Expandable folding table with removable insert panel assembly

The present subject matter discloses a removable panel assembly for an expandable folding table. The removable panel assembly includes a movable panel and a frame that is retractable. The expandable frame also includes a fixed frame connected with a pivot device and a movable frame. The movable panel is foldable and can be horizontally arranged between two panels of the folding tables when it is in use. Furthermore, the movable panel can be stored under the fixed frame when it is collapsed. With the removable panel assembly, the table can be both foldable and extendable without structural interference. In addition, while being easy to operate, the removable panel assembly further enhances the functions and appearance of the table.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of CN Patent Application No. CN202122738112.5, entitled “Expandable Folding Table with Movable Panel,” filed Nov. 10, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present subject matter is in the field of furniture design and manufacture. More particularly, embodiments of the present subject matter relate to a retractable panel assembly for an expandable folding table that renders the table length adjustable.

BACKGROUND

An expandable table can be extended by an extra panel when there are more table space needed. However, since the traditional expandable table cannot be folded, the design of the extra panel needs to overcome structural interference with the folding function of the table.

A folding table can be folded to reduce the storage space and makes it convenient to carry. However, although the traditional folding table can be folded, the table top cannot be expanded. After being unfolded, the length of the table top can not be adjusted or extended according to the number of seats needed. An example of such a folding table structure is disclosed in Chinese Patent No. CN207428721U.

Therefore, there is a need for a retractable insert panel for an expandable folding table, which enables the folding and extending function without interference with each other.

SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER

The present subject matter can solve the technical problem as described herein by providing a removable panel assembly for an expandable folding table in view of the present art.

The technical solution adopted in the technical problem to be solved by the present subject matter is as follows: a retractable panel assembly for an expandable folding table, comprising: a movable panel and a first frame that is expandable, wherein the first frame includes a fixed frame connected with a pivot device and a movable frame, wherein the movable frame is configured to slide on the fixed frame through a sliding rail device between the movable frame and the fixed frame so that the movable panel can be horizontally arranged between the first panel and the second panel to extend the expandable folding table when it is in use, and wherein the movable panel can be hidden under the first panel when it is collapsed, and wherein the movable panel is foldable and rotatably connected to the fixed frame.

According to some embodiments, the movable panel is foldable with a first board and a second board that is connected to each other, and wherein the first board and the second board are either connected by hinges or by a flexible integrated structure.

According to some embodiments, the fixed frame includes a longitudinal front fixed beam and a longitudinal rear fixed beam, and a horizontal left fixed beam, and a horizontal right fixed beam, wherein the longitudinal front fixed beam and the longitudinal rear fixed beam are respectively connected to the front and rear of the pivot device, wherein the horizontal right fixed beam is connected between the front and rear of the pivot device, wherein the movable frame includes a longitudinal front movable beam and a longitudinal rear movable beam, and the longitudinal front movable beam and the longitudinal rear movable beam are slidably arranged on the longitudinal front fixed beam and the longitudinal rear fixed beam, and wherein the middle beam is a longitudinal beam connected between the horizontal left fixed beam and the horizontal right fixed beam; and wherein the movable panel is rotatably connected to a middle beam of the fixed frame.

According to some embodiments, the sliding rail device further comprises the longitudinal front fixed beam and the longitudinal rear fixed beam, each being provided with fixed sliding rail grooves with rolling elements; the longitudinal front movable beam and the longitudinal rear movable beam are provided with movable sliding rail grooves configured to match with the rolling elements; and a limiting structure for limiting the movable sliding rail grooves on the fixed sliding rail grooves.

According to some embodiments, the rolling elements are one of a roller, or a bearing, or a roller.

According to some embodiments, the movable panel assembly further comprises an anti-detachment device between the first board and the second board when the expandable folding table is folded. According to some embodiments, the anti-detachment device is a magnet that can attach the first board and the second board to each other.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present subject matter pertains to improved approaches for a removable panel assembly for an expandable folding table. Embodiments of the present subject matter are discussed below with reference toFIGS.1-9.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present subject matter. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present subject matter may be practiced without some of these specific details. In addition, the following description provides examples, and the accompanying drawings show various examples for the purposes of illustration. Moreover, these examples should not be construed in a limiting sense as they are merely intended to provide examples of embodiments of the subject matter rather than to provide an exhaustive list of all possible implementations. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the details of the disclosed features of various described embodiments.

The present subject matter will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments of the accompanying drawings.

The present subject matter is directed to a removable or retractable panel assembly for an expandable folding table. The removable panel assembly mainly comprises of a movable panel1cand a first frame3a, in which: the first frame3ais a retractable frame that includes a fixed frame31and a movable frame32. The fixed frame31is connected with a pivot device of the expandable folding table. A sliding rail device is provided between the movable frame32and the fixed frame31, which can slide back and forth on the fixed frame31.

According to some embodiments, the movable panel1cis a foldable panel, which is connected to the fixed frame31and is rotatable relative to the fixed frame31, so that the movable panel1ccan be supported by the fixed frame31when it is inserted between two panels, and the movable panel1ccan be hidden under the fixed frame31when it is collapsed and stored.

As shown inFIGS.1-8, the expandable folding table includes foldable table top100and foldable table frame200, wherein each of foldable table top100and foldable table frame200respectively comprises the movable panel1cand the fixed frame31.

According to some embodiments, the foldable table top100includes a first panel1a, a second panel1band a movable panel1c. The first panel1aand the second panel1bhave the same shape, size or substantially the same size (as shown inFIG.8). However, it is not limited to the same size. According to specific needs, the first and second panels1aand1bcan be adjusted. The movable panel1ccan be inserted between the first and second panels1a,1bto extend the length of the table top. There may be one or more movable panels1c, and the present subject matter discloses one movable panel as an example.

In order to suit the outdoor use of the folding table, the first and second panels1a,1band the movable panel1care hollow blow-molded panels (the concave structure at the bottom of the panels is omitted in the figures). According to some embodiments, the opposite sides of the first and second panels1a,1b, that is, the lower parts of the butting surfaces to be butted against each other, are integrally formed with staggered grooves14and bumps or protrusions13. Meanwhile, the upper side of the abutting surfaces has a straight contact to ensure the coupled table top appears to be flat and smooth, while the lower side is fitted and butted with the grooves14and the bumps13between each other.

Similarly, the left and right sides of the movable panel1care the butt surfaces that are respectively connected to the first and second panels, and the lower parts of the two sides are also integrally formed with staggered grooves14and bumps13.

As shown inFIG.6, when the folding table is open and extended, the movable panel1cis connected to the first and second panels1aand1b, the upper side parts of the butt surfaces are also flat butt joints, and the lower side parts are also fitted and butted with the grooves14and the bumps13. The bumps13on the first and second panels1aand1bare fitted with the grooves14on the first and second panels1aand1b, and the grooves on the movable panel1care fitted with the bumps13on the first and second panels1aand1b. The aforementioned features can not only improve the structural strength of the coupled panels, but also reduce the joints, and ensure the flatness and aesthetics of the foldable table top100.

As shown inFIG.3, the movable panel1cis a foldable panel, which comprises a first board101and a second board102that are connected together, and the connected parts can be folded in half. There can be many mechanisms to connect the two boards. For example, the material skin103shown inFIG.3can be used to connect the first board101and the second board102, i.e., a plastic joint has thinner material than the two boards'. It can also be connected through hinges so that the movable panel1ccan be easily unfolded or folded. In order to prevent the folded first board101and the second board102from being detached, an anti-detachment device can also be provided between the first board101and the second board102. The device can use a simple magnetic device. That is, the first board101and the second board102are respectively equipped with strong magnets104that can be attracted to each other, so that the unconnected sides of the two boards can be firmly attracted together.

According to some embodiments, the movable panel1cis hidden under the first panel1awhen the table top does not need to be lengthened and is rotatably connected to the middle beam313of the fixed frame31. When the table top needs to be extended, after pulling the first panel1a, the movable panel1ccan be rotated and inserted. After unfolding the first board101and the second board102, they can be supported on the fixed frame31so that the movable panel1ccan be locked between the first panel1aand the second panel1b. This way, the extension of the table top is achieved, as shown inFIGS.4-6. The front and rear sides of the movable panel1care also provided with downwardly extending flanges, which can cover the fixed frame31.

According to some embodiments, foldable table frame200can mainly include a first frame3aand a first stand2aconnected to the first panel1a, and a second frame3band a second stand3aconnected to the second panel1b; The first frame3aand the second frame3bare connected by the front and rear pivot devices4a,4band can be folded around the pivot shaft41and linked with the first panel1aand the second panel1bto achieve folding. Among them, the first stand, the second stand, the second frame, and the front and rear pivoting devices can all adopt conventional structures and thus will not be repeated here. However, it should be noted that they can be modified with other well-known technologies except the embodiments as shown here.

According to some embodiments, the first frame3aof the present subject matter is a retractable frame, which includes a fixed frame31connected to the front and rear pivoting devices4a,4b, and a movable frame32slidably arranged on the fixed frame. The movable panel1cis mounted on the fixed frame and can be rotatably opened. The first panel1aand the first stand2aare fixedly connected to the movable frame32and linked with the movable frame32. A slide rail device is provided between the movable frame32and the fixed frame31, so that the first panel1acan move back and forth on the fixed frame31. When the table top is to be extended, only the first panel1aneeds to be pulled away from the second panel1b, so that the movable panel1ccan be pulled out and connected to the second panel1bhorizontally. This way, the table top is in the extended state in which the first panel1a, the movable panel1c, and the second panel1bare spliced together, as shown inFIG.6.

According to some embodiments, when the table does not need to be extended, the first panel1aand the second panel1bare butted, whereas the movable panel1cis folded and stored under the first panel1a. Furthermore, the movable insert panel1ccannot be seen on the table top, as shown inFIGS.1-3.

According to some embodiments, the fixed frame31is roughly in the shape of a square or a rectangle, which includes front and rear side beams311aand311bin the longitudinal direction (referring to the longitudinal direction of the table top), and left and right fixed beams312aand312bin the horizontal direction (referring to the width direction of the table top). The front and rear fixed beams311a,311bare respectively connected with the pivot seats of the front and rear pivoting devices4a,4b, and the right fixed beam312bis connected between the front and rear pivoting devices4a,4b. In order to arrange the middle beam313of the movable panel1clongitudinally, it is connected between the left fixed beam312aand the right fixed beam312b. A baffle plate is also extended on the fixed beam312bfor supporting and positioning the movable panel1c. The front fixed beam311aand the rear fixed beam311bare both long strip-shaped plates with a “[”-shaped cross-section, with the grooves on them, are set as fixed sliding rail grooves3111. A plurality of rolling elements314is arranged at intervals in the fixed sliding rail groove3111. According to some embodiments, the rolling elements314can be rollers, bearings, rollers, etc., and are rotatably arranged in the length direction.

According to some embodiments, the shape of the movable frame32is basically the same as that of the second frame3b, and the main difference is that the longitudinal front movable beam321aand the rear movable beam321bare designed to be slidable structures matched with the fixed frame31. Specifically, the front movable beam321aand the rear movable beam321band the front and rear fixed beams311a,311bare matched with a long strip-shaped plate with a “]”-shaped cross-section, with the groove on it set as a movable sliding rail groove3211, which is slidably in contact with the outer circular rolling surface of the rolling element314in the fixed sliding rail groove3111.

In addition, a limit structure is provided between the movable sliding rail groove3211and the fixed sliding rail groove3111to limit the displacement of the movable sliding rail groove3211on the fixed sliding rail groove3111, which can limit the maximum pulling distance of the first panel1a, to prevent infinite pullout. It can be realized by the following structure: a limiting block3112is protruded on the lower side of the left ends of the front and rear fixed beams311a,311brespectively, and correspondingly on the front and rear sides of the back of the first panel1aare raised to form a limiting protrusion16that can collide with the limiting block3112. When the limiting protrusions16on the first panel1acollide with the limiting blocks3112on the front and rear fixed beams311a,311b, the first panel1acan no longer be pulled out, as shown inFIG.5.

According to some embodiments, the first stand2ais connected with the movable frame32. When the first panel1aslides back and forth, the movable frame32and the first stand2aalso move together. Therefore, the bottom of the first panel1ais always supported by movable frame32and first tripod2ato ensure its bearing strength.

As shown inFIG.9, when the expandable folding table is folded, the size of it is the same as the size of one panel, which can significantly reduce the packaging volume and transportation cost. The compact size also renders the easy transportation and storage of the table.

Having disclosed exemplary embodiments and the best mode, modifications and variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of the embodiments of the subject matter as defined by the following claims.