Patent Application
20070006781
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to furniture in general, and more particularly to tables that include removable table tops, such as tables that include glass table tops.
2) Description of Related Art
There are various characteristics that are important in the design and manufacture of an item of furniture. For example, many items of furniture, aside from purely decorative items, are designed to bear a certain load, such as the weight of a person sitting in a chair or the weight of items supported by a bookshelf. As such, manufacturers choose structures and materials that are designed to achieve a certain level of performance. However, this performance must be balanced with other practical considerations, such as aesthetic appeal and cost.
In order to produce an item of furniture that creates a desired level of aesthetic appeal, many furniture manufacturers experiment with the use of different materials. Some have found that by using a combination of materials, an item of furniture may be created that has a broader scope of aesthetic appeal. Examples of different materials used by furniture manufacturers include metal, wood, glass, and plastic materials, as well as composite materials. When using a combination of materials for a particular furniture design, furniture manufacturers must ensure that these different materials are compatible such they perform at a desired level while maintaining their aesthetical appeal.
Relatively brittle materials are a commonly used in conjunction with other materials in the design of items of furniture. For example, glass is often used as a table top surface. Some manufacturers have found that glass is a desired material for this use because it is easy to clean and aesthetically pleasing. However, many materials that are used for the frame of the table (including metal, wood, plastic, and composite materials) are capable of damaging the glass. As a result, some furniture manufacturers commonly use a handful of small rubber “bumper” pads that are attached, often with an adhesive, to the table frame, in between the frame and the glass surface. In this manner, the small bumper pads provide a discrete number of support points for the glass surface.
This solution suffers from several problems. For example, by providing discrete points of contact between the glass table top and the table frame, areas between the rubber pads remain unsupported and thus allow the glass table top edge to bend when loaded. Additionally, these small bumper pads often become dislodged when the table top is removed, thus resulting in an unsupported or unevenly supported table top when placed back on the frame.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved table top support for use with a table having a relatively brittle table top. The support should be capable of supporting an area adjacent the edges of the table top in a non-discrete manner. The support should also be sufficiently anchored to the frame such that the support remains attached to the table when the table top is removed.
The present invention achieves the above objectives and others by providing a table having an improved table top support member that may be used to support a relatively brittle table top. As will be described in more detail below, unlike prior art table top supports, the table top support member of the present invention provides continuous support adjacent a peripheral edge of the table top. The support member may also be anchored to a frame of the table so that the support member remains attached to the table when the table top is removed.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a table having a frame comprising a table perimeter portion defining an opening, at least one leg supporting the table perimeter portion in a horizontal orientation, and a channel portion located within the opening and joined to the inside perimeter of the table perimeter portion, the channel portion including a mounting slot or opening in the top surface thereof. The table also includes an elongate elastomeric support member having an upper support portion and a lower anchor portion, and a removable table top receivable in the frame opening and having a peripheral edge, wherein the anchor portion of the support member is received in the mounting slot or opening of the channel portion of the frame, and wherein the support member extends substantially continuously about the perimeter of the opening such that the table top is continuously supported by the support portion of the support member substantially adjacent the peripheral edge of the table top. In one embodiment, the anchor portion of the support member is substantially captured within the channel portion. In another embodiment, the mounting slot or opening in the top surface of the channel portion comprises a pair of oppositely directed lateral slots, and wherein the upper support portion of the support member has a cross-section comprising a horizontal top side and a pair of lateral sides generally perpendicular to the top side, and the lower anchor portion of the support member has a first lip portion extending into one of the lateral slots and a second lip portion extending into the other of the lateral slots. In another embodiment, the one of the lateral slots and the first lip portion have mating rectangular cross sections, and wherein the other of the lateral slots and the second lip portion have mating triangular cross sections so as to define a chamfer for aiding in installing the support member into the mounting slot or opening of the channel portion. In another embodiment, the channel portion has a rectangular tube cross section with an elongate slot in the top surface thereof, and wherein the upper support portion of the support member comprises a frustum cross-section with a horizontal top side, oppositely directed lateral sides, and a horizontal bottom side, and the lower anchor portion of the support member has an inverted frustum cross-section with a horizontal top side, oppositely directed lateral sides, and a horizontal bottom side, and wherein the support member further comprises a neck portion that extends between and connects the support portion and the anchor portion. In another embodiment, the lower anchor portion of the support member is received in the elongate slot such that the upper support portion of the support member is located above the top surface of the channel portion and the neck portion is adjacent the elongate slot. In another embodiment, the table top is constructed substantially of glass. In another embodiment the support member is constructed of a unitary piece. In another embodiment, the support member is constructed of at least two elongate pieces and wherein the pieces are located end-to-end and together extend substantially continuously about the perimeter of the opening in order to continuously support the table top upon the upper support portion of the support member substantially adjacent the peripheral edge of the table top. In another embodiment, the table perimeter portion, the channel portion, and the support member generally define rectangular shapes. In yet another embodiment, the table perimeter portion, the channel portion, and the support member generally define circular shapes.
Thus, in various embodiments, the present invention provides an improved support for supporting a relatively brittle table top. In one aspect, the support is capable of supporting an area adjacent the peripheral edge of the table top in a non-discrete manner. In another aspect, the support is sufficiently anchored to the frame such that the support remains attached to the table when the table top is removed.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, this invention may be embodied in many 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 satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
As shown in
In the depicted embodiment, the support member 18 is constructed of a unitary piece of elastomeric material. Such materials include, but are not limited to various natural or synthetic rubbers. Elastomeric materials provide a cushioning interface that protects the table top from damage from the table frame. The support member 18 includes an upper support portion 19 and a lower anchor portion 20. In various embodiments, the upper support portion 19 supports the table top 12 and the lower anchor portion 20 is received by the channel portion 15 of the frame 11. As noted above and as will be discussed in more detail below, unlike prior art table top supports, in which a table top was supported by a number of small support pads, the support member 18 of the depicted embodiment provides continuous support for the table top 12 substantially adjacent the peripheral edge 16. By providing continuous support for the table top 12, rather than discrete points of support, the support member 18 provides evenly distributed support to the table top 12 in the area adjacent the peripheral edge 16. As a result, the table top 12 is not as susceptible to bending and damage when loaded. It should be noted that in other embodiments of the present invention, the support member 18 need not be a unitary piece in order to provide continuous support for the table top 12, and thus may comprise two or more individual pieces that are located end-to-end in order to continuously support the table top 12 substantially adjacent the peripheral edge 16.
A cross section view of a portion of the table 10 is shown in
As noted above, the particular physical geometry of the channel portion 15 and the support member 18 depicted in
As described above, the present invention provides an improved table top support for use with relatively brittle table tops, such as glass table tops. Unlike prior art table top supports, the table top support of the present invention provides continuous support adjacent a peripheral edge of the table top. Additionally, the support may also be anchored along its length to the frame of the table so that the table top support member remains attached to the table frame when the table top is removed.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
