] In some examples, the felt pad 200 is consistent with a shape of an
outer surface of the
bottom wall 120, so that the felt pad 200 can completely cover the outer
surface of the bottom
wall 120. The felt pad 200 is made of an integral piece of a felt material,
and has a friction
coefficient smaller than the friction coefficient of the sleeve body 100.
[0030] The bottom wall 120 of the sleeve body 100 directly faces the floor.
Therefore, with
the felt pad 200 disposed on the outer surface of the bottom wall 120, when
the chair is moved,
a friction force between the bottom wall 120 of the sleeve body 100 and the
floor is relatively
decreased, thereby effectively resolving the problem that a protective sleeve
falls off due to too
great a friction force on a bottom surface of the protective sleeve.
[0031] In some examples, an edge of the felt pad 200 extends to a surface of
the lateral wall
110 to form a wrapping edge 210. The wrapping edge 210 has a first end and a
second end that
are axially disposed on the lateral wall 110. The first end of the wrapping
edge 210 is connected
to an outer peripheral edge of the felt pad 200. The second end of the
wrapping edge 210
extends to the outer surface of the lateral wall 110, thereby forming an
annular structure at an
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end, close to the bottom wall 120, of the outer surface of the lateral wall
110. The wrapping
edge 210 covers a surface at one end, close to the bottom wall 120, of the
lateral wall 110,
thereby forming an anti-skid layer on the surface at the end, close to the
bottom wall 120, of
the lateral wall 110. In the case of a heavy chair, a force on the chair foot
is great, causing a
bottom surface of the protective sleeve to be tightly pressed on the floor.
When the chair foot
is moved in this case, the protective sleeve may deform to some extent. A
friction coefficient
of the wrapping edge 210 is smaller than the friction coefficient of the
sleeve body 100, so that
a friction force between the wrapping edge 210 and the floor is smaller.
Therefore, the
protective sleeve can be prevented from falling off the chair foot by the
wrapping edge 210
formed on the lateral wall 110.
[0032] In some examples, the felt pad 200 is in a hot-melt connection with the
bottom wall
120. For example, the sleeve body 100 is made of a silicone material. The felt
pad 200 is placed
at a preset position in the mold. When molten silicone is poured into the
mold, the molten
silicone is integrated with the felt pad 200 to form an integral protective
sleeve. Because the
felt pad 200 has a rough surface, and the surface has a great quantity of
fibers, when the molten
silicone is in contact with the felt pad 200, the molten silicone can be fused
with the fibers on
the surface of the felt pad 200. Because gaps among the fibers of the felt pad
200 are very large,
when the molten silicone gets in contact with the surface of the felt pad 200,
a part of the molten
silicone is infiltrated into the gaps among the fibers of the felt pad 200. In
addition, because
some of the fibers on the surface of the felt pad 200 extend to the bottom
wall 120, strength of
connection between the bottom wall 120 and the felt pad 200 becomes greater
when the sleeve
body 100 is solidified and shaped. The felt pad 200 and the sleeve body 100
are connected and
fixed to each other via the hot-melt process. During shaping of the sleeve
body 100, connected
portions of the sleeve body 100 and the felt pad 200 are infiltrated into each
other, so that
thicknesses of the connected portions are equal to each other, and the bonding
strength is the
same across the felt pad 200. This can resolve the problem that the felt pad
200 warps or peels
off due to a connection failure at a portion of the felt pad 200. When a force
exerted on the
bottom surface of the protective sleeve is great, the felt pad 200 is not
prone to peel off from
the bottom wall 120 because the material of the bottom wall 120 is infiltrated
into the felt pad
200 during hot-melt connection between the bottom wall 120 and the felt pad
200. Further,
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because the friction coefficient of the felt pad 200 is smaller than the
friction coefficient of the
sleeve body 100, when the chair is moved against the floor, the protective
sleeve has relatively
higher movability and is not prone to fall off.
[0033] In some examples, the wrapping edge 210 is in a hot-melt connection
with the lateral
wall 110, so that the molten silicone can be infiltrated into gaps between
fibers in the wrapping
edge 210. This can increase strength of connection between the wrapping edge
210 and the
lateral wall 110, and prevent the wrapping edge 210 from peeling off from the
lateral wall 110.
The felt pad 200 on the bottom wall 120 is connected and fixed to the lateral
wall 110 through
the wrapping edge 210 by performing hot-melt connection between the wrapping
edge 210 and
the lateral wall 110. This can prevent an edge, on the bottom wall 120, of the
felt pad 200 from
warping or peeling off, thereby making the felt pad 200 more firmly bonded.
[0034] Referring to Fig. 1, in order to prevent the protective sleeve from
falling off, in some
examples, the lateral wall 110 includes
[0035] a first lateral wall section 130, a second lateral wall section 140,
and a third lateral wall
section 150 that are sequentially connected from bottom to top. An edge at a
lower end of the
first lateral wall section 130 is connected to an edge of the bottom wall 120.
An upper end of
the first lateral wall section 130 extends upwards axially. The first lateral
wall section 130 may
take the shape of a hollow cylinder, so that an inner cavity used for
accommodating a bottom
of the chair foot can be defined by the first lateral wall section 130 and the
bottom wall 120.
The second lateral wall section 140 is disposed above the first lateral wall
section 130. The
third lateral wall section 150 is disposed above the second lateral wall
section 140. A joint
between the second lateral wall section 140 and the third lateral wall section
150 is used for
being tightly attached to a lateral wall 110 of the chair foot. When the
sleeve body 100 is in a
naturally extended state, the second lateral wall section 140 is of a
cylindrical structure that
gradually contracts from bottom to top, and the third lateral wall section 150
is of a cylindrical
structure that gradually expands from bottom to top. The third lateral wall
section 150 forms a
flared structure at an upper end of the sleeve body 100. The flared structure
is used as an
opening at the upper end of the sleeve body 100, so that an end of the chair
foot can be inserted
into the sleeve body 100 conveniently. Being made of the flexible material,
the sleeve body
100 has certain deformability. Therefore, the joint between the second lateral
wall section 140
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and the third lateral wall section 150 can be tightly attached to the lateral
wall 110 of the chair
foot. When a chair foot is sheathed in the sleeve body 100, the joint between
the second lateral
wall section 140 and the third lateral wall section 150 can be tightly
attached to the lateral wall
110 of the chair foot, and can exert certain elastic compression on the chair
foot, thereby
retaining the sleeve body 100, preventing the sleeve body 100 from falling
off, and increasing
stability of the sleeve body 100. The bottom wall 120, the first lateral wall
section 130, the
second lateral wall section 140, and the third lateral wall section 150 are
integrally formed. In
some examples, during forming of the wrapping edge 210, the wrapping edge 210
extends from
the bottom wall 120 to the first lateral wall section 130, and an axial length
of the wrapping
edge 210 can be determined according to actual needs. Shapes of cross sections
of the first
lateral wall section 130, the second lateral wall section 140, and the third
lateral wall section
150 may match a shape of a cross section of the chair foot.
[0036] Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, in some examples, the felt pad 200 is
provided with a first
hole 220. The first hole 220 penetrates through the felt pad 200, so that the
sprue for injection
molding can be conveniently formed in a position, corresponding to the first
hole 220, of the
bottom wall 120 of the sleeve body 100. An axial direction of the first hole
220 is parallel to a
thickness direction of the felt pad 200. The first hole 220 may be formed in a
position near the
center of the felt pad 200 or in any other positions of the felt pad 200 as
required. During
manufacture, the felt pad 200 is placed into the mold, and the molten silicone
can enter the
mold through the first hole 220, to form a structure of the sleeve body 100 in
the mold. Because
the first hole 220 is disposed on the felt pad 200, after the molten silicone
enters the mold
through the first hole 220, duration in which the molten silicone is in
contact with the felt pad
200 is prolonged. Therefore, more of the molten silicone can be distributed on
and cover a
surface, facing the bottom wall 120, of the felt pad 200. Duration required by
a thermoplastic
material for cooling down and solidifying on the surface of the felt pad 200
is different from
duration required by the thermoplastic material for cooling down and
solidifying on a surface
of the mold, the first hole 220 is disposed on the felt pad 200, and the felt
pad 200 is closer to
an upstream position in the mold than to other portions in the mold, so that
when the molten
silicone enters the mold, the duration in which the molten silicone in the
mold is in contact
with the felt pad 200 becomes relatively longer. This enables more of the
thermoplastic material
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to enter the gaps among the fibers of the felt pad 200, thereby making the
bottom wall 120
more fiimly connected to the felt pad 200.
[0037] In some examples, the first hole 220 is provided at the center of the
felt pad 200, so
that the first hole 220 corresponds to a central position of the bottom wall
120. Therefore, when
the molten silicone enters the mold through the first hole 220, the molten
silicone can be
dispensed in the mold more uniformly, and be distributed on the surface,
facing the bottom wall
120, of the felt pad 200 uniformly. This can effectively improve uniformity of
material
distribution, and resolve the problem that a portion of the felt pad 200 warps
or peels off due
to lack of the molten silicone at the portion, thereby making the felt pad 200
more stably and
firmly bonded.
[0038] Referring to Fig. 4, in order to increase strength of connection
between the felt pad 200
and the bottom wall 120, in some examples, the bottom wall 120 is provided
with at least one
second hole 131, and the second hole 131 communicates with at least the outer
surface of the
bottom wall 120. In some examples, the second hole 131 is a through-hole
penetrating through
the bottom wall 120. After the felt pad 200 is placed into the mold during hot-
melt processing,
a columnar structure or a thimble structure may be disposed on the mold, to
fix the felt pad 200
by abutting the columnar structure or the thimble structure in the mold
against the felt pad 200.
After the mold is opened and a core is extracted, the second hole 131 is
formed in a portion
where the columnar structure is disposed.
[0039] During shaping of the sleeve body 100, more of fibers at a portion,
corresponding to
the second hole 131, of the felt pad 200 can be mutually infiltrated into the
molten silicone,
thereby increasing strength of connection between the sleeve body 100 and the
felt pad 200. In
some examples, there are a plurality of the second hole 131 disposed on the
bottom wall 120
in a scattered manner, to increase the strength of the connection between the
felt pad 200 and
the bottom wall 120 at a plurality of positions. Owing to the second holes 131
disposed in a
scattered manner, uniformity of the molten silicone can be improved.
Therefore, the molten
silicone is distributed in the mold more uniformly. With the second holes 131
distributed in a
scattered manner, the molten silicone around the second holes 131 can better
dissipate heat to
the felt pad 200 during shaping of the molten silicone, thereby making the
structure of the
sleeve body 100 more stable after shaping. In addition, the molten silicone
can be better
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infiltrated into the felt pad 200 during a heat dissipation process. In some
examples, the second
hole 131 is a blind hole formed in the bottom wall 120 and extends from the
outer surface of
the bottom wall 120 in a direction away from the felt pad 200. In some
examples, the second
holes 131 are distributed annularly with an axis of the bottom wall 120 as a
center, so that the
second holes 131 are distributed at equal intervals. This further improves
uniformity of the
material of the bottom wall 120 of the sleeve body 100 and making the bottom
wall 120 more
firmly connected to the sleeve body 100 and the felt pad 200. In some
examples, the second
holes 131 are spaced apart from the first hole 220. The first hole 220 is
disposed at the center
of the felt pad 200. The second holes 131 are annularly disposed around the
first hole 220.
Fibers at portions, corresponding to the first hole 220 and the second hole
131, of the felt pad
200 can extend into the material of the bottom wall 120, to form connection-
reinforcing
positions which take the axis of the bottom wall 120 as a center. Therefore,
the strength of the
connection between the felt pad 200 and the bottom wall 120 is increased.
[0040] Referring to Fig. 4, in some examples, an inner wall of the sleeve body
100 is provided
with a retaining structure. With the retaining structure disposed on the inner
wall of the sleeve
body 100, a friction force between a surface of the inner wall of the sleeve
body 100 and the
chair foot can be increased. Therefore, the chair foot is prevented from
moving relative to the
inner wall of the sleeve body 100.
[0041] In some examples, the inner surface of the bottom wall 120 is provided
with a convex
block 132. The convex block 132 is used as a retaining structure on the bottom
wall 120. When
the bottom surface of the chair foot is in contact with the bottom wall 120,
the convex block
132 can prevent the bottom surface of the chair foot from slipping relative to
the bottom wall
120. When the chair foot is of a hollow structure, the convex block 132 can be
retained inside
the surface of the chair foot, to prevent displacement of the chair foot. When
the chair foot is
of a solid structure, the convex block 132 may be abutted on a side surface of
the bottom of the
chair foot. In some examples, there are a plurality of the convex blocks 132
disposed on the
bottom wall 120 in a scattered manner. When the chair foot is of a hollow
structure, the plurality
of convex blocks 132 may be embedded in the chair foot or distributed on an
inner side and an
outer side of the chair foot, thereby retaining the chair foot. When the chair
foot is of a solid
structure, the plurality of convex blocks 132 may be all abutted against the
bottom surface of
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the chair foot. In some examples, the convex block 132 may be a hemispherical
structure
protruding from a surface of the bottom wall 120, and the convex block 132 has
an arc-shaped
outer surface. Alternatively, the convex block 132 may be of another shape,
such as a conical
shape or a columnar shape.
[0042] In some examples, the inner surface of the lateral wall 110 is provided
with at least one
convex rib 160. The at least one convex rib 160 is used as a retaining
structure on the lateral
wall 110, and is configured to press against the lateral wall 110 of the chair
foot and prevent
the sleeve body 100 from rotating relative to the chair foot. The convex rib
160 may be a strip-
shaped structure disposed on the lateral wall 110. There may be a plurality of
convex ribs 160
disposed at intervals on the lateral wall 110 . Distances between adjacent
convex ribs 160 may
be the same or different. Heights and/or lengths of adjacent convex ribs 160
may be the same
or different.
[0043] In some examples, when the lateral wall 110 includes the first lateral
wall section 130,
the second lateral wall section 140, and the third lateral wall section 150
that are sequentially
connected, the convex rib 160 may be disposed at the joint between the second
lateral wall
section 140 and the third lateral wall section 150. The convex rib 160 may
extend from the
second lateral wall section 140 to the third lateral wall section 150. Because
the second lateral
wall section 140 gradually contracts from bottom to top, the second lateral
wall section 140
and the third lateral wall section 150 are tightly attached to an outer
surface of the chair foot
when the chair foot is sheathed in the sleeve body 100. Therefore, the convex
rib 160 can
increase friction forces between the second lateral wall section 140 and the
outer surface of the
chair foot and between the third lateral wall section 150 and the outer
surface of the chair foot,
thereby preventing the sleeve body 100 from rotating relative to the chair
foot and preventing
the sleeve body 100 from falling off.
[0044] The protective sleeve described in the above examples of the present
application can
be used on a chair. In some examples, the chair is provided with a chair foot.
The sleeve body
100 sheathes the chair foot. The chair foot is inserted into the sleeve body
100 through an
opening of the sleeve body 100. The chair foot is provided with the protective
sleeve, and the
sleeve body 100 is in a hot-melt connection with the felt pad 200, so that the
felt pad 200 and
the bottom wall of the sleeve body 100 are mutually infiltrated, thereby
preventing the felt pad
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200 from falling off. Owing to the smaller friction coefficient of the felt
pad 200, when the
chair is moved, the friction force between the felt pad 200 and the floor is
smaller, thereby
resolving the problem that a protective sleeve falls off due to too large a
friction force.
[0045] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to
illustrate the
technical schemes of the present application and are not intended to limit the
present
application. Although the present application has been described in detail
with reference to the
foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that
modifications
can be made to the technical schemes described in the aforementioned
embodiments, or
equivalent replacements can be made to some of the technical features in the
embodiments;
and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the
corresponding
technical schemes deviate from the principle and scope of the technical
schemes of the
embodiments of the present application.
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