Portable stands for portable grills
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable grills lack versatile and efficient stands that can transition between configurations for supporting the grill, providing additional table space, and facilitating transport and storage, while also accommodating various accessories.
Innovation Solution
A portable stand that can transition between configurations, including a configuration for supporting a grill with expandable tabletops that serve as side tables, a configuration with retracted tabletops for a continuous surface, and a compact configuration for transport, equipped with accessory rails for removable accessories like tool hooks and caddies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the stand includes expandable tabletops that slide out to provide side tables, then additional table space and versatility are provided, but the device complexity and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tabletop is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion that can slide independently. The movable portion is segmented from the fixed portion, allowing it to extend outward to form side tables or retract to create a continuous surface, thereby providing versatility without requiring a completely separate structure for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The tabletop incorporates a movable portion that can dynamically change its position and configuration. By sliding the movable portion in and out along guide rails, the stand transitions between different configurations (side tables vs. continuous surface), enabling adaptability while maintaining a relatively simple structural design through controlled motion rather than multiple discrete components.
2Length of moving object
If the stand is designed to be compact for transport and storage, then portability is improved, but the available table space and functionality are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The movable portion of the tabletop is nested within or alongside the fixed portion when retracted. The side tables nest into the main table structure, allowing the entire stand to collapse into a compact form factor for transport and storage while maintaining full table space functionality when deployed, as the nested components unfold to provide the required surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The stand utilizes vertical space and three-dimensional configuration to achieve compactness. When collapsed, the tabletop components are arranged in a compact vertical or layered configuration rather than spreading out horizontally. The movable portions fold down or slide into vertical slots, transforming the horizontal table space into a compact vertical stack that maintains all functional surfaces when deployed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the stand includes accessory rails for removable accessories like tool hooks and caddies, then adaptability and functionality are enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The accessory rails serve multiple functions: they provide mounting locations for various accessories (tool hooks, caddies, bottle holders), act as structural support elements for the tabletop, and serve as guide rails for the movable portion. This multi-functionality allows the same structural elements to provide both support and adaptability, reducing the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The accessory rails act as intermediary elements that connect and integrate multiple functions. Rather than having separate mounting brackets, support structures, and guide mechanisms, the rails serve as a unified intermediary structure that accommodates accessories while simultaneously providing structural support and guiding the movable tabletop portion, thereby enhancing adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Portable stands for portable grills are disclosed. An example portable stand includes a frame and first and second tabletops. The frame includes a front support, a rear support spaced apart from the front support, and a support plate located between the front support and the rear support. The support plate has a first lateral portion and a second lateral portion. The first and second tabletops are slidable relative to the frame between an expanded position and a retracted position. The first and second tabletops are configured to reveal corresponding ones of the first and second lateral portions of the support plate when the first and second tabletops are in the expanded position, and to conceal the corresponding ones of the first and second lateral portions of the support plate when the first and second tabletops are in the retracted position.