Mobile charging table with hinged tabletop and selectively accessible battery compartment opening

• US 9,755,446 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palmer Hamilton, LLC
• Original Assignee: Palmer Hamilton, LLC
• Inventors: Schreiner, Jeff Allen, Gardner, John Gregory, Friske, Tod Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRISCHLER, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US14/283,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20150340892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 320137, 108 25
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/003 Connecting table tops to underframes connecting furniture tubing to non-tubular parts F16B12/42
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2013/006 to hollow tubular profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/066 with power or communication connection interface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0082 Cable inlet in worktop or desk, e.g. grommet
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 37/00 Tables adapted for other particular purposes glass cutting tables C03B33/03
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile charging table and a method of use are configured for ease of mobility and ease of service. The table has a tabletop, a base, a battery powered charging hub, and a battery compartment. The tabletop may be connected to the base by a hinge arrangement permitting tabletop movement between its first and second positions. Movement of the tabletop to its second position exposes an opening of the battery compartment for servicing a battery that supplies power to the charging hub. In the flipped down position, the tabletop extends substantially horizontally to overlie the opening in the battery compartment and to allow user(s) to use the tabletop as a workspace.

Claims

1. A charging table comprising:

a base that is supported on a floor;

a vertically extending column supported on the base and having a top;

a battery compartment that is supported on the vertically extending column, wherein the battery compartment is defined by an enclosure having an upwardly-facing access opening;

a tabletop supported on the battery compartment and having a first surface and a second surface;

a battery powered charging hub supported on the first surface of the tabletop, the charging hub having at least one port for connection to a portable electronic device;

a hinge connected to the enclosure of the battery compartment and coupling the tabletop to the battery compartment so as to permit the tabletop to move between a first position and a second position;

wherein the battery compartment is positioned vertically between the top of the vertically extending column and the tabletop,

wherein the tabletop is movably coupled to the battery compartment via the hinge so as to be selectively movable via operation of the hinge

     1) from the first position in which the first surface extends at least substantially horizontally and the second surface overlies the access opening of the battery compartment so that the tabletop blocks the access opening,

     2) to the second position in which the first surface is inclined relative to the horizontal and in which the access opening is exposed to permit battery insertion into and removal from the access opening of the battery compartment from above, wherein

when the tabletop is in the first position thereof, the second surface of the tabletop is spaced from the floor by a distance that is sufficient to accommodate seated use so that a seat of a chair may fit thereunder without interference from the tabletop, and wherein

the tabletop has a diameter that is substantially greater than diameters of the battery compartment and the vertically extending column such that the seat of the chair may fit under the tabletop without interference from the battery compartment or the vertically extending column.

2. The charging table of claim 1, wherein the first surface swings through a vertical plane when the tabletop moves about the hinge from the first position thereof to the second position thereof.

3. The charging table of claim 1, wherein the battery compartment has a body that is mounted on top of the vertically extending column and a lid that is pivotally connected to body by the hinge so as to selectively overlay the opening, the lid being attached to the second surface of the tabletop.

4. The charging table of claim 3, wherein the lid has a latch that is selectively engageable with the body of battery compartment to latch the tabletop in the first position.

5. The charging table of claim 1, further comprising a fastener assembly that semi-permanently attaches the lid to the body of the battery compartment to secure the tabletop in the first position.

6. The charging table of claim 1, wherein the tabletop has an opening for allowing a cord to extend through the tabletop to the battery compartment from the charging hub, and further comprising an electrical connector in the battery compartment for connecting a battery to the charging hub.

7. The charging table of claim 1, wherein the charging hub has at least one USB port.

8. The charging table of claim 1, wherein the base is supported on the floor by a plurality of wheels.

9. A charging table system comprising:

a mobile base supported on a floor by wheels;

a vertically extending column supported on the mobile base and having a top;

a tabletop having a first surface and a second surface;

a battery compartment mounted on top of the vertically extending column and positioned vertically between the top of the vertically extending column and the tabletop, the battery compartment having

     1) a body defining an interior and an upwardly facing access opening for removably receiving at least one battery, and

     2) a lid pivotally connected to the body via a hinge connected to the body the battery compartment so as to pivot about a horizontal axis, the hinge being located under the tabletop and being located inwardly of an outer edge of the tabletop, the lid being attached to the second surface of the tabletop so as to allow the tabletop and the lid to move a) from a first position in which an upper surface of the tabletop extends at least substantially horizontally and the lid overlies the access opening to block the access opening from above b) to a second position in which the tabletop extends at an angle substantially perpendicular to the access opening and the lid is inclined relative to the opening to permit access to the access opening from above, wherein the tabletop has a diameter that is substantially greater than diameters of the battery compartment and the vertically extending column;

a battery powered charging hub disposed on and extending above the first surface and having at least one port for connection to a portable electronic device; and

an electrical connection extending from the charging hub, through the tabletop, and into the battery compartment;

wherein, when the tabletop and the lid are in the first position thereof, a portion of the tabletop overhangs the moveable base and battery compartment such that the second surface of the tabletop is spaced from the floor, wherein

the vertically extending column and the battery compartment collectively have a height sufficient to position the tabletop sufficiently above a floor to accommodate a seat of a chair under the tabletop without interference from the tabletop, and wherein

the tabletop has a diameter greater than diameters of the battery compartment and the vertically extending column by an amount such that the overhanging portion of the tabletop is spaced horizontally from the vertically extending column and the battery compartment sufficiently to permit the seat of the chair to fit under the overhanging portion without interference from the vertically extending column or the battery compartment.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the charging hub has at least one USB port.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first surface swings through a vertical plane when the tabletop moves about the hinge from the first position thereof to the second position thereof.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a latch for selectively latching the lid of the battery compartment to the body of the battery compartment.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a mobile charging cart that has receptacles for a plurality of batteries and that has connections for supplying electrical power to the batteries from a mains source to charge the batteries.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a battery that is removably insertable into the battery compartment via the upper access opening and that can be removably connected to the electrical connection.

15. The charging table system of claim 9, further comprising a fastener assembly that semi-permanently attaches the lid to the body of the enclosure to secure the tabletop in the first position.

16. A method of charging a portable electronic device on a table assembly comprising the steps of:

positioning a charging table in a desired location on a horizontal surface, wherein the charging table comprises

a movable base supported on a floor,

a vertically extending column supported on the mobile base and having a top,

a tabletop having first and second surfaces,

a battery powered charging hub supported on the first surface of the tabletop, the charging hub having at least one port for connection to a portable electronic device,

a battery compartment that is supported on the vertically extending column, that is positioned vertically between the top of the vertically extending column and the tabletop, and that is defined by an enclosure having an upwardly facing access opening,

a hinge connected to the enclosure of the battery compartment and coupling the tabletop to the battery compartment;

moving the tabletop about the hinge a) from a first position in which the first surface extends at least substantially horizontally and the second surface overlies the access opening such that the tabletop blocks access to the access opening from above, b) to a second position in which the first surface extends at an angle relative to the horizontal surface and in which the access opening is exposed;

removing a first battery from the battery compartment via the access opening and replacing the first battery with a second battery; and

returning the tabletop to the first position;

wherein, when the tabletop is in the first position thereof, the tabletop overhangs the vertically extending column and the battery compartment such that an overhanging portion of the second surface of the tabletop is spaced from the floor, wherein

the vertically extending column and the battery compartment collectively have a height sufficient to accommodate seated use so that a seat of a chair may fit under the tabletop without interference from the tabletop, and wherein

the tabletop has a diameter greater than diameters of the battery compartment and the vertically extending column by amount such that the overhanging portion of the tabletop is spaced horizontally from the vertically extending column and the battery compartment sufficiently to permit the seat of the chair to fit under the overhanging portion without interference from the vertically extending column or the battery compartment.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the moving step comprises pivoting the tabletop about a horizontal axis via operation of the hinge.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the tabletop is mounted to a lid of the battery compartment that is pivotally connected to a body of the battery compartment via the hinge.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising unlatching the lid from the body prior to the moving step.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising supporting the first battery and additional batteries on a mobile charging cart with other batteries and charging the batteries while they are supported on the mobile charging cart using electrical power to the batteries from a mains source.