1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to folding tables. More particularly, the present invention relates to folding tables that contain wash stations and can serve as part of a portable kitchen.
2. Prior Art Description
When people camp, tailgate or otherwise cook outside away from their homes, most of the dishes and utensils used to cook and eat the food are disposable. The use of disposable dishes, cups and utensils are preferred because they can be thrown away. Such objects do not need to be washed or carried any farther than the nearest trashcan. If non-disposable objects are used, the non-disposable objects must be either washed or stored and carried home to be washed.
A problem occurs when a person goes camping for a prolonged period of time. Inevitably, certain nondisposable objects, such as pots, pans, spatulas, coffee pots and the like must be cleaned in order to be kept sanitary. In order to clean such objects when camping, cleaning materials must be brought on the camping trip. Cleaning materials, such as soap and sponges, are easily carried. What is more difficult to carry is the facilities needed to hold, wash, rinse and dry the objects being washed. Campers therefore improvise and pack folding tables, water basins and drying racks that can be configured into a makeshift kitchen. Tables, basins and the like, however, take up space. Thus, only minimal amounts of such objects are taken on a camping trip, if they are taken at all. The result is that many campers use a camping kitchen that is small, crowded and difficult to use.
The prior art record is replete with various types of folding tables. Typically, a folding table has legs that fold flat under the tabletop. The tabletop itself may also fold in half in order to save space. Since folding tables are designed to be as compact and lightweight as possible, there is little excess space contained within the folding table once it is folded closed. Therefore, there is no room in the structure of a standard folding table to hold secondary objects, such as water basins. As a result, any camper that is looking to create a camping kitchen must purchase and pack multiple objects. Washbasins are purchased to hold water for washing. A folding table is purchased to support the washbasins. Complementary objects, such as drying racks, storage racks for food, soap and the like are then purchased. All these separate objects must then be packed and transported to the camp site.
Portable kitchen sets, typically referred to as mess sets, do exist and are used extensively by the army and other such military organizations. Such kitchen sets do contain washing facilities, a variety of racks and storage facilities that are collapsible and storable. However, military kitchen sets are designed to support a large number of men. The military kitchen sets, although portable, are large and pack into large heavy crates that are intended to be transported from site to site by trucks. Such military kitchen sets are therefore not practical for campers who need kitchen facilities for only one family or a few campers.
A need therefore exists for a portable camp kitchen that is compact, lightweight, inexpensive and provides useable facilities to prepare, store, wash and dry equipment and provisions. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is an assembly that includes a plurality of folding tables that pack and store together as a single unit. The assembly includes a primary table. The primary table preferably includes a collapsible washbasin and a rack of shelves for storing provisions near the washbasin. Smaller secondary tables are also provided that set up separately from the primary table. The primary table, the secondary table and the rack of shelves are all collapsible. When these components are in their collapsed configurations, they can be interconnected. This produces a single compact unit for transportation that holds the primary table, the secondary table, the rack of shelves and other complementary objects.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Although the present invention assembly can be used for many proposes, such as a portable gardener's station, or as a portable first aid station, the present invention is particularly well suited for use as a portable camping kitchen station. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention that is described is configured as a portable kitchen station in order to set forth the best mode of use contemplated for the invention. However, it will be understood that the manner in which the present invention assembly is used is secondary. Rather, it is the structure of the assembly for which patent protection is sought.
Referring to
Two secondary tables 21, 22 are also provided. Each of the secondary tables 21, 22 have tabletops 23, 24 and storage elements that are suspended below the tabletops 23, 24.
The primary table 12, washbasin 16, rack of shelves 18, secondary tables 21, 22 and the various storage elements all store together as a single, small portable assembly. In this manner, all of the shown elements can be stored together and carried together as a single unit by a camper. The elements shown in
The primary table 12 has a flat tabletop 14 that is supported by a plurality of folding legs 20. The manner by which the legs fold and extend is not of great importance and many prior art folding leg configurations can be used. In the center of the tabletop 14 is disposed a large sink opening 26. A flap 30 is connected by a hinge joint 28 to one side of the sink opening 26. The hinge joint 28 on the flap 30 enables the flap 30 to be selectively opened or closed over the sink opening 26. When the flap 30 is closed, the flap 30 sets into the tabletop 14 and closes the sink opening 26. Consequently, the closed flap 30 becomes part of the tabletop 14. When the flap 30 is opened, the hinge joint 28 holds the flap 30 adjacent to the sink opening 26 at a slight inclined angle.
When the flap 30 is opened, the underside of the flap 30 faces upwardly. A drain grate 32 is provided on the underside of the flap 30. The drain grate 32 holds wet objects and enables water dripping from such objects to drop onto the flap 30 and flow down through the sink opening 26.
A collapsible washbasin 16 is supported below the tabletop 14, under the sink opening 26. The collapsible washbasin 16 has flexible walls made of plastic or waterproof treated fabric. Accordingly, the washbasin 16 can hold a volume of water without leaking.
The rack of shelves 18 extends upwardly from the top of the tabletop 14. The rack of shelves 18 is comprised of two vertical poles 34 that have one end set into the structure of the tabletop 14. A plurality of shelves 36 are suspended between the vertical poles 34. The shelves 36 have mounting brackets 38 disposed along their short sides. The mounting brackets 38 engage the vertical poles 34, thereby enabling the shelves 36 to be selectively attached to the vertical poles 34. The shelves 36 are strong and can hold a wide variety of objects, such as canned food, boxed food, spices, soap and the like.
Wire hangers 40 protrude from the vertical poles 34 at different points. The wire hangers 40 are provided to hold washcloths, dish towels, paper towels or a lantern handle. The wire hangers 40 can also pass through the perforated handles of cooking utensils, such as spatulas, spoons and the like. The wire hangers 40 engage holes in the vertical poles 34 and can be folded flush against the vertical poles 34 when not in use.
A wire rack 42 is suspended below the tabletop 14. The wire rack 42 is suspended between two legs 20 of the primary table 12 and two detachable suspension elements 44. The suspension elements 44 join the wire rack 42 to the bottom of the tabletop 14. The wire rack 42 is capable of holding heavy objects, such as water containers and large canned provisions.
Hook brackets 46 extend downwardly from the underside of the tabletop 14. The hook brackets 46 serve a dual purpose. First, the hook brackets 46 can be used to suspend collapsible storage compartments 48. The storage compartments 48 are preferably sewn from fabric and can be folded flat when not in use. When suspended from the hook brackets 46, the storage compartments 48 define separate compartments for holding lightweight camping items such as napkins, cups and the like. The hook brackets 46 are also used when the entire assembly 10 is configured for storage, as will later be described.
The secondary tables 21, 22 each have flat tabletops 23, 24 and foldable legs 52 that are configured in a crisscrossing pattern. The foldable legs 52 may also have a telescoping configuration that allows the legs 52 to be selectively increased and deceased in length.
Storage compartments can also be suspended from below the secondary tables 21, 22. In
Referring to
The wire rack 42 under the tabletop 14 of the primary table 12 can be dissembled by disconnecting the suspension elements 44 from the wire rack 42.
Lastly, the various storage compartments 48, 54 are removed from the primary and secondary tables 12, 22 and folded flat.
Once the various components are dissembled, the assembly 10 can be reconfigured for storage.
Referring to
Clamps 62 are present on the bottom surface 58 of the tabletop 14 that receive and hold the vertical poles 34 of the rack of shelves 18. Once the vertical poles 34 are in place, the legs 20 of the primary table 12 are folded closed. As the legs 20 of the primary table 12 are folded closed, the wire rack 42 folds and lays against the bottom surface 58 of the tabletop 14.
The secondary tables 21, 22 are folded flat. When the secondary tables 21, 22 are folded flat, the tabletops 23, 24 of the secondary tables 21, 22 divide in half and lay against opposite sides of the legs 52 of the secondary tables 21, 22.
The folded secondary tables 21, 22 fit inside the peripheral lip 60 of the primary tabletop 12. The folded secondary tables 21, 22 lay across the folded legs 20 of the primary table 12, thereby holding the legs 20 of the primary table 12 in their folded configuration. The collapsible storage compartments 48, 54 are folded and placed within the pocketed area 64 within the peripheral lip 60 under the folded secondary tables 21, 22.
The shelves 36 used in the rack of shelves 18 each have mounting brackets 38 at their ends. The mounting brackets 38 enable the shelves to selectively engage the vertical poles 34, when the rack of shelves 18 is assembled. The mounting brackets 38 on the shelves 36 engage the hook brackets 46 that extend from the primary tabletop 14.
Referring to
Once the mounting brackets 38 on the shelves 36 engage the hook brackets 46 on the primary tabletop 14, all of the components of the assembly 10 are joined together as a single portable unit.
A handle 66 extends from the side of the primary table 12. The handle 66 enables the stored configuration of the assembly 10 to be readily carried as a single unit.
It will be understood that the embodiment of the present invention that has been described and illustrated is merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many modifications to the shown embodiment without departing from the intended scope of the invention. For instance, the shape of the primary table and the secondary tables can be changed. The configuration of the storage compartments and storage rack can be changed. All such variations, modifications and alternate embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as set forth by the claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1366910 | Hegrat | Feb 1921 | A |
2109869 | Ross | Mar 1938 | A |
2140685 | Baxter | Dec 1938 | A |
3915529 | Bernier | Oct 1975 | A |
5139308 | Ziman | Aug 1992 | A |
6123209 | Tseng | Sep 2000 | A |
6443521 | Nye et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
20020078861 | Davis | Jun 2002 | A1 |
20040140740 | Gauss | Jul 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070137530 A1 | Jun 2007 | US |