Mobile food truck
The mobile sales vehicle design addresses the challenge of limited space in light trucks by allowing kitchen counters to extend laterally and float above the floor, creating a spacious cooking and sales area within the cargo bed dimensions, ensuring compliance with road regulations and operational efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DAISHO SERVICE CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
Conventional mobile sales vehicles face challenges in securing sufficient cooking and sales space within the limited dimensions of a light truck's cargo bed, as existing designs either restrict the counter's movement or require it to be extended outside the vehicle, violating road regulations and limiting usable space for cooking and sales operations.
A mobile sales vehicle design featuring kitchen counters that can move laterally between a storage and extended position, supported by front and rear walls, with side walls that open and close to expose additional floor space, and utilizing slide rails for stability and ease of movement, allowing the counters to float above the floor.
This configuration enables a wide workspace on the cargo bed, accommodating multiple staff and ensuring smooth cooking and sales operations without violating road regulations, by maximizing usable space within the vehicle's narrow width.
Smart Images
Figure 2026084613000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile sales vehicle that can be suitably used as a kitchen car.
Background Art
[0002] As this type of conventional mobile sales vehicle, for example, those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known.
[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a mobile sales vehicle in which a pair of two rails are laid in the front-rear direction of the floor surface of a loading platform by a covered vehicle, a counter (base) that slides on the rails is positioned with a gas range hose-connected to a refrigerator and a gas cylinder, and various types of cooking can be performed by combining any cooking utensils formed separately on the gas range.
[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a mobile sales vehicle including a slide device in which upper and lower slide members slide in parallel, a lower slide portion is fixed to a base inside the vehicle at a sales window provided on a side portion of the mobile sales vehicle, a hooded counter body fixed to an upper slide member of the slide device via a gantry, a stopper member for setting a maximum protrusion amount by which the counter body protrudes from the vehicle side portion, a lock mechanism for storing the counter body inside the vehicle from the sales window to prevent movement of the counter body, and a lock release lever for releasing the lock mechanism.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0006] All of the above-mentioned conventional mobile sales vehicles have a counter installed on the floor of the cargo area that can slide forward or backward or left or right via sliding rails. In recent years, the boom in food trucks has created a demand for low-cost food truck production, and from the perspective of vehicle price and maintenance costs, it is preferable to customize a food truck based on a light truck. However, the Road Vehicle Act imposes restrictions on the size of the cargo bed of a light truck, such as "cargo bed width of 1,410 mm or less," "cargo bed floor length of 2,030 mm or less," "cargo bed length of 1,940 mm or less," and "cargo bed height of 285 to 290 mm or less." When driving, the kitchen components built on the cargo bed must also fit within these cargo bed dimensions.
[0007] On the other hand, when cooking and selling food from a food truck, the limited width of the cargo bed (left-right width) makes it difficult to secure the necessary cooking space. Patent Document 1 envisions cooking being done outside the vehicle by pulling the counter out to the rear of the cargo bed, and does not involve cooking or selling on the cargo bed itself. Patent Document 2 shows a counter body fixed to an upper sliding member that extends outwards to the left and right from the sales window, but since the base, which is about waist height, is fixed on the cargo bed, the space on the cargo bed where the salesperson stands does not widen even when the counter body is slid outwards. For this reason, there have been no food trucks based on light trucks.
[0008] The present invention aims to secure a relatively wide cooking and sales space on the cargo bed floor, even when a mobile sales vehicle is manufactured based on a commercially available vehicle with a narrow width, such as a light truck. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] The mobile sales vehicle according to the present invention has a floor, a front support, a rear support, and side walls on the cargo bed of the vehicle, and a kitchen counter is provided between the front support and the rear support.
[0010] The kitchen counter may be supported by the front support and the rear support so as to be movable in the left-right direction between a storage position in which the kitchen counter is located within the width of the vehicle and an extended position in which the kitchen counter protrudes outward to the left and right beyond the width of the vehicle.
[0011] The side wall may be configured to open and close so as to allow the kitchen counter to move to the extended position when opened, and to cover the left and right sides of the kitchen counter when closed.
[0012] According to the present invention, by moving the kitchen counter to the extended position, a portion of the floor surface covered by the kitchen counter in the storage position is exposed, so that even a mobile sales vehicle with a narrow width can have a workspace on the cargo bed.
[0013] Preferably, the kitchen counter may be supported between the front support and the rear support so as to float above the floor. This eliminates the need to provide protrusions on the floor for supporting the kitchen counter, thus eliminating any obstructive protrusions during cooking and sales operations. Wheels that roll on the floor may also be provided at the bottom of the kitchen counter. This also allows the components of the kitchen counter other than the wheels to float above the floor, eliminating the need to provide protrusions on the floor side, thus eliminating any obstructive protrusions during cooking and sales operations.
[0014] The kitchen counter may be attached to the front support and the rear support via slide rails. More preferably, by using a three-stage slide rail, a large amount of lateral movement can be ensured while maintaining stability and support strength.
[0015] The front support portion may be the front wall of the kitchen, and the rear support portion may be the rear wall of the kitchen. This allows for structural simplification by using the front and rear side walls as support structures, and also allows for securing the largest possible opening width in the front-to-back direction.
[0016] The aforementioned side wall may be the left or right side wall of the kitchen. This eliminates the need to provide a separate side wall in addition to the left and right side walls of the kitchen within the narrow vehicle width, and allows for the largest possible cooking space to be secured on the left and right sides of the kitchen counter.
[0017] The aforementioned side wall may be composed of a hinged door and a downward-opening door. With this configuration, by opening the downward-opening door to a position below the floor and opening the hinged door widely upward, the left and right sides of the entire kitchen counter can be opened up significantly, and the upper opening of the kitchen counter can be used as a sales window.
[0018] The aforementioned kitchen counters are provided in pairs, one on the left and one on the right, and the space between the left and right kitchen counters may serve as a workspace for the salesperson. With this configuration, a large workspace can be formed on the cargo bed floor by moving the left and right kitchen counters outward to the left and right, respectively. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0019] [Figure 1] A left side view of a mobile vending vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, with the side wall closed. [Figure 2] Left side view of the mobile food truck with the side wall opened and the kitchen counter pulled out. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows a partially broken rear view of a mobile vending vehicle. [Figure 4] Figure 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the mobile sales vehicle midway along its front-to-rear direction. [Figure 5] A perspective view of the mobile food truck, seen from the left rear. [Figure 6] An oblique view of the mobile food truck, seen from the left rear. [Figure 7] Perspective view of the rear interior of the mobile sales vehicle as viewed from the left side. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the front part of the kitchen counter on the left side of the mobile sales vehicle as viewed from above the floor surface. [Figure 9] Perspective view of the state where the simple table of the kitchen counter of the mobile sales vehicle is unfolded.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.
[0021] FIGS. 1 to 4 schematically show a mobile sales vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 to 9 are detailed views of characteristic parts of the mobile sales vehicle 1.
[0022] The mobile sales vehicle 1 (kitchen car) is custom-made based on a light truck (vehicle), and has a loading platform 2 and a kitchen room constructed on the loading platform 2. The loading platform 2 and the kitchen room are configured to fit within the legal vehicle width as a light motor vehicle with the left and right side walls 6 closed.
[0023] The kitchen room has a floor surface 2a, a front side wall 3 functioning as a front side support portion, a rear side wall 4 functioning as a rear side support portion, left and right side walls 6 functioning as left and right side walls, a top plate 7 functioning as a roof, and a pair of left and right kitchen counters 8. The front side wall 3 is provided at the front end portion of the loading platform 2, and the rear side wall 4 is provided at the rear end portion of the loading platform 2. Also, with the left and right side walls 6 closed, the left side wall 6 is provided at the left end portion of the loading platform 2, and the right side wall 6 is provided at the right end portion of the loading platform 2.
[0024] Each kitchen counter 8 is supported by the front and rear walls 3 and 4 so as to be movable in the left - right direction between a storage position (shown by a virtual line in FIG. 4) located within the vehicle width of the light truck and an extended position (shown by a solid line in FIGS. 3 and 4) where at least a part protrudes outward to the left and right beyond the vehicle width. The floor surface 2a between the left and right kitchen counters 8 becomes a work space or a cooking space for the salesperson.
[0025] Each left and right side wall 6 opens to create left and right openings 5, which allow the corresponding kitchen counter 8 to move to an extended position, and closes to cover the left and right outer sides of the corresponding kitchen counter 8 by sealing the left and right openings 5.
[0026] Each kitchen counter 8 can be moved to an extended position, thereby exposing a portion of the floor surface 2a that is covered by the kitchen counter 8 in its storage position, and widening the width of the exposed floor surface in the kitchen.
[0027] Each kitchen counter 8 is supported between the front and rear wall sections 3 and 4 so as to float above the floor surface 2a, eliminating the need to install rails or the like on the floor surface 2a.
[0028] Each kitchen counter 8 has a base 81 that is slightly elevated from the floor surface 2a, as shown in Figure 8, and various kitchen equipment is installed on this base 81.
[0029] Each kitchen counter 8 is attached to the front and rear wall sections 3 and 4, respectively, via slide rails 9. More specifically, the slide rails 9 consist of three 3-stage slide rails installed on the upper side of the kitchen counter 8, three on the lower side, and on the front and rear sides of the kitchen counter 8, ensuring a large amount of lateral sliding while maintaining the required support strength. The specific configuration of each slide rail 9 may be as appropriate, but typically it has a fixed rail section fixed to the front and rear wall sections 3 and 4, and a slide rail section fixed to the counter 8, with the slide rail section being configured to slide laterally relative to the fixed rail section.
[0030] Each kitchen counter 8 can be used in an appropriate configuration and for its intended purpose. In the example shown in Figures 7 and 8, the right-hand counter 8 is equipped with a sink and a cooking shelf capable of accommodating a stove, water heater, etc., while the left-hand counter 8 is equipped with a refrigerator, air conditioning unit, and shelves. As shown in the figures, the right-hand counter may also be used in a storage position, and the counter can be used in a storage position or an extended position as needed.
[0031] Furthermore, each counter 8 can be provided with a simple table 82 on its left and right outer surfaces that can change between the stored state shown in Figures 5 and 6 and the unfolded state shown in Figure 9.
[0032] Each left and right side wall 6 is composed of a lift-up door 61 that functions as an upper opening / closing plate for opening and closing the upper side of the left and right openings 5, and a downward-opening door 62 that functions as a lower opening / closing plate for opening and closing the lower side of the left and right openings 5. The lift-up door 61 can be attached to the left and right side edges of the top plate 7 via appropriate hinges so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the front-rear direction. The downward-opening door 62 can be attached to the left and right side edges of the loading platform 2 via appropriate hinges so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the front-rear direction. By providing a lift-up damper 611 that biases the lift-up door 61 from a closed state to an open state and maintains its position in the open state, the lift-up door 61 can be opened with little force.
[0033] Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the hinged door 61 can be divided into a roof section 61a that functions as a roof covering the upper part of the corresponding counter 8 when open, and a sign section 61b that rises upward from the left and right outer ends of the roof section 61a when open. The roof section 61a and the sign section 61b can be rotatably connected by a hinge, and the sign section 61b can be held in the raised position by a locking hook 612. One end of the locking hook 612 can be pivotably attached to one of the roof section 61a and the sign section 61b, and the other end can be detachably locked to the other. As shown in Figure 5, a lighting fixture that illuminates the counter 8 from above can be provided on the inner surface of the roof section 61a.
[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, electrical equipment such as power outlets, various switches, and circuit breakers can be installed on the inner surface of the rear wall 4. A ventilation fan 43 can also be installed on the rear wall 4. Additionally, an entrance / exit door 41 to the kitchen and an opening / closing door 42 for opening and closing this entrance / exit door 41 can be installed on the rear wall 4. Preferably, the entrance / exit door 41 can be installed in the center of the left and right sides of the rear wall 4.
[0035] Furthermore, locking members can be provided as needed to fix each counter 8 in the storage position and in the extended position. In addition, locking members can be provided as needed to lock the flip-up door 61 and the downward-opening door 62 in the closed position.
[0036] According to the mobile sales vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the left and right kitchen counters 8 can be stored in their storage positions, and the flip-up doors 61 and downward-opening doors 62 can be closed to accommodate the kitchen counters 8 within the width of the light truck. On the other hand, during business hours, the flip-up doors 61 and downward-opening doors 62 can be opened, and each kitchen counter 8 can be pulled out to its deployed position, creating a cooking space in the kitchen that allows multiple sales staff to work on either side, as shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, the entire floor surface 2a inside the left and right sides of the counters 8 can be made flat without any protrusions, allowing for smooth cooking and work in the kitchen.
[0037] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the design can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention as described in the claims. For example, the kitchen counter can be provided on only one side of the cargo bed, and only the side wall on the side with the counter can be opened and closed. In addition, although the front and rear side walls were used as the front and rear support parts in the above embodiment, other front and rear support parts can be provided inward in the front-rear direction of the front and rear side walls. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0038] 1 Mobile food truck 2. Cargo bed 2a Floor surface 3 Front support part (front wall) 4 Rear support part (rear wall) 41 entrances / exits 42 Opening and closing doors 43 Ventilation fan 5 Left and right openings 6 Left and right side walls 61. Swing-up door (upper opening / closing panel) 61a Roof section 61b Signboard Section 611 Upward damper 612 Locking Hook 62. Downward-opening door (lower opening / closing panel) 63 Simple Table 7 Top plate 8 counters 9 slide rails
Claims
1. In a mobile sales vehicle, a floor, front support, rear support, and side walls are provided on the cargo bed of the vehicle, and a kitchen counter is provided between the front support and the rear support. The kitchen counter is supported by the front support and the rear support so that it can move in the left-right direction between a storage position in which the kitchen counter is located within the width of the vehicle and an extended position in which the kitchen counter protrudes outward to the left and right beyond the width of the vehicle. The side wall is configured to open and close so as to allow the kitchen counter to move to the extended position when opened, and to cover the left and right sides of the kitchen counter when closed. By moving the kitchen counter to the extended position, a portion of the floor surface covered by the kitchen counter in the storage position is exposed. A mobile sales vehicle characterized by the following features.
2. A mobile vending vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the kitchen counter is supported between the front support and the rear support so as to float above the floor surface.
3. A mobile vending vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the kitchen counter is attached to the front support and the rear support via sliding rails.
4. A mobile vending vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front support portion is the front wall of the kitchen, and the rear support portion is the rear wall of the kitchen.
5. A mobile vending vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the side wall is the left side wall or the right side wall of the kitchen.
6. A mobile vending vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the side wall is composed of a lift-up door and a downward-opening door.
7. A mobile sales vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the kitchen counter is provided in a pair on the left and right, and the space between the left and right kitchen counters is the workspace for the salesperson.