Collapsible Beach Umbrella and Table System for Compact Portability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beach goers often lack a compact and portable solution for elevating items off the sand, leading to the exclusion of a beach table due to the burden of additional items, and existing alternatives like coolers are not designed for this purpose, hindering access to the cooler's contents.
Innovation Solution
A compact, integrated beach umbrella and table system featuring a collapsible umbrella and table supported by a single post, with adjustable armature elements and a separable support post, allowing for easy storage and expansion, and optionally including features like solar power for electronic devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate beach table is brought to the beach, then items can be elevated off the sand, but the number of items to carry increases and storage becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a beach table and beach umbrella into a single integrated system. The table is coupled to the umbrella support post, creating one unified structure that provides both shade and elevated item storage. This eliminates the need to carry separate table and umbrella items, resolving the contradiction by merging two functions into one portable system.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system serves multiple functions: the umbrella provides shade, the table surface elevates items off the sand, and the combined structure can support various configurations. The support post serves both as the umbrella pole and the table support, demonstrating multi-functionality that reduces the number of separate items needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-size table is used, then structure is simple, but adaptability to different needs and spaces is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The table structure is divided into modular armature elements that can be independently adjusted. These segmented components allow the table surface to be reconfigured into different shapes and sizes depending on the number of users and available space. The segmentation enables adaptability while keeping each individual component relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The table employs adjustable armature elements that can be dynamically repositioned to change the table's configuration. This dynamic structure allows the same table to adapt to different group sizes and spatial requirements, resolving the contradiction between versatility and structural simplicity through movable, reconfigurable components.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an integrated beach umbrella and table system that includes a support post, wherein an umbrella support frame couples to the support post and is expandable and collapsible about the support post, and an umbrella canopy couples to the umbrella support frame. The system further includes a table surface support frame assembled from a plurality of armature elements that couple to an anchor hub and a central hub, wherein at least one of the anchor hub and the central hub slidably engages to the support post. The anchor hub and the central hub slide to produce a first expanded position and a second collapsed position of a table surface coupled to the table surface support frame.