US 5,588,377 AGranted

Convertible table configurable between expanded and compressed positions

AssigneeFleetwood Enterprises, Inc.

InventorHal Fahmian

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Abstract

A convertible table can be conveniently configured into either a coffee table or a dining table. The convertible table includes a table bottom unit supported by four legs and a table hinge secured to the table bottom unit via four lower hinge brackets. A table top unit is secured to the table hinge via four upper hinge brackets. The hinge moves between an expanded configuration and a compressed configuration to vertically move the table top unit away from the table bottom unit and back into contact with the table bottom unit, respectively.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A convertible table, comprising:

(a) four legs supporting the convertible table above a supporting surface;
(b) a table bottom unit, comprising:
(1) a bottom planar surface parallel to the supporting surface, the bottom planar surface having a rectangular parameter;
and
(2) four bottom sidewalls surrounding the rectangular parameter, each of the bottom sidewalls extending above and perpendicular to the bottom planar surface, the four bottom sidewalls forming four corners, the table bottom unit being connected to the four legs near the four corners;
(c) four bottom hinge brackets connected to the table bottom unit near the four corners;
(d) a table top unit comprising:
(1) a top planar surface parallel to the supporting surface;
and
(2) four top sidewalls surrounding approximately the same rectangular parameter as the four bottom sidewalls, the four top sidewalls forming four corners, each of the top sidewalls extending below and perpendicular to the top planar surface;
(e) four top hinge brackets connected to the table top unit near the four corners formed by the four top sidewalls;
and
(f) a table hinge positioned between the table bottom unit and the table top unit, comprising:
(1) an upper-front elongated member having two upper-front dowels at opposing ends, the two upper-front dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four top hinge brackets;
(2) an upper-rear elongated member having two upper-rear dowels at opposing ends, the two upper-rear dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four top hinge brackets;
(3) a lower-front elongated member having two lower-front dowels at opposing ends, the two lower-front dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four bottom hinge brackets;
(4) a lower-rear elongated member having two lower-rear dowels at opposing ends, the two lower-rear dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four bottom hinge brackets;
(5) a first set of parallel fingers connected between the upper-front elongated member and the lower-rear elongated member, the upper-front elongated member and the lower-rear elongated member being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first set of parallel fingers;
(6) a second set of parallel fingers connected between the lower-front elongated member and the upper-rear elongated member, the lower-front elongated member and the upper-rear elongated member being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the second set of parallel fingers;
and
(7) a pin running through a center area of each of the fingers of the first and second sets of parallel fingers, the fingers rotating about the pin to bring the upper-front and lower-front elongated members into contact with one another and, at the same time, to bring the upper-rear and lower-rear elongated members into contact with one another to thereby bring the table hinge into a compressed configuration.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A convertible table, comprising:

(a) four legs supporting the convertible table above a supporting surface;
(b) a table bottom unit, comprising:
(1) a bottom planar surface parallel to the supporting surface, the bottom planar surface having a rectangular parameter;
and
(2) four bottom sidewalls surrounding the rectangular parameter, each of the bottom sidewalls extending above and perpendicular to the bottom planar surface, the four bottom sidewalls forming four corners, the table bottom unit being connected to the four legs near the four corners;
(c) four bottom hinge brackets connected to the table bottom unit near the four corners;
(d) a table top unit comprising:
(1) a top planar surface parallel to the supporting surface;
and
(2) four top sidewalls surrounding approximately the same rectangular parameter as the four bottom sidewalls, the four top sidewalls forming four corners, each of the top sidewalls extending below and perpendicular to the top planar surface;
(e) four top hinge brackets connected to the table top unit near the four corners formed by the four top sidewalls;
and
(f) a table hinge positioned between the table bottom unit and the table top unit, comprising:
(1) an upper-front elongated member having two upper-front dowels at opposing ends, the two upper-front dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four top hinge brackets;
(2) an upper-rear elongated member having two upper-rear dowels at opposing ends, the two upper-rear dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four top hinge brackets;
(3) a lower-front elongated member having two lower-front dowels at opposing ends, the two lower-front dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four bottom hinge brackets;
(4) a lower-rear elongated member having two lower-rear dowels at opposing ends, the two lower-rear dowels fitting into a corresponding two of the four bottom hinge brackets;
(5) a first set of parallel fingers connected between the upper-front elongated member and the lower-rear elongated member, the upper-front elongated member and the lower-rear elongated member being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first set of parallel fingers;
(6) a second set of parallel fingers connected between the lower-front elongated member and the upper-rear elongated member, the lower-front elongated member and the upper-rear elongated member being parallel to one another and perpendicular to the second set of parallel fingers;
and
(7) a pin running through a center area of each of the fingers of the first and second sets of parallel fingers, the fingers rotating about the pin to bring the upper-front and lower-front elongated members into contact with one another and, at the same time, to bring the upper-rear and lower-rear elongated members into contact with one another to thereby bring the table hinge into a compressed configuration.

18 more elements