U.S. patent number 3,848,375 [Application Number 05/403,063] was granted by the patent office on 1974-11-19 for portable furniture device.
Invention is credited to Benjamin White.
United States Patent |
3,848,375 |
White |
November 19, 1974 |
PORTABLE FURNITURE DEVICE
Abstract
A portable decorative furniture device, such as a bar, which
gives the appearance of a permanent structure, although being fully
portable or removable. Six structural pieces form a portable bar
when set up, and fold or move away when the bar is not in use.
Removable fastening means and support members provide strength to
the device, adding to the appearance of permanency of the
structure.
Inventors: |
White; Benjamin (Chicago,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
23594340 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/403,063 |
Filed: |
October 3, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/71; 312/140.2;
312/258 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
43/00 (20130101); A47B 69/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
43/00 (20060101); A47B 69/00 (20060101); A47b
096/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/36,29,71,79,173
;108/48,112,113 ;312/248,245,258,140.2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Faw, Jr.; Price C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Alter, Weiss, Whitesel &
Laff
Claims
I claim:
1. A portable furniture device adapted to be installed in and
removed from a particular location in an edifice having a floor,
comprising:
a vertical front panel;
a vertical side panel secured by hinges to said front panel and
adapted for pivotal movement relative to said first panel about
said hinges;
one end of said front panel being removably attached to said
edifice;
a first horizontal top panel fastened by hinge means to said
edifice above said front panel and adapted to lie adjacent and be
supported by said front and side panels in one position and to be
rotated to a second vertical storage position about said hinge
means;
said first horizontal top panel comprising two members hinged
together whereby one member is adapted to be folded against said
other member when said first horizontal top panel is rotated to
said second storage position about said hinge means;
door means pivotally attached to said edifice and extending between
said edifice and said vertical side panel;
said door means adapted to alternately lie adjacent said edifice or
to extend from said edifice;
a second horizontal top panel fastened by additional hinge means to
said edifice above said door means and adapted to lie adjacent and
be supported by said door means in one position and to be rotated
about said additional hinge means to a second vertical storage
position.
2. The portable furniture device of claim 1 including alignment
means on the underside of said first horizontal top panel adapted
to hold said top panel in place on top of said vertical front and
side panels.
3. The portable furniture device of claim 2 wherein said alignment
means includes a first channel for receiving said front panel and a
second channel disposed at right angles to said first channel for
receiving said side panel.
4. The portable furniture device of claim 1 including support legs
removably attached to the underside of said horizontal top panel
and adapted to extend from the underside of said panel to the floor
of said edifice when said top panel is supported by said front
panel.
5. The portable furniture device of claim 1 including removable
fastening means extending between said first and second horizontal
top panels for holding said top panels together when said top
panels are supported by said front and side vertical panels.
6. The portable furniture device of claim 1 including removable
fastening means extending between said floor and at least one of
said vertical front and side panels.
7. The portable furniture device of claim 1 including removable
fastening means extending between said edifice and said first and
second top panels when said top panels are in said second storage
positions to maintain said top panels in said second storage
positions.
8. The portable furniture device of claim 1 including means on said
floor to maintain said side panel at right angles to said front
panel.
9. The portable furniture device of claim 1 wherein said front and
side panels each include decorative surfaces on at least one of
their faces.
10. The portable furniture device of claim 1 wherein said first and
second horizontal top panels comprise plastic laminate surfaces on
the upper side thereof.
Description
This invention relates to portable furniture devices, and in
particular to portable furniture, such as a bar, which has the
appearance of permanence when installed in a given location, but
can be readily removed and stored when not in use, leaving the same
location available for other purposes.
Many homes, offices, and other buildings and edifices are
constructed with bars for the service of beverages in one or more
of the rooms for purposes of entertaining guests. Where space is no
problem, these bars are built-in, permanent structures, comprising
a plurality of vertical panels supporting a horizontal, usually
plastic laminate serving surface. If desired, stools are provided
in front of the bar to seat guests, and shelves for storing
beverages, glasses, and other bar accessories may be provided
behind the bar. In addition, service lines carrying gas, water, and
drainage facilities may be attached to the bar.
In many instances, the home, office, or other edifice may not come
equipped with a bar due to lack of space, or lack of desire for
such a structure on the part of the original owner of the building.
The owner or tenant may install a permanent bar himself, or as is
usually the case, have one constructed in a suitable location by a
contractor or carpenter. Bar structures are also available in
ready-built form from retail outlets, and are usually large and
bulky, and difficult to store. Built-in bars are also large, but
are constructed as a permanent piece of furniture in a location
where there is persumably ample space.
However, the owner or tenant of a small home or office may desire
to install a portable bar in a location which is also to be used
for other purposes. In these situations, a portable or collapsible
bar is preferred which moves or folds out of the way when not in
use. A portable bar may be located in a playroom, and when children
are playing in the room, or it is used for other recreational
purposes such as billiards or ping-pong, the bar must be
removed.
Additionally, a garage may be constructed to also serve as a
recreational facility when the car or cars are removed. Many modern
garages are built with a wide door at the rear, opening onto a
patio or the like in the back yard of a home. A pleasant, large
recreation and entertainment area is thus created when the garage
is void of cars and the rear door is open. To enhance the
recreational value of the area, the owner or tenant may desire to
have a bar located in the garage. However, the bar must be of the
type that can be removed and stored when the car or cars are
returned to the garage. A permanent structure would not be feasible
unless the garage was large enough to handle both the bar and the
cars.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
portable furniture device, preferably a bar, which gives the
appearance of being built-in and permanent when set-up, assembled
and installed, yet which is completely removable when not in
use.
An additional object of my invention is to provide a portable
furniture device which comprises only six major parts which can be
installed or disassembled in a matter of moments.
Still another object of my invention is to provide a portable
furniture device which has the strength, beauty, and functional
durability of a permanent, built-in structure.
Yet another object of my invention is to provide a portable
furniture device which while completely portable, provides
sufficient internal structural elements to impart the strength of a
permanent structure to the device.
The nature of the preferred embodiment of my invention will become
more apparent from a study of the attached drawings in conjunction
with the following specification wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my portable furniture device as
installed and assembled in a given area of a building;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the area of FIG. 1 with the
portable furniture device disassembled and removed;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an interior portion of my portable
furniture device, showing the horizontal top panel members in a
partially folded position;
FIG. 4 is an additional perspective view of the interior portion of
my portable furniture device illustrated in FIG. 3, showing the
means of attachment of the vertical front panel to the edifice;
FIG. 5 is a perspective interior view of another portion of my
portable furniture device, particularly illustrating the means of
attaching and securing the door and second horizontal top
panel;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an interior portion of my portable
furniture device showing the structural members adjacent the door
panel;
FIG. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the underside of one of the
top panel members of my portable furniture device, showing the
means for maintaining the alignment between the front and side
panels and the horizontal panels; and
FIG. 8 is a detail view of the front and side vertical panels
forming part of my invention, showing these elements disassembled
from the portable furniture device.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a portable bar 10 as the
preferred embodiment of my portable furniture device. The bar 10
comprises a vertical front panel 12, shown with decorative slats 14
on the forward face thereof. It is to be understood that various
decorative treatments can be applied to the forward face of front
panel 12 in place of slats 14. At one end of the undecorated or
rear side of panel 12 a vertical board member 15 is attached to
provide strength and a means of attaching hardware to panel 12.
The bar 10 also includes a vertical side panel 16 pivotally
attached by means of hinges 18 (FIG. 7) to front panel 12. Side
panel 16 is capable of extending at right angles from panel 12, as
shown in FIG. 7, or of being folded against panel 16 for storage,
as will be explained. Hinges 18 are secured to panel 16 by
fastening them to board member 15 (FIG. 5).
One end of top panel 12 includes two sliding bolt fastening means
20 secured thereto, each including a laterally slidable bolt 22.
One fastening means 20 is located adjacent the top of panel 12, and
the other is located at or near the bottom. Each bolt 22 is adapted
to be received in apertures 24 drilled in blocks 26, which in turn
are secured to portions of building or edifice 28. Upper block 26
is secured, with nails by way of example, to a beam 30 which is
part of the structure of edifice 28. The other block 26 is secured
to beam 32, also forming part of the structure of building 28, and
preferably also attached to the floor 34 of the building. When the
bar 10 is installed, panel 12 is held upright by positioning the
panel adjacent apertures 24 in blocks 26, and at right angles to
the blocks. Bolts 22 are aligned with apertures 24 and moved
horizontally until they extend into the apertures. Panel 12 is thus
secured in its assembled position.
The opposite end of panel 12 is held upright by extending side
panel 16 so that it forms a right angle with front panel 12. The
angle thus formed supports both panel 16 and the adjacent end of
panel 12 in a vertical position. To assist in properly aligning
panel 16, a block 36 of minimal thickness (FIG. 5) is located on
floor 34, and extends outward along floor 34 at right angles from
beam 38 which forms part of the structure of building 28. When
installing bar 10, side panel 16 is aligned along the edge of block
36, as shown in FIG. 5.
Fastening means are provided to hold panel 16 against block 36.
Screen door hook 40 is secured to block 36, and arranged to mate
with eyelet 42 adjacent the bottom of panel 16. The end of block 36
abuts the bottom of board member 15 and positions the adjacent end
of panel 16 at the proper distance from beam 38.
The end of the bar 10 includes a door panel 44, which extends
between side panel 16 and one of the walls of edifice 28. The
outside of the door panel is formed with decorative slats 14 to
present the same appearance as the outside of panels 12 and 16.
Door panel 44 is pivotally attached by means of hinges 46 to
vertical strut 48, which forms part of the wall structure of
edifice 28. A handle 50 is provided on the outside of door panel
44, to enable the door to be manually opened or closed.
When closed, as best seen in FIG. 5, the bottom of door panel 44
abuts a vertical edge of block 36. A sliding bolt latch 52 adapted
to engage side panel 16 is located on the inside edge of panel 44
to provide means for maintaining door panel 44 in a closed
position. When fully opened, door panel 44 lies flush against the
wall of edifice 28 to which it is hinged.
The top of bar 10 includes a first horizontal top panel 54
comprising two top members 56, 58. In the preferred embodiment, the
top members 56, 58 are each of equal length, and comprise a plastic
laminate surface over a plywood base and frame. However, any
suitable material may be used to fabricate top members 56, 58
within the scope of my invention. A plastic laminate surface is
preferred due to its ease of maintenance and resistance to
marking.
Top members 56, 58 are hinged together at juncture 60 such that
they may either lie coplaner on top of front panel 12 and side
panel 16, as shown in FIG. 1, or may be folded one against the
other for storage, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. One end of top panel
56 is also pivotally fastened by means of hinges 62 to beam 30,
which forms part of the structure of edifice 28. FIG. 1 shows top
panel 54 in its fully installed position. To place the top panel in
its storage position, the hinged joint between members 56, 58 is
raised, as seen in FIG. 3, and the two members are folded one
against the other as shown in FIG. 2. In this storage position,
members 56, 58 fit practically flush against the wall of edifice 28
above beam 30. Attachment means such as flexible strap 64 are
seamed to a portion of edifice 28 and extend over members 56, 58 to
hold them in their storage position. One end of strap 64 preferably
comprises a releasable member, such as a hook, to permit the strap
to be readily removed when the bar 10 is assembled.
It is also possible within the scope of my invention to provide
means for completely removing horizontal top panel 54 when the bar
19 is disassembled. By removing the pins from hinges 62, top
members 56 and 58 may be detached from beam 30 and stored
elsewhere.
When the bar 10 is assembled and installed, horizontal top panel 54
rests on and is supported by front panel 12 and side panel 16.
Additional support for top panel 54 is provided by removably
attaching a plurality of legs 66 (FIG. 6) to the underside of the
top panel, which legs extend to the floor 34. Each leg 66 is
secured to the top panel by means of hinge-like device 68. Each
hinge-like device 68 includes a pin 70 joining the two elements of
the hinge. By removing each of the pins 70, the legs can be removed
from top panel 54, which is accomplished prior to raising the top
panel to its storage position. For ease of insertion and removal,
each pin 70 includes a head of larger diameter than the pin shaft,
which head is gripped manually.
The width of the leg 66 closest to door panel 44 is such that the
upper portion of the leg extends horizontally beyond the edge of
top panel 54. This extension forms a support shelf 72, the purpose
of which will be described. Additionally, the widths of top member
58 and side panel 16 are non-uniform such that a portion of the
upper edge of side panel 16 extends beyond top member 58, and forms
a support shelf 74, the purpose of which will also be
explained.
To assist in maintaining the alignment of the horizontal top panel
54 with front and side panels 12 and 16, a pair of right angular
channels 76 and 78 (FIG. 7) are provided on the underside of top
panel 54. Each channel consists of a pair of downwardly extending
blocks 80 which are spaced apart and parallel to one another. As
best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, when top member 58 is positioned atop
front and side panels 12, 16, the upper edge of front panel 12 is
received by channel 76, while the upper edge of side panel 16 is
received by channel 78. The channels thereby hold the upper
portions of front and side panels 12 and 16 firmly when the bar 10
is assembled.
To aid in holding horizontal top panel 54 in position, a hook 79 is
provided on the underside of the top panel. This hook 79 is adapted
to mate with eyelet 81 secured to side panel 16.
A second horizontal top panel 82 is provided at the end of bar 10
above door panel 44. The construction of top panel 82 is similar to
top members 56, 58 i.e.,: a plastic laminate surface over a plywood
base and frame assembly. One end of top panel 82 is pivotally
attached by means of hinges 84 or the like to a beam 86 forming
part of edifice 28. The top panel is capable of being pivoted about
hinges 84 from the position shown in FIG. 1 (horizontal) to the
position shown in FIG. 2 (vertical). When in the vertical position,
the top panel is practically flush against the wall to which it is
attached. To maintain top panel 82 in its vertical position, a hook
86 extends from part of the supporting wall and mates with an
eyelet 88 which is located on the underside of the top panel. If
desired, the pins of hinges 84 may be withdrawn and top panel 82
removed from its supporting wall and stored in a convenient
location.
When in its horizontal or assembled position, the free end of top
panel 82 rests on support shelves 72, 74, as seen in FIG. 5. The
edge of the top panel is located adjacent the side edge of first
horizontal top panel 54 and forms substantially a continuous
surface therewith. To bring top panel 82 into abutting proximity to
horizontal top panel 54, a hook 92 is provided on the underside of
panel 54, which hook is adapted to mate with eyelet 90 on the
underside of top panel 82.
In operation, the portable bar 10 is installed by first locating
vertical front and side panels 12, 16 in their proper location as
shown in FIG. 1. Bolts 22 (FIG. 4) are moved into apertures 24 to
hold one end of front panel 12 in proper position. Side panel 16 is
extended at right angles to front panel 16 and positioned adjacent
block 36 (FIG. 6) with the end of block 36 in abutment with board
member 15 of front panel 12. Hook 40 is mated with eyelet 42 to
maintain side panel 16 in its place.
Next, strap 64 is released, and top members 56, 58 are lowered into
a horizontal position over front and side panels 12, 16, care being
taken to ensure that the edges of the front and side panels fit
into channels 76, 78 respectively. Legs 66 are attached to
horizontal top panel 54 by aligning the holes of hinge-like devices
68 and inserting pins 70 through each of the holes. The opposite
end of each leg is then placed on the floor to support top panel
54. Hook 79 is mated with eyelet 81 (FIG. 5) to ensure that top
panel 54 is held down against front and side panels 12, 16.
Door panel 44 is next pivoted to its closed position adjacent side
panel 16 and block 36. Latch 52 is closed, holding door panel 44
against further pivotal movement. Hook 88 is released, and second
top panel 82 pivoted downward until its free end rests on support
shelves 72, 74. Hook 92 is then mated with eyelet 90 (FIG. 5) to
secure top panel 82 in abutment with horizontal top panel 54. The
bar 10 is now assembled and ready for normal use.
To disassemble the bar 10, hook 92 is disengaged from eyelet 90,
and top panel 82 pivoted upward until it meets the wall of edifice
28. Hook 88 is mated with eyelet 90 to hold top panel 82 in its
vertical position. Door panel 44 is unlatched and pivoted until it
is flush against the wall of edifice 28.
Next, hook 79 is disengaged from eyelet 81 and pins 70 removed from
hinge elements 68. Legs 66 are removed and stored in a convenient
location, and horizontal top panel 54 is raised (FIG. 3) to its
vertical position adjacent the wall of edifice 28 (FIG. 2).
Flexible strap 64 is stretched over the folded top panel and
secured.
Hook 40 is disengaged from eyelet 42, and bolts 22 withdrawn drawn
from apertures 24. Front and side panels 12, 16 are folded together
and moved to a convenient location for storage. The bar has now
been completely disassembled in a matter of moments, and the space
it formerly occupied is available for other purposes. For example
if edifice 28 is a garage, an automobile may be moved into the area
formerly occupied by portable bar 10. Block 36 may remain in place
since it will not interfere with the passage of a car tire rolling
over the block.
From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that
there are a number of changes, adaptations, and modifications of
the present invention which come within the province of those
skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such
variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be
considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the
appended claims.
* * * * *