SIDE ARM STOWABLE TABLE

• US 3,632,161 A
• Filed: 07/13/1970
• Issued: 01/04/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PTC Aerospace Incorporated Bantam CT 06750 A Corporation
• Original Assignee: George Arfaras, Reni J. Brunelle, Robert J. Richardson
• Inventors: Arfaras, George, Brunelle, Reni J., Richardson, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/054,268
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 297/145,194,147,150,155,162,170 312/302
• US Class Current: 297/145
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/70 of foldable type

Abstract

A foldable and stowable table is provided in the side arm rest of a vehicle seat or chair in a manner to be entirely out of the way when stored but readily unfolded and usable as a cocktail or meal table. A preferred embodiment has a compression spring in combination with a hinge support portion so as to permit an initial release and a partial outward movement of the table from within a storage space.

Claims

1. A stowable table arrangement for use with a seat, which comprises in combination, a vertically disposed storage section at one side of said seat sized to store at least one table member therein, a table support member with a pivot connection to the top of said storage section and a slide-hinge means as a part of said support member connecting to one edge of a table member to thereby provide a holding of the latter within and outside of said storage section, with said pivot connection for said table support member providing for endwise rotation of the attached table member in the plane of said storage section through at least about 180* and said slide-hinge means providing for rotation of the table member from a vertical position to a horizontal position across the front of the seat, said slidehinge means additionally comprising at least two sections which are slidable with respect to each other to thereby permit fore and aft movement of the table member with respect to said support member and with respect to said seat.

2. The stowable table arrangement of claim 1 further characterized in that spring-biasing means connects with said slide-hinge means such that there is spring biasing of one section of the latter with respect to the other, and a releasable lock means is provided to connect with at least one portion of said slide-hinge means to permit a release of the spring-biasing means to effect the biased horizontal movement of said table member outwardly from said storage seCtion for a predetermined distance when the table member is hanging in the stored position.

3. A stowable table arrangement for use with a seat, which comprises in combination, a vertically disposed storage section at one side of said seat sized to store at least one table member therein, a table support member with a pivot connection to the top of said storage section and a slide-hinge means as a part of said support member connecting to one edge of a table member to thereby provide a holding of the latter within and outside of said storage section, with said pivot connection for said table support member providing for endwise rotation of the attached table member through at least about 180* and said slide-hinge means providing for rotation of the table member from a vertical position to a horizontal position across the front of the seat, said slide-hinge means additionally comprising at least two sections of concentric tubular-form members which are slidably interconnected with respect to each other such that one section may slide longitudinally with respect to the other and at the same time permit at least 90* rotation of one section with the other to thereby permit fore and aft movement of the table member with respect to said support member and with respect to said seat.

4. The stowable table arrangement of claim 3 still further characterized in that a compression spring as said spring biasing means is positioned within said concentric tubular-form members whereby to effect the biased movement of one section with respect to the other, and a releasable lock mean is connectable to at least one section of said concentric sections permitting the release of said compression spring and the sliding of one tubular section in the other to in turn move said table member for a predetermined distance as determined by the length of said expanded compression spring.

5. The stowable table arrangement of claim 1 further characterized in that said table member has at least two table sections, with one table section being foldable against the other for effecting movement in the endwise rotation and for housing in the storage section.