Nested Molded-Plastic Table Structure for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional banquet tables are cumbersome due to their large size, weight, and storage requirements, and often require additional reinforcing members that increase manufacturing costs and the risk of user injury from sharp edges, while also being prone to deformation under load.
Innovation Solution
A table design featuring a lightweight, molded plastic table top with a frame that allows for nesting and stacking, reducing storage space and transportation costs, and incorporating a limited number of parts and fasteners for easier assembly and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If table tops are constructed from light-weight materials such as plastic, then the weight of the table is decreased, but the table top requires large reinforcing members or structural parts to strengthen it, which increases the weight again
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the table top and reinforcing members into a single integrated molded plastic component. The reinforcing members are not separate parts but are formed as integral portions of the table top itself through molding, eliminating the need for additional fasteners and assembly steps while maintaining structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses molded plastic as a composite material that inherently provides both light weight and structural strength. The plastic material is formulated and molded to create a table top with built-in reinforcement structures, achieving strength without adding significant weight.
2Strength
If additional reinforcing members, braces, brackets, and fasteners are added to strengthen the table top, then the strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases and assembly time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple components (table top, reinforcing members, braces, brackets) into a single molded plastic piece. This integration eliminates the need for separate manufacturing of each component and their subsequent assembly, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and assembly time.
Solution Approach 2:
The molded plastic table top is designed to be self-reinforcing, with the strengthening structures formed as integral parts during the molding process. The structure serves its own reinforcement needs without requiring external fasteners or additional structural elements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional banquet tables are designed with large table tops and folding legs, then the tables can be used in various configurations, but the storage area required is quite large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the table with nesting capabilities where the table top can be positioned within or alongside the legs and frame structure when not in use. This nested configuration allows the table to collapse into a compact form that occupies minimal storage space while maintaining full functionality during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates movable and adjustable components that allow the table to transition between different configurations and states. The dynamic design enables the table to adapt from a fully extended usable state to a compact stored state, providing versatility in both function and storage.
Data Source
AI summary
A table may be sized and configured to nest with one or more adjacent tables to reduce a height of the table in a nested configuration. The table may include a table top constructed from molded plastic and the table top may include a receiving portion sized and configured to receive an engaging portion of a frame of an adjacent table in the nested configuration. The table may also include a metal frame connected to the table top and the frame may include an engaging portion sized and configured to be disposed in a receiving portion of an adjacent table in the nested configuration. If desired, an outer surface of the engaging portion may be visible and exposed in the recess in the lip.