CA2606209A1

CA2606209A1 - Folding table

Info

Publication number: CA2606209A1
Application number: CA002606209A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Tobias Weissenrieder; Siegfried Donner
Original assignee: Sedus Stoll AG
Current assignee: Sedus Stoll AG
Priority date: 2006-10-23
Filing date: 2007-10-09
Publication date: 2008-04-23
Also published as: JP2008104876A; DE102006050260B3; CN101167612A; EP1915922B1; US20080092785A1; EP1915922A1

Abstract

For a table with three legs (10, 20, 30) and a table surface (40) which folds down, said table also standing on its three legs when the table surface is folded down, and the legs run together toward the table surface in a lower region (I), the invention specifies that the legs diverge at a slant from each other toward the table surface in an upper region (II), two of the three legs (10, 20) are joined to the table surface by tilting linkages and the third leg (30) is composed of a lower (31) and an upper part (32), while the upper part (32) comprises the upper region of the third leg, is detachably joined to the table surface, and can turn relative to the lower part.

Description

DR. JOACHIM LAUER
Patentanwalt - European Patent Attorney SPECIFICATION
TITLE
Folding table TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention concerns a table with three legs and a table surface which folds down, said table also standing on its three legs when the table surface is folded down, and the legs run together toward the table surface in a lower region. In particular, the invention concerns a standing table.

PRIOR ART

A standing table of this kind is known, but the three legs do not reach as far as the table surface, instead running together at the foot of a middle column. The table surface is carried by the middle column and is joined to the head of the middle column by a linkage at its center. The table surface is round and has a radius corresponding to the height of the middle column, so that the three legs do not hinder the folding down of the table surface.

With table surface folded down, the table can be placed together with other similar tables in space-saving manner.

Critical to the known table, as in general to all tables with middle column, is its stability, wherefore the middle column is also relatively thick and bulky and the linkage joining it to the table surface is provided with a large pressure distributing plate.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION

The problem of the invention is to specify a table of the kind mentioned above that makes do with more simple, less bulky structural parts with at least the same stability and is thus suitable to making a better aesthetic impression. Furthermore, the folding function should be easy to operate and intuitively comprehensible. With table surface folded down, it should be possible to place the table together with other similar tables in space-saving manner.

This problem is solved by a table with the features of claim 1. Accordingly, the table of the invention is characterized in that the legs diverge at a slant from each other toward the table surface in an upper region, two of the three legs are joined to the table surface by tilting linkages and the third leg is composed of an upper and a lower part, while the upper part comprises the upper region of the third leg, is detachably joined to the table surface, and can turn relative to the lower part.

Preferred embodiments of the invented table are characterized in the subclaims.
Especially preferred is the embodiment of the table as a standing table. Also preferably the upper part of the third leg is fixed against turning by sliding friction under its own weight.

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURES

The invention shall now be explained in greater detail by means of a sample embodiment in connection with the drawing. This shows:
Fig. 1 a table configured as a standing table with three legs, according to the invention, in perspective view looking at the table surface;
Fig. 2 the table of Fig. 1 in perspective view looking underneath the table surface;
Fig. 3 a view of the table with table surface folded down;
Fig. 4 two tables of the same kind, each with table surface folded down, placed in a row; and Fig. 5 a detail view of the connection region of the three legs in cross section (plane of the section in the third leg).

WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

The standing table shown in the figures has three legs 10, 20 and 30 and a round table surface 40. The three legs of similar shape are arranged at a relative angle of 120 each and run together from the floor upward toward the table surface 40 in a lower region I at an angle, first in the shape of a star, and then apart from each other in an upper region II in the shape of a star, so that they end up individually and with mutual spacing at the table surface 40. They are only curved in a transitional region III from the lower I to the upper region II, otherwise being straight. Just underneath the curved transitional region III they are joined together by a connection joint 50 in the lower region I.

The two table legs 10 and 20 are joined to the table surface 40 by tilting links, whose parts are denoted by 13 and 23 on the legs and by 41 and 42 on the table surface. The axes of the tilting links are aligned with each other.
The third table leg 30 is composed of a lower 31 and an upper part 32 in the lower region I, so that the upper part 32 comprises the upper region II, the transitional region, and also a small portion of the lower region I. The upper part 32 is detachably joined to the table surface 40 and can turn relative to the lower part 31.
Due to its turning ability, the upper part 32 can be turned away under the table surface 40 so that the latter can then be folded down via the tilting links against the other two legs 10 and 20, as is represented in Fig. 3. In this position, the upper part 32 of the third leg 30 rests against the upper region of the second table leg 20 and the table surface 40 lies against the third leg 30. The table still stands on all three legs.

For the detachable connection of the upper part 32 to the table surface 40, a head piece 33 is provided at the end of the upper part 32, with a flat, dishlike support plate, and as its counterpart there is a roughly horseshoe-shaped seat 43 in the table surface 40, provided with an undercut for the projecting edge of the support plate.
Together with the turning of the upper part 32 for the folding or unfolding of the table surface 40, the holding plate of the head piece 33 moves into and out of the undercut portion of the seat 43, so that no additional manual steps are required to make or release the connection 32. Preferably, the support plate of the head piece 33 is also easily locked in the seat 43.

Also preferably the angles at which the three legs 10, 20 and 30 run at a slant to the vertical in their lower I and upper region II are chosen such that the table surface 40 when folded down, as also shown in Fig. 3, is oriented parallel to the lower part 31 of the third leg. This is the case, e.g., when the angle relative to the vertical is 21 in the lower region I and 36 in the upper region. The length of the straight segment in the lower region I can be 814.4 mm, for example, and 247.9 mm in the upper region II, with a radius of 50 mm in the transitional region Ill.
When the table surface 40 is folded down, several tables of the same kind can be placed together in space-saving fashion, as shown in Fig. 4 by the example of two tables.

Now turning to Fig. 5, the pivoting connection of the lower 31 and upper part 32 of the third leg 30 shall be described.

Both parts 31 and 32 are tubular and have a round cross section, which preferably also applies to the other two legs 10 and 20. All three legs can be made from metal tubing.
In the upper part 32, a welding round blank 35 is inserted and unable to turn, e.g., by welding, and a bolt 36 is anchored in this, also unable to turn, and projecting downward into the lower part 31. There, an insert piece 37 is present, accommodating the bolt 36, and having a frictional element 38 in a seat, resting against the bolt 36 under elastic deformation. When the upper part 32 is rotated, the bolt 36 turns in the insert piece 37 and rubs against the frictional element 38, so that the movement of the upper part 32 is dampened by sliding friction relative to the lower part 31. Preferably, the dampening is such that the upper part 32 is fixed against rotation under its own weight in every position of rotation, but even so it can easily be moved. In this way, the upper part 32 is prevented from turning in an uncontrolled manner. A sufficiently large friction can be achieved by the use of a material such as polyurethane for the frictional element 38. In addition, as also shown in Fig. 5, the bolt 36 can be provided with circumferential grooves, into which the elastic material of the frictional element 38 expands, further increasing the friction.

The three lets 10, 20 and 30 are screwed together with the connection joint 50. Two screws 51 used for the third leg can be recognized in Fig. 5, and these screws at the same time secure the insert piece 37 in the lower part 31 of the third leg 30.
The clamping piece 37 is flattened relative to the screws 51, so that it lies flush against the inner wall of the lower part 31.

The lower ends of the three legs are provided with slide pieces14, 24 and 34.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

first table leg 13 tilting link part 14 slide piece 5 20 second table leg 23 tilting link part 24 slide piece 30 third table leg 31 lower part of third table leg 10 32 upper part of third table leg 33 head piece 34 slide piece 35 welding round blank 36 bolt 37 insert piece 38 frictional element 39 sliding ring 40 table surface 41 tilting link part 42 tilting link part 43 seat 50 connection joint 51 screw I lower table leg region II upper table leg region III transitional region

Claims

1. Table with three legs (10, 20, 30) and a table surface (40) which folds down, said table also standing on its three legs when the table surface is folded down, and the legs run together toward the table surface in a lower region (I), characterized in that the legs diverge at a slant from each other toward the table surface in an upper region (II), two of the three legs (10, 20) are joined to the table surface by tilting linkages and the third leg (30) is composed of a lower (31) and an upper part (32), while the upper part (32) comprises the upper region of the third leg, is detachably joined to the table surface, and can turn relative to the lower part.

2. Table per claim 1, characterized in that it is configured as a standing table, and the three legs is [sic!] longer than the largest diameter of the table surface.

3. Table per claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper part is fixed against turning by sliding friction under its own weight.

4. Table per one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the legs are screwed together in their lower region via a connection joint (50).

5. Table per one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the legs are only curved in a transitional region (III) from the lower to the upper region, being otherwise straight.

6. Table per claim 5, characterized in that the lower part of the third leg is oriented parallel to the downfolded table surface, resting on it.

7. Table per one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the legs are tubular with preferably round cross section.

8. Table per one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a bolt (36) is anchored in the upper part of the third leg, not able to turn, and it projects downward into the lower part.

9 Table per claim 8, characterized in that an insert piece (37) accommodating the bolt is present in the lower part of the third leg, having a frictional element (38) in a recess, lying against the bolt under elastic deformation.

10. Table per one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the upper part of the third leg is provided with a head piece (33) at its upper end, which head piece can swivel into a seat (43) in the bottom of the unfolded table surface by the turning of the upper part of the third leg, and can be fixed elastically therein.