Combination bench and table

Details Combination bench and table Combination bench and table

2000-05-08

2001-05-15

Brown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)

Chairs and seats

Convertible

Table

Reexamination Certificate

active

06231121

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination bench and table wherein the bench is fixed but the table may be swung from an upward, horizontal position to a lowered, vertical position to serve as a backrest for the bench.
2. Description of Prior Art
The concept of providing, in a single unit, a piece of furniture which may function as a bench to sit upon and then be converted to an arrangement where the back of the bench becomes a table has been known for some time and patents covering various forms of this concept would include the following: Dostal et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,784; Donnell, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,488; Watts et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,172; Watts et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,990; and Cooper et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,683.
With the advent of advanced plastic molding techniques and the increasing cost of molds for fabricating large plastic items, it has become desirable to minimize the expense of the molds and the plastic utilized in fabricating a furniture item such as the combination bench and table disclosed herein. The prior art referred to above does not take into consideration these factors and thus the present invention distinguishes over the prior art wherein the bench and table/backrest components are not identical nor are the frame members always identical, as contemplated by the present invention.
Yet further, the components of the present combination bench and table are interconnected in such a way that the bench may be readily fixed to the frame members which support it and which rest upon a supporting surface and the backrest/table member may be swingably supported by the frame so that it may be quickly and readily shifted from its vertical position to its position as a table.
These economics in molding of the present unit distinguish it from the prior art teachings referred to above as does the specific structure for fixing the bench to the frame and the structure for holding the backrest/table member in its two positions of use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The combination bench and table unit disclosed herein constitutes a bench member which is fixed in its position upon a pair of spaced apart supporting frames, the frames having legs which extend downwardly to engagement with a supporting surface.
The backrest/table member is identical in configuration and construction to the bench member whereby both members may be fabricated from a single mold, as the item is to be fabricated from a suitable plastic material.
The frame members each have a horizontal bench rest which connects the pair of legs of each frame and has molded therein a slot for receiving tabs depending from the bench, which tabs may be readily inserted and press fitted into the slots to firmly fix the bench in its position upon the frame, since no movement of the bench is desired.
The frame members are two in number and are spaced apart to support opposite ends of the bench and the table. The frames each have upwardly extending supports which carry the table/backrest member which is identical in construction to the bench.
However, the table/backrest member is coupled with the supports by means of corresponding hinges which receive tabs carried by the table member, the tabs being selectively positioned within the hinge whereby to either retain the table/backrest member in its horizontal position to function as a table or, upon slight movement of the table backrest member, to permit swinging movement thereof with respect to the frame to assume a vertical position whereby to serve as a backrest for the bench.
The hinge structure is fabricated as part of the upwardly extending supports and is in the form of an outwardly extending wall having opposed, vertically offset segments, each having an arcuate stretch to permit the swinging of the table/backrest portion. The wall also defines a notch which receives the pins carried by the backrest/table member, the notch having a closed lower end terminating below the segments and a second, open end terminating above the segments. The pins rest in the notch when the table is in its horizontal position and are shiftable away from the one end of the notch into the segment area whereby to permit swinging of the pins and therefore the table to a vertical position to function as a backrest.
Thus, in its table condition, the table/backrest member is in a horizontal plane spaced from and coplanar with the bench and, when in its backrest position, is in a vertical position with the lower edge of the table/backrest member engaging the frame.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1757960 (1930-05-01), Greenstreet
patent: 2758633 (1956-08-01), Apple
patent: 2882957 (1959-04-01), Anderson
patent: 3361470 (1968-01-01), Gustin et al.
patent: 4194784 (1980-03-01), Dostal et al.
patent: 906247 (1962-09-01), None

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