Banquet table

Abstract

A foldable table includes a table top and two leg units. Each leg unit is movable relative to the table top during folding and unfolding of the foldable table.

1 . A foldable table comprising
 a table top,   a movable first table-top elevator including a first pair of table legs mounted on an underside of the table top for pivotable movement about a first elevator pivot axis between a collapsed storage position alongside the underside of the table top and an expanded use position oriented to lie at an acute angle to the underside of the table top, and   a movable second table-top elevator including a second pair of table legs mounted on the first pair of table legs for pivotable movement about a second elevator pivot axis between a collapsed storage position alongside the underside of the table top and an expanded use position oriented to lie at an acute angle relative to the undersides of the table top, wherein the second elevator pivot axis is oriented to remain in spaced-apart parallel relation to the first elevator pivot axis during pivotable movement of the second pair of table legs about the second elevator axis.   
     
     
         2 . The foldable table of  claim 1 , wherein the second pair of table legs is arranged to lie in a leg-receiving space provided between the table legs included in the first pair of table legs when the first and second pairs of table legs are arranged to lie in the collapsed storage positions alongside the underside of the table top. 
     
     
         3 . The foldable table of  claim 2 , wherein the movable first table-top elevator further includes a rotatable pivot rod arranged to extend along the first elevator pivot axis, the first pair of table legs includes a first leg coupled to a first end of the rotatable pivot rod and a second leg coupled to an opposite second end of the rotatable pivot rod and arranged to lie in laterally spaced-apart relation to the first leg to define the leg-receiving space therebetween, and the movable second table-top elevator further includes a free-motion anchor rod that is arranged to lie in spaced-apart to the second elevator pivot axis and oriented to lie alongside the underside of the table top and in side-by-side relation to the rotatable pivot rod inside the leg-receiving space when the movable first and second table-top elevators occupy their collapsed storage positions and to lie in laterally spaced apart relation to the pivotable pivot rod outside the leg-receiving space when the movable first and second table-top elevators occupy their expanded use positions. 
     
     
         4 . The foldable table of  claim 3 , further comprising a releasable elevator retainer mounted on the underside of the table top and configured to mate with the free-motion anchor rod of the movable second table-top elevator to retain the movable first and second table-top elevators in their expanded use positions upon arrival of the movable second table-top elevator at its expanded use position. 
     
     
         5 . The foldable table of  claim 4 , whenever the second pair of legs include a first leg coupled to a first end of the free-motion anchor rod and a second leg coupled to an opposite second end of the free-motion anchor bar and the releasable elevator retainer is arranged to lie in a space provided between the first and second legs of the second pair of legs when the movable first and second table-top elevators occupy their collapsed storage positions. 
     
     
         6 . The foldable table of  claim 3 , wherein the second pair of legs include a first leg coupled to a first end of the free-motion anchor rod and a second leg coupled to an opposite second end of the free-motion anchor rod and arranged to lie in laterally spaced-apart relation to the first leg of the second pair of legs, the first leg of the second pair of legs is pivotably mounted on the first leg of the first pair of legs for pivotable movement about the second elevator pivot axis, and the second leg of the second pair of legs is pivotably mounted on the second leg of the second pair of legs for pivotable movement about the second elevator pivot axis. 
     
     
         7 . The foldable table of  claim 6 , wherein the first legs of the first and second pairs of legs are arranged to lie in side-by-side relation along the underside of the table top when the first and second table-top elevators occupy their collapsed storage positions and in crossed relation to one another to establish an X-shaped pattern of the first legs of the first and second pairs of legs when the movable first and second table-top elevators occupy their expanded use positions. 
     
     
         8 . The foldable table of  claim 7 , wherein the movable first table-top elevator further includes a rigidifying cross-member strut coupled to distal ends of the first legs to extend between the first legs and lie in spaced apart relation to the rotatable pivot rod to locate the second elevator pivot axis therebetween. 
     
     
         9 . The foldable table of  claim 1 , wherein the movable second table-top elevator is free to pivot relative to the movable first table-top elevator about the second elevator pivot axis and to move relative to the table top while the movable first table-top elevator pivots about the first elevator pivot axis during operator-controlled movement of the movable first and second table-top elevators relative to the table top between their expanded use and collapsed storage positions and wherein the first and second pivot elevator axes are oriented to remain in substantially parallel relation to one another during folding and unfolding of the foldable table. 
     
     
         10 . The foldable table of  claim 9 , further comprising a releasable elevator retainer that is coupled to the underside of the table top and arranged to engage the movable second table-top elevator when the table is unfolded so that the movable first and second table-top elevators are retained in their expanded use positions under the table top. 
     
     
         11 . The foldable table of  claim 1 , further comprising releasable elevator retainer means for releasably retaining the movable second table-top elevator in its expanded use position after the movable first table-top elevator pivots relative to the table top about the first elevator pivot axis and the movable second table-top elevator pivots relative to the movable first table-top elevator about the second elevator pivot axis to cause the first table-top elevator to remain in its expanded use position so that companion legs in each of the movable first and second table-top elevators remain in stationary positions at acute angles to the underside of the table top when the table is unfolded and readied to be used. 
     
     
         12 . The foldable table of  claim 11 , wherein the movable second table-top elevator includes a free-motion anchor rod that is arranged to lie and remain in substantially parallel relation to the first elevator pivot axis during movement of the movable second table-top elevator between the collapsed storage position and the expanded use position and the free-motion anchor rod is arranged to be gripped by the releasable elevator retainer means upon arrival of the movable second table-top elevator at the expanded use position. 
     
     
         13 . The foldable table of  claim 12 , wherein the second table-top elevator further includes a first leg pivotably coupled to the movable first table-top elevator and coupled to a first end of the free-motion anchor rod and a second leg pivotably coupled to the movable first table-top elevator and arranged to lie in laterally spaced-apart relation to the first leg during pivotable movement of the movable second table-top elevator about the second elevator pivot axis. 
     
     
         14 . The foldable table of  claim 13 , wherein the movable second table-top elevator further includes a rigidifying cross-member strut arranged to lie in spaced-apart parallel relation to the free-motion anchor rod and to interconnect distal portions of the first and second legs and cooperate with the first and second legs and the free-motion anchor rod to form a rectangular frame and the rigidifying cross-member strut is arranged to lie in and remain in laterally spaced-apart parallel relation to the first elevator pivot axis during folding and unfolding of the table. 
     
     
         15 . The foldable table of  claim 13 , wherein the movable first table-top elevator includes a rotatable pivot rod mounted for pivotable movement about the first elevator pivot axis on the underside of the table top, a first leg coupled to a first end of the rotatable pivot rod and pivotably coupled to the first leg of the movable table-top elevator, and a second leg coupled to an opposite second end of the rotatable pivot rod and pivotably coupled to the second leg of the movable second table-top elevator. 
     
     
         16 . The foldable table of  claim 15 , wherein the rotatable pivot rod and the free-motion anchor rod are arranged to remain in parallel relation to one another during movement of the movable first and second table top elevators between the collapsed storage positions and the expanded use positions. 
     
     
         17 . The foldable table of  claim 12 , wherein the releasable elevator retainer means includes a rod-motion blocker that is located in a stationary position on the underside of the table top and arranged to engage and stop motion of the free-motion anchor rod relative to the table top as the movable second table-top elevator is being moved relative to the table top to its expanded use position during unfolding of the table and a spring-loaded anchor-rod lock pawl mounted on the underside of the table top for movement between a rod-retaining position and a rod-releasing position. 
     
     
         18 . The foldable table of  claim 17 , wherein the spring-loaded anchor-rod lock pawl is configured to provide means for automatically mating with a portion of the free-motion anchor rod and assuming the rod-retaining position to retain the movable second-table-top elevator and thus the movable first table-top elevator in its expanded use position on the underside of the table top.