Horizontally supported planar surfaces – With structural installation – Vehicle supported
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-02-20
Chen, Jose V. (Department: 3624)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
With structural installation
Vehicle supported
C108S150000, C224S488000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189458
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collapsible holder by which some or all of a table, an umbrella and an outdoor grille may be coupled to a motor vehicle at a conventional trailer hitch. The collapsible holder is adapted to be conveniently folded into a compact package to facilitate the transport and storage thereof between uses.
2. Background Art
Families seeking recreation often choose to go camping or simply have a cook out. However, such out of doors activities can be complicated by the need to find a shaded camp site, a table and an open grille upon which to cook food. Consequently, in some cases, campers are required to carry with them bulky and space consuming cooking and camping equipment. In other cases, the campers must set up their cooking site far from their motor vehicle which increases inconvenience and leaves the family vehicle unattended during the cook out. In still other cases, the family may be subjected to a waste of time and/or disappointment if it is unable to find an outdoor grille which is available for use.
In order to avoid the aforementioned problems and potential inconveniences described above, it would be desirable to have available a compact, easy to use holder that can be conveniently coupled to the family vehicle to enable a picnic, cook out, and the like, to be held near the vehicle while avoiding the necessity of having to carry a table, a shade producing umbrella, and an outdoor grille while, at the same time, trying to find a suitable picnic area.
One example of a hitch mounted holder is available by referring to U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,639 issued May 19, 1998.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A collapsible holder is disclosed to the removably attached at one end to a trailer hitch at the rear of a motor vehicle. The opposite end of the holder is adapted to be coupled to a folding table and/or an outdoor grille of the type commonly used for a barbecue. The collapsible holder of this invention has a middle arm member that is pivotally connected at each end thereof between a pair of outer arm members. One of the pair of outer arm members is detachably connected to the trailer hitch. When the folding table and the grille are uncoupled from the collapsible holder and the holder is removed from the trailer hitch, the holder can be folded into a compact package that is suitable for transport and storage between uses. More particularly, a first of the pair of outer arm members is rotated downward and into face-to-face alignment with the middle arm member, and the middle arm member is then rotated downward and into the face-to-face alignment with the second outer arm member.
The folding table has a central base and a pair of folding leaves. A hollow coupling sleeve is mounted at the bottom of the central base. The coupling sleeve is sized to engage the outer arm member of the collapsible holder that is not connected to the trailer hitch so that the table is coupled to the holder. The pole of an umbrella may be located through a hole in the central base of the table for receipt by the hollow coupling sleeve below the central base. Each of the table leaves is pivotally connected to the central base by a pair of hinges so that the leaves can be rotated downward and into face-to-face alignment with the bottom of the central base. A pair of pop-up hinges are associated with each folding leaf of the table to retain each leaf at its folded position below the central base.
According to one embodiment, a hollow coupling post projects from the outer arm member of the collapsible holder that is not connected to the trailer hitch. The coupling post is sized to receive a complementary coupling post that projects from the collection pan of an outdoor grille so that the grille is coupled to the collapsible holder. According to an alternate embodiment, a hollow coupling post is mounted below the collection pan of the outdoor grille. The coupling post is sized to engage a complementary coupling post that projects from one end of a coupling attachment. The opposite end of the coupling attachment is secured, by means of a coupling finger and a locking plate, to the outer arm member of the collapsible holder that is not connected to the trailer hitch so that the outdoor grille is coupled to the collapsible holder by way of the coupling attachment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5397147 (1995-03-01), Ducharme et al.
patent: 5518159 (1996-05-01), DeGuevara
patent: 5628126 (1997-05-01), McNulty
patent: 5640949 (1997-06-01), Smith
patent: 5752639 (1998-05-01), Rice
patent: 5820004 (1998-10-01), Lane
patent: 5857741 (1999-01-01), Anderson
patent: 5881937 (1999-03-01), Sadler
patent: 5950617 (1999-09-01), Lorenz
patent: 6000594 (1999-12-01), Chimnenti
Chen José V.
Fischer Morland C.
Fisher Michael J.
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