The present application claims priority to Chinese Utility Model Application CN 202020470430.0 filed Apr. 2, 2020. The disclosure of each application is incorporated herein for all purposes by reference in its entirety.
The present invention generally relates to bar tables and, in particular, to extendable bar tables for installing at supporting poles.
Most existing tents or awnings are foldable and are easy to carry around. However, many of them are not equipped with a bar. As such, if a drink is desired, the drink is usually placed on a table, which often occupies a large space and thus reduces the effective use of the tent or awning. A few existing tents have a bar countertop, but the bar countertop is usually fixed with the tent and in some cases is welded directly on the tent frame. As such, the bar countertop cannot be separated from the tent. Accordingly, the tent together with the bar countertop takes up a large space and is inconvenient for transportation and storage. Moreover, the bar countertop cannot be installed at other tents, let alone other tents of different sizes. In addition, the bar countertop cannot be adjusted in height to meet different needs or preferences.
Given the current state of the art, there remains a need for bar tables that address the abovementioned issues.
The information disclosed in this Background section is provided for an understanding of the general background of the invention and is not an acknowledgment or suggestion that this information forms part of the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
The present disclosure provides bar tables that can be installed at supporting poles of different distances, foldable and/or adjustable in height.
In various exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides a bar table that can be installed at first and second supporting poles spaced apart from each other. The bar table includes first and second tabletop units coupled with each other at their proximal sides. The first tabletop unit comprises a first panel and a first frame coupled with the first panel, and the second tabletop unit comprises a second panel and a second frame coupled with the second panel. The first frame includes a first mounting member coupled with the first panel, and a first extension coupled with the first mounting member and movable along a first direction to extend the first frame beyond a distal edge of the first panel. The bar table also includes a leg assembly coupled with the first and second tabletop units to support the first and second tabletop units when in use. The bar table further includes first and second connectors. The first connector is coupled with the first frame at a distal side of the first tabletop unit and configured to be selectively fastened at the first supporting pole. The second connector is coupled with the second frame at a distal side of the second tabletop unit and configured to be selectively fastened at the second supporting pole. In particular, the first connector is coupled with the first extension of the first frame, thereby allowing the bar table to be installed at the first and second supporting poles of different distances.
In some exemplary embodiments, the second frame includes a second mounting member coupled with the second panel, and a second extension coupled with the second mounting member and movable along the first direction to extend the second frame beyond a distal edge of the second panel. The second connector is coupled with the second extension of the second frame, thereby allowing the bar table to be installed at the first and second supporting poles of different distances.
In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second supporting poles are components of a tent, an awning, a canopy, or a gazebo.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second tabletop units are pivotally connected to each other at their proximal sides and the leg assembly is pivotally connected to the first and second tabletop units at the proximal sides of the first and second tabletop units such that when folded, the leg assembly is sandwiched in between the first and second tabletop units.
In an exemplary embodiment, a clip is disposed at the first frame and includes an opening to grip cross-section-wise a bar of the second frame when the bar table is folded.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second tabletop units are substantially the same.
In some exemplary embodiments, the leg assembly is adjustable in height.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second connectors are substantially the same.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first mounting member includes first and second bars each elongated along the first direction. The first extension includes a “U” shaped bar having a first side segment, a second side segment and a closed end segment connected to or integrally formed with the first and second side segments. The first side segment is telescopically coupled with the first bar, the second side segment is telescopically coupled with the second bar, and the first connector is coupled with the closed end segment.
In an exemplary embodiment, a first mounting bracket is provided to couple the first bar of the first mounting member with the first panel and to prevent complete disengagement of the first side segment of the first extension from the first bar, and a second mounting bracket is provided to couple the second bar of the first mounting member with the first panel and to prevent complete disengagement of the second side segment of the first extension from the second bar.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first connector includes first and second connecting members. The first connecting member is coupled with the first frame. The second connecting member is pivotally coupled with the first connecting member and rotatable with respect to the first connecting member in a second direction. When the second connecting member is in a loosen state with respect to the first connecting member, the first and second connecting members collectively form an opening to allow cross-section-wise insertion of the first supporting pole into the first connector and a slot to receive cross-section-wise the first supporting pole. When the second connecting member is in a locking state with respect to the first connecting member, the first and second connecting members collectively form an enclosure that encloses cross-section-wise the first supporting pole.
In some exemplary embodiments, the first connector further includes a fastener coupled with the first or second connecting member and configured to prevent movement of the first supporting pole within the enclosure formed by the first and second connecting members.
In an exemplary embodiment, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.
In some exemplary embodiments, one of the first and second connecting members includes a protrusion, and the other of the first and second connecting members includes a buckle to engage with the protrusion, thereby locking the second connecting member with respect to the first connecting member.
In an exemplary embodiment, the second connecting member includes a protrusion. The first connecting member includes a main body and a buckle. The main body is coupled with the first frame and the second connecting member. The buckle is pivotally coupled with the main body and rotatable with respect to the main body in the second direction to engage with the protrusion of the second connecting member, thereby locking the second connecting member with respect to the first connecting member.
In some exemplary embodiments, the enclosure includes one or more outwardly convex corners to receive one or more corners of the first supporting pole.
In an exemplary embodiment, a corner in the one or more outwardly convex corners has a substantially triangular shape.
In some exemplary embodiments, the bar table includes a handle disposed at the first or second frame.
In various exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides a bar table that can be installed at first and second supporting poles spaced apart from each other. The bar table includes a tabletop, a first connector and a second connector. The tabletop includes one or more tabletop units, each including a panel and a frame coupled with the panel. The frame of a first tabletop unit in the one or more tabletop units is extendable in a first direction beyond an edge of the first panel. Each of the first and second connectors includes first and second connecting members. The first connecting member is coupled with the frame of a tabletop unit in the one or more tabletop units and the second connecting member is pivotally coupled with the first connecting member and rotatable with respect to the first connecting member in a second direction. When the second connecting member is in a loosen state with respect to the first connecting member, the first and second connecting members collectively form an opening to allow cross-section-wise insertion of the first or second supporting pole and a slot to receive cross-section-wise the first or second supporting pole. When the second connecting member is in a locking state with respect to the first connecting member, the first and second connecting members collectively form an enclosure that encloses cross-section-wise the first or second supporting pole. At least one of the first connecting member of the first connector and the first connecting member of the second connector is coupled with the extendable frame of the first tabletop unit, thereby allowing the bar table to be installed at the first and second supporting poles of different distances.
In some exemplary embodiments, the bar table further includes a leg assembly coupled with the tabletop, and the leg assembly is adjustable in height.
The bar tables of the present disclosure have other features and advantages that will be apparent from, or are set forth in more detail in, the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the Detailed Description, serve to explain the principles and implementations of exemplary embodiments of the invention.
As will be apparent to those of skill in the art, the components illustrated in the figures described above are combinable in any useful number and combination. The figures are intended to be illustrative in nature and are not limiting.
Reference will now be made in detail to implementation of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout the drawings and the following detailed description to refer to the same or like parts. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the following detailed description is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having benefit of this disclosure.
In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will be appreciated that, in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions are made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
Many modifications and variations of the exemplary embodiments set forth in this disclosure can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The specific exemplary embodiments described herein are offered by way of example only, and the disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the context of bar tables that can be installed at various structures with two or more poles or at a structure where the distances between poles can vary. A bar table of the present disclosure generally includes a tabletop, and first and second connectors each for connecting the tabletop to a pole or the like. The tabletop can include one, two, three or more tabletop units connected to each other. Each tabletop unit includes a panel and a frame disposed at a lower side of the panel and coupled with the panel. Among the one or more tabletop units, at least one tabletop unit has the frame extendable in a first direction (e.g., the longitudinal direction) of the bar table and can be extended beyond an edge (e.g., a far end edge) of the corresponding panel. One or more of the first and second connectors are connected with the extendable frame. Thus, by extending or contracting the extendable frame, the bar table of the present disclosure can be installed at various structures with poles at different distances or at a structure where distances between poles can vary.
In some exemplary embodiments, the tabletop includes two or more tabletop units pivotally connected to each other such that the tabletop units can be folded onto each other. As such, when folded, the bar table of the present disclosure is compact and thus convenient for storage and transportation.
In some exemplary embodiments, a leg assembly is provided to support the tabletop when the bar table is in use. The leg assembly can be adjustable or non-adjustable in height. With an adjustable leg assembly, the bar table of the present disclosure can be placed at different heights to meet different needs.
A panel can be made of various materials including but not limited to metals, plastics and woods. In some exemplary embodiments, a panel is made of plastics by injection molding, blow molding or any other suitable processes. Similarly, a frame or a leg assembly of the present disclosure can be made of various materials including but not limited to metals (e.g., iron, steel, and aluminum) and plastics. In some exemplary embodiments, some components of the frame or leg assembly (e.g., bars) are made of metals or the like while some other components (e.g., couplers, clips) are made of plastics, rubbers or the like.
Referring now to
While
In various exemplary embodiments, a bar table of the present disclosure includes a tabletop, and first and second connectors each for connecting the tabletop to a supporting pole or the like. For instance, by way of example,
While two tabletop units are illustrated, it should be noted that a tabletop can be composed of any suitable number of tabletop units including but not limited to one, two, three or more tabletop units. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, a tabletop is composed of a single tabletop unit. In such an embodiment, the frame of the single tabletop unit is extendable and both connectors are disposed at the extendable frame of the single tabletop unit. In another exemplary embodiment, a tabletop is composed of two, three, four or more tabletop units. While the two tabletop units are illustrated to be substantially the same, it should be noted that the two tabletop units can be but do not have to be substantially the same. They can be different from each other in shapes, sizes, materials, constructions (e.g., whether or not the frame is extendable) or in any other configuration parameters. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, a frame of one tabletop unit is extendable and a frame of another tabletop unit is non-extendable or extendable in a different direction. In addition, while the two connectors are illustrated to be substantially the same, it should be noted that the two connectors can be but do not have to be substantially the same. They can be different from each other in shapes, sizes, materials, constructions or in any other configuration parameters.
Referring to
Frame 21 includes a mounting member coupled with the panel and an extension coupled with the mounting member and movable along a first direction to extend the frame beyond a distal edge of the panel. For instance, in some exemplary embodiments, frame 21 including a mounting member composed of a pair of bars 211 that is substantially parallel to each other. Each bar 211 is elongated along the first direction (e.g., the x-direction in
In its extended position, the frame extends beyond the panel of the same tabletop unit. For instance, as illustrated in
Referring to
In some exemplary embodiments, connector 4 includes a first connecting member such as first connecting member 42 and a second connecting member such as second connecting member 44. The first connecting member is coupled with closed end segment 232 of extension 23 of the frame, for instance, by a bracket or the like. The second connecting member is pivotally coupled with the first connecting member and rotatable with respect to the first connecting member in a second direction, e.g., the y-direction in
When the second connecting member is in a loosen state with respect to the first connecting member as illustrated in
In some exemplary embodiments, one of the first and second connecting members includes a protrusion, and the other of the first and second connecting members includes a buckle to engage with the protrusion, thereby locking the second connecting member with respect to the first connecting member. For instance, by way of example,
In some exemplary embodiments, connector 4 include a fastener coupled with the first or second connecting member to prevent movement of the supporting pole within the enclosure formed by the first and second connecting members. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, fastener 45 (e.g., a bolt or the like) is coupled with the second connecting member and has an access to slot 41 through the second connecting member. When a supporting pole is received in slot 41 or enclosure 46, rotating or pushing the fastener toward the slot or enclosure helps tightening the supporting pole within the slot or enclosure of the connector. With the help of the fastener, the connector can be secured at supporting poles with different nominal diameters.
In some exemplary embodiments, enclosure 46 includes one or more outwardly convex corners such as corner 461. Corner 461 can have any suitable shapes and sizes. In an exemplary embodiment, corner 461 has a substantially triangular shape. Corner 461 can be formed at either the first or second connecting member, for instance, by forming a notch or a recess at the interior wall of the first or second connecting member. In an exemplary embodiment, enclosure 46 includes two, three, four or more outwardly convex corners distributed evenly or unevenly around the perimeter of the enclosure. As such, for a supporting pole with a non-circular cross-section (e.g., polygonal cross-section), one or more periphery corners of the supporting pole can be fitted into the outwardly convex corners of the enclosure. This restricts the movement (e.g., shaking) of the supporting pole within the enclosure. Moreover, with the one or more outwardly convex corners, the connector can be used to connect the tabletop to supporting poles at different angles, e.g., a supporting pole can be vertical or oblique with respect to the ground.
Referring to
In some exemplary embodiments, leg assembly 3 is pivotally connected to the two tabletop units at the proximal sides of the tabletop units such that when folded, the leg assembly is sandwiched in between the two tabletop units. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, leg assembly 3 includes an upper bar such as upper bar 32, one or more legs such as leg 31 and a lower bar such as lower bar 33. Upper bar 23 is disposed between the two pivoting couplers and each of its end portions is connected to one pivoting coupler. Leg 31 has an upper end portion connected to the upper bar and a lower end portion connected to the lower bar.
Leg 31 can be adjustable or non-adjustable. For instance, in an exemplary embodiment, leg 31 includes an adjustable bar such as adjustable bar 34 illustrated in
In some exemplary embodiments, to help maintain the folding state or to prevent accidental unfolding of the bar table, a clip is disposed at the frame of one tabletop unit and including an opening to grip cross-section-wise a bar of the frame of another tabletop unit when the bar table is folded. For instance, by way of example,
In some exemplary embodiments, a handle is provided for carrying the bar table. For instance, by way of example,
The bar table of the present invention is easy to use. For instance, to setup a bar table with two tabletop units and a leg assembly, if it is folded, then the first step is to unfold the tabletop units and the leg assembly. If the leg assembly is adjustable in height, then the leg assembly can be adjusted to place the tabletop at a desired height. If the distance between the two supporting poles intended for installing the bar table is larger than the original length of the tabletop (e.g., the length of the tabletop without extending any frame), then one or more frames can be pulled to extend the tabletop to a suitable length. After that, each connector 4 can be fastened at a supporting pole. To secure connector 4 at the supporting pole, second connecting member 44 can be locked with first connecting member 42 and, if necessarily, fastener 45 can be rotated or pushed toward the slot or enclosure of the connector to further tighten the connector at the supporting pole. This completes the setup processes.
To remove a bar table from the supporting poles, the first step is to unlock connector 4 and separate connector 4 from the supporting pole. If any frame has been extended during the installation, the frame can be pushed back to its original position. If the leg assembly has been adjusted, the leg assembly can be retracted back to its original height. Then the two tabletop units can be folded, resulting in a very compact piece as illustrated in
The bar tables of the present disclosure are advantageous. For instance, because of the one or more extendable frames, a bar table of the present disclosure is very flexible in use. It can be installed at various structures with supporting poles of different distances and at a structure where the distances between poles can vary, making. Moreover, with an adjustable leg assembly, a bar table of the present disclosure can be placed at different heights to meet different needs or preferences. Further, with the connectors, a bar table of the present disclosure can be easily installed at a structure (e.g., a tent) or removed from the structure. In addition, by pivotally connecting adjacent tabletop units, a bar table of the present disclosure can be folded into a compact piece and thus is convenient for storage and transportation.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting of the claims. As used in the description of the implementations and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be understood that the terms “top” or “bottom”, “lower” or “upper”, and etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures. It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first connector could be termed a second connector, and, similarly, a second connector could be termed a first connector, without changing the meaning of the description, so long as all occurrences of the “first connector” are renamed consistently and all occurrences of the “second connector” are renamed consistently.
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