Table with slots and ledges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tables and desks with cable management systems lack effective support for accessories and aesthetically unappealing designs, with holes that reduce the usable work surface and pose obstructions or risks due to exposed cables, and benches offer no storage for personal items.
Innovation Solution
A table design featuring slots with ledges that allow for discreet cable routing and accessory support, with removable tabs that create a flat surface when not in use, and customizable features for additional accessory storage, applicable to various furniture types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If holes are provided in the tabletop for cable routing, then cable management functionality is improved, but the aesthetic appearance and usable work surface area deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cable management system is segmented into multiple components: slots in the tabletop, removable tabs, and cable collection areas. This segmentation allows the table to provide cable routing functionality through slots while maintaining a flat work surface when tabs are installed, thus resolving the contradiction between functionality and surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The tabs are designed to be removable and replaceable, transforming the static tabletop surface into a dynamic one. When tabs are installed, they cover the slots and restore the flat surface; when removed, they enable cable access. This dynamic characteristic allows the table to switch between providing full work surface and cable management functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If holes are provided in the tabletop for cable routing, then cable management functionality is improved, but the aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tabletop is segmented with slots rather than large holes, and tabs are provided to cover these slots when not in use. This segmentation approach maintains aesthetic appearance by minimizing visible openings while still providing functional cable routing capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful visual element (large holes) is extracted and replaced with minimal slots that can be covered by tabs. The tabs are designed to blend with the tabletop surface, effectively taking out the aesthetic degradation caused by cable routing openings.
3Device complexity
If cables are routed through holes without support structures, then cable routing simplicity is improved, but safety and reliability deteriorate due to exposed cables
Solution Approach 1:
Cable collection areas and wire channels act as intermediary structures between the slots and the space below the tabletop. These intermediaries guide and contain cables, preventing them from hanging loosely and causing safety hazards, while still maintaining relatively simple cable routing through the slots.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable collection areas are designed to automatically organize and contain cables as they pass through the slots, providing self-service cable management that improves safety without requiring complex additional structures or active user intervention.
4Ease of operation
If permanent attachment of electronic ports is provided in technology troughs, then power accessibility is improved, but adaptability deteriorates as users cannot quickly attach and remove power sources
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses removable tabs that can be quickly installed and removed, creating a dynamic interface between the tabletop and cable access points. This allows users to easily attach power sources when needed and remove them when not needed, providing both accessibility and flexibility without permanent attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The slots and tabs provide a universal interface that can accommodate various cable types and power sources. The same slot structure serves multiple functions: cable routing, accessory support, and power source connection, enhancing both accessibility and adaptability across different use cases.
5Adaptability or versatility
If accessory support structures are added to slots, then accessory support functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tabs serve multiple functions: they cover the slots to maintain aesthetic appearance, provide a flat surface when installed, and can be removed to enable cable access. This multi-functionality provides accessory support capability without adding separate complex support structures, thus improving versatility while minimizing complexity increase.
Data Source
AI summary
A table with a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of legs, and at least one slot with a ledge capable of supporting a tab for plugging the slot or an accessory. When engaged in the slot, the tab is flush with the top surface of the table to create a flat work space across the entire area of the tablet. Further, a narrow portion in the slot prevents the tab from falling through while a widened section is provided so that an end of the tab may be pushed downward into the widened section to rotate the opposite end out of the slot to remove the tab.