Patent Abstract:
A method of forming a table top comprises providing a skin-support frame, forming a lower skin portion of the table top, forming an upper skin portion of the table top such that the upper skin portion has a visual characteristic different from a visual characteristic of the lower skin portion.

Full Description:
[0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/743,423, filed Mar. 7, 2006, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The present disclosure relates to a table top, and particularly to a process for forming a table top.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     According to the present disclosure, a method of forming a table top comprises the steps of providing a skin-support frame, forming a lower skin portion of the table top, forming an upper skin portion of the table top such that the upper skin portion has a visual characteristic different from a visual characteristic of the lower skin portion, and positioning the upper skin portion and lower skin portion relative to each other so as to provide an interior region containing the skin-support frame. Illustratively, the visual characteristic is a color so that the upper skin portion has a first color and the lower skin portion has a second color different from the first color. In other examples, the visual characteristic may be in the form of a different texture, wood grain pattern, or the like.  
         [0004]     Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]     The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a table top including an upper skin and a lower skin cooperating with the upper skin to form an interior region containing a skin-support frame during one step of the present process;  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of a skin-formation system in accordance with the present disclosure for forming the upper and lower skins;  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing another table top in accordance with the present disclosure, which table top includes an upper skin or preform adapted to be fitted onto and coupled to a lower skin of a sub-assembly of the table top;  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 3  showing the upper skin coupled to the lower skin such that a side wall of the upper skin overlaps and mates against a side wall of the lower skin to define a partition or parting line therebetween exposing a lower portion (i.e., “reveal”) of the side wall of the lower skin and showing that the exposed lower portion of the lower skin side wall has a second characteristic that is different from and in contrast with a first characteristic of the side wall of the upper skin;  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view (similar to  FIG. 4 ) of another table top in accordance with the present disclosure showing a parting line of the table top of  FIG. 4  raised (as compared to the parting line shown in  FIG. 3 ) to expose a larger portion (i.e., reveal) of the side wall of the lower skin; and  
         [0011]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are sectional views of two more table tops having upper and lower skins with different characteristics. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     A table top  10  includes a table top skin unit  12  enclosing a frame  14  of table top  10 , as shown, for example, diagrammatically in  FIG. 1 . Skin unit  12  includes an upper skin  16  having a first characteristic  18 . A lower skin  20  of skin unit  12  has a second characteristic  22  different from the first characteristic  18 . Illustratively, first characteristic  18  is a first color and second characteristic  22  is a second color different from the first color. In other examples, first and second characteristics  18 ,  22  may be different textures, wood grain patterns, or the like. As such, characteristics  18 ,  22  may be different colors, textures, wood grain patterns, or any combination thereof  
         [0013]     Upper skin  16  includes a top surface  17  and an edge surface  19 . As suggested in  FIG. 1 , upper skin  16  is coupled to lower skin  20  to form table top  10 . Edge surface  19  is arranged to peripherally surround top surface  17  to form an interior region  21  therebetween.  
         [0014]     Lower skin  20  includes a bottom surface  15  and an edge surface  29 . As suggested in  FIG. 1 , lower skin  20  is coupled to upper skin  16  to form table top  10 . Edge surface  29  is arranged to peripherally surround bottom surface  15  to form interior region  21  therebetween.  
         [0015]     Table top  10  is formed by positioning upper and lower skins  16 ,  20  relative to each other such that a portion of each edge surface  19 ,  29  is exposed and positioning frame  14  to lie in interior region  21 . After the positioning of upper and lower skins  16 ,  20 , coupling of upper skin  16  to lower skin  20  completes the process.  
         [0016]     A skin-formation system  24  in accordance with the present disclosure may be used to form each skin  16 ,  20 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 2 . System  24  comprises a strip extruder  26  that extrudes a strip  28  of plastics material (e.g., ABS—acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). System  24  may include a colorant dispenser  30  for adding a color to strip  28  to provide a visual thereof. In some examples, system  24  may have a film applicator  32  arranged to apply on a surface of strip  28  a thin film having a predetermined pattern, such as, for example, a wood grain pattern or otherwise, to provide a visual characteristic thereon.  
         [0017]     Cooling rollers, strip movers, and any number of other strip-treatment devices may be included in system  24 . For example, system  24  may be configured to coordinate the constant output of extruder  26  with the “batch” processing of a shape former  34  (e.g., a thermoformer or a vacuum former) downstream from extruder  26  relative to movement of strip  28 . In other examples, system  24  may have a strip cutter (not shown) arranged to cut strip  28  into individual sheets to be subsequently fed to shape former  34 .  
         [0018]     Shape former  34  is configured to form strip  28  or individual sheets thereof into the desired shape for the respective skin  16 ,  20 . Former  34  may be used to form a texture in skin  16 ,  20 .  
         [0019]     A single shape former  34  may be used for each skin  16 ,  20  by use of different molds in the case where skins  16 ,  20  have different shapes or the same mold may be used for each skin  16 ,  20  in cases where skins  16 ,  20  have the same shape. In other examples, multiple shape formers  34  may be used to form skins  16 ,  20 .  
         [0020]     As suggested above, shape former  34  may be, for example, a thermoformer or a vacuum former. In the case of a thermoformer, the thermoformer is configured to thermoform strip  28  or sheets thereof into the desired shape by use of heat and mechanical pressure. In the case of a vacuum former, the vacuum former is configured to form strip  28  or sheets thereof into the desired shape by use of heat and vacuum pressure.  
         [0021]     Shape former  34  may be configured in any number of other ways to form skins  16 ,  20 . For example, former  34  may form skins  16 ,  20  by blow-molding, or injection-molding, to name just a few.  
         [0022]     A trimmer (not shown) may be included in system  24  downstream from shape former  34 . In such a case, the trimmer is used to trim excess material from skins  16 ,  20 .  
         [0023]     Table top  10  is assembled after formation of skins  16 ,  20 . To do so, frame  14  and, in some cases, a core associated with frame  14  are placed on lower skin  20 . In cases where there is a core, frame  14  extends along a periphery of lower skin  20  adjacent to edge surface  29  and the core is placed within frame  14 . Upper skin  16  is then coupled to lower skin  20  to retain frame  14  (and an associated core) in interior region  21  formed between skins  16 ,  20  to complete the assembly.  
         [0024]     A table top  110  includes a skin unit  112  having an upper skin  116  and a lower skin  120 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Upper skin  116  has first characteristic  18  and lower skin  120  has second characteristic  22  different from first characteristic  18 ,  22 . Illustratively, first characteristic IS of upper skin  116  may be a color, as suggested by a colorant  127  added to upper skin  116 , or may be a film  125  applied to a surface of upper skin  116 . In other examples, first characteristic  18  may be a texture applied to upper skin  116 .  
         [0025]     Lower skin  120  is formed of a plastics material (e.g., ABS) surrounding a core  126  (e.g., honeycomb or corrugated). A tubular frame  114  may extend along a periphery  130  of lower skin  120  to peripherally surround core  126 . Lower skin  120  may be formed by use of extruder  26  in combination with a die (not show) to produce the cross-section of lower skin  120 . End caps (not shown) or other closures may be added to the ends of lower skin  120  to close the ends thereof. Other manufacturing methods may be used to form lower skin  120  to have the illustrated enclosure shape.  
         [0026]     Upper skin  116  is formed of a plastics material (e.g., ABS) by use of the system  24 . Shape former  34  forms skin  116  to have a peripheral wall or edge surface  128  including first characteristic  116 .  
         [0027]     During assembly of table top  110 , upper skin  116  is fitted onto skin  120  such that edge surface  128 ′ overlaps and mates against a peripheral wall or edge surface  130  of lower skin  120 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . Edge surface  128 ′ and edge surface  130  are coupled to one another by a suitable coupling mechanism such as, for example, glue, adhesive, or ultrasonic welding. A partition  123  in the form of a parting line is defined between edge surface  128 ′ and edge surface  130  to expose a lower portion or reveal  132  of edge surface  130  having second characteristic  22  contrasted against first characteristic  18  of edge surface  128 ′. Upper skin  116  can be formed to provide a smaller edge surface  128   a  shown, for example, in  FIG. 5  that exposes a larger portion of edge surface  130  so that second characteristic  22  is more visible to an observer of table top  110 .  
         [0028]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , edge surface  128 ′ of upper skin  116 ′ has a shorter height as compared to edge surface  128  of upper skin  116  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . When upper skin  116 ′ is coupled to lower skin  120 ′, the height of the resulting exposed lower portion or reveal  132 ′ of lower skin  120 ′ is greater than the height of reveal  132  shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0029]     A table top  210  includes a skin unit  212  having an upper skin  216  and a lower skin  220 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 6 . Upper skin  216  has first characteristic  18  and lower skin  220  has second characteristic  22  different from first characteristic  18 ,  22 . Illustratively, first characteristic  18  of upper skin  216  may be a color, as suggested by a colorant  227  added to upper skin  216 , or may be a film  225  applied to a surface of upper skin  216 . In other examples, first characteristic  18  may be a texture applied to upper skin  216 .  
         [0030]     Upper and lower skins  216 ,  220  are coupled to one another along the periphery of table top  210 . An edge surface  228  of upper skin  216  is coupled to an edge surface  230  of lower skin  220  by a suitable mechanism such, as for example, glue, adhesive, or ultrasonic welding. A partition  223  in the form of a parting line is defined between edge surface  228  and edge surface  230  to expose a lower portion or reveal  232  of edge surface  230  having second characteristic  22  contrasted against first characteristic  18  of edge surface  228 .  
         [0031]     Skins  216 ,  220  cooperate to define an interior region  221 . Interior region  221  contains a core  227  (e.g., corrugated or honeycomb) surrounded by a frame  214  extending along the periphery of table top  210 .  
         [0032]     A table top  310  includes a skin unit  312  having an upper skin  316  and a lower skin  320 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 7 . Upper skin  316  has first characteristic  18  and lower skin  320  has second characteristic  22  different from first characteristic  18 ,  22 . Illustratively, first characteristic  18  of upper skin  316  may be a color, as suggested by a colorant  327  added to upper skin  316 , or may be a film  325  applied to a surface of upper skin  316 . In other examples, first characteristic  18  may be a texture applied to upper skin  316 .  
         [0033]     Upper and lower skins  316 ,  320  include edge surfaces  328 ,  330 . Edge surfaces  328 ,  330  cooperate to form a slot  329  therebetween. A partition  323  in the form of a T-shaped bumper  323  extends through slot  329  into a slot  331  formed in a peripherally-extending frame  314  mounted in an interior region  321  defined between skins  316 ,  320 . A core  321  (e.g., corrugated or honeycomb) is located in interior region  321  and surrounded by frame  314 . Edge surfaces  328 ,  330  exhibit first and second characteristics  18 ,  22  for viewing by an observer of table top  310 .  
         [0034]     In illustrative embodiments, frame  314  and core  321  are glued to lower skin  320  to align slot  331 . Similarly, upper skin  316  is glued to an upper surface of frame  314  and core  321  to form slot  329 . A portion of T-shaped bumper  323  is arranged to extend through slot  329  and into slot  331 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 1