Patent ID: 8677910

Claim:
An extendible table comprising: a lower load-supporting tabletop having lower-tabletop upper and lower surfaces and at least one lower-tabletop edge; an upper load-supporting tabletop, slidably overlapping said lower load-supporting tabletop, having: an upper-tabletop lower surface slidably engaged with said lower-tabletop upper surface; at least one sliding guide constraining said upper-tabletop lower surface to slide continuously along a sliding extension path traversing at least a portion of said lower-tabletop upper surface; at least one upper-tabletop edge, less than about 5 mm thick, that traverses at least a portion of said lower-tabletop upper surface as said upper-tabletop lower surface traverses said sliding extension path, said at least one upper-tabletop edge delineating variable overlapping and non-overlapping portions of said lower-tabletop upper surface; and an upper-tabletop upper surface that forms in combination with said non-overlapping portions of said lower-tabletop upper surface a substantially continuous combined-tabletop surface having an extendible combined-tabletop horizontal dimension that varies continuously as said upper-tabletop lower surface traverses said sliding extension path; at least one support member affixed to a selected one of said lower tabletop and said upper tabletop to support said combined-tabletop surface in a substantially horizontal position when the extendible table is in use; and a fixed lateral support member slidably engaged with a lateral-support mount near a proximal end of a selected one of said lower tabletop and said upper tabletop, said extendible table being configured to slide continuously along a sliding lateral path traversing at least a portion of said lateral support member; wherein said fixed lateral support member is affixed to at least one supportive horizontal or vertical surface via at least one surface mount attached to a portion of said lateral support member traversed by said sliding lateral path, and wherein said lateral-support mount is slotted to slide around said at least one surface mount.