Foldable paperboard table

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6267065
  • Patent Number
    6,267,065
  • Date Filed
    Friday, January 14, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 31, 2001
    22 years ago
Abstract
A foldable paperboard table includes two first paperboards each having two first slits on lower edge thereof and two second paperboards each having two second slits on a top edge thereof. The four paperboards are interconnected with each other by engaging the first slits with the second slits to become a base portion. A top having flaps is connected to a top of the base portion and each flap has a side slit so that the flaps are folded to let each side of the first paperboards and the second paperboards engage with the side slits of the flaps to secure the top.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to a table made of paperboards. The paperboards includes four base parts, a cruciform frame and a top which are engaged with each other by inserting one paperboard into slits in the other paperboard.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




A conventional table suitable to be carried outdoor generally is made of metal tubes and a board which is pivotably connected to the metal tubes. The table can be folded to become a compact size so as to be conveniently carried or put in trunk of a car. Nevertheless, the conventional foldable table is still heavy in weight and the space that the folded table occupies is large. The connection between the tubes uses a lot of hooks, links or the like and these small parts could hurt the users' fingers. Furthermore, the foldable table is not a homogenous shape because there are a lot of protrusion portions such as the legs which make the foldable table be difficult to be properly stored in a limited space such as the trunk of a car.




The present invention intends to provide a foldable table that is made of paperboards which are engaged with each other by inserting one paperboard into slits in the other paperboards. The paperboards are easily to be disengaged from each other and can be overlapped with each other to become a thin pile of paperboards.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paperboard table comprising two first paperboards each having two first slits defined in a lower edge thereof. Two first side slits are respectively defined in two sides of each first paperboard. Two second paperboards each have two second slits defined in the top edge thereof and two second side slits are defined in two sides of each second paperboard. The two first paperboards are respectively connected between the two second paperboards by inserting the two first paperboards into the two second slits. A top has four sides and each side has a side flap extending therefrom. Each side flap has two engaging slits defined in a distal edge thereof The top is removably located on the respective top edge of the two first paperboards and the two second paperboards. The side flaps are respectively folded and the engaging slits of the side flaps are engaged with the first side slits of the two first paperboards and the second side slits of the two second paperboards.




The object of the present invention is to provide a table that is composed by paperboards so that the table has light weight and can be easily assembled and/or disengaged apart.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a table that can be disengaged into sheets of paperboards which are piled to become a compact size.




These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view to show a foldable paperboard table of the





FIG. 2

is an exploded view to show the foldable paperboard table of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is an exploded view to show a top and a base portion of the foldable paperboard table of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a top view to show the base portion of the table of the present invention;





FIG. 5

is a side elevational view to show the flaps engaged with the base portion of the table of the present invention, and





FIG. 6

is an exploded view to show the table wherein the two paperboards of the base portion are folded along the central folding lines.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1

to


4


, the foldable paperboard table in accordance with the present invention comprises a base portion


200


which includes two first paperboards


230


,


240


and two second paperboards


250


,


260


. Each first paperboard


230


/


240


has a top edge and a lower edge. Two first slits


231


,


232


/


241


,


242


are defined in a lower edge of each first paperboard


230


/


240


. Two first side slits


233


,


234


/


243


,


244


are respectively defined in two sides of each first paperboard


230


/


240


. The two second paperboards


250


,


260


each have a top edge and a lower edge. Two second slits


251


,


253


/


261


,


263


are defined in the top edge of each second paperboard


250


/


260


. Two second side slits


254


,


255


/


264


,


265


are respectively defined in two sides of each second paperboard


250


/


260


. A central folding line


236


/


246


/


256


/


266


is defined in each of the first paperboards


230


,


240


and each of the second paperboards


250


,


260


. A central slit


235


/


245


/


253


/


262


is defined in the top edge of each first paperboard


230


/


240


and each second paperboard


250


/


260


.




A panel


237


/


247


/


257


/


267


extends from each side of each of the first paperboards


230


,


240


and the second paperboards


250


,


260


. The panel


237


/


247


on each first paperboard


230


/


240


is located below the first side slit


233


,


234


/


243


,


244


, and the panel


257


/


267


on each second paperboard


250


/


260


is located below the second side slits


254


,


255


/


264


,


265


. The two first paperboards


230


,


240


are respectively connected between the two second paperboards


250


,


260


by inserting the two first paperboards


230


,


240


into the two second slits


251


,


253


/


261


,


263


. A lower edge of each second paperboards


250


/


260


is respectively engaged with the first slits


231


,


241


/


232


,


242


of the two opposite first paperboards


230


,


240


. Each panel


237


/


247


/


257


/


267


is folded and overlapped to the side from which it extends so as to enforce the structural strength.




A cruciform frame includes two plates


210


,


220


has a connection slit


211


/


222


/


221


/


213


defined in four ends of the cruciform frame. Each of the two plates


210


,


220


has a top slit


212


/


223


so that the two plates


210


,


220


are engaged with each other by engaging the two top slits


212


,


223


together. The cruciform frame is engaged with the first paperboards


230


,


240


and the second paperboards


250


,


260


by engaging the connection slits


211


,


222


,


221


,


213


with the four central slits


235


,


245


,


253


,


262


of the first paperboards


230


,


240


and the second paperboards


250


,


260


.




A top


10


has four sides and each side has a side flap


14


extending therefrom. Two parallel folding lines


11


,


12


are defined between each side of the top


10


and the side flap


14


extending from the top


10


. Two connection plates


13


respectively extend from two ends of each area between the two parallel folding lines


11


,


12


. Each side flap


14


has two engaging slits


141


,


142


defined in a distal edge thereof so that the top


10


is removably secured on the respective top edge of the two first paperboards


230


,


240


and the two second paperboards


250


,


260


. The side flaps


14


are folded along the two folding lines


11


,


12


and the engaging slits


141


,


142


of the side flaps


14


are engaged with the first side slits


232


,


233


/


243


,


244


of the two first paperboards


230


,


240


and the second side slits


254


,


255


/


264


,


265


of the two second paperboards


250


,


260


. The connections


13


are folded and secured to close each end of the area between the two folding lines


11


,


12


so that there will be a thickness “t” as shown in

FIG. 5

defined between the two parallel folding lines


11


,


12


, and the top


10


can support a large load.




As shown in

FIG. 6

, the first paperboards


230


,


240


are able to be respectively folded along the central folding lines


236


,


246


so as to let the base portion


200


of the table become a compact size when folding the table.




The table of the present invention is easily to be assembled and/or disengaged apart. The parts consisting the table are environment friendly and has a light in weight. Necessary water proof treatment is applied to each part of the table of the present invention so that the table can be used in different climate conditions.




While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A paperboard table comprising:two first paperboards each having a top edge portion and a lower edge portion, two first slits defined in a lower edge portion of each first paperboard, two first side slits respectively defined in two side portions of each first paperboard; two second paperboards each having a top edge portion and a lower edge portion, two second slits defined in said top edge portion of each second paperboard, each second paperboard having two second side slits defined in two side portions thereof, said two first paperboards respectively connected between said two second paperboards by inserting said two first paperboards into said two second slits, a lower edge portion of each second paperboard respectively engaged with said first slits of said first paperboards, and a top having four sides and each side having a side flap extending therefrom, each side flap having two engaging slits defined in a distal edge portion thereof, said top removably being located on said respective top edges of said two first paperboards and said two second paperboards, said side flaps being folded and said distal edge portions of said side flaps engaging said first side slits of said two first paperboards and said second side slits of said two second paperboards, said engaging slits engaging said side portions of said first and second paperboards.
  • 2. The table as claimed in claim 1 further comprising two parallel folding lines defined between each side of said top and said extension panel extending from said top.
  • 3. The table as claimed in claim 2 further comprising two connection plates respectively extending from two ends of each area between said two parallel folding lines.
  • 4. The table as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a central folding line defined in each of said first paperboards and each of said second paperboards.
  • 5. The table as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a panel extending from each side portion of each of said first paperboards and said second paperboards, said panels on each first paperboard being located below said first side slits, said panels on each second paperboard being located below said second side slits.
  • 6. The table as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a central slit defined in said top edge portion of each first paperboard and each second paperboard, and a cruciform frame having a connection slit defined in each of four ends thereof, said cruciform frame engaging said four central slits of said first paperboards and said second paperboards, said connection slits engaging said top edge portions of said first and second paperboards.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
1903631 Morrison Apr 1933
1940117 Carpos Dec 1933
2361875 Sachs Oct 1944
3714908 Notko Feb 1973
3871726 Stegner Mar 1975
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number Date Country
2203034 Oct 1988 GB