Games table comprising at least one stabilising leg
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable game tables, such as table tennis tables, require tedious manual adjustment of stabilizing feet to achieve horizontal positioning on uneven floors, often needing two people to lift and manipulate pads or screws.
Innovation Solution
A stabilizing foot design with a rod that translates between retracted and extended positions via a threaded nut mechanism, allowing adjustment without direct manipulation of the pad, facilitated by anti-rotation and locating means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pads are screwed into the stabilizing feet to adjust height, then the horizontality of the tabletop can be adjusted, but the table must be lifted to access the pads requiring two people
Solution Approach 1:
A rod is introduced as an intermediary element between the stabilizing foot body and the pad. The rod can be extended or retracted relative to the body, allowing the pad height to be adjusted without lifting the table. The rod acts as a mediator that transmits the adjustment action from an accessible location to the pad, solving the accessibility problem while maintaining precise horizontality adjustment capability
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing foot is segmented into distinct functional components: the body, the extendable rod, and the pad. This segmentation allows the rod to be independently adjusted relative to the body, enabling height modification without moving the entire table. The separation of functions improves operability while preserving adjustment precision
2Ease of operation
If the rod is made extendable for height adjustment, then single-person operation is enabled, but the device complexity increases with threaded nuts and anti-rotation means
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is designed to be dynamically extendable and retractable relative to the body through a threaded nut mechanism. This dynamic capability allows the foot length to be adjusted as needed while maintaining a compact form when retracted. The anti-rotation means ensure controlled movement, transforming a potentially complex mechanism into a manageable adjustment system that enables single-person operation
3Volume of moving object
If the rod is arranged inside the body, then the retracted profile is compact, but the extended length for adjustment is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is nested within the body of the stabilizing foot when in the retracted position, creating a compact profile that minimizes volume. The rod can be extended outward when adjustment is needed, providing sufficient adjustment range while maintaining a space-efficient design when not in use. This nesting arrangement reconciles the conflict between compact storage and adjustment capability
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
Enables easy horizontal leveling of the table top on uneven surfaces by a single user, eliminating the need for lifting and reducing the number of people required for adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
the rod comprising a thread capable of cooperating with a thread of said nut, the screwing or unscrewing of the nut causing the translation of the rod between its two positions
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
Game table comprising a playing surface and at least one stabilizing foot for said playing surface, the foot comprising a body (10), a rod (16) mounted movable relative to the body in a translational movement between a retracted position and an extended position and a skid (28) carried by a distal end of the rod.