Chairs and seats – Convertible – Table
Patent
1996-08-14
1998-01-06
Cuomo, Peter M.
Chairs and seats
Convertible
Table
297126, A47B 8504
Patent
active
057046832
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new or improved multi-purpose convertible furniture article and in particular to an article that can provide, amongst other uses, a bench-type seat, or a combined table and seat, in the latter configuration the article also being usable as an elevated platform or staging.
b) Description of the Prior Art
Convertible picnic-type tables have previously been proposed in various forms, to provide articles that can be used as tables or benches, sawhorses, scaffolding or other supports, and examples of such articles can be seen in U.S. Design Pat. No. D-265,787 and also in U.S. Pat. No. 1,792,737 Greenstreet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,575 Kodet and U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,559 Blondeau. U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,175 Albanese shows an example of a furniture article that provides a convertible bench/table. However the Albanese structure is not useful as a support platform since it does not provide a sufficiently stable support for the table top when in the horizontal position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,488 Donnell JR. shows another example of convertible furniture which has a support member rotatably mounted on the frame and movable from a seat back position to a table top position. However in the table top position Donnell's support member is clearly unsuitable for use as a support platform since is only supported over a relatively narrow portion in the front to back direction nor would it provide the desired degree of stability for use as a support platform. It is believed that few of the prior art designs have been commercially successful, one possible reason being that they are inadequately designed or unduly complicated so as not to be economically viable. Such prior art designs of convertible bench/tables furthermore lacked stability in the table configuration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aim of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose convertible furniture article that is of sturdy and relatively simple construction and that will, in particular, be stable when used in a table or platform configuration.
Accordingly the invention provides an article of furniture comprising: a substantially rigid base frame having four feet regularly arranged in longitudinally aligned front and rear pairs which pairs are spaced transversely from each other to provide a stable support for said article upon a horizontal surface; said frame including longitudinally spaced sub-frames extending transversely and from top-to-bottom of said frame, said sub-frames being rigidly interconnected by vertically and transversely spaced horizontally extending frame elements and by brace means; two of said frame elements comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced horizontal supports each rigidly attached at transversely spaced locations on said frame and having end portions projecting transversely beyond a rear side of said frame; a horizontal seat carried on and extending between said end portions; said article further including a table top that is selectively movable between a horizontal position wherein it is supported on a top section of said frame, and a lower position wherein it is supported on said frame in a position extending upwardly from one longitudinal edge of said seat so as to provide a backrest, guide means interacting between said table top and said frame to accommodate such movement of the table top; retainer means selectively operable to secure said table top in said horizontal position wherein it is transversely offset relative to said seat.
The furniture article can be made of any suitable material, but conveniently can be fabricated substantially entirely from wood. Without requiring the furniture article to be excessively weighty, it can be configured to provide the required stability when used as a platform or staging by arranging the front feet to be positioned more or less directly below the front edge of the table top. Similarly the rear feet are positioned directly below or not far forwardly of the rear edge of the seat so that the furniture a
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Cooper Robert James
Szantor Laszlo
Anderson Gerald A.
Cuomo Peter M.
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