Patent Application
20050252422
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tables, trays, and game boards. More particularly, the present invention relates to collapsible tables trays and game boards which may be carried in a convenient sized bag.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known collapsible tables are bulky and complicated, requiring a number of structural hinges to achieve a compact collapsed configuration. Known game boards are rigid or foldable. It would be desirable to provide a collapsible table of simple construction requiring a minimum of structural hinges, while having an attractive appearance and rigid table top for use. It would also be desirable to provide a game board which is rigid in use while being foldable for storage or transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,242, issued Apr. 17, 1951, to Ross, describes a collapsible combination screen and table having a series of panels that are hinged relative to one another and having legs that fold.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,693,258, issued Nov. 2, 1954, to Fleisch, describes a combination table and carrying case having two folding table surfaces and internally folding legs that double as handles.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,191, issued Oct. 1, 1957, to Cramer, describes a disposable lap tray of folded cardboard material or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,159, issued May 30, 1975, to Faria, describes a folding table having a series of parallel slats and leg that collapse to a stacked arrangement and may be carried or stored in a carrying case.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,003, issued Nov. 23, 1976, to James, describes a collapsible stool having a series of slats connected in a side-by-side relationship by a series of flexible material hinges, the stool also including folding legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,533, issued Jun. 20, 1978, to Leveille, describes a tray having folding end panels serving as legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,577, issued Sep. 25, 1990, to Demaio et al., describes a roll-up lap tray having a large number of slats attached to fabric backing and made rigid by swivel member.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a portable collapsible table solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The portable collapsible table of the present invention features multiple wooden panels or slats hinged to each other from underneath by a piece of fabric corresponding in size to the table or tray surface. The wooden panels fold in a zigzag manner into a compact, folded form which is easily carried in a bag. The wooden panels are secured to form a rigid table surface by inserting removable support rods laterally and crosswise through pin receivers in the wooden panels. The end panels each receive a locking rod at its respective outer side.
Support panels having handle cutouts and legs are attached at each outer side of the end panels by hinges so as to cover the sides of the end panels and form supports for the table. These support panels have bores therethrough for inserting the support pins, and are thus locked in place, along with the wooden surface panels when the rods are inserted. The support panels fold with the surface panels when the support rods are removed, thus forming a compact configuration for storage, along with the removed pins, in a bag.
An alternative structure for securing the panels into a rigid table surface includes slot pin locks located along the sides of the table surface located at the fabric hinges and fitting into opposed pin receiving and pin retraction slots in the adjacent panels. The slot pin locks can be withdrawn from the pin receiving slot of one panel and slid fully into the pin retraction slot of the adjacent panel, allowing the panels to fold on the fabric hinges. Other flexible web materials such as plastic sheet may be substituted for fabric.
A game board may be incorporated into the table surface as desired. In the case of a game board, the support panels may be omitted and the table surface used as a rigid game board. Embossed plastic sheet or printed paper bearing game board patterns such as a checker board may be substituted for fabric, the game board pattern material being placed on top of the surface and acting as hinges between inner and outer panels of a four panel board for folding purposes. In this case, the game board pattern material is split at the separation between inner panels and a sheet material, such as adhesive tape, placed on the underside of the board to act as a hinge between inner panels. The folded game board is compact and may be easily carried in a bag or the like, along with playing pieces.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
The present invention is a portable, collapsible table or tray having multiple wooden panels or slats hinged to each other from underneath by a piece of fabric corresponding in size to the table or tray surface. The wooden panels fold in a zigzag manner into a compact, folded form which is easily carried in a bag. The wooden panels are secured to form a rigid table surface by inserting removable support rods laterally and crosswise through rod receivers in the wooden panels. Support panels having handle cutouts and legs are attached at each outer side of the end panels by hinges so as to cover the sides of the end panels and form supports for the table.
An alternative structure for securing the panels into a rigid table surface includes slot pin locks located along the sides of the table surface located at the fabric hinges and fitting into opposed pin receiving and pin retraction slots in the adjacent panels. A rigid game board may also be constructed in a similar manner which is foldable for storage.
Referring to
Support panels 14 have an exposed upper edge 30, an outer surface 32 and inner surface 34. Inner panels 16 have ends 36, inner sides 40 and outer sides 42. Outer panels 18 have ends 38 inner sides 44, and outer sides 46. As seen in
As seen in
As shown in
The table system 10 may be of any desired size, however, a relatively small table, the size of a coffee table or lap tray, is envisioned for convenient use. A table employing more than the four panels as shown may be constructed in a similar manner to that discussed above. Any appropriate wood having any desired finish thereon may be employed in the present invention. Other suitable materials may be used in place of wood, such as plastic. Decorations or game board figures may be placed on the upper surfaces of the panels as desired.
Referring to
Folding or collapsible game board 100 has a game board image-bearing web 102 of plastic, cloth, or paper attached to the upper surfaces of inner panels 104 and outer panels 106. Inner panels 104 have ends 108 and outer panels 106 have ends 110, forming the sides of the game board 100. Outer panel outer sides 112 form the ends of the game board facing the players. Outer panel inner sides 114 are adjacent to inner panel outer sides 116 and are connected by game board web 102 which acts as a folding hinge therebetween. Inner panel inner sides 118 are held adjacent for folding by a web hinge on the underside as seen in
Panels 116 and 118 are shown connected in a rigid position by slot pin locks 120 located at each hinge at each side of the game board 100. Slot pin locks 120 are movable between a locked position (see
Slot pin locks 120 include lock handle 134, having stem 136 connected perpendicularly to a sliding pin 140 at the intersection of insertion pin portion 138. In the locked position as in
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
