Table and method

• US 6,347,591 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jonathan S. Karpa, Scott A. Binder
• Original Assignee: Jonathan S. Karpa, Scott A. Binder
• Inventors: Karpa, Jonathan S., Binder, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, GERALD A
• Application Number:
  US09/635,136
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 108/150, 108/50.11, 108/59, 108/42, 108/151, 108/10, 108/166, 312/196
• US Class Current: 108/50.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 37/00 Tables adapted for other particular purposes glass cutting tables C03B33/03

Abstract

A table construction and method is provided having an internal opening that selectively accommodates a floor lamp or torchier and allows the insertion and removal of the lamp from the opening in a horizontal plane without disassembling the lamp and without requiring the component pieces of the table to be completely separated.

Claims

1. A table adapted to accommodates a lamp having a self supporting base and a pole section extending therefrom, said table comprising:

a tabletop having first and second sections, said first and second sections each having an interior edge that defines one portion of an interior opening within said tabletop, said interior opening being sufficiently sized to surround a portion of the pole section of said lamp without being fixedly attached to said lamp, said sections further being pivotally connected to one another near one end of each of said respective edges to allow an opposite end of said sections to be moved away from one another to permit access to said opening in a horizontal plane; and

a table support supporting said first and second sections of said tabletop, said table support further extending downwardly from said tabletop and being laterally spaced from said interior opening of said tabletop to thereby provide an independent support structure for said tabletop.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said base comprises a plurality of legs.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said legs are located substantially at corners of said tabletop.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising releasable means for securing said first section to said second section.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising means for supporting said first and second sections located underneath both of said sections and connected to only one of said sections.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising an apron located below said tabletop, said apron further comprising a front swing arm movable from a first position under said tabletop to a second position where it permits access to said interior edges of said first and second sections.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said apron further comprises first and second side panels and a rear panel between said first and second side panels, said rear panel having first and second members, said first member being joined to said side panel at one end and being pivotally connected at its opposite end to one end of said second member.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said tabletop is rectangular.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said base has a first and second ends, said first end being connected to said tabletop and further comprising a removable shelf between said tabletop and said second end of said base, said tabletop, said shelf further comprising an interior aperture thereto that is vertically aligned with said opening defined by said first and second sections of said tabletop.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said tabletop is circular.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising an apron located below said tabletop, wherein the edges of said apron are located in close proximity to the outer circumference of said tabletop in a configuration that maximizes a square under the said circular tabletop.

12. A method of inserting a torchier having a base and a lamp portion connected by a midsection in a tabletop having first and second sections and a table support, each of said sections having an interior edge that defines one portion of an interior opening within said tabletop, said sections further being pivotally connected to one another near one end of each of said respective edges, comprising the steps of:

supporting said first and second sections on said table support, moving at least one of said first and second sections away from said other section while they are still connected;

inserting the torchier into the interior opening of said table by moving the midsection of said torchier in a horizontal plane from a location outside the outer edge of said tabletop through the interior of said tabletop and into said opening while said first and second sections are connected; and

moving at least one of said first and second sections toward said other section while they are still connected until a portion of the midsection of said torchier is surrounded by said interior opening without being fixedly attached to said tabletop, whereby said first and second table sections are independently supported by said table support.