Stowable door folding table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial aircraft galleys face challenges in maximizing workspace due to limited space and obstructions such as cabin attendant seats and exit door bustles, which restrict the deployment and placement of temporary tables, limiting access to essential facilities.
Innovation Solution
A stowable folding table with hinged sections and a stepped-up portion that attaches to cabin monuments, allowing deployment across the cabin space while accommodating obstructions and providing optimal access to facilities, secured by load-bearing pins and composite braces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a temporary table is deployed across the cabin space between galley structure and exit door monument, then workspace area is increased, but the table placement height is restricted to suboptimal levels due to cabin attendant seat obstruction
Solution Approach 1:
The table is divided into a first table segment and a second table segment connected by a combination hinge. The first segment attaches to the galley structure while the second segment extends toward the monument, allowing independent positioning of each segment to navigate around the cabin attendant seat obstruction and achieve optimal working height.
Solution Approach 2:
The table design incorporates a stepped-up portion that creates a vertical dimension change, allowing the table surface to be positioned at different heights. This enables the table to clear the cabin attendant seat while maintaining an optimal working surface height for crew members.
2Area of moving object
If a temporary table is deployed in the cabin space, then additional workspace is provided, but crew access to water faucets and beverage makers behind the table is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The table is designed as a deployable structure that can be configured in different positions and orientations. The combination hinge allows the table segments to be adjusted to create clearance pathways to the water faucets and beverage makers, enabling dynamic reconfiguration to maintain crew access to essential facilities.
3Device complexity
If a linear table design is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but the table width is insufficient due to exit door bustle projection into cabin space
Solution Approach 1:
The table is divided into multiple segments that can be arranged in a stepped configuration. This segmentation allows the table to wrap around or step over the exit door bustle projection, effectively increasing the usable table width without requiring a completely complex structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The table design incorporates curved or stepped transitions in the stepped-up portion, allowing the table surface to smoothly navigate around the bustle projection. This curved approach maximizes the usable table area while maintaining structural simplicity compared to angular configurations.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A stowable folding table (100) is disclosed. In embodiments, the folding table has a stowed (e.g., folded) state and a deployed state between two adjacent aircraft galley structures (108,110). The folding table includes two table segments (102,104) coupled by a hinge (114); the two segments may be folded parallel to each other and stowed (e.g., in a galley cart bay or elsewhere in or on the adjacent galley structures). The stowed table is unfolded and deployed by attaching the first and second ends respectively to a galley structure (e.g., on either side of an exit door), such that one table segment extends at an angle (116) to the other when deployed.