Granted Patent B1

US 8,307,769 · App. 12/819,470 · Granted Nov 13, 2012

Abstract

Claims (61)

1. A light-weight, folding table device, comprising:

a) a table top with a plurality of folding legs coupled to the table top and pivotal between an extended position maintaining the table top in an elevated position, and a collapsed position towards the table top;

b) the table top including a laminate with a plastic sheet bonded to a plywood layer, the plastic sheet defining an upper working surface of the table top;

c) perimeter edge channels disposed along sides of the laminate with lengths shorter than corresponding sides of the laminate leaving the corners of the laminate exposed; and

d) corner caps covering the corners of the laminate, the corner caps overlapping ends of the perimeter edge channels at the corner.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a lateral gap formed between a lateral corner edge of the laminate and an inner lateral side of the corner cap; and

the corner cap being made of a flexible material and deflectable into the lateral gap under impact.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

each corner cap having opposite channels receiving opposite adjacent edges of the laminate and ends of adjacent perimeter edge channels.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 , further comprising:

each channel of the corner cap having a notch receiving an end of an edge channel.

5. A device in accordance with claim 3 , further comprising:

each channel of the corner cap having a bottom flange longer than a top flange of the corner cap.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5 , further comprising:

upper and lower lips disposed on the respective top and bottom flanges of the corner caps, the upper lip extending over a distal edge of the top flange and abutting to the upper surface of the plastic sheet, the lower lip extending over a distal edge of the bottom flange and abutting to the bottom surface of the plywood layer.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plywood layer has a bottom surface with at least a majority thereof exposed without being covered.

8. A device in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:

at least one runner coupled under the table top and including a channel oriented with lateral flanges of an open side of the channel coupled to the bottom surface of the plywood layer.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:

runner caps coupled to open opposite ends of the runner, the runner caps covering distal edges of the runner.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising:

a bumper coupled to the runner cap and extending beyond the runner to abut to an adjacent stacked table.

11. A light-weight, folding table device, comprising:

a) a table top with a plurality of folding legs coupled to the table top and pivotal between an extended position maintaining the table top in an elevated position, and a collapsed position towards the table top;

b) the table top including a laminate with a plastic sheet bonded to a plywood layer, the plastic sheet defining an upper working surface of the table top, the plywood layer having a bottom surface with at least a majority thereof exposed without being covered; and

c) at least one runner coupled under the table top and directly to the bottom surface of the plywood layer, and including a channel oriented with lateral flanges of an open side of the channel coupled to the bottom surface of the plywood layer.

12. A device in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising:

runner caps coupled to open opposite ends of the runner, the runner caps covering distal edges of the runner.

13. A device in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising:

a bumper coupled to the runner cap and extending beyond the runner to abut to an adjacent stacked table.

14. A device in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising:

a) perimeter edge channels disposed along sides of the laminate with lengths shorter than corresponding sides of the laminate leaving the corners of the laminate exposed; and

b) corner caps covering the corners of the laminate, the corner caps overlapping ends of the perimeter edge channel at the corners.

15. A device in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:

a lateral gap formed between a lateral corner edge of the laminate and an inner lateral side of the corner cap; and

the corner cap being made of a flexible material and deflectable into the lateral gap under impact.

16. A device in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:

each corner cap having opposite channels receiving opposite adjacent edges of the laminate and opposite ends of adjacent edge channel; and

each channel of the corner cap having a bottom flange longer than a top flange of the corner cap.

17. A device in accordance with claim 16 , further comprising:

upper and lower lips disposed on the respective top and bottom flanges of the corner caps, the upper lip extending over a distal edge of the top flange and abutting to the upper surface of the plastic sheet, the lower lip extending over a distal edge of the bottom flange and abutting to the bottom surface of the plywood layer.

18. A light-weight, folding table device, comprising:

a) a table top with a plurality of folding legs coupled to the table top and pivotal between an extended position maintaining the table top in an elevated position, and a collapsed position towards the table top;

b) the table top including a laminate with an ABS plastic sheet bonded to a plywood layer, the plastic sheet defining an upper working surface of the table top, the plywood layer having a bottom surface with at least a majority thereof exposed without being covered;

c) perimeter edge channels disposed along sides of the laminate with lengths shorter than corresponding sides of the laminate leaving the corners of the laminate exposed, the channel having a bottom flange longer than a top flange of the channel;

d) corner caps covering the corners of the laminate, the corner caps overlapping ends of the perimeter edge channels at the corner, each corner cap having opposite channels receiving opposite adjacent edges of the laminate and opposite ends of adjacent edge channel, each channel of the corner cap having a bottom flange longer than a top flange of the corner cap, each corner cap having a bottom web and a top web each extending between opposite sides;

e) upper and lower lips disposed on the respective top and bottom flanges of the corner caps, the upper lip extending over a distal edge of the top flange and abutting to the upper surface of the plastic sheet, the lower lip extending over a distal edge of the bottom flange and abutting to the bottom surface of the plywood layer;

f) a lateral gap or space formed between a lateral corner edge of the laminate and an inner lateral side of the corner cap, and the corner cap being made of a flexible material and deflectable into the lateral gap or space under impact;

g) at least one runner coupled under the table top and including a channel oriented with lateral flanges of an open side of the channel coupled to the bottom surface of the plywood layer;

h) runner caps coupled to open opposite ends of the runner, the runner caps covering distal edges of the runner; and

i) a bumper coupled to the runner cap and extending beyond the runner to abut to an adjacent stacked table.

19. A method for fabricating a table device in accordance with claim 18 , comprising:

bonding an ABS plastic sheet to a plywood layer to form a laminate;

enclosing perimeter sides of the laminate with an edge channel but leaving corners of the laminate exposed with respect to the edge channel;

covering corners of the laminate and ends of adjacent edge channels with corner caps, but leaving a gap or space between the lateral edge of the corner of the laminate and the corner caps and/or between upper and lower surfaces of the laminate and the corner caps; and

securing runners directly to the plywood layer under the table top.

20. A method for protecting a table device in accordance with claim 17 , comprising:

obtaining a folding table with a laminate formed by a plastic sheet bonded to a plywood layer and a perimeter edge of the laminate enclosed by an edge channel without enclosing corners of the laminate and corner caps removably disposed over the corners of the laminate;

removing a damaged corner cap; and

replacing the damaged corner cap with a new corner cap.

Assignments (10)