DE20109549U1 - table tennis table - Google Patents

Description

Dipl.-Chem. EL FRITZ GM 01/057

Dr. Dipl.-Phys. R. BASFELD May 28, 2001/RH Dipl.-Phys. E. HARAZIM patent attorneys M. HOFFMANN

B. HEIN Lawyers

Ostentor 9 59757 Arnsberg

Kettler GmbH & Co.

KG

Main road

59469 Ense

" Table tennis table"

The present invention relates to a table tennis table with two table halves which are attached to a folding mechanism on a base frame and can be folded into a vertical storage position and a horizontal use position, the folding mechanism each comprising at least first and second pivot rods which are pivotally connected to the base frame and the table part and each have a sliding piece which is longitudinally displaceable in a diagonal strut in a guide rail and which can be releasably fixed in a securing device in the guide rail, wherein in order to release a table part from the storage position the securing device on the second diagonal strut can only be released after the securing device on the first diagonal strut has already been released.

This type of table tennis table or table tennis table is characterized by a table top that is divided crosswise into two halves. These halves are mounted on a central support frame and can be folded up into a vertical storage position when not in use to save space. It is also possible to carry out playback training on the second half of the table, which is in the horizontal position, by folding up just one half of the table.

A table tennis table known in the state of the art with the features mentioned above is described, for example, in DE 295 01 656 Ul. This has a safety folding mechanism. This safety folding mechanism provides safety devices on the pivoting rods supporting the table top, with which the folding mechanism is fixed in the vertical storage position of the table halves. In order to reduce as completely as possible the risk of injury caused by a table half accidentally coming loose and folding down from the vertical storage position under the influence of gravity,

In order to avoid this, special safety devices are already described therein. These safety devices provide that the diagonal struts, i.e. the locking struts running diagonally between the swivel rods and the base frame, have manually operated safety levers. These safety levers act in a spring-loaded manner on a lock which blocks the longitudinal movement of the sliding piece in the guide of the diagonal strut when the panel part is folded downwards. In order to prevent incorrect operation due to simultaneous release of the safety devices on the two diagonal struts arranged on the right and left of one panel half, it is intended that the safety levers on one panel half are not operated simultaneously, but must be deliberately unlocked manually one after the other in a predetermined order.

The way this well-known table tennis table works is that initially only the safety device on the first diagonal brace on one side of the table half can be activated, then the table top must be folded out slightly from the storage position, and only then can the second safety device on the other side of the table half be activated in order to lower the table half completely into the horizontal position.

In practice, this well-known safety device provides a significant increase in safety, so that the risk of injury from panels accidentally falling down is significantly reduced. However, the spring-loaded safety levers used for this purpose require a considerable amount of manufacturing and assembly work. In addition, the safety levers attached to the diagonal struts must be operated directly by hand to release them.

In view of this, the present invention is based on the task of producing a more rational

or to provide a safety device to be installed which has improved functionality and enables simplified handling.

To solve this problem, the invention proposes that the link guide of the second diagonal strut has a transversely angled intermediate section at a distance from the bearing-side end, which forms an intermediate stop for the sliding piece guided therein.

The link guide according to the invention is formed by an elongated sliding slot running in the longitudinal direction of the diagonal strut. This accommodates the sliding piece, which is firmly attached to each pivot rod, in a longitudinally displaceable manner and which can be designed, for example, as a sliding bolt inserted laterally into the pivot rod. Due to the diagonal arrangement of the pivot rod and the diagonal strut, the sliding piece moves longitudinally along the sliding slot from the bearing-side end when the plate half is folded down from the storage position.

The special feature of the invention is that the safety device can be implemented by the design of the guide rail itself. While in the prior art the guide slot is straight over its entire length, the guide slot of the guide rail according to the invention has a longitudinal, relatively short initial section starting from the bearing-side end at the second diagonal strut, which then bends transversely to the longitudinal extension, i.e. has a step in its course. This step forms a stop in the longitudinal direction for the sliding bolt sliding along the guide slot from the bearing position, so that the plate half is initially held in this position and cannot fold down any further. The transverse intermediate section is relatively short, approximately only as long as the slot width, in order to form a stop step that

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The sliding piece cannot be overcome by the force exerted on it when the plate half is folded down. As before, the guide slot of the slotted guide is connected to the transverse intermediate section in a straight line in the longitudinal direction. In the area of the transverse intermediate section, the slotted guide according to the invention therefore has a roughly double-angled course in the form of a right-angled "Z".

The particular advantage of the invention is that the guide rail with the transversely angled intermediate section can be implemented with less manufacturing and assembly effort than the spring-loaded safety levers in the prior art. A further functional advantage is that when one half of the panel is folded down, the sliding piece sliding along the guide slot cannot automatically overcome the stop by the transversely angled intermediate section due to the forces acting on it only in the longitudinal direction, and this without additional movable mechanical locking elements which could fail or be impaired in their function. The safety device according to the invention is therefore simpler and therefore more cost-effective overall, and still brings with it an additional safety gain.

A further advantage is that the safety device according to the invention is particularly easy to operate. In order for the sliding piece to overcome the intermediate stop in the guide rail, it is only necessary to briefly move the diagonal strut by hand in the transverse direction so that the sliding piece is moved transversely through the angled intermediate section and can then enter the adjoining straight longitudinal section of the guide rail unhindered.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the transversely angled section of the guide rail is

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points downwards when viewed from the bearing-side end of the guide rail. This ensures that when the plate half is folded up, the safety strut falls down solely due to the force of gravity acting on it as soon as the sliding piece reaches the intermediate section in the direction of the bearing-side end. This means that the intermediate stop is overcome when folding up without additional operation, without additional mechanical locking elements or the like being required.

In the safety device implemented according to the invention, the advantages described can be achieved simply by the fact that the guide rail of the second diagonal strut is designed in the manner described, initially independently of how the locking of the first diagonal strut takes place in the bearing-side end position. However, it is particularly advantageous that the guide rail of the first safety strut has a transversely angled end section at its bearing-side end, which forms an end receptacle in the bearing position for the sliding piece guided therein. This end section is preferably angled downwards as seen from the bearing-side end. As a result, the diagonal strut, which swings transversely downwards due to gravity, can automatically lock the sliding piece on the first pivot rod into the transversely angled end section in the end position. In this transversely angled end section, the sliding piece is blocked against longitudinal displacement in the guide rail, so that the plate half is secured in the bearing position in this way. To release this first diagonal brace, it is only necessary to briefly move it transversely, i.e. to lift it, so that the sliding piece is moved out of the transverse section of the guide rail and can enter the longitudinal guide. The plate half can then be folded down until the sliding piece of the second swivel rod is attached to the angled part in the manner explained in detail above.

Intermediate section in the guide rail of the second diagonal strut.

The previously explained, inventive fixation of the first safety strut in a transversely developed end section of the sliding slot of the link guide can also be implemented extremely easily and cost-effectively and is also functionally reliable and easy to operate.

If necessary, a shape can also be provided in the stop surface of the transversely angled intermediate or end section, for example in the form of a shallow depression. This can secure the sliding piece against accidental slipping out of the stop position without impairing easy operation.

In summary, it can be stated that the angled course of the guide slot of the link guide in accordance with the invention enables a particularly reliable safety device to be implemented with little effort in both the second and the first diagonal strut, thus preventing accidents.
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The present invention is explained in more detail below using an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. In detail,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a table tennis table according to the invention;

Fig. 2 a detailed view of the first guide rail in

vertical storage position; 10

Fig. 3 a detailed view of the second guide rail in

vertical storage position;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the first guide rail according to Fig. 2 in the horizontal position of use;

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the second guide rail according to Fig. 3 in the horizontal position of use.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a table tennis table according to the invention, obliquely from the front right;

Fig. 7 a perspective view of the table tennis table

according to Fig. 6 diagonally from the front left; 25

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the first guide rail as in Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the second guide rail as in Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a detailed view of Fig. 6 in an enlarged representation;

Fig. 11 is a detailed view of Fig. 7 in an enlarged representation.

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Fig. 1 shows a side view of the middle part of a table tennis table 1 with a base frame 2 designed as a transport trolley. Two table halves 3 - shown here in a vertical storage position - are connected to the base frame 2 in an articulated manner via a swivel rod, of which only the swivel rods 4 are shown here. With further swivel rods, not shown in detail here, the table halves 3 can be folded down into the horizontal position for use, as indicated by the curved arrows.

First and second diagonal struts 5 and 6 are also hinged to the base frame, with a diagonal strut 5 being arranged on one side of each plate half 3, a first diagonal strut 5 and a second diagonal strut 6 being arranged on the other side, namely on the right and left sides respectively. In the illustration shown, the different diagonal struts 5 and 6 on the two plate halves 3, which are mirror images of each other, are therefore facing the viewer.

The first diagonal strut 5 has a first guide slot 7; the second diagonal strut 6 has a second guide slot 8. The pivot rods 4 each have a laterally projecting sliding bolt 9, which is mounted so as to be longitudinally displaceable in the guide slot 7 or 8.

In detail, the first slotted guide formed from the sliding bolt 9 and the guide slot 7 on the first diagonal strut 5 is shown in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 4. Accordingly, the second slotted guide formed from the second guide slot 8 in the second diagonal strut 6 is shown in Fig. 3 and in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 it is clearly visible that the first guide slot in its bearing-side end region 7a is angled upwards transversely to its longitudinal extension, i.e. to the right in Fig. 2. This end section 7a forms a

End support in storage position for the sliding bolt 9, as shown in Fig. 2.

To release the plate half 3 from the vertical storage position shown in Fig. 2, the first diagonal strut 5 is first moved transversely inwards, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. As a result, the sliding bolt 9 is moved from the bearing-side end section 7a in the direction of the continuous guide slot 7 and can slide upwards during the simultaneous downward movement of the plate half 3.

Fig. 2 shows in detail the second guide rail, which is formed by the sliding bolt 9 slidably mounted in the guide slot 8 of the second diagonal strut 6. As can be clearly seen, the second guide slot 8 has a transverse intermediate section 8a at a distance from the bearing-side end (bottom in Fig. 3), so that the overall course of the guide slot 8 is approximately Z-shaped at a right angle.

If the plate half 3, in which the first link guide has been described above with reference to Fig. 2, is now released and folded downwards, the sliding bolt 9 moves upwards in the second guide slot 8 of the second link guide, namely up to the transversely angled intermediate section 8a, where it strikes against the stop step formed thereby in the longitudinal direction (indicated by dashed lines) and prevents the plate half 3 from folding down further.

To fold down the plate half 3 further, the second diagonal strut 5 is moved inwards transversely, as indicated in Fig. 3 with the curved arrow, so that the sliding bolt 9 follows the course of the intermediate section 8a and reaches the position shown in dashed lines in Fig. 5. Meanwhile, the sliding bolt 9 of the first diagonal strut 6 is also at the dashed position. This means that both the first slotted guide and

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shown in Fig. 4, and in the second guide rail, as shown in Fig. 5, the sliding bolts 9 can be moved freely through to the end. This means that the plate halves 3 can be folded down to their horizontal position of use, which is indicated in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 with the curved arrows. In the horizontal end position, the sliding bolts 9 assume the end positions shown in Fig. 4 and Fig.

The longitudinal shape ensures that the sliding bolt 9 is securely fixed in its end position in the end section 7a or in its stop on the intermediate section 8a in the transverse direction. This can be achieved, for example, by a slightly rounded shape from which the sliding bolt can be easily released when the respective diagonal strut 5 or 6 is moved transversely.

Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show a table tennis table 1 according to the invention once again in perspective, namely diagonally from the right (Fig. 6) and diagonally from the left (Fig. 7). The front half of the table 3 facing the viewer is folded up vertically in the storage position, while the rear half of the table is folded down in the horizontal use position.

Fig. 8 shows a first guide rail as in Fig. 2 in a perspective view, with the first diagonal strut 5 being fixed in a vertical storage position on the pivot rod 4. In this embodiment, a handle 10 is additionally attached to the free end of the diagonal strut 5, which can be pushed forward in the first step as indicated by the arrow to release the diagonal strut 5.

The perspective view in Fig. 9 corresponds to Fig. 3. In it, the second diagonal strut 6 is also shown in a vertical storage position. This also has a forward-moving

&Idigr;&Sgr;'%

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actuating handle 10. In the second step, however, this can only be pushed forward in the direction of the arrow when the sliding bolt 9 is in the position shown in dashed lines in Fig. 3, so that it can be moved transversely through the intermediate section 8a by a transverse displacement of the diagonal strut 6.

The sliding bolts 9 can then slide through the guide slots 7 and 8 to the end so that the folded-down end position is reached, as shown again enlarged in Fig. 10 and 11.

Claims (8)

1. Table tennis table with two table halves which are attached to a folding mechanism on a base frame and can be folded into a vertical storage position and a horizontal use position, the folding mechanism each comprising at least first and second pivoting rods which are pivotally connected to the base frame and the plate part and each have a sliding piece which can be moved longitudinally in a diagonal strut in a guide rail, which can be releasably fixed in a locking device in the guide rail, wherein in order to release a plate part from the storage position the locking device on the second diagonal strut can only be released after the locking device on the first diagonal strut has already been released, characterized in that the guide rail ( 8 ) of the second diagonal strut ( 6 ) has a transversely angled intermediate section ( 8a ) at a distance from the storage-side end, which forms an intermediate stop for the sliding piece ( 9 ) guided therein. 2. Table tennis table according to claim 1, characterized in that the transversely angled section ( 8a ) points downwards when viewed from the bearing-side end. 3. Table tennis table according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sliding guide ( 7 ) of the first safety strut ( 5 ) has at its bearing-side end a transversely angled end section ( 7a ) which forms an end receptacle in the bearing position for the sliding piece ( 9 ) guided therein. 4. Table tennis table according to claim 3, characterized in that the end portion ( 7a ) points downwards when viewed from the bearing-side end. 5. Table tennis table according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sliding pieces are designed as sliding bolts ( 9 ). 6. Table tennis table according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the base frame ( 2 ) is designed as a transport trolley with castors. 7. Table tennis table according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first and second pivot rods ( 4 ) are each hinged to the right and left of a table half ( 3 ). 8. Table tennis table according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transversely angled intermediate section ( 8a ) and/or the end section ( 7a ) have a shape in the longitudinal direction.