Chairs and seats – With table – desk – or easel – Extensible from within or beneath seat component
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-08-28
Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
With table, desk, or easel
Extensible from within or beneath seat component
C297S163000, C297S188070, C108S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279992
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a folding table for fitting to the rear side of the back of a seat in a motor-coach or an aircraft.
Folding tables of that type are known per se. They are arranged on the rear side of the back of a seat by means of a pivotal articulation. The known folding tables can be pivoted from an out-of-use position, in which they lie substantially flat against the rear side of the seat back, into an in-use position, in which they project approximately horizontally from the rear side of the seat back, and vice versa. It is also known to construct such a folding table with a recess, for example a circular recess, into which a drink container, such as a drink can, a cup or a breaker, can be placed. The recess stops the drink container placed therein from slipping, but does not prevent container from falling over.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to develop a folding table for fitting to the rear side of the back of a seat in a motor-coach or an aircraft, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of present invention to provide a folding table of this type which is formed so that it stops a drink container placed therein from falling over.
The folding table according to the invention has a holder which is movably connected to the folding table by way of a guide. In an out-of-use position, the holder is stowed in the folding table so that the holder does not project from the folding table, as a result of which the entire surface of the folding table can be used and the holder does not hinder pivoting of the folding table into the out-of-use position. When the folding table is in the in-use position, the holder can be moved out of the folding table so that a drink container can be placed into the holder. The folding table according to the invention has the advantage that its holder for a drinks container does not occupy any additional space in the out-of-use position and, in the in-use position, stops a drink container placed therein from falling over.
In an embodiment of the invention, a sliding guide is provided, by means of which the holder is fastened to the folding table. By means of the sliding guide, the holder can be pulled out of the folding table at one side and, when not in use, can be pushed back into the folding table again. This embodiment of the invention has the advantage that the holder in its in-use position occupies no space on the folding table, so that the entire surface of the folding table is available, for example, for food, and a drink container can additionally be placed in the holder pulled out at the side.
In an embodiment of the invention, a pivotal articulation is provided on the folding tables as the guide for the holder. In this embodiment of the invention, the holder can be pivoted upwards from the folding table through a limited pivoting angle. In the in-use position, the holder is located above the folding table, so that it stops a drink container placed therein, which is standing on the folding table, from falling over. This embodiment of the invention has the advantage that a drink container placed in the holder does not project downwards beneath the folding table. The drinks container is, therefore, out of the way of a passenger's legs and knees. Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention prevents the passenger from accidentally pushing the drinks container upwards out of the holder with his knee.
In a further development of the invention, the guide for the holder on the folding table is in such a form that the holder can be brought into its in-use position when the folding table is in the out-of-use position. This has the advantage that the holder for the drink container can be used independently on the folding table without the folding table having to be pivoted into its horizontal in-use position in which it restricts the freedom of movement of a passenger. Two guides can be provided, one of which serves to bring the holder for the drinks container into the in-use position when the folding table is in the in-use position. The other guide serves to bring the holder into the in-use position when the folding table is occupying the out-of-use position. Both possibilities can be realized with one guide for the holder on the folding table.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide allowing the holder to be brought into the in-use position when the folding table is in the out-of-use position is in the form of a pivotal articulation having a limited pivoting angle.
In an embodiment of the invention there is provided an opening spring element, which pivots the holder into the in-use position. A releasable locking device holds the holder in the out-of-use position against the force of the opening spring element. When the locking device is released, the holder pivots into its in-use position under the action of the spring. The pivoting movement is preferably dampened by a damping member. Pivoting of the holder into the in-use position may be carried out under the action of a spring both when the folding table is in the in-use position and when the folding table is in the out-of-use position, to which end two opening spring elements are preferably used.
In an embodiment of the invention, a support is provided, which is connected to the holder or to the folding table by way of a pivotal articulation. The support is pivotable downwards from the holder through a limited pivoting angle by means of gravity and/or the force of a spring, and it supports a drink container placed in the holder. The support is provided especially in cases where a drinks container is placed in the holder does not stand on the folding table, that is to say, for example, where the holder can be pulled out of the folding table at the side or where the holder is used with the folding table in the out-of-use position.
In order to pivot the support downwards from the holder, a spring element is provided in an embodiment of the invention. The opening spring element of the holder may be used as the spring element for the support.
In an embodiment of the invention, a safety mounting for the folding table is provided, which allows the folding table to pivot downwards from the horizontal in-use position if the folding table is overloaded. The safety arrangement serves to reduce the risk of injury to a passenger in the event of an accident; it allows the folding table to fold away downwards if the passenger, for example, hits his head against the folding table. Under a normal load, the safety mounting holds the folding table in its in-use position. The safety mounting has a stop, which limits the pivoting angle of the folding table from the out-of-use position into the approximately horizontal in-use position. The stop is surmounted by overloading of the folding table. This embodiment of the folding table according to the invention can be realized independently of the presence of the holder for a drink container on the folding table according to the invention.
In a further development of the invention, the stop is formed on the periphery of a pivot pin, about which the folding table is pivotable. The stop co-operates with a spring-operated slide and disengages the slide from the stop if the folding table is overloaded, so that the folding table pivots downwards out of its horizontal in-use position. The pivot pin may be fixed or it may rotate with the folding table.
For fastening purposes, the folding table can be provided, for example, with laterally projecting fastening pins which are inserted into complementary recesses in folding table mountings fitted to the back of the seat. In order to prevent the folding table from pivoting together with the back of the seat in the case of a seat back the angle of which can be adjusted, it is also possible for lateral struts to be provided as the folding table mountings, which struts are fastened to a fixed part of the seat or to the floor of the vehicle and therefore do not pivot with the seat back. In order
Groth Soeren
Hein Andre
Jessberger Monika
Keller Michael
Kriegelsteiner Franz
Barfield Anthony D.
fischerwerke Artur Fischer GmbH & Co. KG
Striker Michael J.
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