Flat foldable lectern and enclosed briefcase
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable lecterns and carrying cases lack the combination of strength and versatility needed for efficient storage and use as a lectern during transport.
Innovation Solution
A flat foldable carrying case with a closed interior space that unfolds into a lectern, featuring rotatable flaps and a top flange with magnets for secure assembly and multiple orientations, allowing for easy transition between configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lectern is made foldable to improve portability, then ease of transport is improved, but structural strength and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The lectern is divided into multiple segments including a box body, front flap, back flap, and side flaps that can be folded relative to each other. Each segment is connected through hinges or rotatable joints, allowing the structure to collapse into a compact form for portability while maintaining structural integrity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
When folded, the flaps and sides nest within or against each other to form a compact carrying case configuration. The front flap folds over the box, side flaps fold inward, and the back flap folds to enclose the structure, creating a nested arrangement that minimizes volume while preserving all structural components for stable lectern assembly.
2Ease of operation
If a lectern is made foldable to improve portability, then ease of transport is improved, but versatility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lectern incorporates dynamic elements including a rotatable top flange that can be positioned at multiple angles relative to the box, and flaps that can be folded in various sequences to achieve both carrying case and lectern configurations. This dynamic design allows the same structure to adapt between transport and functional states while maintaining structural strength in both modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The foldable lectern serves dual functions as both a compact carrying case for transport and a stable lectern for presenting reading materials. The same structural components (box, flaps, hinges) enable both the enclosed storage configuration and the open lectern configuration with reading material support, eliminating the need for separate devices.
3Stability of the object's composition
If magnets are added to secure flaps in multiple orientations, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical fasteners, clips, or latches are replaced with magnets to secure the flaps in various orientations. The magnetic attraction provides sufficient holding force to maintain stability in both carrying case and lectern configurations without requiring complex mechanical locking mechanisms, thereby reducing overall structural complexity while improving assembly stability.
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
The solution provides a robust and versatile system that can repeatedly transition between a carrying case and a lectern configuration, ensuring secure storage and stable support for reading materials with minimal degradation.
Implementation Method 1
The top flange comprises a plurality of magnets, each magnet being adjacent to the lip of the top flange. The lips of the left and right flaps also have magnets placed correspondingly relative to each other. The attraction of the magnets of the top flange to the magnets of said left and right flaps is designed to render and/or does cause the angle formed between the top flap and back side of the box changeably holdable.
Data Source
AI summary
A flat foldable carrying case with a closed interior space is unfoldable to yield a lectern. The lectern/carrying case is formed from a box as well as left, right, bottom, and top flaps. The box has four sides which are connected to a back side, each at a right angle thereto. Each side of the box is rotatably adjoined to a respective side flap. The bottom flap is foldable after the sometimes identically sized left and right flaps fold into the box. Then the top flap is foldable. In some cases, the bottom flap is only foldable towards the box after the left and right flags are folded due to a wider bottom flap compared to the side flaps. In a folded condition with enclosed interior space, the top flap is parallel to the back side of the box.