Collapsible portable table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible portable tables face issues with stability and storage efficiency, as they often rely on slots and channels that can lead to binding and locking, and have designs that do not minimize storage height effectively.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible portable table design featuring pivot frames and legs that are pivotally connected, allowing for 180-degree pivoting without slots or channels, with the center leg frame being shorter than outer legs, enabling flat storage and even support distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If slots and channels are used for leg engagement, then the table can be collapsible, but the components may bind or lock up causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The table leg assembly is divided into separate pivotable segments (legs and pivot frames) that can independently rotate around pivot points. This segmentation allows the legs to fold without sliding through slots, eliminating binding issues while maintaining collapsibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces static slot-based engagement with dynamic pivot-based rotation. The legs and pivot frames can rotate through a range of motion (approximately 180 degrees) to transition between deployed and collapsed positions, providing smooth movement without binding.
2Strength
If traditional leg designs are used, then the table provides support, but the storage height is not minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical leg extension to horizontal leg folding. When collapsed, the legs fold parallel to the table top surface rather than extending vertically, dramatically reducing the storage height while maintaining structural support when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot frames and legs are designed to nest together when collapsed, with components folding parallel to the table top. This nesting arrangement minimizes the overall storage height while preserving the support structure when the table is in use.
3Length of moving object
If pivot frames are added to enable 180-degree pivoting, then storage height is minimized, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pivot frame and leg support functions into a single integrated component. The pivot frame serves both as the structural support element and as the pivot mechanism, eliminating the need for separate pivot joints and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot frame performs multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables the 180-degree pivoting motion, and serves as the mounting point for the legs. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, offsetting the added complexity with functional consolidation.
4Length of moving object
If center leg frame is made shorter than outer legs, then flat storage is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately uses asymmetric leg lengths, with the center leg frame being shorter than the outer legs. This asymmetry is designed into the structure to enable the legs to fold flat against the table top in the collapsed position, with the shorter center frame allowing all legs to align in the same plane.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a collapsible portable table having a top, two pivot frames, a center leg frame and two outer legs. An end support is at each end of a lower surface of the top. A center support is centrally aligned on the lower surface and two pivot supports are provided. Each of the pivot frames is pivotally connected to one of the pivot supports. The center leg frame is pivotally connected to one pivot frame. The outer legs are pivotally connected to the other pivot frame. The pivot supports pivot approximately 180 degrees relative to the table top. The legs can be in a storage position wherein they are generally parallel to the table top. The legs can also be in a deployed position wherein the respective distal ends of the legs are separated by a distance with a midpoint generally aligned with a top midpoint.