Table unit

• US 10,640,027 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nifco Incorporated
• Inventors: Hirano, Yoichi, Tsunoda, Ryuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US16/316,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20190152373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 297163
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/62 Accessories for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/004 of foldable trays mounted on the back-rest
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 3/102 storable or foldable in a non-use position
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0638 with foldable tables, trays or cup holders
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/04 Pivotal connections hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/08 Vehicle seats, e.g. in linear movable seats
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/30 Ships, e.g. propelling shafts and bearings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/43 Aeroplanes; Helicopters

Abstract

Provided is a table unit enabling easy opening of a table provided to the back surface of a seat backrest. A table unit is provided with: a hinge mechanism that is coaxially fitted to a fulcrum shaft portion of a table main body and that can retain and release the table main body in and from a plurality of attitudes; and a hook unit that retains and releases the table main body at the position of a housed attitude. The hinge mechanism is configured to have a pair of cam bodies that face each other in the axial direction, and, through mutual cooperation of the pair of cam bodies, position the table main body to a use attitude in which the table main body is deployed to a use position and to a partially-housed attitude between the housed attitude and the use attitude as a plurality of stages of attitudes.

Claims

1. A table unit comprising:

a base panel disposed to a back surface of a backrest of a seat;

a table main body mounted to the base panel via a fulcrum shaft portion and configured to be able to rotate toward a back side of the backrest from a housed attitude in which a table mounting-surface of the table main body is positioned along the base panel to a use attitude in which the table mounting-surface is distanced from the base panel;

a housed attitude retaining unit configured to retain and release the table main body in and from the housed attitude; and

a hinge mechanism configured to, disposed separately from the housed attitude retaining unit, form the fulcrum shaft portion and to be able to retain and release the table main body in and from a plurality of attitudes,

wherein the hinge mechanism is configured to be able to retain the table main body in, as the plurality of attitudes of the table main body, the use attitude and a partially-housed attitude located on the way from the housed attitude to the use attitude,

wherein the hinge mechanism includes a pair of cam bodies arranged facing each other in a state of being biased in an axial direction of the fulcrum shaft portion, the cam bodies respectively having cam surfaces, the pair of cam bodies including a first cam body and a second cam body disposed on a base panel side and a table main body side, respectively, of the fulcrum shaft portion and respectively having the cam surfaces on which concavo-convex portions capable of engaging and disengaging with and from each other in a direction in which the first cam body and the second cam body face each other are formed along a circumferential direction, and the first cam body and the second cam body are configured to be able to retain and release the table main body in and from each of the partially-housed attitude and the use attitude through cooperation between the cam surfaces of the first cam body and the second cam body,

wherein the respective cam surfaces of the pair of cam bodies are configured in such a way that, when the table main body is in the housed attitude, the cam surfaces have a clearance serving as a free running portion from the housed attitude between surface portions of the respective cam surfaces that face each other in a circumferential direction corresponding to rotation of the table main body, and, when retention by the housed attitude retaining unit is released, by the table main body inclining by a self-weight of the table main body and the pair of cam bodies relatively moving by a free running distance corresponding to the clearance, the table main body rotates to the partially-housed attitude and the respective cam surfaces of the pair of cam bodies engage with each other at a position of the partially-housed attitude and retain the table main body.

2. The table unit according to claim 1, wherein

in the hinge mechanism, within the respective cam surfaces of the pair of cam bodies, a cam surface portion corresponding to an angular interval along which the table main body rotates from the partially-housed attitude to the use attitude is set to be an incline the degree of inclination of which is gentler than degrees of inclination of other portions of the respective cam surfaces of the pair of cam bodies.

3. The table unit according to claim 1, wherein

the hinge mechanism is configured to, when the table main body receives a mounting load exceeding a predetermined limit while the table main body is in the use attitude, rotate the table main body to a spread-out attitude in which the table main body is rotated to a further lower side than the use attitude.

4. The table unit according to claim 1, wherein

an operation portion of the housed attitude retaining means is disposed at a position on an upper portion of the table main body in the housed attitude.

5. A table unit comprising:

a base panel disposed to a back surface of a backrest of a seat;

a table main body mounted to the base panel via a fulcrum shaft portion and configured to be able to rotate toward a back side of the backrest from a housed attitude in which a table mounting-surface of the table main body is positioned along the base panel to a use attitude in which the table mounting-surface is distanced from the base panel;

a housed attitude retaining unit configured to retain and release the table main body in and from the housed attitude; and

a hinge mechanism configured to, disposed separately from the housed attitude retaining unit, form the fulcrum shaft portion and to be able to retain and release the table main body in and from a plurality of attitudes,

wherein the hinge mechanism is configured to be able to retain the table main body in, as the plurality of attitudes of the table main body, the use attitude and a partially-housed attitude located on the way from the housed attitude to the use attitude,

wherein the hinge mechanism includes a pair of cam bodies arranged facing each other in a state of being biased in an axial direction of the fulcrum shaft portion, the cam bodies respectively having cam surfaces, the pair of cam bodies including a first cam body and a second cam body disposed on a base panel side and a table main body side, respectively, of the fulcrum shaft portion and respectively having the cam surfaces on which concavo-convex portions capable of engaging and disengaging with and from each other in a direction in which the first cam body and the second cam body face each other are formed along a circumferential direction, and the first cam body and the second cam body are configured to be able to retain and release the table main body in and from each of the partially-housed attitude and the use attitude through cooperation between the cam surfaces of the first cam body and the second cam body,

wherein the hinge mechanism is configured to, when the table main body is in the housed attitude, bias the table main body toward the partially-housed attitude side from a position of the housed attitude by a biasing force produced by the respective cam surfaces of the pair of cam bodies coming into contact with each other.

6. The table unit according to claim 5, wherein

in the hinge mechanism, within the respective cam surfaces of the pair of cam bodies, a cam surface portion corresponding to an angular interval along which the table main body rotates from the partially-housed attitude to the use attitude is set to be an incline the degree of inclination of which is gentler than degrees of inclination of other portions of the respective cam surfaces of the pair of cam bodies.

7. The table unit according to claim 5, wherein

the hinge mechanism is configured to, when the table main body receives a mounting load exceeding a predetermined limit while the table main body is in the use attitude, rotate the table main body to a spread-out attitude in which the table main body is rotated to a further lower side than the use attitude.

8. The table unit according to claim 5, wherein

an operation portion of the housed attitude retaining means is disposed at a position on an upper portion of the table main body in the housed attitude.