OUTDOOR TABLETOP SYSTEM

Abstract

The outdoor tabletop system includes a horizontal tabletop structure, a rim disposed around a perimeter of the tabletop structure and a deformable material positioned in a gap between the vertical perimeter surface of the tabletop structure and the inner vertical surface of the rim disposed around it. The horizontal tabletop structure and the rim may have different heat expansion characteristics, such as heat expansion coefficients. The deformable material may be flexible and may consistently fill the gap between the rim and the tabletop structure during changes in temperature, humidity, etc., due to the tabletop structure and rim reacting to such environmental factors in different manners. Additionally, the gap and the deformable material are dimensioned to conceal to the naked eye differences in the dimensional geometries of the rim and tabletop structure.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an outdoor tabletop system, and more particularly to an outdoor tabletop system that may be employed with materials other than wood.

BACKGROUND

Wood tabletops are very popular for indoor and outdoor use. Outdoor wood tabletops are often subject to deterioration and warping due to environmental conditions such as water (e.g., rain and snow), temperature variations (e.g., heat and cold) and relative humidity. Thus, other materials are often used, including for the upper top-facing portion of the tabletop structure namely the top surface. This tabletop structure may comprise decorative tabletop elements and include materials such as stone, polymers, other composite materials, and metal. To enhance the appearance or protect the edges of the surfaces of the top surfaces, rims may be employed. These rims may be made of different materials than the tabletop structure.

Although alternative materials may perform better than wood outdoors, depending on the different environments and conditions, these materials are often more susceptible to changes in dimensions such as expansion and contraction caused by temperature variations (such as the high heat of summer or the extreme cold of winter) or fluctuations in humidity. The rims, likewise, may expand and contract, and, if they are made from a different material, at different rates than the tabletop structure. This may cause separation of the rim from the tabletop structure, particularly if rim is merely glued to the tabletop, or damage to one or both elements.

Another challenge is that the rim and tabletop are typically manufactured separately and then attached mechanically such as with screws or with adhesives. The matching or mating of the geometries of the rim and tabletop with precision may be difficult, and dimensional variations between the rim and tabletop may become visually noticeable.

Thus an outdoor tabletop system that accounts for temperature and other environmental variations and related effects along with a tabletop system that accounts for dimensional variations between the rim and tabletop is desirable.

SUMMARY

To this end, the present invention provides an outdoor tabletop system comprised of a tabletop structure and a separate rim that overcomes the negative impacts of changing environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. The present invention also provides an outdoor tabletop system that maintains the visual quality of the matching of the geometries of the rim and tabletop by allowing for a wide gap between the tabletop and the rim so that any dimensional differences are not as noticeable to the naked eye.

This system can be used with a wide variety of materials. The outdoor tabletop system includes a horizontal tabletop structure, a rim disposed around a perimeter of the tabletop structure and a deformable material positioned in a gap between the vertical perimeter surface of the tabletop structure and the inner vertical surface of the rim disposed around it. The horizontal tabletop structure and the rim may have different heat expansion characteristics, such as heat expansion coefficients. The deformable material may be flexible and may consistently fill the gap between the rim and the tabletop structure during changes in temperature, humidity, etc., due to the tabletop structure and rim reacting to such environmental factors in different manners. Additionally, the gap and the deformable material are dimensioned to conceal to the naked eye differences in the dimensional geometries of the rim and tabletop structure. Additionally, without a material to fill the gap between the perimeter of the tabletop structure and the rim, the overall outdoor tabletop system may have an unfinished or unsightly appearance. Further, debris may collect in the unfilled gap, which is aesthetically unappealing and would require cumbersome cleaning on an ongoing basis.

The features and advantages described in this disclosure and in the following detailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims hereof. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter; reference to the claims is necessary to determine such inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned features and other features and objects of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to the following description of one or more embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cutaway perspective view of the top of an outdoor tabletop system for an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective view of the bottom of an outdoor tabletop system for an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top cross-section view of an outdoor tabletop system for an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is an expanded perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the outer edge of the outdoor tabletop system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail with respect to the description and methodologies provided herein. It should be appreciated that the invention can be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the embodiments of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Also, as used herein, “and/or” refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” “comprising,” “include,” “includes” and “including” specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

All patents, patent applications and publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of a conflict in terminology, the present specification is controlling.

The present invention provides an outdoor tabletop system which resists adverse impacts to the tabletop system caused by exposure to outdoor environments, particularly changes in temperature and/or humidity. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the tabletop system 10 may include a horizontal tabletop structure 20, a rim 30 disposed around the perimeter of the tabletop structure 20, a gap 45 between the perimeter of the tabletop structure 20 and the rim 30, and a deformable material 40 that fills this gap 45. In one embodiment, the tabletop structure may have a layer or a decorative feature. The tabletop structure 20 may have first heat expansion characteristics that are different from the second heat expansion characteristics of the rim 30. The deformable material 40 may have its own heat expansion characteristics, which may be the same as or distinguishable from the heat expansion characteristics of the tabletop structure 20 or rim 30. The tabletop structure has a thickness of about 1 to 3 cm and the rim 30 has a thickness of about 1 to 4 cm surface between an exterior perimeter surface 30a on an interior surface 30a of the rim 30.

The gap 45 may be defined by an interior surface 30a of the rim 30 and the exterior surface 20a of the tabletop 20. The gap 45 may be about 0.5 cm to 10 cm wide.

The tabletop structure 20 and rim 30 of the tabletop system 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2 are depicted as in the shape of a circle. Other shapes may be utilized such as the shape being a square, rectangle, pentagon, octagon, may be oblong and the like. The tabletop structure may include decorative features, such as inlays and the like. The tabletop structure 20 may include an opening 47 for an umbrella or the like.

The tabletop structure 20 may have a first geometry and the rim 30 may have a second geometry in which the first and second geometries are selected to match but may not exactly match due to manufacturing constraints and the like. Thus, the first and second geometries may be slightly different.

The tabletop structure 20 may be of any material including stone, sintered stone, wood, polymeric composite, with or without stone in-lays, and the like. In one embodiment, the decorative layer may be stone or a material that resembles stone, and may be formed of one or more of stone, marble, granite, slate, clay, tile, ceramic or porcelain, or any other desirable material (composite or otherwise).

The rim 30 may be formed of a wide variety of materials such as wood, imitation wood or metal, or other composite or other materials that can be made to conform to the perimeter of the tabletop structure 20. In one embodiment, the imitation wood may be Resysta®, available from Resysta Building Materials, Chino, California. Resysta is derived from rice husks and/or peanut shell husk powder and is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,034,951 B2. The product exhibits an appearance and characteristics much like wood, and may be processed using conventional wood tools, including wood and mechanical screws. It is highly suitable for outdoor uses, in particular in hot, humid and wet conditions, because it is weather resistant.

The deformable material 40 may be any flexible or deformable material that is suited for placing in the gap 45 between the vertical surface perimeter of the horizontal tabletop 20 and the inner surface of the rim 30. In the outdoor tabletop system 10, the tabletop structure 20 and the rim 30 may expand and contract differently depending on the materials used for the tabletop 20 and the rim 30 and weather conditions (e.g., hot or cold). Typically, the tabletop structure 20 and the rim 30 will have different heat expansion characteristics with one expanding or contracting more than the other during exposure to weather conditions, particularly extreme heat or cold. Incorporating a space between the tabletop structure 20 and the rim 30 creates a buffer to accommodate the different heat expansion characteristics of these two tabletop system 10 elements. The deformable material 40 can be used to fill in this buffer space, and is preferably specified to expand or decompress, and contract or compress, in a manner which keeps the gap 45 filled as the tabletop and rim expand and contract at different rates. For example, during high temperature exposure, the rim 30 may have a tendency to expand away from the tabletop perimeter 20. The deformable material 40 may be configured to expand or decompress to fill the widening gap thereby created. During cold temperatures, the rim 30 may contract, reducing the gap between the rim 30 and the tabletop perimeter 20. The deformable material 40 is configured to contract or compress to allow for that reduction in the gap 45. Exemplary deformable materials are those having high elasticity over a wide range of temperature and may include silicon, natural and synthetic rubber, neoprene, polyolefins, (e.g., polyethylene and polyvinyl), TPE and synthetic leather. The deformable material 40 may also be weather resistant.

The gap 45 and its buffer space may be dimensioned so that it may be sufficiently wide to conceal dimensional variations, i.e., slight differences between the first geometry of the tabletop structure 20 and the second geometry of the rim 30. By using the deformable material 40 it may be more difficult to the naked eye to perceive the dimensional variations of the gap 45. Thus, the deformable material 40 unifies the visual quality of the gap between the tabletop structure 20 and the rim 30. The deformable material 40 may also prevent debris from filling the gap 45. The deformable material 40 may be removable for cleaning and also allow for easier replacement of the rim 30 if it is damaged.

The tabletop structure 20 may be supported by a support structure 50 and one or more horizontally oriented transverse member(s) comprising a rigid C-Channel 55 opening downwardly and running longitudinally (See, FIG. 4). A center transverse support structure 60 (FIGS. 1 and 2) may also be present. The support structure 50 and rigid C-Channels 55 may be constructed of any desirable material including aluminum, steel or iron and may be mounted to legs (not shown) supporting the outdoor tabletop system. The table may comprise legs, which may be made from any desirable material including aluminum, steel, iron, wood or polymer composite.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the rim 30 may be supported by means of mechanical screws 65. The axis point of the screws 65 point to the center of the center support 60. The screws 65 may be distributed along the perimeter of the support structure 50. Spacing of the screws 65 may be selected to prevent the rim 30 from sagging, such as at high temperature. As shown in FIG. 4, the screws may be positioned through the support structure and may be threaded into the rim 30. In one embodiment the screws 65 may comprise large mechanical threads such that the screw threads are not compromised once in position. Through the combination of the screws 65 and the deformable material 40, the overall relative position and shape of the rim 30 and the tabletop 20 may be maintained, and the gap 45 there between remained filled. It is noted that there may be a step down 70 to help set the deformable material 40 next to the rim 30. The step down 70 may provide a vertical stop to prevent the deformable material 40 from dropping further between the tabletop structure 20 and the rim 30.

The vertical face of the rim 30 adjacent to the step down may present a geometric feature or slot 75 preventing the deformable material 40 from lifting out of position. For example, the geometric feature or slot 75 may be a semi-circular cavity in which the deformable material 40 can nest, thus preventing it from moving upwards.

Although the present approach has been described herein with referenced to certain embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be limited by particular details set forth in the above description as may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present approach.

Claims

1. An outdoor tabletop system comprising: A tabletop structure having a first heat expansion characteristic;a rim disposed around a perimeter of the tabletop structure, the rim having a second heat expansion characteristic different than the first heat expansion characteristic of the tabletop structure;a gap between the perimeter of the tabletop structure and the rim; and,a deformable material having sufficient elasticity, or heat expansion characteristic that are different from the heat expansion characteristics of the tabletop structure and rim, positioned in the gap between the tabletop structure and the rim, which expands and contracts to fill the gap during changes in environmental conditions.

2. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 1 wherein the tabletop structure is supported by a frame.

3. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 2 wherein the rim is attached to the frame.

4. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 1 wherein the rim is made of a manufactured wood product.

5. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 1, wherein the tabletop structure comprises a top-facing decorative portion.

6. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 1 wherein the tabletop structure is made from one of stone, wood or polymer composite with or without stone or wood.

7. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 1, wherein the deformable material has a high elasticity over a wide range of environmental conditions.

8. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 7, wherein the deformable material is selected from the group consisting of silicon, natural and synthetic rubbers, neoprene, polyolefins, (e.g., polyethylene and polyvinyl), TPE and synthetic leather.

9. An outdoor tabletop system comprising: a tabletop structure having a first geometry;a rim disposed around a perimeter of the tabletop structure, the rim having a second geometry different from the first geometry of the tabletop structure;a gap between the perimeter of the tabletop structure and the rim; anda deformable material positioned in the gap between the tabletop structure and the rim which visually conceals differences between the first geometry of the tabletop structure and the second geometry of the rim.

10. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 9 wherein the tabletop structure is supported by a frame.

11. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 9 wherein the rim is attached to the frame.

12. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 9 wherein the rim is made of a manufactured wood product.

13. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 9 wherein the tabletop structure comprises a top-facing decorative portion.

14. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 9 wherein the tabletop structure is made from one of stone, wood or polymer composite with or without stone or wood.

15. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 9 wherein the deformable material has a high elasticity over a wide range of environmental conditions.

16. The outdoor tabletop system of claim 15 wherein the deformable material is selected from the group consisting of silicon, natural and synthetic rubbers, neoprene, polyolefins, TPE and synthetic leather.