Horizontally supported planar surfaces – With housing – Formed by collapsible surface
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-06
2001-02-06
Wilkens, Janet M. (Department: 3636)
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
With housing
Formed by collapsible surface
C108S132000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182578
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to folding tables in general, and specifically to portable tables for use in massage or therapeutic body work such as for the chiropractic art.
2. Related Art
The art teaches a wide variety of special purpose folding tables for use in applications such as massage, therapy, chiropractic arts, article display, and beauty treatment as well as folding tables for general purpose use.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,335,676; 5,009,170 and 4,943,041 disclose varying truss suspension systems for portable tables.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,128 discloses a sliding leg body-work table including a channel system which provides support for the table legs and rotatable diagonal braces which extend from a cross tube for connecting each leg pair to the table surface. A system of wire ropes support the central hinged end of the table top sections and operate in conjunction with diagonal braces for locking of the legs in an operational position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,638 to Gilloti discloses a table with a truss suspension system having legs hinge from the ends of the table and diagonal braces extending from the center of the table to attach onto the table legs. The truss system consists of a cord member of wire rope or flexible material attached to the lower end of the legs and extending the full length of the table parallel to the table surface. Users regard this type of table as unsatisfactory because the position of the cable interferes with the movement of the user and required the user to connect and disconnect the diagonal braces on one or both ends on setting up or collapsing the table.
Another type of folding table is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,729 to Krueger, consisting of a collapsible table with strap-like brace members having folding legs at each end. This type of table does not have a support cable system attached to the legs, nor does it provide a strong working platform, and tends to be noisy when rocking forces are applied thereto. Also this type of table requires some skill and training on the part of its user to set up and collapse, and provides limited means to adjust height dimension of the working surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a special purpose table for use in massage or other body work such as the chiropractic arts. The table is able to fold in half and the legs and support cables are stored within the space between the two halves of the folded sections. When folded the table is easily able to be carried by one person where it is needed. The novel x-frame and support cable design offers a lightweight yet very stable table.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a folding table having a new and unique support structure that overcomes the problems found in prior art tables. The present invention allows for knee room under the table, yet be stable and easy to set-up.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a portable treatment table that is safer in operation with a triangular bracing system less likely to fail and offer greater stability for the supported structure.
It is an advantage of the this novel portable table in that there are fewer cables and has a less complex design than disclosed in the art.
Another advantage of the present invention is the reduced weight due to the ability to use plastic and other lightweight material.
These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the instant invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this folding, portable massage table as disclosed herein, preferred embodiments thereof being shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only.
REFERENCES:
patent: 439954 (1890-11-01), Jackson
patent: 3357729 (1967-12-01), Krueger
patent: 4333638 (1982-06-01), Gillotti
patent: 4833998 (1989-05-01), Everett et al.
patent: 4927128 (1990-05-01), O'Brian
patent: 4943041 (1990-07-01), Romein
patent: 5009170 (1991-04-01), Spehar
patent: 5325793 (1994-07-01), Martin
patent: 5943965 (1999-08-01), Riach et al.
patent: 5974979 (1999-11-01), Grady et al.
patent: 6000345 (1999-12-01), Gillotti
patent: 6076472 (2000-06-01), Lloyd
Anderson Jerry A.
Bennett Dennis A.
Wilkens Janet M.
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