AU713350B3 - Banquet table - Google Patents

Description

I -M

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION PETTY PATENT Invention Title: BANQUET TABLE Name of Applicant: MEI-FANG CHANG The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

2 BANQUET TABLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is related to an improved structure of a banquet table, especially to a table using the combination of a table surface, supporting upper frames, hinges, and supporting leg frames and having the useful function for being folded, stored when the table is not in use. The table can be fully extended when it is in use. The table can be used as a banquet table, a courtyard table, a computer table, a working table, etc.

2. Description of the Prior Art The conventional banquet table shown in Fig. 1 includes a table surface 1 which is formed integrally or by two different sections, and a circular supporting frame 2 which is fixedly locked on the bottom side of the table surface 1. While circular table legs 3 are installed within the supporting frame, the table legs are attached to the bottom side of the table surface by retainer rings 4 which are installed on the table surface with locking screws. When the banquet table is not in use, the table legs 3 can be folded in order to reduce the storing area. In a table having a surface formed by two sections to be used as a folding table, simple hinges 5 are used to combine the connecting portions of the circular supporting frame 2 so that the banquet table can be extended to provide a larger surface area. When the table is not in use, the table surface can also be folded in half.

However, the prior-art banquet table has the defects of weak structure as those described in the following: The installation of the supporting frame is less desirable. Although the circular supporting frame 2 are installed along the table surface, the position for bearing the pressure of the table surface is near the edge of the table. Thus, the circular supporting frame can be easily damaged as the pressure is applied on the edge of the table. Secondly, the table legs 3 and the circular supporting frame 2 are not connected. Instead, the table legs 3 are separately connected to the table surface by four retainer rings 4 which are attached to the table by locking screws. As the table legs are standing on the ground to support the table surface, the pressure from the table surface of the banquet table will concentrate on the four retainer rings 4 and the locking screws. In times the screws will lose thleirgrips and the connection for the 3 table legs will become flimsy.

Lastly, for .a foldable two sectional banquet table, the two table surface plates are mainly connected by hinges 5. As shown in Fig. 2, the prior-art hinges 5 has a connecting arm 6 one end of which is connected to the circular supporting frame:2 and the other end connected to another connecting arm 6a through a pin 7. When the banquet table is extended, due to the structure and design of the hinges 5 the two-sectional table surfaces will probably collide. Furthermore, since the material of the table surfaces is usually made of soft wood material, the downward pressure of the table surface will damage the pin 7 easily. If an improper pressure is applied on the table, the pin will break by the sheared stress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide an improved structure of a banquet table, wherein the supporting frames on the bottom side of the table surface are improved so that the pressure from the table can be distributed to the supporting frames without damaging them.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide an improved structure of a banquet table so that the structure can be used on a table with a single table surface or a folding table with two table surface sections.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an improved hinge for connecting the two surface sections of a folding table.

According to the present invention there is provided a banquet table including a table surface, at least one upper frame member fixedly connected to the underside of the table surface and being provided with at least one round pin tube extending therefrom, and at least one leg frame member pivotably connected to the upper frame member allowing the leg frame member to move with respect to the upper frame member and table surface, wherein the \\melbfiles\home$\Sigrid\keep\patents\2131399.doc 1/10/99 4a invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a disassembled view of the upper frame and the leg frame of the present invention; Fig. 7 is an assembled sectional cross section view of the upper frame and the leg frame of the present invention shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a schematic view of the present invention along the line A-A of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the hinge of the present invention; Fig. 10 is a structural exploded view of the hinge of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Figs. 3 to 5, the improved structure of a banquet table of the present invention comprises a table surface, at least a plurality of upper frames 20, two sets of leg frames 30. The structure also comprises connecting hinges 40 if the table is designed as a folding table consisting of two surface sections. Preferably, the upper frames are made of rectangular tubing for easy installation. It is understood that the table surface is fixedly connected to the upper frames by screws, rivets, and other connecting elements. The upper frames 20 and the leg frames 30 are pivotably connected through a number of round pin tubes so that the leg frames 30 can be folded inward and toward the bottom of the table surface. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in the figures, the table surface 10 is designed as a twosectional foldable type. Accordingly, the upper frames on two table sections are connected with hinges 40 at the folding points.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the upper frames are fixedly installed under the table surface along the \\melb-files\homeS\sigrid\kee\ptelts\2131399.doc 1/10/99 4b longitudinal edges. A plurality of round pin tubes 23 are fixedly attached onto the upper frames 20 by welding or other means. Each round pin tube 23 is used as a pivot for connecting the leg frame 30 onto the upper frame 20. As shown, the leg frame 30 is constructed with a horizontal bar, a floor support and two connecting bars. The horizontal bar is made from a round tube which has an inner diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the round pin tube 23. As \\melb~files\homeS\Sigrid\keep\patents\21313-99doc 1/10/99 5 the horizontal bar is inserted over the round pin tube 23 on the upper frame 20, the leg frame 30 is rotatably connected to the upper frame 20 so as to allow the leg frame to be folded toward the bottom of the table surface, as shown in Fig. 8. Preferably, each upper frame 20 has extended sections 21 to support the longitudinal ends of the table surface. The end of each extended section 21 can be plugged with a plug 22. As the weight of the table and the contents thereon applies pressure to the upper frames the pressure will be transferred to the supporting leg frames through the round pin tubes. This is a major advantage of the supporting frame structure of the present invention over the prior-art banquet table where pressure is directly applied to the locking screws.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, the upper frames on the two sections of a folding table are connected with a hinge 40 (Fig. 5) at the folding point. The hinge comprises a left bracket 41 and a right bracket 42. The bracket 41 has a pressure resisting section 411 while the bracket 42 has a pressure resisting section 421. The pressure resisting section 421 and the pressure resisting section 411 will be facing each other when the table is in the extended form. The bracket 42 includes a pair of extending arms having a hole in each arm while the bracket 41 has a pair of matching holes so that two brackets can be pivotably connected by pin shafts 43. The design of the hinge 40 allows the pressure to be applied on the pressure resisting sections 411 and 421, instead of the pin shafts 43, when the table is in use. This is another major advantage of the improved structure of the present invention over the prior-art table where pressure is directly applied to the connecting pins on the hinges.

In summary, the improved structure of a banquet table of the present invention has a strong pressure bearing ability, and a simple structure which allows the supporting leg frames to be folded and the table surface to be folded. In addition, it may also be used as a courtyard table, a computer table, a working table and other similar usage.

Although a certain preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modification may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (3)

1. A banquet table including a table surface, at least one upper frame member fixedly connected to the underside of the table surface and being provided with at least one round pin tube extending therefrom, and at least one leg frame member pivotably connected to the upper frame member allowing the leg frame member to move with respect to the upper frame member and table surface, wherein the round pin tube is received in one open end of the leg frame member allowing rotational movement of the leg frame member with respect to the upper frame member to permit movement of the leg frame member towards the underside of the table surface, thereby allowing the banquet table to adopt a folded configuration.

2. The banquet table of claim 1 wherein said table surface includes two sections allowing the banquet table to be folded when not in use and extended when in use, said banquet table further including at least one hinge means for connecting one upper frame member connected to one section of the table surface with another upper frame member connected to the other section of the table surface; the hinge means including a pair of brackets having two facing pressure resisting sections to absorb pressure when the banquet table is extended in use, and two connecting pieces, wherein the two connecting pieces are pivotably connected to one another through at least one pin shaft allowing pivotal movement of the two facing pressure resisting sections.

3. The banquet table of claim 1 or 2 wherein the upper frame member or members are each made of rectangular tubing. \\.elbpfiles\home$\Sigrid\keep\patents\21313-99.doc 1/10/99 -7 Dated this 1st day of October, 1999 ME FANG CHANG By her Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia \\nmelb..fies\homeSigrid\kep\patents\21313-99,doc 1/10/99