Bowling table with multiple seating arrangements

• US 6,848,741 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMF Bowling Worldwide Incorporated (Bowlero Corp.)
• Original Assignee: AMF Bowling Worldwide Incorporated (Bowlero Corp.)
• Inventors: Williamson, Brian, Bredlow, William, Ford, Gary J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/438,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 297/158.3, 297/158.4, 297/157.1, 297/174.R, D 6/338, D 6/336, D 6/337
• US Class Current: 297/157.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/10 Tops characterised by shape, other than circular or rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/02 Tables combined with seats folding or stowable tables with separable parts combined with seats A47B3/063; foldable table and seat units A47B3/14

Abstract

A furniture unit that includes a substantially triangular table and a first and second plurality of seats fixedly attached along two sides of the table. A directional view of the third side of the table is unobstructed as viewed from any of the first and second plurality of seats. A support structure is provided that maintains the table and the first and second plurality of seats at a certain distance and provides for unobstructed leg-area. A third set of seats may be provided along each of the three sides of the substantially triangular table and may be interconnected by a support structure that provides a substantially unobstructed ingress and egress to each seat.

Claims

1. A furniture unit, comprising:

a substantially triangular table having a first side, a second side and a third side;

a first plurality of seats fixed to the substantially triangular table along the first side thereof;

a second plurality of seats fixed to the substantially triangular table along the second side thereof; and

at least one vertical support member adapted to be supported by a supporting surface extending from an underside of the substantially triangular table to the supporting surface,

wherein the third side of the substantially triangular table is devoid of fixedly attached seats such that the position of the first and second plurality of seats provides an unobstructed view towards the third side of the substantially triangular table.

2. The furniture unit of claim 1, further comprising a support structure to support the substantially triangular table and each seat of the first and second plurality of seats.

3. The furniture unit of claim 2, wherein:

the support structure includes a horizontal support member and the at least one vertical support member includes a plurality of vertical support members, and

the each seat of the first and second plurality of seats being attached to respective ones of the vertical support members.

4. The furniture unit of claim 3, wherein each seat of the first and second plurality of seats is attached to the horizontal support structure for spacing the each seat at a distance from the substantially triangular table.

5. The furniture unit of claim 3, wherein the horizontal support member is fixedly attached to at least one of the vertical support members between the substantially triangular table and the first and second plurality of seats.

6. The furniture unit of claim 3, wherein the plurality of first and second seats are attached to the horizontal support member so that a leg-area between the substantially triangular table and each seat of the plurality of first and second seats is substantially unobstructed.

7. The furniture unit of claim 1, wherein the substantially triangular table is a cam shaped.

8. The furniture unit of claim 7, wherein the cam shaped table has rounded corners.

9. The furniture unit of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of seats are swivel mounted to a frame connected to the substantially triangular table at a fixed distance.

10. A furniture unit with attached seats, comprising:

a substantially triangular table;

a first set of seats positioned along a first side of the substantially triangular table;

a second set of seats positioned along a second side of the substantially triangular table; and

a support structure supporting the substantially triangular table and each seat of the first and second set of seats, the support structure further connecting the substantially triangular table to each seat of the first and second set of seats at a fixed distance from the substantially triangular table,wherein the support structure includes;

a horizontal frame structure connecting to the first and second set of seats, and

a vertical frame member extending from a bottom surface of the substantially triangular table to a supporting surface.

11. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the substantially triangular table is a substantially equilateral triangular table.

12. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the substantial triangular table has rounded corners.

13. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein each side of the substantial triangular table includes substantially concave portions.

14. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein each seat of the first and second sets of seats is substantially equidistant from the substantially triangular table.

15. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the third side of the substantially triangular table is devoid of or free from seats in order to provide an unobstructed view from the first set and second set of seats towards the third side.

16. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the support structure further includes vertical supports for maintaining the substantially triangular table and the first and second set of seats at a predetermined distance from the substantially triangular table.

17. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein each seat of the first and second set of seats includes a contoured back and a contoured seat platform.

18. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the support structure includes horizontal support members and vertical support members, wherein:

each seat of the first and second set of seats are attached to respective ones of the vertical support members,

at least one of the vertical support members is the vertical frame member attached to the underside of the substantially triangular table, and

the horizontal support members are fixedly attached to the at least one of the vertical support member and the respective ones of the vertical support members attached to the each seat.

19. The furniture unit of claim 10, further comprising a third set of seats positioned along the third side of the substantially triangular table.

20. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the substantially triangular table is a cam shape.

21. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the first and second set of seats are swivel mounted to the support structure at a fixed distance from the substantially triangular table.

22. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the horizontal frame structure is connected to the vertical frame member.

23. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the vertical frame member includes vertical frame structures extending from the bottom surface of the substantially triangular table to portions of the horizontal frame structure.

24. The furniture unit of claim 23, wherein the vertical frame member and the structure support the substantially triangular table.

25. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the horizontal frame structure includes a plurality of frame members directly connecting at least one seat of the first set of seats and one seat of the second set of seats.

26. The furniture unit of claim 10, wherein the horizontal frame structure connects individually to each seat of the first and second set of seats.

27. A furniture unit consisting essentially of:

a substantially triangular table;

a first pair of seats positioned along a first side of the substantially triangular table;

a second pair of seats positioned along a second side of the substantially triangular table;

a support structure supporting the substantially triangular table and each seat of the first and second pair of seats, wherein the support structure includes;

horizontal support members, and

vertical support members, wherein

each seat of the first and second pair of seats is attached to respective ones of the vertical support members,

at least one of the vertical support members is attached to an underside of the substantially triangular table, and

the horizontal support members are fixedly attached between the at least one of the vertical support member and the respective ones of the vertical support members,

wherein a third side of the substantially triangular table is devoid of fixedly attached seats such that the position of the first and second pair of seats provides an unobstructed view towards the third side of the substantially triangular table.

28. The furniture unit of claim 27, wherein the substantially triangular table is a substantially equilateral triangular table and has rounded corners.

29. A furniture unit with attached seats, comprising:

a substantially triangular table;

a first set of seats positioned along a first side of the substantially triangular table;

a second set of seats positioned along second side of the substantially triangular table; and

a support structure including;

a horizontal support structure extending to each seat of the first and second set of seats and connecting the each seat at a fixed distance from the substantially triangular table; and

a vertical support structure extending from an underside of the substantially triangular table to at least one horizontal frame member of the horizontal frame structure.

30. A furniture unit, comprising:

a substantially triangular table having a first side, a second side and a third side;

a first plurality of seats fixed to the substantially triangular table along the first side thereof;

a second plurality of seats fixed to the substantially triangular table along the second side thereof;

a horizontal frame structure connecting between the first and second set of seats, and

at least one vertical support member extending from an underside of the substantially triangular table to a supporting surface and connecting to the horizontal frame structure.