Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Folding – Legs fold axially parallel to surface edges
Patent
1992-11-06
1994-07-05
Chen, Jose V.
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Folding
Legs fold axially parallel to surface edges
108115, A47B 300
Patent
active
053257936
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a folding table. It relates particularly to a folding table which folds in the middle in order to allow for easy storage and transportation.
Convenient and generally inexpensive portable tables which are suitable for a wide variety of applications, both indoors and outdoors, have been known for some time. Such tables typically include hinged legs which are foldable between an inactive position, in which they lie horizontally against the underside of the table surface, so that the whole table is substantially flat and allows for convenient storage, and a substantially vertical position in which they can function as table legs in the normal manner.
One well known table of this type is commonly referred to as a "card table". A card table has a substantially square surface and four independently hinged legs connected one at each corner of the underside of the table. Each leg is slightly shorter than the width of the table, allowing the legs to be conveniently accommodated against the underside of the table when the table is not in use.
Another type of commonly available folding table is a long table with a pair of legs attached by a hinge at each end. Australian Patent Application 27835/77 shows a table of this type. When the table is not in use, the legs are folded towards the centre of the table until they rest against the underside of the table. Various different methods have been employed for locking the legs into place in their active position, at right angles to the table surface, and in their inactive position, resting against the underside of the table surface.
Even after the legs have been folded into an inactive position, the shape of a table is frequently still too cumbersome to allow for convenient transportation and storage. One way of overcoming this problem is to divide the table top into two sections hinged together, so that the folded table has approximately half the length of the unfolded table.
Tables of this type are shown in Australian Patent Application 67399/74 and Australian Patent 512081. The table illustrated in FIG. 1 of Australian Patent 512081 has adjustable height folding legs and a hinge in the table-top which operates in such a manner that the two sections of the table top face outwards in opposite directions when the table is folded. However, the table disclosed appears to be suitable for light loads only. When the table is in use, the table legs are oriented at an angle of about 45.degree. to the vertical and it is likely that this results in instability when a heavy load is applied to the table.
The table revealed in Australian Patent Application 67399/74 is a table tennis type table, divided into two sections which are hinged together about the net line. When the two sections are folded together about the hinge, the two table tops face each other and the leg arrangements fold down against the outside of the folded table. Each of the two table sections has a leg arrangement comprising a pair of legs hingedly attached to the underside of the table surface near the end furthest from the table top hinge, and a support brace hingedly attached to the underside of the table surface near the table top hinge. When the table is in its active position, the support brace is attached to the pair of legs to hold the pair of legs in position away from the underside of the table surface, and when the table is in its inactive position the support brace is disconnected from the pair of legs and the support brace and the pair of legs are both folded against the underside of the table. Once again, while a table of this sort is suitable for such applications as playing table tennis, it is not sufficiently strong to support a substantial load.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative type of folding table.
According to the present invention there is provided a folding table comprising: and a topside, the two sections being connected by a hinge arrangement; and comprising: pivotally attached to the underside of the table top section near the hing
REFERENCES:
patent: 1862911 (1932-06-01), Snyder
Anderson Gerald
Chen José V.
Coralex Pty Ltd.
Teston Investement Pty. Lt.
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