Abstract:
There is disclosed a portable treatment table ( 10 ) with a truss suspension system ( 44, 46, 60, 62, 100, 130 ). The table is lightweight and able to handle heavy loads.

Description:
This application is a 371 of PCT/US98/13647 filed Jul. 1, 1998 and also claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/052,176 filed Jul. 10, 1997. 
    
    
     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. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is bottom view of the claimed table shown in an assembled condition. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the table shown in FIG. 1 with perimeter frame rail  80  removed to show outer corners  34  and  35 . 
     FIG. 3 is an end view of the table shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of a preferred hinge portion of the disclosed X frame. 
     FIG. 5 is a cut away cross view of the stop end used in the preferred hinge portion shown in FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3 , a portable folding treatment table  10  comprises two rectangular flat table top sections  20  each of which contains, on its under surface a perimeter frame rail  80  anchored or attached to top sections  20  with glue, nails or angle brackets or the like. Sections  20  are abutted and connected by hinges or hinge members attached to the bottom surface of abutting perimeter frame rail  81  and  82 . It will be apparent that these hinge members may be replaced with a single hinge running substantially the length of the abutting perimeter frame rails. Sections  20  and perimeter frame rail  80  are covered with cushion pads  25 . At the outer corners  34  and  35  of each section  20  a pair of support legs  30  is attached at the top of the support legs  31  by hinge or a first pivot means. Preferably the support legs  30  are adjustable for height. Each outer pair of support legs  30  are optionally connected together by a brace or cable (not shown) or the like. 
     Each section  20  has x-frames  90  and  92  secured to the inner corners  38  and  40  by the use of hinges, pivot means or the like. The bottom of the x-frames  44  and  46  are secured to the second end or bottom end  32  of support legs  30  by the use of hinges, pivot means or the like. Each x-frame  90  and  92  has a hinged center portion  60  and  62 . The hinged center portions  60  and  62  have a locking mechanism that keeps the x-frame in a single plane. In the preferred embodiment, the locking mechanism is a pair of flexible, non-stretchable cables  130 , which are secured to the outer corners  34 ,  35  or alternatively attached at the top of the support legs  31  and to the center hinges  60  and  62 . Alternatively cables  130  may be two separate cables attached to one of the outer corners  34  and  35  and to the hinged center portion  60  and  62  of the x frame  90  and  92 . The cables  130  being of such length to be in tension when the table top sections  20  are coplanar and when the legs are fully unfolded as shown in FIG.  1 . Cables  130  keep the x frames  90  and  92  in a planar position but also provide additional support for the table  10 . 
     A center flexible, non-stretchable cable or first cable  100  is secured to the x-frames  90  and  92  preferably by attaching the first end to the hinged center portion  60  and the second end to the hinged center portion  62 . The cable  100  being of such length to be in tension when said table top sections are coplanar and when said legs  30  are fully unfolded as shown in FIG.  1 . Unlike other tables in the art, the preferred table has no need for a means to have this cable “retracted” when the table is folded. In an another embodiment, the first cable  100  can be two separate cables each having one end attached to one the hinged center portion  60  or  62  and the other end attached to an opposite outer corner in a criss-cross manner 
     In FIG. 4 there is disclosed a preferred hinged center portion  60  or  62 . The hinge  60  or  62  is made of injection molded high impact nylon. The center hinges  60  or  62  have nylon rod or struts ends  71  which are capable of receiving struts  72 . The rod ends  71  are ribbed internally to accept and retain struts. 
     Bolt holes are drilled or molded in strut end  71  to accept bolt  73 . Y shaped dual strut end  74  has strut ends  75  and  76  which accepts struts  78  and  79 . Each strut end  75  and  76  are ribbed internally to accept and retain struts having varying degrees of tolerance. In the preferred embodiment pouring of the hinged center portion  60  or  62  is done on the inside to maintain uniformity in the outer wall and to reduce cycle time of the injection process. The top of dual strut end  74  is capable of accepting bolt  73  and has cable stop sleeves receptacle  81  and  82  capable of receiving cable stop  91  as shown in FIG.  5 . Stop end sleeve  85  retains receives the stop end of cable  100 . Stop end sleeve edges are rounded to prevent wear on the cables  130 . 
     All U.S. patents disclosed are hereby incorporated by reference as if written herein in their entirety. 
     From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. Accordingly the scope of the invention is not to be considered limited to the particular embodiments shown or suggested, but is rather to be determined by reference to the appended claims.