Patent ID: 7909148

Claim:
A combination food cooler and table assembly comprising: a generally rectangular cooler having a storage cavity formed by front and rear end panels, left and right side panels, and a lid, said cooler having a pair of rectangular table leg sleeves correspondingly positioned within each of said front and rear end panels; a table assembly positioned above said cooler, said table assembly comprising a rectangular table sub-panel having a pair of downwardly extending leg members fixedly mounted in corresponding positions proximate front and rear edges of said table sub-panel, said leg members being adapted for sliding engagement within respective ones of said table leg sleeves, each of said leg members having a plurality of equally-vertically-spaced recessed notches, correspondingly positioned in an outwardly-facing surface thereof said table sub-panel having front and rear handhold openings therein; said table assembly further comprising a rectangular central table panel having front and rear edges and left and right edges, said left and right edges being longer than said front and rear edges, said table assembly further comprising a pair of drop leaves hingedly attached to said left and right edges of said central table panel, said central table panel being rotatably attached on top of said table sub-panel so as to permit 90 degrees of rotation between a transport position of said table assembly, in which said pair of drop leaves are in a depending vertical position alongside said left and right side panels of said cooler, and a position of use in which said drop leaves have been lifted to their horizontal position, said drop leaves being supported in said position of use by front and rear end portions of said table sub-panel; said central table panel having front and rear hinged cutouts forming front and rear access covers, said front and rear access covers being adapted to open upwardly to provide access by a user to said front and rear handhold openings in order to permit said table assembly to be lifted from said transport position to a raised position that is a desired height above said cooler; and front and rear outwardly-curved locking handles pivotally mounted on said front and rear end panels, respectively, of said cooler, each of said front and rear locking handles having an inwardly-facing locking pawl portion that pivots in concert therewith, each of said locking pawls having an inwardly-protruding end for partially engaging successive ones of said notches in respective ones of said leg members of said table sub-panel as said table assembly is being lifted from said transport position to said raised position and for matingly engaging corresponding selected ones of said notches in respective ones of said leg members of said table sub-panel when said table assembly has been lifted to said raised position that is said desired height above said cooler.