US2938632A - Vertically adjustable folding table - Google Patents

Description

May 31, 1960 Filed Feb. 7, 1958 R. E. R. MONDINEU 2,938,632

VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOE/VEY May 31, 1960 R. E. R. MONDINEU VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 7, 1958 FIG.3

INVENTOR. feuylrlzmvs P0 e zl/awmsa WWW ATTUZA/E Y United States Patent VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE Remy Etienne Roger Mondineu, 1, rue des Grands Augustins, Paris, France Filed Feb. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 713,958

Claims. (Cl. 211-147) The present invention relates to a table comprising a rigid frame on which at least one panel is mounted to act as a shelf.

One of the purposes of the invention is to enable the height of the shelves to be adjusted.

Another purpose of, the invention is to afford the possibility for the panels to form trays for holding objects or to be folded back against the frame to reduce the space occupied when the table is not being used.

Lastly, another purpose of the invention is to be able to stand the table at a given place.

The above-mentioned purposes are attained by means of tables .hereinafter described, defined in the claims and shown in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an entirely opened table in which the trays are shown in the top position with certain portions shown in dashed lines for the sake of clarity.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an entirely opened table whose trays are shown in the bottom position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a table made in accordance with the present invention shown in the half closed position.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of detached elements forming the device for locking the movable frame in re lation to the fixed frame.

' Figure 5 is a view in side elevation showing the locking device of Figure 4 in an assembled condition.

, Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the locking device in an unlatched position.

Referring to the drawings and particularly Figures 1 to 3 of the attached drawings; 1 essentially comprises a fixed frame on which are mounted, on the one hand, a movable frame 2, and on the other hand, leg extensions 10. The fixed frame 1 is preferably U-shaped, the crossbar of the U being at the bottom part of the table and extending longitudinally thereof.

The movable frame 2 is itself made of two tubular elements 2 and 2 which can slide on the arms 1 1;, of the fixed frame.

These tubular elements 2 and 2 are integral at their bottom with a transverse tubular bar 2 ensuring the synchronizing of their displacement.

Trays 3 are fitted on the movable frame 2, hinged, for example on this frame in a known manner.

The fixed frame 1 formed, as stated above, being U- shaped, carries, at its upper part, a connecting part 4, and at its lower part pivots 1., enabling the leg elements 10 10 10 10,, of the legs to be mounted.

Each leg element 10 is hinged at two points: preferably, at hinge 11 at the top of the table and at pivot 1. Each leg element 10 is provided with a hinge-pin 10 to enable it to accommodate a roller device, 8.

When the trays 3 forming the table are folded back, as shown in Figure 3, each leg element 10 can pivot around its hinge-point. However, springs 6 mounted on the pivots 1 tend to bring each leg element 10 against the folded back panels 3.

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Furthermore, the movable frame 2 is provided with rods 5, which are hinged on said frame 2 and have two functions:

(a) To limit the angular displacement of the elements 101, 10g, 103, 104 of the legs 10.

(b) Retain the lower tray 3.

These rods 5 have a general U-shape and are hinged at their ends. It is on the lateral portion of the rods 5 that the elements of the legs 10 abut in the open posi tion of the table, and on the transverse part of the rods 5 that the lower tray 3 bears.

The hinging of these rods 5 in relation to the movable frame 2 is so made that the springs 14 provided for the hinges tend to bring these rods towards the middle plane of the table.

The trays 3 are connected in pairs, i.e., each upper tray is freely coupled to a lower tray by means of a bar 9 (see Figure 3). Thus, the displacement of one of these two trays'3 automatically entails the displacement of the other, and likewise, the positioning of one determines the positioning of the other.

Starting from the position of the trays shown in Figure 3 and to bring them to the position shown in Figure 2, the user simply opens out the leg elements 10, thus causing the limiting rod 5 to rise at the same time that the trays 3, which are coupled to one another, drop. The lower tray 3 abuts the middle part of the limiting rod 5 and establishes the positioning of the upper tray.

It is obvious that the U-shape of the limiting rod 5 is effective to enable a horizontal positioning of the trays 3 in the open position of the table.

The trays can, at the users will or according to the purposes for which the table must serve, be locked in a high position (Figure 1) in a low position (Figures 2 and 3) or in any other intermediate position.

These various positionings are eifected by moving the movable frame 2 in relation to the fixed frame 1.

The locking of the movable frame 2 in a given position, and hence, the trays 3 in relation to the fixed frame 1, is effected by a locking device 7 such as that shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6.

To this end, the fixed frame 1 is provided with notches 15 in which the part 7 of the locking device 7 engages. The action on the part 7 is carried out by the user, by means of a fixed part 7 integral with said part 7 The part 7 thanks to its resiliency, turns back against the movable frame 2 which is also provided with a relief 2 symmetrical to the notch, made on the fixed frame 1; By raising the part 7 the user, when the part 7 isfengaged in the notch 15 releases said part 7 and while so maintaining said part 7 causes the movable frame 2 to rise or descend in relation to the fixed frame 1.

The arms 1 and 11 of the fixed frame 1 can be provided with two or more notches 15 thus effecting the stabilizing of the movable frame 2, and consequently the panels 3, at a given height as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the part 7 of the locking device 7 books over projections 15 on the tubular elements and is engaged by the ends of the coil springs 14. The opposite ends of the coil springs 14 are anchored within the ends of outwardly extending portions of the rods 5.

By acting on this device, it is possible to raise or lower said panels 3 to utilization heights, the said panels 3 moreover forming a table that is either quite open or half shut.

The invention described and shown above, affords more particularly the following advantages:

(a) The possibility of utilizing either all the panels, or simply part of them, thus facilitating the movement and use of said table in confined spots, and more particularly in airplane corridors, railroad car corridors, etc.

(b) The possibility of positioning the table (fully open or half open) according to the utilization height, by varying the latter by shifting the movable frame in relation to the fixed frame.

, (,0) Locking the. trays at required heights by a locking e i It is quite obvious that the invention is not restricted to the form of embodiment describedand shown: if so required, recourse may be had to other methods or other forms of embodiment without going outside the scope'of the invention for that purpose.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A vertically adjustable folding table'comprising, a first fixed U-shaped rigid frame, a second frame slidably carried upon the first frame, a transverse'member on said second frame, trays swingably'connected at their inner edges to the second" frame and extending on each side of the second frame, spaced legs pivotally'secured at their inner ends to the vertical portions of the U- shaped first frame and extending laterally thereof and means to' secure the second frame at a desired height upon the first frame.

2. A vertically adjustable folding table comprising, a

first fixed U-shaped rigid frame, a second frame slidably carried upon the first frame, a transverse member on said second frame, a first set of trays swingably connected at their inner edges to the second frame and extending on each side of the second frame, a second set ofpa'nels swingably connected at their inner edges to the second frame and coupled to the first panels to swing inwardly therewith, spaced legs pivotally secured at their, inner ends to thevertical portions of the'U-sha'ped first frame and extending laterally thereof and means to "secure the second frame at a desired height upon the first frame. 3. A vertically adjustable folding table comprising, a first fixed U-shaped rigid frame, a second frame slidably carried upon the first frame, a transverse member on said second frame, a first set of trays swingably connected at their inner edges to the second frame and extending on each side of the second frame, a second set of panels swingably connected at their inner edges to the second frame and coupled to the first panels to swing therewith, elongated rods pivotally carried at each end thereof by the second frame and extending laterally on each side thereof, spaced legs pivotally secured at their inner ends to the vertical portions of the U-shaped first frame and extending laterally thereof, said rods being disposed in the path of legs and the first set. of panels to limit the travel thereof when the table is in the. open position and means to secure the second frame at a desired height upon the first frame. 7

4. A vertically adjustable folding table comprising, a

first fixed U-shaped rigid frame, a second frame slidably carried upon the first frame, a transverse member on said second frame, trays swingably connected at their inner edges to the second frame and extending on each side of the second frame, spaced legs pivotally secured at their inner ends to the first vertical portions of the U-shaped first frame and extending laterally thereof and means including a plurality of notches in the first frame, a complementaryopening in the second frame and a resilient member carried upon the second frame, and receivable within the said opening and notches to secure the second frame at a desired height upon the first frame.

5. A verticallyadjustable folding. table comprising, a

; first fixed U-shaped rigid frame, a second frame slidably carried upon the first frame,'a transverse'member on said second frame, a first set of trays swingably connected at their inner edges to the second frame and extending on each side of the second frame, a second set of panels swingably connected at their inner edges to the second frame'and coupled to'the first panels to swinginwardly therewith, elongated. U-shaped rods pivotally carried at each end thereof by the second frame and extending laterally on each sidethereof, spaced legs pivotally secured at their'inner ends to the vertical portions of the U-shaped first frame and extending laterally thereof, said rods being disposed in the path of legs and the first set of panels to limit the travel thereof when the table is in the open position, and means including a plurality of notches inthe first frame, a complementary opening in the second frame and a resilient member carriedupon the second frame, and receivable within the said opening and notches to securethe second frame at a desired height upon the first frame. I

References Cited in the file of this patent v v UNITED STATES PATENTS Case Jan. 3, 1893 1,733,029 Plant Oct. 22, 1929 1,930,176 Metzler Oct..10,,1933 1,980,848 Case Nov. 13, 1934 2,146,413. Aron Feb. 7, 1939 2,260,294 1 Brown Oct. 2's, 1941. 2,312,636 Froelich Mar. 2, 1943 2,368,155 Nash Jan. 30,1945 2,491,827 Morello Dec. 20, 1949 2,649,206 Arnold Aug. 18,1953 2,740,533 Mondineu Apr. 3,1956 2,825,612 Watson Mar. 4,, 1958 2,844,257 Friedman July 22, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,020 Great Britain of 1915 Germany Aug. 20, 1 953-

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