Vehicle Table Device with Crash-Safe Retraction and Tilt Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle table devices have a narrow extraction area, leading to passenger discomfort and increased risk of injury during crashes due to unintentional table extraction when retracted, and lack the ability to function as multimedia input devices.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle table device with a housing that accommodates a selectively extractable and retractable table, featuring a driving unit with a slip member to prevent unintentional extraction during crashes and a mechanism for tilting to expand the usable area, and a virtual keyboard activation system for multimedia input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the table structure is weakened to enable easy breaking on collision, then the table can be easily retracted during crashes, but the rigidity of the table is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The table structure is divided into a table body and a table leg, with the table leg being selectively breakable. This segmentation allows the table to maintain overall rigidity through the solid table body while enabling controlled separation at the table leg during crashes, resolving the contradiction between maintaining strength and enabling safe retraction
Solution Approach 2:
The breakable table leg is extracted as a separate, replaceable component from the main table body. This allows the table to function normally with full rigidity during regular use, while enabling the leg to be easily removed or broken away during collision events to prevent injury or interference with airbags
2Reliability
If a slip device is provided to retract the table when certain load occurs, then the table can be retracted during crashes, but the table is unintentionally extracted when suddenly stopped or collided in retracted state
Solution Approach 1:
A table holding member is provided that actively prevents the table from being unintentionally extracted during sudden stops or collisions when the table is in the retracted state. This holding member engages with the table leg to lock it in place, countering the slip device's tendency to allow unintended movement, thereby maintaining stability while still enabling controlled retraction when needed
3Ease of manufacture
If the table is mounted on limited layout of dashboard, then the table can be accommodated in dashboard, but the area of extracted table is narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The table is designed with an extendable leg that adds vertical dimension to the table structure. When the table leg is extended, it significantly increases the table's surface area and usable space without requiring more horizontal dashboard space, allowing the table to provide larger working area while maintaining compact dashboard integration
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
Enhances passenger comfort by providing a larger usable area and prevents table extraction during crashes, while enabling multimedia input functions through the virtual keyboard.
Implementation Method 1
the operation member may suppress the table from being extracted from the housing when the table is accommodated in the housing and an external force is applied to the table in a direction toward a passenger, and the operation member may retract the table into the housing in a non-powered manner when the table is extracted from the housing and an external force is applied in a direction toward the housing
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle table device that is extracted toward a driver or a passenger to place food or books thereon for a simple meal or reading, the vehicle table device including: a housing that is accommodated inside a dashboard and has an open front surface; a table that is accommodated inside the housing and selectively extracted from or retracted into the front surface of the housing; and an operation member that is disposed between a bottom surface of the housing and the table and allows the table to be extracted from or retracted into the housing.