Nesting preparation table for collapsible cooking stoves

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Solution Overview

Problem

Camping cooking equipment often requires separate preparation tables that occupy valuable space in a camper's backpack, making them inconvenient for outdoor activities.

Innovation Solution

A lightweight collapsible food preparation table that nests with a collapsible cooking stove, featuring a prep surface with rotatable legs and a combustion chamber with tapered annular rings that telescope to form and collapse, allowing the stove and table to be compactly stored.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a separate preparation table is used, then food preparation functionality is provided, but valuable space in the camper's backpack is occupied

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefood preparation functionalityVSAvoidbackpack space

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The preparation table is merged with the cooking stove to form a single integrated unit. The table top serves as both a preparation surface and a protective cover for the stove, while the legs of the table are integrated with the stove's support structure. This combination eliminates the need for separate preparation table and stove, reducing total volume and weight in the backpack.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The preparation table components are designed to nest within or alongside the stove structure when not in use. The table top can be positioned over the closed stove, and the legs can be stored in a compact configuration, allowing the entire assembly to occupy minimal space during transport while providing full functionality during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Volume of moving object

If a collapsible stove with tapered annular rings is used, then compact storage is achieved, but the overall thickness increases when open

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage compactnessVSAvoidoverall thickness when open

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The design accepts increased thickness in the vertical dimension when the stove is open, in exchange for achieving compact storage in horizontal dimensions. The tapered annular rings allow the combustion chamber to expand vertically when needed while collapsing to a thin profile for storage, effectively trading one dimensional space for another.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS11974695B1Nesting preparation table for collapsible cooking stoves

Publication Date: 2024.05.07 CUFFARO DANIEL F

AI summary

A preparation table formed of a prep surface having one or more frames secured to the prep surface. A plurality of legs are rotatably secured to the one or more frames. The legs and frames are configured to nest with a collapsible stove such that the overall thickness of the collapsible stove is increased substantially only by a thickness of the prep surface.