Patent Application
20140031149
The present invention generally relates to a ping-pong table, and more specifically to a structure for fixing table top to facilitate subsequent assembly.
A standard ping-pong table is 2.74 ml in length, 1.525 m in width and 76 cm in height. Table top of a ping-pong table is usually made of high density fiber plate or similar processed wood and coated with a layer of dedicated low-friction paint. For easy transportation, the manufacturer do not usually ship the table top in the form of a 2.74 m ×1.525 m, instead, the table top is often assembled by two or four plates. The buyer must assemble the two or four table plates, along with other accessories, into a ping-pong table.
Take the four-plate structure as an example. Two table plates are first aligned and fixed together. Then, table legs are assembled under the assembled table plated to form a 1.37 m×1.525 ml “half-table”. Finally, two half tables are lined up together with a net disposed between two half-tables to form a finished ping-pong table. To assembly, different screws are required to fix different accessories to the table plates. For instance, with a plurality of fixing blocks and a plurality of support frames as accessories, fixing blocks are fixed to two adjacent table plates by screws so that two adjacent table plates are fixed together by fixing blocks. Support frames are fixed to the under surface of table plate, and a plurality of support frames can be coupled to a reverse U-shaped table leg to accomplish assembling table leg. However, assembly using screws for fixing has the following shortcomings:
1. The user must possess good skill when applying the screws to wood table plate; otherwise, the screw can be easily skewed and makes cracks in the wood.
2. Two adjacent table plates usually require tens of screws with several fixing blocks for fastening. If some of the screws are skewed or unevenly applied, the two table plates will not be perfectly matched and the flatness of the table is affected.
3. The assembly process is time-consuming and tedious because the process usually requires 20-50 screws. Although electrical screw drivers can be used, the user must possess good skill to operate electrical screw driver.
4. The skill level of the user with the assembly tool is unpredictable. If insufficient, the table might be damaged.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a structure for fixing ping-pong table top. The main feature of the present invention is to dispose a plurality of elements on bottom surface of table plate. The engagement between elements is mostly by coupling to reduce the necessity for screws, reduce the assembly time and simplify the assembly to ensure each constructing element is at the designated locations after assembly to obtain high quality ping-pong table.
To achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention includes a first table plate, a second table plate, at least a fixing unit and at least a support unit. The fixing unit includes a first matching element, a second matching element and a coupling element. The first matching element and the second matching element are fastened respectively to bottom surfaces of the first table plate and the second table plate. When the two table plates are aligned side-by-side together, the first matching element and the second matching element are also aligned side-by-side together. When the coupling element is coupled to the first matching element and the second matching element, the first matching element and the second matching element cannot be disengaged from the coupling element in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the first table plate and the second table plate are aligned together. The support unit includes at least a fixing element and a collaborating element. The fixing element at least fixes a bottom surface of one of the two table plates. The collaborating element has an arch door shape so that the bottom of the collaborating element can match the fixing element. When assembled, the collaborating element cannot be disengaged from the fixing element in the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface of table plate. An axis receiving hole is formed between the fixing element and the collaborating element.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from a careful reading of a detailed description provided herein below with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention can be understood in more detail by reading the subsequent detailed description in conjunction with the examples and references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In addition, side walls of first matching element 31 and second matching element, which facing each other, include first fit wall 312 and second fit wall 322 respectively. First fit wall 312 and second fit wall 322 are non-planar and have matching shape. In the present embodiment, first fit wall 312 includes a plurality of slant surfaces in vertical orientation, a plurality of concave surfaces, and a plurality of convex surfaces.
Second fit wall 322 must have a matching shape with first fit wall 312, i.e., includes a plurality of slant surfaces in vertical orientation, a plurality of convex surfaces, and a plurality of concave surfaces for a tight fit. When first matching element 31 uses first fit wall 312 to fit tightly with second fit wall 322 of second matching element 32, first matching element 31 and second matching element 32 cannot move separately along the direction of spliced surface of first table plate 1 and second table plate 2.
Support unit 4 includes at least a fixing element 41 and a collaborating element 42. Fixing element 41 is fastened to a surface of at least one of first table plate 1 or second table plate 2. Fixing element is disposed with at least two parallel latch racks 411. Collaborating element 42 has a shape of an arch door, with bottom forming at least two concave latch slots 421. When latch racks 411 slide into latch slots 421, collaborating element 42 cannot be disengaged from fixing element 41 along a direction perpendicular to surface of table plate. Also, an axis-receiving hole is formed between collaborating element 42 and fixing element 42.
In the present embodiment, center surface of fixing element 41 forms an arc surface 412, located between two latch racks 411. Inner wall of arch door shape of collaborating element 42 is also an arc surface. When collaborating element 42 is assembled to fixing element 41, arc surface 412 and inner wall 422 form a space to receive an axis for rotation.
Furthermore, vertical cross-section of latch rack 411 has a convex T-shape. Vertical cross-section of latch slot 421 has a concave T shape. In this manner, latch slot 421 of collaborating element 42 can only be assembled to latch rack 411 of fixing element 41 in a direction parallel to the surface of table plate.
In the present embodiment, a fixing element 41 is in general used with a collaborating element 42. However, two small fixing elements 41A can also be used with a collaborating element 42. Small fixing element 41A is about half the size of fixing element 41, also with latch racks 411 and arc surface 412. When assembled, two fixing elements 41A are fixed to surfaces of first table plate 1 and second table plate 2 respectively. When collaborating element 42 is assembled with two small fixing elements 41A, an axis-receiving hole 43 is also formed. The present invention also achieves another object. When fixing unit 3 and support unit 4 are assembled, because collaborating element 42 and coupling element 22 are respectively assembled in mutual perpendicular directions, first table plate 1 and second table plate 2 are restricted in every direction to further ensure that first table plate 1 and second table plate 2 will stay engaged.
For further convenience of assembly, as shown in
When applying the present invention to assembling a ping-pong table, the advantages of convenience and ease can be shown. The following describes the assembling process. As shown in
As shown in
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details described thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
