Deployable furniture table

• US 8,434,415 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Betsy Federici, Jamie Hathaway
• Original Assignee: Betsy Federici, Jamie Hathaway
• Inventors: Hathaway, Jamie, Federici, Betsy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US13/713,581
• Time in Patent Office: 145 Days
• Field of Search: 108/47, 108/48, 108/152, 108/38, 108/41, 297/146, 297/147, 297/163, 297/173
• US Class Current: 108/42
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/62 Accessories for chairs

Abstract

Disclosed is a combination furniture article and table support. The device comprises an article of furniture having an upstanding seatback and a flush-mounted frame therealong. The frame supports a hingeable tabletop that is flush with the seatback when in a stowed state. When deployed, the table is pulled away from the frame, rotated outward and secured within a cavity along the upper interior portion of the frame. This cavity secures over the upper edge of the table and supports the table in a horizontal configuration. The preferred embodiment utilizes a spring and damper element to draw the table into the cavity; however several embodiments are contemplated. The lower underside of the table includes a magnet or ferric material that aligns with a magnet within the lower portion of the frame to retain the table within the frame when stowed.

Claims

1. A deployable furniture table, comprising:

a frame having an interior volume defined by an upper sidewall, a lower sidewall, an interior surface, sidewalls and a table support cavity;

a table having an upper end, a lower end, an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a thickness;

said table thickness adapted to fit within said frame interior volume such that said table exterior surface aligns with said frame sidewall termination when said table is in a vertical orientation;

said table support cavity being located along said frame interior surface adjacent to said upper surface to allow said table thickness to enter thereinto for support when said table is in a horizontal orientation;

at least one table hinge pivotably connecting said table upper end to said frame and allowing said table to rotate from a horizontal to a vertical position, said hinge being secured to said frame within said table support cavity;

said hinge securement means being capable of movement into and out of said table support cavity, and comprising an extendable member, a spring and damper element connecting said hinge to said table support cavity to draw said hinge into said table support cavity when said table is in a horizontal and vertical position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said hinge securement means further comprises an extendable member and spring to draw said hinge into said table support cavity when said table is in a horizontal and vertical position.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said table interior surface and said frame interior surface further comprise an aligned securement element to prevent said table from readily pivoting about said hinge when said table is within said frame.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said securement element further comprises a magnetic connection between said table and said frame.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one hinge comprises a first and second hinge secured to a first and second carve-out along said table upper end corners.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said table exterior surface further comprises a user hand grip for rotating and handling said table.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said frame is secured within a furniture seatback and said frame is flush with said seatback outer surface.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said frame is secured within a side of a furniture article and said frame is flush with said side outer surface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said frame is secured within a furniture seatback and said frame further comprises a periphery lip perpendicular to said frame sidewalls, upper and lower surface that aligns with said furniture seatback outer surface.

10. A deployable furniture seatback table, comprising:

a frame having an interior volume defined by an upper sidewall, a lower sidewall, an interior surface, and sidewalls;

a table having an upper end, a lower end, an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a thickness;

said table thickness adapted to fit within said frame interior volume such that said table exterior surface aligns with said frame sidewall termination when said table is in a vertical orientation;

at least one table hinge pivotably connecting said table upper end to said frame and allowing said table to rotate from a horizontal to a vertical position;

a locking hingeable brace having a first and second pivoting link connected between said frame interior surface and said table interior surface, said brace supporting said table when in a horizontal orientation and collapsing when said table is in a vertical position.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said brace links fit within a channel along said table interior surface when said table is in a vertical position.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein said table interior surface and said frame interior surface further comprise an aligned securement element to prevent said table from readily pivoting about said hinge when said table is within said frame.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said securement element further comprises a magnetic connection between said table and said frame.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein said at least one hinge comprises a first and second hinge positioned within a first and second carve-out along said table upper end corners.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein said table exterior surface further comprises a user hand grip for rotating and handling said table.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein said frame is secured within a furniture seatback and said frame is flush with said seatback outer surface.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein said frame is secured within a side of a furniture article and said frame is flush with said side outer surface.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein said frame is secured within a furniture seatback and said frame further comprises a periphery lip perpendicular to said frame sidewalls, upper and lower surface that aligns with said furniture seatback outer surface.

19. A deployable furniture table, comprising:

a frame having an interior volume defined by an upper sidewall, a lower sidewall, an interior surface, sidewalls and a table support cavity;

a table having an upper end, a lower end, an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a thickness;

said table thickness adapted to fit within said frame interior volume such that said table exterior surface aligns with said frame sidewall termination when said table is in a vertical orientation;

said table support cavity being located along said frame interior surface adjacent to said upper surface to allow said table thickness to enter thereinto for support when said table is in a horizontal orientation;

at least one table hinge pivotably connecting said table upper end to said frame and allowing said table to rotate from a horizontal to a vertical position, said hinge being secured to said frame within said table support cavity;

said hinge securement means being capable of movement into and out of said table support cavity, and comprises a telescoping link connecting said hinge to said table support cavity to allow said hinge to be positioned within said table support cavity and drawn therefrom when said table is in a horizontal and vertical position.