Collapsible table with foldable leg braces held straight by cables when top is open

• US 4,833,998 A
• Filed: 02/09/1988
• Issued: 05/30/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James E. Everett, Michael J. Tuhtan
• Original Assignee: James E. Everett, Michael J. Tuhtan
• Inventors: Tuhtan, Michael J., Everett, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US07/150,516
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 108/36, 108/131, 108/133, 108/132, 108/129, 108/35, 108/153, 108/128, 108/36, 248/108.6, 248/188.91, 24/114.5
• US Class Current: 108/36
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/09 Furniture held together by tension cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2230/0011 Hooks and loops as in hook and look-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/00 Folding or stowable tables folded and suspended or hinged, or wall tables A47B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/087 with struts supporting the legs
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/10 Travelling or trunk tables
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/009 Physiotherapeutic tables, beds or platforms; Chiropractic or osteopathic tables with incorporated massage means A61H2201/0138
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/105 Portable, foldable or collapsible tables, e.g. for surgery or treatment portable, foldable or collapsible chairs for surgery or dental treatment A61G15/002

Abstract

A collapsible table, especially suited for supporting persons to be massaged, comprises, in a main embodiment, a pair of hingedly-connected top sections (12) and two pairs of legs (16) hingedly connected to the respective outer ends of the top sections. A foldable leg brace (18) is connected between the side of the table'"'"'s top at its center and a lower part of each leg. A brace crosspiece (32) interconnects each pair of braces. A pair of short cable support legs (26) extend down from the center of the table. Each of a pair of cables (28) extends in a V-shaped arrangement from near the leg hinges at one end of the table down through holes in the brace crosspieces to the bottom ends of the cable support legs and then up through the other brace cross piece to the leg hinges at the opposite end of the table. Each cable has a stop (10) fixedly attached thereto just above the place where the cable passes through its brace crosspiece, the stop preferably comprising a sleeve (34) crimped to the cable and a helical spring (38) between the crimped sleeve and the crosspiece. The cable stops prevent the leg braces from being folded up unless the cables are first slackened by folding the two top sections of the table together. However since the top sections can'"'"'t be folded together while the table is upright, especially if weight is on the table, the table'"'"'s braces and legs are locked when it is upright. In other embodiment, the cable extends directly between leg braces (FIG. 2), legs per se (FIG. 3), or around splayed legs (FIG. 4) to provide an automatic leg, or leg brace, locking feature. In still other embodiments an improved face cradle (FIG. 5A) is provided which comprises a plate (82), one end of which has a hinged connection (90, 98) to the table top, and which includes a support arm (92) hingedly connected (94) to an underside of the plate and adjustably connected (106) to an underside of the table, either by a slot (96) or by a plurality of holes (128, FIG. 7 C). The table can have an adjustable leg (FIG. 6A) comprising two sections (110, 112) which are keyed together (114) and which are separated by spaced pads (116) and bolted together between the pads (122). The legs (FIG. 8A, 144) can alternatively be hinged to the underside of the table'"'"'s top (142) and supported in open position by a pair of hinged brace arms (146), the ends of which are removably joinable to the the legs, respectively, at locations spaced from the ends of the legs by pin-in-hole (156, 160) and multiple hook and loop fasteners (154, 158).

Claims

1. A collapsible table, comprising:

A. two hingedly interconnected top sections, each top section having two major opposing surfaces which face in opposite directions, one opposing surface being an undersurface and the other opposing surface being a top surface, one edge of each top section being joined to one edge of the other top section by hinge means arranged to enable said top sections to be;

(a) folded together in a collapsed condition so that their undersurfaces face each other, and

(b) folded apart to an open condition so that their undersurfaces are coplanar,

B. two pairs of legs, each leg of each pair comprising an elongated member, each pair of legs being hingedly joined to the undersurface of a respective top section at two locations which are spaced from each other and which are remote from said one edge of said respective top section, each pair of legs being joined to the undersurface of its top section by hinge means arranged to enable each pair of legs to folded to;

(a) a collapsed condition so that said legs lie parallel and adjacent to the undersurface of their top section, and

(b) an open condition so that they extend out from the undersurface of their top section, and

C. four elongated leg braces, each of said braces having two opposite ends and comprising two parts which are hinged at a location between said ends so that said parts can be;

(a) folded together in one direction to a parallel, side-by-side condition, or

(b) unfolded and opened to a coaxial condition,

D. each brace being connected between one of said legs and its respective top section such that when said braces are opened to their coaxial condition, they will hold said legs in their open condition, and when said braces are folded together, said legs will be in their collapsed condition, and

E. brace-holding means comprising;

(a) a brace-stop member on one of said two parts of each of said braces for preventing the parts of each respective brace from being folded together in a direction opposite to said one direction, toward a parallel, side-by-side condition, and

(b) a pair of flexible cables, each of said cables being connected to said leg braces and to said top sections, said brace-holding means, including said cables and their respective stop members, being arranged to;

(1) hold said leg braces in their coaxial condition so as to prevent said braces from folding to their parallel, side-by-side condition in response to said top surface being in their open, coplanar condition, and

(2) allow said braces to be folded in said one direction, away from their coaxial condition toward their collapsed condition in response to said top sections being folded at least partially together, toward their collapsed condition, and

(c) a pair of cable support legs extending down from an area adjacent said one edge of one of said top sections, each cable of said pair of cables being connected between a part of each top section remote from said one edge thereof, a center part of each cable passing over the end of a respective cable support leg remote from its point of connection to said one top section, said cables being arranged so that they are taut when said table is in an open condition and said leg braces are in their coaxial condition.

2. The table of claim 1 wherein said brace-holding means also comprises a crosspiece interconnecting each pair of legs, each cable passing through both crosspieces, and a stop member on each cable adjacent each crosspiece.

3. The table of claim 2 wherein said stop member comprises a sleeve crimped to its cable and springably-compressible means affixed to its cable between said sleeve and an adjacent crosspiece.

4. The collapsible table of claim 1 wherein said cables are connected so that one end of each cable is connected to a part of each leg brace adjacent the leg to which said brace is connected, the other end of each cable being connected to the corresponding part of an opposing leg brace.

5. The collapsible table of claim 1 wherein one end of each cable is connected to a part of each leg adjacent the to where said brace is connected, the opposite end of each being connected to the corresponding part of the opposite leg, said cables being arranged so that they are taut when said table is in an open condition and said legs are in their open condition, and two pairs of secondary cables, each secondary cable being connected between one part of a respective brace and one of said cables of said first pair of cables.

6. A collapsible table, comprising:

A. two hingedly interconnected top sections, each top section having two major opposing surfaces which face in opposite directions, one opposing surface being an undersurface and the other opposing surface being a top surface, one edge of each top section being joined to one edge of the other top section by hinge means arranged to enable said top sections to be;

(a) folded together in a collapsed condition so that their undersurfaces face each other, and

(b) folded apart to an open condition so that their undersurfaces are coplanar,

B. two pairs of legs, each leg comprising an elongated member, each pair of legs being hingedly joined to the undersurface of a respective top section at two locations which are spaced apart and which are remote from said one edge thereof, each pair of legs being joined to the undersurface of its top section by hinge means arranged to enable each pair of legs to folded to;

(a) a collapsed condition so that said legs lie parallel and adjacent to the undersurface of their top section, and

(b) an open condition so that they extend out from the undersurface of their top section, and

C. locking means, responsive to the condition of said top sections, for;

(a) locking said two pairs of legs in their open condition so as to prevent them from being folded in to their collapsed condition in response to said top surfaces being in their open, coplanar condition, and

(b) allowing said legs to be folded to their collapsed condition so as to allow each pair to lie parallel to the undersurface of their top section in response to said top sections being folded at least partially together, toward their collapsed condition,

D. said locking means comprising;

a pair of cable support legs extending down from an area adjacent said one edge of one of said top sections,

four elongated leg braces, each comprising two parts which are hinged together at a location between the opposite ends of said braces and which are (a) foldable together in one direction to a parallel, side-by-side condition and (b) openable to a coaxial condition, each brace connected between one of said legs and its respective top section,

four brace-stop members, one brace-stop member on one of said two parts of each of said braces for preventing the parts of each respective brace from being folded together in a direction opposite to said one direction, toward a parallel, side-by-side condition,

a pair of cables, one end of each connected between a part of each top section remote from said one edge thereof, a center part of each passing over the end of a respective cable support leg remote from its point of connection to said one top section, said cables being arranged so that they are taut when said table is in an open condition and said leg brace parts are coaxial, and

brace-holding means for holding said hinged parts of said leg braces in their coaxial condition in response to said cables being taut.

7. The table of claim 6 wherein said brace-holding means comprises a crosspiece interconnecting each pair of legs, each cable passing through both crosspieces, and a stop member on each cable adjacent each crosspiece.

8. The table of claim 7 wherein said stop member comprises a sleeve crimped to its cable and springably-compressible means affixed to its cable between said sleeve and the adjacent crosspiece.

9. A collapsible table, comprising:

A. two hingedly interconnected top sections, each top section having two major opposing surfaces which face in opposite directions, one opposing surface being an undersurface and the other opposing surface being a top surface, each top section having an inner edge at one end thereof and an outer edge at the opposite end thereof, the inner edge of each top section being joined to the inner edge of the other top section by hinge means arranged to enable said top sections to be;

(a) folded together in a collapsed condition so that their undersurfaces face each other, and

(b) folded apart to an open condition so that their undersurfaces are coplanar,

B. two pairs of legs, each leg comprising an elongated member, each pair of legs being hingedly joined to the undersurface of a respective top section at two locations which are spaced apart and which are remote from said one edge thereof, each pair of legs being joined to the undersurface of its top section by hinge means arranged to enable each pair of legs to folded to;

(a) a collapsed condition so that said legs lie parallel and adjacent to the undersurface of their top section, and

(b) an open condition so that they extend out from the undersurface of their top section,

C. each pair of legs being joined to its respective top section at locations closer to said outer edge of said top section than said inner edge thereof, said legs extending from said top sections at greater than a right angle,

D. locking means, responsive to the condition of said top sections, for

(a) locking said two pairs of legs in their open condition so as to prevent them from being folded in to their collapsed condition in response to said top surfaces being in their open, coplanar condition, and

(b) allowing said legs to be folded to their collapsed condition so as to allow each pair of legs to lie parallel to the undersurface of their top section in response to said said top sections being folded at least partially together, toward their collapsed condition,

E. said locking means comprising a pair of cable support legs extending down from an area adjacent said inner edges of said top sections, and a pair of cables, one end of each connected to a respective leg, the other end of each being connected to the corresponding part of the opposite leg, a center part of each cable passing over the end of a respective cable support leg remote from its point of connection to the top sections of said table, each cable extending out, from its point of connection with its respective leg, to a pulley attached to the undersurface of a top section at the end of said top section opposite said one end thereof, and thence in to its cable support leg, said cables being arranged so that they are taut when said table is in an open condition and said top sections are coplanar.