Folding Table Panel and Leg Layout for Compact Carrying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing folding tables are either too heavy and bulky due to rigid tabletops or too cumbersome when trying to carry lightweight designs with half-folded tabletops, as they are difficult to transport over long distances without contacting the ground.
Innovation Solution
A folding table assembly with a main panel and side flap panels connected by hinges, allowing the tabletop and legs to fold into compact configurations, enabling the entire table to be carried comfortably in one hand, featuring a compact design with interposed legs between the main and side panels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the tabletop is made rigid, then the table provides structural stability, but the table becomes heavy and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The tabletop is divided into multiple panels (first panel, second panel, third panel, fourth panel) that can fold relative to each other. This segmentation allows the table to maintain structural stability when assembled while enabling compact folding for transport, resolving the contradiction between stability and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The tabletop transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic folding structure with movable joints and hinges. This allows the table to adapt between two states: a stable extended configuration for use and a compact folded configuration for transport, eliminating the need to choose between stability and lightweight portability.
2Weight of moving object
If the tabletop folds in half, then the table becomes lighter and more compact, but the folded table dangles and contacts the ground when carried
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of simply folding the tabletop in half along one dimension, the invention folds the tabletop into a multi-panel configuration that collapses in multiple dimensions. The panels fold beneath each other in a layered arrangement, changing the folding geometry from a simple half-fold to a multi-dimensional compact structure that maintains proper orientation during carrying.
Solution Approach 2:
The folded tabletop panels are arranged in a nested configuration where the first, second, third, and fourth panels are stacked or nested beneath each other. This nesting arrangement allows the compact folded table to maintain a stable orientation with the tabletop nested within the leg structure, preventing it from dangling or contacting the ground when carried.
3Weight of moving object
If the table is made lightweight, then the table is easier to carry, but the table becomes bulky and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The table utilizes nested folding where the tabletop panels are positioned to nest within the space defined by the leg assemblies when folded. The first and second panels nest against each other, while the third and fourth panels nest similarly, creating a compact nested configuration that minimizes volume while maintaining lightweight construction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the legs fold outward from the tabletop, the invention inverts the folding arrangement so that the tabletop panels fold inward and nest within the leg assembly structure. This inverted folding approach allows the lightweight table to achieve a compact folded volume by utilizing the internal space of the leg assemblies rather than expanding outward.
4Volume of moving object
If the legs are folded flush against the tabletop, then the table achieves compact size, but the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the tabletop and leg assembly folding mechanisms into an integrated structure. The tabletop panels are connected to the leg assemblies through shared hinge connections and pivot points, allowing both components to fold together in a coordinated manner. This merging reduces the number of separate folding mechanisms needed while achieving compact folded volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg assemblies are segmented into multiple components (first leg assembly, second leg assembly, third leg assembly, fourth leg assembly) that can fold independently but coordinate through shared connection points. This segmentation allows each leg assembly to fold flush against the nested tabletop panels without requiring a single complex folding mechanism, distributing the folding complexity across multiple simpler segments.
Data Source
AI summary
A folding table assembly having both a tabletop and legs that fold into smaller sizes. The tabletop has a main panel, a first side flap panel, and a second side flap panel. The side flap panels are joined to the main panel with hinge connections. The hinge connections enable the side flap panels to rotate from open positions that are coplanar with the main panel to folded positions that are under the main panel. The folding legs are coupled to the side flap panels. The folding legs can move between extended positions, where the legs support the tabletop, and retracted positions, where the legs are folded flush against the side flap panels. This enables the legs to fold flush against the side flap panels so that the legs are interposed between the main panel and the two side panels.