Portable Grill Base with Tool-Free Side Table Storage Beneath Cookbox
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable grills require the use of hand tools to attach and detach side tables, and when stored, these tables are exposed to cooking waste, complicating cleaning and transportation.
Innovation Solution
The portable grill design allows side tables to be removably coupled to the base without tools and features a storage position beneath the cookbox, minimizing exposure to cooking waste and optimizing portability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If side tables are attached using mechanical fasteners requiring hand tools, then the attachment is secure and reliable, but the assembly and disassembly process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is segmented into modular components: a fastener assembly with release mechanism on the side table and corresponding receiver on the base. This allows the side table to be quickly attached and detached without tools by simply pressing the release mechanism, resolving the contradiction between secure attachment and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener assembly incorporates a self-operating release mechanism that allows the user to detach the side table by simply pressing a button or lever, without requiring external tools. The mechanism automatically disengages the fastening elements when activated, making the disassembly process as easy as assembly while maintaining reliable attachment during use.
2Volume of stationary object
If side tables are stored within the cooking chamber or cookbox, then the storage space is utilized efficiently, but the tables are exposed to cooking waste making cleaning difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of storing side tables horizontally within the cooking chamber, the design provides dedicated storage positions beneath the base in the vertical dimension. This separates the storage location from the cooking chamber, allowing efficient space utilization while preventing exposure to cooking waste and ash that accumulate in the chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The side tables are extracted from the cooking chamber storage location and placed in dedicated storage positions beneath the base. This extraction removes the tables from the harmful environment of the cooking chamber where waste and ash accumulate, while still providing integrated storage functionality.
3Volume of moving object
If side tables are folded inward to storage position within the cooking chamber, then the overall footprint is reduced for portability, but the tables must be exposed to cooking waste during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The storage function is moved from the horizontal plane within the cooking chamber to the vertical space beneath the base. This dimensional change allows the side tables to be stored in a compact configuration that reduces the overall portable footprint while keeping them isolated from cooking waste in the chamber.
Data Source
AI summary
Example portable grills including a base having supports for storing removable side tables are disclosed. An example portable grill includes a cookbox, a base, and a side table. The base is coupled to the cookbox. The base is configured to support the cookbox above an underlying surface onto which the base is to be placed. The side table is configured to be removably coupled to the base in a storage position. The side table is to be located beneath the cookbox when the side table is coupled to the base in the storage position.