1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an outdoor table and chair set, and more particularly to a portable outdoor table and chair set that can be assembled and can be folded up together.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a demand for an outdoor table that is compact, lightweight, portable and easy to assemble for use in outdoor activities or outdoor work. Proposed and put into use in order to meet this demand are outdoor tables that are constructed such that the legs and tabletop can be separated and that the separated legs and tabletop can be folded up, or outdoor tables that have folding legs installed underneath the tabletop.
However, when installing a reinforcement mechanism, such as a link mechanism between the four legs, to obtain strength, there is a problem in that the reinforcement mechanism hinders free movement of the legs of the user, and there are also problems in that the folding mechanism becomes more complicated, so that the cost of the table becomes more expensive.
Also, in the case of leg construction where a pair of legs are reinforced and fastened parallel to each other and installed on each end on the underneath side of the tabletop such that they can be folded, the support structure that is installed between the middle of the legs and the underneath surface of the tabletop may come in contact with the legs of the user. If a support member is not used or if it is too small, there are problems in that the tabletop may tilt due to loads on the corner, or the table may be weak against vibration or shaking.
Therefore, there is a strong demand for a foldable outdoor table that has a stable tabletop and that does not have any kind of structure along at least two parallel edges of the four edges of the tabletop from the corners to the center area on the underneath side of the tabletop.
Also, there are outdoor chairs having legs that can be folded underneath the seat for use together with the outdoor table, however, there has been no design of an outdoor table having two outdoor chairs that can be stored and carried together.
An object of this invention is to provide a portable outdoor table and chair set, in which the outdoor table and two outdoor chairs can be manufactured cheaply and can be folded and carried together, and where the tabletop is stable and does not have any kind of structure along two parallel edges of the tabletop from the corners to the center area on the underneath side of the tabletop, and furthermore where the tabletop and legs are not separated in order to prevent losing parts.
FIG. 7(A) is a bottom plan view to show an outdoor table which is folded.
FIG. 7(B) is a top plan view to show the outdoor table of FIG. 7(A).
FIG. 7(C) is a side elevational view to show the outdoor table of FIG. 7(A).
FIG. 7(D) is a rear elevational view to show the outdoor table of FIG. 7(A).
FIG. 8(A) is a bottom plan view to show one of the pair of outdoor chairs the legs of which are folded.
FIG. 8(B) is a top plan view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 8(A).
FIG. 8(C) is a side elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 8(A).
FIG. 8(D) is another side elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 8(A).
FIG. 8(E) is a rear elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 8(A).
FIG. 9(A) is a bottom plan view to show the other of the pair of outdoor chairs the legs of which are folded.
FIG. 9(B) is a top plan view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 9(A).
FIG. 9(C) is a side elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 9(A).
FIG. 9(D) is another side elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 9(A).
FIG. 9(E) is a rear elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 9(A).
FIG. 10(A) is a side elevational view to show the pair of outdoor chairs in FIG. 8 and
FIG. 10(B) is a top plan view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 10(A).
FIG. 10(C) is another side elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 10(A).
FIG. 10(D) is a rear elevational view to show the outdoor chair of FIG. 10(A).
FIG. 13(A) is a perspective view to show an engagement member formed in an outdoor table of the present invention.
FIG. 13(D) is a perspective view of the connection portion of the another bar in FIG. 13(C).
The outdoor table of this invention in an embodiment comprises a tabletop that has a plurality of slat members that are connected by a connection means such that they can be freely folded and unfolded, and a pair of table-leg assemblies with legs that are installed to one or two in the middle of the slat members such that they can be folded underneath the tabletop. The slat members of the tabletop to which the table-table-leg assemblies are attached has two pair of bars that run along the lower surface of the tabletop and can rotate from a state where they are parallel in the lengthwise direction of the slat member to where they are orthogonal to the opened up slat members of the tabletop, and a pair of the bars are connected to the lower surface of the tabletop at a location where one of the table-leg assemblies is attached, and can rotate in opposite directions around the location, and the other pair of bars are connected to the lower surface of the tabletop where the other table-leg assembly is attached, and can rotate in opposite directions around the location. There is a joint member on the underneath surface of the tabletop near both ends in the lengthwise direction of the two slat members on both ends of the tabletop orthogonal to the lengthwise direction, and the tip ends of the bars are constructed such that they can fit with the joint section. The number of slat members in the middle to which the table-table-leg assemblies are attached is essentially one where it can be wider than the other slat members, but can be two slat members that have been fastened together as illustrated.
The table-leg assemblies comprise a pair of legs, and first and second link members that are symmetrically attached to the two legs such that one end of the first link member is fastened to one of the legs and the other end of the first link member is slidably attached to the other leg while one end of the second link member is fastened to the other of the legs and the other end of the second link member is slidably attached to the one of the legs, so that it is possible to open and close the legs from a closed state, where the legs are almost parallel to each other, to an opened state, where the bottom ends of the legs are largely separated from each other and the top ends remain adjacent to each other.
There is a rotating member to mount the tip end of each of the legs of the table-leg assemblies to the underneath surface of the tabletop such that the legs can rotate by way of a leg-rotation shaft that extends perpendicular to the legs and in the opening/closing plane of the two legs. Each of these rotating members further has a leg-assembly rotation shaft that extends perpendicular to the leg-rotation shaft and to the opening/closing plane of the two legs, and these rotating members are attached to the underneath surface of the slat member(s) to which the table-leg assemblies are attached.
Also there is a support member rotatably installed to the legs at a location separated by a specified distance from the tip end of the legs, and the other end of the support member can rotatably fit with the outside end of the bars and is constructed such that it can be inserted into the aforementioned joint member in order to obtain a stable tabletop.
There is a support mechanism installed between the rotating shaft of the link mechanism of the table-leg assembly and the underneath surface of the slat member(s), to which the table-leg assembly is attached, at a middle portion of the slat members, and it comprises two link members connected by a shaft to each other with one link member connected to the rotating shaft and with the other to the underneath surface. These connections allow relative movements of the link members, and this support mechanism can be extended and closed between a stoppable extended state, which supports loads when the table-leg assembly is standing, and a bent or closed state when the table-leg assembly is folded, in order to obtain a stable tabletop. When the link members of the support mechanism move from the bent or closed state to the extended state, it is preferred that there be a locking member fastened to one of the link members that can fit with a mating structure on the other link member such that the link members can be extended and locked having a relative angle that exceeds 180 degrees when extending, such as 181 to 183 degrees on the lower side.
Or, a support mechanism is constructed with three link members. Two of the link members are attached to the two sliding ends of the link mechanism of the table-leg assembly, and one link member is attached to the underneath surface of the slat member(s) to which the table-table-leg assembly is attached, so that they are connected to each other in a Y-shape, such that they can rotate at the joint portion. The support mechanism can be extended to a stoppable extended state that supports a load when the table-leg assembly is standing, and can be closed to a closed or bent state when the table-leg assembly is folded, in order to obtain a stable tabletop.
The outdoor table and chair set of this invention comprises two outdoor chairs and an outdoor table, where each of the outdoor chairs comprises a seat, whose outer edge depending downward when in use, and a pair of chair-leg assemblies having a pair of legs that can fold up underneath the seat. The outdoor table as mentioned above comprises a tabletop comprising a plurality of slat members that are connected by a cord-type connection means such that they can be folded, and a pair of table-leg assemblies that are attached to one or two slat members and that can be folded up underneath the tabletop. The outdoor chairs have a means for fastening both of the folded chairs together such that the seat surfaces of the seats facing outward and the ends of the outer edges coming in contact with each other, and the folded outdoor table can be stored inside the empty space between the two fastened folded outdoor chairs.
The preferred embodiments of the inventions will be explained with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1(A) and FIG. 1(B) are a bottom plan view showing a pair of outdoor chairs 50, 70 the legs of which are folded, and a folded outdoor table 10 stored in the folded outdoor chair 50 with the legs of the table 10 folded.
The outdoor table and chair set of this invention comprises two outdoor chairs 50, 70 and an outdoor table 10 as mentioned above.
The outdoor chairs 50, 70 comprise a seat with seat surfaces 51, 71 with their outer edges depending when in use and chair-leg assemblies that can fold up underneath the seat surfaces 51, 71.
The outdoor table 10 comprises a tabletop that has a plurality of slat members 11, which are connected by a well known cord-type connection means (not shown in the figures) for use as the tabletop, and they can be folded up for storing, and a pair of table-leg assemblies, which are attached to a pair of slats in the middle in the slat members 11 such that they can fold up underneath the tabletop for storing. In stead of the two slats, one broad slat can be used.
As shown in
The folded outdoor table 10 can be stored inside the space between the two folded outdoor chairs 50, 70 that are fastened together.
As shown in
There is a joint member 27 near the either lengthwise end on the underneath side of two slat members 11 located on both ends in the opening or deploying direction of the tabletop, and the tip end of each of the bars 25, 26 is provided with an engagement structure so as to fit with the joint member 27.
A pictorial view of an example of the joint member 27 is shown in FIG. 13(A). As shown in FIG. 13(B), a hole 25b is formed in the bar 25 to form an engagement structure which can fit with the joint member 27. The joint member 27 comprises a protrusion 27b that can pass through the hole 25b and a pair of elastic pieces 27a that can fasten around the bar 25 as shown in FIG. 13(B). Also, the protrusion 27b is formed with a circumferential groove 27c. The bar 25 is pressed into and held between the pair of elastic pieces 27a. Also, the bar 25 has a hole 25a formed connecting to the hole 25b while a protrusion 15a is formed on the tip end of a support member 15 as shown in FIG. 13(D), and the protrusion 15a can fit into the hole 25a (see FIG. 13(C)).
The construction of the joint member 27, and the construction for fitting the bar 25 together with the support member 15 are not limited to the examples shown in the figures, and any construction can be used as long as the same functional effect is obtained.
As shown in
The top ends of each of the legs 12, 13 of the table-table-leg assemblies have rotating members 20 as shown in FIG. 11. The rotating member 20 is installed such that it can rotate only within a range of rotation Y via a leg-rotation shaft 20a that is perpendicular to the leg 12 and located in the opening/closing plane of the two legs 12, 13. In addition, these rotating members 20 have a leg-mechanism rotation shaft 21 perpendicular to the leg-rotation shaft 20a, so that they can rotate only within a range of rotation Z. The leg-rotation shaft 20a and the leg-mechanism rotation shaft 21 are integrally combined in the rotating members 20. The rotating members 20 are attached to the tabletop underneath the slat members 11 to which the table-leg assembly is attached.
As shown in
As shown in FIG. 3 and
When the first link member 18 and the second link member 19 go from the bent state to the extended state shown in
With this support mechanism, the table-leg assembly is controlled such that it can only rotate within a range of about 90 degrees, and as shown in
A lightweight, sturdy and easily processed material, such as a hollow aluminum alloy, can be used for all of the members, and a synthetic resin or plastic material that has low friction and that will not scratch the other members can be used for the ends and sliding parts.
The embodiment shown in the figures for explaining the invention is an example of the optimum design and the range of this invention is not limited by this embodiment.
The design for folding and storing the outdoor table of this embodiment so that it can be carried will be explained with reference to the drawings. The table can be set up using a procedure opposite from that explained below.
First, the tip ends of the support members 14, 15 are disconnected from the holes in the bars 25, 26 and then the support members 14, 15 are rotated to a position along the legs 12, 13. The bars 25, 26 are disconnected from the joint members 27 and rotated to the length direction of the slat members 11. By folding the cord-type connection means into an S-shape, the plurality of slat members 11 of the tabletop can be stacked as shown in FIG. 7. Also, after closing the legs 12, 13 such that they are parallel to each other, the support structures of link members 18, 19 are folded and rotated one at a time such that they run along the underneath surface of the tabletop. By performing the above, the two pairs of table-leg assemblies are placed one on top the other, and stored compactly between the halves of the folded slat members 11. Furthermore, the slat members 11 can be bound with a rubber cord so they do not open up into a flat surface.
Next, as was shown in FIG. 8 and
In the embodiment shown in the figures, the fitting 63 and fitting 83 are located on both ends in the lengthwise direction, however, it is possible to use well known type fittings (not shown in the figure) in locations in the width direction that are symmetrical with respect to the handle 52 or handle 72 that can fit and fasten together, or it is even possible to use both.
Finally, by hooking the fitting 82 over the fitting 62 on both ends, the chairs are securely fastened together. Furthermore, by using handles 52, 72 and feet 53, 73 on the side surfaces of the outdoor chairs 50, 70, it becomes easy to carry and handle the table and chairs.
Next, another different example is explained referring to
The bar 125 has a rotating axis at its base end and a hook structure 125c at its tip end. The hook structure 125c is released manually and restored automatically in a mechanism. A support member 115 is mounted to the legs (not shown) at a position spaced from the upper end by a predetermined distance. The support member 115 has a rotating axis at its base end connected to a leg and an engagement structure 115a at its tip end. The engagement structure 115a can be engaged with the hook structure 125c as the support member 115 is rotated around the rotating axis. The hook structure 125c which is engaged with the support member 115 is engaged with the connection structure 127 of the tabletop.
The hook structure 125c of the bar 125 can be manually released using the button 125e, and automatically restored by the spring member 125d. The joint member of the tabletop is provided with a groove 127c which is engaged with the hole 125f in the hook structure 125c.
Accordingly, with the properly controlled dimension relation, the engagement structure 127 of the tabletop and the support member 115 are simultaneously released through operation of the button 125e. Similar structure is applied to the support member 114.
Next, further different example is explained referring to
Joint structures 112a, 113a are mounted to the legs 112, 113 respectively at a position spaced from the upper end, and the joint structures 112a, 113a has a projection in a spherical necked shape. Support members 114, 115 are provided to have a groove 114a, 115a on two continuing surfaces, e.g. end face and side surface, in which the projection of the joint structures 112a, 113a can be slided.
Support jigs 128, 129 are mounted to the bars 125, 126 at a portion near the outside end, and to the tip end of the support members 114, 115 by way of a rotating shaft such that they can rotate with reference to the outside end of the bars 125, 126.
In the state where the leg structure is closed as in
As described above, the outdoor table and chair set of this invention has a stable tabletop that has no support mechanisms on the underneath surface of the tabletop from the corners along two parallel sides to the middle portions, and it is also foldable. Moreover, the two outdoor chairs can be carried at the same time.
Also, when storing the table, the table-leg assemblies remain connected to the tabletop and do not need to be removed, so it is possible to prevent problems such as forgetting one of the legs at a campsite or the like.
The support mechanism of this invention uses a locking member that keeps the angle of the support mechanism at 181 to 183 degrees on the lower side.
The table and chair set can be manufactured more inexpensively, and also set up and folding of the table and chair set becomes easier.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-197526 | Jul 2002 | JP | national |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040003761 A1 | Jan 2004 | US |