Chairs and seats – With table – desk – or easel – Tablet-arm type
Patent
1997-04-21
1998-12-08
Cranmer, Laurie K.
Chairs and seats
With table, desk, or easel
Tablet-arm type
297171, 2974113, A47B 3900
Patent
active
058459642
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a writing tablet assembly and more particularly a writing tablet assembly including a writing tablet which is rotatable with respect to a frame for supporting the writing tablet.
Writing tablets are used in conjunction with a chair or the like to provide a surface which a person can write upon when seated on a chair. It is inconvenient to fix the writing tablet to a chair in a permanent position as this makes getting into and out of the chair difficult. Accordingly, writing tablets are generally hinged on a chair arm or the like and are moveable from an in use position into a stored position. The stored position is generally one in which the writing tablet has its writing surface oriented vertically.
The simplest form of known writing tablet assembly uses a writing tablet hinged on a chair arm for rotation from the writing position through 90.degree. into a substantially vertical position. This configuration means that, when in the stored position, the writing tablet is highly obtrusive and is not, therefore, satisfactorily stored.
A more sophisticated known writing tablet assembly has a ball joint on a stem fixed to the writing tablet as its hinge. A ball socket is supported by the chair which receives the ball joint. This arrangement provides substantially universal movement of the writing tablet with respect to the chair but does not adequately control the movement of the writing tablet with respect to the chair such that the writing tablet may be rotated into a position in which people may not be able to pass along a row of chairs having such writing tablet assemblies as they could be blocked by the writing tablet.
FR-A-2 579 435 describes a writing tablet for attachment to a frame of a chair. A ball joint provides the means by which the writing tablet is hingeable with respect to the frame of the chair. The ball joint allows rotation of the writing tablet with respect to the frame of the chair about two orthogonal and substantially horizontal axis (X--X and Y--Y) to move the writing tablet from a vertical stored position through 180.degree. about the X--X axis and then through 90.degree. about the Y--Y axis into a writing position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,994 describes a writing tablet assembly comprising a writing tablet fixed to a side arm of a chair. The end of the side arm of the chair is at 45.degree. to the vertical. A pivot is provided on the end of the side arm and connected to a bracket on the writing tablet which is bent at 45.degree. to the plane of the writing tablet. Rotation of the writing tablet through 180.degree. about the pivot (axis A--A) moves the writing tablet from a stored vertical position to an in use horizontal position.
FR-A-2 167 714 describes a writing tablet having a pivot in the form of a post which projects from the writing tablet for insertion in a side arm of the chair. The side arm of the chair has a hole for receiving the post, the hole being angled forwardly and upwardly so that rotation of the post with respect to the hole moves the writing tablet from a stored vertical position into an in use horizontal position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a writing tablet assembly which does not suffer from the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a writing tablet assembly for attachment to a chair comprising: a writing tablet movable between a stored position and an in use position, and vice versa; a frame for supporting the writing tablet and for attachment to a chair; and a swivel joint interposed between the writing tablet and the frame, the swivel joint having two planar surfaces disposed at 45.degree. to one another, the frame abutting the swivel joint at the first surface which defines a first predetermined plane of rotation of the swivel joint with respect to the frame and the writing tablet abutting the swivel joint at the second surface which defines a second predetermined plane of rotation of the writing tablet with respect to the swivel joint, the writing tablet being rotatable with
Cranmer Laurie K.
JNE Holding Limited
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