Pivoting Patio Tabletop for Inserting Tower Gas Heaters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional outdoor patio tables require additional space and are cumbersome to use when securing or removing tower-style patio heaters, often necessitating multiple people to accommodate the heater's size and fuel source changes.
Innovation Solution
A patio table design with a tabletop that can pivot and divide to create a central aperture, allowing the heater to be securely nested within the table without increasing the exterior perimeter, using hinge joints and articulating crossmembers that can be secured with a coupling mechanism, enabling easy insertion and removal of the heater.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional patio tables are designed to accommodate tower-style heaters, then the heater can be securely placed within the table, but additional space is required and the table becomes cumbersome to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The tabletop is divided into multiple sections that can be independently moved. Specifically, a central portion of the tabletop can be lifted or rotated independently from the rest of the table, creating an opening for heater insertion without requiring the entire table to be moved or requiring additional space
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tabletop is designed to open laterally to accommodate the heater, then the heater can be inserted, but the ground space requirement doubles
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of opening the tabletop laterally in the horizontal plane, the invention opens the tabletop vertically by lifting or rotating a central section upward. This dimensional change from horizontal to vertical movement allows heater insertion without requiring additional ground space
3Ease of operation
If multiple people are required to move adjacent tables for heater removal, then the heater can be removed, but the process becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The tabletop mechanism is designed to be operated by a single person. The central section can be lifted, rotated, or slid independently, allowing one person to access and remove the heater without needing assistance to move adjacent tables or coordinate with others
4Stability of the object's composition
If the tabletop portions are lowered to closed position after heater insertion, then a stable perimeter is maintained, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The tabletop incorporates movable sections with hinges or lifting mechanisms that allow dynamic opening and closing. These mechanisms enable the central portion to be temporarily displaced for heater access and then returned to its original position, maintaining the stable perimeter when closed while providing access when opened
Data Source
AI summary
An improved outdoor patio table with centrally secured outdoor patio heater, and methods of using the same are disclosed. The outdoor patio heater may be secured to the within the patio table without increasing the exterior perimeter of the patio table when securing or removing the patio heater. The patio table may be suitable for applications where there are a plurality of tables in a line and when a patio heater is removed frequently.