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Saturday, April 13, 2024

TV Tray Table. Cherry. Refinement in Details.

Cherry.  5i
This is my 3rd TV Tray Table prototype.  Made from Cherry wood.  It demonstrates different details used with the same dual position geometry that the first two have.  Those two are here:

Ash Version

Red Oak Version

Ash, Cherry, Red Oak

The first two use threaded bolts into embedded nuts or barrel nuts to hold the outer legs to the top and the inner leg frame. They could come unscrewed in use as the frame is folded and unfolded. This Cherry wood version addresses that flaw and uses a new detail.  The bolt heads look the same but won't come unscrewed in use.

Pivot Bolts
The bolts pictured above are the pivot bolts for the outer leg connection to the top and inner leg frame. They slip through a hole in the outer leg and into the top's rear corners, or the inner leg frame sides. They are held there by an intersecting binding screw shaft. They can spin in place but won't unscrew themselves as the table folds or unfolds.  I was unable to find such a thing looking online, so I cut these from longer bolts using the rotary axis on my CNC. 
Binding Bolts.  18mm Shafts
I've used different strategies to tension the frame so it won't collapse.  Wire cable on the Ash version, and straps at the top in the Oak version are both complicated to make/install.  This Cherry wood version uses short 3/4" wide straps between the front and back legs. They are 5" below the pivot point to keep the legs from splitting apart.  The unique use and path of the straps adapts to both slanted and inside-out horizontal top positions. The strap location is just below where the top rests when the stand is folded up flat. A little serendipity in what was an arbitrary location choice. 
Folded Flat

The outer legs of this Cherry wood version run straight, with only a small bump over to the offset hole at the top.  A simple detail that might draw some attention.  The bump is neatly in plane with the slanted top.  

Slanted top
It is an interesting bump above the top when horizontal. 
Horizontal top.

This Cherry version uses a simple short strap with a grommet in both ends to handle the tension when the legs want to split apart. 

Grommet in strap end.
A binding bolt passes through the grommet inside each leg to retain the straps but lets the strap rotate to accommodate the angle it approach each leg. 
The straps slip into 1/8" wide slots. One edge of the slot is rounded over so the edge won't wear on the strap as it exits and wraps around the leg to head toward the other leg. 
Straps held by binding bolts
This Cherry table is so far my favorite of the three. Beautiful wood. Complimentary green straps. A pleasant presence. 


This design is patented. The details can vary, but the geometry that lets the table stand flat or turn inside out to be slanted down is the unique property.
 
For information on licensing the design please contact:
Sarah Nolting
Licensing Associate
Kansas State University Innovation Partners
(785) 532-3910
snolting@ksu.edu
www.k-state.edu/innovation-partners

Questions and comments are welcomed!
4D

 

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