Chairs and seats – With table – desk – or easel – Extensible from within or beneath seat component
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-13
2004-07-06
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
With table, desk, or easel
Extensible from within or beneath seat component
C297S163000, C297SDIG005, C108S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06758518
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the provision of enhanced facilities to passengers using vehicle seats. In particular, the invention concerns an advantageous vehicle seat having an articulated table and a cover therefore.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with a vehicle seat of the type that supports a table for articulation between a stowed position and an extended position in which a surface of the table projects generally horizontally from an integral part of the seat. This type of seat is commonly used in passenger aircraft but can also be used in other vehicles such as, for example, coaches, buses, hovercraft, trains and ships. The primary objective of such vehicle seats is to provide a table surface which can either be stowed away to give the passenger optimum space whilst seated, or can be swiftly articulated to position the table surface immediately in front of the seated passenger. Such tables are typically used to support food trays and drinks and to serve generally as a desk. They are usually moved between their stowed and extended position several times during a journey. Examples of vehicle seats which support a table for articulation between a stowed position and an extended position in which a surface of the table projects generally horizontally from an integral part of the seat are taught, for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,374, 4,159,071, 5,082,116 and by UK Patent 1,600,744.
Various mechanisms are well-known for attaching such tables to the associated vehicle seat and these do not form part of the present invention. However many of such attachments fall into the following two categories.
In the first category the table is supported by the mechanism from the seat back immediately in front of the passenger such that, when in the extended position, the table surface will extend backwards from the seat back (that is rearwards over the passenger's legs), a first edge of the table being directed towards the rear of the seat back in front of the passenger, and a second edge of the table, parallely spaced from to the first edge, being directed away from the rear of the seat back towards the passenger. When the table is stowed into the rear of the seat back and is consequently no longer horizontal, the support mechanism tilts the table until its surface is flush with the rear of the seat back. This tilting movement results in the second edge being positioned generally above the first edge, and any item left on the table surface will be tipped forward into the gap between the table surface and the rear of the seat back in front of the passenger.
In the second category the table is supported by the mechanism from an arm of the seat occupied by the passenger such that, when in the extended position, the table surface will project away from the seat arm (that is laterally across the passenger's legs), a first edge of the table being positioned adjacent the seat arm and a second edge of the table, parallely-spaced from the first edge, being directed away from the seat arm. When the table is stowed into the seat arm, the support mechanism tilts the table until the second edge is positioned generally adjacent the seat arm. Any item left on the table surface will be tipped sideways either over the adjacent passenger or aisle, or into the cavity for receiving the stowed table. Tables of this second category are frequently formed as two substantially equal leaves interconnected by a hinge having an axis parallely-spaced between the first and second edges. When the table is stowed, the two leaves are folded together prior to insertion into the cavity in the seat arm. With this arrangement, any item left on the table surface will be crushed between the table leaves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention a vehicle seat has a mechanism supporting a table for articulation between a stowed position and an extended position in which a surface of the table extends generally horizontally from an integral part of the seat, a cover overlies the table surface, and the cover is detachably secured to the table in a manner that will allow the table to be moved to the stowed position and back to the extended position without damaging the cover. Hitherto, covers have not been used on such tables because they would slide about on the table surface when extended, and would need to be removed every time the table was stowed away. The present invention therefore enables a cover to be temporarily fixed to the table in a manner that ensures the cover will remain in place throughout the journey, irrespective of the movement of the table between its extended and stowed positions. At the end of the journey the cover can also be simply replaced if it is soiled or needs to be replaced with a different cover. By enabling a detachable cover to be fixed to this kind of table, a substantial new range of services can be made available to the passenger, and a new range of promotional options are available to the vehicle operator.
The manner in which the cover is detachably secured to the table, to permit movement between its stowed and extended positions without damaging the cover, depends on the way the table articulates between its stowed and articulated positions.
In the case where the table is supported by the mechanism from the seat back such that, in the extended position the table surface will project backwards from the rear of the seat back with a first edge directed towards the rear of the seat back and with a second edge parallely-spaced from the first edge directed away from the rear of the seat back, and in the stowed position the second edge will be positioned generally above the first edge, the cover should be detachably secured to the table adjacent the second edge. In this manner, when the table is moved to its stowed position, the cover will be suspended by its attachment to the second edge and will remain in position relative to the table surface until the table is returned to its extended position. Attaching the cover to the table adjacent the second edge also serves to protect the edge of the cover immediately adjacent the passenger from being rubbed off the table by contact with the passenger's body.
On the other hand, in the case where the table is supported by the mechanism from an arm of the seat such that, in the extended position the table surface will project laterally away from the seat arm with a first edge positioned adjacent the seat arm and with a second edge parallely-spaced from to the first edge and directed away from the seat arm, and in the stowed position the second edge will be positioned generally adjacent the seat arm, the cover should be detachably secured to the table adjacent the second edge. In this manner the cover will again be suspended from the second edge as the table is tilted sideways towards its stowed position. There is also a third edge of the table surface orientated at right angles to both the first and second edges and directed towards the front of the seat back; that is towards the passenger. In the stowed position this third edge will be positioned generally within the seat arm. The cover may also be detachably secured to the table adjacent this third edge to ensure that it will not catch on the seat arm as the table is moved towards its stowed position. Tables that are stowed in a seat arm are often constructed from two leaves which are hinged for folding about an axis parallely-spaced between the first and second axes. With such tables the cover will essentially be folded between the leaves as it is moved to the stowed position. In such cases it may be desirable either to split the cover into two parts. One for each leaf, or to provide extra areas of attachment to ensure that the cover will be unfolded to be substantially flat when the table is next extended.
The cover is preferably detachably secured to the table by a releasable adhesive carried by the cover. Such adhesive is preferably positioned adjacent an edge of the cover that will be adjacent the appropriate e
Goddin Jeremy Robert
Ingram Michael Peter
Cuomo Peter M.
MHM Holdings Limited
Vu Stephen
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