Patent ID: 6948786

Claim:
An article of furniture, adapted for shipment in compact folded position and for use in assembled position, comprising: a top having a front and a rear, edges at the front, rear and sides, a top side and an underside; a back, connected to the top by hinges in proximity to the rear edge of the top, so the back folds downwardly from the underside of the top when the top is disposed horizontally, from a shipment position wherein the back is nominally parallel with the underside of the top, to an assembled position wherein the back is nominally perpendicular to the underside of the top; opposing left and right side panels, each side panel having an upper end and a lower end, each panel connected by hinges to the back, wherein each panel folds outwardly from a shipment position in which the panel lies nominally parallel with the back to an assembled position wherein the panel is nominally perpendicular to back; wherein, after said back is folded downwardly from the top and the side panels are folded outwardly from the back, to assemble the article, the upper ends of the side panels support opposing side edges of top so they are in a horizontal plane; a middle panel, running parallel to the side panels when the side panels are in their outwardly folded position, detachably attached to the top; and, means for preventing folding of the opposing side panels, when the article is in its assembled position, the means including a shelf, hinged from a side panel or the middle panel, wherein the shelf folds downwardly from the panel when the panel is vertically-disposed, from a shipment position wherein the shelf is nominally parallel with said panel, to an assembled position wherein the shelf is nominally perpendicular to said panel; the shelf connecting the middle panel and a side panel.