Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Folding – Legs fold axially parallel to surface edges
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-29
2003-12-23
Chen, Jose V. (Department: 3637)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Folding
Legs fold axially parallel to surface edges
C108S161000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06666152
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a banquet table, and more particularly to a foldable banquet table, which comprises a reinforced and lightweight rigid tabletop and a foldable leg frame connected thereto for enhancing the supporting structure and the portability of the foldable banquet table.
2. Description of Related Arts
Banquet tables have become very popular since the tables are economy, cheap and foldable that can be quickly and easily folded for carriage and storage and unfolded for use. Especially when some participant-intensive activities take place in multi-function rooms or designated areas, the banquet tables can be temporary set up in minutes. After the functions, the banquet tables can be quickly and neatly folded up for storage.
A conventional banquet table comprises a tabletop and a pair of table legs foldable mounted underneath the tabletop. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,061 generally suggests a banquet table that two table legs are pivotally mounted at two opposed side end portions of the tabletop. As shown in
FIG. 1A
, since the two table legs support the tabletop at two side end portions thereof, when a downward force is applied on the tabletop, a mid-portion of the tabletop may be cracked easily. In order to enhance the rigid structure of the banquet table, the tabletop must be made of stiffness material such as wood or metal. However, the wooden or metal tabletop will increase the overall weight of the banquet table that reduces the portability of the banquet table.
As shown in
FIG. 1B
, another U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,674, owned by Stanford, discloses a banquet table further comprising a pair of support braces each having a proximal end attached to one of the table leg and a distal end attached to a center of the tabletop in such a manner that when the table legs of the leg frame are perpendicularly unfolded to the tabletop, the support braces are inclinedly supported between the table legs and the tabletop to form a triangular support structure, so as to evenly distribute a weight loaded on the tabletop to the table legs. Since the support braces must be mounted to the center of the bottom surface of the tabletop, the length of the tabletop is limited by the length of the support brace. In other words, each of the support braces must be long enough to extend from the center of the tabletop to the respective table leg. Generally, the total length of the support braces is approximately 80% of the length of the tabletop. Therefore, in order to provide a longer banquet table, longer support braces must be incorporated therewith. Furthermore, since each support brace, having an unseasonable length, is inclinedly extended from the tabletop to the respective table leg, the leg room within the two table legs and the tabletop will be taken. Therefore, the user is unable to fully extend his or her leg within the leg room of the banquet table. So, such banquet table has disadvantage in practical use.
Thus, in order to enhance the portability of the banquet table, the tabletop is made of lightweight material such as plastic. One of the common technologies to manufacture the tabletop is known as the plastic “air-blow” molding technique. The tabletop generally comprises a top layer and a bottom layer integrally and overlappedly extended from the top layer to form a one-piece tabletop and define an air chamber between the top and bottom layers. The disadvantage of such hollow plastic tabletop is that each of the top and bottom layers is extremely difficult to have a uniform thickness during the manufacturing process. In other words, each of the top and bottom layers may have a thicker portion and a thinner portion. Once the thickness of each of the top and bottom layers is lesser than a safety thickness while there is no way to observe from exterior, the tabletop will be cracked easily at the thinner portion thereof when the weight is loaded on the tabletop.
In order to increase the strength of the tabletop, the leg frame must further comprises a supporting frame connected between the table legs and supported underneath the bottom layer of the tabletop. However, the reinforcing frame cannot strengthen the top layer as well. Thus, the attachments between the table legs, the reinforcing frame, and the bottom layer are relatively weak due to the physical structure of the tabletop. Moreover, it is very difficult for the manufacturer to rigidly fasten the table legs and the reinforcing frame to the thin plastic bottom layer of the tabletop. In other words, even though the plastic tabletop can enhance the portability of the banquet table, it cannot be too long in length. It also fails to provide a rigid support for compensating the original strength to support the weight loaded on the tabletop.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide a reinforced and lightweight rigid tabletop of a foldable banquet table to enhance the strength and rigidity of the foldable banquet table. In other words, the tabletop is adapted to rigidly support a weight loaded thereon comparing with a conventional plastic tabletop.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable banquet table, wherein the tabletop is constructed to have a uniform thickness of a top panel and a bottom panel so as to evenly distribute the weight loaded on the tabletop. Moreover, the manufacturing process for making each of the top and bottom panels, having the uniform thickness, is extremely easy and simple that largely reduces the manufacturing cost of the foldable banquet table.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable banquet table, wherein the tabletop further comprises a reinforcing frame built-in between the top and bottom panels to enhance the rigid structure of the top panel of the tabletop for supporting more weight thereon and the bottom panel for firmly and rigidly connecting and supporting the table legs therebelow. Moreover, the reinforcing frame provides a strong and rigid configuration of the tabletop so that a longer tabletop can be made without weakening its structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable banquet table, wherein a supporting arm is inclinedly connected between the respective table leg frame and reinforcing frame at a side portion of the tabletop, but not the center thereof. Therefore, a longer tabletop can be manufactured without limited by the supporting arm.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable banquet table, wherein the attachment between the tabletop and the table leg frames are pre-set at a predetermined position that the table leg frames are connected to the reinforcing frame but not the bottom panel. Therefore, the weight loaded on the top panel of the tabletop will be evenly distributed to the table leg frames.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable banquet table, wherein the table leg frames are adapted to self-assemble to the tabletop. The tabletop and the table leg frames can be shipped and handled individually and then assembled later on by the importers or the customers in a Do-It-Yourself manner. Therefore, the handling and shipping cost of the foldable banquet table can be further reduced for the manufacturer. The shipping space can be reduced accordingly too. In other words, both the tabletop and the table leg frame are replaceable individually while the conventional banquet table must be thrown away when one of the parts is damaged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a foldable banquet table which can be quickly and easily folded up for storage and carriage and unfolded for use.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a foldable banquet table which comprises a tabletop and a pair of table supporting frames adapted to foldably and spacedly affix to the tabletop.
The tabletop comprises a top panel, a bottom panel overlappedly connecting with the top panel in an edge to edge manner and defin
Chan Raymond Y.
Chen José V.
David and Raymond Patent Group
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