Nesting Tabletop Structure for Compact Banquet Table Stacking
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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 and fasteners that increase manufacturing costs and pose safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
A table design featuring a lightweight, molded plastic table top with a frame that allows for easy assembly and disassembly, enabling the table to be nested and stacked, reducing storage space and transportation costs while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If table tops are constructed from wood, particle board or metal, then the table top strength and durability are improved, but the table weight increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining a plastic table top with wood grain or stone veneer overlays. This allows the table to achieve the aesthetic appeal and perceived strength of natural materials while maintaining the lightweight properties of plastic. The composite construction resolves the contradiction between strength and weight by layering materials with complementary properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional heavy materials (wood, metal) to lightweight plastic materials. By modifying the base material parameter and using surface treatments or veneers to maintain strength characteristics, the patent achieves both lightweight construction and adequate strength for table applications.
2Weight of moving object
If table tops are constructed from light-weight materials such as plastic, then the table weight decreases, but additional reinforcing members and fasteners are required which increase manufacturing complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the table top surface and reinforcing elements into a single integrated plastic component. The reinforcing ribs and structural features are molded directly into the table top during manufacturing, eliminating the need for separate reinforcing members and fasteners. This integration resolves the contradiction by maintaining lightweight construction while reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite plastic table top that integrates multiple functions (surface, structure, reinforcement) into a single material component. By using composite plastic formulations and molding techniques, the patent achieves both lightweight properties and structural strength without requiring additional parts or assembly steps.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional banquet tables are designed with large table tops and folding legs, then the table functionality and versatility are improved, but the storage area required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting capability by designing the table with a frame structure that allows the table top to be positioned vertically against the frame when folded. Multiple tables can be stacked and nested together, with each table fitting within the frame structure of another. This nesting design resolves the contradiction by maintaining full table functionality while dramatically reducing the storage footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic folding mechanisms that allow the table to transition between extended (use) and collapsed (storage) configurations. The folding legs and adjustable table top positioning enable the table to adapt its shape and size, resolving the contradiction between versatility in use and compactness in storage by providing multiple configurational states.
Data Source
AI summary
A table may be sized and configured to nest with another table to reduce a height of a plurality of stacked tables in a nested configuration. The table may include a nesting portion formed in an upper surface and sidewall of the table top. The table may also include a frame with one or more engaging portions sized and configured to be disposed in the nesting portion of an adjacent table when the tables are nested together. In addition, the table top may include a compression edge sized and configured to be disposed in a nesting portion of an adjacent table when the tables are nested together. The compression edge and engaging portions may be sized and configured to be simultaneously disposed in the nesting portion of the adjacent table when the table is nested with the adjacent table.