Collapsible table

Abstract

A collapsible table includes a table top, at least one shelf and a plurality of folding legs. The legs are attached to the tabletop and are foldable between an extended and erected position and a folded and transport position. The one or more shelves are slidably positioned on the legs and have a nested positions adjacent to the underside of the tabletop and a use positions. In the use positions the shelf or shelves lock the extended legs in place. A hinge or pivot point on the legs is positioned displaced down the legs from the lower surface of the table top a distance approximately the thickness of the shelf or shelves to define the nesting region for the shelves intermediate the folded legs and the underside of the table top. In preferred embodiments, the table top and shelves are blow-molded or rotationally molded of thermopolymers.

1 . A collapsible table comprising: 
 a tabletop having a working surface and a bottom side;    a plurality of foldable legs attached to the bottom side, wherein the foldable legs each have a folded position and an extended position; and    a shelf slidably attached to the foldable legs, the shelf movable upwardly and downwardly on the foldable legs between a nested position and a use position when the foldable legs are in the extended position.    
   
   
       2 . The collapsible table of  claim 1 , whereby the shelf remains substantially parallel to the tabletop as it moves upwardly and downwardly on the foldable legs between the nested position and the use position.  
   
   
       3 . The collapsible table of  claim 1 , wherein the foldable legs have a stop portion and wherein when the legs are in the extended position the stop portion precludes the shelf from moving downward past said stop portion.  
   
   
       4 . The collapsible table of  claim 1 , wherein when the shelf is in the nested position the shelf lays adjacent to the bottom side of the tabletop and wherein when the shelf is in the use position the shelf rests on the stop portions.  
   
   
       5 . The collapsible table of  claim 1 , wherein when the shelf is in the use position, the shelf locks the foldable legs into place.  
   
   
       6 . The collapsible table of  claim 1 , wherein the shelf is non-separable from the legs.  
   
   
       7 . A collapsible table comprising: 
 a tabletop having a working surface and a bottom side;    a plurality of foldable legs attached to the bottom side, wherein the foldable legs each have a folded position and an extended position;    a shelf slidably attached to the foldable legs, the shelf movable upwardly and downwardly on the plurality of legs between a use position and a nested position, and wherein when the foldable legs are in the folded position the shelf is retained in the nested position.    
   
   
       8 . The collapsible table of  claim 7 , wherein when the shelf is in the nested position, the shelf lays adjacent to the bottom side of the tabletop.  
   
   
       9 . The collapsible table of  claim 7 , wherein the shelf is non-separable from the legs.  
   
   
       10 . A collapsible table comprising: 
 a tabletop having a working surface and a bottom side;    a plurality of foldable legs attached to the bottom side, the legs each having a folded position and an extended position;    a shelf slidably attached to the foldable legs; and    a secondary shelf slidably attached to the foldable legs.    
   
   
       11 . The collapsible table of  claim 10 , wherein the shelf and the secondary shelf are movable upwardly and downwardly on the foldable legs between a nested position and a use position when the foldable legs are in the extended position.  
   
   
       12 . The collapsible table of  claim 10 , whereby the shelf and the secondary shelf remain substantially parallel to the tabletop as the shelf and the secondary shelf move upwardly and downwardly on the foldable legs between the nested position and the use position.  
   
   
       13 . The collapsible table of  claim 10 , wherein when the shelf and the secondary shelf are in the use position, the shelf locks the foldable legs into place.  
   
   
       14 . The collapsible table of  claim 10 , wherein the foldable legs have a stop portion wherein when the legs are in the extended position the stop portion precludes the shelf from moving downward past said stop portion.  
   
   
       15 . The collapsible table of  claim 10 , wherein the foldable legs have a secondary stop portion and wherein when the legs are in the extended position the stop portions preclude the secondary shelf from moving downward past said secondary stop portion.  
   
   
       16 . The collapsible table of  claim 10 , wherein when the foldable legs are in the folded position the shelf and the secondary shelf are retained in the nested position.  
   
   
       17 . The collapsible table of  claim 10 , wherein the shelf and the secondary shelf are non-separable from the legs.  
   
   
       18 . A collapsible table comprising: 
 a tabletop having a working surface and a bottom side;    a plurality of foldable legs attached to the bottom side, the legs each having a folded position and an extended position; and    a shelf slidably attached to each of the foldable legs, wherein the shelf is non-separable from the foldable legs.    
   
   
       19 . The collapsible table of  claim 18  having a secondary shelf slidably attached to each of the foldable legs.  
   
   
       20 . The collapsible table of  claim 19 , wherein the secondary shelf is non-separable from the foldable legs.  
   
   
       21 . A method of manufacturing a collapsible table, the method comprising the steps of: 
 forming a table top;    forming a shelf;    attaching legs to the table top such that they have an extended support position and are foldable to a retracted position; and    slidably mounting a shelf on the plurality of legs, with the shelf slidable on the legs between a use position distal from the table top and a nested position proximal to the table top such that the shelf is not separable from the plurality of legs after mounting.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of blow-molding the tabletop.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising the step of blow-molding the shelf.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of forming a secondary shelf and slidably mounting a shelf on the plurality of legs.  
   
   
       25 . A Method of manufacturing a collapsible table, the method comprising the steps of: 
 blow-molding a table top;    blow-molding a shelf with four apertures for table legs;    attaching legs to the table top such that they have an extended support position and are foldable to a retracted position; and    slidably mounting the shelf on the plurality of legs extending through the four openings, the shelf slidable on the legs between a use position distal from the table top and a nested position proximal to the table top such that the shelf is not separable from the plurality of legs after mounting.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of blow-molding a secondary shelf with four apertures for table legs and slidably mounting said secondary shelf on the plurality of legs extending through the four openings, the secondary shelf slidable on the legs between a use position distal intermediate from the tabletop and the shelf, and a nested position proximal intermediate from the tabletop and the shelf.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , further wherein the tabletop, shelf, and secondary shelf are not separable from the plurality of legs after mounting.  
   
   
       28 . A method of setting up a collapsible table comprising the steps of: 
 unfolding a plurality of legs attached to a table top to an extending support position thereby releasing at least one shelf from a captured position adjacent the table top; and    sliding the shelf from the captured postion adjacent the table top down the plurality of legs to a stop position on the plurality of legs whereby the shelf provides structural support to the legs when in the extended position.    
   
   
       29 . A display kit comprising: 
 a) a collapsible table comprising: 
 a tabletop with an underside and a periphery;  
 a plurality of foldable legs attached to the underside; and  
 a shelf slidably engaged with the foldable legs the shelf movable between the nested position adjacent the underside of the tabletop and a use position distally positioned on the legs;  
   b) a skirt attachable to the periphery of the tabletop; and    c) an enclosure sized for containing the collapsible table and skirt and closable to contain the collapsible table and skirt.    
   
   
       30 . A collapsible item of furniture having a collapsed state and a fully erected state, the piece of furniture comprising: 
 a top horizontal member with a upwardly facing substantially flat use surface and an underside; and    a plurality of foldable legs attached to the underside of said top horizontal member, the foldable legs each having a lower folding portion wherein when the item is in the collapsed state, the foldable portion of said legs lay in a folded position substantially parallel to the top horizontal member, and an extended position wherein when the item is in the fully erected state, the foldable portion of said legs extend downwardly for engagement with a floor surface;    the piece of furniture further characterized in that a lower shelf member is slidingly engaged with the foldable legs and movable between a nesting position when the piece of furniture is in the collapsed state wherein the lower shelf member lays in proximity to the underside of the top horizontal member intermediate said top horizontal member and the foldable portions of said folded legs and a use position wherein the lower shelf member is slid down the legs to a use position below the nesting position.