Massage table with secure lock legs

• US 8,256,360 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Earthlite, LLC
• Original Assignee: Earthlite Massage Tables, Inc.
• Inventors: Chow, William W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Assistant Examiner(s): ING, MATTHEW W
• Application Number:
  US11/436,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20060260516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: 248/188.5, 108/35, 108/38, 108/166, 108/167, 108/169, 108/170, 108/171, 108/172, 108/173, 108/174
• US Class Current: 108/169
• 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 massage table for supporting a person above a surface during a massage includes a table top assembly and a leg assembly. The table top assembly supports the person. The leg assembly is secured to the table top assembly and supports the table top assembly above the surface. The leg assembly includes a plurality of legs. At least at least one of the legs includes (i) a first leg section that is attached to the table top assembly, (ii) a second leg section that is movable relative to the first leg section to adjust the position of the table top assembly relative to the support, and (iii) a section attacher that selectively attaches the first leg section to the second leg section. In one embodiment, the section attacher includes a section stop and a section clamp. The section stop inhibits relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section. The section clamp also selectively inhibits relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section. With this design, in certain embodiments, the leg is designed to inhibit relative movement between the leg sections to insure quiet use of the massage table.

Claims

1. A massage table for supporting a person above a surface during a massage, the massage table comprising:

a table top assembly including a first table top, a second table top, and a hinge assembly that pivotably connects the table top sections together; and

a leg assembly that is secured to and supports the table top assembly above the surface, the leg assembly including four spaced apart legs, wherein each of the legs includes (i) a first leg section that is attached to the table top assembly, (ii) a second leg section that is movable relative to the first leg section to adjust the position of the table top assembly relative to the surface, and (iii) a section attacher that selectively attaches the first leg section to the second leg section, the section attacher including a section stop having a button that is secured to the second leg section, the button extending into an aperture in the first leg section to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section, and the section attacher including a section clamp having a threaded stud that selectively threads into an internally threaded surface attached to one of the leg sections to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section.

2. The massage table of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the internally threaded surface extends into an opening in the second leg section.

3. A massage table for supporting a person above a surface during a massage, the massage table comprising:

a table top assembly; and

a leg assembly that is secured to and supports the table top assembly above the surface, the leg assembly including a plurality of legs, wherein at least one of the legs includes (i) a first leg section that is attached to the table top assembly, the first leg section having three or more apertures that are substantially equally spaced apart along a first axis, (ii) a second leg section that is movable relative to the first leg section to adjust the position of the table top assembly relative to the surface, and (iii) a section attacher that selectively attaches the first leg section to the second leg section, the section attacher including a section stop having a button that is secured to the second leg section and that extends into one of the apertures in the first leg section to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section, and the section attacher including a section clamp having an internally threaded surface that is secured to the second leg section and a threaded stud that extends through the first leg section and selectively threads into the internally threaded surface to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section.

4. The massage table of claim 3 wherein the threaded stud is inserted through one of the three or more apertures to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section, and wherein the distance between the internally threaded surface and the button along the first axis is approximately equal to the distance between any two of the three or more apertures.

5. The massage table of claim 3 wherein the leg assembly includes four spaced apart legs and each of the four legs includes (i) a first leg section that is attached to the table top assembly, the first leg section having three or more apertures that are substantially equally spaced apart along a first axis, (ii) a second leg section that is movable relative to the first leg section to adjust the position of the table top assembly relative to the surface, and (iii) a section attacher that selectively attaches the first leg section to the second leg section, the section attacher including a section stop having a button that is secured to the second leg section and that extends into one of the apertures in the first leg section to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section, and the section attacher including a section clamp having an internally threaded surface that is secured to the second leg section and a threaded stud that extends through the first leg section and selectively threads into the internally threaded surface to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section.

6. The massage table of claim 3 wherein a portion of the second leg section fits and moves within the first leg section.

7. The massage table of claim 3 wherein each of the legs is pivotably secured to the table top assembly.

8. The massage table of claim 3 wherein the table top assembly includes a first table top, a second table top, and a hinge assembly that pivotably secures the first table top to the second table top.

9. The massage table of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the internally threaded surface extends into an opening in the second leg section.

10. A method for making an adjustable-height massage table, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a table top assembly;

supporting the table top assembly with a support assembly that is secured to the table top assembly, the support assembly including a leg assembly having a plurality of legs, wherein at least one of the legs includes (i) a first leg section having three or more apertures that are substantially equally spaced apart along a first axis, (ii) a second leg section, and (iii) a section attacher that selectively attaches the first leg section to the second leg section, the section attacher having a section stop and a section clamp;

selectively inhibiting relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section along the first axis with the section stop, the section stop including a button that is secured to the second leg section and that extends into one of the apertures in the first leg section; and

subsequently selectively inhibiting substantially all relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section with the section clamp that urges at least a portion of the leg sections together.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the section clamp includes an internally threaded surface that is secured to the second leg section, and wherein the distance between the internally threaded surface and the button along the first axis is approximately equal to the distance between any two of the three or more apertures.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of selectively supporting includes a portion of the button being designed to fit through one of the three or more apertures.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of subsequently selectively inhibiting includes the section clamp further having a threaded stud that fits through one of the three or more apertures and that threads into an internally threaded surface that is attached to the second leg section.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of subsequently selectively inhibiting includes the section clamp further having a threaded stud that is designed to be threaded into an internally threaded surface.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of supporting includes the leg assembly having four spaced apart legs, wherein each leg includes a first leg section, a second leg section, and a section attacher that selectively attaches the first leg section to the second leg section.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of supporting includes each section attacher having a section stop and a section clamp.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of supporting includes the step of pivotably securing each of the legs to the table top assembly.

18. A massage table for supporting a person above a surface during a massage, the massage table comprising:

a table top assembly including a first table top, a second table top, and a hinge assembly that pivotably connects the table top sections together; and

a leg assembly that is secured to and supports the table top assembly above the surface, the leg assembly including four spaced apart legs, wherein each of the legs includes (i) a first leg section that is attached to the table top assembly, the first leg section including a plurality of spaced apart apertures, (ii) a second leg section that is movable relative to the first leg section to adjust the position of the table top assembly relative to the surface, and (iii) a section attacher including a section stop and a section clamp that each selectively attaches the first leg section to the second leg section, the section stop including a button that is secured to the second leg section, the button extending into one of the apertures in the first leg section to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section, and the section clamp engaging at least one of the first leg section and the second leg section to selectively urge at least a portion of the leg sections together to selectively inhibit relative movement between the first leg section and the second leg section.