Articulating table
First Claim
1. An articulating table comprising:
- a circular section including a horizontal pivot and having a top surface; and
two or more leaves extending outward from the circular section and couplable to each other by rotation via the horizontal pivot to form a common planar surface with the top surface of the circular section when coupled to each other.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An articulating table can be easily adjusted by meeting participants, thereby suiting a wide range of meeting conditions without lifting, carrying or requiring specialized help. Rollers and/or electric motors make this transition easy. The articulating table includes two or more leaves coupled to each other by a large horizontal pivot. These leaves can be moved to different angles relative to each other, allowing for changes in configuration and capacity. The articulation can be accomplished using a rule joint, wherein the pivoting members are attached with offsets allowing the leaves to be placed in the same plane. The rule joint is divided into two or more parts, each attached to a leaf. These pivot parts are circular and have either a protrusion or depression concentric to their center, which fits into a corresponding part on the other member. This male/female arrangement provides a bearing surface and maintains alignment as the leaves pivot. Intermediate leaves, if filled, have a hole in their pivot member to accommodate the bearing assembly. Connectors and overlapping slots in the inner layers hold the joint together and limit motion as necessary. A split base housing rollers supports the other ends of the leaves.
17 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An articulating table comprising:
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a circular section including a horizontal pivot and having a top surface; and
two or more leaves extending outward from the circular section and couplable to each other by rotation via the horizontal pivot to form a common planar surface with the top surface of the circular section when coupled to each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 10. An apparatus comprising a horizontal pivot including a plurality of pivot elements stacked vertically on top of each other, a top one of said plurality of pivot elements having a top surface, said plurality of pivot elements being rotatable about the horizontal pivot relative to each other, each of said pivot elements having a substantially circular shape at a first end and a protruding section at a second end, said protruding sections each having a top surface being in a same horizontal plane as all other top surfaces of all other protruding sections, wherein when the plurality of pivot elements are rotated about the horizontal pivot into a first position two or more of said protruding leaves meet to form a common planar surface with the top surface of the top one of the plurality of pivot elements and when rotated about the horizontal pivot into a second position each of said protruding leaves separate to form a plurality of separate horizontal surfaces in a common plane.
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11. An apparatus comprising a horizontal pivot including a plurality of pivot elements stacked vertically on top of each other, said plurality of pivot elements being rotatable about the horizontal pivot relative to each other, each of said pivot elements having a substantially circular shape at a first end and a protruding section at a second end, said protruding sections each being in a same horizontal plane as all other protruding sections, wherein when the plurality of pivot elements are rotated about the horizontal pivot into a first position two or more of said protruding leaves meet to form one or more combined horizontal surfaces and when rotated about the horizontal pivot into a second position each of said protruding leaves separating to form a plurality of separate horizontal surfaces;
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a motor mounted in the horizontal pivot and automatically rotating the plurality of pivot elements with respect to each other from the first position to the second position.
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15. An apparatus for creating a plurality of work surfaces comprising:
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a plurality of surface elements, each of said plurality of surface elements having two parts, a first part having a first shape and being stackable vertically with all other first parts of the plurality of surface elements all of which are aligned on a common center, a second part having a second shape and being alignable horizontally with all other second parts to form a common planar surface with all other second parts and a top of the stack of first parts; and
a shaft attached to at least one of the plurality of surface elements enabling rotation of the plurality of surface elements with respect to each other around the common center so that in a first position around the common center the plurality of surface elements align to form the common planar surface and in one or more others positions around the common center the plurality of surface elements separate to form two or more separate horizontal surfaces in a common plane. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 19, 20)
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18. An apparatus for creating a plurality of work surfaces comprising:
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a plurality of surface elements, each of said plurality of surface elements having two parts, a first part having a first shape and being stackable vertically with all other first parts of the plurality of surface elements all of which are aligned on a common center, a second part having a second shape and being alignable horizontally with all other second parts to form a common horizontal surface with all other second parts and a top of the stack of first parts; and
a shaft attached to at least one of the plurality of surface elements enabling rotation of the plurality of surface elements with respect to each other around the common center so that in a first position around the common center the plurality of surface elements align to for the common horizontal surface and in one or more others positions around the common center the plurality of surface elements separate to form two or more separate horizontal surfaces; and
a motor mounted in the common base and coupled to the shaft and automatically rotating the plurality of surface elements with respect to each other from the first position to the one or more other positions.
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Specification