Method and apparatus for a one-legged table assembly

• US 9,648,947 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Michael Wetzstein
• Original Assignee: John Michael Wetzstein
• Inventors: Wetzstein, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US15/257,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: 108152, 108 47, 108 48, 108 44, 108 43, 2972177
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/28 Undercarriages for supports with one single telescoping pillar
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable

Abstract

A table assembly is disclosed that includes a tabletop having a first end and a second end, opposite the first end; a table leg couplable to the first end so as to support the first end when coupled thereto; and a resilient fastening member couplable to the second end and operably configured to selectively fasten the second end to an independent support structure so as to support the second end when the resilient fastening member is fastened to the independent support structure.

Claims

1. A table assembly comprising:

a tabletop having a first end and a second end, opposite the first end;

a table leg having a ground-engaging end opposite a tabletop-engaging end, the tabletop-engaging end being “

Y”

-shaped and couplable to the first end of the tabletop through at least two table leg receptacles on the tabletop such that the table leg is substantially perpendicular to the tabletop and disposed to support the first end when coupled thereto;

a resilient fastening member couplable to the second end and operably configured to selectively fasten the second end to an independent support structure so as to support the second end when the resilient fastening member is fastened to the independent support structure; and

wherein the independent support structure is one of a tree and a building column, and the second end defines a lateral recess shaped and configured to matingly receive at least a portion of one of the tree and the building column.

2. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the lateral recess is shaped to receive the at least a portion of the independent support structure therein from a lateral direction.

3. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the resilient fastening member and the lateral recess together define a receiving area operably configured to receive the independent support structure therein.

4. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the resilient fastening member is formed as an adjustable strap.

5. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the table leg is removeably couplable to the first end; and

the resilient fastening member is formed as a shoulder strap operably configured for a user to carry the tabletop.

6. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the independent support structure is fixedly connected to a ground surface on which the table leg is adapted to rest when supporting the first end of the tabletop in an upright configuration.

7. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the first end of the tabletop to which the table leg is couplable is not a center portion of the tabletop; and

the table assembly is adapted for use without a second table leg.

8. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the tabletop further includes a bottom portion disposed beneath a top surface of the tabletop, the bottom portion defining a resilient fastening member channel disposed beneath the top surface of the tabletop and operably configured to receive a first portion of the resilient fastening member therein, with a second portion of the resilient fastening member extending outwardly relative to the tabletop away from the second end of the tabletop.

9. The table assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

the tabletop defines at least one aperture having an opening defined by a top surface of the tabletop, the opening shaped to receive a peg through the top surface and the aperture sized to frictionally retain a coupled end of the peg therein, with a free end of the peg extending in a vertical direction above the top surface so as to form a protrusion on the tabletop, the free end disposed opposite the coupled end.

10. A one-legged table assembly comprising:

a tabletop having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a top surface, and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;

a table leg having a ground-engaging end opposite a tabletop-engaging end, the tabletop-engaging end being “

Y”

-shaped and couplable to the bottom surface of the first end of the tabletop through at least two table leg receptacles on the bottom surface of the first end of the tabletop so as to support the first end in an upright configuration when coupled thereto and when the ground-engaging end of the table leg is disposed on a ground surface, the table leg being substantially perpendicular with respect to the top surface of the tabletop when the tabletop-engaging end of the table leg is coupled to the bottom surface of the tabletop;

a resilient fastening member couplable to the second end and operably configured to selectively fasten the second end to an independent support structure so as to support the second end in the upright configuration when the resilient fastening member is fastened to the independent support structure, the independent support structure being fixedly connected to the ground surface on which the ground-engaging end of the table leg is disposed in the upright configuration; and

wherein the independent support structure is one of a tree and a building column, and the second end defines a lateral recess shaped and configured to matingly receive at least a portion of one of the tree and the building column.

11. The one-legged table assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

the lateral recess is shaped to receive the at least a portion of the independent support structure therein from a lateral direction.

12. The one-legged table assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

the resilient fastening member and the lateral recess together define a receiving area operably configured to receive the independent support structure therein.

13. The one-legged table assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

the resilient fastening member is formed as an adjustable strap.

14. The one-legged table assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

the first end to which the table leg is couplable is not a center portion of the tabletop; and

the table assembly is adapted for use without a second table leg.

15. The one-legged table assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein:

the tabletop further includes a bottom portion disposed beneath the top surface of the tabletop, the bottom portion defining a resilient fastening member channel disposed beneath the top surface of the tabletop and operably configured to receive a first portion of the resilient fastening member therein, with a second portion of the resilient fastening member extending outwardly relative to the tabletop away from the second end of the tabletop.

16. A method of forming a two-legged table by mounting a one-legged table assembly to at least one of a natural or man-made independent support structure fixedly connected to a ground, the method comprising steps of:

locating an independent support structure that is at least one of a natural and a man-made independent support structure fixedly connected to a ground and extending upwardly from the ground in a vertical direction;

coupling a table leg to a first end of a tabletop in a substantially perpendicular orientation with respect to the tabletop the table leg including a tabletop-engaging end that is “

Y”

-shaped and is couplable to the tabletop through at least two table leg receptacles on the tabletop;

coupling a resilient fastening member to a second end of the tabletop, the second end of the tabletop defining a lateral recess;

fastening the second end of the tabletop to the independent support structure such that the second end is supported by the independent support structure and the first end is supported by the table leg; and

matingly engaging the lateral recess to at least a portion of the independent support structure and selectively tightening the resilient fastening member about the independent support structure so as to secure the tabletop, together with the table leg, in an upright configuration.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the step of coupling the resilient fastening member further includes:

inserting the resilient fastening member into a channel defined by the tabletop.