U.S. patent application number 10/629057 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-03 for swing away table.
Invention is credited to Hunter, Clay.
Application Number | 20050022702 10/629057 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34103530 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050022702 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hunter, Clay |
February 3, 2005 |
Swing away table
Abstract
The invention is a swing away table, which has a planar tabletop
which swings from an open position to a closed position. This
allows the swing away table to be used adjacent to a sitting
position. A user can swing the tabletop to an open position in
order to enter or leave the seated position. He can then swing it
to a closed position when he is seated, so that he may have access
to items which are on the tabletop while he is seated.
Inventors: |
Hunter, Clay; (Albuquerque,
NM) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROBERT L. SHAVER
DYKAS, SHAVER & NIPPER, LLP
P.O. BOX 877
BOISE
ID
83701-0877
US
|
Family ID: |
34103530 |
Appl. No.: |
10/629057 |
Filed: |
July 28, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/139 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 11/00 20130101;
A47B 23/046 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
108/139 |
International
Class: |
A47B 011/00 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A swing away table for use by a user in conjunction with a
chair, comprising: a base unit, for providing a stable support for
the components of the swing away table, said base unit comprising a
pole attachment means; a pole, for generally normal and generally
vertical attachment to said base unit and said pole attachment
means, with said pole further including a base unit attachment
means, and a tabletop attachment means; a tabletop, for generally
normal and generally horizontal and rotatable attachment to said
pole, which includes a pole securing means; and wherein said
tabletop is configured to rotate on said pole so that if said
tabletop is positioned adjacent said chair, said tabletop may be
swung away from said chair to improve access by said user to said
chair, and may be swing toward said chair when said user is seated
in said chair.
2. The swing away table of claim 1 which further includes an
attachment pin, which is configured to attach to said pole through
said tabletop, and when so attached, to partially extend above said
tabletop to provide a gripping handle for use by said user to move
said swing away table.
3. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base unit serves
as a counterweight to said tabletop.
4. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base unit further
comprises a an extension plate which is configured to be placed
under a weight such as a chair, to provide additional stability to
said swing away table.
5. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base unit and said
pole remain stationary and said tabletop is rotatable around said
pole.
6. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base unit remains
stationary, and said pole and said tabletop are rotatable around
said base unit.
7. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said tabletop is a
polyhedral.
8. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said tabletop is
ellipsoidal.
9. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base is generally
planar and ellipsoidal.
10. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base is a
generally planar polyhedral.
11. The swing away table of claim 1 which further includes a gusset
between said base and said pole.
12. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said gripping handle
is generally ellipsoidal.
14. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said pole attachment
means is a threaded recess defined by said base.
15. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said pole attachment
means is a threaded projection from said base.
16. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base unit is
oriented generally horizontally.
17. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base unit
attachment means is a threaded projection from said pole.
18. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said base unit
attachment means is a threaded recess defined in said pole.
19. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said tabletop
attachment means is a threaded projection from said pole.
20. The swing away table of claim 1 in which said tabletop
attachment means is a threaded recess defined in said pole.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to tables, and more
particularly relates to tables which swing away from the user to
allow a person to move past them.
[0003] 2. Background Information
[0004] There is often a need for a table which is placed adjacent
to a chair or other seated position. Such a table may be used to
hold reading material, food, craft supplies, or other items which
the user who is seated in the chair desires to have close to him.
This presents a problem when the user wants to get up from the
chair, or other sitting device. This situation can occur when a
person is at a picnic, is eating food from the table, is seated at
the table watching television, or other situations where a seated
person needs to have a table nearby and occasionally needs to get
up. When the person needs to get up, the table is in his/her way.
The typical solution to this is to lift or move the table to one
side, thus allowing the person to get up. This can be a problematic
solution if material on the table is heavy, or may be tipped over
and spilled. A better solution to allowing access to the chair past
the table adjacent to the chair is needed.
[0005] The swing away table of the invention solves this problem by
having a table in which the top of the table is designed to swing
from one position to another. In a closed position, the table is
adjacent the chair and the user. In the open position, the table is
rotated from the closed position and allows the user to leave the
chair without obstruction.
[0006] For these reasons, the swing away table of the present
invention has several objects. One object is to provide a table
that can be placed adjacent to a chair and yet allow for easy
access to the chair by a user. Another object of the preset
invention is to provide a tabletop that swings from a closed
position to an open position thus allowing access to a chair.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a swing away
table that has a secure base that prevents the table from tipping
over when the tabletop is swung from one position to another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable
the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the public
generally, and especially the scientists, engineers, and
practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal
terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory
inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the
invention of the application, which is measure by the claims, nor
is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in
any way.
[0008] These and other objects are accomplished by the swing away
table of the present invention. The swing away table of the
invention is designed to be used typically in conjunction with a
chair. The tabletop of the swing away table swings away from the
chair so that a person can sit in the chair, and then the tabletop
swings closer to the chair, so the person in the chair can be
closer to the tabletop. The swing away table includes a base unit,
a pole, and a tabletop. The base unit is a weighted base which can
take any number of forms. It basically provides a weighted
attachment point for the pole and the tabletop. The base unit can
include a portion which is designed to be placed under a chair or
table leg, which would add stability to the swing away table. The
base unit can be generally flat, or have some height, as shown in
the drawings. The base unit includes a pole attachment means, by
which a pole is attached to the base unit. The pole attachment
means can be a threaded connection, a friction fit, a quick release
fitting of various configurations, or any other conventional means
of attachment.
[0009] Attached to the base unit is a pole which is generally
vertical, and attaches to the pole attachment means of the base
unit. The pole includes a base unit attachment means, at a first
end, and a tabletop attachment means at a second end. The base unit
attachment means and the tabletop attachment means can be threaded
connections, either male or female, or friction fit connections, a
number of quick disconnect connections or other conventional means
of connecting pieces.
[0010] One way to connect the tabletop to the pole is by the use of
an attachment pin, the attachment pin passes through a hole in the
tabletop, and screws or attaches to the top of the pole. The
attachment pin can have a portion which extends above the tabletop
which forms a gripping handle, which is available for the user to
move the swing away table from place to place. The gripping handle
can be in the form of a circle, ellipse, or a T or D or other
conventional handle shape.
[0011] A significant feature of the swing away table is that the
tabletop is configured to swing away relative to the base unit.
This allows the tabletop to be swung away when a person sits in a
chair adjacent to the swing away table. Once seated, the tabletop
can be manually swung towards the user seated in the chair. In
order to allow the tabletop to swing away in relation to the base
unit, the tabletop may be configured to rotate in relation to the
pole. In another configuration, both the pole and tabletop could
rotate in relation to the base unit. In either configuration, the
tabletop is rotatable in relation to the base unit.
[0012] Still other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the
following detailed description wherein I have shown and described
only the preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of
illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out my
invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of
modification in various obvious respects all without departing from
the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the
preferred embodiment are to be regarded as illustrative in nature,
and not as restrictive in nature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the swing away table.
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the swing away
table.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a front view of the swing away table in use with a
chair.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a planar view of the swing away table showing the
closed and open positions.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the swing
away table.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] While the invention is susceptible of various modifications
and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments
thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below
in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no
intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed,
but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications,
alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the
spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
[0019] Several preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in
FIGS. 1-5. FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the swing away table of
the invention. It includes a base unit 12, a pole 14, and a
tabletop 16. The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1 also includes
an attachment pin 18. The attachment pin 18 includes a portion that
extends through the tabletop 16 and into the pole 14. It also
includes a gripping handle 20. Although FIG. 1 shows an attachment
pin 18 which passes through the tabletop 16 to attach to the pole
14, the tabletop 16 could attach to the pole 14 in a number of
different ways, which are well known to workers in the furniture
field.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows an exploded cross-sectional view of this
embodiment of the swingaway table. The components of the device can
be made of various materials and in various sizes and
configurations. All such variations would still be within the
concept of the swing away table as defined by the claims. For
instance, the base unit 12 could be as shown in FIG. 1, but it
could also include a planar extension that can extend under a
table. The planar extension 22 is shown in FIG. 3, and would
provide additional stability to a swing away table of the
invention.
[0021] FIG. 4 shows an essential function of the swing away table
10. The swing away table 10, in all of its various embodiments of
tabletop shape and base unit configuration, each have the
characteristic of being moveable from a closed position 24 to an
open position 26 to allow the table to be swung away from a chair
to allow a user to enter or exit the chair. Various shapes and
sizes of tabletop 16 could be utilized with the invention, and
still fall within the claims of the invention. For instance, a
generally rectangular tabletop 16 would function as well as those
shapes shown, as would a generally ellipsoid shape, or a generally
triangular shape. FIGS. 3 and 4 show a feature of one embodiment of
the invention, which is a planar extension 22, which would be
placed under the leg of the table, couch, or chair, and would add
additional stability to the swing away table of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 5 shows a different configuration of the base unit 12,
which provides more stability. Obviously, various shapes and
configurations of the base unit could be utilized, and all would be
within the claims of the invention.
[0023] While there is shown and described the present preferred
embodiment of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that
this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied
to practice within the scope of the following claims.
[0024] From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that
various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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