Patent Publication Number: US-9848695-B1

Title: Spring table

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to support structures and tables. More particularly, the present invention relates to a folding portable table for use in camping and outdoor activities. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When engaging in outdoor activities such as camping and picnicking and the like, it is often desirable to have a stable planar support surface upon which to set drinking vessels such as cups, and wine glasses as well as pots, pans, plates and utensils used for cooking that users do not want to place on the ground where they may become dirty and unsanitary. 
     Tables are well known, but have the drawback of being difficult to transport, difficult to assemble, and being heavy and bulky. 
     The instant invention is a portable folding table for use in camping and picnicking activities that is lightweight, durable, strong and self-contained. The instant invention provides a planar table surface that is strong enough to support pots, pans, plates, cooking utensils and drinking vessels and is small and portable enough to be used in backpacking activities, and other activities were a stable planar surface above the ground is desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A folding portable table comprising a planar table top having a first half and a hingedly connected second half, each half having a first end portion, a second end portion, an outer side portion and an inner side portion, each half further having a top surface, and a bottom surface; a hinge fixedly connected to each table top half along adjoining side portions to allow the planar table top to fold along the hinge; a leg assembly bracket fixedly carried on the bottom surface of each table top half, each leg assembly bracket defining a first concave notch, and a second concave notch, each concave notch configured to engage with and positionally maintain a leg assembly; and a leg assembly for releasable engagement with the leg assembly brackets to support the folding portable table above a supporting surface, each leg assembly having a first foot and a spaced apart second foot, an outer edge top rail and an inner top rail and having legs communicating from opposing end portions of the outer edge top rail and the inner top rail with the first foot and with the second foot. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table further comprising a storage latch carried by the table top halves to secure the table top halves in a storage configuration. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table further comprising a perpendicular lip extending along the laterally outer side portion of each table top half. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table further comprising a medial bend in the inner top rail of the leg assembly and a medial bend in the outer edge top rail of the leg assembly to facilitate aligned engagement with the leg assembly brackets. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table further comprising a rotation leg defined in each leg assembly bracket adjacent the second concave notch to engage with the medial bend in the inner top rail to facilitate rotational alignment of the leg assembly relative to the table top. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table further comprising an offset leg on at least one of the leg assembly brackets, the offset leg defining a storage concave notch to positionally secure the leg assembly adjacent the bottom surface of the table top half when the leg assembly is in a storage configuration. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table wherein the hinge is plural spacedly arrayed hinge barrels structurally carried along the laterally inner side portion of each table half and each of the plural hinge barrels defines a medial channel extending elongately therethrough to carry a hinge pin therein and the plural spacedly arrayed hinge barrels carried on the laterally inner side portion of the first table top half are complimentary spaced with the plural spacedly arrayed hinge barrels carried on the laterally inner side portion of the second table top half so that the medial channels defined by the plural hinge barrels of both table halves are axially aligned when the first table half and the second table half are oriented adjacent one another so that the hinge pin extends simultaneously through the aligned medial channels to hingedly interconnect the first table top half with the second table top half to allow folding of the portable table. A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table wherein each leg assembly bracket is located proximate the first end portion and proximate the second end portion. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table wherein the first foot having a first leg communicating with an inner top rail, opposite the first foot, and the first foot further has a second leg communicating with an outer edge top rail, opposite the first foot, the second foot also having a first leg communicating with the inner top rail, opposite the second foot, and the second foot further has a second leg communicating with the outer edge top rail, opposite the second foot. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table wherein the inner top rail and the outer edge top rail of each spring leg assembly releasably engage with the first concave notch and the second concave notch of the leg assembly bracket to extend angularly from the bottom of the table top halves to support the table top halves above a supporting surface, and retentive memory of spring steel material forming the spring leg assemblies causes the spring leg assemblies to be positionally secured to the leg assembly brackets. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table wherein the leg assemblies are formed of a material having retentive memory. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table wherein the leg assemblies are formed of spring steel. 
     A further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table wherein an anti-slip coating is carried on the first foot and the second foot. 
     A still further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table comprising a planar table top having a first half and a hingedly connected second half, each table top half having a first end portion and a spaced apart second end portion, a laterally outer side portion and a spaced apart laterally inner side portion, each table top half further having a top surface, an opposing bottom surface and a perpendicular lip extending along the laterally outer side portion; plural spacedly arrayed hinge barrels structurally carried along the laterally inner side portion of each table half and each of the plural hinge barrels defines a medial channel extending elongately therethrough to carry a hinge pin therein and the plural spacedly arrayed hinge barrels carried on the laterally inner side portion of the first table top half are complimentary spaced with the plural spacedly arrayed hinge barrels carried on the laterally inner side portion of the second table top half so that the medial channels defined by the plural hinge barrels of both table halves are axially aligned when the first table half and the second table half are oriented adjacent one another so that the hinge pin extends simultaneously through the aligned medial channels to hingedly interconnect the first table top half with the second table top half to allow folding of the portable table; a leg assembly bracket fixedly carried on the bottom surface of each table top half proximate the first end portion and proximate the second end portion, each leg assembly bracket defining a first concave notch, and a spaced apart second concave notch, each concave notch configured to engage with and positionally maintain a spring leg assembly; a spring leg assembly for releasably engagement with the leg assembly brackets at each end of each table top half, each spring leg assembly having a first foot and a spaced apart second foot, the first foot having a first leg communicating with an inner top rail, opposite the first foot, and the first foot further has a second leg communicating with an outer edge top rail, opposite the first foot, the second foot also having a first leg communicating with the inner top rail, opposite the second foot, and the second foot further has a second leg communicating with the outer edge top rail, opposite the second foot; and the inner top rail and the outer edge top rail of each spring leg assembly releasably engage with the first concave notch and the second concave notch of the leg assembly bracket to extend angularly from the bottom of the table top halves to support the table top halves above a supporting surface, and retentive memory of spring steel material forming the spring leg assemblies causes the spring leg assemblies to be positionally secured to the leg assembly brackets. 
     An even still further aspect of the present invention is a folding portable table of further comprising an offset leg on at least one of the leg assembly brackets, the offset leg defining a storage concave notch to positionally secure the leg assembly adjacent the bottom surface of the table top half when the leg assembly is in a storage configuration. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric top, side and end view of the instant folding portable table, in an assembled/use configuration, on a supporting underlying surface. 
         FIG. 2  is an orthographic side view of the table of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an orthographic plan view of the table of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an orthographic bottom view of the table of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an orthographic end view of the table of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is an orthographic plan view of a bottom surface of the instant folding portable table showing the leg assemblies in a storage configuration. 
         FIG. 7  is an orthographic side view of the instant folding portable table in a folded/storage/transport configuration. 
         FIG. 8  is an orthographic end view of the folded table of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is an orthographic top, downward looking view, of the folded table of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is an orthographic front view of a leg assembly removed from the table top. 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged end view of a leg assembly bracket showing the concave notches. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section 8). 
     A folding portable table generally provides a first leg assembly  9 A a second leg assembly  9 B and a table top  30  having a first half  3 A and a hingedly interconnected second half  30 B. 
     The folding portable table is supported on an underlying surface  100  which may be the ground, or another supporting surface such as a table or the like (not shown). 
     The first leg assembly  9 A, is identical in form and configuration to the second leg assembly  9 B and therefore only one leg assembly  9 A,  9 B will be described in detail herein. Each leg assembly  9 A,  9 B is preferably formed of a strong resilient material which has rigidity and retentive memory, such as, but not limited to spring steel or stainless steel. It is also contemplated that such material may also be a polymer (not shown) or a plastic (not shown) so that corrosion and rust does not develop upon the material during and subsequent to use in damp/wet conditions. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , each leg assembly  9 A,  9 B has a first foot  10 A that is arcuate in form and a second foot  13 A that is also arcuate in form and is spaced apart from the first foot  10 A. Each foot  10 A,  13 A may have a slip resistant coating/covering there on or thereover, such as, but not limited to rubber or plastic to provide an anti-slip engagement with the supporting surface  100 . The first foot  10 A structurally communicates with a first leg  11 A and also with a second leg  12 A which both extend generally upwardly and perpendicularly from the first foot  10 A. Opposite the first foot  10 A, the first leg  11 A structurally communicates with an elongate inner top rail  18  that extends to and structurally communicates with an end portion of first leg  14 A which communicates with the second foot  13 A opposite the inner top rail  18 . Second leg  12 A of first foot  10 A structurally communicates, opposite the first foot  10 A, with an elongate outer edge top rail  16  that similarly extends to and communicates with an end of second leg  15 A that communicates with the second foot  13 A. The outer edge top rail  16  and the inner top rail  18  are oriented parallel to one another, and closely adjacent, and are both spaced apart from the first foot  10 A and the second foot  13 A by the length (not shown) of the legs  11 ,  12 ,  14 ,  15 . The legs  11 ,  12 ,  14 ,  15  and the feet  10 ,  13  and the top rails  16 ,  18  are all interconnected at adjacent end portions so that each leg assembly  9 A,  9 B forms an endless loop, which provides strength and rigidity. 
     The outer edge top rail  16  defines a medial bend  17  therein, and the medial bend  17  extends in the direction toward the first foot  10 A and the second foot  13 A. The medial bend  17  accommodates hinge barrels  38  carried by the table  30  when the leg assembly  9 A is engaged with the table  30  in a standing position. ( FIG. 5 ). Similarly, the inner top rail  18  defines a medial downward bend  19  that extends toward the first foot  10 A and the second foot  13 A. As shown in  FIG. 10 , length  22  of the medial bend  17  defined in the outer edge top rail  16  is greater than length  23  of the medial bend  19  defined by the inner top rail  18 . The larger length  22  of medial bend  17  assists in positionally securing the leg assembly  9 A,  9 B to leg assembly brackets  50  carried on a bottom surface  32  of the table top halves  30 A,  30 B. 
     The table  30  is generally planar in configuration and has a first table top half  30 A and a second table top half  30 B. The two halves  30 A,  30 B are similar in structure and configuration, each having a top surface  31 , a bottom surface  32 , a first end portion  33 , a second end portion  34 , a laterally outer side  35  and a laterally inner side  36 . A perpendicularly extending lip  37  is carried on each laterally outer side  35  of each half  30 A,  30 B. The lip  37  extends above the top surface  31  and below the bottom surface  32  and provides an edge that prevents items placed on the top surface  31  from sliding laterally there-off. The lip  37  further provides a “recess” ( FIG. 8 ) into which the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B may be securely stored when the folding table  30  is in a folded storage/transport configuration. ( FIGS. 7, 8, 9 ). 
     Plural spacedly arrayed hinge barrels  38  are carried on the laterally inner side  36  of each table top half  30 A,  30 B. The hinge barrels  38  are structurally carried by the table top halves  30 A,  30 B and extend generally downwardly from the laterally inner side  36  below the bottom surface  32 . Each of the spacedly arrayed hinge barrels  38  defines a medial channel (not shown) extending elongately therethrough for carriage of a hinge pin  40 . The hinge barrels  38  and the hinge pin  40  cooperate with one another allowing table top half  30 A to hingedly pivot relative to the table top half  30 B so that the table  30  may be folded about the hinge pin  40  into a compact travel configuration as shown in  FIGS. 7, 8, 9 . The spaced array of the hinge barrels  38  on the table top halves  30 A,  30 B are cooperatively aligned so that the medial channels (not shown) defined by the hinge barrels  38  are axially aligned to facilitate the hinge pin  40  extending simultaneously therethrough. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , a leg assembly bracket  50  is carried on the bottom surface  32  of each table top halve  30 A,  30 B proximate each first end portion  33  and proximate each second end portion  34 . Each leg assembly bracket  50  defines a first concave notch  54  that is proximate to the first end portion  33  of each table top halve  30 A,  30 B and also proximate to each second end portion  34  of each table top halve  30 A,  30 B. Each leg assembly bracket  50  further defines a second concave notch  55  that is spaced apart, inwardly from the first concave notch  54 . Each concave notch  54 ,  55  (as shown in  FIG. 11 ) is configured to releasably engage with the outer edge top rail  16  and with the inner top rail  18  of each leg assembly  9 A,  9 B when the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B are engaged with the leg assembly brackets  50  to configure the table  30  four a standing/use configuration. ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Each leg assembly bracket  50  further has a rotation leg  52  that extends along a side portion of each leg assembly bracket  50  defining the second concave notch  55 . 
     The leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B can be manually configurationally distorted such that the outer edge top rail  16  and the inner top rail  18  are moved opposite one another (“stretched” apart) so that the outer edge top rail  16 , laterally outward of medial bend  17 , engages within concave notches  54 , and the inner top rail  18 , laterally outward of medial bend  19 , engages within concave notches  55 . The retentive memory of the material forming the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B causes the outer edge top rail  16  and the inner top rail  18  to be positionally secured within the concave notches  54  and  55 . A tension offset of the outer edge top rail  16  from the inner top rail  18  is shown as  21  on  FIG. 2 . The tension offset  21  causes the first legs  11 ,  14  to be flexed inwardly toward a medial portion of the table top halves  30 A,  30 B, and causes the second legs  12 ,  15  to be flexed toward the end portions  33 ,  34  of the table top halves  30 A,  30 B, respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the medial bends  17 ,  19  defined by the outer edge top rail  16  and in the inner top rail  18  accommodate the hinge barrels  38  that extend generally downwardly from the bottom surface  32  of the table halves  30 A,  30 B. 
     Distance  58  ( FIG. 6 ) between the proximate end portions of the first concave notches  54  defined in the leg assembly brackets  50  is approximately equal to distance  22  ( FIG. 10 ) which is the length of medial bend  17  defined in the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B. Distance  57  ( FIG. 6 ) between adjacent end portions of rotation legs  52  is less than distance  58 , and accommodates the medial bend  19  defined in the inner top rail  18  which has length  23 . The different lengths  57 ,  58  and engagement with the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B causes the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B when flexed  21  to rotate relative to the table top halves  30 A,  30 B so that the first and second feet,  10 ,  13  (respectively) rotate somewhat outwardly toward the first end  33  and second end  34  of the table  30 . The medial bends  17 ,  19  within the lengths  57 ,  58 , as well as the downwardly protruding edge of the perpendicular lip  37  prevent the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B from moving within the leg assembly brackets  50  towards the lateral outer sides  35  of the table  30  which might cause the table  30  to be unstable. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , one leg assembly bracket  50  on each table top half  30 A,  30 B bottom surface  32  has an offset leg  60  that extends toward a medial portion of the table top half  30 A,  30 B. End portion of each offset leg  60  opposite the first concave notch  54 , defines a storage concave notch  61  which facilitates positional storage of the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B adjacent to the bottom surface  32  of each table top half  30 A,  30 B. As shown in  FIG. 6 , a portion of each first leg  11 , proximate the first foot  10  engages within the storage concave notch  61 , and a portion of each second leg  14  engages with the second concave notch  55  defined by the leg assembly bracket  50 . This engagement provides secure positional storage of the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B adjacent the bottom surface  32  of the table top halves  30 A,  30 B so that the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B are not lost when the folding table  30  is not in use, such as during transport while backpacking. Dimension  64  ( FIG. 6 ) is the distance between the storage concave notch  61  of each offset leg  60  and the opposing second concave notch  55  defined by each leg assembly bracket  50 . Distance  64  is approximately the same distance between the first foot  10  first leg  11  and the second foot  13  first leg  14  of each leg assembly  9 A,  9 B. 
     Operation 
     Having described the structure of my folding portable table  30 , its use is hereinafter described. 
     A user (not shown) would open the table  30  by disconnecting any fastening latch (not shown) and pivoting the first table top half  30 A and second table top half  30 B about the hinge pin  40  carried within the axially aligned hinge barrels  38  so that the top surface  31  of the first half  30 A and the top surface  31  of the second half  30 B are adjacent to one another and planar. Such pivoting and placement of the table  30  with the top surface  31  resting upon a supporting surface  100  positions the bottom surfaces  32  oriented upwardly as shown in  FIG. 6 . The leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B which are stored adjacent to the bottom surfaces  32  by releasable engagement with the storage concave notch  61  and the second concave notch  55  are then accessible. The leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B are removed from engagement with the storage concave notch  61  and the second concave notch  55  by flexing the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B such as by forcing the first foot  10  toward the second foot  13  which will remove the adjacent first leg  11  from the engaging concave notch  61 ,  55 . 
     Once the leg assemblies  9 A and  9 B are removed from the storage configuration on the bottom surface  32  of the table halves  30 A,  30 B, a user will grasp one leg assembly  9 A and position the inner top rail  18  within the second concave notches  55  defined by each leg assembly bracket  50 . When properly engaged, the inner top rail  18  is positioned within the second concave notch  55  and the medial bend  19  extends over the hinge barrels  38 . The user will then grasp the medial bend  17  defined in the outer edge top rail  16  and pull/draw the medial bend  17  and outer edge top rail  16  toward the proximate end portion of the table  30  and into engagement with the first concave notch  54  of each leg assembly bracket  50 . The drawing of the outer edge top rail  16  creates tension  21  between the rails  16 ,  18  and the retentive memory of the material forming the leg assembly  9 A,  9 B maintains the positional engagement of the leg assembly  9 A,  9 B within the concave notches  54 ,  55 . The process is repeated for the remaining leg assembly  9 A,  9 B at the opposing end portion  33 ,  34  of the table  30  to engage the second leg assembly  9 A,  9 B within the concave notches  54 ,  55  defined by the leg assembly brackets  50  carried on the bottom surface  32  of the table halves  30 A,  30 B. 
     Once the leg assemblies  9 A,  9 B are engaged within the concave notches  54 ,  55 , the table  30  may be inverted so that the feet  10 A,  10 B,  13 A and  13 B rest upon the supporting surface  100  and the top surface  31  of the table  30  is available for use.