Abstract:
A portable expandable work bench is expandable in a longitudinal direction to increase its working surface and so support a power tool for operating on a work piece. The non-expandable portion of the work bench is a rectangular hollow body having a generally planar a top work surface. The expandable portion of the work place is nested inside of the hollow body. A second expandable portion is nested within the first expandable portion and a third expandable portion is nested within the second expandable portion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/371,456 filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 6, 2011. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    N/A 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    This invention relates to the field of wood working and particularly to a workbench and specifically to a portable expandable workbench. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0004]    Various forms of portable and collapsible workbenches are known in the art. The advantage of a portable and collapsible workbench is that it may be used in confined spaces where the workbench cannot be permanently deployed. There is still a need for a portable workbench that may be used in confined spaces, such as a small garage, is easily stored and can be made of light-weight materials for ease of movement and inexpensive manufacture. Furthermore, there is a requirement for a portable workbench that is expandable and is capable of temporarily mounting power tools. 
       OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a workbench that is expandable, portable and collapsible for easy storage in a confined space. 
         [0006]    It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a workbench that has an expandable working surface. 
         [0007]    Another objective of the invention is to provide a portable, collapsible and expandable workbench that can temporarily mount a power tool. 
         [0008]    A further objective of the invention is to provide a workbench that is made from lightweight and recycled materials. 
         [0009]    Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a workbench that can be easily disassembled and the disassembled parts stored in a convenient and accessible manner. 
         [0010]    Yet another advantage is that it is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    In accordance with the present invention, a portable, collapsible workbench assembly having an expandable work surface is provided that can be disassembled and stored mounted to a vertical surface such as a wall. The workbench assembly includes four supporting legs that are dismountable from the horizontal working surface. The four legs are generally of equal length but can be individually vertically adjusted to accommodate uneven floor or ground surfaces. Each leg is temporarily fixed to the working surface by a bracket comprising a U-shaped channel and a spring biased bracket. The expandable working surface of the workbench comprises a first series of adjacent and parallel rectangular members that slide into and out of a non-expandable table top in a telescoping relationship. The members can be hollow members or solid members made from a suitable light weight material and so they are economical to make. In one embodiment of the invention, the sliding members slide through a dove-tail joint comprising a key on the sliding members meshed with a slot on a separating member within the non-expandable tabletop. When in the storage configuration the working tabletop surface is at its smallest length. At its longest length the working surface is almost twice the length of the non-expanding tabletop. To prevent the sliding members from disengaging the tabletop at the longest length there are suitable stops mounted on the ends of the sliding rectangular members. A second series and a third series of parallel adjacent rectangular members are disposed in a sliding and telescoping relationship within the exterior end of the first series and the opposite end of the non-expandable tabletop. Within the second and third series there is horizontally disposed in a storage configuration a first and a second work piece support structure. The first and the second work piece support structures comprise a pair of dowels or rectangular members fixed to a supporting member. The first and second work piece support structures can be removed from the ends of the second and third series and mounted vertically to the end pieces of the second and third series. When in the supporting vertical configuration the first and second work piece support structures can support the end of a work piece at an adjustable height for operation by a power tool such as a saw. 
         [0012]    The non-expanding table top comprises a first rectangular panel of material to form a tool mounting surface. The table and its various components can be made from a variety of materials including wood or recycled plastic materials. 
         [0013]    To disassemble the work bench, the working surface is collapsed to its smallest length and legs are removed from the leg support brackets. The workbench can be hung on a wall using a suitable hanging bracket. 
         [0014]    Various other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a review of the following detailed description taken with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a front view of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a side view of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is another top perspective view of the invention of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a view of a bracket of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a view of another view of the bracket of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a view of an alternative bracket used in one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1  there is shown a top perspective view of one embodiment of the invention  10  which is a portable expandable work bench. The work bench is shown in its collapsed configuration and comprises a working surface  12  and four leg channels of which  14  and  16  are shown. In the collapsed configuration the work bench  10  comprises a first end  18  and a second end  20 . Attached to first end  18  is a fixed cap piece  22 . The second end  20  is the expanding end of the work bench. Cut out  24  illustrates the first expanding portion  26  of the work bench which is nested within the working surface  12 . The outside end of the first expanding portion  26  is capped with a cap piece  28 . Within the first expanding portion  26  is nested a second expanding portion (illustrated in subsequent figures) having a cap piece  30 . Nested within the second expanding portion (illustrated in subsequent figures) is a third expanding portion having a cap piece  32 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown the invention  10  and a top perspective view of the second end  20 . The working surface  12  is illustrated as well as leg channels  14  and  33 . Expanding portion  26  is capped with cap piece  28 . In the embodiment shown, the first expanding portion  26  comprises three rectangular sliding members  34 ,  36  and  38  having their respective external ends  40 ,  42  and  44  fixed to the inside surface  46  of cap piece  28 . The rectangular sliding members telescope into respective receiving chambers created by guide members  50  and  52  which run parallel to the rectangular sliding members. The rectangular sliding members are in sliding contact with the walls of the receiving chambers and at least one side of the respective guide member. The rectangular sliding members may be pulled out to a desirable length or pushed in using a modest hand force. When deployed outside of the receiving chambers the rectangular sliding members will remain in position due to frictional contact between the sliding members and the chamber walls. While the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  shows three rectangular sliding members telescoping in and out of three receiving chambers there can be as few as one sliding member or more than three sliding members. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a side view of one embodiment of the invention  10  comprising a hollow rectangular body  54  having a top side comprising a planar working surface  12 , a bottom surface  56 , a left side  58  and a left side  60  (See  FIG. 1 ) which is not shown in this view. Rectangular sliding members  34 ,  36  and  38  are illustrated in a deployed position. The sidewall  58  is cut away to form a rectangular slit  62  to accommodate the leg bracket  33  attached to the outside of rectangular member  38  in its collapsed position. Leg bracket  16  is similarly accommodated by slit  64 . Leg brackets  14  and  66  are fixed to the left side  60  and the right side  58  respectively of the non-expanding portion of the rectangular hollow body  54 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , there is shown another front perspective view of one embodiment of the invention  10 . Rectangular sliding members  34 ,  36  and  38  are shown in a deployed position supported by leg brackets  16  and  33 . Guide members  50  and  52  are shown separating rectangular sliding members  34  and  36  and rectangular sliding members  36  and  38  respectively. Telescoping in and out of cap piece  26  are two rectangular members  70  and  72 . Cap piece  28  is fixed to the outside ends of the rectangular sliding members  34 ,  36  and  38 . Cap piece  30  is fixed to rectangular sliding members  74  and  76  which slide telescopically into and out of the centre rectangular sliding member  36  through rectangular apertures  77  and  79 . Cap piece  30  is a rectangular member which is disposed vertically and parallel to cap piece  28 . The top surface  78  of cap piece  38  comprises three holes  80 ,  82  and  84  which run through the member. As shown in  FIG. 1 , cap piece  30  slides into an abutting relationship with cap piece  28  when not in an expanded configuration. Cap piece  32  is fixed to the outside ends of members  86  and  88 . These members  86  and  88  are shown as cylindrical dowels but may also be rectangular. The member  86  slides telescopically into rectangular member  74  through aperture  90  and member  88  slides telescopically into rectangular member  76  through aperture  92 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , cap piece  32  and members  86  and  88  form a support bracket for a work piece placed on the expanded work bench. The ends of the members  86  and  88  are inserted into two adjacent holes of the three holes  80 ,  82  and  84 . The members  86  and  88  are fixed in position while inserted into the holes by such means as pins or clamps. Referring to  FIG. 1 , when the support bracket is in a storage position the cap piece  32  abuts against cap piece  30 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , there is shown one embodiment of a leg clamp  100  of the invention  10 . In the embodiment shown, the clamp is a spring clamp that holds a leg into place temporarily by compressing bar  102  against a section of, for example, 2×4 lumber set into the channel bracket  33 . In this embodiment, the channel bracket  33  is mounted to the sliding rectangular member  38 . Other types of brackets can be used to fix the temporary legs to the work bench. Once such bracket is shown in  FIG. 7  and is subject of Canadian patent application #2011006 by Koffski et al. now expired. 
         [0028]    By the foregoing, it is clear that the work bench of the present invention provides a user with many advantages. The workbench is directly mountable to a vertical surface such as a wall for storage. It is easily disassembled and all parts can be stored together. The working surface can be expanded up to several feet to accommodate long work pieces The ability to also raise or lower the workbench legs individually to a desired height also enhances use of the workbench for various types of uses. 
         [0029]    Although the present invention has been illustrated with respect to preferred embodiments, it shall be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made to the invention which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.