Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
The timeless Roche Bobois™* marble sphere and square glass coffee table is an invention that was patented in Spain. The invention was granted the Spanish utility patent, ES294084, titled Mesa, in Spanish (meaning “table” in English). No other patent family members were filed. As a result, the only official version of the patent is in Spanish. The patent was granted on September 1st, 1986. The applicant was Roche Bobois Espana S. A. The company’s legal representative was Don Ignacio Ponti Grau. The inventor is unspecified.
According to the specification of the disclosure, the marble sphere and square glass coffee table invention was intended to resolve the complexity invoked in the design of prior art coffee tables and to reduce associated production and lead time costs. A prior art that required several parts and processes (i.e., table top and table legs, plus tools and means to connect the table top to the table legs, using such items as srews, staples, braces, or soldering).
The patent Figure 2, included below, illustrates the simplicity of the invention that does not necessitate small parts and associated tools for fabrication. A sloped plate 1, advantageously made of thick glass, has a lower edge 2 covered with protective grips 3 to prevent the sloped glass 1 from contacting the floor 4. An opening 5 on the sloped plate 1 is designed to accommodate the sphere 6. The upper edge 9 of the sloped plate 1, and the top of the sphere 6, both at the same level, are secured to the tabletop plate 10, with a slip-resistant compound 7. The slip-resistant compound 7 also secures the sphere 8, contacting the floor 4, to the sloped plate 1.
An image of the marketed marble sphere and square glass Roche Bobois™ coffee table is included below the patent Figure 2. The scope of the invention extends to other materials that might be used for fabrication.
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* Roche Bobois™ is a French, luxury, home furnishing company; an international leader presenting collections that result from collaborations with renowned European designers and architects.
Reference
Roche Bobois™ (website)
