Chairs and seats – Convertible – Table
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-02
2001-06-05
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Convertible
Table
C297S440230
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241312
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to furniture, and more particularly, to a novel support frame for a convertible bench/table apparatus and to novel convertible bench/table assemblies.
BACKGROUND
Persons owning homes are common consumers of recreational patio and pool furniture. In many instances, homeowners purchase patio and pool furniture for the convenience and comfort they provide when leisurely relaxing outside or near a pool. Consumers of recreational furniture usually have an interest in the aesthetic beauty of a piece of patio or pool furniture and intend such furnishings to enhance the settings of their homes and to add to the decor of their pool areas.
Outdoor benches have traditionally provided persons with a place to sit and relax outside in the yard, on the porch, or near the pool. Many homeowners purchase lawn benches made of natural woods and finish them with a weather protecting varnish to ensure the longevity of the wood against the elements of nature. Although lawn benches have traditionally provided a means of sitting and relaxing in an outdoor setting, when it comes time for eating, such benches provide no satisfactory surface for supporting the dinnerware or the food to be eaten.
Many homeowners have accordingly purchased picnic tables as an appropriate means for placing food and other items thereon and in order to provide appropriate surface space to accommodate such food or other items and to provide a place to sit while enjoying the meal. However, when the meal is completed, the seat or bench associated with the picnic table no longer provides a comfortable advantage to those individuals seeking to relax and enjoy the outdoor setting. Typically, the main option of comfort while sitting on the bench of a picnic table is to lean forward and rest one's elbows on the tabletop. Although a picnic table provides a great function while eating outdoors, when it comes time to relax and enjoy the pleasant outdoor weather while communicating with family or friends, a park bench would provide a more comfortable piece of furniture. Hence, many homeowners have consequently purchased both park bench and picnic table types of outdoor furniture for their use and enjoyment.
In view of the foregoing, attempts have been made by some to manufacture a convertible bench/table structure which provides a bench with a seat and backrest in one position, which can then be transformed into a seat with a tabletop structure, analogous to a picnic table, in another position. Although the presently known convertible park bench/picnic table devices afford significant advantages over the use of separate tables, benches, and chairs, significant disadvantages remain.
Naturally, consumers generally prefer products that include simple and easy means of operation. Unfortunately, however, the presently known convertible park bench/picnic table devices typically employ complicated mechanical laches and multiple pivotal points to accomplish a conformational transformation of the park bench into a picnic table for dining. Likewise, the components of such presently known devices often rely upon multiple working parts, a significant number of nut and bolt assemblies, and a plurality of pivotal joints to construct the final working unit. Because of the necessity of numerous mechanical parts in such devices, production and manufacturing costs are proportionately increased and ultimately passed on to the consumer.
In addition, the multiplicity of working parts, the arrangement of the various nut and bolt assemblies, and the array of pivotal joints in the final construction of presently known convertible bench/table structures, present the consumer with a generally frustrating assembly process. In many situations, the consumer ends up trying to read and interpret lengthy and somewhat complicated instructions to assemble such a convertible bench/table structure for use.
Another disadvantage of presently known convertible bench/table structures is the difficult and sometimes awkward means of converting the park bench into the picnic table conformation. In some instances, not only do pivotal pins have to be adjusted or frame members slidably modified in their adjacent slots, but with many known convertible table/bench devices, the repositioning of a backrest into a tabletop position requires more than one individual to accomplish.
The end result is that consumers can be called upon to make a lengthy investment of time in assembling their final working units. And with the numbers of mechanical working parts to assemble, the process of home construction can be an intense or frustrating experience, often forcing consumers to meticulously wade through in-depth and sometimes over technical instructions to realize any use from their “recreational” furniture.
BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved functional and structural design for convertible bench/tables.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a reduction in the number of mechanical working parts that will effect a decrease in the overall manufacturing and production costs of a convertible bench/table and to provide a convertible bench/table which is relatively easy to manufacture.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a convertible bench/table which is relatively easy to assemble.
Consistent with the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a support frame for use in a convertible bench/table apparatus is disclosed in one presently preferred embodiment of the present invention as including an upper portion movably mounted to a lower portion. The lower portion preferably includes a first leg, a second leg, and a seat mount, where the seat mount is comprised of an upper surface and a lower surface defining a space therebetween which is capable of receiving one or more seat members to form a seat. The upper portion preferably has a backrest mount including a first surface and a second surface that define a space therebetween which is capable of receiving one or more backrest members to form a backrest.
To construct a convertible bench/table apparatus in accordance with the present invention, a user may acquire two such substantially symmetrical support frames, position one or more seat members between the seat mounts, and position one or more backrest members between the backrest mounts. So constructed, the upper portions of the support frames pivot relative to their respective lower portions so that the backrest may be positioned to either serve as a backrest or as a tabletop.
As summarized, the present invention provides a new and improved functional and structural design for convertible bench/tables. The novel support frame greatly reduces the number of mechanical working parts thereby decreasing the overall manufacturing and production costs of a convertible bench/table.
Not only is the manufacturing process simplified, but the end user's job of putting the convertible bench/table together and using it is greatly simplified as well. The convertible bench/table apparatus, as described herein, provides a convertible bench/table which is relatively easy to assemble.
Because of the design of the support frame, the upper and lower portions of the support frames can be molded of a single material. This further simplifies the manufacturing and assembling of the present invention. The molded spaces of the seat mount and backrest mount provide easy means for putting together the apparatus, with no need for multiple fasteners, nuts, bolts, screws, and the like.
The support frames are preferably molded of plastic. Being molded of plastic, the support frames can be strong yet lightweight relative to other convertible bench/table apparatus.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 046770 (1914-12-01), Haase
patent: 1532417 (1925-04-01), Letts
patent: 1757960 (1930-05-01), Greenstreet
patent: 1890129 (1932-12-01), Ross
patent: 2481935 (1949-09-01), La
Norton M. Brent
Watts Stephen P.
Broadbent Berne S.
Hulse Dale E.
Jr. Milton Nelson
Kirton & McConkie
Premiere Products, Inc.
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