Tailgating picnic bench and table combination

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to picnic benches and tables. More particularly, the present invention relates to a picnic table and bench combination which is a unitary assembly, supported on its front end by table legs and supported on the bench end by the trailer hitch receiver.

2. General Background of the Invention

The public in general enjoys attending picnics. One particular type of picnic involves people who are attending football games, particularly in the South, where winter weather is more accommodating, prior to the game, gather in large numbers outside the stadium and hold “tailgating” parties. The name is derived from the fact that most tailgating parties take place in the stadium parking lot and most people enjoy the party, usually serving food and drinks out of their vehicle. In most cases, when the participants arrive in pickup trucks, the tailgates are lowered and the food and drink served from the truck bed, via the tailgate, hence the name “tailgating” parties.

In most cases, people want to relax at such parties, and therefore, bring their own folding tables and chairs, in order to relax, and other items to serve the hot and cold prepared food. There is always a need at such parties to accommodate as many people around the “tailgate” to enjoy the party. Therefore, it would be beneficial to be able to erect a picnic-type table and chairs or bench which could be set up near the tailgate, and have the ability to be sturdy enough to accommodate multiple people on a bench with the added convenience of having a table adjacent the bench upon which to serve and eat and drink.

The following U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference:

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention solves the problems in the art in a simple and straightforward manner. What is provided is a combination picnic bench and table which would include a bench portion supported on a frame, having a seat portion and back portion, a metal tongue extending rearward from the frame of the bench portion, the end of which engaged in the opening of a trail hitch receiver mounted at the rear of a vehicle; a second metal member extending forward from the bench frame, terminating in an upright arm for supporting a flat table portion at one end; the second end of the table supported by a pair of adjustable legs extending from the table to the surface upon which the table will rest. There may be further included a pair of legs extended down from the ends of bench frame to assist in support the ends of the bench when multiple people are seated thereupon.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a bench/table combination, wherein the bench portion is mountable to a trailer hitch of a vehicle, and the table portion is engaged to the bench frame and is supported by a pair of adjustable leg members extending between the table top and the ground or other surface.

It is a further principal object of the present invention to provide an assembly, the bench portion of which is supported by mounting to a trailer hitch of a vehicle and the table portion of which is supported by the bench frame and further supported by leg members which are removable and adjustable to allow the table portion to be supported as a flat surface for serving people at a tailgate party.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention along lines 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention along lines 4-4 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the bench frame as mounted to the trailer hitch in the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the tailgating bench and table combination of the present invention by the numeral 10. As illustrated fully in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated tailgating bench and table combination 10 which includes a bench portion 12 and a table portion 14. The bench portion 12 includes a seat portion 16 and a back portion 18. Both portions 16 and 18 mounted on a frame 20 as illustrated. As further seen, frame 20 includes an arm member 22, extending from the underside 24 of frame 20, the arm member 22 having a distal end 26 which would engage into an opening 28 of a trailer hitch 29 of a vehicle 30 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The bench portion 12 would further include a pair of leg portions 32 and 34, each of which would extend from the two side edges 38 of seat frame portion 20, with each of the legs 32, 34 having a foot portion 40 resting on a surface such a ground 42. Each of the legs 32, 34 would help to support the bench portion 12 at the edges 38 of the bench portion 12, by each leg 32, 34 engaged within a housing 31. However, the bench portion 12 would primarily be supported by the frame arm member 22 engaged into the trailer hitch opening 28 of vehicle 30. It is foreseen that each of the leg members 32, 34 secured within housings 31 may be height adjustable so that the bench portion 12 is level with the surface 42 upon which it rests.

Furthermore, frame 20 further includes a second frame portion 50 which includes a member 52 extending forward, horizontal to the ground 42 and which would terminate in an upright member 54 which would be engaged to the underside 15 of table 14 and would serve as a first support the table portion 14 of the combination 10. Further, the table portion 14 would include a pair of leg portions 60 and 62 which would have the ability to be height adjustable, each leg 60, 62 having a foot portion 64 which would slide into an opening 63 at the end of each leg 60, 62, and include a pin 66 which would engage into a plurality of openings 65 in each foot portion 64 so that the foot portions 64 can be extended outward to the point where the table top 17 is horizontal to the ground 42 and is supported by the leg portions 60, 62 on its forward end portion 19.

In FIG. 3 the bench and table combination 10 is illustrated in top view, with the bench portion 12 showing the arm member 22 extending rearward from frame 20 and engaged into the trailer hitch 29 of the vehicle 30. There is further illustrated the two circular housings 31 on each edge 38 of the frame 20, each of which would house the legs 32, 34, as seen in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the bench and table combination 10, as it would be supported onto the vehicle 30, where there is seen additional support brackets 23, 25 on the frame 20, which further support the bench portion 12 and the member 22 engaged onto the trailer hitch 29. There is also illustrated the extendable foot portions 64 of each of the table legs 60, 62 as described fully in regard to FIGS. 1 and 2 above. Finally, FIG. 5 illustrates a partial view of the bench and table combination 10 engaged to the vehicle 30, again illustrating one of the housings 31 into which the bench legs 32, 34 would be engaged, and a side view of the member 22 slidingly engaged into the trailer hitch 29 as described earlier.

It is through the combination of the arm member 22 engaged within trailer hitch opening 28 and the pair of bench legs 32, 34, and the pair of table legs 60, 62, all part of one combination which allows the bench and table combination 10 function as a single until which is able to support several individuals attending a tailgating party.

The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention.

PARTS LIST

All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise. All materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible, unless indicated otherwise.

The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.