Patent Publication Number: US-9402467-B2

Title: Collapsible table and method of adjusting the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/989,019, which was filed on May 6, 2014. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention pertains to a collapsible table and a method of adjusting the same. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a collapsible table that comprises upper and lower pole members that are attached to a central hub and that can be pivoted down relative to the hub for compact stowage. 
     2. General Background 
     Collapsible table and chairs are commonly used in both outdoor settings and indoor settings. Over the past few decades, collapsible chairs of the type that collapse into a relatively compact bundle of poles and fabric have become more popular than standard folding chairs that merely fold flat in one direction, primarily because such chairs are relative easy to carry while walking for prolonged periods of time. In contrast, most collapsible tables are configured into a generally rectangular configuration for stowage, making them difficult to carry while walking for prolonged periods of time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention pertains to a collapsible table and a method of adjusting the collapsible table from an operable configuration to a stowage configuration. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a collapsible table comprises at least three upper pole members, at least three lower pole members, a hub, and a tabletop. The upper pole members are pivotally attached to the hub in a manner such that the upper pole members can be adjusted from an operable configuration to a stowage configuration. The upper pole members extend upward and diverge apart from each other from the hub when the upper pole members are in their operable configuration. The hub prevents the upper pole members from pivoting upward beyond their operable configuration. The upper pole members extend downward from the hub and generally parallel to each other when the upper pole members are in their stowage configuration. The lower pole members are pivotally attached to the hub in a manner such that said lower pole members can be adjusted from an operable configuration to a stowage configuration. The lower pole members extend downward and diverge apart from each other from the hub when the lower pole members are in their operable configuration. The hub prevents the lower pole members from pivoting upward beyond their operable configuration. The lower pole members extend downward from the hub and generally parallel to each other when the lower pole members are in their stowage configuration. The tabletop is removably attachable to the upper pole members and is adapted to be suspended by and between the upper pole members when the upper and lower pole members are in their operable configuration. 
     Another aspect of the invention pertains to a method of collapsing a table from an operable configuration to a stowage configuration. The table comprises at least three upper pole members, at least three lower pole members, a hub, and a tabletop. The upper and lower pole members are pivotally attached to the hub. The tabletop is suspended by and between the upper pole members. The method comprises detaching the tabletop from the upper pole members and pivoting the upper pole members downward relative to the hub from an operable configuration to a stowage configuration. The upper pole members extend upward and diverge apart from each other from the hub when the upper pole members are in their operable configuration. The upper pole members extend downward from the hub and generally parallel to each other when the upper pole members are in their stowage configuration. The method also comprises pivoting the lower pole members downward relative to the hub from an operable configuration to a stowage configuration. The lower pole members extend downward and diverge apart from each other from the hub when the lower pole members are in their operable configuration. The lower pole members extend downward and generally parallel to each other from the hub when the lower pole members are in their stowage configuration. 
     Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the operation of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a collapsible table in accordance with the invention with the table in its operable configuration. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a detail perspective view of the hub and poles of said collapsible table as seen from below. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a perspective view of the frame of said table as seen from below and in its stowage configuration. 
         FIG. 4  depicts an exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a hub in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     Reference numerals in the written specification and in the drawing figures indicate corresponding items. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A preferred embodiment of a collapsible table  10  in accordance with the invention is shown in its entirety in  FIG. 1 . The collapsible table  10  comprises a tabletop  12  and a frame  14 . The tabletop  12  comprises a main portion  16  that is preferably formed of a pliable fabric and that preferably has a polygonal shape. The tabletop  12  preferably also comprises a plurality of cup holders  18  and a plurality of pole pockets  20 . Like the main portion  16  of the tabletop  12 , the cup holders ( 18 ) can be formed of fabric, mesh for example, or can be ridged cup holders inserted into circular holes. The pole pockets  20  are configured to releasably secure the tabletop  12  to the frame  14  of the table  10  and are preferably also formed of a pliable material. 
     The frame  14  comprises a plurality of pole members  22  and a hub  24 . The pole members  22  comprise upper pole members  26  and lower pole members  28 . Each of the upper pole members  26  preferably comprises a metal tube portion  30 , and a pivot fitting  32  and an end plug fitting  34  at opposite ends thereof. Each of the lower pole members  28  comprises a similar tube portion  30 , and a similar pivot fitting  32  and a foot cap  36 . 
     The hub  24  is preferably formed primarily by an upper hub piece  38  and a lower hub piece  40  that are fixed to each other via fasteners  42  such as screws or rivets. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the upper hub piece  38 ′ and the lower hub piece  40 ′ could be configured to snap-lock together via resilient locking tabs  43 . Each of the hub pieces  38 ,  40  preferably comprises a plurality of sockets  44  that define cavities for receiving the pivot fittings  32  of the pole members  22 . Each socket  44  preferably comprises a pair of detents  46 . The upper pole members  26  are preferably connected to the upper hub piece  38 . Likewise, the lower pole members  28  are preferably connected to the lower hub piece  40 . A fastener  42  preferably secures the pivot fitting  32  of each of the pole members  22  in the cavity of one of the respective sockets  44 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , each socket  44  is configured to allow the pole members  22  to pivot downward until they are parallel to the center axis of the hub  24  and to each other (their stowage configuration). This allows the frame  14  to be stowed compactly as a small bundle having a dimension not much longer than that of the pole members  22  themselves. The sockets  44  of the upper hub piece  38  are also configured to allow the upper pole members  26  to pivot upward to an extent where the upper pole members extend upward from the hub  24  in a diverging manner, beyond which the sockets prevent further upward pivoting of the upper pole members (their operable configuration). Similarly, the sockets  44  of the lower hub piece  40  are configured to allow the lower pole members  28  to pivot upward, but only to an extent where the lower pole members diverge apart as they extend down from the hub  24  (their operable configuration). Beyond that, the sockets  44  prevent further upward pivoting of the lower pole members  28 . The sockets  44  of the upper hub piece  38  are preferably evenly space circumferentially about the hub&#39;s  24  central axis. Likewise, the sockets  44  of the lower hub piece  40  are also preferably evenly space circumferentially about the hub&#39;s  24  central axis. However, the sockets  44  of the upper hub piece  38  are preferably circumferentially positioned between those of the lower hub piece  40 . This prevents the pole members  22  from interfering with each other when in their stowage configuration and thereby allows the pole members to be aligned with each other when in their stowage configuration. As can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each pair of detents  46  protrude toward each other such that the gap between them is slightly less than the diameter of the pole members  22 . Thus, in order to adjust the pole members  22  from their operable and stowage configurations, and overcoming torque sufficient to resiliently deflect the detents  46  apart must be applied to the pole members relative to the hub  24 . Said detents  46  releasably hold the lower pole members  28  in their stowage configuration. As seen in  FIG. 3 , the sockets  44  of lower hub piece  40  also preferably also comprise external detents  46  that releasably secure the upper pole members  26  in their stowage configuration. 
     When the table  10  is in its stowage configuration, the tabletop  12  may be folded and wrapped around the collapsed frame  14 . To adjust the table  10  from its stowage configuration to its operable configuration, the frame  14  is set up by adjusting the pole members  22  from their stowage configuration to their operable configuration. With the upper pole members  26  in their operable configuration, the tabletop  12  can be attached to the upper pole members. This is done by inserting the end plug  34  on one of the upper pole members  26  into one of the pole pockets  20  of the tabletop  12 , and thereafter inserting the end plug of the upper pole member on the opposite side into the pole pocket on the opposite while stretching the tabletop and/or flexing said upper pole members toward each other. The remaining upper pole members  26  are similarly connected to their corresponding pole pockets. When fully assembled as described, the tabletop  12  is taut and suspended by the upper pole members  26 . To adjust the table  10  from its operable configuration to its stowage configuration, the above mentioned steps are merely reversed. 
     In view of the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the invention has several advantages over the prior art. 
     As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 
     It should also be understood that when introducing elements of the present invention in the claims or in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, the term “portion” should be construed as meaning some or all of the item or element that it qualifies. Moreover, use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be construed in a manner imposing any relative position or time sequence between limitations.