GB1565156A - Folding table - Google Patents

Description

(54) A FOLDING TABLE (71) We ANONIMA CASTELLI S.P.A. of Via Torreggiani, 1 - Bologna, Italy an Italian Joint Stock Company, do hereby declare the Invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be particularly described in and by the following Statement: The invention relates to folding tables which have two pairs of legs supporting a table-top.

Tables are well known having legs foldable in pairs on the underside of the table-top, such tables of known type have the legs of each pair securely braced together by a transverse bracing beam and are pivotally connected as a unit to said table top so as to be turned up against the underside of said table top and are associated with spring locking means for preventing said leg units from moving away from their operative position. However, the locking means are very expensive to construct due to their complicated structure as well as owing to the fact that high accuracy in their production is required.

Other tables are also known having legs securely braced together in pairs and pivotally connected to the table-top but which are guided by pairs of guiding bar systems.

However, the known guiding bar systems are difficult to actuate because it is necessary to contemporaneously actuate both guiding systems.

As a result thereof, this arrangement can be accepted only in the case of small and light tables, for instance, foldable gaming tables, the dimensions of which are sufficiently small so as to allow the user to easily actuate at the same time with both hands the two guiding systems. However said guiding systems can be actuated only when the table is in its upturned position and that is possible only when said tables are made of wood and/or are very light.

According to the invention, there is provided a folding table comprising a substantially planar tabletop of substantially rectangular shape supported by two opposed pairs of legs, each pair of legs, being securely braced together by at least one bracing bar and being pivotally connected as a unit to said table-top about axes parallel to the transverse sides of said table-top, wherein:: each pair of legs is in the form of a C member and the legs of each pair are symmetrically positioned with respect to the vertical longitudinal centre plane of the table with the central portions of the C members parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other by the at least one bracing bar and pivotally connected to a respective single central collapsible strut, the upper transverse portions of said C members being rectilinear and coaxial with each other and hinged about a common axis to the under surface of the table top, and the lower transverse portions having extensions at their outer ends to provide feet of the table;; each collapsible strut is formed by a first and second U-section bar, the first Usection bar being pivotally attached at one end to the associated pair of legs and at the other end to one end of the second Usection bar, the second U-section bar being pivotally attached at its other end to the under surface of said table top, the pivot axes of the collapsible struts being parallel to the pivot axes of the pairs of legs, the first and second U-section bars of each collapsible strut being dimensioned so that when they are in an unfolded position they maintain the legs in erected position while when one U-section bar has been pivotally relatively to the other through an angle of 1800 said U-section bar is received inside the other and the pair of legs is brought into contact with the under surface of the tabletop: and means being provided at the pivot joint between the first and second U-section bars of each collapsible strut for releasably locking the U-section bars in the unfolded position and further means is provided for releasably locking each pair of legs to the underside of the table-top in the folded position of the table.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partial side view of a table constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention in its fully erected position; Figure 2 is an end view of the table of Figure 1 in the erected position; Figure 3 is a partial view taken from below of the table in the erected position of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view taken from below of the table of Figure 1 showing both pairs of legs in their folded position; Figure 5 is a partial longitudinal side view of the table of Figure 1 with its legs in folded position; and Figure 6 is a detail, in enlarged scale, of the section taken on the line A-A of Figure 3 of the folding joint with the associated snap locking means, acting against unintentional folding and unfolding movements.

The table-top 1 is substantially rectangular and is made of any suitable material such as, wood, plastics, crystal, metal or their combination, while the carrying structure is preferably made of cold shaped metal tube for instance of steel or aluminium with chromium plated outer surface or the like.

The table further comprises two pairs of legs generally marked 2a and 2b, each formed of a C-like member of the central portions 3a of each pair of legs being rectilinear, spaced apart and parallel to each other, while the upper transverse portions 3b are horizontal and coaxial and are hinged about a common axis X-X to the under surface of the plate 1 forming the table-top. by means of bearing brackets secured to the underside of the table-top 1 so that each leg pair can pivot about the axis X-X up to come into contact with the lower surface of the table-top 1.

The two lower transverse horizontal portions 3c of the legs 2a and 2b of each pair are substantially coaxial and have at their outer ends a foot portions 3d bent downwardly.

At the end of each foot portion 3d a seat in which is provided an adjustable ground engaging stud 5 of a known type or other suitable resting means for avoiding noise and to prevent the table from unintentionally sliding along the floor. Near the lower ends of the parallel portions 3a, each pair of legs are rigidly braced together by a spacing bar 6 while at an intermediate point of said portions 3a, they are pivotally attached through a pivot pin 7 or the like to a first bar 8u of a collapsible strut, the first bar 8a of which is pivotally attached to the second bar 8b about a pivot pin 9. The second bar 8b is pivotally attached through a pivot pin 10 to the under surface of the table top 1, preferably with the interposition of a U-bar 11 fixedly attached to the plate 1.The pivot axes Y-Y, Z-Z and V-V of the pins 7, 9 and 10 are parallel to the pivot axes X-X of the pairs of legs 2a and 2b.

The bars 8a and 8b have a cross section in the form of an inverted U and are dimensioned so that one of them can be received into the other after a pivot movement through an angle of 1800 when the pairs of legs 2a and 2b have been brought into contact with the under surface of the tabletop 1.

The pivot joint 9 is associated with a snap locking device (figure 6). The locking device comprises a hooking slot 16 arranged in the transverse wall of the U bar 8b and a locking lever pawl 17 having a hook head 17a designed to be snap received and locked into said slot 16, said pawl extending outwardly with a gripping tab 12 and being pivotally mounted about a pin 18 carried by the pair of lugs 19 integral with the bar 8a. A spring 20 urges the pawl 17 into its locking position.

With the table in its erected position (Figures 1 to 3) when it has to be folded for storage or the like (figures 4 and 5), it is only necessary to depress the gripping tab 12 against the resistance of the return spring 20 so as to move the pawl 17a, 17 out of engagement with the slot 16. A thrust is then applied against the pivot axis Z-Z in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 so as to cause the bars 8a and 8b to pass from their coaxial position where they form an angle of 1800 with each other to the position in which said angle becomes 0 i.e. when the bar 8a has been swung inwardly inside the inner cavity of the U-bar 8b at the fully folded position of the table. In Figure 1 the position of the pair of legs 2a during the folding or unfolding step is shown in broken lines. In order to complete the same manoeuvre in the opposite direction it is sufficient to grip the pairs of legs and to move them from their folded position to their erected position i.e. to the position in which they are set at right angles to the table-top 1.

In each of the U-bars 11, a seat 13 is shaped and arranged to receive the spacing bar 6 of the adjacent pair of legs when in the folded position. Resilient locking means are provided on both sides of the seat 13, for instance in the form of elastically deformable stoppers 14 so that the bar 6 together with the pair of legs 2a or 2b remains locked against the under surface of the plate 1 in the folded position of said pair of legs 2a and 2b until pulled outwardly sufficiently hard to overcome the elastic gripping effect of said stoppers 14 on the body of the bar 6.

In each of the second bars 8b a recess 15 is further provided in a position so as to receive the pin 7 when the table occupies a minimum space its legs in the folded position (Figure 5).

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A folding table comprising a substantially planar table-top of substantially rectangular shape supported by two opposed pairs of legs, each pair of legs being securely braced together by at least one bracing bar and being pivotally connected as a unit to said table-top about axes parallel to the transverse sides of said table-top, wherein:: each of the legs is in the form of a C member and the legs of each pair are symmetrically positioned with respect to the vertical longitudinal centre plane of the table with the central portions of the C members parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other by the at least one bracing bar and pivotally connected to a respective single central collapsible strut, the upper transverse portions of said C members being rectilinear and coaxial with each other and hinged about a common axis to the under surface of the table top. and the lower transverse portions having extensions at their outer ends to provide feet of the table;; each collapsible strut is formed by a first and a second U-section bar, the first Usection bar being pivotally attached at one end to the associated pair of legs and at the other end to one end of the second Usection bar, the second U-section bar being pivotally attached at its other end to the under surface of said table top, the pivot axes of the collapsible struts being parallel to the pivot axes of the pairs of legs, the first and second U-section bars of each collapsible strut being dimensioned so that when they are in an unfolded position they maintain the legs in erected position while when one U-section bar has been pivoted relatively to the other through an angle of 1800 said one U-section bar is received inside the other and the pair of legs is brought into contact with the under surface of the tabletop; and means is provided at the pivot joint between the first and second U-section bars of each collapsible strut for releasably locking the U-section bars in the unfolded position and further means is provided for releasably locking each pair of legs to the underside of the table-top in the folded position of the table.

2. A folding table as claimed in claim 1.

wherein the further locking means, pro vided on the under surface of table top for releasably locking the legs of the table in their folded position, are constituted by a shaped recess each provided with resilient side stoppers and arranged to receive one of the bracing bars of each pair of legs.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (2)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. overcome the elastic gripping effect of said stoppers 14 on the body of the bar 6. In each of the second bars 8b a recess 15 is further provided in a position so as to receive the pin 7 when the table occupies a minimum space its legs in the folded position (Figure 5). WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A folding table comprising a substantially planar table-top of substantially rectangular shape supported by two opposed pairs of legs, each pair of legs being securely braced together by at least one bracing bar and being pivotally connected as a unit to said table-top about axes parallel to the transverse sides of said table-top, wherein:: each of the legs is in the form of a C member and the legs of each pair are symmetrically positioned with respect to the vertical longitudinal centre plane of the table with the central portions of the C members parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other by the at least one bracing bar and pivotally connected to a respective single central collapsible strut, the upper transverse portions of said C members being rectilinear and coaxial with each other and hinged about a common axis to the under surface of the table top. and the lower transverse portions having extensions at their outer ends to provide feet of the table;; each collapsible strut is formed by a first and a second U-section bar, the first Usection bar being pivotally attached at one end to the associated pair of legs and at the other end to one end of the second Usection bar, the second U-section bar being pivotally attached at its other end to the under surface of said table top, the pivot axes of the collapsible struts being parallel to the pivot axes of the pairs of legs, the first and second U-section bars of each collapsible strut being dimensioned so that when they are in an unfolded position they maintain the legs in erected position while when one U-section bar has been pivoted relatively to the other through an angle of 1800 said one U-section bar is received inside the other and the pair of legs is brought into contact with the under surface of the tabletop; and means is provided at the pivot joint between the first and second U-section bars of each collapsible strut for releasably locking the U-section bars in the unfolded position and further means is provided for releasably locking each pair of legs to the underside of the table-top in the folded position of the table.

2. A folding table as claimed in claim 1.

wherein the further locking means, pro vided on the under surface of table top for releasably locking the legs of the table in their folded position, are constituted by a shaped recess each provided with resilient side stoppers and arranged to receive one of the bracing bars of each pair of legs.