Patent Application
20180271273
The invention relates to a table for outdoor use. More particularly, the invention relates to a table having a support stake for insertion into a sand or soil substrate enabling use of the table outdoors.
When engaging in outdoor activities, such as visiting the beach or having a picnic, a table is often desirable as a surface upon which cellular phones and other electronic devices, keys, sunglasses, drinks, and other personal items can be rested to avoid laying them on the ground where they might be stepped on, get dirty or wet, or otherwise be damaged or soiled. Conventional indoor and outdoor tables are unsuitable for such uses since most are made from materials that are corroded or damaged by water and particularly by saltwater. Such tables are also generally unsuitable for outdoor use because they include flat bottomed legs that do not adequately allow the table to be oriented so that its table top is horizontally oriented and anchored so that the table does not tip over.
A need exists for a table that can be used outdoors. A further need exists for an outdoor table that can be temporarily installed on a sand or soil substrate without damaging the table. Still a further need exists for an outdoor table capable of receiving and holding personal devices above a sand or soil substrate.
The outdoor table of this invention includes a table top, a support stake, and an upper locking device. The support stake is insertable into a sand substrate (e.g., at a beach) or a soil substrate (e.g., in a yard, park, picnic area, or other outdoor area). Once the support stake is inserted into the substrate in a generally upright position, the upper locking device is fitted over a top end of the support stake. The table top includes a central aperture. The table top is fitted over the top end of the support stake, which is insertable through the central aperture, so that the table top is installed in a horizontal orientation near the top end of the support stake. In some embodiments, the outdoor table includes a lower support element disposed between the support stake and the upper locking device to secure the table top in a horizontal position near the top end of the support stake.
The outdoor table provides an advantage in that personal items can be rested upon a clean and dry surface above the ground. The outdoor table also provides another advantage by providing a table that can be installed on a sand or soil substrate without damaging the table. The outdoor table provides a further advantage in that the table can maintain a horizontal orientation of its table top more effectively than can a conventional table that is used outdoors. Yet another advantage of the outdoor table is that it may be disassembled into a portable configuration so that its components are attached to one another in a collapsed configuration that permits easy portability and storage of the outdoor table when it is not in use.
Accordingly, the invention features an outdoor table that includes a table top, a support stake, and an upper locking device. The table top includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an aperture passing through the top and bottom surfaces. The support stake supports the table top and includes a top end and a bottom end. The upper locking device secures the table top to the support stake.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the table top including a generally planar piece of material, wherein the aperture passes vertically therethrough.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the support stake including a generally cylindrical stake having a top end that is generally flat or blunt and a bottom end having a sharp or angled portion to allow for easy insertion into a sand or soil substrate.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the top end of the support stake being insertable through the aperture and extending partially above the top surface of the table top, and the upper locking device being removably attachable to the top end of the support stake.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the top end of the support stake including threading and a bottom of the upper locking device including corresponding threading for attaching the upper locking device to the top end of the support stake so that the table top is secured in a horizontal position on the support stake by the upper locking device.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the outdoor table further including a lower support element for connecting between the table top and the support stake.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the lower support element being generally cylindrical in shape and including a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end of the lower support element is insertable through the aperture of the table top and extends partially above the top surface of the table top.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the top end of the lower support element including threading and a bottom of the upper locking device including corresponding threading for attaching the upper locking device to the top end of the lower support element so that the table top is secured in a horizontal position between the support stake and the upper locking device.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the upper locking device including a solid top end and a bottom end having an opening into a hollow interior.
In another aspect, the invention can feature an inner surface of the bottom end of the upper locking device including threading so that the upper locking device is attachable to the upper portion of the lower support element by screwing the upper locking device thereon. Once the upper locking device is attached to the upper portion of the lower support element, the table top is removably secured to the support stake.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the outdoor table being assemblable into a usable configuration and disassemblable into a portable configuration. The bottom surface of the table top includes at least one attached retaining member for securing the support stake to the bottom surface of the table when the outdoor table is disassembled into the portable configuration.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the outdoor table further including at least one item holder accessible at the top surface of the table top. The table top includes at least a second aperture aligned with the item holder so that the at least one item holder receives an item placed into the at least one item holder through the at least second aperture.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the at least second aperture being sized to receive and retain the at least one item holder suspended from the top surface of the table top so that a bottom portion of the at least one item holder extends below the bottom surface of the table top.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the at least one item holder including a retention element attached to the bottom surface of the table top beneath the at least second aperture to hold the item placed into the at least second aperture so that the item is suspended from the top surface of the table top so that a bottom portion of the item extends below the bottom surface of the table top.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the outdoor table further including one or more trays installed on a bottom surface of the table top for receiving and holding an item.
The invention also features an outdoor table that includes a table top having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an aperture passing through the top and bottom surfaces; a support stake having a top end and a bottom end, wherein the top end is insertable through the aperture at the bottom surface of the table top to extend above the top surface of the table top, and wherein the bottom end is insertable into a sand or soil substrate; an upper locking device for securing the table top to the support stake by removably connecting the upper locking device to the top end of the support stake so that the table top is fastened to the support stake in a generally horizontal configuration; and at least one item holder for receiving an item placed therein, wherein the item holder is accessible at the top surface of the table top.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the outdoor table being assemblable into a usable configuration and disassemblable into a portable configuration. The bottom surface of the table top includes at least one attached retaining member for securing the support stake to the bottom surface of the table when the outdoor table is disassembled into the portable configuration.
In another aspect, the invention can feature the table top including at least a second aperture aligned with the at least one item holder so that the at least one item holder receives the item placed into the at least one item holder through the at least second aperture.
A method of the invention can be used for assembling an outdoor table. The method includes the steps of: (a) inserting a support stake into a substrate, wherein the support stake includes a top end and a bottom end; (b) attaching a bottom end of a lower support element to the top end of the support stake, wherein the lower support element includes the bottom end and a top end having an upper portion; (c) installing a table top having an aperture so that the upper portion of the lower support element is inserted through a bottom surface of the table top and extends above a top surface of the table top; and (d) attaching an upper locking device over the upper portion of the lower support element so that the table top is securely and removably fastened to the lower support element.
Another method of the invention can feature step (b) of the method further including one of the steps of: (e) fitting the bottom end of the lower support element over the top end of the support stake; or (f) fitting the bottom end of the lower support element within a hollow interior of the top end of the support stake.
Another method of the invention can feature step (d) of the method further including the step of: (g) screwing the upper locking device over the upper portion of the lower support element, wherein the upper locking device includes a bottom end having an opening and an inner surface defining a hollow interior, and wherein the inner surface includes threading corresponding and attachable to threading on an outer surface at the top end of the lower support element.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions will control.
The present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed drawings and description set forth herein. Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the drawings; however, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, in light of the teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art will recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, numerous modifications and variations of the invention may exist that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.
The present invention should not be limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. The terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a reference to “a step” or “a means” may be a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub-steps and subservient means.
All conjunctions used herein are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, a group of items linked with the conjunction “and” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Similarly, a group of items linked with the conjunction “or” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group, but rather should be read as “and/or” unless expressly stated otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) are to be given their ordinary and customary meaning to a person of ordinary skill in the art, and are not to be limited to a special or customized meaning unless expressly so defined herein.
Terms and phrases used in this application, and variations thereof, especially in the appended claims, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing, the term “including” should be read to mean “including, without limitation,” “including but not limited to,” or the like; the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least”; the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to”; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; and use of terms like “preferably,” “preferred,” “desired,” “desirable,” or “exemplary” and words of similar meaning should not be understood as implying that certain features are critical, essential, or even important to the structure or function of the invention, but instead as merely intended to highlight alternative or additional features that may or may not be utilized in a particular embodiment of the invention.
Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations; however, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C” is used, in general, such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).
All numbers expressing dimensions, quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, and so forth used in the specification are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” unless expressly stated otherwise. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth herein are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained.
As shown in
The table top is a generally flat planar piece of material that has a top surface, a bottom surface, and side edges. The table top includes an aperture. The aperture can be centrally located on the table top so that it forms a central aperture extending through the top and bottom surfaces of the table top. The table top also includes at least a second aperture that provides access to at least one item holder. For example, the table top can include one, two, three, four, or more additional apertures other than the first (central) aperture. The at least one item holder can be a cup holder or a mobile device holder, although the at least one item holder can hold and retain any item sized so as to be capable of fitting within the item holder. As shown in
Each at least second aperture can receive an item holder to serve as a cup holder by holding a cup once a width of the cup equals or exceeds a width of the cup holder aperture. The cup holder apertures may be circular or another shape, and all of the cup holder apertures may have an identical diameter. In another embodiment, each cup holder aperture may have a diameter that is different than a diameter of each other cup holder aperture of the table top. In still another embodiment, as shown in
The table top can also include one or more holders that include an aperture extending through the top and bottom surfaces of the table top and a bottom retaining apparatus. The bottom retaining apparatus can be a cup-shaped attachment that is permanently or removably connected to the bottom surface of the table top beneath the aperture. In another embodiment, the bottom retaining apparatus can be one or more pieces of material that do not entirely enclose the area beneath the aperture. The one or more pieces of material may be permanently or removably connected to the bottom surface of the table top.
The bottom surface of the table top can also include one or more retaining members that hold the support stake and other elements of the outdoor table securely for storage when the outdoor table is disassembled and not in use. For example, the retaining members can include one or more flanges (but preferably at least two flanges), each having an aperture shaped and sized to receive the support stake, which may be inserted therethrough for storage and portability when the outdoor table is disassembled into its collapsed portable configuration.
The table top is constructed from plastic in exemplary embodiments. In other embodiments, the table top is constructed from a composite material, wood, metal, semimetal, bamboo, stone, or any other suitable material. The table top may be constructed from a material that is different from the materials from which other parts of the outdoor table are constructed.
The support stake is a generally cylindrical stake that includes a top end that is generally flat or blunt and a bottom end that includes a sharp or angled portion to allow for easy insertion into a sand or soil substrate. The support stake can be solid, or in exemplary embodiments, the support stake can be hollow to allow for lightweight construction that is easily transported. The bottom end of the support stake is insertable into the sand (e.g., at a beach) or soil substrate (e.g., in a yard, park, picnic area, or other outdoor area) in a generally vertical upright orientation.
As mentioned above, some embodiments of the outdoor table include a lower support element. The lower support element is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a top end and a bottom end. In an exemplary embodiment, the top end of the lower support element includes threading. The bottom end of the lower support element includes a lip or flange that fits over the top end of the support stake. In another embodiment, the lip or flange may fit within a hollow interior of the top end of the support stake. Once the support stake is inserted into the substrate in a generally upright position, the lower support element is fitted over (or in the alternate embodiment, within) the top end of the support stake. The lower support element prevents the table top from sliding down the length of the support stake. The top end of the lower support element extends through the aperture at the bottom surface of the table top and protrudes through the central aperture above the top surface of the table top.
In embodiments of the outdoor table that do not include a lower support element, in one embodiment, the support stake may include a ridge, indentation, ledge, or protrusion that encircles the circumference of the support stake near the top end so that when the top end of the support stake is inserted through the aperture of the table top, the table top rests on the ridge, indentation, ledge, or protrusion so that a portion of the top end of the support stake extends above the top surface of the table top while the table top is supported at a height above the bottom end of the support stake (and therefore, also at a height above the substrate).
In another embodiment, the support stake includes a circumference that increases moving from the top end downward toward the bottom end so that the top end is narrower than other portions of the support stake. In this embodiment, when the top end of the support stake is inserted through the aperture of the table top to a distance at which the circumference of the support stake is wider than the aperture, the table top will not descend any further down the length of the support stake so that the table top is supported at a height above the bottom end of the support stake (and therefore, also at a height above the substrate).
In the embodiments described above, while the support stake may be inserted through the table top's aperture, the table top's aperture may also be aligned with the top end of the support stake and the table top lowered onto the support stake.
In exemplary embodiments shown in
The outdoor table is constructed from plastic, wood, metal, semimetal, composite material, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing materials. The outdoor table is constructed to be lightweight and portable. In some embodiments, the outdoor table may be constructed from materials that are (or coated with compositions that impart the characteristic of being) corrosion proof or resistant, water proof or resistant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and/or sun resistant.
The invention also features methods for assembling the outdoor table into a usable configuration and for disassembling the outdoor table into a portable configuration.
In the assembly method, a table top is fitted over a top end of a support stake, which is insertable through the central aperture, so that the table top is installed in a horizontal orientation near the top end of the support stake. The upper locking device is attachable to the top end of the support stake that extends above the top surface of the table top to secure the table top onto the top end of the support stake. In an exemplary embodiment, the upper locking device includes a solid top end and a bottom end having an opening into a hollow interior. In one embodiment, an inner surface of the upper locking device includes threading so that the upper locking device is attachable to the top end of the support stake by screwing the upper locking device over corresponding threading on an outer surface of the top end of the support stake. In another embodiment, an outer surface of the upper locking device includes threading so that the upper locking device is attachable to the top end of the support stake by screwing the upper locking device into corresponding threading on an inner surface of the top end of the support stake. In this latter embodiment, the top end of the support stake includes an opening into a hollow interior. Once the upper locking device is attached to the top end of the support stake, the table top is secured tightly but removably to the support stake.
In other embodiments, the support stake may be attached to a lower support element and the table top may be fitted over an upper portion of the lower support element, which is insertable through the central aperture, so that the table top is installed in a horizontal orientation near the top end of the support stake. The upper locking device is attachable to the upper portion of the lower support element to secure the table top onto the top end of the support stake. In an exemplary embodiment, the upper locking device includes a solid top end and a bottom end having an opening into a hollow interior. An inner surface of the upper locking device includes threading so that the upper locking device is attachable to the upper portion of the lower element by screwing the upper locking device thereon. Once the upper locking device is attached to the upper portion of the lower support element, the table top is secured tightly but removably to the support stake.
The outdoor table can be disassembled by performing the steps described above in reverse order.
It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62477222 | Mar 2017 | US |
