GB2178305A - Table - Google Patents

Abstract

A table comprises a top 10 having an aperture (12) therethrough, a hollow bolt (14) having a head 16 engaging the upper surface of the top and extending through the aperture. A support ring 20, is engaged over the bolt and is held in place by a nut (22). Three or more legs 24 are pivotally mounted on ring 20 to a lower support ring 36, a portion (38) of the horizontal arm 26 engaging in a recess 40. Alternatively, vertical legs are rigidly connected to ring 20 by horizontal arms which extend beyond the edge of the table top, to allow nesting of the tables. The leg assembly may comprise a frame (54) engageable with the lower surface of top 10 and legs (58) pivotally mounted on the frame by hinge brackets (56) for folding against the frame. A parasol pole may be passed through the hollow bolt. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Table The present invention relates to tables.

Many forms of table have been proposed, particularly for garden use. Conventionally such tables are mass produced and are dismountable, to enable them to be sent to a distributor and taken from the distributor by the customer. The construction of such tables can be relatively complex. Further difficulties arise if the table top is made, as is preferred nowadays, of a material such as compressed chipboard, which may be provided at least on its upper and edge surfaces with a plastic material covering. The difficulties arise because of inability saitsfactorily to screw or otherwise secure the legs of the table to the table top.

It is now proposed, according to the present invention, to provide a table comprisinga top having upper and lower surfaces, an aperture through said top extending vertically between said upper and lower surfaces, a bolt having a head engaging said upper surface and extending through said aperture, a leg assembly having a section engageable with the lower surface, said assembly including a support ring engaged over said bolt, and a plurality of legs connected to said section, said table further comprising a nut holding said support ring in place below and retaining said leg assembly in engagementwith said lower surface.

The advantage of such a construction is that the only item which requires securing is the nut onto the bolt. The whole table can readily be disassembled for transport and selling, and the customer only has to pass the bolt through the aperture in the top, engage the support ring over the bolt and then simply has to tighten the nut onto the bolt. This single retention by the nut and bolt will hold all of the parts together and yet one does not need to rely on any parts being screwed into the material of the top. Hence the top can be made of any suitable material which has sufficient rigidity and strength to act as a table top and yet it need not have a density of construction to enable parts to be screwed into it.

The head of the bolt engages on the upper surface of the table top and the support ring is held against the lower surface, and is itself held in place simply by the nut.

In one construction according to the invention said leg assembly section includes a horizontal arm on each of said legs, each horizontal arm being pivotally connected to said support ring.

Preferably, a plurality of recesses are formed in the lower surface of said top at locations spaced from said aperture, said recesses being circumferentially spaced from one another, and a portion of said arm of each leg is engageable in a separate one of said recesses and being retained therein by tightening of said nut.

While the legs may be generally of an inverted Lshape they are preferably of a substantially opensided rectangular configuration including said horizontal arm, a vertical leg portion extending downwardly from said horizontal arm at a distance from the pivoting thereof to said support ring, and a lower horizontal arm pivoted to a lower support ring.

Advantageously, the legs are formed of tubular metal and the free ends of said lower horizontal arms, which are to be pivoted to said support ring and said lower support ring respectively, are prestressed towards one another so that they are forced apart as the nut is tightened.

Preferably, the portions of the horizontal arms are raised above the remainder of the horizontal arm and are located just radially inwardly of the associated vertical leg portion.

With such an arrangement, the act of tightening the nut onto the bolt will more readily urge the portions of the horizontal arms of the legs into the recesses and thereby retain the legs more firmly in position under the table top. The recesses serve not only to prevent the legs moving around the bolt, but also to rigidifythe abutment of the raised portions with the table top.

The recesses take may forms. For example, they may be sunk into the body of the table top, or they may be formed in protuberances extending below the lower surface of the table top. Alternatively the table top may be constructed with radially extending slots into which said portions engage, at least in part.

In another construction according to the invention, said leg assembly section includes a plurality of legs each having a horizontal arm rigidly connected to said support ring.

Advantageously, each horizontal arm extends beyond the edge of the table top and has associated therewith only a vertically extending leg portion, whereby a number of said tables can be nested with one another.

In a further construction, the leg assembly section includes generally flat frame engageable with a lower surface of the table top and legs which are pivotally mounted on said frame, so that they may be folded flat against said frame.

While the bolt may be a solid bolt, if the table is being used as a garden table, advantageously the bolt is hollow, having a throughbore of sufficient diameter for the passage of the pole of a parasol.

In order that the invention may more readily be understood, the foliowing description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of table according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the table of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the table; and Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section through a central portion of the table top showing the upper supporting ring, bolt, nut and a portion of the horizontal arm; and Figure 5 is an underneath plan of a further embodiment of table according to the invention.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 4, the illustrated table includes a generally circular table top 10 having a central aperture 12, extending from the upper surface 11 to the lower surface 13 of the table top 10. Engaged in the aperture 12 is a hollow bolt 14 having a head 16 which abuts the upper surface 11. The bolt includes a hollow threaded shaft 18 over which is engaged an upper support ring 20.

The support ring is held in place by a nut 22.

Pivotally mounted on the upper support ring are three legs 24 each including an upper horizontal arm 26, the radially inner free end 27 of which is connected to the upper support ring by a pivot 28.

Each leg also includes a vertical leg portion 30 and a lower horizontal arm portion 32, so that each leg thus has an open sided generally rectangular configuration.

The free ends 33 of the lower horizontal horizontal arms 32 are connected by pivots 34 to a lower support ring 36.

Adjacent the junction between the upper horizontal arms 26 and the vertical leg portions 30, the upper horizontal arms are provided with a raised or arched portion 38. Each of these raised or arched portions 38 are engageable in a separate one of three recesses 40 formed in the lower surfaces of the top 10 at locations spaced from the aperture 12, the recesses 40 being circumferentially spaced from one another.

Before assembly, the legs, which are preferabiy formed of tubular metal, are prestressed so that the free end portions 27,33 of the legs are prestressed towards one another, so that they are forced apart as the nut 22 is tightened.

During assembly, one spreads the legs to locations 1200 apart from one another, places the table top so that the recesses 40 engage the raised portions 38, and then passes the bolt 14 downwardly through the aperture 12 until the head 16 engages the upper surface 11. If the nut 22 is then threaded onto the lower end of the threaded shaft 18 of the bolt 14, the upper support ring 20 will be pushed upwardly and the raised portions 38 will be urged more firmly into the recesses 40. When the nut is fully tightened, the whole assembly becomes very rigid and it is not possible for the raised portions to move out of the recesses.

If desired, a locking washer or the like can be provided to prevent the nut from unscrewing.

In the illustrated construction, the bolt 14 is hollow and the internal diameter of the throughbore thereof is sufficiently large to accommodate the pole of a parasol. The lower end of the pole can pass through the lower support ring 36.

Instead of having the legs so that they can pivot relative to the support ring, they can be rigidly connected to it, e.g. by welding. With such a construction, the lower horizontal arm may be omitted, so that each leg only includes an upper horizontal arm portion which extends radially beyond the edge of the top and a generally vertically extending leg portion, the lower end of which engages the ground. Such tables can be readily nested with one another.

Referring now to Figure 5, the construction illustrated includes a support ring 50, welded to cross members 52 of a frame 54, which is shown square, but could be of any other shape, such as circular or rectangular. On the frame 54 are welded hinge brackets 56, by means of which legs 58 are secured. Legs 58 can be hinged flat against the frame 54 for transport and could be hinged to extend vertically and held in this position by a suitable brace (not shown). As before, the support ring can be held in place by a nut 60 and this will provide the only means for securing the leg assembly including the frame work and the legs to the lower surface of the table top.

Claims (12)

1. Atable comprising atop having upper and lower surfaces, an aperture through said top extending vertically between said upper and lower surfaces, a bolt having a head engaging said upper surface and extending through said aperture, a leg assembly having a section engageable with the lower surface, said assembly including a support ring engaged over said bolt, and a plurality of legs connected to said section, said table further comprising a nut holding said support ring in place below and retaining said leg assembly in engagement with said lower surface.

2. A table according to claim 1, wherein said leg assembly section includes a horizontal arm on each of said legs, each horizontal arm being pivotally connected to said support ring.

3. A table according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of recesses are formed in the lower surface of said top at locations spaced from said aperture, said recesses being circumferentially spaced from one another, and a portion of said arm of each leg is engageable in a separate one of said recesses and being retained therein by tightening of said nut.

4. A table according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the legs are each of a substantially open-sided rectangular configuration including said horizontal arm, a vertical leg portion extending downwardly from said horizontal arm at a distance from the pivoting thereof to said support ring, and a lower horizontal arm pivoted to a lower support ring.

5. A table according to claim 4, wherein said legs are formed of tubular metal and the free ends of said lower horizontal arms, which are to be pivoted to said support ring and said lower support ring respectively, are prestressed towards one another, so that they are forced apart as the nut is tightened.

6. A table according to claim 3,4 or 5, wherein said portions of said horizontal arms are raised above the remainder of the horizontal arm and are located just radially inwardly of the associated vertical leg portion.

7. A table according to claim 1, wherein said leg assembly section includes a plurality of legs each having a horizontal arm rigidly connected to said support ring.

8. A table according to claim 7, wherein each horizontal arm extends beyond the edge of the table top and has associated therewith only a vertically extending leg portion, whereby a number of said tables can be nested with one another.

9. A table according to claim 1, wherein said leg assembly sections include a generally flat frame engageable with a lower surface of the table top and legs which are pivotally mounted on said frame, so that they may be folded flat against said frame.

10. Atable according to any preceding claim, wherein the bolt- is hollow, having a throughbore of sufficient diameter for the passage of the pole of parasol.

11. A table substantially as hereinbefore - described, with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

12. Atable substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.