WO2000013548A1

WO2000013548A1 - Portable table

Info

Publication number: WO2000013548A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/019528
Authority: WO
Inventors: Walter R. Wagner; Richard C. Bue
Original assignee: Sico Inc
Current assignee: Sico Inc
Priority date: 1998-09-04
Filing date: 1999-08-26
Publication date: 2000-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 2001-03-04
Also published as: AU5693599A; WO2000013548B1

Abstract

A portable room service table has a frame and a table top that may be folded. The frame is mounted on casters or wheels for portability. Connectors are mounted along the front and rear edges of the table to provide for connecting the tables in series. The connectors include bumpers that prevent wedging and misalignment of the table edges. The complementary connectors include a first connector having a retainer for storage of a connecting member. The connecting member is pivotally mounted and is movable between a retained storage position beneath the table top and an extended position for engaging the complementary connector under an adjacent table top. The complementary connector includes a retainer member extending into an orifice of the connecting member for engagement.

Description

PORTABLE TABLE

Background of the Invention

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a portable table and in particular, to a room service table having connector devices for connecting tables in series.

2. Prior Art Portable tables are well known and used for a variety of purposes, especially in the hotel industry. Such tables may be used for room service to deliver a meal from the kitchen and may be left in the room for the guests to dine on. Room service tables are typically mounted on casters or wheels for easy rolling. A bracket for holding and storing food warmers is often located beneath the table top. The ^* table top may typically be folded to a storage position so that the tables may be nested for more compact storage. The table top may also includes side leaves that fold from a storage position to a horizontal position, forming a larger table surface. The leaves fold downward to provide easier mobility and to provide an easier fit through doorways and onto and off of elevators. A problem that arises with the use of such tables is management and delivery of multiple tables. It is difficult for one person to hold and push more than one table at a time, especially when the tables must be maneuvered independently. The job becomes more difficult as tables are pushed onto and off of elevators with automatic closing doors or through other doorways where the doors are equipped with a closing device. Tables are often caught between the closing doors and may be damaged. Clumsy handling of room service tables may also cause damage to the trim of doorways and frames. In room service operations, the ability to deliver multiple meals and room service tables by one employee is a big advantage, as a greater call for deliveries of room service tables often occurs during peak dining periods. Currently, tables are pushed one at a time, taking more trips and therefor more time to make deliveries. As deliveries are often made on one trip where it would be easier to deliver a first table at a close destination along the way to others, and take the other tables to the remaining destinations, time is wasted when multiple trips to the kitchen and back must be made when tables are transported one at a time. This process is expensive and time consuming and requires much travel on the part of the delivery person.

A problem that occurs when trying to push room service tables in series occurs with alignment of the edges. As serving tables are often pushed over slight differences in floor height, as occurs for example, in doorways or when floors of elevator cars are higher or lower than the height of the floor of the building, or when tables are pushed through transitions onto or off of ramps, the table tops may overlap slightly and one table may wedge under another. This misalignment may make maneuvering the tables extremely difficult. This problem becomes magnified when doors are closing on the tables and the tables are difficult to push. The problem may also occur from slight pressure or lifting force being placed on one edge of the table to raise or lower the opposite end.

It can be seen then that a new and improved system for moving portable tables is needed. Such a system should enable the deliverer to move more than one table at a time under control without moving the tables independently. Such a system should also provide for dropping off tables when convenient while transporting remaining tables as a single unit. The present invention addresses these problems, as well as others associated with portable room service tables.

Summary of the Invention The present invention is directed to a portable room service table and in particular, to a room service table that may be joined in an end to end relationship with adjacent room service tables. The room service table of the present invention includes a table top that may be folded between a storage position and a horizontal use position. The table has a frame mounted on casters or rollers to provide easy portability. Along the front and rear edges of the table are complementary connectors. The connectors mount to the underside of the table tops at the edge and are aligned with one another. The first connector includes a mounting bracket and a bumper extending downward below the table top edge. The mounting bracket has a retainer for storing a connecting member that is pivotally mounted by a hinge on the mounting bracket. The connector member is preferably formed from a slightly elastic material and includes an end grip and an orifice through which the retainer member extends. The second complementary connector mounts near the opposite end of each front and rear edge and has a bumper extending downward. A retainer member similar to that on the first connector is formed that receives the connecting member of the first connector when pivoted outward to extend beneath the second connector. The retainer member of the second connector extends through the orifice of the connecting member in a similar manner to the engagement between the connecting member and the retainer member of the first connector. The connecting member includes an end grip that is angled to provide clearance from the underside of the table top for operator's fingers. As the connecting member is typically formed from a somewhat flexible material with some elasticity, it provides slight flex between connected tables and to facilitate easier removal and insertion of the retainers. The bumpers prevent the edges of the table tops from sliding under and over one another and possible wedging or jamming, that might cause damage to the tables. As the tables may be rolled over obstacles and variations in the floor surface, there may be slight elevational adjustment at the edges. As there are a pair of bumpers, one near each end of the edge, adequate safeguard prevents one of the table tops from wedging beneath the other.

The connectors provide for joining the portable room service tables in an end to end relationship in series. A number of tables may be joined together to form an extended series of tray tables that may be moved together as a single unit. The connectors also provide for attaching or detaching one table at a time so that the entire unit may be moved to a location and one or more tables dropped off at their desired destination such as is common with delivering multiple meals to different rooms in a hotel.

These features of novelty and various other advantages which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference letters and numerals indicate corresponding structure throughout the several views:

Figure 1 shows a side elevational view of portable serving tables joined in series according to the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a side elevational detail view of a connector device mounted under the table tops of two adjacent tables shown in Figure 1 to connect the tables at their edges;

Figure 3 shows a side elevational detail view of a connector device mounted under the table tops of two adjacent tables shown in Figure 1 aligned but disconnected with connector element in a retracted storage position; Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a first connector mounted on the underside of a table top for the connector device shown in Figures 2 and 3; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a second complementary connector for the connector device mounted on the underside of a table top shown in Figures 2 and 3; and,

Figure 6 shows an end elevational view of a table with the table top in the folded storage position, revealing the underside of the table top.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1 , there is shown a number of portable room service tables, generally designated 10, joined in series. Each of the tables 10 includes a frame 12 mounted on casters or rollers 16 for portability. The frame 12 supports a substantially rectangular table top 14 and may include folding side leaves for extending the surface area of the table top 14. Although a rectangular top 14 is shown, other shapes that allow joining along at least two edges may also be used. The table 10 also includes a food warmer storage rack or frame for supporting a food warmer (not shown) beneath the table top 14. A folding linkage 52 facilitates folding of the table top 14 between the horizontal use position shown in Figure 1 , and a substantially vertical storage position, shown in Figure 6. With the table top 14 folded up, as shown in Figure 6, the room service tables 10 may be nested closer to one another, taking up less space when stored. The tables 10 may be connected in an end to end relationship with connectors 18 and 20. The connectors 18 and 20 are complementary and engage one another to join front and rear edges of the tops 14 of adjacent tables 10. The connectors 18 and 20 mount on the underside along the front and rear edges of the table top 14 in opposed alignment along the edges. It can be appreciated that the first connectors 18 are mounted in diametrically opposite corners of the table while the second connectors 20 are mounted in the other diametrically opposite corners of the table so that the first and second connectors 18 and 20 are always aligned and the orientation of the tables may be reversed without affecting alignment or connectability of the tables 10. This configuration provides two pairs of complementary connectors 18 and 20 along each front and rear edge of the table top 14 for a more secure attachment between adjacent joined room service tables 10.

Referring now to Figure 4, the first connector 18 includes a mounting bracket 22 with a bumper 24 extending downward. The mounting bracket 22 attaches to the underside of the table top 14 with hardware 38, including rivets and screws. The mounting bracket 22 also includes an angled portion 26 extending inward from the edge of the table top 14 for receiving a connecting member 32 in a secured storage position, as shown more clearly in Figure 3. The angled portion 26 includes a retainer 28 that includes a slight lip. The retainer 28 extends into an orifice 34 formed through the connecting member 32 with the lip engaging the face of the connecting member 32. The connecting member 32 mounts on a hinge 30 providing pivotal movement between the extended connecting position, shown in Figure 2, and the retracted storage position, shown in Figure 3. The connecting member 32 also includes an end grip 36, as shown in Figure 4 to allow easy actuation by an operator. The end grip 36 is angled relative to the rest of the body of the connecting member 32 to be easily accessible when stored against the angled portion 26 of the mounting bracket 22, as shown in Figure 3, or when extended for connecting the second complementary connector 20, as shown in Figure 2. Referring now to Figure 5, the second complementary connector 20 includes a mounting bracket 40 with an edge bumper 42 extending downward, similar to and aligned with the bumper 24. The bracket 40 is mounted with screws, rivets or other hardware 46. The bracket 40 includes a retainer member 44 with a lip similar to the retainer member 28 on the first connector 18. The connector 20 is positioned to align with the first connector 18 and connect adjacent tables 10 so that the edges of the table tops 14 are closely aligned.

In operation, when the tables 10 are to be joined, the front and rear edges of the table tops 14 and the edge bumpers 24 and 42 are aligned, as shown in Figure 3. The connecting member 32 of the first connector 18 is typically in the retracted storage position and held by the retainer member 28. The connecting member 32 is disengaged from the retainer 28 by holding the end grip 36 and pulling the connecting member 32 downward. The connecting member 32 is typically made of a somewhat flexible rubber material that has some elasticity so that it is held securely in place, yet can be extended to clear the lip of the retainers for removal. The connecting members 32 fold upward so that the retainer member 44 of the second connecting member 20 extends into the orifice 34 as shown in Figure 2. The lip of the retainer member 44 extends over the lower face of the connecting member 32 in this position. It can be appreciated that the end grip 36 is angled to provide easier access, as it is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the table top 14 at all positions. To join the tables 14, both pairs of the connectors 18 and 20 on the table tops 14 are engaged for a secure connection so that the two joined tables 10 may be moved as a connected unit. A number greater than two may also be joined in a similar manner to form an extended room service table system, as shown in Figure 1. The number of room service tables so connected is generally limited by the spaces in which the transportation takes place.

To disengage the tables 10, the connecting member 32 is pulled downward from the position shown in Figure 2 so that the connecting member 32 disengages the retainer member 44. For storage, the connecting member 32 is pushed backward into the position shown in Figure 3 and held by retainer member 28. According to the present invention, should three or more tables 10 be joined together, one table 10 may be disengaged without disconnecting the other tables from one another. This arrangement provides for dropping tables off one at a time at their needed destinations while proceeding to the other destinations with the remaining tables. This system also provides for collecting multiple tables 10 and returning them to the kitchen, for example, as a single unit, thereby reducing the number of trips required. This system also provides for greater flexibility as any number of tables may be joined together depending on the needs and space limitations.

One of the obstacles that may be encountered with such a system is differences in elevation or bumps in the floor, such as may occur when passing through doorways, pushing tables 10 onto or off of elevators, or pushing or pulling a series of connected tables 10 through transitions onto or off of ramps. The present invention provides bumpers 24 and 42 that engage one another or the adjacent opposing table top edge to provide greater protection against misalignment of the edges of the table tops 14. This configuration prevents wedging or overlapping and the related transporting and maneuvering problems. The connecting member 32 is somewhat flexible and may stretch and move to adapt to variations in the height of the floor as the tables 10 are pushed over bumps or variations in angle as occurs when one table 10 is on a ramp and the connected adjacent table 10 is still off the ramp, but is elastic to aid in returning the tables 10 to an aligned position.

The connectors 18 and 20 of the present invention are mounted in an out of the way position hidden beneath the underside of the table top 14 in both the storage and connection positions, for a more pleasing appearance.. With this configuration, the tables 10 are more aesthetically pleasing and safety is not compromised as there are no loose parts and little likelihood of catching clothing or table linens.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A portable table, comprising: a table top having a front edge and a rear edge; a framework supporting the table top; caster means for rolling the table; first and second complementary connector devices mounted along the front and rear edges, wherein the first and second connector devices are adapted for releasably connecting adjacent tables in edge to edge relationship.

2. A portable table according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second connector devices mount to an underside of the table top.

3. A portable table according to claim 2, further comprising bumper members extending down from the table top.

4. A portable table according to claim 2, wherein each forward edge and each rear edge includes one of the first connector devices and wherein each of the first connector devices includes a connecting member movable between a retracted storage position beneath its associated table top and an extended position for engaging one of the complementary second connector devices.

5. A portable table according to claim 4, wherein each forward and each rear edge includes one of the second complementary connector devices adapted for engaging one of the first connector devices.

6. A portable table according to claim 2, further comprising a retainer device for retaining the first connecting member in the retracted storage position.

7. A portable table according to claim 2, wherein each table includes a substantially rectangular table top.

8. A portable table according to claim 4, wherein the connecting member comprises a resilient member.

9. A portable table according to claim 4, wherein the connecting member includes an angled end and wherein the first connector device comprises a mounting bracket having a portion extending obliquely to the underside of the table top.

10. A portable table system, comprising: a plurality of serving tables, wherein each serving table comprises: a table top having a front edge and a rear edge; a framework supporting the table top; caster means for rolling the table; first and second complementary connector devices mounted along the front and rear edges, wherein the connector devices are adapted for releasably connecting adjacent serving tables in edge to edge relationship to form a connected series of serving tables.

11. A portable table system according to claim 10, wherein the first and second connector devices mount to an underside of the table top.

12. A portable table system according to claim 11, further comprising bumper members extending down from the table top.

13. A portable table system according to claim 11 , wherein each forward and rear edge includes one of the first connector devices movable between a retracted storage position beneath its associated table top and an extended position for engaging one of the complementary second connector devices.

14. A portable table system according to claim 13, wherein each forward and each rear edge includes one of the second complementary connector devices adapted for engaging one of the first connector devices.

15. A portable table system according to claim 11, further comprising a retainer device for retaining the first connector device in the retracted storage position.

16. A portable table system according to claim 11, wherein each table includes a rectangular table top.

17. A portable table, comprising: a table top having a front edge and a rear edge; a framework supporting the table top; caster means for rolling the table; first and second complementary connector devices mounted to an underside the table top along the front and rear edges, wherein the first and second connector devices are adapted for releasably connecting adjacent tables in edge to edge relationship, wherein each forward edge and each rear edge includes one of the first connector devices movable between a retracted storage position beneath its associated table top and an extended position for engaging one of the complementary second connector devices, and wherein each forward and each rear edge includes one of the second complementary connector devices adapted for engaging one of the first connector devices; bumper members extending down from the table top along each of the front and rear edges.

18. A portable table according to claim 17, further comprising a retainer device for retaining the first connector device in the retracted storage position.

19. A portable table according to claim 17, wherein each table includes a substantially rectangular table top.