Folding dining car

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of dining cars, and discloses a folding dining car. The dining car comprises a first dining car frame, a second dining car frame, a middle base column and an elastic locking assembly, the middle base column is located on the sides, close to each other, of the first dining car frame and the second dining car frame, the first dining car frame and the second dining car frame are hinged to each other and are both hinged to the middle base column, and the elastic locking assembly is movably installed on the middle base column. The elastic locking assembly is suitable for locking the first dining car frame and the second dining car frame which are in the opening state or the folding state, the elastic locking assembly is provided with an unlocking button, and when the unlocking button is pressed, locking of the first dining car frame and the second dining car frame by the elastic locking assembly is relieved. After the dining car is completely folded or completely unfolded, the elastic locking assembly can lock the dining car in the corresponding state, so that the dining car is stable in any state; one-key opening and one-key folding are controlled, the folding operation steps are reduced, and operation is smooth and convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food cart technology, and more specifically, to a folding food cart. Background Technology

[0002] Food carts, also known as serving carts, are mainly used in hotels or restaurants for delivering food. To minimize space usage when not in use or during transport, some technologies divide the cart into two halves. The two halves are hinged together at their closest points and supported by a linkage assembly. When not in use, the cart can be folded simply by moving the linkage assembly. However, because existing linkage assemblies lack elastic locking components, they can move freely under stress. Therefore, the linkage assembly is prone to shifting when subjected to vibration or slight external forces, resulting in instability in both the folded and unfolded states of the food cart. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address at least one of the aforementioned problems, this utility model provides a folding food cart, comprising a first food cart frame, a second food cart frame, a central base column, and an elastic locking assembly. The central base column is located on the side of the first and second food cart frames that are close to each other. The first and second food cart frames are hinged together and both are hinged together to the central base column. The elastic locking assembly is movably mounted on the central base column. The elastic locking assembly is adapted to lock the first and second food cart frames in an open or folded state. The elastic locking assembly is provided with an unlocking button, which releases the locking of the first and second food cart frames by pressing the unlocking button.

[0004] Optionally, the resilient locking assembly is hinged to a link, and one end of the link away from the resilient locking assembly is hinged to the first or second food cart rack.

[0005] Optionally, the intermediate base column is provided with a first locking part and a second locking part at intervals. When the first food cart rack and the second food cart rack are in a fully unfolded state, the elastic locking component locks to the first locking part. When the first food cart rack and the second food cart rack are in a fully folded state, the elastic locking component locks to the second locking part.

[0006] Optionally, the elastic locking assembly includes a housing, a locking pin, and a drive spring. The housing is sleeved on the intermediate base post and slides on the intermediate base post. The locking pin is slidably installed inside the housing. One end of the locking pin protrudes from the housing and is adapted to be inserted into the intermediate base post, the first food cart rack, or the second food cart rack for locking. The drive spring is installed inside the housing and is adapted to drive the locking pin to always have a locking tendency.

[0007] Optionally, the unlock button is slidably connected to the housing, one end of the unlock button is inserted into the housing and movably connected to the locking pin, and the other end of the unlock button is located outside the housing. When a pressing force is applied to the unlock button to move it into the housing, the unlock button drives the locking pin to move and unlock.

[0008] Optionally, the unlock button is provided with a reset spring, which is adapted to drive the unlock button to reset after being pressed.

[0009] Optionally, the outer wall of the locking pin is provided with a drive groove, and the unlocking button is provided with a drive plate on the side near the locking pin. The drive plate is inserted into the drive groove, and the drive plate is provided with a drive slope. The edge of the drive groove abuts against the drive slope.

[0010] Optionally, the groove wall on one side of the drive groove is provided with an inclined surface, and the inclined surface is in contact with the drive inclined surface.

[0011] Optionally, the inner wall of the housing is provided with a directional sleeve, and one end of the locking pin is inserted into the directional sleeve and slides within the directional sleeve.

[0012] Optionally, the inner wall of the directional sleeve is provided with a directional block, and the outer wall of the locking pin is provided with a directional groove for the directional block to be inserted, the directional groove extending along the sliding direction of the locking pin.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0014] 1. When the food cart is fully folded or fully unfolded, the elastic locking component will lock the food cart in the corresponding state, making the food cart relatively stable in any state;

[0015] 2. The locking pin has a constant locking tendency under the action of the drive spring, which improves the stability of the locking pin in the locked state, and thus improves the stability of the food cart in the corresponding folded or open state.

[0016] 3. When the food cart is opened or folded, the elastic locking component can move on the central base column via a connecting rod, and then move to the first locking part or the second locking part to lock it. There is no need to move the elastic locking component separately, which improves the convenience of operation.

[0017] 4. When folding the first and second food cart racks, simply press the unlock button to release the elastic locking component, then move them closer together to fold them together. The one-button opening and one-button folding control reduces the number of folding steps and makes the operation smooth and convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the first and second food cart racks in their fully opened states in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the first and second food cart frames in their fully folded state in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the intermediate base column and the elastic locking component in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the elastic locking component and the unlocking button in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the elastic locking component in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the unlocking button and locking pin in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the unlocking button and the second housing in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. First food cart frame; 11. First support column; 12. First tray; 13. Connecting rod; 2. Second food cart frame; 21. Second support column; 22. Second tray; 3. Intermediate base column; 31. First locking part; 32. Second locking part; 4. Elastic locking assembly; 41. Housing; 42. Locking pin; 421. Blocking ring; 422. Drive groove; 423. Orientation groove; 43. Drive spring; 44. First housing; 441. Through hole; 45. Second housing; 451. Baffle; 452. Orientation sleeve; 453. Orientation block; 5. Unlock button; 51. Return spring; 52. Drive plate; 53. Drive slope. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper" and "lower" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship when the product is in normal use.

[0028] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature.

[0029] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-7 This application will be described in further detail.

[0030] This utility model embodiment provides a folding food cart, see reference. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The folding serving cart includes a first serving cart frame 1, a second serving cart frame 2, a central base column 3, and a flexible locking assembly 4. The central base column 3 is located on the side of the first serving cart frame 1 and the second serving cart frame 2 that are close to each other. The first serving cart frame 1 and the second serving cart frame 2 are hinged together and both are hinged together to the central base column 3. The flexible locking assembly 4 is movably mounted on the central base column 3 and is adapted to lock the first serving cart frame 1 and the second serving cart frame 2 in the open or folded state.

[0031] The first serving cart 1 includes first support columns 11 and first trays 12. Two first support columns 11 are spaced apart and symmetrically arranged. The first tray 12 is located on the side of the first support columns 11 closer to the second serving cart 2, and both first support columns 11 are hinged to the first tray 12, allowing the first tray 12 to rotate relative to the first support columns 11 to fold or unfold. Preferably, in this embodiment, three first trays 12 are spaced apart vertically.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The second food cart 2 includes a second support column 21 and a second tray 22. Two second support columns 21 are spaced apart and symmetrically arranged. The second tray 22 is located on the side of the second support column 21 closest to the first tray 12, and both second support columns 21 are hinged to the second tray 22, allowing the second tray 22 to rotate relative to the second support column 21 to fold or open. Since three first trays 12 are spaced apart vertically, three second trays 22 are also spaced apart vertically. Each of the three first trays 12 corresponds to one of the three second trays 22, and the ends of the corresponding first trays 12 and second trays 22 that are close to each other are hinged together by a hinge shaft.

[0033] Multiple first trays 12 and multiple second trays 22 are hinged to the central base column 3. Therefore, when the central base column 3 moves up and down, it can drive the multiple first trays 12 and multiple second trays 22 to move synchronously to fold or unfold. In addition, each first support column 11 and each second support column 21 is equipped with casters at the bottom to facilitate pushing the food cart.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The elastic locking component 4 is sleeved on the intermediate base column 3 and slides on the intermediate base column 3. In this embodiment, the elastic locking component 4 is preferably located between the top tray and the intermediate tray. Two connecting rods 13 are symmetrically hinged on the elastic locking component 4. The two connecting rods 13 are respectively hinged to the first tray 12 and the second tray 22 in the middle, so that the support is relatively stable. When the elastic locking component 4 is in the locked state, the connecting rods 13 are in the open state, supporting the first tray 1 and the second tray 2 and making it difficult for the first tray 1 and the second tray 2 to rotate relative to each other. In other embodiments, only one connecting rod 13 can be provided, and the end of the connecting rod 13 away from the elastic locking component 4 can be hinged to the first tray 12 or the second tray 22, thereby achieving the effect of support and locking.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 The central base column 3 is vertically spaced with a first locking part 31 and a second locking part 32. In this embodiment, both the first locking part 31 and the second locking part 32 are preferably insertion holes. When the first serving cart 1 and the second serving cart 2 are fully unfolded, the elastic locking component 4 is inserted and locked in the first locking part 31. When the first serving cart 1 and the second serving cart 2 are fully folded, the elastic locking component 4 is inserted and locked in the second locking part 32. In another embodiment, locking holes can be provided on the first tray 12 and the second tray 22, and the elastic locking component 4 is directly inserted into the locking hole after the serving cart is folded or unfolded.

[0036] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The elastic locking assembly 4 includes a housing 41, a locking pin 42, and a drive spring 43. The locking pin 42 is slidably mounted inside the housing 41, with one end protruding from the housing 41 and adapted to be inserted into the socket of the first locking part 31 or the second locking part 32 to lock the food cart. The drive spring 43 is mounted inside the housing 41 and is adapted to drive the locking pin 42 to maintain a locking tendency.

[0037] In detail, the outer casing 41 includes a first casing 44 and a second casing 45. The top of the first casing 44 has a through hole 441, into which the central base post 3 is inserted. The first casing 44 has an assembly groove on its side near the exterior of the food cart. The second casing 45 covers the opening of the assembly groove and is connected to the first casing 44 by bolts. The locking pin 42 and the drive spring 43 are both installed within the assembly groove.

[0038] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The through hole 441 has a telescopic hole on its wall, which is connected to the assembly groove. The locking pin 42 is inserted into the telescopic hole and one end of the locking pin 42 passes through the telescopic hole and is inserted into the first locking part 31 or the second locking part 32 of the intermediate base column 3.

[0039] A blocking ring 421 is integrally formed and sleeved in the middle of the locking pin 42. The outer diameter of the blocking ring 421 is larger than the inner diameter of the telescopic hole, so that the locking pin 42 is not easy to fall out of the telescopic hole.

[0040] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The drive spring 43 is located on the side of the blocking ring 421 away from the through hole 441, and the drive spring 43 is sleeved on the locking pin 42. A baffle 451 is bolted inside the second housing 45. The end of the locking pin 42 away from the through hole 441 passes through the baffle 451, and the two ends of the drive spring 43 are respectively pressed against the baffle 451 and the blocking ring 421, so the locking pin 42 always has a tendency to lock under the action of the drive spring 43.

[0041] Combination Figure 1 Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 An unlocking button 5 is slidably connected to the second housing 45. One end of the unlocking button 5 is inserted into the housing 41 and movably connected to the locking pin 42, while the other end of the unlocking button 5 is located outside the housing 41 for easy operation by the user. When a pressing force is applied to the unlocking button 5 to move it inward into the housing 41, the unlocking button 5 drives the locking pin 42 to move and release the locking state of the first food cart rack 1 and the second food cart rack 2.

[0042] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 More specifically, the second housing 45 is provided with a through hole for inserting the unlock button 5. A limiting plate is integrally formed on the outer wall of the unlock button 5. The limiting plate is located inside the second housing 45, and the unlock button 5 is not easy to fall out of the through hole under the action of the limiting plate.

[0043] Combination Figure 4 Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The unlock button 5 is located on one side of the second housing 45 and is provided with a reset spring 51. The two ends of the reset spring 51 abut against the inner wall of the unlock button 5 and the second housing 45 respectively. The reset spring 51 is suitable for driving the unlock button 5 to reset after being pressed, thereby improving the convenience of use.

[0044] Reference Figures 3-6The outer wall of the locking pin 42 has a drive groove 422. The unlock button 5 has a drive plate 52 near the locking pin 42, which is inserted into the drive groove 422. The drive plate 52 has a drive ramp 53, and the edge of the drive groove 422 abuts against the drive ramp 53. One side of the drive groove 422 has an inclined surface, which fits snugly against the drive ramp 53, increasing the contact area between the drive plate 52 and the locking pin 42 and making the fit more stable. When the unlock button 5 is pressed, the drive plate 52 drives the locking pin 42 to move into the housing 41 to be pulled out from the first locking part 31 or the second locking part 32 to release the locking state.

[0045] Combination Figure 4 Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 The inner wall of the second housing 45 is integrally formed with a directional sleeve 452. The end of the locking pin 42 away from the through hole 441 is inserted into the directional sleeve 452 and slides within the directional sleeve 452. The inner wall of the directional sleeve 452 is provided with a directional block 453, and the outer wall of the locking pin 42 is provided with a directional groove 423 for the directional block 453 to be inserted. The directional groove 423 extends along the sliding direction of the locking pin 42 and communicates with the drive groove 422. In this way, the locking pin 42 can move in a directional manner, ensuring the accuracy of the fit between the drive groove 422 and the drive plate 52 at any time.

[0046] The implementation principle of a folding food cart according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: when the first food cart frame 1 and the second food cart frame 2 are fully opened, the two connecting rods 13 are in the extended state, and at the same time, the locking pin 42 is inserted into the first locking part 31 of the intermediate base column 3 for locking. This makes it difficult for the elastic locking component 4 to slide on the intermediate base column 3, and the first food cart frame 1 and the second food cart frame 2 are not easy to rotate relative to each other under the action of the corresponding connecting rods 13, so that the first food cart frame 1 and the second food cart frame 2 are relatively stable after being opened.

[0047] When folding the first serving cart 1 and the second serving cart 2, simply press the unlock button 5. The drive plate 52 will drive the locking pin 42 to move inward into the outer casing 41 to release it from the first locking part 31. Then, the intermediate base post 3 will be driven upward to bring the first serving cart 1 and the second serving cart 2 closer together and fold them together. When the first serving cart 1 and the second serving cart 2 are fully folded, the locking pin 42 is inserted into the second locking part 32 of the intermediate base post 3 to lock them in place.

[0048] Similarly, the components included in the "components" of this disclosure can also be flexibly combined. They can be modularly produced according to actual needs and assembled as an independent module; or they can be assembled separately to form a module in this device. The division of the above-mentioned components in this disclosure is only one embodiment for ease of reading and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Any technical solution that includes the above-mentioned components and has the same function should be understood as an equivalent technical solution of this disclosure.

[0049] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this disclosure.

[0050] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0051] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0052] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0053] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to," "set on," "fixed to," or "mounted on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is considered to be "connected to another component," it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component. Furthermore, when a component is considered to be "fixedly connected" to another component, the connection can be detachable or non-detachable, such as through socketing, snap-fitting, integral molding, welding, etc., which are achievable in conventional technologies and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0054] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0055] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this disclosure, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of this disclosure, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A folding food cart, characterized in that: The device includes a first serving cart (1), a second serving cart (2), a central base (3), and an elastic locking assembly (4). The central base (3) is located on the side where the first serving cart (1) and the second serving cart (2) are close to each other. The first serving cart (1) and the second serving cart (2) are hinged together and both are hinged together with the central base (3). The elastic locking assembly (4) is movably mounted on the central base (3). The elastic locking assembly (4) is adapted to lock the first serving cart (1) and the second serving cart (2) in the open or folded state. The elastic locking assembly (4) is provided with an unlocking button (5). When the unlocking button (5) is pressed, it will release the locking of the first serving cart (1) and the second serving cart (2) by the elastic locking assembly (4).

2. The folding food cart according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic locking assembly (4) is hinged to a connecting rod (13), and one end of the connecting rod (13) away from the elastic locking assembly (4) is hinged to the first food cart rack (1) or the second food cart rack (2).

3. The folding food cart according to claim 1, characterized in that: The intermediate base column (3) is provided with a first locking part (31) and a second locking part (32) at intervals. When the first food cart rack (1) and the second food cart rack (2) are in a fully unfolded state, the elastic locking component (4) is locked to the first locking part (31). When the first food cart rack (1) and the second food cart rack (2) are in a fully folded state, the elastic locking component (4) is locked to the second locking part (32).

4. The folding food cart according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The elastic locking assembly (4) includes a housing (41), a locking pin (42), and a drive spring (43). The housing (41) is sleeved on the intermediate base post (3) and slides on the intermediate base post (3). The locking pin (42) is slidably installed inside the housing (41). One end of the locking pin (42) protrudes from the housing (41) and is adapted to be inserted into the intermediate base post (3), the first food cart rack (1), or the second food cart rack (2) for locking. The drive spring (43) is installed inside the housing (41) and is adapted to drive the locking pin (42) to always have a locking tendency.

5. The folding food cart according to claim 4, characterized in that: The unlock button (5) is slidably connected to the housing (41). One end of the unlock button (5) is inserted into the housing (41) and movably connected to the locking pin (42). The other end of the unlock button (5) is located outside the housing (41). When a pressing force is applied to the unlock button (5) to move it into the housing (41), the unlock button (5) drives the locking pin (42) to move and unlock.

6. The folding food cart according to claim 5, characterized in that: The unlock button (5) is provided with a reset spring (51), which is adapted to drive the unlock button (5) to reset after being pressed.

7. The folding food cart according to claim 5, characterized in that: The outer wall of the locking pin (42) is provided with a drive groove (422). The unlocking button (5) is provided with a drive plate (52) on the side near the locking pin (42). The drive plate (52) is inserted into the drive groove (422). The drive plate (52) is provided with a drive slope (53). The edge of the groove opening of the drive groove (422) abuts against the drive slope (53).

8. The folding food cart according to claim 7, characterized in that: The groove wall on one side of the drive groove (422) is provided with an inclined surface, and the inclined surface is in contact with the drive inclined surface (53).

9. The folding food cart according to claim 7, characterized in that: The inner wall of the outer shell (41) is provided with a directional sleeve (452), and one end of the locking pin (42) is inserted into the directional sleeve (452) and slides inside the directional sleeve (452).

10. The folding food cart according to claim 9, characterized in that: The inner wall of the directional sleeve (452) is provided with a directional block (453), and the outer wall of the locking pin (42) is provided with a directional groove (423) for the directional block (453) to be inserted. The directional groove (423) extends along the sliding direction of the locking pin (42).

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