Blow-Molded Plastic Tabletop Structure Without Added Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tables with large tabletops made from wood or metal are heavy, expensive, and difficult to move and store, and those made from lightweight materials require additional reinforcing members that increase weight and manufacturing costs, while also posing safety risks from sharp edges.
Innovation Solution
A molded plastic tabletop with a lip and engagement structures, such as blow points, and continuous tack-offs that form a unitary, one-piece structure during the blow-molding process, providing strength and rigidity without the need for additional reinforcing members and reducing the risk of damage from applied loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional tables use wood or metal tabletops, then strength and rigidity are improved, but weight increases making the table difficult to move
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the tabletop, lip, and engagement structures into a single molded plastic component. This integration eliminates the need for separate reinforcing members while maintaining structural strength, thereby reducing overall weight compared to conventional wood or metal tables that require multiple separate parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional wood or metal to molded plastic. This material substitution provides sufficient strength and rigidity for tabletop applications while significantly reducing weight, making the table easier to move and reposition.
2Weight of moving object
If lightweight materials are used for tabletops, then weight is reduced, but additional reinforcing members are required increasing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates reinforcing features directly into the molded plastic tabletop structure. The lip and engagement structures are formed as integral parts of the tabletop during the molding process, eliminating the need for separate reinforcing members, brackets, or support elements that would increase complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded plastic tabletop serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the primary surface, incorporates structural reinforcement through integrated lip features, and includes engagement structures for attachment. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized components.
3Strength
If additional reinforcing members and fasteners are added to lightweight tabletops, then strength is improved, but manufacturing cost and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple structural elements (tabletop, reinforcing lip, engagement structures) into a single molded component. This integration eliminates the need for separate fasteners, brackets, and reinforcing members, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and simplifying the production process.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing features and engagement structures are formed during the initial molding process rather than requiring subsequent assembly steps. This preliminary formation of structural elements eliminates additional manufacturing operations and reduces overall production time and cost.
4Strength
If conventional fasteners are used to connect frame to tabletop, then connection strength is achieved, but risk of damage and injury from sharp edges increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the engagement structures directly into the molded plastic tabletop, eliminating the need for separate fasteners that have sharp edges. The integrated design maintains connection strength while removing hazardous sharp edges from the assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent eliminates the harmful sharp edges associated with conventional fasteners by using a molded plastic design. The integration of connection features into the plastic structure converts the potential harm of sharp metal edges into a safe, edge-free plastic surface that maintains structural integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A structure constructed using a blow-molding process comprising a tabletop, a lip, a pair of blow points, and a continuous tack-off. The tabletop includes an upper surface, a lower surface, and a hollow interior portion disposed between the upper and lower surfaces. The lip extends downwardly relative to the lower surface. The lip includes an outer and an inner surface. The blow points are configured to receive a blow pin. The blow points include a first portion connected to the lower surface, a second portion connected to the inner surface, and a hollow interior portion in fluid communication with the hollow interior portion. The continuous tack-off is disposed between the tabletop and the lip and extends between the blow points. The continuous tack-off prevents fluid flow between the tabletop and the lip along the section of the lip.