Folding high table with integrated benches

Abstract

A folding high table with crossed legs (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13) and a tilting tabletop (7), characterized in that the ends of its legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) on the ground, in the used position, extend several tens of centimeters beyond the vertical projection of the width of the tabletop (7). This extension of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) is associated with two folding benches (14, 15, 24, 25) and two folding footrests (19, 20, 18) which, in the used position, overhang the area where the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) extend beyond the vertical projection of the tabletop (7). the width of the tray (7) Figure for the abbreviation fig 1

Description

Title of the invention: Folding high table with integrated benches

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of furniture and more particularly concerns furniture suitable for bar terraces, by providing an optimization of the number of seats per available surface, as well as a very reduced occupied volume once folded. But it can be applied anywhere where the available space is limited, such as for example a balcony too narrow to accommodate four or more chairs and a table face to face; the application is even more indicated if the space must be freed up after use.

[0002] Urban densification means that some bar terraces are stormed at certain times, particularly at evening aperitif time, when some establishments do a large part of their business in a few hours, while a large clientele is turned away due to a lack of available seating. Let us add that most establishments must bring their terrace furniture back when the establishment closes for reasons of damage, cleaning of the terrace or theft. Thus, terrace furniture is generally foldable or stackable, must be as light as possible and nevertheless resistant for professional use.

[0003] Added to this, on many terraces, are problems of ground flatness, for example on paved or soft ground, where the stability of chairs and tables will be insoluble in a four-legged arrangement or offer little resistance to tipping in a three-legged arrangement.

[0004] Finally, if when setting up the terrace, the boundaries of the allocated space are generally respected, in use customers will often move their chairs, or even their tables, especially if they adopt a stretched out position on their chair and they will then largely encroach on the service aisles or exceed the space allocated to the terrace. In certain cases, this can be very annoying for passers-by with pushchairs or wheelchairs and fines for exceeding the allocated surface area are frequent, even administrative closures, which is a big problem for the owners.

[0005] This problem of lack of places is increasingly acute, but is not new; also, a significant amount of empirical optimization work has already been carried out. We will focus mainly on bar furniture, the case of restaurants cannot be optimized as much, because a meal in principle requires more table surface area per customer, the use of the table according to the invention will however be possible for this use with versions having a table surface area adapted to catering.

[0006] The problem of floor space depends primarily on the seats. In the case of a chair of classic height with a backrest, allowing you to rest your feet on flat on the ground, we must first consider the sitting position phase, which requires about 20 cm between the front of the chair and the vertical projection of the table top to be able to access the front of the chair while standing. In the case of a square or rectangular table, the front of the chair must therefore be able to be moved back about twenty centimeters from the vertical projection of the edge of the table, so that sitting down is not too difficult, as the depth of these chairs is at least 50 cm, the minimum longitudinal center distance between two tables with 60 cm square tops is already 30 + 20 + 50 + 50 + 20 + 30 = 200 cm

[0007] Space to which must be added on one side of the table, the access path for people and servers to the table.

[0008] The use of round tables with 4 chairs arranged not radially but face to face, two by two, makes it possible to limit the space between chairs and table; in fact, in this case the seating is carried out along the diagonal of the chair and a rotation then makes it possible to place at least one leg under the table, this is the reason for the increasingly frequent use of this geometry of tables.

[0009] The use of chairs with backs poses another problem, they offer two types of seating, one straight with the feet under the chair, the other with the back resting on the backrest which is then most often accompanied by a deployed position of the legs, crossed or not, a position which easily occupies 120 cm of length on the ground. A posture which is of course accompanied, with a chair very far back from the table, by interference with the table legs as well as interference with the feet and legs of the other guests seated at the table.

[0010] Regarding the interference of the legs with the table legs, many bar tables have for a long time offered a single leg with three or four base legs flush with the ground.

[0011] Sometimes the top is tilting for storage, with the legs of one table fitting into the adjacent one already stored, which allows for a smaller storage volume for these tables.

[0012] This gain in volume from these stored tables is sometimes insufficient, and some bars use folding sheet metal garden tables, some of which actually occupy less than 5 cm of thickness once folded, but getting your legs under these four-legged tables with crosspieces and stiffening braces is very difficult; on the other hand, they are light and inexpensive, which makes them a fairly common solution.

[0013] The fact remains that the space required for a person sitting with their legs outstretched is considerable and the distance between two chairs facing each other can then largely exceed the aforementioned 200 cm.

[0014] One of the reasons why some bars have resorted to high tables of around 1 mlO in height is precisely that they require chairs or stools high, with a height of around 80 cm, on which the customer's feet cannot touch the ground, which requires an upright sitting position, with the feet resting on the footrests provided for this purpose. The space occupied on the ground by a seated person is then controlled to a low value.

[0015] These high tables and seats are also appreciated because they allow seated people to be at the same height as standing people, which is favorable to socialization.

[0016] This notion of a high table can be more precisely defined as a table which allows the ergonomic use of high seats, that is to say seats which are too high to be able to put your feet on the ground.

[0017] The major drawback of these high tables is their lack of stability, whether with a 3- or 4-legged base; with 4 legs, the slightest defect in the flatness of the floor quickly results in a significant rocking motion, which is very unpleasant and especially incompatible with balancing a glass, while with 3 legs the stability is very low. For these reasons, these three-legged tables are often equipped with a base with cast iron feet, so that the weight stabilizes them a little, but they are then heavy to handle. To a lesser degree, high chairs or stools, generally with four legs, are also quickly subject to rocking; which quickly becomes annoying. Whereas with three legs the stability is very low.

[0018] The folding high table with integrated benches and footrests, also foldable, according to the invention makes it possible to avoid these drawbacks of current solutions for arranging tables and chairs (or benches), particularly in bars, while substantially increasing the number of seats in restricted spaces, while offering a very reduced storage volume once folded. In addition, it is particularly quick and easy to set up and store.

[0019] For this purpose, the device according to the invention is conventionally a table with crossed legs articulated in a scissor shape and a tilting top, which is a very old technical solution known in itself. But, to provide significant stability to this table which will be high, the scissor of the legs is widely open so that the end of the legs on the ground exceeds by several tens of centimeters the vertical projection of the width of the top, while adaptation to the unevenness of the floor is obtained by a slight twisting of the top. Indeed, the significant protrusion of the table legs from the vertical projection of the width of the top makes it possible to reduce this twisting of the top to a value much lower than the actual unevenness of the floor.

[0020] The foot hooks for users that would be caused by the table legs protruding from the vertical projection of the table top would make this solution unusable without its association with benches and footrests that are also foldable and which overhang this area where the table legs protrude, thus preventing any movement of users. readers with their feet on the ground, in this area. Indeed, on the device according to the invention, sitting in the desired position is not done standing up, but in a sliding sitting manner. For this, the user instinctively places one hand on the platform, one foot on the footrest, then the other hand and at least one buttock on the bench and slides into the sitting position to the desired position.

[0021] This sliding seating arrangement, which is made possible by the presence of the footrests and the ergonomics of this high table, makes it possible to reduce to a very low, or even negative, value the distance between the front of the benches and the vertical projection of the table top and even to a very low value the distance between the two opposite benches, which will only be limited by interference, this time not between the users' feet but between their knees. When the design is pushed to the extreme towards compactness, the device offers the same space requirement as two high stools facing each other that have been brought together until the users' knees touch. Even without going to this extreme in the design, this sliding seating arrangement allows a significant gain in floor space occupied per seat offered.Furthermore, these benches, which are attached to the table in the position of use, cannot be moved by users, which allows compliance with the terrace plan initially planned for the access and service paths, as well as the surface area allocated to the terrace.

[0022] Folding high table with crossed legs (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13) and tilting top (7), characterized in that the end on the ground of its legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) in the use position protrudes by several tens of centimeters from the vertical projection of the width of the top (7), this protrusion of the end of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) being associated with two benches (14, 15) and two footrests (19, 20, 18) also foldable which overhang in the use position the protrusion zone of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) thus preventing any movement of the users other than sliding onto the benches in this zone.

[0023] Device also characterized in that the legs (24) of benches (14, 15) and their pads (25) are articulated towards the end on the ground of the table legs concerned (1, 2, 12, 13) by means of axes (26)

[0024] Device, characterized in that the benches (14, 15) are locked in the use position, by tilting the footrests (19, 20, 18) initially parallel to the bench legs (24) for storage, to a substantially horizontal use position with the locking of the notches (29) of the rockers (18) of the footrests (18, 19, 20), on the pins (21) of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13).

[0025] The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description made with reference to the indexed figures:

[0026] - [Fig.l] represents an embodiment of the folding high table with benches and footrests also foldable, in the use position.

[0027] - [Fig.2] represents the same embodiment in the folded position.

[0028] The design constraints are important, because once folded, the device must be light enough to be carried by a single person and strong enough to withstand professional use. Then the device must already not be able to tip over in use even if all the users are seated on the same side, which we will call lateral stability or if only two people are seated facing each other at the end of the table, which we will call longitudinal stability. Although being foldable, the structure must offer a rigidity that inspires confidence in users, while being able to adapt to defects in the flatness of the floor by a possible slight twisting of the table while it must be rigid laterally as well as longitudinally. This means significant constraints of longitudinal and lateral rigidity, torsional flexibility, strength, cost.

[0029] In order to reduce the bending stresses on the structure, which are always costly in terms of weight, the two benches (14, 15), parallel to the long length of the table top, each rest on at least two legs (24) whose lower end (25) either directly reaches the ground, where the end of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) reaches the ground or else are articulated on the table legs, but at a low height from the ground so as to reduce the bending stresses on these table legs. In both cases, these bench legs (24) are articulated by means of pins (26) so as to be able to fold in the axis of the table legs on which they are articulated (1, 2, 12, 13).

[0030] To further save space when folded, the bench boards (14, 15) of the table will advantageously be tiltable with two stable positions, one with the bench boards (14, 15) parallel to the bench legs (24) for folding and the other in the use position with the bench boards substantially horizontal. In the preferred solution, these two positions are obtained in a stable manner by simple gravity and two abutment arrivals (24, 32). For this, the pivot axis (22, 23) of the bench boards (14, 15) on the bench legs (24) is offset by the width of the bench boards (14, 15) towards the inside of the structure.For these reasons the bench legs (24) will generally be slightly inclined towards the inside of the structure so that the resultant of the weight supported by the benches is always directed in front view between the points on the ground of the table legs, it is in this way that lateral stability is obtained and this is the reason why the spacing between the ends on the ground of the table legs is approximately twice the width of the top, a value which nevertheless remains very small in comparison with the space occupied by a table and chairs facing each other which must also be able to move back to make it possible to sit down easily or to be able to adopt a deployed position of the legs.

[0031] Approximately halfway up the feet of each bench (24) are articulated the footrests (19, 20, 18) which are substantially the same length as the bench. In the folded position, these footrests (18, 19, 20) pivot and also align with the axis of the bench legs (24). Bench legs (24) which can thus fold parallel to the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13), when the structure is folded.

[0032] In the position of use, the table is first unfolded, the bench boards tilted, then the footrests (18, 19, 20) tilt into a substantially horizontal position and are locked by gravity thanks to a notch (29) of the footrest tilters (18) which is locked onto a pin (21) placed on each table leg considered (1, 2, 12, 13). In this way the bench is locked at the correct distance from the vertical projection of the table top as well as at the correct distance from the opposite bench.

[0033] The footrests could in an equivalent manner tilt from the table legs to pins placed on the bench legs, but the ergonomics of the operation are less easy.

[0034] From the point of view of the resistance of the materials in bending for the table top, the bench boards and the footrests and therefore their weight, it is not advisable to place the table legs at the ends of the table top and the table top, benches and footrests will have a certain overhang. From the point of view of longitudinal stability, this overhang will be chosen so that the weight of the table allows two users alone to be able to stand face to face at one end of the table, without it being able to tip over.

[0035] This overhang may also be different for the three elements that are the table top, the benches and the footrests, which means that they will not necessarily have exactly the same length. The buttocks being normally less wide than the shoulders, the benches may be slightly shorter than the table top, in the same way the space dedicated to the users' feet on the footrests is less important than that of their elbows on the table and it is judicious that the footrests are even shorter than the benches, all to the benefit of weight, cost and longitudinal stability.

[0036] The longitudinal rigidity, which must also be significant to inspire confidence in users, can be obtained in different ways, without ever placing crosspieces and crossbars in the space dedicated to the users' legs. If the structure is ever equipped with crossbars (16, 17) and crossbars (30, 31), whether on the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) or the bench legs (24), they will find their place below the level of the footrests (18, 19, 20) so as not to cause any discomfort to the users.

[0037] This longitudinal rigidity may not be treated independently on the benches and the table with a saving in weight and cost, by the use of the rigidity of the footrests (18, 19, 20) which are constituted with their rockers (18) as very long non-deformable H, which will effectively reflect the longitudinal rigidity of the benches towards the table or vice versa.

[0038] The folding takes a few seconds, first the board of a bench is tilted in the axis of its bench legs (24), the notches (29) of the tilters (18) of its footrest are disengaged from the pins (21) of the table legs, then it is also tilted in the axis of the bench legs (24) like the seat board (14), then the bench legs (24) are tilted until the bench board and the footrest come into contact and substantially parallel to the table legs. The operation is repeated on the other bench then the chisel of the crossed legs (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13) of the table is closed, which tilts at the same time the table top (7), all taking a few seconds, then occupying about twenty centimeters of thickness.

[0039] It is always good to try to imagine unintended uses of an object. In this context, it is possible to imagine that users climb onto the table top, which changes the working mode of the structure, with significant efforts going in the direction of the opening of the table leg scissors (1, 2, 11, 12), especially if the floor is slippery. It is possible to protect against this misuse quite easily by placing a flexible cable on each leg scissors. Cable for example fixed on the locking pins (21) of the footrests (18, 19, 20), thus this cable will effectively limit the opening of said leg scissors to the design value, drastically reducing the stresses on the elements of the structure due to this misuse, and this without causing any discomfort during folding.

[0040] Several solutions are known to allow the folding of the crossed legs of the table as well as the tilting of the top, here two of the legs (1, 2) and their connecting rod (10, 11) are articulated at (3) and (4) at the correct distance between the articulation (5) and (6) of the top (7) and the articulations of the legs (8 and 9) so as to cause the tilting of the top (7) at the same time as the closing of the leg scissors (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13). Two stops (27) lock the scissors of these two legs (1, 2) when the elements (1, 2, 10, 11) are aligned, thus blocking the opening of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) at the desired opening, which is a very old technique known in itself.

[0041] Here the longitudinal rigidity of the structure is obtained by the longitudinal rigidity of the benches (14, 15, 24) which is itself ensured by the hollow crosspieces (16, 17) which at the same time act as a torsion box to maintain the two bench legs (24) in the same plane when the bench is unlocked from its position of use. This unlocking is obtained by disengaging the notches (29) of the rockers (18) of the foot steps (19, 20) from the pins (21) of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13). These torsion boxes (16, 17) make it possible to relieve the articulations (22, 23) of the bench legs (24) on the bench boards (14, 15) from any possible torsional forces which these articulations (22, 23) would have difficulty resisting, during the folding of the bench legs (24) against the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13).

[0042] Once unfolded, this longitudinal rigidity of the bench is transmitted to the table via the locking pins (21) of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13), by the footrests (19, 20) and their metal angle rockers (18), which constitute a long, non-deformable H.

[0043] This configuration can allow the saving of table leg crosspieces (30, 31) which find their places under the footrests if they prove necessary, to avoid causing any discomfort to users but with the disadvantage of greater weight and cost.

[0044] Here the bench legs (24) join the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) on the ground by the pads (25) articulated at (26) on the end of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13), these pads (25) also allow the offset of the bench legs (24), so that the bench boards (14, 15) and the footrest (19, 20) can find their place between the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) and the bench legs (24) when the structure is folded. This function of offsetting the value of the thickness of the bench board (14, 15) and that of the footrests (19, 20), could be assumed, by a slight bending of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) towards their lower end.

[0045] Once folded, the table can be carried by a single person in two ways, either the top (7) under the armpits, the upper face of the top (7) against the ribs, the table is held by a hand which then grasps the folded board (14) of the bench by its center.

[0046] Either the lower face of the top (7) against the shoulder, the table being carried by a hand which passes between the lower face of the top (7) and the bench board (15) to grasp it, with the advantage of being able to be carried by people of small stature.

[0047] Terraces often have one or more steps to cross before entering the bar, and so that the feet (1, 2, 12, 13) do not catch on these steps when storing, brackets (28) are placed so as to act as spatulas on these obstacles.

[0048] Fairly long versions of the table are possible and the weight may become significant if the table must be able to be stored by a single person. In this case, according to a variant not shown, the joints (26) of the bench legs may be replaced by pins placed towards the end of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) on the ground into which the bench legs (24) will be inserted, thus the benches may be detached from the table for the storage phase. The benches will keep the same architecture with bench board and tilting footrests to reduce their storage volume while the locking in the use position remains similar, by tilting the footrests, but then when storing, the weight may be divided into three, the two benches and the table.In this case, the table legs (1, 2) and (12, 13) must be equipped with stiffening crosspieces in their lower part, in particular to maintain their center distance when the benches are separated for the . storage.

Claims

Claims

1. Folding high table with crossed legs (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13) and tilting top (7) characterized in that the end on the ground of its feet (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) in the use position protrudes by several tens of centimeters from the vertical projection of the width of the top (7), this protrusion of the end of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) being associated with two folding benches (14, 15, 24, 25) and two footrests (19, 20, 18) also foldable which overhang in the use position the protrusion zone of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) thus preventing any movement of users with their feet on the ground in this protrusion zone of the feet (1, 2, 12, 13, 25) of the vertical projection of the width of the plate (7)

2. Folding high table with crossed legs (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13) and tilting top (7) according to claim 1, characterized in that the legs (24) of the benches (14, 15) are articulated and foldable parallel to their respective table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) via their pads (25) thanks to axes (26) with an offset allowing the bench boards (14, 15) and the footrests (19, 20) to find their place between the bench legs (24) and table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) in the folded position.

3. Folding high table with crossed legs (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13) and tilting top (7) according to claim 1, characterized in that the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) are slightly curved in their lower part, so as to provide for storage an offset between the bench legs (24) and the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) allowing the bench boards (14, 15) and the footrests (19, 20) to be placed for storage between the bench legs (24) and the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13)

4. Folding high table with crossed legs (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13) and tilting top (7) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the benches (14, 15, 24) are locked in the use position, by tilting the footrests (19, 20, 18) initially parallel to the bench legs (24) for storage, to a substantially horizontal use position by locking the notches (29) of the rockers (18) of the footrests (19, 20), on pins (21) of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13)

5. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the notches (29) are lights which follow the trajectory of the pins (21) on the tilters (18) when folding and unfolding the bench legs (24)

6. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the bench legs (24) are connected by a hollow crosspiece (16, 17).

7. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that brackets (28) placed at the bottom of the bench legs (24) act as spatulas so that the bench legs (24) do not catch on obstacles when transporting the table.

8. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to claim 1, characterized in that the bench boards (14, 15) can tilt from their storage position parallel to the bench legs (24) to their substantially horizontal use position, thanks to joints (22, 23)

9. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the pivot axis (22, 23) of the bench boards (14, 15) on the bench legs (24) which is offset by the width of the bench boards (14, 15), allows the two stable storage and use positions of the bench boards (14, 15) by simple gravity with two stop arrivals (24, 32)

10. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to claim 1, characterized in that longitudinal stiffening crosspieces (30, 31) are placed on the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13) below the footboards (19, 20)

11. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to claim 1, characterized in that the bench assemblies, comprising the bench boards (14, 15), bench legs (24), footrests (19, 20, 18), are inserted by the lower end of their bench legs (24) into pins close to the end of the table legs (1, 2, 12, 13), legs which are held at the correct center distance by crosspieces which then connect the table legs (1, 2) and (12, 13), an arrangement which makes it possible to separate the benches from the table, to break up the weight when setting up or storing them.

12. Folding high table with crossed legs and tilting top according to claim 1, characterized in that the table legs (1, 12) and (2, 13) are connected to each other by a safety cable and for example fixed on the pins (21), to limit the opening of the scissors of the legs to the use value in the event that individuals climb onto the top

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