Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
2 1 5~924
FOLDING TABLE
This application is a divisional of application serial no. 2,110,875 filed
December 7, 1993.
This invention relates to folding tables. There are of course many known
different kinds of folding tables. However, there is still a need for a versatile folding
table which is of simple yet attractive construction and which can be easily erected
and folded.
According to the invention, a folding table comprises a table top having an
upper working surface and an underside, the underside having at least one
rearwardly located leg retainer and at least one forwardly located strut retainer, a leg
assembly comprising an elongated connecting member and a pair of legs extending
15 from opposite ends of the connecting member, each leg having a foot member
exten~ling from a lower end thereof remote from the connecting member and an
angularly moveable strut pivotally secured at the rear to at least one of the legs and
releasably engageable at the front with the strut retainer. The strut is angularly
moveable between a working position in releasable engagement with the strut
20 retainer to maintain the table top in a working position and a retracted position
between the legs when released from the strut retainer. The or each leg retainerretains the connecting member in engagement therewith while permitting angular
movement of the table top between a working position and a folded position in
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which the table top is substantially parallel to the legs.
The underside of the table top may have a laterally-spaced pair of
rearwardly located leg retainers, and the or each leg retainer may retain the
connecting member in releasable snapping engagement thelewi~l. The or each
S leg retainer may comprise a closely spaced pair of substantially identical leg
retainer members which each retain the connecting member in engagement
thel~wilh
The underside of the table top may have a laterally-spaced pair of
forwardly located strut retainers, and the or each strut retainer may receive the
10 strut in releasable snapping engagement therewi~l. The or each strut retainer
may receive ~e strut in releasable engagement therewith at a plurality of
positions spaced from one another in a front to rear direction. The or each
strut retainer may comprise a closely-spaced pair of substantially identical strut
retainer members which each receive the strut in releasable engagement
15 therewith.
The strut may comprise a pair of laterally-spaced side members each
pivotally secured at a rear end to a respective leg and a transverse member
extending between the front ends of the side members, the transverse member
being received by the or each strut retainer in releasable engagement therewith
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in the working position. The legs may each have upper and lower portions in
telescoping engagement, the lower leg portions being securable at dirrerenl
longit-l~lin~l positions relative to the upper portions to vary the length of the
legs.
S The lower leg portions may be angularly movable relative to the upper
leg portions about ~e longit~l(lin~l axes of the legs, the lower leg portions being
securable in working positions in which the foot members are parallel to one
another and folded positions in which the foot members extend in opposite
directions side-by-side one ano~er.
One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of
example, with referellce to the accompanying drawings, of which
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding table in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention, the table top being in a horizontal working
position,
Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the portion of a table leg indicated by the
arrow 2 in Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the table with the table top in an inclined
working position and showing ~e underside of the table top,
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the table in the fully folded condition,
Fig. S is a sectional detailed view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 of a rear
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portion of a table top showing a leg retainer and part of the leg assembly, and
Fig. 6 is a similar view along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3 of a front portion of
the table top showing a strut retainer and part of the strut.
Referring to the drawings, a folding table 10 has an integrally molded
S plastic table top 12 in the form of a rectangular panel with rounded corners, the
table top 12 having an upper working surface 14 and an underside 16. The
underside 16 has a laterally-spaced pair of rearwardly located integral leg
retainers 18 and a laterally-spaced pair of forwardly located integral strut
retainers 20. A leg assembly 22 of tubular steel comprises a transverse
connecting member 23 and a pair of legs straight 24, 26 extending from
opposite ends of the connecting member 23, each leg 24, 26 having an
elongated foot member 28, 30 respectively ext~n~1ing perpendicularly from the
lower end thereof.
Each leg retainer 18 comprises a closely-spaced pair of identical leg
15 retainer members 32 which each have hook portions 34 to retain the connecting
member 23 in releasable snapping engagement therewi~l and permit the table
top 12 to be moved angularly relative to the leg assembly 22 in a manner which
will be described in more detail later.
Each leg 24, 26 has upper and lower portions 36, 38 in telescopic
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engagement, the lower leg portions 38 being slidable over the upper leg
portions 36. Each upper leg portion 36 is integral with the relevant end of the
connecting member 23, and each lower leg portion 38 is integral with the
respective foot member 28, 30, the foot members 28, 30 thus also being of
S tubular steel. Each lower leg potion 38 has a series of vertically-spaced
apertures 40 on its laterally outer and inner sides, and each upper leg portion
36 contains a resiliant U-shaped catch member 42 adjacent its lower end as
shown in Fig. 2. The catch member 42 has a pair of projections 44 which
project through apertures 46 in the upper leg portion 38 on opposite sides
10 thereof. The projections 44 are snappingly engageable in selected pairs of
apertures 40 in the lower leg portions 38 to enable the length of the legs 24, 26
to be adjusted as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1.
For folding purposes, as will be described in more detail later, the lower
leg portions 38 can be rotated about their longilll~lin~l axis to the laterally-
15 inwardly extending positions shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3. Each lower legportion 38 also has an aperture 48 on a front surface so that one of the
projections 44 can snap thereinto to retain the lower leg portions 38 in the
inwardly folded position.
An angularly movable strut 50 is pivotally secured at the rear to the
20 upper leg portions 36. The strut 50 is a metal rod bent to provide a transverse
2ls9g~il
member 51 at the front and a pair of laterally-spaced side members 52
extending rearwardly from opposite ends thereof. Each side member 52 has
a bent free end portion 54 at the rear extending into an aperture 56 in the
respective upper leg portion 36 to pivotally secure the strut 50 thereto. Each
5 strut retainer 20 comprises a closely-spaced pair of identical strut retainer
member 58 which each have a series of hook portions 60 spaced from one
another in the front to rear direction which can each retain the transverse strut
member 51 in releasable snapping engagement therewith.
Fig. 1 shows the table in the fully erected position with the table top 12
10 horizontal, i.e. perpendicular to the legs 24, 26. It will be understood that to
retain the table top 12 in the horizontal position, the transverse strut member
51 is snapped in to the strut retainer hook portion 60 furthest from the front of
the table top 12. The foot members 28, 30 extend forwardly from the vertical
legs 24, 26 beneath the table top 12. If it is desired to position the table top
15 12 in an inclined manner as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 1 and shown in
more detail in Fig. 3, the transverse strut member 51 is snapped into strut
hooked portions 60 nearer the front of the table top 12.
The table can be completely folded as shown in Fig. 4, by swinging the
foot members 28, 30 inwardly as previously described and, releasing the
20 transverse strut retainer 51 from the retainer hook portions 60 and pe-",il~;n~
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the strut 50 to pivot downwardly to a near vertical position. The table top 12
can then be pe~nittecl to swing dowllw~dly in the same manner so as to be
parallel to the legs 24, 26.
The foot members 28, 30 can be left in the forwardly extending position
S shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the strut 50 and table top 12 put in the near
vertical position so that the members 28, 30 can be slid under the side or rear
of a chair or couch with the table top 12 adjacent the side or rear of the chair
or couch. The table is thus then readily accessible for future use, it merely
being necessary to slide the table out and position the table top 12 by means of
10 the strut 50.
It will be clear from the above description of a prefeled embodiment that
the present invention provides a folding table which is of simple yet attractive
construction and which can be easily erected and folded.
Other embodiments of the invention will be readily apparellt to a person
15 skilled in the art, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended
claims.
