GB2240918A - Foldable stand - Google Patents

Abstract

A stand in which three or more legs emerge from a common central region to assume an in-use position, the legs being joined to one another at the central region by a linkage which forms part of the stand and which can be fastened and unfastened at will; and which, when fastened, constrains the legs to remain in their in-use positions, whilst when unfastened allows the legs to fold towards one another to form a flat-pack. The linkage may consist of a pin 15 and hinge 12, 14 as shown or can be one of many other suitable releasable fastenings. Alternatively the entire linkage can be replaced by a flexible band. <IMAGE>

Description

FOLDABLE STAND Field of the Invention The invention relates to stands and is specifically concerned with stands which can fold.

Review of Art known to the Applicant Stands - using the term in the broadest sense to include such things as tables and deck chairs - which can fold are well known as a class. Usually, however, the stand has to be at least partly dismantled before it can fold into its out-off use state. There is a danger of the component parts of the stand being lost in such circumstances.

It is not conventional practice for stands such as wrought iron display stands, holding plant pots, for example, to be foldable.

They are relatively small when contrasted with such stands as tables (and even chairs) and those who buy them are not especially concerned with space-saving when they get the stands into their homes.

One person who is concerned with space-saving, however, is the retailer who stocks and sells these stands. The practice of flat packing" retailed goods is now so wide spread as to be commonplace.

Space for storage, let alone shelf sales space, is at a premium in any modern distribution centre.

It would therefore be advantageous if a stand, such as a wrought iron plant-pot-holding stand, could be made foldable.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, and in its broadest aspect, the invention is embodied in a stand in which three or more legs emerge from a common central region to assume respective in-use positions where adjacent legs define an acute or an obtuse angle between them; the legs being joined to one another at the said central region by a linkage which forms part of the stand and which can be fastened and unfastened at will; and which, when fastened, constrains the legs to remain in their in-use positions, whilst when unfastened, allows the legs to fold towards one another to form a flat-pack.

Such a stand combines the in-use attractions of a conventional stand of (for example) three legs each defining an obtuse angle of 1200 between one another, with the known retailer-driven demand for the advantages of a flat-pack when storing and when delivering modern furniture and other domestic fitments generally.

One embodiment of the invention is shown, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings and will now be described with reference to those drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show the three legs of the stand, respectively folded to form a flat-pack and partly open towards their in-use positions; and, Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 but in perspective and showing the way the in-use assembly of the stand is completed.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Legs 11 are joined to one another at their corresponding end regions by conventional pin hinges 12, 13 and 14. As Figure 1 shows, the legs can be folded towards one another to lie substantially flat against one another and hence define a flat-pack, thanks to the pin joints between successive hinges which effectively turn the hinges into a linkage joining the legs.

As Figures 2 and 3 show, however, the hinges also allow the legs to be folded away from one another towards an in-use position (not illustrated) where adjacent legs define an obtuse angle of 120 between one another. In that position, as will be clear from Figure 3 of the drawings, the hinge 14 enters the hinge 12.

A pin 15 can then be inserted into the common pin axis defined by hinges 12 and 14, to hold the hinge linkage together and constrain the legs 11 to remain in their in-use 1200 relative positions.

A plant pot, tray, or other container can then be fitted over the top area defined by the legs, or simply sat on top of the legs, which then function as a stand to support the pot or other container.

To unfasten the linkage, the pin 15 is removed and this allows the legs 11 to fold towards and against one another to form the flat-pack illustrated in Figure 1 which is of course a plan view of the central region of the legs.

Although pin-jointed hinges have been described and illustrated, other forms of central region linkage could be used. For example an inherently flexible band could join the legs, the. band having sufficient rigidity to constrain the legs in their in-use positions whilst also having flexibility to allow them to be folded and unfolded in the manner already illustrated and described with reference to hinges 12, 13 and 14.

Other alternatives exist to supplant the specific details described and illustrated herein. For example, there may be a danger of the pin 15 becoming lost. It could be held captive on the stand by a chain. Alternatively it could be dispensed with and the necessary temporarily-secure but readily releasable fit between hinges 14 and 12 could be achieved by way of a ball catch of conventional spring-loaded kind.

Alternatively again, other forms of temporarily-secured but readily releasable catch could be used, both with the hinge construction described and illustrated and with the alternative forms of linkage outlined above. A hook, a buckle, a VELCRO (which is a trade mark) fastening or a press-stud-style fitment, could all be used where circumstances made it either appropriate or feasible to do so.

By the same token, the stand itself might take many forms. Wrought iron display stands as mentioned are particularly suited to the invention and, in such a case, the hinges 12, 13 and 14 would be metal hinges and would be welded or otherwise fused to the legs 11 since the legs would be metal as well. But the whole stand could be extruded or moulded from plastics material including an integrally moulded linkage - or could be otherwise assembled from individually form components.

Claims (8)

1. A stand in which three or more legs emerge from a common central region to assume respective in-use positions where adjacent legs define an acute or an obtuse angle between them; the legs being joined to one another at the said central region by a linkage which forms part of the stand and which can be fastened and unfastened at will; and which, when fastened, constrains the legs to remain in their in-use positions, whilst when unfastened, allows the legs to fold towards one another to form a flat-pack.

2. A stand according to Claim 1 and in which the linkage comprises pin joints between successive hinges which connect the legs.

3. A stand according to Claim 2 and in which the pins are retained on the legs automatically when removed, temporarily, from their joints when the stand is packed flat.

4. A stand according to Claim 1 and in which the linkage comprises a flexible band having sufficient rigidity to constrain the legs in their in-use positions whilst also having enough flexibility to allow them to be folded and unfolded out of and into use respectively.

5. A stand according to any of the preceding Claims and in which the necessary temporarily-secure but readily releasable fit between the legs is achieved by way of a ball catch of conventional spring-loaded kind.

6. A stand according to any of the preceding Claims and in which a VELCRO fastening holds the legs in position.

7. A stand according to any of the preceding Claims and characterized by the feature that substantially the entire stand is made from plastics material.

8. A stand substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.