Foldable bistro table

Abstract

A foldable table includes a table top and a table top support coupled to the table top. The table top support is supported on a floor such that the table top is spaced apart from the floor. The table top support includes a central support post, a fixed leg unit coupled to the central support post, and a stowable leg unit pivotably coupled to the central support post.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A foldable table, the foldable table comprising
 a table top that is changeable between a use mode in which the table top has a first area when viewed downwardly along a central axis of the foldable table and a storage mode in which the table top has a second area when viewed downwardly along the central axis of the foldable table that is less than the first area, and   a table top support coupled to the table top and configured to be supported on a floor such that the table top is spaced apart from the floor, the table top support including a central support post defining the central axis, a fixed leg unit coupled to the central support post, and a stowable leg unit pivotably coupled to the central support post for rotation about the central axis, wherein the stowable leg unit is movable about the central axis to define an expanded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially perpendicular to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis of the table and a folded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis of the table,   wherein the foldable table is changeable between an expanded-use configuration in which the stowable leg unit is in the expanded mode and the table top is in the use mode and a folded-storage configuration in which the stowable leg unit is in the folded mode and the table top is in the storage mode to establish a reduced footprint of the foldable table so that a user may store the foldable table.   
     
     
         2 . The foldable table of  claim 1 , wherein the stowable leg unit includes a back leg assembly having a back leg extending between the floor and the table top and a back-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and coupled to the back leg for movement therewith about the central axis, the back leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which the back leg supports a back end of the table top and a folded position in which the back leg is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit, and
 wherein the stowable leg unit further includes a front leg assembly having a front leg extending between the floor and the table top and a front-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and coupled to the front leg for movement therewith about the central axis, the front leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which the front leg supports a front end of the table top and a folded position in which the front leg is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit.   
     
     
         3 . The foldable table of  claim 2 , wherein the fixed leg unit includes a left leg assembly supporting a left side of the table top and a right leg assembly supporting a right side of the table top, the left leg assembly and the right leg assembly both being fixed to at least one of the central support post and the table top. 
     
     
         4 . The foldable table of  claim 3 , wherein the left leg assembly includes a left leg extending between the floor and the table top and a left-leg fixed mount coupled to the left leg and the central support post and the right leg assembly includes a right leg extending between the floor and the table top and a right-leg fixed mount coupled to the right leg and the central support post, and
 wherein a mount segment of the left leg is offset from a mount segment of the right leg relative to the central axis and a mount segment of the front leg is offset from a mount segment of the right leg so that, when the back leg assembly is in the folded position, an upper segment of the back leg is substantially parallel to an upper segment of the left leg and substantially collinear to an upper segment of the right leg, and, when the front leg assembly is in the folded position, an upper segment of the front leg is substantially parallel to the upper segment of the right leg and substantially collinear to the upper segment of the left leg.   
     
     
         5 . The foldable table of  claim 4 , wherein the mount segment of the back leg engages the mount segment of the right leg when the back leg assembly is in the expanded position and the mount segment of the back leg engages the mount segment of the left leg when the back leg assembly is in the folded position, and
 wherein the mount segment of the front leg engages the mount segment of the left leg when the front leg assembly is in the expanded position and the mount segment of the front leg engages the mount segment of the right leg when the front leg is in the folded position.   
     
     
         6 . The foldable table of  claim 4 , wherein an upper end of the left leg and an upper end of the right leg are a first radial distance from the central axis and an upper end of the front leg and an upper end of the back leg are a second radial distance from the central axis that is less than the first radial distance. 
     
     
         7 . The foldable table of  claim 1 , wherein the table top includes a central panel extending between a left side and a right side of the table top, a back panel coupled to the central panel and extending to a back end of the table top, and a front panel coupled to the central panel and extending to a front end of the table top, the central panel including a central panel body defining a center line extending between the left side and the table top, a back edge facing the back panel, and a front edge facing the front panel. 
     
     
         8 . The foldable table of  claim 7 , wherein the fixed leg unit includes a right leg having an upper segment arranged between the center line and the back edge of the central panel body and a left leg having an upper segment arranged between the center line and the front edge of the central panel body, the upper segments of the right leg and the left leg being substantially parallel to the floor. 
     
     
         9 . The foldable table of  claim 8 , wherein the stowable leg unit includes a back leg assembly having a back leg extending between the floor and the table top and a back-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and coupled to the back leg for movement therewith about the central axis, the back leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which an upper segment of the back leg is substantially perpendicular to the upper segment of the left leg to support the back panel and a folded position in which the upper segment of the back leg is substantially parallel to the upper segment of the left leg and is arranged between the upper segment of the left leg and the back edge to position the back leg underneath the central panel body, and
 wherein the stowable leg unit further includes a front leg assembly having a front leg extending between the floor and the table top and a front-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and coupled to the front leg for movement therewith about the central axis, the front leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which an upper segment of the front leg is substantially perpendicular to the upper segment of the right leg to support the front panel and a folded position in which the upper segment of the front leg is substantially parallel to the upper segment of the right leg and is arranged between the upper segment of the right leg and the front edge to position the front leg underneath the central panel body.   
     
     
         10 . The foldable table of  claim 7 , wherein the central panel further includes a left bracket coupled to the central panel body, the back panel, and the front panel at the left side of the table top and a right bracket coupled to the central panel body, the back panel, and the front panel at the right side of the table top, the left and right brackets cooperating to define a back-panel pivot axis between the back panel and the back edge of the central panel body and a front-panel pivot axis between the front panel and the front edge of the central panel body. 
     
     
         11 . The foldable table of  claim 10 , wherein the stowable leg unit includes a back leg assembly and a front leg assembly coupled to the central post, the back leg assembly and the front leg assembly each being changeable between an expanded position in which the back leg assembly supports the back panel and the front leg assembly supports the front panel and a storage position in which the back leg assembly is rotated about the central axis to arrange the back leg assembly below the central panel body and the front leg assembly is rotated about the central axis to arrange the front leg assembly below the central panel body. 
     
     
         12 . The foldable table of  claim 11 , wherein the back panel is changeable between a use position in which the back panel is substantially parallel to the floor and a storage position in which the back panel is rotated about the back-panel pivot axis to be substantially parallel to the central axis, the back panel being blocked from changing from the use position to the storage position when the back leg assembly is in the expanded position, and
 wherein the front panel is changeable between a use position in which the front panel is substantially parallel to the floor and a storage position in which the front panel is rotated about the front-panel pivot axis to be substantially parallel to the central axis, the front panel being blocked from changing from the use position to the storage position when the front leg assembly is in the expanded position.   
     
     
         13 . A foldable table, the foldable table comprising
 a table top, and   a table top support having a central support post defining a central axis, a fixed leg unit coupled to the central support post, and a stowable leg unit pivotably coupled to the central support post for rotation about the central axis, wherein the stowable leg unit is changeable between an expanded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially perpendicular to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis and a folded mode in which the stowable leg unit is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit when viewed downwardly along the central axis.   
     
     
         14 . The table top support of  claim 13 , wherein the stowable leg unit includes a back leg assembly having a back leg extending between a lower end of the back leg and an upper end of the back leg and a back-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and coupled to the back leg for movement therewith about the central axis, the back leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which the back leg supports a back end of the table top and a folded position in which the back leg is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit, and
 wherein the stowable leg unit further includes a front leg assembly having a front leg extending between a lower end of the front leg and an upper end of the front leg and a front-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and coupled to the front leg for movement therewith about the central axis, the front leg assembly being movable between an expanded position in which the front leg supports a front end of the table top and a folded position in which the front leg is substantially parallel to the fixed leg unit.   
     
     
         15 . The table top support of  claim 14 , wherein wherein the fixed leg unit includes a left leg assembly and a right leg assembly, the left leg assembly including a left leg extending between a lower end of the left leg and an upper end of the left leg and a left-leg fixed mount coupled to the left leg and the central support post and the right leg assembly including a right leg extending between the a lower end of the right leg and an upper end of the right leg and a right-leg fixed mount coupled to the right leg and the central support post, and
 wherein a mount segment of the left leg is offset from a mount segment of the right leg relative to the central axis and a mount segment of the front leg is offset from a mount segment of the right leg so that, when the back leg assembly is in the folded position, an upper segment of the back leg is substantially parallel to an upper segment of the left leg and substantially collinear to an upper segment of the right leg, and, when the front leg assembly is in the folded position, an upper segment of the front leg is substantially parallel to the upper segment of the right leg and substantially collinear to the upper segment of the left leg.   
     
     
         16 . The table top support of  claim 15 , wherein the mount segment of the back leg engages the mount segment of the right leg when the back leg assembly is in the expanded position and the mount segment of the back leg engages the mount segment of the left leg when the back leg assembly is in the folded position, and
 wherein the mount segment of the front leg engages the mount segment of the left leg when the front leg assembly is in the expanded position and the mount segment of the front leg engages the mount segment of the right leg when the front leg is in the folded position.   
     
     
         17 . The table top support of  claim 15 , wherein the upper end of the left leg and the upper end of the right leg are a first radial distance from the central axis and the upper end of the front leg and the upper end of the back leg are a second radial distance from the central axis that is less than the first radial distance. 
     
     
         18 . The table top support of  claim 13 , wherein the stowable leg unit includes a back leg assembly having a back-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and a back leg coupled to the back-leg rotatable mount and having a generally concave shape, and
 wherein the stowable leg unit further includes a front leg assembly having a front-leg rotatable mount arranged around the central support post and a front leg coupled to the front-leg rotatable mount and having a generally concave shape.   
     
     
         19 . The table top support of  claim 18 , wherein the generally concave shape of the back leg is defined by an upper segment, a mount segment, and a lower segment of the back leg, the upper segment being defined between an upper end of the back leg and a first curve of the back leg being located radially inward from the upper end relative to the central axis such that the upper segment is substantially perpendicular to the central axis, the mount segment being defined between the first curve and a second curve of the back leg located axially downward from the first curve such that the mount segment extends axially downward relative to the central axis, and the lower segment being defined between the second curve and a lower end of the back leg located radially outward from the upper end of the back leg such that at least a portion of the lower segment extends substantially parallel to the central axis, and
 wherein the generally concave shape of the front leg is defined by an upper segment, a mount segment, and a lower segment of the front leg, the upper segment being defined between an upper end of the front leg and a first curve of the front leg being located radially inward from the upper end relative to the central axis such that the upper segment is substantially perpendicular to the central axis, the mount segment being defined between the first curve and a second curve of the front leg located axially downward from the first curve such that the mount segment extends axially downward relative to the central axis, and the lower segment being defined between the second curve and a lower end of the front leg located radially outward from the upper end of the front leg such that at least a portion of the lower segment extends substantially parallel to the central axis.   
     
     
         20 . The table top support of  claim 19 , wherein the mount segment of the back leg is coupled to the back-leg rotatable mount and the mount segment extends radially inward from the first curve towards the back-leg rotatable mount and extends radially outward from the back-leg rotatable mount towards the second curve so that the mount segment of the back leg opens radially outward relative to the central axis, and
 wherein the mount segment of the front leg is coupled to the front-leg rotatable mount and the mount segment extends radially inward from the first curve towards the front-leg rotatable mount and extends radially outward from the front-leg rotatable mount towards the second curve so that the mount segment of the front leg opens radially outward relative to the central axis.