Extension table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extension tables with telescopically coupled frames face a risk of collision during the rotation of the extension top when not extended to maximum length, necessitating safety devices to prevent rotation until maximum extension is achieved.
Innovation Solution
An anti-collision safety device that allows free rotation of the extension top only when the mobile frame has reached the end of its extraction travel, featuring a revolving disk and a vertical pin mechanism that automatically moves to allow rotation at maximum extension, preventing collisions by hindering rotation at intermediate lengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the extension top is allowed to rotate at any table length, then the operation is simpler and more flexible, but collision occurs between the extension top corner and the main top transverse side when the table is not fully extended
Solution Approach 1:
A safety device comprising a blocking element and actuating element is introduced as an intermediary mechanism. The blocking element physically prevents rotation of the extension top when the table is not fully extended, while the actuating element automatically activates this blocking function based on the table's extension state, mediating between the user's rotation attempt and the collision risk
Solution Approach 2:
The safety device implements a feedback mechanism where the actuating element continuously monitors the table's extension position and automatically adjusts the blocking element's state accordingly. When the table reaches maximum extension, the feedback signal releases the blocking element, allowing rotation; when retracted, the feedback signal re-engages the block, preventing rotation and avoiding collision
2Reliability
If safety devices are added to prevent collision, then collision risk is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety device is designed to be self-activating through the interaction between the actuating element and the table's extension mechanism. The actuating element is automatically actuated by the table's own movement during extension and retraction, eliminating the need for separate control systems, sensors, or power sources that would increase complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The safety function is extracted as a separate, modular blocking mechanism that can be independently implemented. The blocking element and actuating element form a distinct subsystem that can be added to the table structure without fundamentally redesigning the entire table mechanism, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An extension table having a fixed frame and a mobile frame, and a safety device that includes mechanisms that prevent the extension top from rotating if the table is not previously extended to the maximum extension length. The safety device has a revolving disk fixed under the extension top and having a shaped slot where a vertical pin is slidingly coupled, the vertical pin protruding from a longitudinal rod supported by the mobile frame.