Modular table leg assembly

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6471168
  • Patent Number
    6,471,168
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, August 16, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 29, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Chan; Korie
    • Baxter; Gwendolyn
    Agents
    • Baker Botts L.L.P.
Abstract
A modular table leg assembly is used to support a table top above a ground surface and includes at least three leg members. Each of the leg members include an upright supporting portion, an inclined bracing portion, and male and female engaging units. The upright supporting portion has a lower section and an upper section vertically opposite to the lower section. The inclined bracing portion extends upwardly and inclinedly from the lower section of the upright supporting portion. The inclined bracing portion has a lower first section connected to the lower section of the upright supporting portion and an upper second section opposite to the first section. The male and female engaging units enable the upper section of the upright supporting portion of each of the leg members to engage removably the second section of the inclined bracing portion of an adjacent one of the leg members.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The invention relates to a modular table leg assembly, more particularly to a modular table leg assembly which is easy to install and disassemble, and which has a flexible configuration.




2. Description of the Related Art




Referring to

FIG. 1

, a conventional table 1 includes a table leg assembly


11


that supports a table top


12


above a ground surface. The table leg assembly


11


has three table leg members


111


that are spaced apart at equal angles, and three stretchers


112


, each of which interconnects two adjacent ones of the table leg members


111


.




Since the stretchers


112


are connected to the adjacent table leg members


111


by welding and/or screw fasteners, the configuration of the conventional table leg assembly


11


can not be adjusted to suit the shape and/or size of different table tops. Moreover, it is also difficult to move the conventional table leg assembly


11


.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a modular table leg assembly which is simple in structure and which is easy to install and disassemble.




Another object of this invention is to provide a modular table leg assembly which can be flexibly configured to suit the size and/or shape of a table top.




Accordingly, the modular table leg assembly of this invention is adapted for supporting a table top above a ground surface, and includes at least three leg members. Each of the leg members includes an upright supporting portion, an inclined bracing portion, and male and female engaging units. The upright supporting portion has a lower section adapted to be disposed on the ground surface and an upper section vertically opposite to the lower section. The inclined bracing portion extends upwardly and inclinedly from the lower section of the upright supporting portion. The inclined bracing portion has a lower first section connected to the lower section of the upright supporting portion and an upper second section opposite to the first section. The male and female engaging units are formed respectively at the second section of the upright supporting portion. The male and female engaging units enable the upper section of the upright supporting portion of each of the leg members to engage removably the second section of the inclined bracing portion of an adjacent one of the leg members.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a conventional table;





FIG. 2

is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the modular table leg assembly according to this invention;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of the modular table leg assembly according to this invention; and





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of the modular table leg assembly according to this invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numbers in the following description.




Referring to

FIG. 2

, the preferred embodiment of the modular table leg assembly


2


of this invention is adapted for supporting a table top


3


above a ground surface, and is shown to include three leg members


21


. Each of the leg members


21


is formed integrally from a hollow metal tube and includes an upright supporting portion


211


, an inclined bracing portion


212


, and male and female engaging units


213


,


214


. The upright supporting portion


211


has a lower section


2111


adapted to be disposed on the ground surface and an upper section


2112


vertically opposite to the lower section


2111


. The inclined bracing portion


212


extends upwardly and inclinedly from the lower section


2111


of the upright supporting portion


211


. The inclined bracing portion


212


has a lower first section


2121


connected to the lower section


2111


of the upright supporting portion


211


and an upper second section


2122


opposite to the first section


2121


. The male and female engaging units


213


,


214


are formed respectively at the second section


2122


of the inclined bracing portion


212


and the upper section


2112


of the upright supporting portion


211


. The male and female engaging units


213


,


214


enable the upper section


2112


of the upright supporting portion


211


of each of the leg members


21


to engage removably the second section


2122


of the inclined bracing portion


212


of an adjacent one of the leg members


21


.




Preferably, the female engaging unit


214


is formed as an insert hole in the upper section


2112


of the upright supporting portion


211


. The insert hole extends along an axis of the upright supporting portion


211


. The male engaging unit


213


is formed as an insert pin at the second section


2122


of the inclined bracing portion


212


. The second section


2122


of the inclined bracing portion


212


extends toward the upper section


2112


of the upright supporting portion


211


of the adjacent one of the leg members


21


to permit insertion of the insert pin into the insert hole in the adjacent one of the leg members


21


.




The second section


2122


of the inclined bracing portion


212


of each of the leg members


21


is further formed with a cup-mounting unit


215


. The modular table leg assembly


2


further comprises three suction cups


4


, each of which is mounted on the cup-mounting unit


215


of a respective one of the leg members


21


and is adapted to engage one side of the table top


3


.




Preferably, the cup-mounting unit


215


on each of the leg members


21


is vertically aligned with and is disposed above the insert pin. In this embodiment, the insert pin and the cup-mounting unit


215


on each of the leg members


21


are formed integrally from a hollow tube.




Referring to

FIG. 3

, the second preferred embodiment of the modular table leg assembly


2


of this invention is shown to include four leg members


21


. Two of the leg members


21


have an inclined bracing portion


212


which is longer than that of the other two of the leg members


21


so as to be adapted to support a rectangular or oval table top


5


.




Referring to

FIG. 4

, the third preferred embodiment of the modular table leg assembly


2


of this invention is shown to be composed of five leg members


21


so as to be adapted to support a table top


3


with a relatively large area.




In view of the aforesaid, as compared to the conventional table leg assembly, the modular table leg assembly according to this invention is simpler in structure and is easier to install and disassemble. Moreover, the modular table leg assembly according to this invention can be flexibly configured by adjusting the number of the leg members thereof to suit the size and/or shape of a table top.




While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.



Claims
  • 1. A modular table leg assembly adapted for supporting a table top above a ground surface, said modular table leg assembly comprising at least three leg members, each of which includes:an upright support portion having a lower section adapted to be disposed on the ground surface and an upper section vertically opposite to said lower section; an inclined bracing portion extending upwardly and inclinedly from said lower section of said upright supporting portion, said inclined bracing portion having a lower first section connected to said lower section of said upright supporting portion and an upper second section opposite to said first section; and male and female engaging units formed respectively at said second section of said inclined bracing portion and said upper section of said upright supporting portion, said male and female engaging units enabling said upper section of said upright supporting portion of each of said leg members to engage removably said second section of said inclined bracing portion of an adjacent one of said leg members: wherein:said female engaging unit is formed as an insert hole in said upper section of said upright supporting portion, said insert hole extending along an axis of said upright supporting portion; said male engaging unit being formed as an insert pin at said second section of said inclined bracing portion, said second section of said inclined bracing portion extending toward said upper section of said upright supporting portion of the adjacent one of said leg members to permit insertion of said insert pin into said insert hole in the adjacent one of said leg members.
  • 2. The modular table leg assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second section of said inclined bracing portion of each of said leg members is further formed with a cup-mounting unit, said modular table leg assembly further comprising at least three suction cups, each of which is mounted on said cup-mounting unit of a respective one of said leg members and is adapted to engage one side of the table top.
  • 3. The modular table leg assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cup-mounting unit on each of said leg members is vertically aligned with and is disposed above said insert pin, said insert pin and said cup-mounting unit on each of said leg members being formed integrally from a hollow tube.
  • 4. The modular table leg assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said leg members is formed integrally from a hollow metal tube.
  • 5. A modular table leg assembly adapted for supporting a table top above a ground surface, said modular table leg assembly comprising at least three leg members, each of which includes:an upright supporting portion having a lower section adapted to be disposed on the ground surface and an upper section vertically opposite to said lower section; an inclined bracing portion extending upwardly and inclinedly from said lower section of said upright supporting portion, said inclined bracing portion having a lower first section connected to said lower section of said upright supporting portion and an upper second section opposite to said first section; and male and female engaging units formed respectively at said second section of said inclined bracing portion and said upper section of said upright supporting portion, said male and female engaging units enabling said upper section of said upright supporting portion of each of said leg members to engage removably said second section of said inclined bracing portion of an adjacent one of said leg members.
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1172355 Guest Feb 1916 A
2778700 Mayer Jan 1957 A
4354437 Logan Oct 1982 A
4673092 Lamson et al. Jun 1987 A
5074700 Swoboda Dec 1991 A
5327700 Sorenson et al. Jul 1994 A
5645259 Chen Jul 1997 A