Multifunctional Folding Table

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of CN Patent Application No. 202423079311.X, entitled “Portable Multi-Function Table,” filed Dec. 12, 2024, 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 portable multifunctional utility table.

BACKGROUND

With the rise of outdoor leisure activities, people often need to bring various ingredients for on-site cooking during outdoor barbecues and camping, such as slaughtering live fish or washing ingredients. In the early days, there were generally no dedicated tables for processing ingredients outdoors. People would usually place the ingredients to be processed on outdoor stone slabs for slaughtering or washing. This brought about several issues: the stone slabs were easily soiled, fish blood from slaughtering would often flow onto the ground, and extra time and water were required to rinse the slabs and the ground, which was both time-consuming and wasteful. Furthermore, it was difficult to ensure complete cleanliness. Additionally, after slaughtering the fish, it had to be taken to a location with a faucet for cleaning, making the process inconvenient as it could not be completed in one place.

Although later some fish-slaying tables suitable for outdoor use appeared, such as the fish-slaying table disclosed in patent publication number CN104287453B titled “A Hollow Blow-Molded Fish-Slaying Table,” which includes a hollow blow-molded tabletop and a tabletop support device, the tabletop is divided into a fish-slaying operation area and a cleaning operation area. Water-guiding grooves are set around the fish-slaying area, and a recessed sink integrally formed and connected to the water-guiding grooves is located in the cleaning area. A hand guard plate integrally formed with the tabletop is provided in the fish-slaying area, with a folding edge flexibly connected to the tabletop, allowing the hand guard plate to be folded upward relative to the tabletop, forming a through-hole.

However, since this type of fish-slaying table is specifically designed for outdoor fish-slaying and is not equipped with a faucet, one must either transport water using a bucket into the sink or carry the fish elsewhere to be cleaned. It still does not solve the cleaning problem conveniently in one step. Additionally, as the recessed sink is integrally formed on the tabletop, in order to ensure that the table can be folded smoothly, the sink depth must be shallow. This limits its water-holding capacity and fails to meet more extensive cleaning needs, thus affecting user experience.

Therefore, there is a need for a multifunctional outdoor utility table that can conveniently solve outdoor water usage and cleaning problems, provides a large-capacity sink on the tabletop, and does not hinder folding of the table.

SUMMARY OF THE SUBJECT MATTER

The technical problem to be solved by the present subject matter is to provide a portable multifunctional utility table that solves the outdoor water usage and cleaning problem, provides a large-capacity, foldable sink on the tabletop, and does not hinder table folding.

The technical solution adopted by the present subject matter is: The portable multifunctional utility table includes a tabletop and foldable table legs, and further includes a foldable sink and faucet installed on the tabletop. The tabletop is provided with a perforation suitable for sink installation. The sink is a retractable folding sink that can form an expanded water-holding state and a folded stowed state. When the sink is in the stowed state, it can be stored in the perforation without affecting the normal use or folding of the tabletop. The bottom of the sink is equipped with a detachable drainpipe, and the faucet is detachably mounted on the tabletop.

To optimize the structure and installation of the sink, preferably, the sink includes a bottom and side portions surrounding it. The side portions include a top ring mounted on the tabletop and side walls that are at least partially flexible and can fold up and down to form the expanded or stowed state.

Preferably, to facilitate upward folding and downward expansion, the side walls are inclined outward from bottom to top. When stowed, they are housed within the perforation and kept flush or nearly flush with the tabletop surface. The stowed sink can also hold the detached drainpipe and faucet.

Preferably, the side walls include an upper side wall, a foldable wall, and a lower side wall connected sequentially from top to bottom. The top ring extends laterally outward from the top edge of the upper side wall. The foldable wall is flexible and connects the upper and lower side walls.

To facilitate mounting the top ring on the tabletop, an installation groove is formed along the edge of the perforation on the tabletop to accommodate the top ring. The top ring and tabletop are detachably connected by fasteners.

To better install the faucet, the bottom of the faucet has a detachable connector. A through-hole is formed on the tabletop for the connector to pass through. A connection sleeve is detachably mounted at the bottom of the connector to connect external water pipes.

To allow water overflowing on the tabletop to quickly flow into the sink, a water guide groove is formed near the edge of the tabletop, with its outlet connected to the sink. The faucet is positioned within the area enclosed by the sink and the water guide groove.

To optimize the drainpipe structure, the drainpipe includes a pipe body and a drainage connector. The foldable sink has a through-hole for drainage. The connector is installed on the bottom wall of the sink, passes through the drainage hole, and is partially exposed at the sink's bottom. The pipe body is threaded to detachably connect to the bottom of the connector. A sealing element is provided to prevent leakage at the connection point.

To add more functionality, the bottom of the tabletop and/or table legs are equipped with a storage device for placing items.

Preferably, the storage device includes a storage board. The table legs are equipped with support racks that can flip relative to the legs to form a folded or supported state. In the support state, the storage board can rest on the support rack for placing items. The storage board can also serve as a cover for the foldable sink.

The present subject matter has the following improvement and advantages over prior designs: By providing a retractable folding sink and faucet on the tabletop, the sink offers large capacity when expanded, and can be compactly stowed in the perforation without affecting folding. The detachable faucet and drainpipe do not interfere with table folding, while meeting cleaning needs.

This present subject matter addresses the limitations of conventional and prior designs, including the inability to perform cleaning in one place due to the lack of a faucet, and the shallow design constraints of integrated recessed foldable sinks. The retractable folding sink allows for deeper capacity without compromising folding, enhancing usability and user experience. The detachable faucet and drainpipe can be stored inside the folded sink, making the table multifunctional and easy to transport.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present subject matter is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective structural diagram of one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 2 is another perspective structural diagram of one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the structure of one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 4 is a structural diagram showing the faucet and drainpipe placed inside the folded sink in one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 5 is a structural diagram showing the storage board placed over the sink in one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 6 is a structural diagram showing the folded state of both table legs and sink in one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the sink in expanded water-storage state in one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the sink in folded and stowed state in one embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 9 is a structural diagram showing the faucet installed on the tabletop in one embodiment of the present subject matter; and

FIG. 10 is a structural diagram showing one embodiment without a storage device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present subject matter pertains to improved approaches for a portable multifunctional utility table. Embodiments of the present subject matter are discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1-10.

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.

FIGS. 1 to 9 show a preferred embodiment of the present subject matter. The portable multifunctional utility table in this embodiment mainly comprises a tabletop (1), foldable table legs (2), a foldable sink (3), a faucet (4), and a drainpipe (5).

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, in this embodiment, the bottom of tabletop (1) is equipped with foldable legs (2), and the tabletop (1) is provided with foldable sink (3) and faucet (4). A perforation (1a) is formed on the tabletop (1) to accommodate the installation of the sink (3). The foldable sink (3) is provided with a stopper and drainpipe (5), and can be used for cleaning, drainage, water storage, and storage of items. The foldable sink (3) of this subject matter adopts a telescopic folding design, which can be compressed and folded into a stowed state or expanded for use. When stowed, the sink (3) can be received within the perforation (1a) without affecting the normal use or folding of the tabletop (1). The bottom of the sink (3) is equipped with a detachable drainpipe (5), and the faucet (4) is detachably mounted on the tabletop (1).

To optimize the structure and installation of the foldable sink (3), referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the foldable sink (3) includes a bottom portion (31) and surrounding side portions (32). The side portions (32) include a top ring (32a) mounted on the tabletop (1) and side walls (32b) that are at least partially flexible and capable of folding up and down to form expanded or stowed states.

To better achieve upward folding and downward expansion, the side wall (32b) inclines outward from bottom to top, making it easier to fold or unfold. When stowed, the side wall (32b) is housed within the perforation (1a) and does not extend beyond the tabletop surface. It can remain flush or substantially flush with the tabletop. To facilitate storage, portability, and transport of the utility table, when stowed, the sink volume is minimized and can accommodate the detached faucet and drainpipe inside it, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8.

Furthermore, to improve the folding structure, the side wall (32b) includes an upper side wall (3a), a foldable wall (3b), and a lower side wall (3c), connected in sequence from top to bottom. The top ring (32a) extends laterally outward from the top edge of upper side wall (3a). The foldable wall (3b) is flexible and connects the upper side wall (3a) and lower side wall (3c). The foldable wall (3b) may be made of flexible materials like TPR (thermoplastic rubber), while the upper and lower side walls (3a, 3c) may be made of rigid polypropylene material. The soft and hard combination improves the folding performance. The top ring (32a) and bottom (31) of the sink (3) are also made of the same rigid material as the upper and lower side walls. The top ring (32a) is integrated with the upper side wall (3a), and the bottom (31) is integrated with the lower side wall (3c). When folding the side walls (32b), the foldable wall (3b) bends upward, connected to the lower side wall (3c) near the sink opening without exceeding the tabletop surface. The integrated bottom (31) and lower side wall (3c) form a basin cavity that can store the detached faucet (4) and drainpipe (5) inside the folded sink (3).

To better install the top ring (32a) of foldable sink (3) on the tabletop (1), as shown in FIG. 3, an installation groove (1b) is formed around the edge of perforation (1a) to match the top ring (32a), which can be detachably mounted using fasteners.

In addition, the folding sink of this portable multifunctional utility table can adopt other forms beyond those shown in the embodiment. For example, while this example uses a single foldable wall forming a two-layer structure, other configurations may use two or more foldable walls, forming three-layer or double-folded structures. These alternatives do not affect the feasibility of the present subject matter.

To better install the faucet (4) on the tabletop (1), referring to FIGS. 3 and 9, the faucet (4) has a detachable connector (4a) at its base. The tabletop (1) is provided with a through-hole (1c) for the connector (4a) to pass through. The connector (4a) has a detachable sleeve (4b) for connecting to external water pipes. A sealing pad (4c) may be installed between the faucet (4) and tabletop (1) for sealing.

To allow overflow water on the tabletop (1) to quickly flow into the foldable sink (3), referring to FIG. 1, a water guide groove (1d) is specifically provided near the tabletop edge, and its outlet is connected to sink (3). The faucet (4) is located within the area enclosed by the sink (3) and guide groove (1d).

To optimize the overall structure of the drainpipe (5), referring to FIGS. 3 and 7, the drainpipe (5) includes a pipe body (5a) and a drain connector (5b). The sink (3) has a through-hole (3d) for drainage. The drain connector (5b) is mounted on the bottom wall of sink (3), passes through the drainage hole (3d), and is partially exposed at the bottom. The pipe body (5a) is detachably connected to the lower end of the connector (5b) via threads. A sealing member (5c) is provided to prevent leakage at the connection.

To further enhance functionality, storage devices (6) are also provided on the bottom of the tabletop and/or table legs (2), which may be in the form of storage bags, baskets, or boards. FIG. 10 shows the structure without the storage device (6), while FIGS. 1 to 3 show configurations with it.

FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate an optimized structure of the storage device (6), which includes a storage board (6a). The table legs (2) are provided with a support rack (6b) that can flip relative to the legs to form folded or supporting states. In the supporting state, the storage board (6a) rests horizontally on the support rack (6b) for placing items. The horizontal support is maintained by a link rod (6c) connected between the support rack (6b) and table legs (2), as shown in FIG. 1. Additionally, the storage board (6a) can be used as a cover for foldable sink (3). The sink (3) is further provided with a placement groove (32c) for holding the storage board (6a), forming a closed cover. The placement groove (32c) is set at the connection between top ring (32a) and side wall (32b). When the portable multifunctional utility table is in folded state, the detached faucet (4) and drainpipe (5) can be stored inside the folded sink (3), and the storage board (6a) can serve as a protective cover, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

Additionally, it is worth noting that in this embodiment, by providing the retractable folding sink (3) and detachable faucet (4) on tabletop (1), and forming a perforation (1a) suitable for sink installation, the foldable sink (3) can form an expanded water-storage state and a folded stowed state. When stowed, it can be housed in the perforation (1a) without affecting the normal use or folding of the tabletop (1). The bottom of foldable sink (3) is equipped with a quick-detach drainpipe (5). This solves the problem in the prior designs where cleaning could not be completed in one step due to the lack of a faucet, and where the sink depth was limited due to integrally molded recessed designs. The retractable folding sink (3) provides greater cleaning capacity without interfering with table folding, meeting broader user cleaning needs and improving user experience. Since the faucet (4) and drainpipe (5) can be stored inside the folded sink (3), the utility table remains multifunctional and convenient for outdoor portability.

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.