Foldable side table for a collapsible chair and a combination collapsible chair with a foldable side table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable side tables for collapsible chairs lack structural integrity and have a large footprint when collapsed, limiting their usability and storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A foldable side table design with a cross-member assembly and arm construction that is independent of the chair's movement, featuring slots for removable hands and flexible covering, allowing for improved sturdiness and reduced footprint during use and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a foldable side table is integrated with a collapsible chair, then the side table provides portable seating support, but the side table lacks structural integrity and has limited ability to support multiple items
Solution Approach 1:
The side table is divided into separate functional components: arms, cross-member assemblies, and a flexible covering. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The side table combines rigid components (arms and cross-member assemblies) with a flexible covering material. This composite construction provides both structural support and surface functionality, enabling the table to support multiple items while maintaining integrity.
2Weight of moving object
If a foldable side table is designed for collapsible chairs, then the side table is portable, but the footprint is large when collapsed
Solution Approach 1:
The side table components are designed to nest within each other when collapsed. The flexible covering can be folded and stored within the arm and cross-member assembly structure, minimizing the overall footprint during storage and transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The side table employs dynamic folding mechanisms that allow it to transition between expanded and collapsed states. The arms and cross-member assemblies are designed to fold and reconfigure, reducing volume when not in use while maintaining structural integrity when deployed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a foldable side table is attached to a collapsible chair, then the combination provides additional functionality, but the attachment mechanism increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The side table arms are designed with universal attachment capability, allowing them to be secured to various chair structures using simple slot-and-hand mechanisms. This multi-functional design enables the same attachment system to work with different chair types without increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism is extracted as a separate, simple function: slots in the chair members receive hands from the side table arms. This simplified extraction of the attachment function reduces overall device complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A combination chair and foldable side table, wherein the combination includes the chair, wherein the chair comprises at least a first leg and a second leg, at least a first member coupled to the first leg and a second member coupled to the second leg, wherein the first member includes a slot and/or the mounting of the first member on the first leg forms a slot between the first member and the first leg and wherein the second member includes a slot and/or the mounting of the second member on the second leg forms a slot between the second member and the second leg; and the foldable side table includes a first arm and a second arm, a first hand depending from the first arm and removably insertable into the slot associated with the first member, and a second hand depending from the second arm and removably insertable into the slot associated with the second member; a first cross-member assembly coupled intermediate the first and second arms and a second cross-member assembly coupled intermediate the first and second arms; and a flexible covering coupled to the first and second arms. The present invention is also directed to the foldable side table itself, which can also include the members disclosed herein.