Folding Table And Seat Support Structure

Abstract

A folding combination table and seat including a support structure therefor, including upper support means having two connector portions, spaced from each other in a first direction, for connection with the table, lower support means having two bearing means, spaced from each other in a second direction, for contacting a supporting surface, two seat support means, spaced from each other in a third direction, and intermediate support means interconnecting the upper support means with the lower support means.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a support structure for a folding table and seat combination.

Tables of the type in which the table portion and seat or bench portion are mounted in a unitary arrangement, especially those of the folding type, often are compact and difficult for a person to seat himself at comfortably. To provide more leg room and facilitate seating at and rising from such tables, various arrangements have been used. For example, there are designs employing both greater vertical separation and greater horizontal separation between the bench and table. However, as the vertical separation increases the table becomes less accommodating to use by children and as the horizontal separation increases the table becomes more difficult to use from the seated position. One of the difficulties involves the necessity for climbing or stepping over the legs at the ends of the table in order to be seated on the bench.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a combination bench and table configuration which facilitates seating at and rising from the table.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a combination bench and table configuration devoid of obstructing end legs or members that may hamper a person's movement to be seated at or to arise from the table.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a configuration suitable for use as a folding or collapsible device.

The invention may be accomplished by a folding combination table and bench configuration including a support structure therefor having upper support means with two connector portions, spaced apart from each other in a first direction. A lower support means has two bearing means spaced from each other in a second direction for contracting a supporting surface and two seat support means spaced from each other in a third direction. Intermediate support means interconnect the upper support means with the lower support means.

DISCLOSURE OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Other objects, features and advantages will occur from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axonometric top view of a combination table and bench configuration devoid of end obstructions according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a support structure according to this invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another support structure according to this invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another support structure according to this invention.

The invention may be embodied in a folding table apparatus in which the tabletop, benches and supporting frame are interconnected. The supporting frame includes two collapsible interconnected support structures each of which collapsibly supports a bench and a portion of the tabletop. Each support structure has upper support means including two connector portions for connecting with its respective portion of the tabletop, lower support means having two bearing portions for resting on the ground or a floor and two bench support means for collapsibly supporting its respective bench. Intermediate support means interconnects the upper and lower support means and is located in the region between the ends of the bench, so that there is no obstruction to one who seeks to seat himself by sliding in between the bench and table from the end of the bench. The support structures may take any of various forms, in which the intermediate support means is located for unobstructed seating at and rising from the table. The support structures may take various forms: they may be solid or open, collapsible or rigid; they may consist of single or plural elements; and they may be of wood, metal, or plastic.

A collapsible-type table using the support structures according to this invention is shown in FIG. 1. Tabletop 10 is formed of table sections 12, 14 supported by structures 16, 18, respectively. Structure 16 has an upper support including elements 20, 22 terminating in connector portions 24, 26 which connect to mounting members 28, 30 by means of bolts 32' and 32, respectively. Members 28, 30 may be any conventional means used to attach table supports in collapsible tables such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,424 issued to the applicant herein. The lower support of structure 16 includes elements 36, 38 which join with bearing portions 40, 42 and bench support elements 44, 46 which support bench 48. Locking members 50, 52 of bench 48 pivotably connected by bolts 54, 56 to elements 44, 46 may be locked to the crossbar 58 of bench support piece 60 pivoted on elements 44, 46 by bolts 66, 68 by means of recesses 62, 64. The upper and lower supports of structure 16 are interconnected by an intermediate support including elements 70, 72 which interconnect elements 20 and 36, and 22 and 38. The intermediate structure is located between the ends of bench 48 to facilitate seating on bench 48 from either end; elements 70, 72 should be long enough to allow sufficient leg clearance between tabletop 10 and bench 48.

Similarly, support structure 18 has an upper support including elements 20', 22' terminating in connector portions 24', 26' which connect to mounting members 28, 30 by means of bolts 34' and 34, respectively, and to connector portions 24, 26 by means of bolts 33' and 33, respectively. The lower support structure includes elements 36', 38' which join with bearing portions 40', 42' and bench support elements 44', 46' which support bench 48. Locking members 50', 52' of bench 48' pivotably connected by bolts 54', 56' to elements 44', 46' may be locked to the crossbar 58' of bench support piece 60' pivoted on elements 44', 46' by bolts 66', 68' by means of recesses 62', 64'. The upper and lower supports of structure 18 are interconnected by an intermediate support including elements 70', 72' which interconnect elements 20' and 36', and 22' and 38'.

The support structures are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1. For example, in FIG. 2 there is shown a support structure 80 having integral, solid upper 82, lower 84, and intermediate 86 portions, with connector portions 88, 90 on upper portion 82 and bearing portions 92, 94 and bench support portions 96, 98 on sections 100, 102 of lower portion 84.

In FIG. 3 there is shown a support structure of another shape made from a single bar in contrast to structures 16, 18, FIG. 1, each made with two bars. In FIG. 3 upper portion 110 is formed of elements 112, 114, 116 and connector portions 118, 120. Intermediate portion 126 is formed of two elements 128, 130 that interconnect elements 114, 116 with elements 132, 134 of lower portion 136, which also contains bench support elements 138, 140 and bearing portions 142, 144.

In FIG. 4 there is shown a support structure of another shape suitable for use with smaller folding table and seat combinations, such as capable of seating but one person comfortably on a seat portion. Structure 150 has an upper support including element 152 terminating in connector portions 154, 156 which may receive bolts 32' and 32 or 33', 34' and 33, 34 for connection with mounting members 28, 30, respectively. The lower support structure includes bench support element 158 which joins with bearing portions 160, 162 and a second bench support element 164. The upper and lower supports of structure 150 are interconnected by an intermediate support 166. The same variations in construction applicable to and described in relation to the structures of FIGS. 1--3 are applicable to this structure. This structure is useful for small tables seating only one person on each bench because the single intermediate support may be placed at an end to alleviate the need for a person to straddle it when seated. It is also useful for tables to be used with one end against a wall and may be used to form a pair of tables employing these support structures in mirror image relationship so that when used with their intermediate supports together, they form a table having a single structure in the middle of the seating area as in the case of the table of FIG. 1.

Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims:

Claims

What I claim is:

1. In a folding combination table and seat including a support structure for supporting said table and seat comprising:

upper support means having two connector portions spaced from each other in a first direction for connecting said structure to said table;

lower support means having two bearing means spaced from each other in a second direction for contacting a supporting surface, and two seat support means spaced from each other in a third direction; and

intermediate support means interconnecting said upper and lower support means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said seat means is elongated for seating a plurality of people and said intermediate support means is disposed proximate the center of said seat.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which one part of said upper support means including one of said connector portions, one part of said lower support means including one of said bearing means, one of said seat support means and a part of said interconnecting support means are formed by a single element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a second support structure for supporting a second seat.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said table includes two sections, each supported by one of said support structures.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said support structures are collapsibly interconnected with their respective said table sections.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said first, second, and third directions are parallel.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said intermediate support means is disposed proximate one end of said table and seat.