Sliding tray table with storage compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10301028-B2
Application number	US-201715788516-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft tray table assembly includes a recessed storage compartment covered by a pivoting lid which becomes an integral part of the tray table surface upon closing. A mirror may be fixedly attached to the inside of the lid. A passenger may be provided a mirror surface by flipping open the pivoting lid when positioned in a passenger seat within an aircraft. A retractor may be configured to closing of the pivoting lid when a passenger manually translates the tray table into a stowed position, thereby avoiding contact of the deployed lid with aircraft fixture surfaces proximate the stowed position of the tray table.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-use tray table assembly for an aircraft, comprising:
a support rail configured to provide a path for horizontal translation of a tray table between a use position and a stowage position;
the tray table slideably engaged with the support rail, the tray table including
a body enclosure housing a storage compartment disposed within an upper surface of the body enclosure, the storage compartment comprising a plurality of compartment wells configured to receive personal effects of a passenger, and
an articulating panel coupled to the body enclosure by a hinge disposed along at least a portion of an edge of the body enclosure,
wherein an inner surface of the articulating panel, in a closed position, is configured to abut the upper surface of the body enclosure such that the upper surface of the articulating panel forms a substantially smooth table top for the multi-use tray table assembly, and
wherein the articulating panel, in an open position, is configured to provide the passenger access to the storage compartment, and wherein the articulating panel is in a substantially upright position such that the upper surface of the articulating panel is adjacent to a seatback of an adjacent seat forward of the passenger; and

a retractor disposed within the body enclosure, the retractor configured to cause articulation of the articulating panel from the open position to the closed position as the tray table is translated from the use position to the stowage position,
wherein the use position of the tray table assembly corresponds to a position in which the tray table is extended along the support rail toward the passenger while seated facing the tray table assembly; and
wherein translating from the use position to the stowage position comprises translating the tray table horizontally along the support rail.

2. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the edge of the body enclosure at which the hinge is disposed corresponds to a lateral edge of the body enclosure furthest from the passenger when seated facing the tray table assembly.

3. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the articulating panel is configured to be manually moved between the open and closed positions in response to a rotational force manually applied by the passenger.

4. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a finger lift cavity disposed along a portion of an edge of the body enclosure, the finger lift cavity configured to allow the passenger to place at least one fingertip beneath the articulating panel to assist with moving the articulating panel from the closed position to the open position.

5. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stowage position of the tray table assembly corresponds to a position in which the tray table assembly is retracted along the support rail away from the passenger while seated facing the tray table assembly.

6. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling device configured to couple the body enclosure to the support rail, the coupling device slideably engaged with the support rail to allow for horizontal translation of the body enclosure along the support rail.

7. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein a mirror is mounted to the inner surface of the articulating panel such that the mirror is viewable by the passenger when the articulating panel is in the open position.

8. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , further comprising one or more surface panels disposed along lateral edges of the articulating panel, the one or more surface panels and the articulating panel forming the substantially smooth table top for the tray table assembly.

9. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the storage compartment includes a holder for a personal electronic device (PED).

10. The tray table assembly of claim 9 , wherein the holder includes a detent configured to receive an edge of the PED such that a screen of the PED is viewable by the passenger while seated facing the tray table assembly.

11. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinge includes a drive arm extending below the upper surface of the body enclosure, the drive arm configured to transfer a closing force applied by the retractor to the hinge to cause articulation of the articulating panel from the open position to the closed position.

12. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the support rail includes a guide member configured to slideably engage a mating slideable member of the retractor such that horizontal translation of the guide member along the track mechanism from the use position to the stowage position causes actuation of the retractor.

13. The tray table assembly of claim 12 , wherein the retractor includes a plurality of pivoting arms, each of the plurality of pivoting arms hingedly attached to an adjacent pivoting arm at a pivot point such that each of the plurality of pivoting arms is configured to rotate about a respective pivot point in response to translation of the guide member along the track mechanism from the use position to the stowage position.

14. The tray table assembly of claim 13 , wherein the retractor includes an extension arm fixed at a first end to a first pivoting arm of the plurality of pivoting arms and at a second end to the guide member such that translation of the guide member along the track mechanism causes rotation of the first pivoting arm.

15. The tray table assembly of claim 14 , wherein the retractor includes a second pivoting arm of the plurality of pivoting arms linking the first pivoting arm to a cantilever member configured to cause articulation of the articulating panel from the open position to the closed position in response to horizontal translation of the guide member along the track mechanism from the use position to the stowage position.

16. The tray table assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first pivoting arm includes a travel limit aperture configured to limit an amount of rotation of the first pivoting arm based on a position of a travel limit member within the travel limit aperture.

Assignees

• Be Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Stephens Benjamin D
• Wilkey Robert D
• Henshaw Robert J
• Garing Francis Xavier L
• Pozzi Alexander Nicholas

Classifications

• B64D11/0638 Primary

  with foldable tables, trays or cup holders · CPC title

• B64D11/0636

  Personal storage means or waste disposal bags · CPC title

• B64D11/00152

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