Extendable table

Abstract

An extendable tablet includes a tabletop frame including two sliding tabletops, a foldable tabletop having a first folding panel and a second folding panel pivotally coupled with each other, two sliding runners mounted underneath the two sliding tabletops to allow the two sliding tabletops to slide between a full-size position and a compact-size position, and a folding joint mounted to one of the sliding runners to pivotally connect to the first folding panel of the foldable tabletop. At the full-size position, the first and second foldable panels are pivotally folded between the two sliding tabletops to maximize a utilizing area. At the compact-size position, the first folding panel is pivotally overlapped on the second folding panel at a position that the foldable tabletop is sunk underneath the sliding tabletops such that the sliding tabletops are slidably mounted with each other edge-to-edge to minimize the utilizing area.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a table, and more particularly to an extendable table, wherein a foldable tabletop is adapted to be selectively folded to extend a size of the tabletop and folded in a hidden manner for minimizing the utilizing area of the tabletop.

2. Description of Related Arts

A conventional table generally comprises a tabletop and a leg frame spacedly mounted underneath the tabletop. Traditionally, most of the improvements for conventional tables have been overwhelmingly concentrated on the leg frame. Engineers and researchers alike have devoted themselves in developing new kinds of leg frames and the foldable mechanism in order to make the table easier to fold, more compact in size and more secure in structure.

With the foldable mechanism, such foldable tables are useful and convenient for individuals or a group of people in certain occasions in which when the occasions are temporarily held in a place of limited space. The foldable table can be folded to minimize its occupying space and to stack as a pile, such that many can be stored in a small room. The foldable tables are of light weight, so that they can be easily carried to another room where they are unfolded for certain purposes. Due to the flexible configuration and light weight, foldable tables are often used for serving food or receiving attendants in a conference or banquet.

However, the foldable tables are only suitable for temporary used. The user merely folds up the foldable table after the event is finished. In other words, most users will not use the foldable table as a substitution of the dinning table.

Regarding to such conventional table, a deep-seated drawback can be found. Both the foldable and conventional tables cannot adjust a size of the tabletop. The conventional table provides a rigid one-piece structure of the tabletop may severely enhance the overall stability and security of the table. The foldable table provides a light-weight one-piece tabletop with foldable table legs. Therefore, the utilizing area of the tabletop is fixed that when friends and relatives are invited for dinner, the user may merely set up the foldable table next to the dining table to provide enough space for utilizing.

An improved table provides a tabletop comprising a detachable panel such that the user is able to detach the detachable panel to adjust the size of the tabletop. However, such table may not be secure enough. The leg frame requires some sort of reinforcing enhancements to support the detachable panel when the utilizing area of the tabletop is maximized. Therefore, a complicated structural design of the leg frame is needed to incorporate with the detachable structure of the panel, which will highly increase the manufacturing cost of the table and the overall weight thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A main object of the present invention is to provide an extendable table, wherein a foldable tabletop is adapted to be selectively folded to extend a size of the tabletop and folded in a hidden manner for minimizing the utilizing area of the tabletop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendable table, wherein the foldable tabletop is overlappedly folded in half and is sunk underneath the sliding tabletops so as to minimize the utilizing area of the tabletop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendable table, wherein the foldable tabletop is folded to securely support between the sliding tabletops edge-to-edge so as to maximize the utilizing area of the tabletop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendable table, wherein the folding join has an arc-shaped sliding groove to guide the foldable tabletop to sink below the sliding tabletops, so as to enhance the folding operation of the foldable tabletop.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendable table, wherein the supporting frame is capable of supporting a tabletop in a foldably movable manner without affecting the stability of the extendable table.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extendable table, wherein no expensive or complicated mechanical structure is required to employ in the present invention in order to achieve the above mentioned objects. Therefore, the present invention successfully provides an economic and efficient solution not only for selectively adjusting the utilizing area of the tabletop but also for providing a rigid configuration to substantially support the tabletop.

Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides an extendable table, comprising:

a leg frame; and

a tabletop frame, which is supported by the leg frame, comprising:

two sliding tabletops,

a foldable tabletop which comprises a first folding panel and a second folding panel pivotally coupled with the first folding panel edge-to-edge;

two sliding runners mounted underneath the two sliding tabletops to allow the two sliding tabletops to slide between a full-size position and a compact-size position; and

a folding joint substantially mounted to one of the sliding runners to pivotally connect to the first folding panel of the foldable tabletop, wherein at the full-size position, the first and second foldable panels are pivotally folded in an edge-to-edge manner at a position between the two sliding tabletops to maximize a utilizing area, and at the compact-size position, the first folding panel is pivotally overlapped on the second folding panel at a position that the foldable tabletop is sunk underneath the sliding tabletops such that the sliding tabletops are slidably mounted with each other edge-to-edge to minimize the utilizing area.

These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an extendable table according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the tabletop frame of the extendable table according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the foldable tabletop of the extendable table according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the foldable tabletop at the full-size position.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the foldable tabletop of the extendable table according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the foldable tabletop at the compact-size position.

FIG. 5 illustrates a folding operation of the extendable table according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, an extendable table according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, wherein the extendable table comprises a leg frame 10 and a tabletop frame 20 supported by the leg frame 10.

The tabletop frame 20 comprises two sliding tabletops 21, a foldable tabletop 22 which comprises a first folding panel 221 and a second folding panel 222 pivotally coupled with the first folding panel 221 edge-to-edge, and two sliding runners 23 mounted underneath the two sliding tabletops 21 to allow the two sliding tabletops 21 to slide between a full-size position and a compact-size position.

The tabletop frame 20 further comprises a folding joint 24 substantially mounted to one of the sliding runners 23 to pivotally connect to the first folding panel 221 of the foldable tabletop 22. In which, at the full-size position, the first and second foldable panels 221, 222 are pivotally folded in an edge-to-edge manner at a position between the two sliding tabletops 21 to maximize a utilizing area, and at the compact-size position, the first folding panel 221 is pivotally overlapped on the second folding panel 222 at a position that the foldable tabletop 22 is sunk underneath the sliding tabletops 21 such that the sliding tabletops 21 are slidably mounted with each other edge-to-edge to minimize the utilizing area.

According to the present invention, the leg frame 10 comprises a plurality of standing legs 11 spacedly mounted to the sliding runners 23 to rigidly support the tabletop frame 20 so as to allow the sliding tabletops 21 to slide on the sliding runners 23.

The two sliding runners 23 are respectively mounted to two longitudinal sides of the sliding tabletops 21. Each of the sliding runners 23 has a wheel track 231 extended therealong, wherein a plurality of sliding wheels 232 are rotatably mounted underneath the sliding tabletops 21 to slidably engage with the wheel tracks 231 such that the sliding tabletops 21 are slidably mounted on the sliding runners 23 between the full-size position and the compact-size position. It is worth to mention that a length of each of the sliding runners 23 is shorter that an overall length of the two sliding tabletop 21 such that when the two sliding tabletops 21 are slid at the compact-size position, the sliding runners 23 are positioned under the sliding tabletops 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tabletop frame 20 further comprises a reinforcing support 25 extended between the two sliding runners 23 to enhance a rigid structure thereof to support the tabletop frame 20. Accordingly, when the second folding panel 222 is pivotally overlapped underneath the first folding panel 221, the foldable tabletop 22 is sunk underneath the sliding tabletops 21 to sit on the reinforcing support 25 so as to substantially support the foldable tabletop 22 at the compact-size position. In other words, the reinforcing support 25 not only enhances the structure of the sliding runners 23 but also supports the foldable tabletop 22 at the compact-size position.

The first folding panel 221 is preferably identical to the second folding panel 222 wherein an overall width of the first and second folding panels 221, 222 is the same as a width of each of the sliding tabletop 21 such that when the first and second folding panels 221, 222 are pivotally folded edge-to-edge, the foldable tabletop 22 fits between the two sliding tabletops 21 to form an integral flat tabletop surface. It is worth to mention that when the extendable table is fold at the full-size position, the surface areas of the first and second folding panels 221, 222 and the two sliding tabletop 21 are combined to form the utilizing area of the tabletop frame 20 so as to maximize the size of the extendable table. When the extendable table is fold at the compact-size position, only the surface areas of the two sliding tabletop 21 are combined to form the utilizing area of the tabletop frame 20 so as to minimize the size of the extendable table.

Accordingly, the first folding panel 221 is pivotally mounted to the second folding panel 222 via a pivot joint 223, wherein the pivot joint 223 is mounted to bottom sides of the first and second folding panels 221, 222 for allowing the first and second folding panels 221, 222 to pivotally fold in one upward direction. In other words, the second folding panel 222 is guided to overlap underneath the first folding panel 221 while the foldable tabletop 22 is sunk under the sliding tabletops 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the folding joint 24 comprises two guiding members 241 spacedly mounted to the respective sliding runner 23 and two sliding members 242 securely mounted to two side edges of the first folding panel 221 to slidably engage with the guiding members 241 respectively so as to guide the first and second folding panels 221, 22 to fold between the full-size position and the compact-size position.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the guiding members 241 has a guiding groove 2411 and each of the sliding members 242 has a sliding protrusion 2421 slidably engaged with the guiding groove 2411 of the respective guiding member 241 such that the sliding protrusions 2421 are respectively slid along the guiding grooves 2411 end-to-end to guide the first and second folding panels 221, 22 to fold between the full-size position and the compact-size position.

Each of the guiding grooves 2411 has a transverse sliding portion 2411A and a downward curving portion 2411B extended therefrom wherein when the sliding protrusions 2421 are respectively slid along the transverse sliding portions 2411A of the guiding grooves 2411 towards the downward curving portions 2411B thereof, the second folding panel 222 is allowed to pivotally overlap underneath the first folding panel 221. When the sliding protrusions 2421 are respectively slid along the downward curving portions 2411B of the guiding grooves 2411, the foldable tabletop 22 is sunk underneath the sliding tabletops 21, as shown in FIG. 4. It is worth to mention that when the sliding protrusions 2421 are respectively slid towards the ends of the transverse sliding portion 2411A of the guiding grooves 2411, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer edge portions of the first and second folding panels 221, 222 are supported on the sliding runners 23 respectively so as to substantially support the foldable tabletop 22 between the sliding tabletops 21.

In order to fold the extendable table from the full-size position to the compact-size position, as shown in FIG. 5, the user firstly push the first folding panel 221 to slide the sliding protrusions 2421 along the transverse sliding portions 2411A of the guiding grooves 2411 towards the downward curving portions 2411B thereof, such that the first folding panel 221 is allowed to pivotally lift up for the second folding panel 222 to pivotally overlap under the first folding panel 221. Once the second folding panel 22 is pivotally overlapped underneath the first folding panel 221, the folded foldable tabletop 22 is dropped under the sliding tabletops 21 by gravity while the sliding protrusions 2421 are slid along the downward curving portions 2411B of the guiding grooves 2411. Therefore, the user is able to slide the two sliding tabletops 21 towards each other until the two sliding tabletops 21 are mounted edge-to-edge.

One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.

It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An extendable table, comprising: a leg frame; and a tabletop frame, which is supported by said leg frame, comprising: two sliding tabletops, a foldable tabletop which comprises a first folding panel and a second folding panel pivotally coupled with said first folding panel edge-to-edge; two sliding runners mounted underneath said two sliding tabletops to allow said two sliding tabletops to slide between a full-size position and a compact-size position; and a folding joint substantially mounted to one of said sliding runners to pivotally connect to said first folding panel of said foldable tabletop, wherein at said full-size position, said first and second foldable panels are pivotally folded in an edge-to-edge manner at a position between said two sliding tabletops to maximize a utilizing area, and at said compact-size position, said first folding panel is pivotally overlapped on said second folding panel at a position that said foldable tabletop is sunk underneath said sliding tabletops such that said sliding tabletops are slidably mounted with each other edge-to-edge to minimize the utilizing area.

2. The extendable table, as recited in claim 1, wherein said folding joint comprises two guiding members spacedly mounted to said respective sliding runner and two sliding members securely mounted to two side edges of said first folding panel to slidably engage with said guiding members respectively so as to guide said first and second folding panels to fold between said full-size position and said compact-size position.

3. The extendable table, as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said guiding members has a guiding groove and each of said sliding members has a sliding protrusion slidably engaged with said guiding groove of said respective guiding member, such that said sliding protrusions are respectively slid along said guiding grooves end-to-end to guide said first and second folding panels folding between said full-size position and said compact-size position.

4. The extendable table, as recited in claim 3, wherein each of said guiding grooves has a transverse sliding portion and a downward curving portion extended therefrom, wherein when said sliding protrusions are respectively slid along said transverse sliding portions of said guiding grooves towards said downward curving portions thereof, said second folding panel is allowed to pivotally overlap underneath said first folding panel, and when said sliding protrusions are respectively slid along said downward curving portions of said guiding grooves, said foldable tabletop is sunk underneath said sliding tabletops.

5. The extendable table, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said sliding runners has a wheel track extended therealong, wherein a plurality of sliding wheels are rotatably mounted underneath said sliding tabletops to slidably engage with said wheel tracks, such that said sliding tabletops are slidably mounted on said sliding runners between said full-size position and said compact-size position.

6. The extendable table, as recited in claim 3, wherein each of said sliding runners has a wheel track extended therealong, wherein a plurality of sliding wheels are rotatably mounted underneath said sliding tabletops to slidably engage with said wheel tracks, such that said sliding tabletops are slidably mounted on said sliding runners between said full-size position and said compact-size position.

7. The extendable table, as recited in claim 4, wherein each of said sliding runners has a wheel track extended therealong, wherein a plurality of sliding wheels are rotatably mounted underneath said sliding tabletops to slidably engage with said wheel tracks, such that said sliding tabletops are slidably mounted on said sliding runners between said full-size position and said compact-size position

8. The extendable table, as recited in claim 1, wherein said tabletop frame further comprises a reinforcing support extended between said two sliding runners to enhance a rigid structure thereof to support said tabletop frame, wherein when said second folding panel is pivotally overlapped underneath said first folding panel, said foldable tabletop is sunk underneath said sliding tabletops to sit on said reinforcing support so as to substantially support said foldable tabletop at said compact-size position.

9. The extendable table, as recited in claim 4, wherein said tabletop frame further comprises a reinforcing support extended between said two sliding runners to enhance a rigid structure thereof to support said tabletop frame, wherein when said second folding panel is pivotally overlapped underneath said first folding panel, said foldable tabletop is sunk underneath said sliding tabletops to sit on said reinforcing support so as to substantially support said foldable tabletop at said compact-size position.

10. The extendable table, as recited in claim 7, wherein said tabletop frame further comprises a reinforcing support extended between said two sliding runners to enhance a rigid structure thereof to support said tabletop frame, wherein when said second folding panel is pivotally overlapped underneath said first folding panel, said foldable tabletop is sunk underneath said sliding tabletops to sit on said reinforcing support so as to substantially support said foldable tabletop at said compact-size position.

11. The extendable table, as recited in claim 4, wherein said first folding panel is pivotally mounted to said second folding panel via a pivot joint, wherein said pivot joint is mounted to bottom sides of said first and second folding panels for allowing said first and second folding panels to pivotally fold in one upward direction.

12. The extendable table, as recited in claim 7, wherein said first folding panel is pivotally mounted to said second folding panel via a pivot joint, wherein said pivot joint is mounted to bottom sides of said first and second folding panels for allowing said first and second folding panels to pivotally fold in one upward direction.

13. The extendable table, as recited in claim 10, wherein said first folding panel is pivotally mounted to said second folding panel via a pivot joint, wherein said pivot joint is mounted to bottom sides of said first and second folding panels for allowing said first and second folding panels to pivotally fold in one upward direction.

14. The extendable table, as recited in claim 4, wherein said first folding panel is identical to said second folding panel, wherein an overall width of said first and second folding panels is the same as a width of each of said sliding tabletop, such that when said first and second folding panels are pivotally folded edge-to-edge, said foldable tabletop fits between said two sliding tabletops to form an integral flat tabletop surface.

15. The extendable table, as recited in claim 10, wherein said first folding panel is identical to said second folding panel, wherein an overall width of said first and second folding panels is the same as a width of each of said sliding tabletop, such that when said first and second folding panels are pivotally folded edge-to-edge, said foldable tabletop fits between said two sliding tabletops to form an integral flat tabletop surface.

16. The extendable table, as recited in claim 13, wherein said first folding panel is identical to said second folding panel, wherein an overall width of said first and second folding panels is the same as a width of each of said sliding tabletop, such that when said first and second folding panels are pivotally folded edge-to-edge, said foldable tabletop fits between said two sliding tabletops to form an integral flat tabletop surface.

17. The extendable table, as recited in claim 1, wherein said leg frame comprises a plurality of standing legs spacedly mounted to said sliding runners to rigidly support said tabletop frame so as to allow said sliding tabletops to slide on said sliding runners.

18. The extendable table, as recited in claim 10, wherein said leg frame comprises a plurality of standing legs spacedly mounted to said sliding runners to rigidly support said tabletop frame so as to allow said sliding tabletops to slide on said sliding runners.

19. The extendable table, as recited in claim 13, wherein said leg frame comprises a plurality of standing legs spacedly mounted to said sliding runners to rigidly support said tabletop frame so as to allow said sliding tabletops to slide on said sliding runners.

20. The extendable table, as recited in claim 16, wherein said leg frame comprises a plurality of standing legs spacedly mounted to said sliding runners to rigidly support said tabletop frame so as to allow said sliding tabletops to slide on said sliding runners.