A battery-powered tray moving device

Abstract

This utility model discloses a battery-powered tray moving device, which includes a base extending in a racetrack shape and adapted to be placed above a long rectangular table. The base has at least one rack arranged along its extension direction. Multiple sliders are slidably mounted on the base, with connecting members between adjacent sliders. A drive assembly is mounted on at least one slider, designated as the first slider. The drive assembly includes a drive motor and a gear linked to the drive motor, with the gear and rack meshing. A battery is mounted on the first slider and used to power the drive motor. This utility model directly powers the drive motor via a battery located on the first slider, eliminating the need for conductive strips on the base and electrical contacts on the sliders. While maintaining the original product's functional and structural advantages, it simplifies the product structure, facilitates assembly, improves the user experience, and ensures electrical safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of restaurant supplies technology, and in particular to a battery-powered plate moving device. Background Technology

[0002] To make it easier for people to pick up the food they want and to prevent food from being dropped on the table when they get up, many larger dining tables have internal transmission mechanisms that automatically drive the plates. These mechanisms include intelligent conveyor belt systems, robotic systems, and even electromagnetic drive systems. Some high-end dining tables even have interactive touchscreens on the table for selecting desired dishes. Additionally, some tables, such as those designed for rotating hot pots, use chains to move the plates.

[0003] The aforementioned dining tables generally have a built-in tray-moving mechanism, making them more suitable for restaurant use and less suitable for home use. Home dining tables are generally divided into round and square tables, with square tables further divided into rectangular or octagonal tables. Round and octagonal tables can use a rotating tray (on which all plates containing food are placed) to move the plates. However, due to their length, even with a rotating tray, it's difficult to reach food from the ends of a rectangular table. Furthermore, tables resembling rotating hot pot tables are also unsuitable for home use due to their high cost and high repair costs after malfunction.

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical issues, I filed a Chinese utility model patent application on May 16, 2025, with application number 202520970372.0, entitled "A Battery-Driven Plate Moving Device." In this patent, the base's extension path is racetrack-shaped, allowing it to be placed on a long rectangular table. When power is supplied to the conductive strip on the base, the strip powers the drive motor through energized contacts. The drive motor operates, rotating the gears. Since the gears mesh with a rack on the base, they move along the rack's extension direction, thus moving the slider and the plate placed above it along the base's extension path. However, in practical application, I found that this solution requires installing a conductive strip on the base. Because the conductive strip is also racetrack-shaped, fixing it to the base is difficult, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. Furthermore, during use, wear or dirt accumulation on the conductive strip can easily affect its conductivity, thus impacting the product's normal operation. Furthermore, once the conductive strip breaks, repairing it is quite troublesome and will affect the product's lifespan. Utility Model Content

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this utility model proposes a battery-powered tray moving device.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model is: a battery-powered tray moving device, comprising:

[0007] The base has a racetrack-shaped extension path and is adapted to be placed on a long rectangular table. The base is provided with at least one rack arranged along its own extension direction.

[0008] Multiple sliders are slidably mounted on the base, and connecting parts are provided between adjacent sliders;

[0009] A drive assembly is mounted on at least one slider, and the slider on which the drive assembly is mounted is designated as the first slider. The drive assembly includes a drive motor and a gear linked to the drive motor, wherein the gear meshes with the rack.

[0010] The plate-moving device is characterized in that it further includes:

[0011] A storage battery is mounted on the first slider and is used to power the drive motor.

[0012] Several alternative methods are provided below, but they are not intended as additional limitations on the overall solution above. They are merely further additions or optimizations. Provided there are no technical or logical contradictions, each alternative method can be combined individually with respect to the overall solution above, or multiple alternative methods can be combined with each other.

[0013] Preferably, the battery is a rechargeable battery.

[0014] Preferably, the first slider is provided with a battery holder for fixing the storage battery in place.

[0015] Preferably, the base includes a bottom plate and two upper blocks arranged at intervals above the bottom plate. The rack is disposed on the inner or outer side of the upper blocks, and the sliding contact between the slider and the upper blocks is disposed on the side of the upper blocks opposite to the rack.

[0016] Preferably, the slider includes a support plate and two spaced-apart bearing assemblies fixed below the support plate. The bearing assemblies are used to slide and connect with the upper block, and include at least one bearing.

[0017] Preferably, the bottom plate is provided with at least one positioning groove along its own extension direction, the motor shaft end of the drive motor is provided with a positioning bearing, the positioning bearing slides along the positioning groove, and the positioning bearing is arranged below the gear.

[0018] Preferably, the plate rotating device further includes a slide rail assembly, the slide rail assembly comprising:

[0019] The inner sliding rail extends in a racetrack shape;

[0020] The outer slide rail extends in a racetrack shape and is arranged around the inner slide rail;

[0021] The upper connecting block is snapped onto the inner side of the inner slide rail and the outer slide rail, and the bearing is slidably installed on the outer side of the inner slide rail and the outer slide rail.

[0022] Preferably, the outer side of the upper connecting block is provided with an outwardly extending convex slide rail or an inwardly recessed slide rail, and the bearing is slidably mounted on the convex slide rail or the inwardly recessed slide rail.

[0023] Preferably, at least one ball bearing seat is installed below the support plate, and the lower end of the ball bearing seat abuts against the top of the bottom plate.

[0024] More preferably, the connector includes a rotating disk and two connecting rods, one end of which is rotatably mounted on the slider and the other end of which is rotatably mounted on the rotating disk.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] 1. There is no need to set a conductive strip on the base or set a power contact on the slider. The drive motor is powered directly by the battery installed on the slider. The assembly is simple, and there is no need to worry about the conductive strip having low conductivity during use.

[0027] 2. The battery can be a rechargeable battery or a dry cell battery. After the battery is depleted, the user can recharge the rechargeable battery or replace it with a dry cell battery.

[0028] 3. While maintaining the same overall inventive concept as the previously filed patent application (application number: 202520970372.0, application date: 20250516, patent name: a battery-driven plate moving device), the product structure has been simplified, the user experience has been improved, and electrical safety has been ensured. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 This is an overall top view of one embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a top-view assembly diagram of the base and slide rail assembly in one embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of part A in the image;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a partial assembly structure diagram of the base and slide rail assembly in one embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a partial assembly structure diagram of the base and slide rail assembly after an extended baffle is added to the base in one embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a top-view assembly structure diagram of the first slider, driving component, and energized contact in one embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a lower-view assembly structure diagram of the first slider, driving component, and energized contact in one embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 8 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the base and the first slider after assembly in one embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second slider in one embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a top view of a slide rail assembly according to an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base with an outwardly protruding slide rail in one embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 12 This is a longitudinal sectional view of a base with an outwardly protruding slide rail in one embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 13 This is a longitudinal sectional view of a base with an outwardly protruding slide rail in one embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 14 This is a plan view of the connector in one embodiment of this application.

[0044] The components in the attached diagram are labeled as follows: 1-base, 11-bottom plate, 12-upper block, 121-rack, 122-slot, 123-extended baffle, 124-outer convex slide rail, 125-inner concave slide rail, 13-positioning groove, 2-slide rail assembly, 21-inner slide rail, 22-outer slide rail, 3-first slider, 31-first support plate, 32-first bearing, 4-drive assembly, 41-drive motor, 42-gear, 43-controller, 44-positioning bearing, 5-second slider, 51-second support plate, 52-second bearing, 6-connector, 61-rotating disk, 7-battery.

[0045] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0047] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in this utility model embodiment are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0048] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this utility model is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0049] Detailed implementation plan: See below Figures 1-14 This utility model is a battery-driven tray moving device, including: a base 1, the extension path of the base 1 is racetrack-shaped and adapted to be placed on a long rectangular table, and the base 1 is provided with at least one rack 121 arranged along its own extension direction.

[0050] Multiple sliders are slidably mounted on the base 1, and a connecting piece 6 is provided between adjacent sliders;

[0051] A drive assembly 4 is mounted on at least one slider. The slider on which the drive assembly 4 is mounted is designated as the first slider 3. The drive assembly 4 includes a drive motor 41 and a gear 42 that is linked to the drive motor 41. The gear 42 meshes with a rack 121.

[0052] The plate moving device also includes:

[0053] The battery 7 is installed on the first slider 3 and is used to power the drive motor 41.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the storage battery 7 is a rechargeable battery.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, the first slider 3 is provided with a battery holder (not shown in the figure) for fixing the storage battery 7.

[0056] In practical applications, since the battery 7 is a rechargeable battery, when the battery 7 is low in power, you can choose not to remove the battery 7 and directly use an external power source to charge the battery 7, or you can choose to remove the battery 7 from the battery holder and then charge it.

[0057] Of course, battery 7 can also be a dry cell battery, which, although not rechargeable, is easy to replace.

[0058] Note that in this embodiment, the extension path of base 1 is designed as a racetrack shape, which can be adapted to be placed above a long rectangular table. In practical applications, regarding the extension path of base 1, the left and right ends of base 1 can be designed as a combination of curves and straight lines, and the straight lines can be adjusted according to the width of the long rectangular table. In practical applications, base 1 can be designed as multiple parts to be spliced ​​together (not shown in the figure). This facilitates transportation after disassembly and allows the length of the straight lines in the length and width directions to be adjusted according to the size of the long rectangular table.

[0059] Then, please see Figure 4 As can be seen, in this embodiment, the base 1 includes a bottom plate 11 and two upper blocks 12 arranged at intervals above the bottom plate 11. The rack 121 is disposed on the inner or outer side of the upper blocks 12, and the sliding contact point between the slider and the upper blocks 12 is disposed on the side of the upper blocks 12 opposite to the rack 121.

[0060] Of course, in practical applications, the rack 121 can also be set on the outside of the upper connecting block 12, in which case the sliding contact of the slider and the upper connecting block 12 is set on the inside of the upper connecting block 12.

[0061] Next, please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 9 As can be seen, in this embodiment, the slider includes a support plate and two bearing assemblies arranged at intervals below the support plate. The bearing assemblies are used to cooperate with and slide in connection with the upper connecting block 12, and include at least one bearing.

[0062] For ease of explanation, please refer to Figures 6-9 As described above, the slider equipped with the drive assembly 4 and the battery 7 is designated as the first slider 3, and the slider without the drive assembly 4 and the battery 7 is designated as the second slider 5. The support plate located on the first slider 3 is designated as the first support plate 31, and the bearing mounted on the first support plate 31 is designated as the first bearing 32. The support plate located on the second slider 5 is designated as the second support plate 51, and the bearing mounted on the second support plate 51 is designated as the second bearing 52.

[0063] Please see Figures 4-8 As can be seen, in this embodiment, the bottom plate 11 has two spaced positioning grooves 13 along its own extension direction, and the motor shaft end of the drive motor 41 is provided with a positioning bearing 44. The positioning bearing 44 slides along the positioning groove 13 and is arranged below the gear 42.

[0064] In this embodiment, the drive motor 41 and the battery 7 are both mounted above the first support plate 31, the motor shaft of the drive motor 41 passes through the first support plate 31, and the gear 42 and the positioning bearing 44 are both located below the first support plate 31.

[0065] Here, by setting a positioning bearing 44 at the lower end of the motor shaft of the drive motor 41 and placing the positioning bearing 44 in the positioning groove 13 on the bottom plate 11, the positioning bearing 44 slides along the positioning groove 13 during the movement of the slider relative to the base 1, thereby ensuring that the position of the gear 42 will not shift and that a stable meshing relationship is maintained between the gear 42 and the rack 121, making the sliding of the slider more stable.

[0066] In this embodiment, the drive motor 41 is equipped with a reducer and a controller 43. The controller 43 is used to control the rotation speed of the drive motor 41, and thus control the rotation speed of the gear 42. The user can control whether the drive motor 41 is working and its working speed by remotely controlling the controller 43. The use of the controller 43 to control the drive motor 41 and to adjust the torque by installing a reducer on the drive motor 41 are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0067] Please see Figure 6As can be seen, in this embodiment, there are two drive motors 41 located on the first slider 3. Actual testing shows that to ensure all sliders move normally, the drive motor 41 needs a working power of at least 15W. For example, when using a 6000mAh battery 7 with a 12V operating voltage, the battery capacity allocated to each drive motor 41 is 3000mAh, ensuring continuous power supply for 2.4 hours.

[0068] Of course, users can choose the battery with a larger capacity 7 to provide longer battery life.

[0069] Note that in practical applications, the drive component 4 can also be configured to drive two gears 42 with a single motor. In this case, the two gears 42 mesh with each other, and the drive motor 41 drives one gear 42 to rotate, which in turn drives the other gear 42 to rotate. When using a single motor, the drive motor 41 needs to have a relatively high operating power.

[0070] Then, please see Figures 2-4 ,and Figure 10 The plate rotating device also includes a slide rail assembly 2, which includes:

[0071] The inner slide rail 21 extends in a racetrack shape;

[0072] The outer slide rail 22 extends in a racetrack shape and is arranged around the inner slide rail 21;

[0073] The upper connecting block 12 is snapped onto the inner side of the inner slide rail 21 and the outer slide rail 22, and the bearing is slidably installed on the outer side of the inner slide rail 21 and the outer slide rail 22.

[0074] In this embodiment, the upper connecting block 12 is provided with a slot 122 on the outer side, and the upper connecting block 12 is installed on the inner slide rail 21 through the slot 122.

[0075] The slide rail assembly 2 mentioned above is an independent accessory. During the assembly process, the inner slide rail 21 and the outer slide rail 22 need to be snapped onto the outside of the two upper connecting blocks 12 respectively, and then the two bearing assemblies of the slider are slidably installed on the inner slide rail 21 and the outer slide rail 22 respectively.

[0076] Note that since both the inner slide rail 21 and the outer slide rail 22 have curved areas, and the arc angle of the curved area of ​​the outer slide rail 22 is larger than that of the curved area of ​​the inner slide rail 21, to ensure that the slider can slide smoothly along the extension direction of the slide rail assembly 2, please refer to [the relevant documentation / reference]. Figure 7 The distance between the two bearings in the outer bearing assembly needs to be greater than the distance between the two bearings in the inner bearing assembly.

[0077] In addition, in practical applications, an outwardly extending convex slide rail 124 can be provided on the outside of the upper connecting block 12 (without the slide rail assembly 2 mentioned above), and the bearing is slidably mounted on the convex slide rail 124.

[0078] In fact, by setting the outer protruding slide rail 124 on the outside of the upper connecting block 12, its function is the same as that of the inner slide rail 21 and the outer slide rail 22 mentioned above, except that there is no need to install the inner slide rail 21 and the outer slide rail 22 on the base 1.

[0079] Note that the externally convex slide rail 124, as well as the internal slide rail 21 and external slide rail 22 mentioned above, are all compatible with concave bearings. In practical applications, an inwardly extending concave slide rail 125 can also be provided on the outer side of the upper connecting block 12. In this case, the bearings compatible with the concave slide rail 125 are externally convex bearings.

[0080] In this embodiment, at least one ball bearing seat is installed below the support plate, and the lower end of the ball bearing seat abuts against the top of the bottom plate 11 (not shown in the figure).

[0081] Here, by installing ball bearing seats under the support plate, the upper limit of the support plate's load-bearing capacity can be increased, so that the support plate will not deform even if heavy plates and dishes are placed on it.

[0082] For more details, please see Figure 14 The connector 6 includes a rotating disk 61 and two connecting rods. One end of the connecting rod is rotatably mounted on the slider, and the other end is rotatably mounted on the rotating disk 61.

[0083] In this embodiment, when the slider passes through the curved area of ​​the base 1, one end of the connecting rod rotates relative to the slider, and the other end rotates relative to the rotating disk 61. Furthermore, the rotating disk 61 allows adjustment of the direction of the tension in the connecting member 6, facilitating easier cornering. The structural design and working principle of the connecting rod and rotating disk 61 are existing technologies, and similar applications exist in current rotating hot pot dining tables; therefore, they will not be discussed further here.

[0084] Please see Figure 5 As can be seen, the upper inner side of the upper connecting block 12 is provided with an inwardly extending baffle 123. The design of the baffle 123 is to limit the tilted end of the rotating disk 61 when it turns a bend, if one end of the rotating disk 61 tilts up.

[0085] The working principle of the plate-moving device in this embodiment is explained below:

[0086] The battery 7 directly supplies power to the drive motor 41. The drive motor 41 works and drives the gear 42 to rotate. Since the gear 42 meshes with the rack 121 located on the base 1, the gear 42 will move along the extension direction of the rack 121 (which is also a racetrack-shaped extension path). Since the drive motor 41 is fixed on the slider, it will drive the slider and the plate placed on the slider to move along the extension path of the base 1.

[0087] Furthermore, by installing bearings on the sliders and connecting parts 6 between adjacent sliders, all sliders can smoothly complete the turning process.

[0088] Please see Figure 1 As can be seen, if the number of sliders is not large, it is only necessary to set one of the sliders as the first slider 3, which will drive all the second sliders 5 to move along the extension direction of the base 1.

[0089] The above description of a battery-driven plate moving device of this utility model is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model and does not limit the patent scope of this utility model. All equivalent structural transformations made under the inventive concept of this utility model using the contents of this utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A battery-powered tray moving device, comprising: The base has a racetrack-shaped extension path and is adapted to be placed on a long rectangular table. The base is provided with at least one rack arranged along its own extension direction. Multiple sliders are slidably mounted on the base, and connecting parts are provided between adjacent sliders; A drive assembly is mounted on at least one slider, and the slider on which the drive assembly is mounted is designated as the first slider. The drive assembly includes a drive motor and a gear linked to the drive motor, wherein the gear meshes with the rack. The plate-moving device is characterized in that it further includes: A storage battery is mounted on the first slider and is used to power the drive motor.

2. A battery powered tray moving device according to claim 1, wherein The battery is a rechargeable battery.

3. A battery powered tray moving device according to claim 2, wherein The first slider is provided with a battery holder for fixing the battery in place.

4. A battery powered tray moving device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The base includes a bottom plate and two upper blocks arranged at intervals above the bottom plate. The rack is disposed on the inner or outer side of the upper blocks, and the sliding contact point between the slider and the upper blocks is disposed on the side of the upper blocks opposite to the rack.

5. A battery powered tray moving device according to claim 4, wherein The slider includes a support plate and two spaced-apart bearing assemblies fixed below the support plate. The bearing assemblies are used to slide and connect with the upper block, and include at least one bearing.

6. A battery powered tray moving device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, The bottom plate is provided with at least one positioning groove along its own extension direction, and the motor shaft end of the drive motor is provided with a positioning bearing. The positioning bearing slides along the positioning groove and is arranged below the gear.

7. A battery powered tray moving device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, The plate rotating device further includes a slide rail assembly, which comprises: The inner sliding rail extends in a racetrack shape; The outer slide rail extends in a racetrack shape and is arranged around the inner slide rail; The upper connecting block is snapped onto the inner side of the inner slide rail and the outer slide rail, and the bearing is slidably installed on the outer side of the inner slide rail and the outer slide rail.

8. A battery powered tray moving device as claimed in claim 5, wherein, The outer side of the upper connecting block is provided with an outwardly extending convex slide rail or an inwardly recessed slide rail, and the bearing is slidably mounted on the convex slide rail or the inwardly recessed slide rail.

9. The battery-operated tray moving device according to claim 5, wherein At least one ball bearing seat is installed below the support plate, and the lower end of the ball bearing seat abuts against the top of the bottom plate.

10. A battery-powered tray moving device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connector includes a rotating disk and two connecting rods, one end of which is rotatably mounted on the slider and the other end of which is rotatably mounted on the rotating disk.

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