Core77

How the Heck Does This Work? Julien Vidame's Convention-Defying Extendable Table

By Rain Noe - November 13, 2012

in Furniture Design

If this works as advertised, it will be quite the design coup. France-based designer Julien Vidame has posted a link for his Extendable Table, which amazingly doubles its length (and halves its thickness) by an unspecified action that rotates each individual slat comprising the tabletop surface. While Vidame claims a prototype is available, no video exists; all we have to go on is the tiny GIF file below.

Anyone want to venture a guess on how this works? (My first thought was magnets, but that probably wouldn't jive with metal tableware.)

o
1

Favorite This
Q
15

Comment

Comments

Steven Sobel

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Simple works on the same concept of a roll desk more than likely using linen tape to control individual slats as the move.

!Report as spam
Paul Lewis

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I call bullshit. This flaky gif has been making the rounds for years.

!Report as spam
Andrew

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

1.) Isn't it blog SOP to post a link?
2.) Who says he knows how it works? Obviously all the images of the table are renderings.
3.) Has anyone asked him?
!Report as spam
Ken J

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Also, instead of an elastic, I think he may have hardware interlocking each individual slat to another. This hardware would make it
!Report as spam
Ken J

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

A cam and toggle mechanism is required to get the slats to flip up when the table is going from long to short. Looks like he's incorporated a pull procedure before collapsing the table which activates the cam/toggle mechanism.

me likey
!Report as spam
Anthony

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Let's get some mechanical engineers on this shit.
!Report as spam
product tank

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I had a quick look at it and I don't think it's that hard to do, but I would suggest the designer has not fully resolved the design or the gif isn't quite true. As the table is slid out in close up, you see the sliders underneath come apart (there's light between them).
!Report as spam
powers

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Although, going on the animated gif, the designer has not figured out the details of the mechanics just yet.
!Report as spam
powers

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I imagine that could be accomplished with a pretty simple mechanical hinge in the bottom right corner of each slat.
!Report as spam
Zed

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Definitely some sort of spring-loaded mechanism.
!Report as spam
Paul Munoz

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Hmm... stretching phones next?
!Report as spam
Julia Garner

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I try to guess that it was an accordion mechanics under the wooden plank.

!Report as spam
Anirudh

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

My first guess would be elastic bands that run along the length of the table holding the slats together.
!Report as spam
drcable

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

If you look closely at the last frames of the gif, there's a metal base under it. You could tie into that with flexibe plastic(or even stainless wire), and have them remain stuck down. To lock them in place, use a tensioner on all the wires/strips to pull them into a solid surface.
!Report as spam
benjymous

11 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Elastic could work, if each of the sections is drilled diagonally, then that would let it transform as shown, as long as you got the tension right.
!Report as spam