GB2350561A

GB2350561A - Folding furniture

Info

Publication number: GB2350561A
Application number: GB0013182A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Clive Thomas Craft
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-06-02
Filing date: 2000-06-01
Publication date: 2000-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-06-01
Also published as: GB9912777D0; GB0013182D0; GB2350561B

Abstract

An article of folding garden furniture, the article comprising a circular table top 10 surrounded by a ring-shaped bench 11, the table top and bench together forming a co-planar disc when folded, and support members 12 hingedly connected to the underside of the table top. The support members are adapted when the article is erected to provide support both for the table top and the bench, with the bench being lower than the table. The outer edge of the table top and the inner edge of the bench are bevelled to prevent the bench moving to a position above the table. This provides an item of furniture that is easily stored when folded and which can be easily rolled to the desired location where it can readily be erected.

Description

2350561 r % - 1 FOLDING FURNITURE The present invention relates to an item

of folding furniture and more particularly to a folding table and bench combination.

Furniture should be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. In the case of furniture intended for use out of doors, for example in public house gardens or caf6 terraces, as well as in private gardens, there is a need for garden furniture that may easily be moved and stored, but which still exhibits an adequate degree of structural rigidity. Moulded plastic garden furniture usually lacks sufficient strength for anything but light duties. Metal and timber constructions may be sufficiently strong for heavy use, but are then cumbersome and difficult to manoeuvre.

Garden furniture is often stored under cover for several months in the year and so a further major consideration is the ability of the furniture to be stored in the smallest practical space. Folding garden furniture is known, but this generally lacks a high degree of strength and so is unable to support much weight and, even when folded may be difficult to handle by only one person.

Finally, for many applications both a table top and seating must be provided to allow proper versatility of use. It may be inconvenient separately to provide these items and so a single article incorporating both a table and seats is advantageous. Table and chair combinations are available, but these seldom fold; and if they do, then they are lacking in strength and so still fail to overcome all of the problems of garden furniture as discussed above.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an article of furniture incorporating a table top and seating, which combination is foldable for easy storage and for moving from place to place. It is an object of a preferred embodiment of the invention to provide such an article with sufficient strength to seat several people.

Therefore, according to the present invention there is provided an article of furniture having folded and erected configurations, the article comprising a substantially circular table top surrounded by a ring-shaped bench, the table top and bench together forming a substantially co-planar disc in the folded configuration of the article, and support members hingedly connected to the underside of the table top which support members are adapted in the erected configuration of the article to provide support both for the table top and the bench, with the respective surfaces of the table top and bench at vertically spaced positions with the bench lower than the table top.

It is preferred that the bench and table co-operate to limit movement of the bench beyond the folded co-planar position. This may be achieved by providing inwardly directed projections on the lower surface of the bench andlor outwardly directed projections on the upper surface of the table top. However, it is preferred that the table top has an outer circumferential edge which overlaps the inner circumferential edge of the bench. A convenient way of achieving this is to bevel the edges of the table top and bench so that those edges abut in the folded (co-planar) position. Such bevelling allows the bench and table top to overlap whilst still permitting the bench and table top to be coplanar in the folded configuration. The larger diameter of the bevelled edge of the table top (i.e. at the upper surface of the table top) should be larger than the smaller diameter of the aperture through the ring-shaped bench (i.e at the lower surface of the bench). Preferably the larger diameters of the table top and of the aperture through the bench are substantially the same and the respective smaller diameters are also substantially the same, thereby providing a close fit in the folded configuration.

In the folded configuration, the support members preferably maintain the bench in its co-planar position. When combined with, for example, the use of bevelled edges as mentioned above, the bench may be securely held in its co planar position by the support members. Catches or other locking mechanisms may be provided to hold each support member in its position parallel to the table top.

The support members may comprise elongate legs or other suitably proportioned elements. In order to enhance the stability andlor rigidity of the article in the erected configuration the support members may also include horizontal support surfaces which are designed to co-operate with the lower surface of the bench.

The support members may comprise elongate legs which are hinged to move through approximately 900 between a folded position parallel to the plane of the table top, and a supporting position in the erected configuration. The legs, when in the supporting position, may be perpendicular to the plane of the table top, or may more preferably be splayed out with respect to the centre of the thereof. Though the degree of splaying could define the maximum separation of the bench below the table top, it is preferred for the position of the bench below the top to be defined by horizontal support surfaces provided on the support members. If the support members comprise elongate legs, the support surfaces could be defined by the upper surfaces of arms extending horizontally from the legs.

Legs that are long enough to support the table top at the required height may, when in the folded configuration, extend beyond the outer circumferential edge of the bench. This would inhibit the rolling movement of the article (discussed below), so each leg may be foldable along its length. This folding may be achieved by providing a two-part leg with a hinging joint therein, and a locking sleeve that can slide over the hinging joint to lock the leg in the extended position. The bench and table top may be adapted to prevent relative rotation in either or both the folded or erected configurations.

An item of furniture as discussed above may easily be folded and erected, and in the folded configuration permits the simple movement of the article by one person. This is achieved by rolling the folded article on the outer circumferential edge of the bench, like a wheel. A person moving the table only requires sufficient strength to raise the article into an upright position resting on the outer circumferential edge and then to roli it to the desired location. Most of the weight of the article is then supported by the surface upon which it rolls.

By way of example only, and in order that it may be better understood, two specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I is underside view of one embodiment of the invention, in the folded configuration-, Figure 2 is a side view of the same embodiment as Figure 1 but now in the erected configuration; - Figure 3 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 1 but of a slightly different embodiment; and Figure 4 is side view of the embodiment of Figure 3 in the erected configuration.

Referring initially to Figures 1 and 2 a generally circular table top 10 is shown with a ring-shaped bench 11 disposed in the same plane as and surrounding the table top. Four two-part legs 12 are attached by locking hinges 13 to the lower surface of the table top 10 and each leg comprises an upper portion 14 hingedly connected to the table top 10, and lower portion 15 connected via a hinging joint 16 to the upper portion 14. A sleeve 17 is slidably mounted on each leg 12 to lock the leg 12 in the erected configuration, by sliding over the hinging joint 16.

Each leg 12 is provided with a support arm 18 which extends horizontally from the leg when the article is in the erected configuration, the bench 11 then resting on the support arms 18 at a position below the level of the table top.

The difference in height is pre-set according to the size of the intended users.

The outer circumferential edge 20 of the table top 10 is bevelled so that in the folded configuration that edge abuts the correspond ingly-bevelled inner circumferential edge 21 of the bench 11. The maximum diameter of the table top 10 is larger that the smaller diameter of the aperture in the ring- shaped bench 11, and as such the bench cannot move to a position above the table top by passing over the table top. This means the bench 11 is only capable of relative movement downwardly with respect to the table top 10 from the position shown in Figure 1, and only as far as in this direction as is permitted by the support members.

In use, the article (when folded) is rolled on the outer edge 22 from the storage location to the location at which it is to be used, where it is then erected from the folded configuration to the erected configuration, To erect the article, the two-part legs 12 are first extended by folding the lower portion 15 into axial alignment with the upper portion 14, and then locking the joints16 with the sleeve 17. The thus extended leg is then rotated around hinges 13 and locked into the erected position whereat it extends at an angle away from the plane of the table top. This is carried out with the top and bench at approximately 901 to the surface 25 upon which they stand. With the legs now extended the article is turned on to those legs so that the table is parallel to and supported above the surface 25. During this process the bench 11 moves under gravity to rest upon the support arms 18 at a level below the table top 10. The article is now ready for use as a table and bench combination. Collapse and storage of the article is effected by the reversing the process.

Figures 3 and 4 show a slightly different embodiment to that depicted in Figures 1 and 2. Where appropriate, like parts will be given like reference numerals and will not be described again here.

In this alternative embodiment, the support members comprise four support panels 30. The support panels 30 are connected at their upper edges 31 by hinges 32 to the table top 10 in a similar way to the legs in the previously described embodiment. In the folded configuration the support panels 30 lie parallel to the plane of the table top and bench, but in the erected configuration the panels are perpendicular thereto. The support panels 30 define support surfaces 33 upon which the bench 11 rests in the erected configuration. No part of the support panels 30 extends beyond the outer circumferential edge 22 as this would otherwise affect the rolling of the article. This means that the ground abutting part 34 of each support panel 30 is relatively short and does not extend away from the centre of the table top 10 by a great amount. Therefore a person sifting upon the bench might easily impart a turning moment to lift the opposite side of the article. As such, the stability of the overall article may be impaired, unless care is always taken to balance both sides. As in practice this is inconvenient, stabilisers 35 are hingedly connected to the support panels 30 so that in the erected configuration (in Figure 4) these may be swung out to buttress the article and prevent such instability.

An aperture (not shown) may be provided in the table top to permit an umbrella or other conventional device to be used in conjunction with the article of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that whilst the invention has been described as having four legs (or other support members) the article needs only as many as provide a stable structure. In most cases this would be a minimum of three, with four being preferred, but more than four legs could be provided. Also the invention has been described with reference to its use as an item of garden furniture, but an article could be constructed according to the present invention to serve other purposes, either indoors or out of doors, for example as an exhibition stand.

Claims

1 An article of furniture having folded and erected configurations, the article comprising a substantially circular table top surrounded by a ring-shaped bench, the table top and bench together forming a substantially co-planar disc in the folded configuration of the article, and support members hingedly connected to the underside of the table top which support members are adapted in the erected configuration of the article to provide support both for the table top and the bench, vAth the respective surfaces of the table top and bench at vertically spaced positions with the bench lower than the table top.

2. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bench and table top co-operate to limit movement of the bench beyond the folded coplanar position.

3. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the table top has an outer circumferential edge which overlaps an adjacent inner circumferential edge of the bench.

4. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 3, wherein the overlapping edges are bevelled so that the parts may overlap whilst still allowing the bench and table top to be co-planar in the folded configuration.

5. An article of furniture as claimed in any of the preceding claims, 20 wherein, in the folded configuration, the support members hold the bench in its co-planar position.

6. An article of furniture as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support members include horizontal support surfaces for the bench, when the article is in its erected configuration.

-g-

7. An article of furniture as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support members comprise legs hinged to pivot through approximately 901 from a position, in the folded configuration, parallel to the plane of the table top, to a supporting position in the erected configuration.

8. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 7, wherein the legs are splayed out with respect to the centre of the table top.

9. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the legs are foldable along their length.

10. An article of furniture as claimed in any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the 10 horizontal support surfaces are defined by the upper surfaces of arms extending from the legs.

11. An article of furniture as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein means are provided to prevent relative rotation of the bench and table top in either the folded or erected configuration.

12. An article of furniture as claimed in any of the preceding claims and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.