Sliding Ironing Board Plate for Compact Storage Under Iron Rest
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ironing boards with integrated iron rests become bulky when folded, making storage and transportation cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
An ironing board design featuring a tray that slides onto a frame, allowing the tray to fold under or onto the iron rest, reducing overall size, combined with foldable legs and a locking mechanism for compact storage, and an iron rest fixed to the frame with connecting arms for ergonomic use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the ironing board is equipped with a large plate and an iron rest at one end, then the usability and ergonomics are improved, but the storage size becomes bulky and difficult to store
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is divided into a front part and a rear part that can move relative to each other. The rear part can be folded or detached and placed under the iron rest, effectively segmenting the board into usable and storable configurations. This allows the large plate to maintain its full size during use while reducing to a compact form for storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear part of the plate is designed to nest under the iron rest when in storage position. This nesting arrangement allows the plate components to occupy the same spatial envelope as the iron rest, significantly reducing the overall storage volume without compromising the plate's usable surface area during operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the tray slides on the frame to allow folding during storage, then the storage convenience is improved, but the height and bulkiness increase when folded
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of folding the plate vertically which increases height, the invention utilizes horizontal sliding and nesting under the iron rest. This dimensional change transforms the storage approach from vertical stacking to horizontal nesting, reducing the height dimension while maintaining storage convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than having the iron rest adjust to the plate's folding, the invention inverts the approach by having the plate's rear part nest under the iron rest. This reversal of the traditional folding mechanism allows the plate to adapt to the fixed iron rest position, minimizing height increase during storage.
3Device complexity
If the plate is fixed in position, then the structural simplicity is improved, but the ability to reduce size for storage is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to slide on the frame and transition between working and storage positions. The sliding mechanism on the X-shaped frame provides simple yet effective movement capability, enabling the plate to reduce its storage volume without complex folding structures or additional components.
Data Source
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AI summary
The ironing board has a frame (2) supported by foldable legs (4, 5), and a plate (1) slidingly mounted on the frame. The plate occupies a working position in which a longitudinal end of the plate is laterally arranged on a stand (3). The plate slides toward a storage position in which a part of the plate is arranged under or on the stand to reduce size of the ironing board. The stand is fixed to a longitudinal end of the frame through connection arms between which the plate slides. The stand is raised with respect to the plate.