Fire pit tabletop accessory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire pits, especially outdoor ones, are often permanent, non-portable, and suffer from smoky, inefficient combustion due to poor containment of fire and ash, resulting in inadequate heat and light output.
Innovation Solution
A tabletop accessory designed for use above or under a fire pit, serving as a heat shield and storage cover, with removable legs for ease of shipping and storage, and adaptable shapes to fit various fire pit configurations, providing a thermal barrier and functional versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a permanent fire pit is built from heavy materials like rock or concrete, then fire containment and structural stability are improved, but portability and ease of relocation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The fire pit system is divided into separate components: a heavy permanent base structure for fire containment, and a removable tabletop accessory with legs that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows the heavy containment structure to remain fixed while the accessory provides portability benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The accessory legs are designed to be removable and reconfigurable, transforming the static fire pit structure into a dynamic system that can adapt between different configurations (with legs for tabletop use, without legs for heat shield use), resolving the contradiction between fixed containment and flexible positioning.
2Reliability
If the accessory height is reduced to fit under the fire pit chamber, then heat shield functionality is improved, but tabletop usability when fire pit is not in use deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory leg height is designed to be adjustable or removable, allowing the system to dynamically adapt between two functional states: a lower configuration for heat shield use under the fire pit chamber, and a higher configuration for tabletop use when the fire pit is not in use, eliminating the need to compromise either function.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg structure is segmented into adjustable components that can be reconfigured based on the desired function, separating the heat shield function (requiring low height) from the tabletop function (requiring higher height), allowing optimal performance of both functions at different times.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the functionality of fire pits by offering a portable heat shield and tabletop functionality, improving combustion efficiency and protecting surfaces from heat, while facilitating easier storage and use across different seasons.
Implementation Method 1
The accessory may be placed under the fire pit for use as a heat shield when the fire pit is in use
Data Source
AI summary
A table accessory for use with a fire pit. The table accessory may be supported by a fire pit for use as a table, for supporting a storage cover, or, when the fire pit is in use, may be moved below the fire pit for use as a heat shield. A plurality of accessory legs extend from the lower surface of the body. The terminal ends of the accessory legs are configured to be received on a top panel of the fire pit. A fire pit stand has a plurality of fire pit legs for supporting the fire pit. The fire pit legs define a fire pit leg height. The height of the table accessory is less than the fire pit leg height for facilitating locating the table accessory under the fire pit chamber of the fire pit for use of the table accessory as a heat shield.