Flip top table

• US 20070137534A1
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Dhanoa, David, Olvera, Francisco
• Granted Patent: US 7,677,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/115
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/0812 the resilient force of the elastic locking means acting in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the leg

Abstract

A flip top table assembly including a table top member having an undersurface, a leg member having a top end, a hinge linking the top member to the top end of the leg member for pivotal movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position, a restrainer forming at least first and second openings and forming an edge, a slider forming at least first and second distal pin ends, the slider supported by one of the table top member and the leg member proximate the restraining member and at least a first spring biasing the slider toward the restraining member where, when the top member is in the horizontal position, the first pin end is aligned with the first opening and is biased by the spring toward a restraining position and, when the top member is in the vertical position, the second pin end is aligned with the second opening and is biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the second opening and the first pin end is biased by the spring toward a space adjacent the edge of the restraining member outside the first and second openings.

Claims

1. A flip top table assembly comprising:

a table top member having an undersurface;

a leg member having a top end;

a hinge linking the top member to the top end of the leg member for pivotal movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position;

a restrainer forming at least first and second openings and forming an edge;

a slider forming at least first and second distal pin ends, the slider supported by one of the table top member and the leg member proximate the restraining member; and

at least a first spring biasing the slider toward the restraining member;

wherein, when the table top member is in the substantially horizontal position, the first pin end is substantially aligned with the first opening and is biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the first opening and, when the table top member is in the substantially vertical position, the second pin end is substantially aligned with the second opening and is biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the second opening and the first pin end is biased by the spring toward a space adjacent the edge of the restraining member outside the first and second openings.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the slider includes first and second pins that form the first and second pin ends, respectively.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the spring includes first and second compression springs that form first and second spring passageways, respectively, the first pin extending through the first passageway and the second spring extending through the second passageway.

4. The assembly of claim 2 further including an activation cable wherein the slider further includes a slider bracket that forms first and second openings, the first and second pins passing through the first and second openings, respectively, the activation cable linked at one end to the slider bracket.

5. The assembly of claim 4 further including a hinge bracket mounted to the undersurface of the top member, the slider supported by the hinge bracket with the spring positioned between the hinge bracket and the slider bracket.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the hinge and the hinge bracket are integrally formed.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the distal ends of the pin ends taper.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the restrainer forms a third opening and, wherein, when the top member is in the substantially horizontal position, the second pin end is substantially aligned with the third opening and is biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the third opening.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the top end of the leg member forms the restrainer and the slider is supported by the undersurface of the top member.

10. The assembly of claim 9 further including a hinge bracket mounted to the undersurface of the top member, the slider supported by the hinge bracket.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the hinge and the hinge bracket are integrally formed.

12. The assembly of claim 1 further including an activator linked to the slider for moving the slider against the force of the spring to a released position wherein the pin ends are displaced from the openings.

13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the activator includes a cable.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the activator further includes a handle and a sheath and the cable includes first and second ends linked to the slider and the handle, respectively, at least a portion of the cable between the first and second ends passing through the sheath.

15. A flip top table assembly comprising:

a table top member having an undersurface;

a leg member having a top end and forming at least first and second openings at the top end;

a hinge bracket mounted to the undersurface of the top member;

a pivot pin mounting the hinge bracket to the top end of the leg member for pivotal motion about a pivot axis between a vertical position and a horizontal position wherein the top member is oriented substantially vertically and substantially horizontally, respectively;

a slider forming a pin end, the slider supported by the hinge bracket proximate the top end of the leg member; and

at least a first spring biasing the pin end toward the top end of the leg member;

wherein, the slider and spring move with the hinge bracket and top member when the top member is pivoted between the substantially vertical and substantially horizontal positions, when the table top member is in the substantially horizontal position, the pin end substantially aligned with one of the openings and biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the aligned opening and, when the table top member is in the substantially vertical position, the pin end substantially aligned with the other of the openings and biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the other of the openings.

16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the slider includes first and second pins that each pin includes a distal pin end and wherein the spring biases each of the first and second pin distal ends toward the top end of the leg member.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein the top end of the leg member forms first, second and third openings where the one of the openings is the third opening and the other of the openings is the second opening, and wherein the second pin is substantially aligned with the first opening and is biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the first opening when the top member is in the substantially horizontal position.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the first opening is horizontally at the same level as the third opening.

19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the first opening is spaced away from the pivot axis a greater distance than the first opening.

20. The assembly of claim 16 further including a second spring wherein each of the springs is a compression spring that that forms a spring passageway, the first pin extending through the passageway formed by the first spring and the second pin extending through the passageway formed by the second spring.

21. The assembly of claim 20 further including an activation cable wherein the slider further includes a slider bracket that forms first and second openings and that is supported by the hinge bracket, the first and second pins passing through the first and second openings, respectively, the activation cable linked at one end to the hinge bracket.

22. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the first and second openings are equi-spaced from the pivot axis.

23. The assembly of claim 22 wherein the first opening is formed below the pivot axis and the second opening is formed to the side of the pivot axis.

24. The assembly of claim 15 wherein an activation cable is linked at one end to the slider for moving the slider against the force of the spring to a released position where the pin end is removed from the openings.

25. The assembly of claim 15 further including:

a second leg member having a top end and forming at least first and second openings at the top end;

a second hinge bracket mounted to the undersurface of the top member;

a second pivot pin mounting the second hinge bracket to the top end of the second leg member for pivotal motion about a second pivot axis between a vertical position and a horizontal position wherein the top member is oriented substantially vertically and substantially horizontally, respectively;

a second slider forming a pin end, the second slider supported by the second slider bracket proximate the top end of the second leg member; and

at least a second spring biasing the pin end of the second slider toward the top end of the second leg member;

wherein, the second slider and second spring move with the second hinge bracket and top member when the top member is pivoted between the substantially vertical and substantially horizontal positions, when the table top member is in the substantially horizontal position, the pin end of the second slider is substantially aligned with one of the openings in the top end of the second leg member and is biased by the second spring toward a restraining position received within the aligned opening and, when the table top member is in the substantially vertical position, the pin end of the second slider is substantially aligned with the other of the openings in the second leg member and is biased by the second spring toward a restraining position received within the other of the openings.

26. The assembly of claim 25 further including first and second activation cables that are linked at first ends to the first and second sliders and are linked at second ends to first and second handles, respectively.

27. The assembly of claim 26 wherein each of the handles is mounted to the undersurface of the table top member adjacent an edge of the table top member.

28. A flip top table assembly comprising:

a table top member having an undersurface;

a leg member having a top end and forming first, second and third openings at the top end;

a hinge bracket mounted to the undersurface of the top member;

a pivot pin mounting the bracket to the top end of the leg member for pivotal motion about a pivot axis between a vertical position and a horizontal position wherein the top member is oriented substantially vertically and substantially horizontally, respectively;

a slider forming first and second pin ends, the slider supported by the hinge bracket proximate the top end of the leg member; and

at least a first spring biasing the first and second pin ends toward the top end of the leg member;

wherein, the slider and spring move with the hinge bracket and top member when the top member is pivoted between the substantially vertical and substantially horizontal positions, when the table top member is in the substantially horizontal position, the first and second pin ends substantially aligned with the first and third openings and biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the aligned openings and, when the table top member is in the substantially vertical position, the second pin end substantially aligned with the second opening and biased by the spring toward a restraining position received within the second opening.

29. The assembly of claim 28 wherein the leg member forms a fourth opening at the top end, the pivot post passing through the fourth opening and wherein the second and third openings are equi-spaced from the fourth opening and wherein the distance between the first and fourth openings is greater than the distance between the second and fourth openings.

30. The assembly of claim 29 wherein the slider includes first and second separate pins that form the first and second pin ends, respectively.

31. The assembly of claim 30 further including a second spring wherein each of the springs is a compression spring forming a spring passageway and wherein the first and second pins pass through the passageways formed by the first and second springs, respectively.

32. The assembly of claim 28 further including an activation cable linked at one end to the slider for moving the slider to a release position in which the pin ends are removed from the openings.

33. The assembly of claim 32 wherein a second end of the cable is linked to a handle that is mounted to the undersurface of the top member adjacent and edge of the top member.

34. A flip top table assembly comprising:

a table top member having an undersurface;

first and second leg members having a top ends;

first and second hinges linking the top member to the top ends of the first and second leg members, respectively, for pivotal movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position;

first and second restrainers, each restrainer forming at least first and second openings and forming an edge;

first and second sliders, each slider forming a distal pin end, the first slider supported by one of the table top member and the first leg member proximate the first restraining member, the second slider supported by one of the table top member and the second leg member proximate the second restraining member;

first and second springs biasing the first and second sliders toward the first and second restraining members, respectively;

first and second handles mounted to the undersurface of the top member; and

first and second activation cables, each cable including first and second ends, the first ends linked to the first and second sliders and the second ends linked to the first and second handles, respectively, wherein, when the first and second handles are pulled, the sliders move against the force of the first and second springs to released positions wherein the pin ends are removed from the openings, respectively;

wherein, when the table top member is in the substantially horizontal position, the pin end formed by the first slider is substantially aligned with one of the openings formed by the first restrainer and is biased by the first spring toward a restraining position received within the aligned opening and the pin end formed by the second slider is substantially aligned with one of the openings formed by the second restrainer and is biased by the second spring toward a restraining position received within the aligned opening and, when the table top member is in the substantially vertical position, the pin end formed by the first slider is substantially aligned with the other of the openings formed by the first restrainer and is biased by the first spring toward a restraining position received within the other opening and the pin end formed by the second slider is substantially aligned with the other of the openings formed by the second restrainer and is biased by the second spring toward a restraining position received within the other opening.

35. The assembly of claim 34 wherein the first and second hinges form first and second integral hinge brackets, the first and second sliders are supported by the first and second hinge brackets and the first and second leg members form the first and second restrainers, respectively.

36. An apparatus for pivotally mounting a leg member to the undersurface of a of a table top, the apparatus comprising:

a mounting plate that includes first and second oppositely facing edges;

first and second arm members that extend to distal ends substantially perpendicular to the mounting plate and in the same direction from the first and second edges so as to form a leg receiving channel between the first and second arm members;

a lateral extension member that extends from and substantially perpendicular to the distal end of the second arm member and away from the first arm member to a distal end; and

a longitudinal extension member that extends from the distal end of the lateral extension member and substantially perpendicular to the second arm member so as to form a slider receiving channel between the second arm member and the longitudinal extension member.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the second arm member forms at least two openings and the longitudinal extension member forms at least two openings and wherein the two openings formed by the longitudinal extension member are aligned with the two openings formed by the second arm member.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the second arm member further forms two additional openings and the first arm member forms two openings and wherein the two additional openings formed by the second arm member are aligned with the two openings formed by the first arm member.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 further including a pin wherein the pin passes through a pair of the aligned openings formed by the first and second arm members to link the bracket to a leg member.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 further including a slider that forms first and second pin ends, at least a portion of the slider supported in the slider receiving channel with the first and second pin ends aligned with two of the openings formed by the second arm member.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 further including a biaser for biasing the pin ends toward the leg receiving channel.