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  Table with electric hidden storageThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060290248. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] Reference is hereby made to and priority is hereby claimed from provisional application No. 60/581,693, filed Jun. 21, 2004. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH [0002] Not Applicable. REFERENCE TO "MICROFICHE APPENDIX" [0003] Not Applicable. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] The present Invention is directed towards a table which incorporates hidden storage with access to the storage provided by electrically powered mechanical means for opening the top of the table and lifting the storage compartment upwards. There is an ongoing need for storage volumes in order to organize and store tools and items associated with a variety of activities, including hobbies, crafts, and other leisure activities. Existing systems for storing such tools typically include tool chests and other similar devices. A wide variety of such systems exist, including, e.g., Herdies, U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,601; Miles, U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,987; and Geiss II, U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,816. For aesthetic reasons, however, these existing systems are generally unsuitable for widespread use in an environment outside a workshop. Many hobby and leisure activities carried out by individuals in a home are conducted in family living areas or bedrooms, where individuals take the opportunity to multitask such hobby and leisure activities with the entertainment increasingly available in such parts of the typical household. For aesthetic reasons, traditional tool storage systems are unsuitable in these locales, exposed tools and hobby supplies are similarly aesthetically displeasing. A need exists, therefore, for a device which allows for the storage of tools and supplies associated with hobbies and other leisure activities while maintaining the neat appearance of home living areas. [0005] One example of a prior effort at providing the solution to these problems appears in Hastings, U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,606. While similar in direction to the present invention, Hastings provides a limited solution to specific storage problems attendant to one particular activity, art. The instant invention provides a general solution applicable to most, if not all, general hobbies, crafts, and other tool-intensive activities. Additionally, the Hastings solution provides storage which is not vertically adjustable. As such, the storage provided by Hastings is inconvenient to access during use of the Hastings invention. Furthermore, the storage in Hastings is only accessible through manual means. An ongoing need remains for a general storage solution with vertically adjustable storage, which is provided by the instant invention as described further herein. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The present invention seeks to solve these issues by providing a storage table which, on its exterior, resembles an end table or other similar piece of furniture which is commonly found in a family living area. The table consists of an enclosure, typically a right rectangular hardwood enclosure including four sides and a top surface. The enclosure may include such exterior ornamentation as is necessary to allow the invention to appear to be a normal piece of household furniture. The top surface of the table is attached to the sides by means of two sliding mechanisms (such as drawer slides), which allow the top surface to be slid forward a distance at least equal to the side dimension of the enclosure. By this sliding action, the interior of the enclosure is thereby exposed. [0007] Contained within the interior of the enclosure, a storage chest rests upon a lifting bracket. The storage chest may be of a variety of designs, but most typically would comprise a plurality of shallow drawers stacked in a vertical configuration, with the top level of the chest comprising a removable tray. By this arrangement, the interior volume of the storage chest is divided into as large a surface area as possible, allowing for the storage and organization of a large number of small items. Furthermore, by including a removable tray on the top of the chest, easy access to the most commonly used items is provided, as only the top surface of the enclosure need be opened for access to the removable tray. [0008] As noted, the storage chest rests upon a lifting bracket, which is connected to electrical lifting means. The lifting bracket may slide freely in a vertical direction within the enclosure, and has a outer shape that is approximately the same as the inner cross-sectional shape of the enclosure. The electrical lifting means may include a wide variety of mechanisms, but preferably include an electrical motor turning a chain drive which lifts and lowers the lifting bracket, thereby allowing for rapid, reliable, and simple access to the storage chest contained within the enclosure. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the storage table in its closed position. [0010] FIG. 2 is an oblique view of the storage table with the top surface slid forward, revealing the storage chest contained within. [0011] FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the storage table from the front showing the storage chest in the raised position and showing the lifting mechanism. [0012] FIG. 4 is a top view of the storage table with the chest removed, showing the lifting mechanism and lifting bracket and showing the top surface in its forward position. CATALOG OF ELEMENTS [0013] 10 Storage table [0014] 20 Front side [0015] 22 Back side [0016] 24 Left side [0017] 26 Right side Continue reading... 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