Flip-Top Table Locking and Brake Layout for Safe Nesting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing table systems lack efficient and safe mechanisms for adjusting between deployed and storage positions, often compromising on aesthetics and space efficiency, and do not provide adequate safety features for secure deployment and movement.
Innovation Solution
A table system with pivotable leg panels and a tabletop that can be adjusted from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, equipped with independent locks, brake mechanisms, and gang mechanisms for nesting, allowing for easy deployment, storage, and secure positioning, while maintaining a sleek appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the table uses a flip top mechanism with metal tubes and casters for mobility, then the table can be easily moved and stored, but the aesthetic appearance is compromised and safety features are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The table is divided into distinct functional segments: a tabletop, leg assemblies with independent pivotability, and concealed mechanical components. The leg assemblies can be independently adjusted and locked, allowing the table to maintain an elegant stationary appearance while enabling easy mobility when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary locking mechanisms and brake systems that mediate between the aesthetic requirement for a clean appearance and the functional requirement for mobility. These intermediaries conceal the mechanical complexity while enabling the flip-top and casting functions.
2Device complexity
If the table uses manual carrying for storage, then no additional mechanisms are needed, but safety and ease of operation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The table incorporates preliminary safety actions through automatic brake engagement and locking mechanisms that activate before the table is moved or adjusted. The brake mechanisms are pre-positioned to engage automatically when the table is in the deployed position, preventing accidental movement before the user intends to move it.
3Shape
If the table uses a fixed structure, then aesthetic appearance is maintained, but adaptability for different positions and configurations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The table employs dynamic leg assemblies that can pivot between vertical and angled positions, and a tabletop that can flip between horizontal and vertical orientations. These dynamic elements allow the table to adapt between deployed and storage configurations while maintaining aesthetic appearance in the deployed position through locked, stable positioning.
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 table system enables safe and efficient adjustment between deployed and storage positions, providing a secure, aesthetically pleasing, and space-saving solution with enhanced safety features for flexible spaces, including automatic brake disengagement and easy leveling.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second pivotable leg panels may be pivoted about the first and second generally vertical axes to adjust the tabletop from a locked condition to an unlocked condition
Implementation Method 2
The apparatus may also include first and second brake mechanisms that are selectively controllable to inhibit movement of the table when the table is in the deployed position
Implementation Method 3
When the tabletop is in the unlocked condition, the tabletop may be pivotable about a generally horizontal axis to adjust the upper surface of the tabletop from the generally horizontal orientation to a generally vertical orientation
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of a table system can include a table that is readily adjustable between a deployed position and a storage position. In particular embodiments, when the table is in the unlocked condition, the tabletop surface can be readily pivoted from a generally horizontal position to a generally vertical position, for example, for purposes of storing or transporting the table.