Multi-place dining table for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11779106-B2
Application number	US-202117451143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2021
Priority date	Oct 19, 2020
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

Vehicles and multi-place dining tables for vehicles are provided. In one example, the vehicle includes a vehicle structure having a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a floor disposed therebetween. The vehicle structure at least partially surrounds an interior area that has an aisleway extending therethrough. A multi-place dining table is disposed in the interior area and includes a first table section that is disposed between the first sidewall and the aisleway. The first table section includes a first tabletop. A second table section is disposed between the second sidewall and the aisleway and includes a second tabletop. The second tabletop is movable between a stowed position where the first and second tabletops are spaced apart from each other by at least the aisleway and a deployed position where the second tabletop extends across the aisleway and is coupled to the first tabletop.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle structure having a first sidewall and a second sidewall that are spaced apart from each other, and a floor disposed therebetween, wherein the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the floor at least partially surround an interior area that has an aisleway; and
a multi-place dining table disposed in the interior area, the multi-place dining table comprising:
a first table section disposed between the first sidewall and the aisleway and including a first tabletop; and
a second table section disposed between the second sidewall and the aisleway and including a second tabletop, wherein the second tabletop is configured to move between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein when the second tabletop is in the stowed position, the first and second tabletops are spaced apart from each other by at least the aisleway, and wherein when the second tabletop is in the deployed position, the second tabletop extends across the aisleway and is coupled to the first tabletop.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first table section further includes a first support structure that extends upwardly from the floor and supports the first tabletop.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second table section further includes a second support structure that extends upwardly from the floor and supports the second tabletop.

4. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the second tabletop is movably coupled to the second support structure.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the second tabletop includes an intermediate tabletop subsection and a tabletop base that that is disposed under and supports the intermediate tabletop subsection.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the intermediate tabletop subsection is movably coupled to the tabletop base, wherein when the second tabletop is in the stowed position, the intermediate tabletop subsection overlies and covers the tabletop base, and wherein when the second tabletop is in the deployed position, the second tabletop extends across the aisleway and is coupled to the first tabletop and at least a portion of the tabletop base is exposed that is proximate to and/or overlying the second support structure.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the second tabletop is configured to move from the stowed position to the deployed position by rotating the second tabletop including rotating the intermediate tabletop subsection with the tabletop base, and translating the intermediate tabletop subsection relative to the tabletop base across the aisleway towards the first tabletop.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the second tabletop is configured to be rotated about 180°.

9. The vehicle of claim 6 , further comprising a third table section that includes a leaf that is stored vertically in a retracted leaf position adjacent to the second sidewall proximate to the second table section, wherein the leaf is movable between the retracted leaf position and a deployed leaf position, wherein when the second tabletop is in the deployed position and the leaf is in the deployed leaf position, the leaf is disposed horizontally with an end portion supported by the tabletop base and is coupled to the intermediate tabletop subsection.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the third table section includes a linkage that is coupled to the leaf and is configured to guide movement of the leaf between the retracted leaf position and the deployed leaf position.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the linkage is configured as a cam-track arrangement.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the second tabletop further includes at least one leaf that is hingedly coupled to the intermediate tabletop subsection to move from a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the at least one leaf in the retracted position overlies the intermediate tabletop subsection and in the extended position extends horizontally outward from the intermediate tabletop subsection.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein when the second tabletop is in the deployed position, the at least one leaf is in the extended position and is coupled to the first tabletop.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein when the second tabletop is in the deployed position and the leaf of the third table section is in the deployed leaf position, the leaf of the third table section is coupled to the at least one leaf of the second tabletop.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein when the second tabletop is in the stowed position, the at least one leaf is in one of the retracted position and the extended position and is spaced apart from the first tabletop by at least the aisleway.

16. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first table section is a four place table.

17. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second table section is a two place table.

18. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the multi-placed dining table is a six place dining table.

19. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

20. A multi-place dining table for a vehicle that includes a vehicle structure having a first sidewall and a second sidewall that are spaced apart from each other and a floor disposed therebetween, wherein the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the floor at least partially surround an interior area that has an aisleway, the multi-place dining table comprising:
a first table section configured to be disposed between the first sidewall and the aisleway, and wherein the first table section includes a first tabletop; and
a second table section configured to be disposed between the second sidewall and the aisleway, wherein the second table section includes a second tabletop, wherein the second tabletop is configured to move between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein when the second tabletop is in the stowed position, the first and second tabletops are spaced apart from each other by at least the aisleway, and wherein when the second tabletop is in the deployed position, the second tabletop extends across the aisleway and is coupled to the first tabletop.

Assignees

• Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

Inventors

• O'Hara Timothy
• Guthrie Joe
• Dixon Matthew

Classifications

• A47B5/006 Primary

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

• A47B5/04

  foldable · CPC title

• A47B5/06

  with legs for supporting the table on the floor {(tables combined with cabinets A47B83/045)} · CPC title

• B64D11/0605 Primary

  including tables or desks · CPC title

• B64D11/0638

  with foldable tables, trays or cup holders · CPC title