Adjustable fold-away table having furniture attachment bracket

• US 5,129,702 A
• Filed: 03/26/1990
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ervin, David
• Original Assignee: Ervin, David
• Inventors: Ervin, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gardner, James M.
• Application Number:
  US07/498,424
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 297/144, 297/145, 297/162, 297/192, 297/431, 297/173, 297/174, 297/105, 297/192, 297/194, 297/150, 297/154, 297/135, 108/49, 108/193, 248/429, 248/430, 248/424, 248/425
• US Class Current: 297/144
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/05 Service tables resting on the floor and also being fixed or related to an item of furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/02 Tables combined with seats folding or stowable tables with separable parts combined with seats A47B3/063; foldable table and seat units A47B3/14

Abstract

The fold-away table is attached to an underside of a chair, sofa or the like. The fold-away table provides for the use of two parallel rails which are attached to the underside of the chair, along which rails a carriage slides forward and rearward in relation to the chair. One of the rails carries a locking bar with teeth formed on its inner side which match and interlock with teeth of a locking piece carried by the carriage, so as to secure position of the carriage in relation to the chair when extended. The carriage has a table top leg support which pivots to a vertical orientation and which has a table top supported on one of its tubular members. A tilting mechanism carried by the tubular member allows tilting of the table top to an angle most convenient for the user. A release mechanism which is mounted on the forward end of one of the rails is activated by foot of the user, when necessary, to release locking engagement of the locking bar and the locking piece.

Claims

1. A fold-away table for use with a chair, comprising:

a means for attaching said table to an underside frame of the chair;

a pair of parallel spaced-apart rail members fixedly secured to said attachment means and extending from a front of the chair rearwardly under the chair;

a carriage means mounted in sliding engagement between said rail members for sliding movement along said rail members, said carriage means comprising a first elongated tubular member extending in parallel relationship to said rail members, a second elongated tubular member mounted inside said first tubular member, and wherein one end of said second tubular member is fixedly attached to a table top leg support means;

a table top leg support means carried by a foremost portion of said carriage means and movable between a first fold-away position and a second position vertically extending in front of the chair;

a means for locking said carriage means in a plurality of selected positions in relation to said rail members, said locking means comprising an elongated locking bar fixedly attached to one of said rail members, said locking bar having an inner side provided with a plurality of teeth, and a locking piece having a plurality of matching teeth on one side thereof, said locking piece being fixedly attached to said second tubular member and movable into a locking engagement with the teeth of the locking bar in response to rotational movement of said second tubular member when the table top leg support means is pivoted into a vertical position;

means for securing said table top leg support means in its second position;

means for releasing said carriage means from its locked engagement with respect to said rail members; and

a table top mounted on said leg support means, said table top being adapted to tilt to a desired angle with respect to horizontal plane when said leg support means is in its second position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said carriage means further comprises at least one cross member having a sliding plate mounted on each end thereof, said rail members each having a channel formed on either side thereof, and wherein said sliding plates are slidably engaged within said channels.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said release means comprises a release mechanism mounted on the second of said rail members adjacent to a forward end of said second rail member, and a pulling wire secured at one of its ends to said release mechanism and secured at its other end to said locking piece.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the release mechanism comprises a cylindrically shaped pivotal element having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion having a diametrical slot extending from a bottom end of the lower portion of the pivotal element to a distance upwardly, a substantially rectangular stationary insert fitted within said diametrical slot, about which said pivotal element swivels to a maximum of 90 degrees, and a substantially cylindrical sleeve rotationally mounted about said upper portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said release mechanism is further provided with a release bar fixedly attached to said sleeve and extending outwardly therefrom in perpendicular relationship to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical element, a loop secured to said sleeve on diametrically opposite side from said release bar, and wherein said pulling wire is secured to said loop such that a rotational force imparted on said sleeve through said release bar is transmitted as a pulling force on said wire, releasing said locking piece from its engagement with the locking bar.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said release mechanism is provided with a tension spring attached at one of its ends to said release bar and attached at its second end to said attaching means, so as to prevent free rotation of said sleeve prior to application of the rotational force.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said table top leg support means comprises an outer tubular member, one end of which is pivotally attached to said carriage means, and an interior tubular member co-axially slidably movable inside said outer tubular member, and a tilting means for tilting the table top to a desired angle towards or away from a user.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said outer tubular member is provided with an elongated slot in its wall formed in a substantially parallel relationship to a longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member, and wherein a screw is fixedly secured to said interior tubular member with a head of the screw projecting through said slot.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said interior tubular member comprises a first part and a second part hingedly attached to said first part, and wherein said second part is telescopically extended from the outer tubular member to allow pivoting of said second part in relation to said first part and said outer tubular member at a right angle.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said tilting means comprises a cylindrical element having two portions, each provided with interlocked matching tilting teeth and a tilting teeth release means which, when activated, releases locking engagement of the teeth, thus allowing rotation of one of the portions to a desired degree.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said table top is securely attached to said rotatable portion of said tilting mechanism cylindrical element.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising means for axially rotating said table top, leg support means.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for axially rotating comprise a tubular member having a first portion and a second portion co-axially joined together along adjoining parts, a first cylindrical insert fixedly secured inside said second portion and extending between said first and said second portions;

a second cylindrical insert secured within said first portion a distance from said first insert;

said first and said second inserts being each provided with a circular cross member which forms a bottom for the insert;

said cross members being each formed with a central opening;

a retaining means for retaining the inserts in a spaced-apart relationship, said retaining means extending through the openings formed in the cross members in such a manner as to permit rotation of the first portion about it longitudinal axis in relation to said second portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said retaining means comprises a bolt having one part thereof extending into said first insert and a tension spring mounted about said part of the bolt, with one end of the spring urging against a bottom of the first insert, a second part of the bolt extending into the second insert, said second bolt part carrying a retaining nut thereon.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said first portion of the tubular member is provided with a cutout groove and a second portion is provided with a cutout groove which fittingly matches the groove of the first portion, so as to permit matching engagement of the adjoining parts, while permitting a limited rotation of the first portion in relation to the second portion.

16. A fold-away table for use with a chair, comprising:

a means for attaching said table to an underside frame of the chair;

a pair of parallel spaced-apart rail members fixedly secured to said attachment means and extending from in front of the chair rearwardly under the chair;

a carriage means mounted in sliding engagement between said rail members for sliding movement along said rail members, said carriage means comprising a first elongated tubular member extending in parallel relationship to said rail members, a second elongated tubular member mounted inside said first tubular member and adapted for a limited rotation therein, at least one cross member having a sliding plate mounted on each end thereof, said rail members each having a channel formed on inner side thereof, and wherein the sliding plates are slidably engaged within said channels;

a means for locking said carriage means in a plurality of selected positions in relation to said rail members, and said locking means comprising an elongated locking bar fixedly attached to one of said rail members, said locking bar having an inner side provided with a plurality of teeth, and a locking piece having a plurality of matching teeth on one side thereof, said locking piece being fixedly attached to said second tubular member of said carriage means and movable into a locking engagement with the teeth of the locking bar in response to a rotational movement of said second tubular member;

a table top leg support means carried by a foremost portion of said carriage means and movable between a first fold-away position and a second position vertically extending in front of the chair, said table top leg support means comprising an outer tubular member, one end of which is pivotally attached to said carriage means, an interior tubular member co-axially slidably movable inside said outer tubular member and a tilting means for tilting a table top to a desired angle towards or away from the user;

a table top mounted on a free end of said leg support means, said table top being adapted to tilt to a desired angle with respect to a horizontal plane when said leg support means is in its second position;

means for securing said table top leg support means in its second position comprising a depressible knob extended through a slot formed in the outer tubular member of said carriage means; and

means for releasing said carriage means from its locked engagement with respect to said rail members, said release means comprising a release mechanism mounted on the second of said rail members adjacent a forward end of said second rail member and a pulling wire secured at one of its ends to said release mechanism and secured at its other end to said locking piece.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said release mechanism comprises a cylindrically-shaped pivotal element having a lower portion and an upper portion, said lower portion having a diametrical slot extending from a bottom end to a distance upwardly, a substantially rectangular stationary insert fitted within said diametrical slot about which said pivotal element swivels to a maximum of 90 degrees and a substantially cylindrical sleeve rotationally mounted about said upper portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said release mechanism is further provided with a release bar fixedly attached to said sleeve and extending outwardly therefrom in perpendicular relationship to a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical element, a loop secured to said sleeve on diametrically opposite side from said release bar, and wherein said pulling wire is secured to said loop such that a rotational force imparted on said sleeve through said release bar is transmitted as a pulling force on said wire, releasing said locking piece from its engagement with the locking bar.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said release mechanism is provided with a tension spring attached at one of its ends to said release bar and attached at its second end to said attaching means, so as to prevent free rotation of said sleeve prior to application of the rotational force.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said table tilting means comprises a cylindrical element having two portions, each provided with interlocked matching tilting teeth and a tilting teeth release means which, when activated, releases locking engagement of the teeth, thus allowing rotation of one of the portions to a desired degree.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for axially rotating said table top leg support means.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said retaining means comprises a bolt having one part thereof extending into said first insert and a tension spring mounted about said part of the bolt, with one end of the spring urging against a bottom of the first insert, a second part of the bolt extending into the second insert, said second bolt part carrying a retaining nut thereon.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said means for axially rotating comprise a tubular member having a first portion and a second portion co-axially joined together along adjoining parts, a first cylindrical insert fixedly secured inside said second portion and extending between said first and said second portions;

a second cylindrical insert secured within said first portion a distance from said first insert;

said first and said second inserts being each provided with a circular insert cross member which forms a bottom for the insert;

said insert cross members being each formed with a central opening;

a retaining means for retaining the inserts in a spaced-apart relationship, said retaining means extending through the openings formed in the insert cross members in such a manner as to permit rotation of the first portion about its longitudinal axis in relation to said second portion.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said first portion of the tubular member is provided with a cutout groove and a second portion is provided with a cutout groove which fittingly matches the groove of the first portion, so as to permit matching engagement of the adjoining part, while permitting a limited rotation of the first portion in relation to the second portion.

25. A fold-away table for use with a chair, comprising:

a means for attaching said table to an underside frame of the chair;

a pair of parallel spaced-apart rail members fixedly secured to said attachment means and extending from a front of the chair rearwardly under the chair;

a carriage means mounted in sliding engagement between said rail members for sliding movement along said rail members, said carriage means comprising a first elongated tubular member and a second elongated tubular member;

a table top leg support means carried by a foremost portion of said carriage means and movable between a first fold-away position and a second position vertically extending in front of the chair;

a table top mounted on said leg support means, said table top being adapted to tilt to a desired angle with respect to a horizontal plane when said leg support means is in its second position; and

a means for locking said carriage means in a plurality of selected positions in relation to said rail members, so as to maintain the table top at multiple stable positions, said locking means comprising an elongated locking bar fixedly attached to one of said rail members, said locking bar having an inner side provided with a plurality of teeth, and a locking piece having a plurality of matching teeth on one side thereof, said locking piece being fixedly attached to said second tubular member and movable into a locking engagement with the teeth of the locking bar in response to rotational movement of said second tubular member.