Combination dinette table and computer workstation assembly

Abstract

An RV dining table that can be easily and quickly converted into a computer workstation by removing the front support post, folding the front table section back on top of the rear table section, releasing and swinging hinged side wing panels outward and supporting them by means of wing supports, and pulling the computer keyboard drawer out from underneath the rear table section. The back of the rear table is mounted to the RV wall to further support the workstation sitting on the rear support post. Finally, the computer workstation has a swing-out mouse pad and an optional auxiliary shelf that can be mounted at the back of the table near the RV wall. The combination dinette table and computer workstation assembly can also be mounted on a sliding table frame support structure having conventional furniture legs for use in apartments and small homes.

1 . A combination dinette table and computer workstation assembly for recreational vehicles (RV), comprising: 
 a rear table section, said rear table section being attached by rear support post mounting means to a first RV floor mount;    a keyboard compartment extending downward from the bottom of said rear table section;    a keyboard shelf slideably mounted to the under side of said rear table section, said keyboard shelf contained within said keyboard compartment, said keyboard shelf being extracted from said keyboard compartment for use when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation;    a keyboard shelf locking pin slideably inserted through a hole in one side of said keyboard compartment into an aligned mating hole in the edge of said keyboard shelf for securing said keyboard shelf in the stored position;    a front table section extending outward from said back table section, the back edge of said front table section hingedly attached to the front edge of said rear table section, said front table section further supported by front support post mounting means to a second RV floor mount, said front table section being folded back on top of said rear table section when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation;    a side wing panel hingedly attached to each side of said front table section, said side wing panels being folded under said front table section and secured by a panel locking means when said assembly is configured as a dinette table, said side wing panels being folded outwardly when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation, thereby providing a wider work surface;    a side swing panel support hingedly attached on the outside surface on each side of said keyboard compartment, said side wing panel supports being extended outward under said side wing panels, thereby provided support for said side wing panels; and    a swing-out mouse pad attached by bolt tie-down means near one edge of said keyboard drawer.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said rear support post mounting means further comprises: 
 a support post mounting member attached to the bottom and expanding the width of said keyboard compartment;    a RV rear table upper mount attached to the bottom surface of said support post mounting member; and    a mounting post inserted between said rear table upper mount and said RV floor mount, thereby supporting said rear table section in place.    
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said front support post mounting means of said front table section comprises a split upper mount with locking means for both connecting a front support post to said front table section and to provide said panel locking means for securing said side wing panels underneath said front table section.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said rear table section is further supported by attaching two pluggable wall mount posts to the back of said rear table section, said pluggable wall mount posts being aligned with and inserted into wall mount cups on the wall of a RV.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising table wing support spacers and alignment pins mounted on the under side of said side wing panels, said alignment pins for inserting into mating holes on the top edge of said side wing panel supports, thereby properly aligning and supporting said side wing panels when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a foldable auxiliary shelf is attached by bolt and nut means to the back side of said rear table section, said auxiliary shelf extending outward above said computer workstation for holding peripheral components, said auxiliary shelf capable of being mounted upward from said back of said rear table section for use or downward behind said rear table section for storage.  
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said assembly is fabricated from materials from the group consisting of: wood, molded plastic, metal, and hard rubber.  
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said assembly is changed from a dinette table configuration to a computer workstation configuration according to the steps comprised of: 
 releasing said locking means on said split upper mount of said front table section, thereby freeing said front support post;    holding said side wing panels in place while folding said front table section back on top of said rear table section;    removing said front support post from said second RV floor mount;    folding said side wing panel supports outward to be perpendicular with the sides of said keyboard compartment of said rear table section;    folding said side wing panels outward on top of said side wing panel supports, aligning said alignment pins on said wing support spacers with said mating holes on top edge of said side wing panels;    pulling said keyboard drawer outward from said keyboard compartment; and    loosening said bolt tie-down means and rotating said swing-out mouse pad outwardly into operating position and retightening said bolt tie-down means to secure said mouse pad.    
   
   
       9 . A combination dinette table and computer workstation assembly with a secondary dining table for recreational vehicles (RV), comprising: 
 a rear table section, said rear table section being attached by rear support post mounting means to a first RV floor mount;    an open front storage compartment attached to and extending downward from the bottom of said rear table section for housing a keyboard shelf and for the storage of a secondary dining table, said open front storage compartment being formed by side walls and a rear table support post mounting member extending across the bottom of said storage compartment between said side walls, said storage compartment further having support rails mounted along the bottom of each said side wall for supporting a secondary dining table when being stored, and two female table top alignment clips mounted along the front top edge of said open front storage compartment for use in attaching said secondary dining table;    a keyboard shelf slideably mounted to the under side of said rear table section, said keyboard shelf contained within the upper portion of said storage compartment, said keyboard shelf being extracted from said storage compartment for use when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation;    a keyboard shelf locking pin slideably inserted through a hole in one side of said keyboard compartment into an aligned mating hole in the edge of said keyboard shelf for securing said keyboard shelf in the stored position;    a front table section extending outward from said back table section, the back edge of said front table section hingedly attached to the front edge of said rear table section, said front table section further supported by front support post mounting means to a second RV floor mount, said front table section being folded back on top of said rear table section when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation;    a side wing panel hingedly attached to each side of said front table section, said side wing panels being folded under said front table section and secured by a panel locking means when said assembly is configured as a dinette table, said side wing panels being folded outwardly when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation, thereby providing a wider work surface;    a side swing panel support hingedly attached on the outside surface on each side of said storage compartment, said side wing panel supports being extended outward under said side wing panels, thereby provided support for said side wing panels;    a swing-out mouse pad attached by bolt tie-down means near one edge of said keyboard drawer;    a secondary dining table slidably stored in said open front storage compartment to be used for eating when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation, said secondary dining table further comprising: 
 a table top surface;  
 a support frame attached to the bottom of said secondary dining table;  
 an upper RV post mount attached to the bottom surface of said secondary dining table; and  
 two male table top alignment clips attached to the back edge of said secondary dining table for temporarily attaching said table to said computer workstation; and  
 a secondary dining table locking pin slideably inserted through a hole in one side of said open front storage compartment and into a mating hole is the front side of said secondary dining table for securing said secondary dining table in the storage position.  
   
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said rear support post mounting means further comprises: 
 a RV rear table upper mount attached to the bottom surface of said support post mounting member; and    a mounting post inserted between said table post mount and said first RV floor mount, thereby supporting said rear table section in place.    
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said front support post mounting means of said front table section comprises a split upper mount with locking means for both connecting a front support post to said front table section and to provide said panel locking means for securing said side wing panels underneath said front table section.  
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said rear table section is further supported by attaching two pluggable wall mount posts to the back of said rear table section, said pluggable wall mount posts being aligned with and inserted into wall mount cups on the wall of a RV.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 9  further comprising table wing support spacers and alignment pins mounted on the under side of said side wing panels, said alignment pins for inserting into mating holes on the top edge of said side wing panel supports, thereby properly aligning and supporting said side wing panels when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation.  
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein a foldable auxiliary shelf is attached by bolt and nut means to the back side of said rear table section, said auxiliary shelf extending outward above said computer workstation for holding peripheral components, said auxiliary shelf capable of being mounted upward from said back of said rear table section for use or downward behind said rear table section for storage.  
   
   
       15 . The assembly of  claim 11 , wherein said assembly is changed from a dinette table configuration to a computer workstation configuration according to the steps comprised of: 
 releasing said locking means on said split upper mount of said front table section, thereby freeing said front support post;    holding said side wing panels in place while folding said front table section back on top of said rear table section;    removing said front support post from said second RV floor mount;    folding said side wing panel supports outward to be perpendicular with the sides of said keyboard compartment of said rear table section;    folding said side wing panels outward on top of said side wing panel supports, aligning said alignment pins on said wing support spacers with said mating holes on top edge of said side wing panels;    pulling said keyboard drawer outward from said keyboard compartment; and    loosening said bolt tie-down means and rotating said swing-out mouse pad outwardly into operating position and retightening said bolt tie-down means to secure said mouse pad.    
   
   
       16 . The assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said secondary dining table is installed on said assembly while configured as a computer workstation according to the steps comprised of: 
 pushing said keyboard shelf into said open front storage compartment;    removing said secondary dining table locking pin, thereby freeing said secondary dining table in said open front storage compartment;    removing said secondary dining table from said open front storage compartment;    inserting said front support post into said second RV floor mount;    aligning said male table top alignment pins on said back edge of said secondary dining table with said female table top alignment clips mounted on said front edge of said open front storage compartment and inserting and pushing said pins together; and    lowering said upper RV post mount on to the top of said front support post, thereby securing said secondary dining table in place.    
   
   
       17 . A stand-along combination dinette table and computer workstation assembly for use in small area living accommodations, comprising: 
 a table support frame for supporting a dinette table in the expanded position and a computer workstation in the compressed position, said table support frame further comprising:    a back stationary frame section;    a front sliding frame section attached to said back stationary frame section by sliding mechanism means; and    a table leg attached at each of four corners of said table support frame;    a rear table section attached to the top of said back stationary frame section of said table support frame;    a keyboard compartment extending downward from the bottom of said rear table section;    a keyboard shelf slideably mounted to the under side of said rear table section, said keyboard shelf contained within said keyboard compartment, said keyboard shelf being extracted from said keyboard compartment for use when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation;    a front table section extending outward from said back table section, the back edge of said front table section hingedly attached to the front edge of said rear table section, said front table section further supported by the front section of said table support frame in the expanded position, said front table section being folded back on top of said rear table section when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation;    a side wing panel hingedly attached to each side of said front table section, said side wing panels being folded under said front table section and secured by a panel locking means and rested on said adjustable levelers when said assembly is configured as a dinette table, said side wing panels being folded outwardly when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation, thereby providing a wider work surface;    a side swing panel support hingedly attached on the outside surface on each side of said front section of said table support frame, said side wing panel supports being extended outward under said side wing panels in the computer workstation configuration, thereby provided support for said side wing panels; and    a swing-out mouse pad attached by bolt tie-down means near one edge of said keyboard drawer.    
   
   
       18 . The assembly of  claim 17  further comprising table wing support spacers and alignment pins mounted on the under side of said side wing panels, said alignment pins for inserting into mating holes on the top edge of said side wing panel supports, thereby properly aligning and supporting said side wing panels when said assembly is configured as a computer workstation.  
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein a foldable auxiliary shelf is attached by bolt and nut means to the back side of said rear table section, said auxiliary shelf extending outward above said computer workstation for holding peripheral components, said auxiliary shelf capable of being mounted upward from said back of said rear table section for use or downward behind said rear table section for storage.  
   
   
       20 . The assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said assembly is changed from a dinette table configuration to a computer workstation configuration according to the steps comprised of: 
 folding said front table section back on top of said rear table section;    releasing said panel locking means on said front table section;    folding said side wing panel supports outward to be perpendicular with said front section of said table support frame;    folding said side wing panels outward on top of said side wing panel supports, aligning said alignment pins on said wing support spacers with said mating holes on top edge of said side wing panels;    pulling said keyboard drawer outward from said keyboard compartment; and    loosening said bolt tie-down means and rotating said swing-out mouse pad outwardly into operating position and retightening said bolt tie-down means to secure said mouse pad.