Horizontally supported planar surfaces – With structural installation – Vehicle supported
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-16
2001-11-13
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
With structural installation
Vehicle supported
C108S050120, C108S099000, C297S158400, C224S521000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314891
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to table and chair assemblies and multiple purpose devices that attach to vehicle trailer hitches. In particular, the present invention relates to a portable picnic table that attaches to a trailer hitch of a vehicle for use at tailgate parties and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An activity that has become quite popular in recent years is the gathering of sports fans and spectators in parking lots and along roadsides to eat, drink and socialize prior to a sporting event. This activity has become known as “tailgate parties” and is particularly common at football games. Tailgate parties typically occur in the parking lots of sports arenas where dining tables are not available. Sports fans and spectators often bring food and beverages that are not available inside the sporting arenas and sit on their tailgates or car trunks to dine and socialize.
Tailgate parties normally take place in or around the vehicles of the participants. Some sports fans bring portable picnic tables and chairs in their vehicles to use at the parties, while others simply sit on their vehicles. It is also common for picnics similar to tailgate parties to be enjoyed in various remote areas, such as in parking lots of amusement parks, national forests, public picnic grounds, roadside parks, and the like.
Table and chair assemblies have been developed specifically for use at tailgate parties, picnics and the like. A typical tailgate table and chair assembly is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,741 issued to Thomas J. Anderson (“the '741 patent”). The '741 patent provides a vehicle-mounted table and chair assembly that mounts to the towing hitch of a vehicle and forms a table and seating device suitable for tailgate parties, camping, and the like. However, the table and chair assembly disclosed in the '741 patent suffers from a number of disadvantages. For example, the table and chair assembly of the '741 patent seats only two people, extends rearwardly from the vehicle a great distance, is difficult and cumbersome to place in a retracted or stowed position for transport, places a great deal of stress on the vehicle hitch during use, and is relatively uncomfortable to sit at due to its lack of foot room.
Other tables designed for tailgate parties are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,136,953 and Des. 389,452. These tables do not include seating arrangements and are not designed for attaching to a trailer hitch of a vehicle. Thus, these tables are relatively inconvenient to use at tailgate parties.
Other devices are known in the prior art that are designed to mount on a trailer hitch mount of a vehicle. These devices include, for example, a work table apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,147, a multipurpose holding or carrying device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,639, truck bed extenders disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,615,813, 5,752,636, and 5,678,743, and various cargo carrier platforms disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,796,333, 4,906,015, and 5,368,209.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved table and chair assembly for use at tailgate parties that overcomes the disadvantages associated with the prior art devices described above.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved picnic table assembly that attaches to a trailer hitch of a vehicle, that provides comfortable seating for up to four adults, that folds easily into and out of a compact transport position without removal from the trailer hitch, that does not prevent access to the trailer hitch for towing purposes, that does not obstruct the vehicle tail lights and license tag, that provides ample foot room during use, and that includes a ground support to minimize stress on the vehicle hitch and stabilize the table during use.
Numerous other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various obvious aspects without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 10825 (1887-04-01), Peard
patent: D. 158160 (1950-04-01), Viola
patent: D. 182822 (1958-05-01), Kempner
patent: D. 389452 (1998-01-01), Scott
patent: 1976839 (1934-10-01), Dobie
patent: 3796333 (1974-03-01), Goldstein
patent: 4606575 (1986-08-01), Kodet
patent: 4615559 (1986-10-01), Blondeau
patent: 4906015 (1990-03-01), LaCroix et al.
patent: 5136953 (1992-08-01), Schmidt
patent: 5203266 (1993-04-01), Stevens
patent: 5368209 (1994-11-01), Hill
patent: 5397147 (1995-03-01), Ducharme et al.
patent: 5615813 (1997-04-01), Ouellette
patent: 5678743 (1997-10-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5752636 (1998-05-01), Manley
patent: 5752639 (1998-05-01), Rice
patent: 5857741 (1999-01-01), Anderson
patent: 6193124 (2001-02-01), Brazil et al.
Cuomo Peter M.
Thompson Jeffrey L.
Thompson & Thompson P.A.
Tran Hanh V.
LandOfFree
Portable picnic table for tailgate parties does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Portable picnic table for tailgate parties, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Portable picnic table for tailgate parties will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2608080