Patent Application
20250089887
This disclosure is generally directed to mobile folding tables. More specifically, it relates to mobile folding tables having a motorized assembly for folding and unfolding the table BACKGROUND
Mobile folding tables are useful in school cafeterias and other institutional settings, as they have the potential to be versatile and allow for fast setup and removal, as well as being compact when folded for convenient storage. However, existing folding tables typically have heavy table tops and are therefore difficult to lift from an unfolded use position to a folded storage position. Moreover, in folding tables with attached bench seating, the benches add further weight to the assembly making it difficult for maintenance personnel to unfold the table for use and to fold the table for storage.
It would be advantageous to provide a motorized folding table that can be operated by maintenance personnel for unfolding the table for use and folding the table for storage.
This disclosure relates to mobile folding tables having a motorized assembly for folding and unfolding the table.
The mobile motorized folding table is adapted to transition between a folded position and an unfolded position. The mobile motorized folding table comprising a first table section hingedly connected to a second table section to permit folding and unfolding the table about a horizontal hinge axis between the folded position and the unfolded position with the first and second table sections substantially vertical in the folded position and the first and second table sections substantially horizontal in the unfolded position. Links are connected to the first and second table sections and configured to articulate with the folding and unfolding of the table. A motorized assembly is connected to the links that includes an upper tube connected to a receiver member for relative movement of the upper tube from the receiver member between a first position that causes the table sections to fold and a second position that causes the table sections to unfold.
The motorized assembly includes an electrical motor mechanically connected to the upper tube assembly and electrically connected to a switching device and to a source of electrical power. The switching device is operated to connect the motor to electrical power at a first polarity from the source of electrical power causing the motor to drive the upper tube into the first position and the table sections into the folded position. Alternately, The switching device is operated to connect the motor the electrical power at a second polarity from the source of electrical power causing the motor to drive the upper tube into the second position causing the table sections into the unfold position.
Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The figures discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the invention may be implemented in any type of suitably arranged device or system.
With reference to
The linkages and mechanics enabling table 10 to be folded will now be described, with reference to
In this manner, four center bench legs 50, which are fixedly attached to center leg structure 36 as shown in
Finally, frame 16 includes drive links 56 pivotally connected between side links 38 and 40, respectively, and to end portions 24 and 26, respectively, so as to constrain end portions 24 and 26 to rotate inward slightly during folding, thereby coordinating the folding of end portions 24 and 26 with the folding of center portion 22 and bringing lift-off casters 58 into contact with a floor surface supporting table 10 to facilitate folding and moving table 10.
The disclosure of the present invention uses a motorized assembly for lifting the center of table 10 into the folded storage position or collapsing the center of table 10 into an unfolded use position. Existing folding tables may use one or more torsion bars, springs, or other suitable force-providing mechanisms to aid maintenance personnel in folding or unfolding the table 10. Other existing folding tables known may also employ gas cylinders adapted to exert both spring forces and stabilizing forces that resist rapid extension of the cylinders of the mechanical stabilizer assemblies. Such stabilizing forces are desired in some applications, such as in opening the door of a car trunk, which might otherwise swing open dangerously quickly. The exemplary motorized assembly 44 of the present disclosure comprises an actuator driven by an electrical motor and powered by a portable power source that when the motor is energized provides an axial pushing force to lift the center of table 10 to fold the table into the storage position. The actuator motor can also be energized to have the actuator provide an axial pulling force required to collapse the center of table 10 to unfold the table for use from the storage position. The present disclosure does not rely on the maintenance personnel to physically manipulate the table top 10 to deploy the table 10 to either a storage or to a use position. Deployment of the table to either the folded or storage position or unfolded use position is simply made by manipulating an activating device, such as for example a switch, to energize the actuator motor to drive the motorized assembly 44.
As shown in
A direct current (DC) electrical motor 69 is mounted on an exterior surface of a gear housing 80. A motor shaft 75 driven by the motor 69 extends into the interior of gear housing 80. A first toothed gear 81 is attached to motor shaft 75. The gear 81 is arranged to be rotated by motor shaft 75. A lower end of receiver member 48 is attached to the exterior surface of gear housing 80 next to motor 69. A portion of the threaded rod 74 extends into the interior of the gear housing 80. A second toothed gear 85 is attached to the portion of the threaded rod 74 extending into gear housing 80. At least one intermediate toothed gear 83 mechanically connects the first gear 81 driven by motor 69 to the second gear 85 attached to the threaded rod 74. Rotational motion of the first gear 81 is transferred to second gear 85 via one or more intermediate gears 83. The intermediate gears may include a plurality of toothed gears in various arrangements to provide gear ratios, based on the speed and torque requirements required to provide sufficient pushing and pulling forces for folding and unfolding the table top 10. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, rotation of the motor 69 causes rotation of the threaded rod 74. Rotation of the motor 69 in one direction causing the upper tube 46 to be contracted into cavity 79 of receiver member 48. The rotation of the motor 69 in another opposite direction causes the upper tube 46 to be extended out of cavity 79 of receiver member 48.
Rotation of the motor 69 and therefore the direction of travel of the upper tube 46 is controlled electrically by providing a voltage at a proper polarity to motor 69. A power source, such as for example a 12 volt or 24 volt battery has its positive and negative terminals connected to a first pair of conductors 91. Conductors 91 are connected to a double pole double throw (DPDT) switching device 95 and from the switching device 95 to terminals on motor 69 via a second pair of conductors 92. With the actuation lever of the switching device 95 in the center position 96 no voltage or current is applied to the motor 69 and therefore the motor is in an off condition. Positioning the lever arm of switching device 95 into position 97 applies voltage and current to cause the motor 69 to rotate in a first direction, causing the upper tube 46 to be contracted into the receiver member 48. Positioning the lever arm into position 98 applied a reverse polarity to the motor 69 causing the motor to rotate in a second direction, causing the upper tube 46 to be extended out of receiver member 48.
The stroke of the upper tube 46, or its travel out of, or into, the receiver member 48 is controlled by internal limit switches 77 and 78 mounted within the cavity 79 and electrically connected to motor 69. A wiper contact 73 is attached to nut 72. As the nut 72 travels on the threaded rod 74 the wiper contact contacts one or the other limit switches 77, 78 based on its direction of travel. For example, when rotation of the threaded rod 74 causes rotation that contracts the tube 46 into cavity 79, the wiper 73 contacts and trips the limit switch 77 causing the motor to stop rotation and defining the lower end of the stroke travel. Upon rotation of the threaded rod 74 that causes the upper tube 46 to be extended out of the receiver member 48, the wiper 73 would trip limit switch 78 stopping motor 69 and any further travel of the upper tube 46 from the receiver member 48, thereby defining the upper limit of stroke travel. The positions of the limit switches 77, 78 within cavity 79 can be placed in various locations in order to control the stroke travel of upper tube 46.
The exemplary circuit illustrated in
A handheld wireless remote device 150 includes a first pushbutton 152 and a second pushbutton 154. Pressing either one of pushbuttons 152, 154 transmits a wireless signal to the wireless switching device 120. For example, pushing the “unfold” (UFLD) button 152 transmits a wireless signal to unfold the table 10 and pushing the “fold” (FLD) button 154 transmits a wireless signal to fold the table 10. The wireless signals transmitted from remote device 150 are received by antenna 127 and electrically connected to the wireless receiver 126. The wireless receiver 126 sends the received signals to the motor controller 125. The motor controller 125 identifies and decodes the type of function to be activated sent by the remote device 150. For example, if the UFLD button 152 is pressed, the function for unfolding the table 10 is decoded by the motor controller 125. The motor controller 125 connects the proper voltage polarity to motor 69 from motor battery 90 activating the motorized assembly 44 to contract the upper tube 46 and unfold the table 10 to the unfolded or use position. Similarly, when the FLD button 154 is pressed the wireless device 150 transmits wireless signals that are decoded by the motor controller 125 to apply the proper voltage polarity to the motor 69 to cause the motor assembly 44 to extend the upper tube 46 to fold the table 10 into the folded or storage position. Pressing either button 152, 154 once and releasing the button drives the motor 69 until stopped by the associated limit switch 77, 78. Pressing the same button a second time would stop the rotation of the motor 69 before completing the fold or unfold cycle. This is a safety feature that allows the maintainer to stop the operated cycle due to an obstruction or other situation requiring the motion of the motor assembly 44 to stop immediately. Pressing the same button again would resume the cycle.
Any currently known wireless system for transmitting signals between a remote hand held device and a wireless receiver may be used in the wireless switching device 120, such as for example, a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver combination operating on a radio frequency band, such as those used for a garage door opener, a Bluetooth wireless transmission systems used to transmit control signals between a remote handheld device and a receiver, or a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) system using a wireless router or a gateway of a wireless local area network that sends and receives wireless signals between devices.
Table 10 also preferably includes a suitable locking mechanism which may be engaged to lock the linkages of at least one of frame center portion 22 and frame end portions 24 and 26 when table 10 is in its unfolded use position, thus preventing undesired folding of table 10. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, a locking mechanism 60 includes a locking bar 62, pivotally mounted with respect to table top half 14, that may be engaged between notches 64 and 66 of hinge plates 68 and 70, respectively, to lock table 10 is in its unfolded use position. The components of locking mechanism 60 are best seen in
It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompasses both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items may be used, and only one item in the list may be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.
The description in the present application should not be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential or critical element that must be included in the claim scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the allowed claims. Moreover, none of the claims is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) with respect to any of the appended claims or claim elements unless the exact words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim, followed by a participle phrase identifying a function. Use of terms such as (but not limited to) “mechanism,” “module,” “device,” “unit,” “component,” “element,” “member,” “apparatus,” “machine,” “system,” or “controller” within a claim is understood and intended to refer to structures known to those skilled in the relevant art, as further modified or enhanced by the features of the claims themselves and is not intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, as defined by the following claims.
