Passenger seat table assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023315-B2
Application number	US-201615189506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2016
Priority date	Jun 24, 2015
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A passenger seat table assembly including a table movable between a fully stowed position and a fully deployed position through at least one intermediate position in which the table rotates relative to a support arm, wherein the table rotates in a first direction relative to the support arm as the table moves from the fully stowed position toward the at least one intermediate position, and rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction as the table moves from the at least one intermediate position toward the fully deployed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A passenger seat table assembly, comprising:
a table movable between a fully stowed position and a fully deployed position through at least one intermediate position in which the table rotates relative to a support arm, wherein the table rotates in a first direction relative to the support arm as the table moves from the fully stowed position toward the at least one intermediate position, and rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction as the table moves from the at least one intermediate position toward the fully deployed position.

2. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the table is horizontally-oriented and rotatably supported on the support arm, and the support arm is guided for movement along a fixture adapted to be positioned alongside a seat.

3. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the table is adapted to be oriented parallel to a longitudinal seat axis when the table is in the fully stowed position, the longitudinal axis of the table is adapted to be oriented parallel to a longitudinal seat axis when the table is in the fully deployed position, and the longitudinal axis of the table is adapted to be oriented at an angle to a longitudinal seat axis when the table is in the at least one intermediate position.

4. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a support arm cam pathway housed in a fixture shaped to guide support arm rotation as the support arm moves relative to the fixture; and
a rotation rod cam pathway housed in the fixture shaped to guide movement of a rotation rod which controls rotation of the table relative to the support arm as the support arm moves relative to the fixture;
wherein the support arm cam pathway and the rotation rod cam pathway are non-linear, non-intersecting, and shaped to rotate the support arm based on a predetermined curvature of the fixture and rotate the table based on a position of the support arm relative to a seat served by the passenger seat table assembly.

5. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 4 , wherein movement of the rotation rod relative to the support arm drives rotational movement of the table about a main support bearing by way of a bearing and slot arrangement.

6. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of guide blocks attached to an underside of the support arm that travel outboard of the support arm cam pathway and rotation rod cam pathway, and horizontally-oriented track rollers rotatably attached to the plurality of guide blocks that travel along parallel tracks positioned outboard of the guide blocks.

7. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a damper assembly comprising a dampener having a vertically-oriented roller rotatably mounted thereto, the dampener mounted to a mounting plate biased in a direction of one of the parallel tracks, wherein the vertically-oriented roller is forced into contact with the one of the parallel tracks through a range of travel of the support arm.

8. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 4 , wherein a slot is formed through a side of the fixture and one end of the support arm extends through the slot into the fixture to engage within the support arm cam pathway and the rotation rod cam pathway.

9. The passenger seat table assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle mounted to an underside of the support arm or an underside of the table; and
a catch mounted to the underside of the support arm or the underside of the table arranged to catch a latch as the latch moves past the catch as the support arm moves toward the fully stowed position.

10. An aircraft passenger suite, comprising:
a seat;
a fixture positioned to one side of the seat; and
a table assembly comprising a table movable between a fully stowed position forward of the seat and a fully deployed position over the seat through at least one intermediate position in which the table rotates relative to a support arm to provide room for a passenger to exit the seat between the seat and the table without having to fully stow the table;
wherein the table rotates in a first direction relative to the support arm as the table moves from the fully stowed position toward the at least one intermediate position, and rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction as the table moves from the at least one intermediate position toward the fully deployed position.

11. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 10 , wherein the table is horizontally-oriented and rotatably supported on the support arm, and a slot is formed through a side of the fixture and one end of the support arm extends through the slot into the fixture and is guided for horizontal movement along the fixture.

12. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 10 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the table is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the seat when the table is in the fully stowed position, the longitudinal axis of the table is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the seat when the table is in the fully deployed position, and the longitudinal axis of the table is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the seat when the table is in the at least one intermediate position.

13. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 10 , further comprising:
a support arm cam pathway housed in the fixture shaped to guide support arm rotation as the support arm moves relative to the fixture; and
a rotation rod cam pathway housed in the fixture shaped to guide movement of a rotation rod which controls rotation of the table relative to the support arm as the support arm moves relative to the fixture;
wherein the support arm cam pathway and the rotation rod cam pathway are non-linear, non-intersecting, and shaped to rotate the support arm based on a predetermined curvature of the fixture and rotate the table based on a position of the support arm relative to the seat.

14. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 13 , wherein movement of the rotation rod relative to the support arm drives rotational movement of the table about a main support bearing by way of a bearing and slot arrangement.

15. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of guide blocks attached to an underside of the support arm that travel outboard of the support arm cam pathway and rotation rod cam pathway, and horizontally-oriented track rollers rotatably attached to the plurality of guide blocks that travel along parallel tracks positioned outboard of the guide blocks.

16. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 15 , further comprising a damper assembly comprising a dampener having a vertically-oriented roller rotatably mounted thereto, the dampener mounted to a mounting plate biased in a direction of one of the parallel tracks, wherein the vertically-oriented roller is forced into contact with the one of the parallel tracks through a range of travel of the support arm.

17. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 10 , further comprising a desk positioned forward of the seat, wherein the table stows underneath the desk when the table is in the fully stowed position.

18. The aircraft passenger suite of claim 10 , further comprising:
a handle mounted to an underside of the support arm or an underside of the table; and
a catch mounted to the underside of the support arm or the underside of the table arranged to catch a latch as the latch moves past the catch as the support arm moves toward the fully stowed position.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Kuyper John
• Frost Ian L

Classifications

• B64D11/0638

  with foldable tables, trays or cup holders · CPC title

• B64D11/06

  Arrangements of seats, or adaptations or details specially adapted for aircraft seats (crew seat constructions for emergency purposes B64D25/04) · CPC title

• B64D11/0605 Primary

  including tables or desks · CPC title

• A47B5/006

  brought into operative position through a combination of translational and rotational movement · CPC title