NL2013269B1

NL2013269B1 - Folding table.

Info

Publication number: NL2013269B1
Application number: NL2013269A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Reinier Martina Verhappen Henricus
Original assignee: Koninklijke Ahrend N V
Priority date: 2014-07-28
Filing date: 2014-07-28
Publication date: 2016-09-13
Also published as: EP2979579A1; EP2979579B1

Abstract

Folding table comprising a tabletop and table legs which are movable between a folded down position and an unfolded position in which the table is ready to use and wherein the tabletop has an adjustable height position. In the unfolded position the table legs extend essentially perpendicular from the tabletop. The tabletop is provided with first height adjustment means which are motor or hands driven, and the table legs are provided with second height adjustment means. The first height adjustment means that are provided on the tabletop are releasably connectable with the second height adjustment means that are provided in the table legs.

Description

Folding table

The invention relates to a folding table comprising a tabletop and table legs which are movable between a folded down position and an unfolded position in which the table is ready to use and wherein the tabletop has an adjustable height position .

Folding tables are known; an example is provided by US 3,845,728 which discloses a folding table comprising four legs carrying an upper tabletop. The folding table of US 3,845,728 is however not adjustable in height.

Folding tables of adjustable height are known from US 3,174,443 and US 3,329,104. These known folding tables have supporting frames that are collapsible in shear-like fashion and lockable in various positions. Such folding tables are best used in gardens, but are generally felt to be unsuited for office practice.

It is an object of the invention to provide a folding table which has an adjustable height position which is suitable for office use.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a folding table which provides high versatility and enables frequent changes between storing and using.

It is still another object of the invention to provide such a folding table which is arranged for height adjustment in a continuous range without intermediate stops for the height adj ustment.

The folding table of the invention has the features of one or more of the appended claims.

One of the aspects of the invention which makes the folding table very suited for office use is that in the unfolded position the table legs extend essentially perpendicular from the tabletop. This provides sufficient legroom comparable to the legroom that is normally available with regular office desks .

To provide for the possibility of a continuous height adjustment, the tabletop of the folding table of the invention is suitably provided with first height adjustment means. Depending on the clients requirements a selection can be made be- tween a motor driven and a hand driven embodiment.

The first height adjustment means are suitably arranged to cooperate with second height adjustment means that are provided in the table legs. To make an easy switchover possible between the table being folded down and the table being ready to use and capable of being adjusted in height, the first height adjustment means that are provided on the tabletop are releasably connectable with the second height adjustment means that are provided in the table legs. One of the nice features and advantages of the folding table of the invention is that the height adjustment means on the tabletop and in the table legs can remain untouched when transitioning between the folded down and the erect position of the folding table. Still another advantage is that also other features of the folding table, like cables and other accessoiries that are mounted on the tabletop, do not interfere with the table legs moved from the erect position to the folded down position.

The folding table of the invention is preferably so construed that the first height adjustment means extent into a first bracket and the second height adjustment means extend into a second bracket, wherein the first bracket and the second bracket are connectable by positioning the table legs in the unfolded position wherein the table is ready to use and wherein the connection between the first bracket and the second bracket is released by moving the table legs in the folded down position .

Suitably the first bracket and the second bracket respectively have cooperating female - male shaped and rotatable axle extensions that are releasably connectable to each other and that link the first height adjustment means on the tabletop to the second height adjustment means in the table legs.

Preferably at least one of the female - male shaped and rotatable axle extensions is spring-loaded. This promotes and assists that the axle extensions automatically mate without further assistance when the folding table is placed in the erect position in which the table legs are placed perpendicular to the tabletop.

Suitably the construction is so arranged that the first bracket and the second bracket are hinged with each other .

Preferably further the first bracket and the second bracket are fixable into their connected position, for instance with a screw connection to secure a stable upright position of the folding table.

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a folding table according to the invention that is not limiting as to the appended claims.

In the drawing: -figure 1 shows a folding table according to the invention in erect position; -figure 2 shows the folding table of figure 1 upside down; -figure 3 shows the folding table of figure 2 with the legs folded down; -figure 4.1 and 4.2 show in detail the brackets of the height adjustment means; and -figure 5 shows further clarifying details of the height adjustment means.

Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

With reference first to figure 1 a folding table 1 according to the invention is shown, comprising a tabletop 2 and table legs 3, 4. The table legs 3, 4 are movable between a folded down position which is shown in figure 3, and an unfolded position which is shown in figure 1 and in which the table is ready to use. The folding table 1 of the invention is embodied such that the tabletop 2 has an adjustable height position, which provides a challenge in design considering that in the unfolded position as shown in figure 1 the table legs 3, 4 ex tend essentially perpendicular from the tabletop 2.

The design challenge is met by arranging that the tabletop 2 is provided with first height adjustment means 5, such as a screw axle, which can be either motor or hands driven. In the shown embodiment the first height adjustment means 5 are hand driven by providing a swing handle 6. This can however desirably be replaced by a motor drive.

In a manner that is known per se and which therefore does not require to be elucidated with reference to the drawing, the table legs 3, 4 are provided with second height ad justment means. Usually the second height adjustment means are embodied as a spindle. According to the invention the first height adjustment means 5 that are provided on the tabletop 2 are arranged to be releasably connectable with the second height adjustment means that are provided in the table legs 3, 4. This provides the advantage that when the table is folded down, both the first height adjustment means 5 on the tabletop 2 and the second adjustment means in the table legs 3, 4 can remain in place without hindering the transition of the folding table 1 between its erect position and its folded down position .

The folding table 1 of the invention is preferably so construed that the first height adjustment means 5 extent into a first bracket 7 and the second height adjustment means extend into a second bracket 8, wherein the first bracket 7 and the second bracket 8 are connectable by positioning the table legs 3, 4 in the unfolded or erect position wherein the table is ready to use. This is shown in figure 1 (table upright) and figure 2 (table upside down). A detailed view of the relative position of the brackets 7, 8 when the table legs 3, 4 extends perpendicularly from the tabletop 2 is shown in figure 4.1.

The connection between the first bracket 7 and the second bracket 8 can be released by moving the table legs 3, 4 in the folded down position which is shown in figure 3. A detailed view of the relative position of the brackets 7, 8 in that folded down position of the table legs 3, 4 is shown in figure 4.2.

Figure 4.1 and 4.2 also show that the first bracket 7 and the second bracket 8 are hinged with each other at hinge 10. Figure 4.1 further shows that the first bracket 7 and the second bracket 8 are fixable into their connected position by fixation means 9, for instance screws.

Figure 4.2 shows that the first bracket 7 and the second bracket 8 respectively have cooperating female - male shaped and rotatable axle extensions 11, 12 that are releasably connectable to each other. These axle extensions 11, 12 link the first height adjustment means 5 on the tabletop 2 to the second height adjustment means in the table legs 3, 4 when the table legs 3, 4 are perpendicular to the tabletop 2, that means when the folding table 1 is in the erect position. In that sit uation rotation of the swing handle 6 is transferred through the linkages that are provided in the brackets 7, 8 to the first and second height adjustment means of the foldable table 1 and translated into an adjusted height of the tabletop 2. The connection between the first and second height adjustment means of the foldable table 1 is released when the table legs 3, 4 are folded down, yet folding down of the table legs 3, 4 requires no specific further handling of these height adjustment means or any other means that are mounted on the tabletop 2 to enable folding down of the table 1.

Figure 5 provides an exploded view of the female -male shaped and rotatable axle extensions 11, 12 as they are for clarity purposes taken out from their respective brackets 7, 8. To ensure that the axle extensions 11, 12 are self locking at least one of these extensions is spring-loaded so that the axle extensions 11, 12 may easily click in to each other upon rotation of one or the other after placing the table legs 3, 4 in the upright position to provide the required connection between the respective height adjustment means mounted on the tabletop 2 and in the table legs 3, 4.

Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the gist of the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment .

Claims

A folding table (1) comprising a table top (2) and table legs (3, 4) which are movable between a collapsed position and an unfolded position in which the table (1) is ready for use and wherein the table top (2) has an adjustable has a height position, characterized in that in the unfolded position the table legs (3, 4) extend substantially perpendicularly from the table top (2).

Folding table (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the table top (2) is provided with first height-adjusting means (5) which are motor or hand-driven.

3. Folding table (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the table legs (3, 4) are provided with second height-adjusting means.

Folding table (1) according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the first height-adjusting means (5) provided on the tabletop (2) are releasably connectable to the second height-adjusting means provided in the table legs ( 3, 4).

Folding table (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the first height adjustment means (5) merge into a first support (7) and the second height adjustment means merge into a second support (8), the first support (7) and the second support (8) are connectable by placing the table legs (3, 4) in the unfolded position with the table (1) ready for use, and where the connection between the first support (7) and the second support (8) is broken by moving the table legs (3, 4) to the collapsed position.

6. Folding table (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the first support (7) and the second support (8) are distinctly female and masculine and are provided with rotatable shaft extensions (11, 12) detachably with each other are connectable and which couple the first height-adjusting means (5) of the tabletop (2) with the second height-adjusting means in the table legs (3, 4).

Folding table (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one of the male and female shaped and rotatable shaft extensions (11, 12) is spring-loaded.

Folding table (1) according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the first support (7) and the second support (8) are hingedly connected to each other.

Folding table (1) according to one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the first support (7) and the second support (8) are fixable in their connected position.