Cold table with open top

Abstract

The cold table in accordance with the present invention comprises a table top assembly, a first folding leg assembly at one end of the table and a second folding leg assembly at the opposite end of the table. Each folding leg assembly comprises a pair of elongated legs connected together by a cross bar, and each leg assembly being hingedly connected to the table for pivoting between a folded position wherein the legs are substantially parallel to the underside of the table and adjacent thereto and an extended position wherein the legs extend downwardly from the underside of the table. Each foldable leg assembly has a keeper mechanism to hold the legs in their extended position when pivoted to that position. The table top assembly has integrally joined peripheral side walls and bottom wall, making it leakproof. The bottom wall is sloped from the peripheral edges toward a drain aperture in the center of the bottom wall whereby as ice water in the cavity of the table top assembly melts, it runs down to the sloping bottom wall and the drain aperture. A drain conduit is connected to the drain aperture to carry the melting ice water away to a drain collector. The upwardly facing top wall of the table top assembly and of the cavity enables placing plates of food on top of the ice in the cavity to keep the food cold while being available for serving from the open top cold table. Ice can be readily added to the cavity to keep it full as the ice therein continues to melt and be drained away.

1 . A cold table for keeping food items cold while put out for serving, comprising a table top assembly and a support leg assembly to support said table top assembly at a preselected position above a surface on which said support leg assembly is placed, wherein said table top assembly includes a cavity for reception of a cold substance therein.  
   
   
       2 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said table top assembly includes an integrally joined peripheral side wall extending therearound.  
   
   
       3 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said table top assembly includes an integrally joined peripheral side wall having a lower peripheral wall portion extending therearound, a bottom wall having an upper peripheral wall portion extending therearound and integrally joined to said lower peripheral wall portion of said integrally joined peripheral side wall along a peripheral connecting wall portion extending around said table top assembly between said peripheral side wall and said bottom wall.  
   
   
       4 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein said bottom wall includes a drain outlet and an imperforate wall extending outwardly from said drain outlet.  
   
   
       5 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said bottom wall slopes downwardly toward said drain outlet.  
   
   
       6 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein said peripheral connecting wall portion between said peripheral side wall and said bottom wall has an arcuate cross-sectional configuration with a concave surface facing inwardly of said cavity.  
   
   
       7 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said peripheral connecting wall portion between said peripheral side wall and said bottom wall has an arcuate cross-sectional configuration with a concave surface facing inwardly of said cavity, said peripheral side wall includes an upwardly extending surface facing inwardly of said cavity, said bottom wall includes a sloping surface facing inwardly of said cavity, said upwardly extending and inwardly facing surface of said peripheral side wall being integrally joined to said concave surface of said peripheral connecting wall portion along one side thereof, said sloping and inwardly facing surface of said bottom wall being integrally joined to said concave surface of said peripheral connecting wall portion along the opposite side thereof.  
   
   
       8 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said table top assembly includes an integrally joined peripheral side wall extending therearound, a bottom wall integrally connected therearound to said peripheral side wall, a first end of said cold table, a second opposite end of said cold table, wherein said support leg assembly includes a first folding leg assembly at said first end of said cold table and a second folding leg assembly at said second opposite end of said cold table.  
   
   
       9 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 8 , including a first hinge assembly connected to said first end of said cold table, said first folding leg assembly being hingedly connected to said first hinge assembly for pivotal movement between a folded position and an extended position.  
   
   
       10 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 9 , including a second hinge assembly connected to said second end of said cold table, said second folding leg assembly being hingedly connected to said second hinge assembly for pivotal movement between a folded position and an extended position.  
   
   
       11 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 10 , including a keeper member for keeping a respective one of said folding leg assemblies in said extended position when pivoted thereto, said keeper member having a first elongated arm hinged at one end to one end of a second elongated arm, said first elongated arm having a table connecting hinge member at its opposite end for connection to said cold table, said second elongated arm having a hinged end hingedly connected to said one end of said first elongated arm, said second elongated arm having a leg connecting hinge member for connection to a folding leg assembly at the opposite end of said second elongated arm, said keeper member having a slidable locking sleeve member slidable on said first and second elongated arms of said keeper member between a locked position wherein a portion of both of said elongated arms are received in said locking sleeve member and an unlocked position wherein one of said elongated arms is not received in said locking sleeve member.  
   
   
       12 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 11 , having a plurality of said keeper members including a first one of said keeper members for operative connection to said first folding leg assembly and a second one of said keeper members for operative connection to said second folding leg assembly.  
   
   
       13 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said cold table includes an underside, a recess in said underside to receive said first and second folding leg assemblies when folded.  
   
   
       14 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said underside of said cold table includes a peripheral supporting edge extending therearound outwardly from said recess for receipt on said peripheral supporting edge the peripheral side and end walls extending outwardly from the upper side of a corresponding cold table for stacking one of said tables on the next table below for storage.  
   
   
       15 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 4 , including a drain plug assembly for reception in said drain outlet, wherein said drain outlet includes an inwardly facing cylindrical wall having screw threads thereon, said drain plug assembly includes an outwardly facing cylindrical side wall having screw threads thereon for engagement with and threaded reception with said screw threads on said inwardly facing cylindrical wall of said drain outlet, said drain plug assembly including a large diameter cylindrical cavity bounded by said cylindrical side wall.  
   
   
       16 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein said drain plug assembly includes an annular hand grasp disk extending therearound below said cylindrical side wall, a smaller diameter cylindrical projection extending below said annular hand grasp disk having a through passageway therethrough in communication with said large diameter cylindrical cavity to drain water from said cavity of said cold table, said smaller diameter cylindrical projection having screw threads thereon, and a cap for closing said through passageway of said smaller diameter cylindrical projection, said cap having an internally threaded cylindrical recess to engage said threads of said smaller diameter cylindrical projection and threadedly receive it in said cylindrical recess.  
   
   
       17 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein said diameter and screw threads of said smaller diameter cylindrical projection correspond to those of a garden hose for connection of said garden hose to said smaller diameter cylindrical projection.  
   
   
       18 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 2 , including a protective cover assembly having an elongated roof portion and a pair of supporting leg assemblies to support said roof portion at a spaced apart position above said table.  
   
   
       19 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein said supporting leg assemblies each include an upwardly extending supporting member and a base member to which each respective upwardly extending supporting member is connected, each of said base members including a channel member having a channel bordered by spaced apart side walls, said channel having a dimension wide enough to receive facing portions of said peripheral wall of said cold table therein to thereupon mount said protective cover assembly on said table.  
   
   
       20 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 18  wherein said roof portion of said protective cover assembly has a first roof portion which slants downwardly from a central portion toward one side edge of said table and a second roof portion which slants downwardly from said central portion toward the opposite side edge of said table.  
   
   
       21 . A cold table as set forth in  claim 1 , including a flat table top insert for reception in a portion of said cavity of said table, said table top insert having a flat top wall and a peripheral side wall having an outwardly facing contour corresponding to the inwardly facing contour of said peripheral side wall of said cold table, said table top insert having a longitudinal dimension less than that of said cavity of said table whereby ice cubes and food items thereon may be in one part of the cavity of said table and the flat table top insert provides a flat table top working surface in another part of said cavity.