Table tennis table

• US 6,990,910 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kettler International Incorporated (HEINZ KETTLER GMBH & CO. KG)
• Original Assignee: HEINZ KETTLER GMBH & CO. KG
• Inventors: Kettler, Joachim, Kettler, Heinz, Rocholl, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, JOSE V
• Application Number:
  US10/484,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 108/115, 108/166, 108/167, 108/168, 108/169, 108/170, 108/171, 108/172, 108/173, 108/174, 108/175, 248/188, 473/496
• US Class Current: 108/115
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 25/003 for table tennis

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a table tennis table comprising a lower frame and two playing surface boards. Said lower frame comprises vertical struts which are used as carrier elements and are arranged opposite each other along the width of the table tennis table, in the central region of the same, and vertical guiding structure on which guiding elements pertaining to fixing units applied to the playing surface boards can be moved upwards and downwards, in such a way that the playing surface boars can thus be transferred from a first position, in which the playing surface boards are vertically oriented and the guiding elements are arranged in a lower position, to a second position, in which the playing surface boards are horizontally oriented and the guiding elements are arranged in an upper position, the guiding structure being embodied on the vertical struts used as carrier elements.

Claims

1. A table for playing table tennis, comprising

a first playing surface having a first side, a second side, a first end and a second end,

a first vertical support brace attached to said first playing surface,

a second playing surface having a first side, a second side, a first end and a second end,

a second vertical support brace attached to said second playing surface,

the first playing surface second end placed proximate to said second playing surface second end,

a vertical brace next to said first playing surface and said second playing surface, said vertical brace having a middle leg, a first outer leg and a second outer leg,

a first mounting unit having a guide part attached to and extending from said first playing surface, said first guide part contacting and movable along said first outer leg,

a second mounting unit having a guide part attached to and extending from said second playing surface, said second guide part contacting and movable along said second outer leg.

2. The table as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertical brace has a substantially U-shaped or C-shaped cross section.

3. The table as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cross section of the vertical brace is a U-shaped leg with said outer legs extending substantially perpendicular from said middle leg, and the outer legs on their ends facing away from the U-shaped leg have a turned edge.

4. The table as claimed in claim 3, wherein the turned edge extends perpendicularlly away from the outer legs.

5. The table as claimed in claim 4, wherein the turned edges extend from the outer legs away from one another or toward one another.

6. The table as claimed in claim 3, wherein each guide part has at least one contact section which adjoins one of the side surfaces of one of the outer legs.

7. The table as claimed in claim 3, wherein each guide part has two contact sections which adjoin the opposing side surfaces of one of the outer legs.

8. The table as claimed in claim 6, wherein each guide part encompasses the turned edge of the corresponding outer leg.

9. The table as claimed in claim 6, wherein one guide part of one the mounting units at a time engages each of the outer legs of the two vertical braces.

10. The table as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounting units each comprise one attachment part which is mounted on the bottom of one of the playing surface boards.

11. The table as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vertical brace is mounted on a connecting brace which connects roller base units to one another.

12. The table as claimed in claim 1, wherein the table on the inside of each of the vertical braces in its lower area has a support means on which the inside end faces of the playing surface boards can be supported in their vertical positions, the support means being made preferably as a support angle which is attached to the vertical brace.

13. The table as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, two upper and two lower safety levers pivotally located on the vertical brace and having locking surfaces which in a first position of the safety levers enable the guide parts to be moved up and/or down and which in a second position of the safety levers prevent the guide parts from moving up and/or down.

14. The table as claimed in claim 13, wherein on the upper safety levers there are actuating levers for swivelling the safety levers, the upper safety levers and the lower safety levers being connected to one another so that swivelling motion of the upper safety levers causes a corresponding swivelling motion of other lower safety levers, the connection between the respective upper and lower safety levers taking place via a transmission rod which is aligned essentially vertically.

15. The table as claimed in claim 13, wherein the upper safety levers are connected to one another on each of the vertical braces by a spring means so that when the actuating lever is not actuated the spring means swivels the upper safety means into the position in which the locking surfaces prevent the guide parts from moving up and down.

16. The table of claim 1, wherein said first outer leg and said second outer leg are perpendicular to said middle leg.

17. A table for playing table tennis comprising:

two playing surface boards and mounting units which are attached to the playing surface boards and which comprise guide parts,

a lower frame with vertical braces which are used as support elements and lie opposite one another over the width of the table tennis table in a middle area of the table tennis table, and

vertical guide means, being embodied on the vertical braces, on which said guide parts can be moved up and down, so that in this way the playing surface boards can be transferred from a first position in which the playing surface boards are vertically aligned and the guide parts are located in a lower position, into a second position in which the playing surface boards are horizontally aligned and the guide parts are located in an upper position,

each of said vertical braces comprise at least one U-shaped portion with a U-shaped horizontal cross section comprising an inner leg and two outer legs extending perpendicular from the inner leg,

each of said guide parts interacts with one of said outer legs of said at least one U-shaped portion and has a contact section which contacts the outside surface of said outer leg.

18. A table for playing table tennis comprising:

two playing surface boards and mounting units which are attached to the playing surface boards and which comprise guide parts,

a lower frame with vertical braces which are used as support elements and lie opposite one another over the width of the table tennis table in a middle area of the table tennis table, and

vertical guide means, being embodied on the vertical braces, on which said guide parts can be moved up and down, so that in this way the playing surface boards can be transferred from a first position in which the playing surface boards are vertically aligned and the guide parts are located in a lower position, into a second position in which the playing surface boards are horizontally aligned and the guide parts are located in an upper position,

each of said vertical braces comprise at least one U-shaped portion with a U-shaped horizontal cross section comprising an inner leg and two outer legs extending perpendicular from the inner leg,

each of said guide parts interacts with one of said outer legs of said at least one U-shaped portion,

each of said guide parts has a first contact section which contacts the outside surface of one of said outer legs and a second contact section which contacts the inside surface of one of said outer legs.

19. A table for playing table tennis comprising:

two playing surface boards and mounting units which are attached to the playing surface boards and which comprise guide parts,

a lower frame with vertical braces which are used as support elements and lie opposite one another over the width of the table tennis table in a middle area of the table tennis table, and

vertical guide means, being embodied on the vertical braces, on which said guide parts can be moved up and down, so that in this way the playing surface boards can be transferred from a first position in which the playing surface boards are vertically aligned and the guide parts are located in a lower position, into a second position in which the playing surface boards are horizontally aligned and the guide parts are located in an upper position,

each of said vertical braces comprise at least one U-shaped portion with a U-shaped horizontal cross section comprising an inner leg and two outer legs extending perpendicular from the inner leg,

each of said guide parts interacts with one of said outer legs of said at least one U-shaped portion,

each of said guide parts has a first contact section which contacts the outside surface of one of said outer legs and a second contact section which contacts the inside surface of one of said outer legs,

said U-shaped horizontal cross section of the at least one U-shaped portion does not change in the vertical direction.