Patent ID: 7398788

Claim:
Dining apparatus providing a dining table with apparatus for washing items associated with dining, comprising: (a) an upstanding support base having a top, side walls and end walls; (b) a horizontally disposed table providing a substantially horizontal dining surface, said table having a middle portion mounted on the top of said support base, end portions overlying and extending outwardly of the support base side walls and within each said end portion an opening bounded by portions of the dining surface; (c) a dishwasher assembled within the support base and connected to appropriate utilities for operation thereof; (d) a pair of perforate chutes operatively associated with the dishwasher, each of said chutes being mounted within the support base below a respective one of the openings and configured for receiving and holding a plurality of items to be washed, each chute extending between an open upper end and a closed perforate lower end thereof and being positionable in a first position for loading and unloading and in a second position for washing; (e) a pair of integral access covers, each cover being formed as a panel operatively associated with a respective opening and mounted in a manner which permits it to be positioned so as to either snugly fill a respective opening and thereby provide a continuation of the dining surface or uncover the respective opening to provide access to a selected one of the dishwasher chutes; (f) a pot washer assembled into the support base and connected to appropriate utilities for operation thereof; (g) a perforate pot washer basket operatively associated with the pot washer, mounted within the support base and movable through a slidable connection to a fixed support along a path of restricted length which extends between the side walls of the support base and which path is located below but laterally offset outwardly from being directly below the location of a said opening there above, the pot washer basket being configured for receiving and holding selected pots, pans and the like in position for being washed by the pot washer; and (h) wherein the table end portions, openings, access covers, dishwasher chutes and pot washer basket are arranged so as to be accessible to the apparatus being used by a single individual sitting on either side of said support base, or by two individuals sitting on opposite sides of the support base and in either case in a manner which permits the legs of any such individual when sitting to be positioned below a selected one of the table side portions.