Expandable Table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing jupe-type tables lack efficient mechanisms for expanding and deploying additional table leaves, leading to potential instability and difficulty in creating a larger surface area without obstructing the compact design.
Innovation Solution
The expandable table incorporates a frame with main and expansion rails, a deployment mechanism featuring a pivot member and lift guide for expansion leaves, and removable stoppers to facilitate smooth deployment and prevent main table sections from sliding off.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If expansion leaves are stored below the table surface in a compact configuration, then the table maintains a small footprint and aesthetic appearance, but the mechanism for deploying these leaves becomes complex and may compromise structural stability
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion leaves are nested within the space beneath the table surface, stored in a compact configuration when not in use. The leaves are positioned within the leg structure and frame, allowing them to be concealed while maintaining quick access for deployment when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The deployment mechanism utilizes dynamic movement through pivot members that rotate between deployed and stored positions, and lift guides that provide controlled motion paths. This dynamic system allows smooth transition between compact and expanded states while maintaining structural integrity throughout the transformation.
2Ease of operation
If a deployment mechanism with pivot members and lift guides is used to facilitate expansion leaf deployment, then the transition between compact and expanded configurations becomes smooth and efficient, but the device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
Lift guides serve as intermediary elements that mediate between the pivot member rotation and the final positioning of the expansion leaves. The guide surfaces provide controlled motion paths, ensuring smooth deployment while distributing mechanical loads across multiple contact points rather than concentrating stress at single pivot points.
Solution Approach 2:
The deployment mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: pivot members for rotation, lift guides for directional control, and follower elements for engagement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while enabling independent optimization of each element's design and placement.
3Area of moving object
If main table sections are pulled radially outward to create space for expansion leaves, then a larger table surface area is achieved, but the risk of sections sliding off the rails and loss of structural integrity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Removable stoppers are positioned at the outer ends of the main rails to provide preliminary prevention against the main table sections sliding off. These stoppers create a physical barrier that counteracts the radial outward force during expansion, ensuring sections remain constrained to the rail paths even when fully extended.
Solution Approach 2:
The main table sections are designed with sliding mounts that dynamically engage with the main rails, allowing controlled radial movement during expansion and contraction. The sliding mechanism maintains continuous contact with the rails, ensuring structural integrity is preserved throughout the dynamic transformation between compact and expanded states.
Data Source
AI summary
The expandable table comprises a base or pedestal that rests on the floor or other support surface, a frame supported by the pedestal, and a tabletop. The tabletop comprises a plurality of main table sections that join at a common center to form a small table and a plurality of expansion leaves that can be inserted between the main table sections as needed to create a table with larger surface area. Pivot member connect the outer section of the expansion leaf to the frame so as to rotate about a pivot axis between the deployed position and the storage position and a lift guide attached to an expansion rail of the frame. Lift guides attached to the frame guide the inner section of the expansion leaf along an inclined path between the storage position and the deployed position when the outer section is rotated about a pivot axis. In some embodiments, a removable stopper prevents the main table sections from sliding off the end of the main rails. The stopper can be removed to allow installation and/or replacement of a wedge-shaped segment.