Foldable Frame with Nested Supporting Assembly for Compact Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable frames lack stability when in use and fail to compactly fold, resulting in unnecessary space usage during storage and transportation due to gaps between folded legs and the table panel.
Innovation Solution
A foldable frame design featuring a mounting assembly with pivotally connected leg assemblies and supporting assemblies that control rotation, allowing the legs to fold into the same plane as the mounting assembly, ensuring stability and compactness when folded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If additional supporting structures are added to stabilize the frame, then stability is improved, but the legs cannot fold compactly onto the table panel, leaving gaps and increasing storage space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting assembly is nested within the leg assembly structure, with the supporting bar positioned inside the triangular framework formed by the mounting members and leg members. This allows the supporting structure to be contained within the leg assembly's footprint when folded, eliminating gaps between the folded legs and table panel while maintaining structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting assembly incorporates pivotable connections at multiple points (mounting member to supporting bar, supporting bar to leg member) that allow the structure to dynamically adjust between extended and folded positions. This dynamic mechanism enables the supporting bar to rotate and align with the leg assembly during folding, achieving compact storage without compromising stability during use.
2Ease of operation
If the leg assembly is designed to fold compactly onto the table panel, then storage convenience is improved, but the frame stability during use deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The leg assembly is segmented into multiple pivotable components (mounting members, leg members, supporting bar) that can independently rotate and fold relative to each other. This segmentation allows the structure to transition smoothly between stable extended configuration and compact folded configuration, with each segment contributing to both stability when extended and compactness when folded.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable connections create a dynamic mechanism that adapts the structure's geometry between use and storage states. During use, the assembly maintains its stable extended configuration; during folding, the same pivotable joints enable the supporting bar and leg members to rotate and align with the mounting assembly, achieving compact storage without sacrificing either stability or convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A frame includes a mounting assembly having a plurality of mounting members connected to or integrally formed with each other. The frame also includes first and second leg assemblies pivotally connected with the mounting assembly at first and second sides of the mounting assembly, respectively. The first and second leg assemblies are foldable into an interior defined by the mounting assembly and, when folded, are substantially on the same plane as the mounting assembly. The frame further includes one or more supporting assemblies to help stabilize the first and second leg assemblies and support the mounting assembly when the frame is unfolded. Thus, the frame is compact when folded and stable when in use.