Table assembly

Abstract

In a table system (1) with a tabletop (10) held at a distance above a floor (2), and with an extension panel (16) that is movable between a rest position and a working position extending the tabletop (10), the invention proposes that the extension panel (16) is mounted so as to be movable in height between a raised rest position (R), in which it is located at a distance above the tabletop (10), and a lowered working position (A), and that the extension panel (16) is held on a holder (17) which is movable in height together with the extension panel (16) and which is connected to lifting means enabling the vertical movement, and that the extension panel (16) is detachably connected to the holder (17) via coupling elements (24) such that it can be selectively separated from or connected to the holder (17).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a table system according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Table systems of this type are known in practice, for example, under the name "extendable table." One or two extension leaves can be mounted underneath the tabletop, so that their rest position is defined within the table. The tabletop can be lifted off to remove the extension leaves and return them to their working position, after which the tabletop is reinstalled. In another embodiment, the one or more extension leaves can be stored away from the table, e.g., in a separate room away from the table, so that their rest position can be freely determined. Or the tabletop can be divided so that its two parts can be moved apart using a guide fitting. Handling the tabletop and / or the one or more extension leaves requires a certain amount of force.

[0003] In another embodiment, not only the tabletop but also one or two extension leaves can be moved using a guide fitting. This allows for handling of the tabletop and one or more extension leaves with as little force as possible, but requires a visually solid design of the table to allow for unobtrusive accommodation of the one or more extension leaves and the guide fitting.

[0004] EP 0 788 820 A2, DE 36 02 342 C1, FR 3 023 693 A1, and DE 20 2017 121 133 A1 each disclose table systems comprising a tabletop and a supplementary top. EP 0 788 820 A2, which represents the closest prior art, shows a table located in an interior space, the tabletop of which can be covered by a supplementary top that is lowered from the ceiling as needed. For example, a billiard table can be covered by the supplementary top and thus used for purposes other than playing billiards. The supplementary top can be connected to the table below by coupling elements.

[0005] DE 36 02 342 C1 shows a table with a ring-shaped tabletop. If necessary, an additional plate can be inserted from above or below the tabletop, creating a tabletop with unchanged external dimensions but a larger tabletop surface. In self-service facilities, the additional plate can be used to deliver dishes with food to the table in this way, for example.

[0006] FR 3 023 693 A1 shows a table with two tabletops. A first, circular tabletop is supported by a centrally arranged table leg, which is designed as a threaded rod. A second, ring-shaped tabletop is height-adjustable by being held by a nut that runs on the threaded rod. The second, ring-shaped tabletop has a recess into which the first, circular tabletop can be accommodated. This way, the second, ring-shaped outer tabletop can be arranged either below or above the first tabletop, or at the same height as the first tabletop to form a uniform, larger tabletop surface. This adjustability allows the table to be adapted to a variety of uses.

[0007] DE 10 2017 121 133 A1 also shows a table with a ring-shaped outer plate and an inner plate. However, in this case, the outer plate is fixed and the inner plate is rotatable. The inner plate is electrically driven and particularly user-friendly. Because the inner plate is also removable from a support plate or support frame, both the inner plate and the space beneath it of a hollow column, which forms the table leg, can be cleaned.

[0008] The invention is based on the object of improving a generic table system in such a way that the table, in particular in the area of ​​its table top, can be designed to be visually slim and the handling of the extension plate does not require any effort.

[0009] This object is achieved by a table system having the features of claim 1. Features of the invention are discussed below, with advantageous embodiments of the invention being described, inter alia, in the subclaims.

[0010] In other words, the invention proposes that the extension plate be mounted so that it can be raised from its working position, in which it extends the tabletop, into a raised rest position, in which it is located at a distance above the tabletop, for example, below the ceiling if the table system is installed indoors. The arrangement below the ceiling, possibly visually invisible within a lowered ceiling, allows for greater design freedom in the design of the table, especially the tabletop, since the extension plate does not have to be accommodated there.

[0011] The raising and lowering of the extension plate, i.e., its movement between its rest position and its working position, can be accomplished using conventional, energy-saving lifting devices, for example, manually using a pulley system, but especially with an electric motor, since electrical energy is usually available in the area of ​​a room's ceiling anyway, for example for room lighting. The use of flexible tension elements, such as chains, straps, or ropes, allows these tension elements to be wound up and accommodated in a significantly more space-efficient manner than, for example, telescopic elements, even when a comparatively large lifting height of several meters is required.

[0012] From its raised rest position, for example near the ceiling, the extension leaf can be lowered into a working position, extending the tabletop. For this purpose, the extension leaf is held on a holder which, together with the extension leaf, is height-adjustable and is connected to the aforementioned lifting devices. The extension leaf is detachably connected to the holder via coupling elements, so that it can be stored hanging from the holder in its rest position, but can also be optionally detached from the holder after it has been lowered into its working position using the holder and lifting devices. Once the extension leaf is in its working position, the holder can be moved back into its rest position using the lifting devices, so that these elements of the table system are once again visually inconspicuously housed near the ceiling.

[0013] Since the extension plate is simply lowered or raised, there is no need to fold one or more extension plates or handle the tabletop to enable the connection of the extension plate.Likewise, there is no need to manually fetch and carry extension leaves that are stored in their rest position at a greater distance from the table, with the advantages that the extension leaves stored in their rest position are neither exposed to the risk of flooding or inundation damage in a cellar nor to the risk of mechanical damage from impact, and with the further advantage that the extension leaf stored at a distance from the table top does not require any space or storage space that could otherwise be used to accommodate, for example, folding chairs, side tables, folding ladders or the like, so that the storage spaces otherwise customary for such purposes are still available for such purposes.Because the extension plate does not take up its rest position in the table itself, for example underneath the table top, the table can have a thin table top thickness.

[0014] According to the invention, a circumferential, outwardly projecting flange extends deeper than the tabletop surface, supporting the extension plate in its working position. This prevents accidental activation of movable support elements, reliably ensuring the extension plate is securely held in its working position.

[0015] The aforementioned flange can be designed in the form of a recess in the tabletop itself. However, if the tabletop is rotatably mounted, the extension plate would rotate together with the tabletop. Therefore, the tabletop can be designed separately from the flange, e.g., by creating the flange as a separate plate, which can be referred to as the base plate and whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the tabletop rotatably mounted on the base plate. Because the flange extends deeper than the tabletop surface, it is possible for the surfaces of the tabletop and the extension plate to be practically flush.

[0016] To reliably position the extension leaf close to the tabletop to create a shared, comparatively larger table surface, one embodiment provides a fixed position for the tabletop above the floor surface on which the table stands. Along with this fixed position of the tabletop, the extension leaf is also fixed to a ceiling above the tabletop. This allows for discreet installation of the extension leaf on the ceiling or within a suspended ceiling for indoor use.

[0017] In an alternative design, the table top and extension leaf are arranged one above the other on a common support. This allows the table system to be installed outside of an enclosed space. For example, the table top can form a small cocktail table between two chairs or loungers by a pool, in a garden, or on a terrace, which can be used for storing drinks, books, sunglasses, or the like. When the extension leaf is lowered, the table top can be extended into a table at which you can work, play, or eat. The support provided for this purpose can be column-shaped vertically, like a parasol, or it can be curved, approximately C-shaped, so that the space above the table top is freely accessible.Since this design of the table system can be intended particularly for outdoor use, the extension plate can, for example, take up its rest position beneath a canopy, so that the canopy simultaneously serves as a sunshade and also allows for visually inconspicuous accommodation of the extension plate and the lifting equipment.

[0018] The aforementioned support, which holds both the tabletop and the extension plate, can be designed with wheels, rollers, or sliding elements that allow it to be moved around the floor. This makes it easier to retrieve the table system from winter storage for the season and return it there after the season, or even to move it to different desired locations during use.

[0019] Particularly inventive developments of the table system relate to a lighting device. In one embodiment of the table system, the holder has at least one light with a downward-directed light output. In this way, the presence of the holder can be concealed and the holder can serve inconspicuously as a ceiling light. Depending on the design of the coupling elements, it can be provided that the holder is never covered by the extension plate, but rather is located next to the extension plate, even when the extension plate is held in its rest position. However, even if the extension plate covers the holder downwards in its rest position, the light can be provided in or on the holder, because when the holder has been separated from the lowered extension plate and is again in the rest position above the table top, its underside is visible.Depending on its design, the "holder light" can make a meaningful contribution to room lighting, possibly even serving as the main light, or it can serve as a second, weaker "ambient" light in addition to a main light. In particular, the "holder light" can be designed to illuminate the lowered extension plate by directing its light downwards. A table lamp can be designed to illuminate only the table top sufficiently to avoid creating an unpleasant light effect for those sitting at the table when only the table top is used without the extension plate. Since the holder always remains attached to the ceiling or the aforementioned support, the light can easily be supplied with electrical power via a cable.

[0020] Regardless of whether the aforementioned "holder light" is implemented, the extension plate can be provided with at least one light with a downward-facing light output. The presence of the extension plate in its rest position is thus visually concealed, as the extension plate functions as a light.

[0021] Similar to the "holder light" mentioned above, the light in the extension plate can also contribute to room lighting, either as the main light or as a second, weaker "ambient" light. The light can be powered by the holder, which can be permanently connected to a power source via a cable. When the extension plate is lowered and in its working position, the downward-radiating light can be used for ambient lighting under the table, for example, using LEDs and batteries integrated into the extension plate. These batteries are automatically charged when the extension plate contacts the holder, thus creating an electrical connection between the extension plate and the holder and an electrical power supply located there.If the extension plate is to remain in its working position for a longer period of several days or weeks and is therefore to remain separate from the holder, the batteries can be charged by lowering the lifting device and thus creating an electrical connection to the batteries, or by providing a separate charging port on the extension plate in order to be able to charge the batteries, for example via USB, a charging power supply or, if necessary, a power bank.

[0022] As a further embodiment of ambient lighting or lighting that highlights the table system, the holder can have one or more lights which, when coupled, are arranged directly adjacent to and above the extension plate and radiate light essentially in the direction of extension of the extension plate or upwards. Likewise, it can further be provided that lamps are arranged on the holder at a distance from the extension plate, which, for example, illuminate the surface of the extension plate facing a floor ceiling and, by means of a possible, possibly diffuse, reflection, highlight the extension plate. Such a lighting scenario is particularly advantageous, i.e., can be used effectively in the rest position and while the extension plate is being lowered.Advantageously, LEDs, for example in the form of an LED strip or similar with a controllably changing color scheme, can be provided as the light source to, among other things, highlight the extension panel in the room. The power supply can be implemented in the same way as previously described for the other lighting elements.

[0023] The coupling elements that connect the extension plate to the holder can be operated manually, so that, for example, a bayonet lock or a screw connection is manually operated when the extension plate and holder are in their working position, in order to detach the initially lowered holder from the extension plate and then raise it again independently of the extension plate, or to later reconnect the holder to the extension plate and raise the extension plate together with the holder into the rest position. In an alternative design of the table system, it can be provided that the coupling elements can be operated not only manually but (also) electrically. A connection between the holder and the ceiling or the support already exists - e.g. in the form of the aforementioned pull cables.Therefore, a power supply to the holder can easily be established, for example via an electrical cable, which remains connected during the holder's movements, so that the holder is supplied with electrical power even when lowered. A control element, for example, similar to a light switch on a wall of the room, or mobile in the form of a remote control, can be used to control any lighting provided on the holder and / or on the extension plate. Likewise, the same or a similar control element can be used to control the coupling elements to connect or disconnect the holder to the extension plate.

[0024] The coupling elements, which optionally connect the holder to the extension plate, are designed to be positively engaged in a configuration of the table system considered advantageous. For example, the coupling elements can be designed as pivoting locking hooks, movable locking bolts, rotatable screw or bayonet locks, or similar. Their mechanical action ensures a secure hold of the extension plate even in the event of a power failure, unlike, for example, if electromagnets were used as coupling elements and the coupling between the holder and extension plate were exclusively force-locking. Coupling elements that are electrically actuated and interact with each other in a positively engaging manner are particularly advantageous.

[0025] For example, the tabletop can extend into the room from a wall, similar to a cantilever, so that the extension leaf would either extend the tabletop in a single direction or could extend the tabletop on three sides, for example, in a U-shape or C-shape. In other table system designs, the extension leaf can be provided to completely cover the tabletop and extend beyond it, thus providing a larger usable table surface.

[0026] In one design of the table system, the extension leaf surrounds the tabletop in a ring, and the tabletop is mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, while the extension leaf is supported next to the tabletop in a rotationally fixed manner. When the extension leaf in this table system assumes its working position next to the tabletop, preferably in such a way that it extends the tabletop essentially at the same level and creates a continuous tabletop surface, the tabletop forms part of the now larger overall table surface after the extension leaf is lowered. If it is mounted for rotation like a rotating tray, which is also referred to as a "silent waiter" or "Lazy Susan," people sitting at the table can more easily access different areas of the tabletop.The extension leaf, on the other hand, is supported in a rotationally fixed manner, so that cutlery and dishes, for example, remain stationary even when the tabletop is rotated within the entire, larger table surface. Particularly with a circular tabletop design, the described rotation function can be realized without having to accept disadvantageous large gaps between the tabletop and the extension leaf.

[0027] With this described, rotatable mounting of the table top, it can advantageously be provided that the table top can optionally be locked in a rotationally fixed manner. If the table top is used without the extension leaf, the rotation can be disruptive; moreover, due to the now comparatively smaller table surface, accessibility is easier anyway, so that rotation is not necessary. The locking means used to secure the table top can, for example, comprise a movable lock that optionally engages in a recess in the table top that is arranged off-center in the table top. For example, the lock can be arranged practically invisibly beneath the table top, and the recess can be arranged on the underside of the table top.

[0028] If the table top is rotatable and optionally lockable, one embodiment of the table system can provide for the movable locking means, by means of which the table top can be locked against rotation, to protrude upwards above the aforementioned flange and lock the table top against rotation in this position. In this embodiment, the locking means are loaded by the extension plate, and it is provided that they are moved downwards by the extension plate into a release position in which the rotational locking of the table top is released. In this way, no manual actuation of a bolt or similar locking means is required; rather, the table top is unlocked automatically when the extension plate is lowered, rests on the flange, and automatically actuates the locking means.If the extension plate is later raised back to its rest position and the locking means are forced back into their locked position, for example, by spring loading, the respective rotation angle of the tabletop may result in a situation in which the locking means do not engage the aforementioned recess in the tabletop. Accordingly, the rotation lock can be achieved by first manually rotating the tabletop slowly until the locking means can engage in the recess, thus locking the tabletop against rotation.

[0029] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the locking means, which serve to non-rotatably lock the table top, can comprise a ring which extends over the flange on which the extension plate rests in its working position. The ring is operatively connected to the locking element, which interacts with the table top. The ring is held at a distance above the flange by spring force, wherein the spring force is dimensioned such that the ring is lowered by the extension plate against the spring action when the extension plate is moved in its working position and rests on the ring. In this case, the extension plate rests indirectly on the flange, namely by means of the height-adjustable ring arranged between them. This enables a visually unobtrusive design and operation of the locking means.In particular, if the ring has an L-shaped cross-section, a practically invisible design of the locking means can be achieved by the ring extending radially outwards from the edge of the table top over the flange and then downwards, so that the ring forms the outer, visually visible table edge when the extension plate is not mounted.

[0030] If the extension plate does not completely cover the tabletop and is placed on top of it, but rather extends alongside the tabletop, a gap typically runs between the extension plate and the tabletop. In one embodiment of the table system, mutually repelling magnets can be arranged in the tabletop and the extension plate in such a way that the tabletop is automatically centered within the surrounding extension plate.

[0031] The magnets automatically align the extension leaf when it is lowered and supported next to the tabletop, thus avoiding unsightly marks that might otherwise occur due to mechanical damage or abrasion when the extension leaf comes into contact with the tabletop. There is no need for edge protection for the tabletop, which would be designed as a separate element, e.g., made of plastic or metal for a tabletop made of wood or wood-based materials. Nor are sliding or guiding elements required to guide the extension leaf into the desired position relative to the tabletop, which would either be visible - and thus visually disadvantageous - or which would in turn create wear or abrasion - and thus visually disadvantageous marks.

[0032] In addition, the magnets automatically center the tabletop within the surrounding extension plate, provided the extension plate extends around the tabletop in a U- or C-shape, or as a closed ring. This creates a uniform gap between the tabletop and the extension plate, which is aesthetically pleasing.

[0033] This automatic centering allows the dimensional tolerances of the tabletop and extension plate to be kept to a minimum, allowing for a gap between the tabletop and extension plate to be designed with a narrow gap width. Compared to a larger gap width designed for safety reasons, this improves the aesthetic appearance of the table system and avoids or reduces disadvantages otherwise associated with larger gap widths, such as the stability of objects or the possibility of small parts falling into the gap.

[0034] In order to be able to move the holder up and down between the rest and working positions, in one design of the table system the lifting means have several flexible tension elements that are connected to the holder, and the tension elements run upwards from the holder to a winding shaft. The flexible tension elements can be designed as chains, belts or ropes. Winding on a winding axis enables the use of inexpensive, commercially available technology, e.g. in the form of a roller shutter motor together with the winding shaft intended for a roller shutter. This has the additional advantage that the proven safety technology for roller shutters can also be adopted, namely a brake on the roller shutter motor, which is only released by the power supply when the roller shutter motor is controlled and set in rotation. Reliable protection against unwanted movements, in particular against unwanted lowering of the holder, if necessary.together with the extension plate, is thus ensured even in the event of a power failure.

[0035] In a configuration considered particularly advantageous, the multiple tension elements, each of which extends to a winding shaft, can be accommodated on the same winding shaft and wound up next to one another. This reduces the installation space required as well as the costs for the lifting equipment because only one drive motor and one winding shaft are required, and this configuration, in particular, does not require the synchronization of several different drives.

[0036] In one embodiment of the table system, the holder is designed as a retaining ring. The design as a closed, circumferential ring, circular or polygonal, supports the most stable, low-sway guidance of the extension plate during its lifting or lowering movement, unlike a beam, because the lifting elements of the lifting device can be arranged not only along a straight line but also distributed across a base area. Compared to achieving such a flat distribution of the tension elements using a cross or a similar geometry, a closed ring offers greater stability.

[0037] In a particularly inventive development, a thermally insulated housing is arranged above the tabletop, open at the bottom. When the extension plate is in its raised rest position, this housing closes off at the bottom. Goods placed on the extension plate can therefore be stored like an insulated box, largely maintaining their temperature. This makes it possible to prepare food or drinks and arrange them on the extension plate, raise it to the rest position, and later lower the extension plate, along with the prepared food or drinks, into the working position according to the "table setting" principle.

[0038] To ensure that the food or drinks within the housing maintain the desired temperature even over an extended period of time, the table system can have a temperature control unit that enables active temperature management, allowing the interior of the housing to be heated or cooled depending on the design of the temperature control unit. In particular, one temperature control unit can advantageously be used that enables both, or two different temperature control units can be used in the form of a heater and a cooler, each of which operates the desired unit. This allows the interior of the housing to be optionally heated to keep food warm, or cooled to keep salads fresh or to chill drinks, using the same or the appropriate temperature control unit.

[0039] The accommodation of the lifting equipment and the arrangement of the extension panel in its rest position require a certain amount of space. In order to accommodate these elements in the most visually unobtrusive way possible, one design of the table system can provide for a suspended ceiling within a room at a distance below the aforementioned floor ceiling, rather than being mounted on a movable support. This suspended ceiling at least visually defines the upper limit of the room. An opening is provided in the suspended ceiling, which is closed off by the extension panel when it is in its rest position. Depending on the design of the opening and the transition between the extension panel and the adjacent suspended ceiling, a visually particularly unobtrusive arrangement of the extension panel in its rest position can be achieved.In particular, it can be achieved that the extension panel does not project noticeably deep into the room because it is partially or completely accommodated in the suspended ceiling or the space between the floor and the ceiling.

[0040] In addition, the suspended ceiling and the resulting gap offer the possibility of arranging the aforementioned thermally insulated housing and, if applicable, the aforementioned temperature control unit in a visually unobtrusive manner within the gap. Alternatively, a heat transfer medium can be routed through the gap to the housing, for example, if the temperature control unit is located outside the room and a heat transfer fluid is routed to or into the housing, e.g., hot or cold air, or a liquid that transfers its temperature to the interior of the housing via a heat exchanger.

[0041] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the purely schematic representations, whereby individual features or a combination of features of the illustrated embodiments can also be implemented independently of the other configurations of the embodiments in a proposed table system. Fig. 1 to 4 each show a vertical section through a first embodiment of a table system arranged in an interior space, in different operating states and intermediate positions. Fig. 5 and 6 each show a plan view of the lifting means of the table system. Fig. 7 and 8 each show a plan view of the table of the table system in different operating states. And Fig. 9 shows a vertical section through a second embodiment of the invention.

[0042] In Fig. 1 1 shows a table system 1 that is installed in the interior of a building, with the space defined by a floor 2 and a ceiling 3. A guide sleeve 4 is embedded in the floor 2, into which a guide pin 5 is inserted. The guide pin 5 carries two guide rings 6 made of a smooth-running plastic. A table 7 has a central table leg 8, which is designed as a steel tube, is placed onto the guide pin 5, and rests against the guide rings 6 with little or no play. By means of a base plate 9, which is welded to the table leg 8, the table 7 is supported on the floor 2 in a tilt-proof manner. If the table 7 is not needed, it can be removed from the guide pin 5 and the guide pin 5 can be pulled out of the guide sleeve 4. The hole created in the floor 2 in this way, namely the opening of the guide sleeve 4, can be closed by means of a cover.

[0043] The table 7 has a circular tabletop 10, which is rotatably mounted about the central axis of the table 7 and rests on a base plate 11 for rotation. The base plate 11 rests non-rotatably on a support plate 12, whereby these three plates, in the illustrated embodiment, are each made of wood-based materials. The support plate 12, in turn, rests on a flat, metallic support plate 14, which, similar to the base plate 9, is welded to the table leg 8 and is connected to both the support plate 12 and the base plate 11 via several screws. Of the three plates mentioned, the base plate 11 has the largest diameter, so that an externally annular circumferential flange 15 is formed below the tabletop 10.

[0044] Above the table 7, namely on the floor 3, the table system 1 has a ring-shaped extension plate 16, which Fig. 1 is shown in two different height positions. Arrows pointing vertically downwards illustrate that the extension plate 16 can be lowered from an upper position, which is designated as the rest position R of the extension plate 16, with the aid of an annular holder 17 and with the aid of lifting means comprising a plurality of traction cables 18. The aforementioned lifting means further comprise a winding shaft 20 in which a roller shutter motor 21 is arranged, as well as a plurality of deflection pulleys 22 over which the traction cables 18 are guided from the winding shaft 20 to the holder 17. A cover plate 23 is held below the winding shaft 20 and the deflection pulley 22 at a distance below the floor slab 3 and can be optionally releasably removed by means of a bayonet lock. By dismantling the cover plate 23, the covered installations can be exposed, for example for maintenance work.A table lamp 19 is installed centrally above table 7, which is attached to the cover plate 23 with a rope and canopy. Power is supplied via a long, loose cable on the cover plate 23.

[0045] Fig. 2 shows the extension plate 16 in its lowered position, in which it rests on the flange 15 of the table 7, and which is designated as working position A. The extension plate 16 is flush with the table top 10 in such a way that a virtually continuous, flat surface is created for the entire extended table surface. The holder 17 is still connected to the extension plate 16.

[0046] Fig. 3 shows the situation after the holder 17 has been separated from the extension plate 16. Vertically upward-pointing arrows illustrate that the holder 17 is in an upward movement and is now being pulled back up below the floor slab 3. Two-part coupling elements 24 are distributed over the circumference of the extension plate 16 and the annular holder 17, respectively; they each have two interacting components, which are Fig. 3 are separated from one another and otherwise connect the extension plate 16 to the holder 17. For example, it can be provided that the upper components arranged in the holder 17 are designed as screw sleeves, and that the second components interacting therewith are designed as manually operable screws, e.g. in the form of wing screws that can be screwed from below through the extension plate 16 into the screw sleeves. When the holder 17 is separated from the extension plate 16 by unscrewing the wing screws from the screw sleeves, the remaining through-holes in the extension plate 16 can be filled with inserts, so that a continuously flat surface of the extension plate 16 is created.

[0047] Furthermore, in another embodiment, the interacting components of the coupling elements 24 can be actuated by an electric motor, for example, by driving a rotatable component of a screw connection, a bayonet lock, or the like by an electric motor. Due to the multitude of possible locking techniques known to those skilled in the art that can be used for the coupling elements 24, this need not be discussed in detail.

[0048] In Fig. 3 A rotation arrow further indicates that the table top 10 is rotatable like a turntable. If a rotary lock for the table top 10 is provided, this has been unlocked either manually or automatically, for example, by the extension plate 16.

[0049] Fig. 4 shows the situation when the holder 17 has returned to the same position in which it initially held the extension plate 16 in its rest position. The annular holder 17 adjoins the cover plate 23, so that the entire lifting means are not visible. Unlike the illustrated embodiment, lights can be arranged on the peripheral surface 25 or the lower edge 26 of the holder 17, whose light is directed downwards, so that in addition to the table lamp 19, the entire, now extended table surface can also be fully illuminated by such lights.

[0050] Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the lifting means located above the cover plate 23: the winding shaft 20 with the Fig. 5 The roller shutter motor 21, which is not visible, accommodates the four traction cables 18 next to one another, offset in the longitudinal direction of the winding shaft 20, so that they can be wound up on the same winding shaft 20 in different sections.

[0051] Fig. 6 shows the same top view as Fig. 5 , however, in a situation where the extension plate 16 is raised and connects to the cover plate 23.

[0052] Fig. 7 shows the table 7 in a top view, showing the circular table top 10 with the table leg 8 arranged centrally below it, indicated by dashed lines, as well as the base plate 11, which projects radially beyond the table top 10 along the entire circumference of the table top 10 and forms the annular flange 15 there. A total of six chairs 27 are arranged around the table 7.

[0053] Fig. 8 shows one with Fig. 7 Comparable top view of the table 7, but with the table top 10 being extended by means of the extension plate 16, thus increasing the circumference of the table 7 so that the table 7 can now accommodate 12 chairs 27. The components of the coupling elements 24 located on the extension plate 16 are visible, although the coupling elements 24 may be concealed by cover plates if necessary.

[0054] In Fig. 9A second embodiment of a table system 1 is shown, in which a suspended ceiling 28 runs below the floor slab 3, so that a gap 29 is created between the floor slab 3 and the ceiling 28. A thermally insulated housing 30 is housed in this gap 29, which is closed off at the bottom by the extension plate 16 and the likewise thermally insulated cover plate 23. Food or drinks located on the extension plate 16 are accordingly kept at the right temperature within the housing 30 when the extension plate 16 is in the rest position R.

[0055] In addition to being thermally insulated, the housing 30 can also be actively temperature-controlled. For this purpose, a temperature control unit 31 is arranged outside the room in which the table system 1 is located. A heat transfer fluid is fed through forward and return lines 32 to the housing 30 and into a heat exchanger 33. A fan 34 serves to guide the appropriately tempered air located inside the housing 30 through the heat exchanger 33 and distribute it within the housing 30, thus achieving a uniform temperature level within the housing 30. Reference symbols:

[0056] 1Table system 2Floor 3Floor ceiling 4Guide sleeve 5Guide pin 6Guide ring 7Table 8Table leg 9Base plate 10Table top 11Base plate 12Support plate 14Support plate 15Flange 16Extension plate 17Holder 18Pull cable 19Table lamp 20Winding shaft 21Roller shutter motor 22Deflection pulley 23Cover plate 24Coupling element 25Circumferential surface 26Lower edge 27Chair 28Suspended ceiling 29Gap 30Housing 31Temperature control unit 32Supply and return lines 33Heat exchanger 34Blower

Claims

1. Table system (1), having a tabletop (10) held at a distance above a floor (2), and having an extension leaf (16), which is able to move between a rest position and a working position extending the tabletop (10), wherein • the extension leaf (16) is mounted so as to be able to move vertically o between a raised rest position (R), in which it is located at a distance above the tabletop (10), o and a lowered working position (A), • and wherein the extension leaf (16) is held on a holder (17), o which is able to move vertically together with the extension leaf (16), o and which is connected to lifting equipment that enables the ability to move vertically, • and wherein the extension leaf (16) is releasably connected to the holder (17) via coupling elements (24) in such a manner that it can optionally be separated from the holder (17) or connected thereto, characterized in that an outwardly protruding circumferential flange (15), on which the extension leaf (16) is supported in its working position (A), extends deeper than the surface of the tabletop (10).

2. Table system according to Claim 1, characterized in that the tabletop (10) is fixed in place in relation to its position above the floor (2), and in that the extension leaf (16) is fixed in place in relation to its position on a storey ceiling (3) above the tabletop (10).

3. Table system according to Claim 1, characterized in that the tabletop (10) and the extension leaf (16) are arranged one above the other on a common support.

4. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling elements (24) can be actuated electrically and interact with one another in a form-fitting manner.

5. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the extension leaf (16) surrounds the tabletop (10) annularly, and the tabletop (10) is mounted so as to be able to rotate about a vertical axis, and the extension leaf (16) is supported next to the tabletop (10) in a rotationally fixed manner.

6. Table system according to Claim 5, characterized in that the tabletop (10) can optionally be locked so as to be rotationally fixed.

7. Table system according to Claim 6, characterized in that the movable locking equipment, which can be used to lock the tabletop (10) so as to be rotationally fixed, protrude upwards above the flange (15) and in this position lock the tabletop (10) so as to be rotationally fixed, wherein the locking equipment is able to move downwards through the extension leaf (16) into a release position, in which the rotational locking of the tabletop (10) is released.

8. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the extension leaf (16) extends next to the tabletop (10), and in that a gap extends between the extension leaf (16) and the tabletop (10), and in that mutually repulsive magnets are arranged on the one hand in the tabletop (10) and on the other hand in the extension leaf (16) in such a manner that the tabletop (10) is automatically centred within the extension leaf (16) surrounding it.

9. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lifting equipment has a plurality of flexible pulling elements (18) that connect to the holder (17), and in that the pulling elements (18) each extend upwards from the holder (17) to a winding shaft (20).

10. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder (17) is designed as a holding ring.

11. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heat-insulated housing (30) is arranged above the tabletop (10), which downwardly terminates the extension leaf (16) when it is located in its rest position (R).

12. Table system according to Claim 11, characterized by a temperature-control unit (31), which can be used to heat and / or cool the interior of the housing (30).

13. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the extension leaf (16) closes an opening in a suspended ceiling (28) when it is located in its rest position (R).

14. Table system according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the holder (17) has at least one lamp, which has a light outlet directed in the direction of extent of the extension leaf (16).

Images