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Picnic table

Picnicking has long been a favorite family pastime and social activity. Popular picnic sites include the back yard, parks, and camping grounds. Of course, one of the main stays of any picnicking activity is the picnic table as the feast and conversation usually center therearound. Picnic tables are commonly used at outdoor settings for providing a casual dining atmosphere. Picnic tables offer the convenience of having a table top surface and seating for the table combined into one unit. Picnic tables also offer the advantage of being able to seat a large number of people around one table. Picnic tables typically include a table portion with two benches, one bench extending along each side. Some picnic tables include a framework that supports both the benches and the tabletop as a single assembly. Conventional picnic tables generally have a rectangular configuration and may be sized to allow four, six or eight persons to sit at one time. Picnic tables are typically located outdoors and are often used as part of an outdoor social gathering that generally includes food or a meal. It is becoming more common to find picnic tables in backyards and on decks of private dwellings. Picnic tables typically have a center table with two benches disposed on two opposed sides of the table. Portable picnic tables in the form of an elongated rectangular tabletop with longitudinally aligning bench seats are sometimes constructed as unitary, foldable items which collapse into a convenient storage form. The legs of such picnic tables collapse from an extended, freestanding, position into a storage, or collapsed, condition. A major distinction with folding picnic tables is that a pair of seats are integrated with the table into a single unit. Picnic tables typically include a table top, two benches, and a support structure for interconnecting the benches to the table top at a proper position and for supporting the benches and the table top above a supporting surface. To further improve the utility of folding picnic tables, rollers or casters have been added to provide easier mobility. This improves the usefulness of the tables and allows for easier conversion of the spaces in which the tables are set up for other uses.

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