Collapsible Table

Abstract

A wall-mounted collapsible table is disclosed consisting of a resting surface (1) hinged on one side at (6) to a post (5) for attachment to a wall, and of at least a support member (4), hinged respectively to the resting surface at (3) and to the post at (7). The collapsible table has within its lower surface at least one cavity (2), adapted to house the support member (4), and members (8) adapted to lock the table when it is an open position, the locking members (8) consisting of a pawl (10) and ratchet (12) snap system.

Description

The present invention relates to a collapsible table, in particular to a collapsible table to be mounted to a wall.

For some time the need has been felt to manufacture tables, particularly tables to be mounted to a wall, having the feature of being both compact when not in use and highly functional during use. As can be very easily understood, this requirement becomes essential whenever it is desired to set up such type of table in particularly small spaces, or when it is necessary to have remarkably well-organised spaces, such as for example in holiday bungalows, caravans or campers.

Various types of collapsible tables are known in the art, all, however, being annoyingly bulky in their typical closed position.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,022 for example relates to a collapsible table, whose one side is mounted to a wall and whose other side is equipped with foldaway legs. Furthermore, elements are provided to ease leg folding and successive table reversal, in order to bring said table in a vertical position, as well as tightening members to lock the table legs.

However, this construction is very complicated and in any case does not solve in a satisfactory way the requirement of compacting all table components in a very tight space, since even when folded said table takes up remarkable space close to the wall where it is mounted.

Moreover, GB2354435 claims a table comprising a light metal frame and folding legs which is bonded to a laminate top in such a way as to give a “wipe clean” surface and where the folding legs would be spring loaded to lock them in the “open” position and magnetically held in position in the “folded up” position, and where all pivot points would be bushed with wear resistant lines. In this case, too, construction is extremely complex and provides the use of magnets attached to the legs and of keeper pads bonded to the underside of the table top, as well as of a torsion spring.

Finally, WO0143588 concerns a table with a table top and fold-in or fold-out table legs which are retained on the table top by means of a hinge fitting, wherein the hinge fitting has a first hinge part fixed on the table top and a second hinge part fixed on one end of the table leg. The two hinge parts are hinged to one another so as to carry out the folding movement. Furthermore, a locking device is provided for locking the table leg in the folded-out state, whereby the locking device is constructed in the form of a locking sleeve which is formed by an end region of the table leg and is held so as to slide relative to the hinge fitting between a released position and a locked position. Particularly, the locking sleeve can be latched in the locked position by twisting in the manner of a bayonet catch.

As can be easily noticed, however, this type of table—in addition to having a complex construction—has again a remarkable and troublesome bulk, and does not provide wall-anchoring in any way.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wall-mounted collapsible table which is functional, practical to use, safe in its operation and having minimum bulk when closed.

Such object is achieved through a collapsible table having the-features detailed in claim 1).

The invention further provides locking members as defined in claim 5).

Further features and advantages of the present invention will in any case be more evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, merely given by way of a non-limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of the table according to the invention in its working position;

FIG. 2 is a view as in FIG. 1 with the table in its rest position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view, in a highly enlarged scale compared to reality, of the collapsible table according to the invention in its closed position;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of three different positions of the table according to the invention during opening or closing operations;

FIG. 5a is a cross-section view of a locking mechanism according to the invention in a joined position, whereas FIG. 5b shows the same mechanism in its released position.

The table consists of a resting surface 1 in whose thickness at least a cavity 2 is obtained, wherein a pin 3 is housed, wherefrom a support means 4 departs, here consisting of a pair of toggle-hinged rods. The table structure is completed by a post 5 for wall mounting; at the upper end of post 5, resting surface 1 is connected through a pin 6, while at the lower end a pin 7 supports toggle rod 4.

A locking member 8 is arranged along toggle rod 4 and serves to keep said rod in a secure and stable position when resting surface 1 is in its working position.

Preferably, cavity 2 in surface 1 is marked off by an Ω-shaped metal profile 9, having the triple function of a box housing the whole support structure, of strengthening the table in its part weakened by cavity 2, of protecting the—generally wooden—surfaces of such cavity, and of completing the support structure.

When it is in a rest position (FIG. 2), the table according to the invention takes up minimum space, due to the sole thickness of resting surface 1, all the components described so far, including post 5, being contained one within the other and within cavity 2 formed in the thickness of the table surface.

In particular, as can be understood from the section of FIG. 3, the collapsible table according to the invention, when it is in its closed position has the following members within profile 9 marking off cavity 2 on resting surface 1: a toggle rod 4, divided into its upper portion 4a and its lower portion 4b, locking member 8 and post 5. As a matter of fact, the particular construction of the invention allows to contain within the table thickness all the components making up the table.

From FIG. 3 the particular configuration of the toggle rods can be derived. As can be noticed, in fact, upper rod 4a has a tubular profile, in particular a rectangular tube, whereas lower rod 4b has a channel profile. Thereby, as is well-shown, upon closing the table, the lower rod houses within itself the upper rod, thereby achieving remarkable bulk reduction.

The movement to close and open the resting surface is performed according to known techniques, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

In a particular embodiment, shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b, locking member 8 consists of a pawl-and-ratchet system. More particularly, the free end of lower portion 4b of toggle rod 4 comprises a pawl 10, ending in a bevelled portion 11; on the opposite side, the free end of the upper portion 4a of the toggle rod has a ratchet 12, sliding within it against the action of a biasing spring 13, and in turn equipped with a bevelled surface 14, apt to cooperate with bevel 11. The upper portion 4a of toggle rod 4 further has a window 15 to allow passage of pawl 10 as better described herebelow.

When the table is taken down from the rest position, diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to the open position of FIG. 1, toggle rod 4 extends in the way diagrammatically shown in FIG. 4. At the end of this travel, pawl 10 enters through opening 15 and snap-locks on ratchet 12. The suitable bevelled profile 11, 14, of both these components facilitates easy and quick insertion of pawl 10 into the cavity formed under bevelled portion 14 (FIG. 5a).

When closing of the table is desired, it is sufficient to move ratchet 12 into a disengagement position (FIG. 5b)—by manually acting on push-button 16 which is integral with ratchet 12, against the action of biasing spring 13—so as to free the locking and to allow the mutual movement of the two portions 4a and 4b of toggle rod 4, and to consequently arrange the table for its rest position.

As can be easily understood, the intended object has thus been achieved of a wall-mounted collapsible table, which is functional, practical to use, and whose bulk in its rest condition is minimal.

It is intended, however, that the invention is not limited to a preferred embodiment thereof, shown in the drawings, but that several variants are possible, all within the reach of a person skilled in the field, without departing from the scope of protection defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wall-mounted collapsible table consisting of a resting surface (1) hinged on one side at (6) to a post (5) for attachment to a wall, and of at least one support member (4), pivoted respectively to the resting surface at (3) and to the post at (7) and which has members (8) locking said table in its open position, characterised in that in the lower surface of the table at least one cavity (2) is formed, apt to house said support member (4) folded on itself.

2. The table as in claim 1), characterised in that said support member (4) consists of a pair of toggle-hinged rods and in that said rods, in the folded table portion, are housed within said cavity (2).

3. The table as in claim 2), wherein said cavity (2) is covered by a strengthening and protecting profile (9).

4. The table as in claim 2), characterised in that at least one of said toggle rods has a channel profile, within which the other toggle rod is housed, in the folded table position.

5. The table as in claim 1), characterised in that said locking members (8) consist of a pawl (10) and ratchet (12) snap system, associated with said toggle rod.

6. The table as in claim 5), characterised in that said pawl (10) is attached to the end of a first one of said toggle rods and said ratchet (12) is associated with the other rod and slides along the axis of the latter.

7. The table as in claim 5), characterised in that said pawl (10) is attached to said first rod, having a channel profile, and said ratchet (12) slides within the other rod, having a quadrangular-tube profile.

8. The table as in claim 6) characterised in that said pawl (10) is attached to said first rod, having a channel profile, and said ratchet (12) slides within the other rod, having a quadrangular-tube profile.