Retractable table

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11110841-B2
Application number	US-202016855852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2019
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

A retractable table may include a table body wound around the retraction mechanism in the housing when accommodated and drawn out and unfolded to the outside of the housing through the accommodation hole when drawn out, and a support mechanism provided at a side end portion of the table body, including a plurality of pieces, each of which is folded to overlap the table body or unfolded from the table body, and including magnetic bodies provided on the pieces to provide rigidity such that, when the table body is deployed, the pieces are connected to each other through the magnetic bodies to maintain the deployed state of the table body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A retractable table, comprising:
a housing, wherein a retraction mechanism is mounted in the housing and wherein the housing includes an accommodation hole formed in a lateral direction of the housing;
a table body engaged to and selectively woundable around the retraction mechanism through the accommodation hole of the housing, wherein the table body is wound around the retraction mechanism in the housing when accommodated in the housing and drawn out and unfolded to an outside of the housing through the accommodation hole when drawn out of the housing; and
a support mechanism mounted at a side end portion of the table body,
wherein the support mechanism includes:
a plurality of pieces, each of which is selectively foldable to the table body so that the plurality of pieces is folded to overlap the table body or unfolded from the table body, and
magnetic bodies mounted on the plurality of pieces so that the plurality of pieces is connected to each other through the magnetic bodies,
wherein, when the table body is deployed, the plurality of pieces and the magnetic bodies maintain a deployed state of the table body while the plurality of pieces is connected to each other through the magnetic bodies.

2. The retractable table of claim 1 ,
wherein the table body includes a plurality of blades continuously connected to each other, and
wherein the plurality of blades is flexibly connected to each other to be folded or unfolded so that, when the table body is accommodated in the housing, the plurality of blades is wound and accommodated by the retraction mechanism.

3. The retractable table of claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism is mounted at each of first and second side end portions of the table body.

4. The retractable table of claim 1 ,
wherein the table body includes a plurality of blades continuously connected to each other, and
wherein the plurality of blades is flexibly connected to each other to be folded or unfolded, and the plurality of pieces is configured to be connected to correspond to a side end portion of the plurality of blades.

5. The retractable table of claim 1 ,
wherein an upper end portion of each of the plurality of pieces is pivotably connected to the side end portion of the table body such that the plurality of pieces is pivoted with respect to the side end portion of the table body when the table body is accommodated in or drawn out of the housing.

6. The retractable table of claim 5 , wherein when the table body is accommodated in the housing, the plurality of pieces is configured to be brought into contact with a lower surface of the table body, and when the table body is drawn out of the housing, the plurality of pieces is configured to be pivoted downward from the lower surface of the table body to form an angle intersecting with the table body.

7. The retractable table of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic bodies are mounted at side end portions of the plurality of pieces, and when the table body is drawn out of the housing, side end portions of adjacent pieces among the plurality of pieces are fixed to each other due to a magnetic force.

8. The retractable table of claim 7 ,
wherein the magnetic bodies are mounted to protrude from a first side end portion of the plurality of pieces and an insertion groove is formed on a second side end portion thereof, and
wherein a protruding portion of the magnetic bodies is configured to be inserted into the insertion groove and the plurality of pieces is coupled to each other due to a magnetic force of the magnetic bodies.

9. The retractable table of claim 1 ,
wherein the housing includes the accommodation hole formed in a shape corresponding to a cross section of the table body, and
wherein the accommodation hole includes a main hole portion extending in a width direction and a piece hole portion which extends from a side end portion of the main hole portion and in which the plurality of pieces of the support mechanism is configured to be accommodated in the piece hole portion.

10. The retractable table of claim 9 , wherein a guide protrusion is formed in the housing toward the piece hole portion, and when the table body is accommodated in the housing, each of the plurality of pieces of the support mechanism sequentially collides with the guide protrusion, is then guided to a lower surface of the table body, and is sequentially folded to the lower surface of the table body.

11. The retractable table of claim 10 , wherein an external surface of the guide protrusion facing the piece hole portion includes an inclined surface or a curved surface and is raised as an edge portion of a lower end portion of the plurality of pieces inserting into the piece hole portion is brought into contact with the external surface of the guide protrusion so that the plurality of pieces is configured to be pivoted and guided to be folded to the lower surface of the table body.

12. The retractable table of claim 1 , wherein the housing is an armrest of a seat.

13. The retractable table of claim 12 , wherein the housing is connected to the seat through a support and slides on the support in a predetermined direction thereof.

14. The retractable table of claim 13 , wherein an upper end portion of the support is hinged to the housing and a lower end portion of the support is hinged to the seat so that the housing is configured to ascend or descend according to pivoting of the support.

15. The retractable table of claim 12 , wherein the seat is a vehicle seat mounted in an interior of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Cha Dong Eun
• Hwang Jin Ho
• Lee Sang Heon

Classifications

• B60N2/79

  Adaptations for additional use of the arm-rests · CPC title

• B60N3/002 Primary

  of trays · CPC title

• A47B13/088

  Sectional table tops · CPC title

• B60N3/001 Primary

  of tables or trays · CPC title

• A47B3/00

  Folding or stowable tables (folded and suspended or hinged, or wall tables A47B5/04) · CPC title