Portable Workbench with Foldable Legs and Detent Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable workbenches lack sufficient strength, stability, and ease of setup and movement, making them unsuitable for supporting power tools comfortably and efficiently at construction sites.
Innovation Solution
A portable workbench design featuring a tubular structural body with pivotally connected metal legs, elastomeric end caps for floor traction, wheel assemblies, and a handle assembly that allows the workbench to be easily moved and stored, with a detent mechanism for maintaining leg positions and facilitating compact storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a portable workbench uses a simple structure with minimal components, then it is easier to manufacture and assemble, but it lacks sufficient strength and stability to support power tools efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The workbench is divided into modular components including a tubular body frame, separate leg assemblies with pivot connections, individual wheel assemblies, and a handle assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using standard tubular materials and connected through standardized brackets and fasteners, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining overall structural strength through the coordinated design of multiple load-bearing elements.
2Ease of operation
If the workbench is designed to be highly portable with movable legs and wheels, then it can be easily moved around the work site, but it becomes difficult to set up and maintain stability
Solution Approach 1:
The leg assemblies are designed with pivot connections that allow them to rotate between a closed transport position and an open operational position. This dynamic design enables the workbench to be compact for movement while providing a stable, expanded configuration for use. The legs can be quickly pivoted into position and locked, simplifying setup while maintaining portability.
3Volume of moving object
If the workbench has a compact design with all components folded or retracted, then it occupies less storage space, but it cannot provide a sufficient work surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The leg assemblies are designed to fold inward and nest against the tubular body frame when in the closed position, allowing the entire workbench to be compacted to a minimal storage volume. The handle and wheel assemblies are positioned to optimize the compact footprint. When deployed, the legs extend outward to provide a stable base for a sufficiently large work surface, effectively transitioning from a nested compact state to an expanded functional state.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A portable work bench may include a body, legs connected to the body for supporting the body, the legs being movable between an open position and a closed position, at least one wheel connected to the body, and a handle connected to the body. A surface of the handle and a surface of the wheel define a plane. The workbench does not have any portions that extend below the plane when the legs are in the closed position.