Foldable furniture base

Abstract

A foldable furniture base for a supporting a substantially planar support surface, such a glass or other table top, desk top, bed frame mattress support, table-like structure, or other furniture top is disclosed, in which the foldable furniture base may be folded down into a thin, low-volume configuration for ease in transport and storage. The foldable table base comprises a plurality of panels that are engaged in sequence with hinges or other forms of attachment that allow the panels, when closed, to be superimposed one on top of another, as in an accordion-fold configuration, for example. When positioned for supporting a furniture top, the set of engaged panels may be easily formed into a variety of decorative and useful configurations. Various embodiments of the foldable furniture base comprise panels with a wide variety of characteristics, including a variety of quantities, shapes and sizes.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to furniture, and more particularly to a foldable furniture base for supporting a table top or other planar support surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tables and table-like structures are items that are typically bulky to transport, due in part to the commonly orthogonal relationship between the table top and the legs or other supporting members of the table. A package for enclosing an assembled table frequently includes a large proportion of “dead air space” below the table top and between the supporting members of the table. When shipping costs are based on volume, sending an assembled table may cost considerably more than another package of the same weight.

Furthermore, transporting an assembled table may expose the legs or other supporting members to physical stresses beyond those that they were designed to endure, sometimes resulting in broken or damaged tables. Disassembling a table that was not designed for frequent assembly and disassembly, on the other hand, may also compromise the structural integrity of the table.

For these and other reasons, a wide variety of collapsible tables and table-like structures have been devised and made generally available to the public.

However, when such collapsible table-like furniture structures are designed for ease of shipping, they are frequently made from light-weight materials, sometimes even including cardboard, which may not provide the durability or weight-bearing properties of similar furniture made from heavier-weight materials. Furniture made of such light-weight materials may be suitable for some temporary, casual, or play purposes, but may not be desirable for use as real furniture. For example, strength and durability of a furniture base may be especially desirable when a table top of glass or other heavy material is desired. When collapsible furniture is made from stronger and more durable materials, it frequently requires assembly using hardware items that may become misplaced when the furniture is being shipped, stored, assembled, or disassembled. Furthermore, such hardware may detract from the decorative appearance of the collapsible furniture.

Furthermore, collapsible tables frequently include both a support portion (a base or legs) and a table top to be purchased together as a set. Purchasing a base and top as a set may not be convenient for purchasers who wish to use a table top that they already own or that they choose to acquire separately to suit their decorating, convenience, or other needs, such as a glass table top that may be acquired locally in order to minimize shipping costs and risks of breakage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address these and other deficiencies, a foldable furniture base for supporting a table, pedestal, bed stand, or other table-like structure is disclosed. The foldable table base comprises a plurality of panels that are attached in sequence using hinges or other forms of engagement, thereby allowing the panels to be superimposed one on top of another, to form a thin, low-volume configuration for ease in transport and storage. The panels may be arranged in any of a variety of useful and decorative configurations that allow the foldable table base to support a substantially planar support surface, such as a glass or other table top or other furniture top. In various embodiments, the panels may be positioned so as to be hinged or otherwise engaged with at least one other panel along a line that runs substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane, such as the floor.

Embodiments of the foldable furniture base are described that also permit ease of use in that the foldable furniture base is self-contained, with no need for assembly of separate components on the part of a purchaser. Other embodiments allow for very easy assembly that does not involve additional hardware or require the use of tools.

In various embodiments of the foldable furniture base, the panels may be formed of a variety of materials and in a variety of shapes. Furthermore, the panels may be planar, arced, or bent at angles, and portions of the panels may be cut out for decorative or other purposes. The panels may also be positioned into a variety of decorative configurations for use in supporting a furniture top.

An embodiment of a foldable furniture base for supporting a substantially planar furniture top is described, wherein the foldable furniture base is formed of a plurality of panels that are sequentially connected using hinge mechanisms, and wherein the foldable furniture base has a collapsed storage condition in which the panels are folded atop one another.

An embodiment of a furniture base for supporting a substantially horizontal planar member is described. The furniture base consists substantially of multiple panels, wherein each of the panels has a greatest thickness and a longest linear dimension, and wherein a ratio of the greatest thickness to the longest linear dimension is less than 0.03.

An embodiment of a collection of members for supporting a generally planar furniture top above a floor is described. The collection comprises at least two panel members and an engagement mechanism. Each of the panel members has a first edge surface for supporting the planar furniture top and a second edge surface, opposite the first edge surface, for supporting the panel member on the floor. The engagement mechanism allows the two panel members to be connected in two alternative arrangements, the arrangements comprising: a first arrangement in which the panel members are superimposed on one another; and a second arrangement in which the panel members meet one another along a line which runs perpendicular to both the planar furniture top and the floor.

Neither this summary nor the following detailed description defines the invention. The invention is defined by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a foldable furniture base in a laid-flat configuration for viewing.

FIG. 1B is a more detailed view of a portion of the foldable furniture base shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a view of the first embodiment of the foldable furniture base depicted in FIG. 1A, as folded into a compact configuration for transport and/or storage.

FIG. 3 is a view of the first embodiment of the foldable furniture base, opened into one embodiment of a support configuration for use to support a table top.

FIG. 4 is a view depicting two foldable furniture bases and two table tops configured to form a display table.

FIGS. 5A-5C provide three top views of embodiments of the foldable furniture base when positioned into a sampling of alternative embodiments of support configurations.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a foldable furniture base in a laid-flat configuration for viewing, in which the panels are of different shapes and in which some panels have cut-out portions.

FIG. 7A is a side view of a fourth embodiment of a foldable furniture base, having curved panels, in a laid-flat configuration for viewing.

FIG. 7B is a side view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniture base, having curved panels, folded into a compact configuration for transport and/or storage.

FIG. 7C is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniture base with curved panels in one embodiment of a support configuration.

FIG. 7D is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniture base with curved panels in a second embodiment of a support configuration.

FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a slotted panel for use with a fifth embodiment of the foldable furniture base.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the foldable furniture base, formed with panels of the type depicted in FIG. 8 and configured to support a table top.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A foldable furniture base for a table top or other table-like structure is disclosed. The foldable furniture base comprises a series of panels that are connected by hinging or other engaging mechanisms that allow the foldable furniture base to be folded down into a thin, low-volume configuration for ease in transport and storage. When opened into a support position, the foldable furniture base may be configured in any of a variety of useful and decorative configurations for supporting a substantially planar furniture top. For example, various embodiments of the foldable furniture base may be used to support a variety of tops, such as tables tops for coffee tables, dining tables, end tables, display tables (including portable display tables for use in a trade show), television stands, as well as tops for forming a bed base for supporting a mattress, and a variety of other uses.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a foldable furniture base 100 in a laid-flat configuration for viewing. This embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 comprises a plurality of panels 125 that are hingedly connected in a linear configuration by a plurality of hinge mechanisms 150.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1A, the foldable furniture base 100 comprises six panels 125. In other embodiments, the foldable furniture base 125 may comprise another number of panels 125, for example three panels 125 or eight panels 125.

The panels 125 are formed of one or more materials that provide the foldable furniture base 100 with sufficient strength and rigidity to support a table top, or other substantially planar furniture top (not shown in FIG. 1A), when the foldable furniture base 100 is placed in a support configuration, as will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3 below. In various embodiments, the panels 125 may be formed of a metallic material such as aluminum, stainless steel, copper, other metallic material or a combination of metallic materials. In other embodiments, the panels 125 may be formed of plastic, wood, or other material or combination of materials.

In various embodiments, the panels 125 may be of a variety of dimensions, depending, at least in part, on a range of sizes of table top or other substantially planar support member intended to be supported by the foldable furniture base 125. In one preferred embodiment, in which the foldable furniture base 100 is used to support a table top for a coffee table, the panels 125 may be approximately sixteen inches wide, sixteen inches high, and one-sixteenth inch in thickness. For an embodiment for supporting a larger table, the panels 125 may be thirty inches high by thirty inches wide by one-eighth of an inch in thickness. For an embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 intended for supporting a mattress platform for a bed, the panels 125 may be approximately twenty-four inches wide, sixteen inches high, and one-eighth inch in thickness. An embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 intended to be used to form a pedestal, for supporting a sculpture for example, may use panels 125 sized to suit the sculpture and the location in which the pedestal is intended to be used, such as on a table top, or free-standing on the floor. The dimension of the panels 125 may also be selected based, at least in part, on the materials used for the panel.

Embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 wherein the panels 125 are relatively “thin” allow for compact packaging of the foldable furniture base 100 for purposes of shipping and/or transport. FIG. 1B is a more detailed view of a portion of the foldable furniture base shown in FIG. 1A. As depicted in FIG. 1B, a diagonal or other longest linear dimension 170 may be measured for the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100. As further depicted in FIG. 1B, a greatest thickness 160 may also be measured for the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100, wherein the greatest thickness 160 is generally much smaller than the longest linear dimension 170. A ratio of the greatest thickness 160 to the longest linear dimension 170 of the panel 125 may be calculated. In various embodiments, the ratio is generally less than 0.05, preferably less that 0.03, and most preferably less than 0.005.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, each of the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 is engaged with at least one other panel 125 with a hinge mechanism 150. As will be familiar to a practitioner of the art, a hinge mechanism 150 that connects two panels 125 allows the two panels to swing about the hinge mechanism 150 in a variety of positions. The hinge mechanism 150 allows the panels of the foldable furniture base to be folded substantially flat one on top of another, for transport or storage, as will be discussed further with reference to FIG. 2.

The hinge mechanism 150 may comprise any of a wide variety of commonly available hinges. For example, butt hinges, piano hinges, or other continuous hinges, either surface-mounted or recessed or a combination of the two, made of metal or plastic or another material, may be used. Alternatively, the hinge mechanism 150 may be formed integrally with the panels 125, for example with plastic panels 125, as will be familiar to one of skill in the art. Furthermore, the hinge mechanism 150 may be a spiral-binding mechanism or other type of engagement mechanism.

Various types of hinge mechanisms 150 used in embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 differ from one another in the angle of rotation that they permit between two connected panels 125. Although some hinge mechanisms 150 allow for an open angle close to three-hundred-sixty degrees, many hinge mechanisms 150 allow for smaller angles of rotation, for example one hundred eighty degrees to two hundred seventy degrees. As will be familiar to a practitioner of skill in the art, some hinge mechanisms 150 provide a greater angle of rotation when attached to a panel 125 with a larger “cut-out” section, even allowing panels to be folded flat upon the neighboring panel from either direction. Some embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 comprise such a “cut out” section and hinge mechanism 150. The range of angles of rotation permitted by the hinge mechanisms 150 of a foldable furniture base 100, may determine a set of configurations in which the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 may be positioned when in use, as will be discussed further with reference to FIG. 5.

FIG. 2 is a view of a first embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 depicted in FIG. 1A, as folded into a compact configuration for transport and/or storage. As described with reference to FIG. 1A, the hinge mechanisms 150 of the foldable furniture base 100 allow the panels 125 to be superimposed one on top of another, for example in an accordion-fold-like manner, in order to configure the foldable furniture base 100 into a compact configuration. In the compact configuration, the foldable furniture base 100 takes up a small volume, encloses a minimum of “dead air space,” and may be conveniently packaged for shipment and/or storage. Thus, cost components of the foldable table base 100 related to shipping and storage costs may be reduced. Furthermore, for many embodiments, the foldable furniture base 100 may be conveniently transported in the compact configuration by a purchaser in an automobile or other small vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a view of the embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 depicted in FIGS. 1A and 2, now opened into one embodiment of a support configuration for use to support a table top 300. In the support configuration, the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 are positioned such that the hinge mechanisms 150 that connect the panels 125 project orthogonally upward from a floor or other horizontal surface on which the foldable furniture base 100 is placed. The panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 may thus be described as standing on their edge. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the panels 125 are configured into a rectangular shape and support a rectangular glass table top, such as for a coffee table or a dining room table.

In other embodiments, the foldable furniture base 100 may be used to support other types of substantially planar, horizontal support surfaces, which for purposes of this disclosure will occasionally be referred to generically as “furniture tops.” For example, an appropriately sized embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 may be used to support a sheet of material or set of planks, for example, on which a mattress is placed to form a bed. Embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 may also be used to form smaller items, such as bedside tables or pedestals, as well as a wide variety of other items.

FIG. 4 is a view depicting two foldable furniture bases and two table tops configured to form a two-storied display table. As shown, a first foldable furniture base 100 and a first table top 300 are disposed as was described with reference to FIG. 3, and a second foldable furniture base 100 is placed on the first table top 300 to support a second table top 300, thus forming the two-storied display table. Practitioners of skill in the art will readily see numerous other useful configurations for the foldable furniture base 100.

FIGS. 5A-5C provide three top views of embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 when positioned into a sampling of alternative embodiments of support configurations. FIG. 5A depicts the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 configured into a closed polygon. In particular, because the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5A comprises five panels 125, the polygon is a pentagon. FIG. 5B depicts the panels 125 of the foldable furniture base 100 configured into a zigzag shape. FIG. 5C depicts an embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 having twelve panels 125 into a six-pointed star shape. Alternatively, the six-pointed star shape of FIG. 5C may be formed by using two foldable furniture bases 100 having six panels 125 each. The embodiments of FIGS. 5A-5C demonstrate that the foldable table base 100 described herein provides a wide degree of flexibility in selecting decorative panel configurations, which may be advantageously viewed through a transparent surface such as a glass table top. Furthermore, the panels 125 may be easily re-configured to change decor or to suit a different table top or other supporting surface. For example, the foldable furniture base 100 and a suitable table top 300 may be used to conveniently set up and break down a display table for a trade show or other temporary event.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a foldable furniture base 100 in a laid-flat configuration for viewing, in which the panels 125 are of different shapes and in which some panels 125 have cut-out portions 600. As depicted in FIG. 6, embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 may comprise panels 125 of more than one shape. Furthermore, panels 125 may be formed in a variety of shapes that provide sufficient contact, along a first non-hinged side, with a floor or other horizontal surface on which the foldable table base is placed to be stably supported by the horizontal surface, and that provide sufficient contact, along a second non-hinged side, with a table top or other substantially planar support surface to stably support the furniture top. Thus, the panels 125 may have curved upper and lower edges, may be formed as rectangles, squares, ovals, hexagons, or may be formed in any of a wide variety of other regular or irregular shapes. Furthermore, the panels 125 of a given foldable furniture base 100 may be of different dimensions as long as the foldable furniture base 100 may be stably supported by the surface on which is sits and may provide stable support for a furniture top disposed upon it.

FIGS. 7A-7D depict four views of an embodiment of the foldable table base 100 in which the panels are curved instead of being planar. FIG. 7A is a side view of a fourth embodiment of a foldable furniture base, having curved panels 125, in a laid-flat configuration for viewing. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 7A, the hinge mechanisms 150 attach the panels 125 in alternating convex and concave positions in order to facilitate folding. FIG. 7B is a side view of the embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 from FIG. 7A, in which the curved panels are folded into a compact configuration of small volume for transport and/or storage. Although the panels 125 are curved, they are thus able to be folded substantially contiguously, one on top of another. In other embodiments, the curved panels 125 may be curved to a greater or a lesser extent than are the panels depicted in FIGS. 7A-7D. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the panels 125 may be formed into wavy, multi-curved configurations that may be hinged and superimposed one panel 125 upon another.

FIG. 7C is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100 in which the alternating curved panels 125 are formed into one embodiment of a support configuration that forms a closed shape. FIG. 7D is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the foldable furniture base in which the alternating curved panels are formed into a second embodiment of a support configuration having a curved zigzag shape. In other embodiments, the foldable furniture base 100 may comprise other non-planar shaped panels 125 that allow for positioning in a compact configuration suitable for transport and/or storage and that allow for other decorative and useful support configurations. In other embodiments, other non-planar panels 125, such as panels 125 bent to form angles may be used to form the foldable furniture base 100.

FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a slotted panel 125 for use with a fifth embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100. As shown in FIG. 8, the panel 125 comprises two slots 800 that extend perpendicularly from one edge of the panel 125. In other embodiments a panel 125 may include only one slot 800 or more than two slots 800.

As will be familiar to one of skill in the art, two panels 125 with slots 800 may be engaged with one another by positioning a first panel 125 so that the slots 800 extend vertically downward from an upper edge of the panel 125 towards the floor or other planar surface on which the furniture base 100 is supported and by positioning a second panel 125 so that the slots 800 extend vertically upward from a lower edge of the panel 125 and so that the slot 800 of the second panel 125 is directly above the slot 800 of the first panel 125. By lowering the slot 800 of the second panel 125 onto the slot 800 of the first panel 125, the two panels 125 may be engaged. Thus, the panels 125 may be easily assembled into the foldable furniture base 100 without using tools or additional hardware.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the fifth embodiment of the foldable furniture base 100, formed with four of the panels 125 of the type depicted in FIG. 8 and configured to support a table top. In FIG. 9, the four panels 125 are engaged using the slots 800 in the panels 125 to form an inner rectangular or square shape. In various embodiments, different numbers of panels may also be interconnected to form the foldable furniture base 100. In some embodiments, some or all of the panels 125 may be engaged to form a “U” shape or a “V” shape, or a zigzag shape, or other open or closed shape. Furthermore, embodiments of the panels 125 and of the foldable furniture base 100, such as have been described with reference to FIGS. 1-7D, may also be applied to the slotted panels 125 of FIGS. 8-9, including, but not limited to, panels of various shapes, panels with portions cut out, panels with curved or other non-linear upper and lower edges for supporting the furniture top 300 and for being supported by the floor, as well as panels formed to be planar, curved and/or bent. In addition, embodiments of the foldable furniture base 100 using panels 125 with slots 800 may be formed into two-storied configurations and may be used to form bed frames, display tables, pedestals, and any of a variety of other useful support bases, as will be familiar to one of skill in the art upon reading this disclosure.

To arrange a foldable furniture base 100 made of panels 125 with slots 800 into a compact configuration for transport and/or storage, the panels 125 may be disengaged from one another and may be superimposed upon one another to form a compact stack of panels 125. Alternatively, in some embodiments, when the slots 800 and the thickness of the panels 125 permit, the panels 125 may be collapsed while still engaged with one another to form a substantially flat configuration.

An advantage of preferred embodiments of the foldable furniture base is that by using panels that are engaged using hinges or other suitable engagement mechanisms, the foldable furniture based may be packaged very compactly for convenient shipping and/or storing. Furthermore, embodiments of the foldable furniture base allow for a variety of decorative configurations for use in supporting a furniture top.

Although the foldable furniture base 100 has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the disclosure herein. Additionally, other combinations, omissions, substitutions and modifications will be apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the disclosure herein. While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel foldable furniture base described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claims, as now presented and as may be amended or otherwise supplemented in the future, are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A foldable furniture base for supporting a substantially planar furniture top, wherein said foldable furniture base is formed of a plurality of panels that are sequentially connected using hinge mechanisms, and wherein said foldable furniture base has a collapsed storage condition in which said panels are folded atop one another.

2. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of panels has a greatest thickness and a longest linear dimension, and wherein a ratio of said greatest thickness to said longest linear dimension is less than 0.03.

3. The foldable furniture base of claim 2, wherein said ratio is less than 0.005.

4. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said panels are made of a metallic material.

5. The foldable furniture base of claim 4, wherein said metallic material is at least one of: aluminum, stainless steel, and copper.

6. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said panels are made of wood.

7. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said panels are made of a plastic material.

8. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said hinge mechanisms are formed integrally with said panels.

9. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said hinge mechanisms are not formed integrally with said panels, and wherein at least one of said hinge mechanisms is attached to two of said panels.

10. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said substantially planar furniture top is a table top.

11. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said substantially planar furniture top is a support for a mattress.

12. The foldable furniture base of claim 1, wherein said substantially planar furniture top is a pedestal top.

13. A furniture base for supporting a substantially horizontal planar member, said furniture base consisting substantially of multiple panels, wherein each of said panels has a greatest thickness and a longest linear dimension, and wherein a ratio of said greatest thickness to said longest linear dimension is less than 0.03.

14. The furniture base of claim 13, wherein said ratio is less than 0.005.

15. The furniture base of claim 13, wherein at least one of said panels is bent to form an arc

16. The furniture base of claim 13, wherein at least one of said panels is bent to form at least one angle.

17. The furniture base of claim 13, wherein at least one of said panels includes at least one slot that allows said panel to interconnect with another of said panels.

18. A collection of members for supporting a generally planar furniture top above a floor, comprising:

at least two panel members, each having a first edge surface for supporting said planar furniture top and a second edge surface, opposite said first edge surface, for supporting said panel member on said floor; and

an engagement mechanism which allows said two panel members to be connected in two alternative arrangements, said arrangements comprising: a first arrangement in which said panel members are superimposed on one another; and a second arrangement in which said panel members meet one another along a line which runs perpendicular to both said planar furniture top and said floor.

19. The collection of members for supporting a generally planar furniture top above a floor of claim 18, wherein said engagement mechanism comprises a hinge that connects said two panel members.

20. The collection of members for supporting a generally planar furniture top above a floor of claim 18, wherein said engagement mechanism allows said panels to be disengaged from one another.