FOUR-IN-ONE FOLDABLE DINING TABLE

Abstract

A table with four chairs can be stored together into a secure, flattened assembly. The four chairs can store under the table such that, when the legs of the table are folded to be adjacent a back side of the table, the folded legs act as a stopper to prevent the chairs from sliding out when moving the table. A leg turning mechanism allows the user to turn two adjacent legs 180 degrees to permit the legs to be disposed adjacent each other when folded and, when unfolded, to present a uniform appearance for each of the legs. The foldable chairs can include a foldable backrest and can have support beams between each pair of legs. The chairs can be folded in a flattened state to be disposed in a slot adjacent the underside of the top of the table.

Claims

1. A table comprising: a first pair of legs extendable downward from an underside of a table top at a first side thereof; and a second pair of legs extendable downward from the underside of the table top at a second, opposite side thereof, wherein: the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are pivotable between a use position, where the legs extend downward and away from the table top, and a stored position, where one leg of the first pair of legs extend alongside one leg of the second pair of legs, and both the first and second pairs of legs are directly adjacent the underside of the table top; and the first pair of legs are rotatable along a longitudinal axis thereof between a leg rotation use position, with the first pair of legs being disposed in a first orientation that is the same as a second leg orientation at which the second pair of legs are rotationally fixed when in the use position, and a leg rotation stored position, which permits rotation of the legs such that each leg of the first pair of legs is disposable alongside each respective leg of the second pair of legs when the table is in the stored position.

2. The table of claim 1, wherein an inside surface of each of the first pair of legs is disposed directly alongside an inside surface of respective second pair of legs with the table is in the stored position.

3. The table of claim 1, further comprising at least one slot disposed along an underside of the table top, the slot accessible from at least one side of the table.

4. The table of claim 3, wherein the at least one slot is accessible from each side of the table.

5. The table of claim 3, wherein one leg of the first pair of legs and one leg of the second pair of legs prevent an item stored in the at least one slot from exiting the at least one slot when the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs is in the stored position.

6. The table of claim 3, wherein the at least one slot is two slots, disposed along side each other at the underside of the table top, the two slots accessible from either a first side or a second side of the table.

7. The table of claim 6, wherein the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs block an item stored in the two slots from exiting the two slots when in the stored position.

8. The table of claim 3, wherein the at least one slot is configured to store at least one folded chair therein.

9. The table of claim 3, further comprising: a first rail and a second rail, each extending generally parallel each other and extending downward from an underside of the table top; a first lip and a second lip, extending outward from a distal end of respective ones of the first rail and the second rail, the first lip extending toward the second lip, wherein the at least one slot is defined between the underside of the table top, the first and second rails, and the first and second lips.

10. The table of claim 3, a first rail and a second rail, each extending generally parallel each other and extending downward from an underside of the table top; a first lip and a second lip, extending outward from a distal end of respective ones of the first rail and the second rail, the first lip extending toward the second lip; a central rail disposed between the first and second rails and extending generally parallel with the first and second rails, the central rail extending downward from an underside of the table top; a forward facing central rail lip extending outward from a distal end of the central rail, the forward facing central rail lip extending toward the first lip; and a rear facing central rail lip extending outward from the distal end of the central rail, the rear facing central rail lip extending toward the second lip, wherein: the at least one slot is a first slot and a second slot; the first slot is defined between the underside of the table top, the first rail, the first rail lip, the central rail and the forward facing central rail lip; and the second slot is defined between the underside of the table top, the second rail, the second rail lip, the central rail and the rear facing central rail lip.

11. The table of claim 1, further comprising a leg connector connecting each leg of the first pair of legs to the table top, wherein: the leg connector includes an opening for rotationally receiving each leg of the first pair of legs therein; a channel is cut out along an interior surface of the opening, the channel having a first portion having a first dimension, and a second portion having a second dimension, the first portion interconnecting to the second portion; and the first and second portions permitting each leg of the first pair of legs to rotate 180 degrees.

12. A table comprising: a first pair of legs extendable downward from an underside of a table top at a first side thereof; and a second pair of legs extendable downward from the underside of the table top at a second, opposite side thereof, wherein: the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are pivotable between a use position, where the legs extend downward and away from the table top, and a stored position, where one leg of the first pair of legs extend alongside one leg of the second pair of legs, and both the first and second pairs of legs are directly adjacent the underside of the table top; an inside surface of each of the first pair of legs is disposed directly alongside an inside surface of respective second pair of legs with the table is in the stored position; and the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are each disposed in corners of the table top in the use position.

13. The table of claim 12, wherein the first pair of legs are rotatable along a longitudinal axis thereof between a leg rotation use position, with the first pair of legs being disposed in a first orientation that is the same as a second leg orientation at which the second pair of legs are rotationally fixed when in the use position, and a leg rotation stored position, which permits rotation of the legs such that each leg of the first pair of legs is disposable alongside each respective leg of the second pair of legs when the table is in the stored position.

14. The table of claim 12, further comprising first and second slots disposed along an underside of the table top, the first and second slots accessible from opposite sides of the table.

15. The table of claim 14, further comprising: a first rail and a second rail, each extending generally parallel each other and extending downward from an underside of the table top; a first lip and a second lip, extending outward from a distal end of respective ones of the first rail and the second rail, the first lip extending toward the second lip; a central rail disposed between the first and second rails and extending generally parallel with the first and second rails, the central rail extending downward from an underside of the table top; a forward facing central rail lip extending outward from a distal end of the central rail, the forward facing central rail lip extending toward the first lip; and a rear facing central rail lip extending outward from the distal end of the central rail, the rear facing central rail lip extending toward the second lip, wherein: the at least one slot is a first slot and a second slot; the first slot is defined between the underside of the table top, the first rail, the first rail lip, the central rail and the forward facing central rail lip; and the second slot is defined between the underside of the table top, the second rail, the second rail lip, the central rail and the rear facing central rail lip.

16. The table of claim 14, wherein each of the first and second slots are configured to hold one or more folded chairs therein.

17. The table of claim 14, wherein the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs prevent an item stored in the first and second slots to be inadvertently removed therefrom when the first and second pair of legs are in the stored position.

18. A table comprising: a first pair of legs extendable downward from an underside of a table top at a first side thereof; a second pair of legs extendable downward from the underside of the table top at a second, opposite side thereof; and first and second slots disposed along an underside of the table top, the first and second slots accessible from opposite sides of the table, wherein: the first pair of legs and the second pair of legs are pivotable between a use position, where the legs extend downward and away from the table top, and a stored position, where one leg of the first pair of legs extend alongside one leg of the second pair of legs, and both the first and second pairs of legs are directly adjacent the underside of the table top; the first pair of legs are rotatable along a longitudinal axis thereof between a leg rotation use position, with the first pair of legs being disposed in a first orientation that is the same as a second leg orientation at which the second pair of legs are rotationally fixed when in the use position, and a leg rotation stored position, which permits rotation of the legs such that each leg of the first pair of legs is disposable alongside each respective leg of the second pair of legs when the table is in the stored position; and an inside surface of each of the first pair of legs is disposed directly alongside an inside surface of respective second pair of legs with the table is in the stored position.

19. The table of claim 18, further comprising: a first rail and a second rail, each extending generally parallel each other and extending downward from an underside of the table top; a first lip and a second lip, extending outward from a distal end of respective ones of the first rail and the second rail, the first lip extending toward the second lip; a central rail disposed between the first and second rails and extending generally parallel with the first and second rails, the central rail extending downward from an underside of the table top; a forward facing central rail lip extending outward from a distal end of the central rail, the forward facing central rail lip extending toward the first lip; and a rear facing central rail lip extending outward from the distal end of the central rail, the rear facing central rail lip extending toward the second lip, wherein: the at least one slot is a first slot and a second slot; the first slot is defined between the underside of the table top, the first rail, the first rail lip, the central rail and the forward facing central rail lip; the second slot is defined between the underside of the table top, the second rail, the second rail lip, the central rail and the rear facing central rail lip; and each of the first and second slots are configured to hold one or more folded chairs therein.

20. The table of claim 18, further comprising a leg connector connecting each leg of the first pair of legs to the table top, wherein: the leg connector includes an opening for rotationally receiving each leg of the first pair of legs therein; a channel is cut out along an interior surface of the opening, the channel having a first portion having a first dimension, and a second portion having a second dimension, the first portion interconnecting to the second portion; and the first and second portions permitting each leg of the first pair of legs to rotate 180 degrees.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a table, in an assembled state, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a chair, in an assembled state, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a partially cut away perspective view of the table of FIG. 1, illustrating storage of the chairs of FIG. 2 therein;

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the folded table of FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the table of FIG. 1, during an initial unfolding thereof;

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the table of FIG. 1, illustrating rotation of two of the legs into a fully assembled position;

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the table of FIG. 1, indicating an area of interest in a circled region;

[0018] FIG. 8 illustrates a detailed view of the region of circle VII of FIG. 7;

[0019] FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of the region of circle VII of FIG. 7;

[0020] FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the region of circle VII of FIG. 7;

[0021] FIG. 11 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the chair of FIG. 2, in a first state of unfolding from its folded state;

[0022] FIG. 12 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the chair of FIG. 2, showing further unfolding thereof;

[0023] FIG. 13 illustrates a perspective view of the chair of FIG. 2, in a further unfolded state; and

[0024] FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective of the chair of FIG. 2, fully unfolded.

[0025] The illustrations in the figures may not necessarily be drawn to scale. The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND BEST MODE OF INVENTION

[0026] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms a, an, and the are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms comprises and/or comprising, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0028] In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.

[0029] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

[0030] The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.

[0031] As is well known to those skilled in the art, many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal configuration of a commercial implementation of any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.

[0032] Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a table with four chairs that can be stored together into a secure, flattened assembly. The four chairs can store under the table such that, when the legs of the table are folded to be adjacent a back side of the table, the folded legs act as a stopper to prevent the chairs from sliding out when moving the table. A leg turning mechanism allows the user to turn two adjacent legs 180 degrees to permit the legs to be disposed adjacent each other when folded and, when unfolded, to present a uniform appearance for each of the legs. The turning mechanism can include two different types of slots, with one slot having a larger diameter and smaller depth; the other slot has a smaller, deeper diameter. Both slots are 180?, but in different directions with some intersection areas. The foldable chairs can include a foldable backrest and can have support beams between each pair of legs. The chairs can be folded in a flattened state to be disposed in a slot adjacent the underside of the top of the table.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 1, a table 10, such as a dining table, can include a table top 12, front legs 16 and rear legs 14. Typically, the legs 16, 14 are disposed to extend downward (that is, from an underside of the table top 12) at corners of the table top 12. As described in greater detail below, the table 10 can be folded into a flattened state.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 2, a chair 50 can include a chair seat 52, a backrest 64, front legs 56 and rear legs 58. A support bar 60 can extend between each pair of front and rear legs 56, 58. As described in greater detail below, the chair 50 can be folded into a flattened state and stored in slots of the table 10, adjacent an underside of the table top 12.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 3, a bottom view of the table 10 is shown, where a front side of the table include a front rail 20 that extends downward from an underside 12A of the table top 12. A front rail lip 20A may extend inward, toward a central axis 10A of the table 10, and may be spaced apart from the underside 12A of the table top 12. Similarly, a rear rail 22 can extend downward from the underside 12A of the table top 12. A rear rail lip 22A may extend inward, toward the central axis 10A of the table 10, and may be spaced apart from the underside 12A of the table top. Typically, the lips 20A, 22A may extend at an angle of about 90 degrees from the corresponding front rail 20 and rear rail 22.

[0036] A central rail 24 can extend downward from the underside 12A of the table top 12. A forward facing central rail lip 24A and a rear facing central rail lip 24B can extend outward from the central rail 24, with the forward facing central rail lip 24A extending toward the front rail lip 20A and the rear facing central rail lip 24B extending toward the rear rail lip 22A, such that the central rail 24 and central rail lips 24A, 24B form an inverted T-shape. The front rail lip 20A, the underside 12A of the table top 12 and the forward facing central rail lip 24A can form a first slot 13 into which two chairs 50 may be retained. The rear rail lip 22A, the underside 12A of the table top 12 and the rear facing central rail lip 24B can form a second slot 15 into which two chairs 50 may be retained. As described below, the folding legs may prevent the chairs 50 from exiting the slots 13, 15 when the table 10 is folded.

[0037] Referring now to FIGS. 4 through 6, an unfolding process for the table 10 is shown. As can be seen in FIG. 4, when folded, the legs 14, 16 rest along side each other, thus minimizing the overall thickness of the folded table, where an inside surface 14A of the rear leg 14 is disposed against an inside surface 16A of the front leg 16. This arrangement is possible due to the ability to rotate the front legs 16 180 degrees, as discussed below. As can also be seen, the legs 14, 16 block entry to the slots 13, 15 (see FIG. 3). Thus, if chairs are disposed in the slots 13, 15, then the legs 14, 16 prevent the chairs from moving out of the slots until such time that the table is unfolded.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 5, the rear legs 14 may be folded out first to their fully opened position. Such unfolding allows access to the front legs 16, which have a portion of their inside surface 16A under the inside surface 14A of the rear legs 14. After the rear legs 14 are unfolded, the front legs 16 can be unfolded as shown in FIG. 5.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6, once the front legs 16 are unfolded, they may be rotated 180 degrees so that the inside surface 16A, that was facing outside of the table, now faces inside and the front legs 16 are now disposed in the corner, with an appearance the same as the rear legs 14.

[0040] Referring to FIGS. 7 through 10, a leg supporting member 28 can include an opening 30 for rotatably receiving the front legs 16 therein. A wider slot 32 and a narrower slot 34 may be interconnected so that a part of the front legs 16 may turn in the slots, thus permitted limited rotation of the front legs 16 over 180 degrees. The slot 32 may include a notch 36 that may help lock the front legs 16 into a desired position, such as the use position as shown in FIG. 7.

[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 11 through 14, the unfolding process of the chair 50 is shown. The chair 50 can include leg assemblies 54 that pivot from opposite corners from the underside 52A of the seat member 52. The leg assemblies 54 can include a front leg 56 and a rear leg 58, disposed immediately adjacent each other when folded. Thus, one set of front and rear legs 56, 58 (as one leg assembly 54) may be disposed along a front edge of the underside 52A of the seat member 52 and another pair of front and rear legs 56, 58 (as another leg assembly 54) may be disposed along a rear edge of the underside 52A of the seal member 52. As shown in FIG. 11, in some embodiments, the leg assemblies 54 each include a set of legs (one front let 56 and one rear leg 58) with a support bar 60 disposed therebetween. In some embodiments, the support bar 60 may be disposed in channels in the front leg 56 and the rear leg 58 so that the leg assemblies have the front leg 56 contacting the rear leg 58 when in the stored position.

[0042] When the leg assemblies 54 are fully unfolded, as shown in FIG. 12, a front leg 56 of one of the leg assemblies 54 (as shown in FIG. 12, and a rear leg 58 of the other one of the leg assemblies 54, shown already fully expanded) may be slid along a channel 68 formed along the underside 52A of the seat member 52 so as to move the front leg 56 from the rear of the chair 50 to the front thereof.

[0043] As the front leg 56 slides in the channel 68, a support bar 60 may move from a position substantially parallel with a length of the legs 56, 58, to a position substantially orthogonal with the length of the legs 56, 58. The front legs 56 may have a front support bar channel 56B formed therein, while the rear legs 58 may have a rear support bar channel 58B, where the remainder of the front and rear legs 56, 58 may be formed from solid members 56A, 58A, or, at least formed from a design that the support bar 60 cannot move there along. For example, the solid members 56A, 58A may still have a channel 78 formed therein, where the channel permits storage of the support bar 60, when folded, but does not permit the storage bar 60 to move along the channel 78.) The front support bar channel 56B may be located at a proximal end of the front leg 56 and the rear support bar channel 58B may be located at a distal end of the rear leg 58. The length of the front and rear support bar channels 56B, 58B may be at least half an overall length of the legs. As the front leg 56 is moved forward, the support bar 60 moves in the support bar channels 56B, 58B so that the support bar 60 spans generally orthogonally between the legs 56, 58 when they are fully expanded (as shown with one set of the legs in FIG. 12).

[0044] Once the leg assemblies 54 are opened and the legs 56, 58 are separated, as shown in FIG. 13, the seat back 64 may be pivoted to full open the chair 50, as shown in FIG. 14. As best seen in FIG. 12, the seat member 52 may include a notched region 70 on opposing rear sides thereof. The pivot axis 74 of the seat back 64 may be a distance away from the bottom end 64A of the seat back 64, forming a seat back portion 64B that is distal the pivot axis 74. Thus, when the seat back 64 is opened, the seat back portion 64B fits into the notched region 70 and prevents over rotation of the seat back 64 due to the interaction with seat back portion 64B with the edges of the notched region 70.

[0045] All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

[0046] Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.

[0047] Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different ones of the disclosed elements.

[0048] The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species.

[0049] The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0050] Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.

[0051] The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.