Telescopic Collapsible Table Legs for Compact Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable and collapsible table designs are bulky and difficult to transport due to their large folded footprint, and they often compromise on table size or height when collapsed, making them impractical for use and storage.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible table structure featuring telescopically connected leg sections that can be adjusted in length and pivotally attached to a tabletop, allowing for a compact bundle when collapsed while maintaining a usable size and height when set up, utilizing a central pivot coupling that does not interfere with telescoping and a locking mechanism for secure extension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional folding table designs are used with fixed-length legs, then the table structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the collapsed footprint is large and difficult to transport
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements telescoping leg sections where inner leg portions are received within outer leg portions, allowing the legs to nest together when collapsed. This nesting mechanism significantly reduces the collapsed footprint of the table while maintaining structural integrity and ease of manufacture through straightforward telescoping joint design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides each leg into multiple telescoping sections that can independently extend and retract. This segmentation allows the legs to be compact when collapsed while providing adjustable length when deployed, resolving the contradiction between compact storage and transportability.
2Ease of operation
If the table legs are made longer to increase table height, then the table usability is improved, but the collapsed size increases making transport difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements telescoping leg sections with locking mechanisms that allow the leg length to be dynamically adjusted. Users can extend the legs to the required length for proper table height and usability, then retract them to minimal length for compact storage and transport, effectively resolving the contradiction between table height and collapsed size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the leg length parameter to be changed between extended and retracted states through telescoping sections. This parameter change allows the table to maintain appropriate height for usability when deployed while minimizing the collapsed dimension for transport, directly addressing the contradiction between table height and collapsed bundle size.
3Volume of moving object
If telescoping leg sections are added to reduce collapsed size, then the transportability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements telescoping leg sections where inner portions are received within outer portions through straightforward nesting joints. This approach reduces collapsed footprint while maintaining relatively simple construction, as the nesting mechanism is a common and well-understood structural element that does not require complex components or assembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible table structure comprises a tabletop and a plurality of folding leg assemblies pivotally attached thereto. Each leg assembly comprises a first leg and a second leg connected to each other at a pivot coupling defining an unintruding common axis for movement between an open condition generally resembling an X-shaped configuration and a closed condition wherein the legs, as well as the tabletop, are generally parallelly disposed in a common plane. Each leg is formed by at least two telescopically connected leg sections freely movable through and transversely of the unintruding common axis in moving between extended and retracted positions relative to each other. Each leg includes a locking mechanism for retaining a lower leg section in an extended position. The table structure further includes means for releasing the locking mechanism to facilitate collapsing of the table to its closed condition.