Deployable seatback holder for portable electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029793-B2
Application number	US-201615174242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A portable electronic device holder incorporated in a seatback of a passenger seat. The device holder includes a shelf and a release latch arranged to hold the respective bottom and top edges of a portable electronic device for hands-free use. The latch holds the shelf in a stowed position flush with the seatback and releases to allow the shelf to rotate away from the seatback for use. The shelf is positioned apart from a tray table, when present, so that the device holder and tray table can be deployed and used at the same time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device holder adapted to be incorporated into a seatback of a passenger seat, comprising:
a frame adapted to install in a seatback shroud;
a shelf mounted to the frame such that the shelf is adapted to be exposed through a seatback shroud, the shelf moveable between a stowed position flush with the frame and a deployed position at an angle to the frame;
a latch slidably attached to the frame and biased in a downward direction, the latch configured to engage a top of the shelf to hold the shelf in the stowed position and raise to release the shelf to allow the shelf to move to the deployed position; and
a spring release mechanism associated with the shelf for rotating the shelf toward the deployed position when released from the latch, the spring mechanism including a release lever that engages at one end thereof with a spring release pivot mount mounted on a common shaft;
wherein the shelf, when in the deployed position, is oriented such that the shelf is adapted to support a bottom edge of a portable electronic device and the latch is oriented such that the shelf is adapted to engage a top edge of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device holder according to claim 1 , wherein the shelf is pivotally attached along a bottom edge to the frame.

3. The portable electronic device holder according to claim 1 , wherein the shelf is attached to the frame through spaced arms attached near opposite ends of the bottom edge of the shelf, each of the arms having a predetermined length and curvature such that the arms retract into the seatback and are hidden when the shelf is in the stowed position and position the shelf apart from the seatback shroud when the shelf is in the deployed position.

4. The portable electronic device holder according to claim 1 , wherein the frame includes a backplate adapted to be concealed from view behind the seatback shroud.

5. The portable electronic device holder according to claim 1 , wherein an end of the spring release pivot mount in contact with the end of the release lever is a sloped surface such that engagement with the sloped surface causes rotation due to stored spring force from a spring disposed between the release lever and the shaft, wherein the spring is wound as the shelf is moved toward the stowed position.

6. The portable electronic device holder according to claim 1 , further comprising a friction mechanism arranged to dampen deployment and stowage rotation of the shelf, the friction mechanism including a friction pivot mount and friction lever mounted on a common shaft and a spring disposed between the friction lever and the shaft, wherein flat facing ends of the friction pivot mount and friction lever contact to generate friction therebetween to dampen shelf rotation and the spring, when wound, urges on the friction lever to add force which slows shelf rotation during deployment and stowage.

7. The portable electronic device holder according to claim 1 , wherein the frame is an elongate backplate having spaced openings flanking the shelf.

8. The portable electronic device holder according to claim 1 , further comprising vertically-oriented spaced springs attached at one end to the latch and at an opposing end to the frame, the vertically-oriented spaced springs biasing the latch in a direction of the shelf.

9. An aircraft passenger seat equipped with a seatback portable electronic device holder, comprising:
an upper seatback shroud;
a backplate installed behind the upper seatback shroud;
a shelf mounted to the backplate and exposed through the upper seatback shroud, the shelf moveable between a stowed position flush with the backplate and a deployed position at an angle to the backplate;
a latch slidably attached to the backplate and biased in a downward direction, the latch configured to engage a top of the shelf to hold the shelf in the stowed position and raise to release the shelf to allow the shelf to move to the deployed position; and
a friction mechanism arranged to dampen deployment and stowage rotation of the shelf, the friction mechanism including a friction pivot mount and friction lever mounted on a common shaft and a spring disposed between the friction lever and the shaft, wherein flat facing ends of the friction pivot mount and friction lever contact to generate friction therebetween to dampen shelf rotation and the spring, when wound, urges on the friction lever to add force which slows shelf rotation during deployment and stowage;
wherein the shelf, when in the deployed position, is oriented to support a bottom edge of a portable electronic device and the latch is available to engage a top edge of the portable electronic device.

10. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , wherein the latch includes a primary latch and a secondary latch.

11. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , wherein the shelf is pivotally attached along a bottom edge to the backplate.

12. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , wherein the shelf is attached to the backplate through spaced arms attached near opposite ends of the bottom edge of the shelf, each of the arms having a predetermined length and curvature such that the arms retract into the seatback and are hidden when the shelf is in the stowed position and position the shelf apart from the upper seatback shroud when the shelf is in the deployed position.

13. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , further comprising a spring release mechanism associated with the shelf for rotating the shelf toward the deployed position when released from the latch, the spring mechanism including a release lever that engages at one end thereof with a spring release pivot mount mounted on a common shaft.

14. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 13 , wherein an end of the spring release pivot mount in contact with the end of the release lever is a sloped surface such that engagement with the sloped surface causes rotation due to stored spring force from a spring disposed between the release lever and the shaft, wherein the spring is wound as the shelf is moved toward the stowed position.

15. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , further comprising a torsion spring and washer clutch arranged to pre-load the shelf to impart rotational movement upon latch release, wherein the torsion spring is loaded as the shelf is moved toward the stowed position.

16. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , further comprising a USB port and an AC receptacle opening through a face of the upper seatback shroud, wherein the backplate includes spaced openings flanking the shelf for receiving the USB port and the AC receptacle therethrough.

17. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , further comprising vertically-oriented spaced springs attached at one end to the latch and at an opposing end to the backplate, the vertically-oriented spaced springs biasing the latch in a direction of the shelf.

18. The aircraft passenger seat according to claim 9 , further comprising a deployable tray table positioned below the shelf and spaced apart therefrom such that the shelf and the deployable tray table can be deployed and used at the same time.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Pozzi Alexander Nicholas
• Garing Francis Xavier L
• Henshaw Robert J
• Britton Adam
• Gianakopoulos Kosta

Classifications

• B64D11/00152 Primary

  Seat back fixtures for removable monitors, e.g. tablet computers · CPC title

• B64D11/0605

  including tables or desks · CPC title