Patent Publication Number: US-2003221595-A1

Title: Folding utility table

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     [0001] The inventor of the present application claims benefit of an earlier filing date of Provisional Application No. 60/359,740, filed Feb. 26, 2002, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(e). 
    
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       STATEMENT RE FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002] Not applicable.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] The present invention relates generally to a utility table, and more particularly, to a portable, foldable utility table with at least two table support crossbar tubes.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
       [0004] Folding utility tables are commonly used by many groups, including convention halls, churches, hotels, schools, private individuals and any other group that has a need for temporary and portable table space. A folding table must contain a folding support mechanism that allows the legs to be opened and closed quickly and easily. Portable folding utility tables allow a group or organization to maximize the efficiency and utility of a particular space.  
       [0005] Numerous types of folding tables are known in the prior art, including portable tables having folding legs that include locking means for holding the legs in an open position. U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,674 discloses a portable a folding utility table with a center support assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,623 discloses a foldable picnic table with telescoping pedestals. U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,491 discloses a foldable round table with a plastic table top. U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,675 discloses a folding table leg brace construction. U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,066 discloses a folding table.  
       [0006] One problem in the folding table art is the difficulty of making a sturdy table that is not too heavy to lift and transport. Many foldable utility tables are made from heavy materials and contain numerous unwieldy braces which make the tables strong yet very difficult to carry. Other foldable tables are light and easy to move, but lack strength. A well-designed folding utility table that is light and easy to carry, yet strong and sturdy when being used would be an advancement in the art.  
       [0007] Another problem in the folding table art is the difficulty of designing a foldable table to be easily stored and stacked. Some tables sacrifice aesthetics to make a table that can be easily stored in small places. An easily stackable folding table would be an advancement in the art. A table which contained handles to hold while carrying the table would be an advancement in the art. A table that contained these features and also exhibited pleasing aesthetics would be an advancement in the art.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] The present invention is directed to a novel portable folding utility table having more than one table support crossbar tube. The table includes a table top supported by a double leg assembly understructure. In one presently preferred embodiment, the table top may include a raised lip at the upper outer periphery that prevents spills on the table top from leaking over the edge. In another presently preferred embodiment, the table top may include stacking mechanisms which allow for easy stacking of the utility tables upon one another. In another presently preferred embodiment, the table top may include hand-holds located along the inner perimeter of the table top for easy transport of the table.  
       [0009] The strong, light, easily stackable and easily transportable folding utility table disclosed here achieves advancements over the prior art by way of its unique design. The underside of the table top contains more than one table support crossbar tube. Tables with multiple cross members possess greater strength than tables containing only one cross member, yet the added cross members do not noticeably increase the weight of the utility table. The table support crossbar tubes come into contact with the underside of the table top by way of trapping depressions and support ramps that are part of the underside of the table top. The depressions and ramps strengthen the table by preventing slippage of the cross members and helping distribute force to the side rails located around the perimeter of the table top. The multiple table support crossbar tubes and the depressions and support ramps increase the strength of the table without appreciably increasing the overall weight of the table.  
       [0010] Also, the table contains stacking mechanisms that aid in the stacking and storing of the foldable utility table. The stacking mechanisms provide a nesting scheme which prevent the tables from slipping or falling when stacked. When blow-molded plastic is used to make the table top, the stacking mechanisms are easily created and especially effective. The use of blow molded plastic also increases the strength of the table without noticeably increasing its weight. These features found in the unique design of this invention create the advantages over the prior art.  
       [0011] These and other advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent by examination of the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
     [0012] To better understand the invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to the appended drawings. These drawings only provide information concerning typical embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the foldable utility table of the present invention with the leg assemblies in the open position.  
     [0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the foldable utility table of the present invention inverted with the leg assemblies in the open position.  
     [0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the foldable utility table of the present invention inverted with one leg assembly in the open position and one leg assembly in the closed position.  
     [0016]FIG. 4 is a plan side view of one embodiment of the foldable utility table of the present invention.  
     [0017]FIG. 5 is a plan end view of one embodiment of the foldable utility table of the present invention.  
     [0018]FIG. 6 is a detailed perspective view of the underside of the table top in the area of the table support crossbar tube.  
     [0019]FIGS. 7 a - 7   g  show different embodiments of the stacking mechanism.  
     [0020] FIGS.  8 - 8   a  are detailed drawings of the side rail with corresponding hand-holds.  
     [0021]FIG. 9 is a detailed perspective view of the leg-catch. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION  
     [0022] Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. With particular reference to FIG. 1, a foldable utility table according to the present invention is generally designated at  10 .  
     [0023] The foldable utility table  10  includes a table top  12  supported with a double leg assembly understructure  14 . The table top forms a planar upper surface  16 . The table top  12  can be made from metal, wood, plastic or other material. The table top  12  preferably has a contemporary and attractive appearance and is preferably blow-molded out of plastic. The table top  12  has an upper outer periphery  18  which extends around the entire table top  12 . In a preferred embodiment the upper outer periphery  18  is provided by a raised lip  19  above the surface of the planar upper surface  16  configured such that things spilled on the planar upper surface  16  will not drip off of the table top  12 . A raised lip at the upper outer periphery  18  also potentially aids in the stacking of two foldable utility tables  10  in another preferred embodiment. The double leg assembly understructure  14  is made up of various components.  
     [0024] With reference now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, one component of the double leg assembly understructure  14  is the pivoting leg subassembly  20 . The folding utility table  10  contains two pivoting leg subassemblies  20 . Each pivoting leg subassembly contains two legs  22  and can be connected by a lower leg cross member  24 . Note the different style of the pivoting leg subassemblies  20  shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The present invention is not limited to any particular style of leg subassembly  20 . The top of the legs are mounted in an upper leg cross member  26 .  
     [0025] The underside of the table top  12  contains a lower outer periphery  28  which extends around the entire table top  12  and is below the upper outer periphery  18 .  
     [0026] In one preferred embodiment the lower outer periphery  28  can contain ridges or grooves which aid in the stacking of two folding utility tables  10 . The lower outer periphery  28  is reinforced by side rails  30 . The side rails  30  may extend along the sides of the table top  12  that are perpendicular to the upper leg cross member  26 , and may extend along the sides of the table top  12  that are parallel to the upper leg cross member  26 . The side rails  30  are located in side mounting pockets  31  which are located on the underside of the table top  12  between the upper outer periphery  18  and the lower outer periphery  28 . The side mounting pockets  31  are depressions in the underside of the table top  12  which locate the side rails  30 . The side mounting pockets  31  also provide mechanical fastener contact points to lock the side rails  30  to the table top  12 . The ends of the upper leg cross member  26  are mounted and supported through holes in the side rails  30  located at the upper cross leg member/side rail interface  32 .  
     [0027] With reference now to FIG. 8, the side rails  30  can also can contain hand-holds  33  to assist in transporting the table. The hand-holds  33  can have a variety of designs. One preferred design appears in FIG. 8 a.    
     [0028] Each leg  22  is attached to a ‘Z’ bracket  34 . One end of each ‘Z’ bracket  34  is attached to a leg  22  at a pivoting attachment point  36 . The other end of the ‘Z’ bracket  34  is attached to a center brace  38  at a second pivoting attachment point  36 . Both ‘Z’ brackets  34  attached to one pivoting leg subassembly  20  attach to the same center brace  38 . The double leg assembly understructure  14  is held in the open position (when the legs  22  are approximately perpendicular to the table top  12 ) by way of a sliding lock ring  40  that covers the ‘Z’ brackets  34  and the center brace  38  at the pivot attachment point  36  on the center brace  38 . The sliding lock ring  40  prevents the legs  22  from closing (becoming non-perpendicular to the table top  12 ) during normal use.  
     [0029] The end of the center brace  38  that is not attached to the ‘Z’ brackets  38  is attached to a table support crossbar tube  42 . The ends of the table support crossbar tube  42  are mounted and supported through holes in the side rails  30  located at the table support crossbar tube/side rail interface  44 . Each folding utility table  10  contains greater than one table support crossbar tube  42 . Each double leg assembly understructure  14  is attached to its own individual table support crossbar tube  42 . Each table support crossbar tube  42  is located approximately ⅓ the distance from the end of the longitudinal side rails  30 . The exact location of the table support crossbar tube  42  is determined by the total length of the ‘Z’ brackets  34  and the center brackets  38  when the legs  22  are in the open position (being approximately perpendicular to the table top  12 ). A table support crossbar tube  42  is not located at the center point of the table top  12 , nor do both center braces  38  attach to the same table support crossbar tube  42 .  
     [0030] The underside of the table top  12  also contains cross member trapping depressions  46  which entrap the table support crossbar tubes  42 . The purpose of the cross member trapping depression  46  is to capture the table support crossbar tube  42  on a minimum of three surfaces and assist in the reduction of bending or flexing of the table support crossbar tubes  42 . Because the table support crossbar tubes  42  provide an anchor point for the center brace  38  which in turn allow the pivoting leg subassemblies  20  to be held in the open and locked position, the table support crossbar tubes  42  are subjected to force. The table support crossbar tubes  42  are subjected to additional force when the table top  12  is subjected to top loading forces. The table support crossbar tubes  42  help spread top loading forces to the side rails  30  and assists the table top  12  in spreading concentrated load forces throughout the total planar upper surface  16 . The table support crossbar tubes  42  along with the side mounting pockets  31  also cause the side rails  30  to avoid torsional rotation when a load is on the table top.  
     [0031] The force absorbed by the table support crossbar tubes  42  is dispersed throughout the entire folding utility table  10  via the positive contact between the table support crossbar tubes  42  and the table top  12  at the cross member trapping depressions  46  and via the positive contact between the side rails  30  and the table top at the side mounting pockets  31  at the mechanical fastener contact points. The cross member trapping depressions  46  provide opposing surface contact when force is transferred in the direction of the cross member trapping depressions  46  from the pivoting leg subassemblies  20  to the table support crossbar tube  42 . Preferably, the cross member trapping depressions  46  possess minimum clearance between the depression sidewalls and the table support crossbar tube  42  surface to provide maximum surface contact.  
     [0032] The underside of the table top  12  also contains support ramps  48  which extend outward from the table top  12  underside. The support ramps  48  are located along the cross member trapping depressions  46  and have surface contact with the table support crossbar tubes  42 . The support ramps  48  act as a locator device for the table support crossbar tube  42  to be held into place on the underside of the table top  12 . In one embodiment, two support ramps  48  are located facing each other on opposite sides of the cross member trapping depressions  46  and provide a snap fit for the table support crossbar tubes  42  into the underside of the table top  12 . This embodiment can be seen in FIG. 6. The support ramps  48  also add reinforcement by adding positive resistance between the table top  12  and the table support crossbar tubes  32  when top loading or pullout forces are applied to the folding utility table  10 .  
     [0033] The underside of the table top  12  also contains leg-catches  49  which extend outward from the table top  12  underside. The leg-catches  49  are located so they make contact with the leg  22  when the leg  22  is in the closed position. The leg-catches  49  prevent the leg  22  from inadvertently moving into the open position from the closed position. In one preferred embodiment, depicted in FIG. 9, the leg-catch  49  has a lip on the upper portion which aids in holding the leg  22  in the closed position.  
     [0034] In a preferred embodiment the folding utility table  10  contains stacking means  50 . The stacking means  50  are located on the corners of the table top  12  and can be used alone or in conjunction with the upper outer periphery  18  and the lower outer periphery  28  to aid in the stacking of more than one folding utility table  10 . The stacking means  50  act as self-locating and guidance devices when multiple tables are stacked. The stacking means  50  help center one table over the next and assist in the prevention of tables sliding off or tipping over when in a stack of two or more tables.  
     [0035]FIGS. 7 a - 7   g  depict various embodiments of the stacking means  50 . Generally the stacking means  50  follow a male/female nesting scheme with one side of the stacking means  50  containing a nesting indention  52  and the other side of the stacking means  50  containing a nesting appendage  54 . FIGS. 7 a  and  7   f  displays the male/female nesting scheme. In this embodiment, the nesting indentation  52  is located on the upper side of the table top  12 , and the nesting appendage  54  is located on the underside of the table top  12 . The two nesting features engage each other at the four corners of the table top  12  when two tables are stacked.  
     [0036]FIGS. 7 b  and  7   g  displays how the stacking means  50  can be extended beyond the corners of the table top  12  and extended into the upper outer periphery  18  and the lower outer periphery  28 . In this embodiment, the nesting indentation  52  extends around the entire upper outer periphery  18  of the table top  12  in the form of a groove. The nesting appendage  54  extends around the entire lower outer periphery  28  in the form of a ridge. The two nesting features engage each other around the entire perimeter of the table when the tables are stacked.  
     [0037]FIG. 7 c  and FIG. 7 d  show another variation of the stacking means  50  nesting scheme. In this embodiment, the nesting features are in the shape of the letter ‘L’. The two nesting features engage each other in this ‘L’ shape when the tables are stacked. FIG. 7 e  displays generally how multiple folding utility tables  10  can be stacked using the stacking means  50 .  
     [0038] The stacking means  50  is not limited to having the nesting appendage  54  on the underside of the table top  12 . The raised lip  19  present in one preferred embodiment of the invention can exist both to prevent spill leakage and to act as a nesting appendage  54  in a stacking means  50  nesting scheme. The stacking means  50  is not limited to the area inside the edges of the table top  12 . The stacking means  50  can protrude beyond the perimeter of the table top  12  as seen in FIG. 1. Or the stacking means  50  can be flush with the perimeter of the table top  12  as seen in FIG. 7 a , or be recessed inside the perimeter of the table top  12 . The stacking means  50  are not limited to being on the same plane as the planar upper surface  16 , and can extend either below the surface as seen in FIG. 1, or above the surface.  
     [0039] As noted earlier, the table top  12  is preferably blow-molded out of plastic. Blow-molding the table top  12  out of plastic provides several advantages. The material provides strength without a large increase in weight. Also, the upper lip  19 , support ramps  48 , and stacking means  50  can be an integral and continuous part of the table top  12 , which increases the strength and aesthetics of the folding utility table  10 . Attaching these parts separately to the table top  12  decreases the strength of the table. Also the cross member trapping depressions  46  and the side mounting pockets  31  are easily created using the blow-molded process.  
     [0040] While the invention described above constitutes a presently preferred embodiment, the invention can take many other forms and may be modified. Accordingly, it should be understood that the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting.