Under-Table Storage Device for Billiard Dining Tabletop Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Billiard tables are bulky and require significant effort to store and transport the dining tabletop when not in use, as existing solutions like US2021/346786A1 do not adequately address this issue.
Innovation Solution
A storage device with a support frame and cleats that allows the dining tabletop to be stored under the billiard table, featuring a wire structure with movable cleats that enable vertical movement between retracted and extended positions, and elastic tongues for retaining the frame in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the dining tabletop is stored in a separate location away from the billiard table, then the billiard table can serve its primary function without obstruction, but considerable effort is required to move and store the bulky tabletop
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame for the dining tabletop is nested within the billiard table structure itself. The frame is positioned inside the hollow space of the billiard table frame, allowing the tabletop to be stored in the same space where the billiard table structure exists, eliminating the need for separate storage locations and reducing transport effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage function is merged with the billiard table structure by integrating the support frame into the billiard table frame. The cleats are fixed directly to the billiard table frame, combining the storage mechanism with the existing furniture structure, thereby eliminating separate storage components and reducing overall complexity.
2Ease of operation
If the support frame is fixed in an extended position, then the dining tabletop can be easily accessed, but the playing surface becomes obstructed and the table cannot be used for billiards
Solution Approach 1:
The support frame is designed to be movable between two positions: extended (for dining table use) and retracted (for billiards use). The cleats with elastic tongues allow the frame to be easily moved between these positions, enabling the table to adapt to different functions as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The support frame alternates between extended and retracted positions based on the intended use of the table. When dining function is needed, the frame is extended; when billiards function is needed, the frame is retracted. This periodic switching between states allows the single table to serve multiple purposes.
3Reliability
If the cleats use rigid retaining structures, then the support frame is securely held in the retracted position, but the frame cannot be easily moved between positions
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic tongues change their physical state (deformation) to enable movement. When force is applied, the tongues deform to allow the support frame to move; when the force is removed, the elastic material returns to its original shape, securing the frame in place. This parameter change allows both easy movement and secure retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic tongues act as a cushioning mechanism that absorbs the impact and force of moving the support frame. The elastic material deforms to accommodate the movement and then returns to its original position, providing both protection during movement and secure retention when stationary.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and efficient storage of the dining tabletop under the billiard table, reducing the effort required for transportation and maintaining a clean, unobstructed playing surface when in use.
Implementation Method 1
the tongues being elastically deformable between a state of rest in which the reliefs define a passage section less than a diameter of the end sections of the first wires of the support reinforcement, and a deformed state in which the reliefs define a passage section equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of said end sections
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Storage device (20) for plates (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) forming a dining tabletop (10) for a billiard table (1), comprising a support frame (21) arranged to carry the dining tabletop plates, and cleats (22) for fixing the support frame to a frame (6) of the billiard table, the cleats being arranged to allow vertical movement of the support frame between a retracted position in which the support frame is intended to extend horizontally close to the frame, and an extended position in which the support frame is intended to extend horizontally away from the frame, the cleats being provided with means for supporting the support frame in the extended position and, above the support means, with means for retaining the support frame in the retracted position.