Structural elements for or of a support bar, a support bar comprising such structural elements, and a trolley comprising at least one such structural element.
A lightweight, stable support bar framework for trolleys is achieved through injection-molded plastic with reinforcing ribs, addressing manufacturing and transportation challenges of traditional metal trolleys.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- PI-DESIGN AG
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing trolleys for food and beverages have cumbersome manufacturing processes and are heavy, leading to increased handling difficulties and transportation costs.
A support bar framework with a trough-shaped wall and reinforcing ribs, made of plastic, which can be injection molded, allowing for lightweight and stable construction suitable for large-scale production.
The solution enables cost-effective, lightweight, and stable trolley components that are easier to handle and transport, reducing manufacturing and shipping costs.
Smart Images
Figure 2026524750000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a support bar or a structural element of a support bar. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a support bar having such a structural element and a trolley for providing food and beverages having at least one such structural element.
Background Art
[0002] Trolleys for providing food and beverages have been known for a long time and are disclosed, for example, in German Patent Application Publication No. 10108562. They usually comprise a framework of support bars to which one or more functional elements such as casters, handles, etc. are attached. Furthermore, one or more plates on which beverages or food can be placed are provided. The plates are typically placed on the framework.
[0003] The framework is usually made of metal. As a result, the manufacture of such trolleys, especially in large-scale production, is quite cumbersome. Furthermore, the weight of the trolley is relatively large, which worsens the handling of the trolley and increases the transportation cost.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
[0005] Therefore, one problem of one embodiment of the present invention is to present a trolley and other products having a framework of support bars that can be manufactured on a large scale in an economical way and have a limited weight.
[0006] This problem is solved by the features described in claims 1, 10, and 16. Advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
[0007] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a support bar or a structural element of a support bar, - A trough-shaped wall that defines the hollow space, - comprising a plurality of reinforcing ribs, at least partially positioned within a hollow space and connected to a wall.
[0008] A trough-shaped wall may have a curved cross-section, such as a C-shape or semicircular cross-section. Alternatively, a trough-shaped wall may have a cross-section that is at least partially formed by planar sections forming one or more edges. Reinforcing ribs are at least partially positioned within the hollow space defined by the wall. Thus, the structural element can have high stability without requiring a thick wall, and is therefore lightweight. Furthermore, the hollow space is used for rib placement so that the ribs do not occupy the space, or occupy only a small space outside the structural element. Thus, the structural element is spatially efficient.
[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the structural element is made of a plastic that can be injection molded so that the structural element is made from a single piece. Due to the fact that the wall is trough-shaped, it is open in one direction. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the structural element by injection molding so that it can be removed from the mold. The use of plastic, particularly thermoplastic materials, makes it possible to manufacture the structural element on a large scale at an acceptable cost. Furthermore, the use of plastic results in a lightweight structure such that products comprising the structural element according to this embodiment are lightweight. Lightweight products are generally easier to handle than heavy products. Often, transportation costs depend on the weight of the product being transported. Therefore, the transportation of products comprising the structural element of this embodiment is usually cheaper compared to heavier products.
[0010] In further embodiments, the hollow space is subdivided into a first and second half of equal size, with the first rib group located in the first half and the second rib group located in the second half. The number of ribs within a group can be randomly selected and can be the same in the first and second groups. This can increase the degree of symmetry within the structural element. As described above, the structural element can be manufactured by injection molding. Generally, the higher the symmetry, the more uniform the flow of molten plastic into and within each cavity. This reduces the formation of bubbles and holes, resulting in higher quality and greater stability of the final structural element.
[0011] In another embodiment, the ribs protrude from the hollow space. The dimensions of the ribs can be increased, thereby enhancing the stability they provide.
[0012] In another embodiment, the rib forms an extension that faces radially outward. This extension also enhances the stability provided by the rib.
[0013] According to a further embodiment, the rib forms a notch or hole. The notch or hole can be used to fasten an external component, such as a caster or handle, to the structural element without significantly impairing the stability provided by the rib.
[0014] In another embodiment, the structural element includes reinforcing fins connected to ribs. The fins provide further stability to the structural element.
[0015] In further embodiments, the structural element includes a connector for connecting the structural element to another structural element. As will be described later, two of these structural elements can be connected to each other to form a support bar or support column. The connector facilitates the connection of the two structural elements to each other.
[0016] According to another embodiment, the connection comprises a recess or opening and a complementaryly formed projection. This provides a snap connection that makes it particularly easy to connect two structural elements to each other without requiring any special tools. The available space in the shipping box can be used more efficiently, resulting in the use of a smaller shipping box, which usually also reduces shipping costs.
[0017] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a support bar, -A first structural element according to one of the prior embodiments, - comprising a second structural element according to one of the preceding claims, - The first structural element and the second structural element are connected to each other.
[0018] The technical effects and advantages described for this structural element also apply equally to support bars. In short, support bars are compact, lightweight, and provide high stability. Furthermore, they can be manufactured by injection molding, which allows for large-scale production at an acceptable cost.
[0019] In another embodiment, the first and second structural elements are identical to each other. It is not essential that the first and second structural elements are identical. For structural or design reasons, it may be advantageous for the first structural element to be different from the second. However, when the first and second structural elements are identical, manufacturing costs can be kept low, and logistics can be simplified because there is no need to monitor structural elements of different shapes.
[0020] A further embodiment is characterized in that the first structural element and the second structural element are connected to each other by a snap connection. As previously described, the first structural element and the second structural element may have recesses or openings and complementaryly formed protrusions. To fasten the first structural element and the second structural element to each other, the protrusions are inserted into the recesses or openings, thereby forming a snap connection. Snap connections are easy to manufacture and securely fasten the first structural element and the second structural element to each other.
[0021] According to another embodiment, the ribs are formed to abut against the walls of other structural elements. As previously mentioned, the ribs can protrude from the hollow space. When the first and second structural elements are connected to each other to form a support bar, the ribs of the first structural element can protrude into the hollow space of the second structural element, and vice versa. The ribs of one structural element can be sized to abut against the wall of the other structural element of the support bar. The stability of the support bar is increased by the contact of the ribs with the walls of the other structural element.
[0022] Further embodiments are characterized in that the support bar comprises at least one fastening portion for fastening the support bar to other components. These other components may, to name a few, be further support bars, handles, casters, or house wall members. Such fastening portions can provide threads into which a threaded bar or screw can be inserted. For this purpose, a threaded sleeve or nut may be positioned inside the support bar. This improves the applicability of the support bar.
[0023] Further aspects of this publication relate to a cart for serving food and beverages, comprising at least one support bar according to one of the embodiments described above.
[0024] The technical effects and advantages described with respect to this structural element apply equally to the trolley. In particular, the trolley is lightweight and provides high stability. As described above, the structural elements of the support bars of the trolley can be manufactured by injection molding, which enables large-scale production at an acceptable cost.
[0025] According to another embodiment, the trolley comprises at least one handle formed by one of the support bars. The handle of the trolley is typically not a load-bearing component and can thus be made of a different material and have a simple design. However, the support bar according to the invention can also be used for forming the handle. The number of equal or similar parts can be kept high, which is usually beneficial in terms of cost.
[0026] In a further embodiment, the trolley comprises at least one caster fixed to one of the support bars. Trolleys typically comprise casters to facilitate movement from one place to another. As described above, the support bars of the trolley can be provided with fastening parts to which the casters can be fastened to the trolley. No additional fastening elements are required, thereby keeping the number of parts low. However, the trolley can be provided without casters and can thus be embodied as a shelf or a table.
[0027] The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0028] [Figure 1A] Shows a first embodiment of the structural element according to the invention. [Figure 1B] Shows a support bar comprising a first structural element and a second structural element as shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2A] Shows a second embodiment of the structural element. [Figure 2B] Shows a support bar comprising a first structural element and a second structural element as shown in Figure 2A, all of them shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 3A]This is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the structural element. [Figure 3B] Figure 3A is a cross-sectional view of a support bar comprising the first structural element and the second structural element shown. [Figure 4] Figure 3B is a perspective view of a trolley equipped with multiple support bars. [Figure 5A] A fourth embodiment of the structural element is shown. [Figure 5B] A support bar comprising the first and second structural elements, as shown in Figure 5A, is illustrated in a principle cross-sectional view. [Figure 6A] A fourth embodiment of the structural element is shown. [Figure 6B] A support bar comprising the first and second structural elements as shown in Figure 6A, and all of these are shown in a principle cross-sectional view.
[0029] Figure 1A shows a principle cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the structural element 10A according to the present invention. In the first embodiment, the structural element 10A comprises a trough-shaped wall 12 formed by a first planar wall portion 14 and two second planar wall portions 16 fastened perpendicularly to the first planar wall portion 14. However, it should be noted that the wall 12 may be curved. In either case, the wall 12 opens on one side, defining a hollow space 18. The structural element 10A further comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs 19 fastened to the wall 12. The ribs 19 are fastened to the wall 12 within the hollow space 18 and are formed to protrude from the hollow space 18. Furthermore, the structural element 10A is provided with a connecting portion 20 that allows the structural element 10A to be connected to another structural element 10 (see Figure 1B). In the first embodiment, the connecting portion 20 is formed by the wall 12 of the structural element 10. The connecting portion 20 forms the free end of the wall 12.
[0030] Figure 1B shows a support bar 22 comprising a first structural element 10A1 and a second structural element 10A2, both according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1A. The first structural element 10A1 and the second structural element 10A2 are connected to each other by a connector 20 (see Figure 1A). In order to connect the first structural element 10A1 and the second structural element 10A2 to each other, their connectors 20 are positioned to face each other. For this purpose, the first structural element 10A1 and the second structural element 10A2 are rotated 180° relative to each other along their longitudinal axes (not shown, but extending perpendicular to the cross-section in Figure 1B).
[0031] As described above, the ribs 19 protrude from the hollow space 18. They are designed so that when connected to each other, the ribs 19 of the first structural element 10A1 abut against the ribs 19 of the second structural element 10A2. This pre-determines the relative positions of the first structural element 10A1 and the second structural element 10A2. Furthermore, the rigidity of the support bar 22 is increased.
[0032] Figure 2A shows a second embodiment of the structural element 10B according to the present invention. Since the structural element 10B of the second embodiment is very similar to the structural element 10A of the first embodiment, only the main differences will be described below. The design of the rib 19 differs only in that it forms a plane at its free end and protrudes more significantly from the hollow space 18 compared to the rib 19 of the first embodiment of structural element 10A.
[0033] Referring to Figure 2B, a support bar 22 comprising a first structural element 10B1 and a second structural element 10B2 according to the second embodiment shown in Figure 2A is shown. Due to the different shapes of the ribs 19, there is contact not only between the two ribs 19 of the first structural element 10B1 and the second structural element 10B2, as described in the first embodiment, but also between the rib 19 of the first structural element 10B1 and the wall 12 of the second structural element 10B2, and vice versa. To provide a significantly larger contact area between the rib 19 and the wall, the free end of the rib 19 is formed complementary to the wall 12. This further increases the rigidity of the support bar 22.
[0034] Figure 3A is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the structural element 10C of the present invention. In this case, the wall 12 has a semicircular cross-section. Furthermore, the hollow space 18 is subdivided into a first half H1 and a second half H2 of equal size, with a first group G1 of ribs 19 located in the first half H1 and a second group G2 of ribs 19 located in the second half H2.
[0035] The connecting portion 20 includes an opening 24 located within the wall extension 26 and further includes a complementaryly formed projection 28 provided by the wall 12. To connect the two structural elements 10C to each other, the projection 28 of one structural element 10C is inserted into the opening 24 of the other structural element 10C, thereby providing a snap connection 29.
[0036] Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view of a support bar 22 comprising a first structural element 10C1 and a second structural element 10C2 as shown in Figure 3A. It is clear that the rib 19 of the first structural element 10C1 abuts against the rib 19 of the second structural element 10C2 when the support bar 22 is installed.
[0037] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a trolley 30 having a total of six support bars 22 as shown in Figure 3B. Two H-shaped support bars 22 are positioned laterally and connected to each other by four horizontally running straight support bars 22. The H-shaped support bars 22 are made from a single piece, which means that there is no need to fasten a crossbar connecting the two side bars to the side bars. However, as is clear from Figure 4, the four horizontally extending support bars 22 are fastened to the two H-shaped support bars 22 by screws 31 that are screwed into fastening parts 32 located inside the support bars 22. At the upper end, the H-shaped support bars 22 are connected to a handle 34, which allows the user to operate the trolley 30. At the lower end, casters 42 are connected to the H-shaped support bars 22.
[0038] Four horizontally running support bars 22 are arranged in pairs, forming a lower pair and an upper pair. A lower plate 36 is attached to the lower pair, and an upper plate 38 is attached to the upper pair. The lower plate 36 and the upper plate 38 have embossing 40 that engage with the horizontally extending support bars 22. Some of the support bars 22 are covered by the lower plate 36 and the upper plate 38 and are therefore not visible or only partially visible in Figure 4.
[0039] Figure 5A shows a fourth embodiment of structural element 10D by a main cross-sectional view. Structural element 10D is substantially the same as the second embodiment of structural element 10B shown in Figure 2A. However, structural element 10D according to the fourth embodiment forms a notch 44 or a hole. The notch 44 may extend along the entire length of the structural element, while the hole may extend only partially along the length of the structural element. The hole or notch 44 has a semicircular shape. As shown in Figure 5B, when two structural elements are connected to each other to form a support bar 22, a hole or notch with a circular cross-sectional shape is formed, thereby allowing attachments such as handles or casters (not shown) to be fastened to the support bar 22.
[0040] Furthermore, the structural element 10D according to the fourth embodiment is connected to the rib 19 and includes two reinforcing fins 46 that project from there toward the second planar wall portion 16. This increases the rigidity of the structural element 10D and, consequently, the rigidity of the support bar 22.
[0041] Figure 6A shows a fifth embodiment of structural element 10E with a principle cross-sectional view substantially similar to that of structural element 10D according to the fourth embodiment. However, the rib 19 forms a radially outward-facing extension 48 that can increase the rigidity of the rib 19. Furthermore, the extension 48 forms a notch 44 or hole, as already described. The notch 44 or hole is located at the center of the extension 48.
[0042] Furthermore, a total of four reinforcing fins 46 are connected to the rib 19 and protrude laterally from there. However, only two of the fins 48 extend to the second planar wall 16. The remaining two fins 46 contact the second planar wall 16 of the other structural element 10E2 when forming the support bar 22, as shown in Figure 6B. It is designed in such a way that the connecting portion 20 faces away from the hollow space 18 so that the fins 46 do not come into contact with the connecting portion 20 when forming the support bar 22. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0043] 10 Structural elements 10A Structural elements of the first embodiment 10B Structural elements of the second embodiment 10C Structural elements of the third embodiment 10D Structural elements of the fourth embodiment 10E Structural elements of the fifth embodiment 12 walls 14. First planar wall section 16. Second planar wall section 18 Hollow space 19 Ribs 20 Connection part 22 Support bar 24 openings 26 Wall extension 28 Protrusion 29 Snap connection 30 carts 31 screws 32 Fastening part 34 handle 36 Lower plate 38 Upper plate 40 Embossed 42 Caster 44 Notches, holes 46 Fins 48 Expansion section G1 Group 1 G2, Group 2 H1 First Hemisphere H2, the second half
Claims
1. A support bar (22) or a structural element (10) of the support bar (22), - A trough-shaped wall (12) defines the hollow space (18), - A structural element (10) comprising a plurality of reinforcing ribs (19) that are at least partially arranged within the hollow space (18) and connected to the wall (12).
2. The structural element (10) is formed from an injection-molded plastic so that it is formed from a single component. The structural element (10) according to claim 1.
3. The hollow space (18) is subdivided into a first half (H1) and a second half (H2) of equal size, the first group (G1) of ribs (19) is arranged in the first half (H1), and the second group (G2) of ribs (19) is arranged in the second half (H2). The structural element (10) according to claim 1 or 2.
4. The rib (19) is characterized in that it protrudes from the hollow space (18), A structural element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. The rib (19) is characterized in that it forms an expanded portion (48) that faces radially outward. A structural element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The rib (19) is characterized by forming a notch (44) or a hole. A structural element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The structural element (10) is characterized by comprising a reinforcing fin (46) connected to the rib (19), A structural element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
8. The structural element (10) is characterized by having a connecting portion (20) for connecting the structural element (10) to another structural element (10), A structural element (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
9. The connecting portion (20) is characterized by comprising a recess or opening (24) and a complementaryly formed protrusion (28), The structural element (10) according to claim 8.
10. Support bar (22), - The first structural element (10) described in any of claims 1 to 9, - comprising a second structural element (10) as described in any of claims 1 to 9, - A support bar (22) to which the first structural element (10) and the second structural element (10) are connected.
11. The first structural element (10) and the second structural element (10) are identical to each other. The support bar (22) according to claim 10.
12. The first structural element (10) and the second structural element (10) are connected to each other by a snap connection (29), The support bar (22) according to claim 10 or 11.
13. The rib (19) is formed so as to abut against the wall (12) of another structural element (10), A support bar (22) according to any of claims 10 to 12.
14. The support bar (22) is characterized by having at least one fastening portion (32) for fastening the support bar (22) to other components. A support bar (22) according to any of claims 10 to 13.
15. A cart (30) for serving food and beverages, comprising at least one support bar (22) according to one of claims 10 to 14.
16. The trolley (30) is characterized by having at least one handle (34) formed by one of the support bars (22), The trolley (30) according to claim 15.
17. The trolley (30) is characterized by having at least one caster (42) fastened to one of the support bars (22), The trolley (30) according to claim 115 or 16.