Foamless tray table

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573506-B2
Application number	US-201414895195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Described are tray table assemblies that include an upper cover, a lower cover, and a support structure disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover. The support structure may include a plurality of upper protrusions extending toward an inner surface of the upper cover and a plurality of lower protrusions extending toward an inner surface of the lower cover such that the support structure provides structural rigidity to the tray table assembly. The plurality of upper protrusions may contact the inner surface of the upper cover, the plurality of lower protrusions may contact the inner surface of the lower cover, and the support structure may dissipate heat.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A tray table assembly comprising:
an upper cover;
a lower cover; and
a metallic support structure disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover, the metallic support structure comprising a plurality of upper protrusions extending toward an inner surface of the upper cover and a plurality of lower protrusions extending toward an inner surface of the lower cover, wherein:
the metallic support structure provides structural rigidity to the tray table assembly; and
each of the plurality of upper protrusions comprises at least one hole extending therethrough and each of the plurality of lower protrusions comprises at least one hole extending therethrough.

2. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of upper protrusions contact the inner surface of the upper cover;
the plurality of lower protrusions contact the inner surface of the lower cover; and
the metallic support structure dissipates heat.

3. The tray table assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of upper protrusions contact approximately half of the inner surface of the upper cover and the plurality of lower protrusions contact approximately half of the inner surface of the lower cover.

4. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole extending through the plurality of upper protrusions is oval shaped and the at least one hole extending through the plurality of lower protrusions is oval shaped.

5. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of upper protrusions and the plurality of lower protrusions extend parallel to each other along a first direction of the tray table assembly.

6. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the upper cover comprises an indentation.

7. The tray table assembly of claim 6 , wherein a portion of one or more of the plurality of upper protrusions are removed in an area corresponding to the indentation.

8. The tray table assembly of claim 1 , wherein the metallic support structure includes one or more upstanding tabs extending from one of the plurality of upper protrusions toward the plurality of lower protrusions.

9. A passenger seat comprising:
a tray table assembly comprising:
an upper cover;
a lower cover; and
a support structure disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover, the support structure comprising a plurality of upper protrusions extending toward an inner surface of the upper cover, a plurality of lower protrusions extending toward an inner surface of the lower cover, and a plurality of intermediate portions extending between pairs of upper and lower protrusions,
wherein the support structure provides structural rigidity to the tray table assembly; and
each of the plurality of intermediate portions comprises at least one hole extending therethrough, each of the plurality of upper protrusions comprises at least one hole extending therethrough, and each of the plurality of lower protrusions comprises at least one hole extending therethrough.

10. The passenger seat of claim 9 , wherein:
the plurality of upper protrusions contact the inner surface of the upper cover;
the plurality of lower protrusions contact the inner surface of the lower cover; and
the support structure is metallic and dissipates heat.

11. The passenger seat of claim 9 , wherein:
the at least one hole extending through the plurality of intermediate portions is oval shaped;
the at least one hole extending through the plurality of upper protrusions is oval shaped; and
the at least one hole extending through the plurality of lower protrusions is oval shaped.

12. The passenger seat of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of upper protrusions and the plurality of lower protrusions extend parallel to each other along a first direction of the tray table assembly.

13. A method of manufacturing a tray table assembly, the method comprising:
forming an upper cover;
forming a lower cover;
punching a flat component to form an outer shape of a metallic support structure with a plurality of holes therethrough;
pressing the metallic support structure to form a plurality of upper protrusions and a plurality of lower protrusions such that the plurality of holes extend through at least one of the plurality of upper protrusions or the plurality of lower protrusions; and
mounting the metallic support structure between the upper cover and the lower cover such that the plurality of upper protrusions extend toward the upper cover and the plurality of lower protrusions extend toward the lower cover,
wherein the metallic support structure provides structural rigidity to the tray table assembly.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the plurality of upper protrusions contact an inner surface of the upper cover;
the plurality of lower protrusions contact an inner surface of the lower cover; and
the metallic support structure dissipates heat.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of holes are oval shaped.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of upper protrusions and the plurality of lower protrusions extend parallel to each other along a first direction of the tray table assembly.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming an indentation in the upper cover.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising removing a portion of some of the plurality of upper protrusions of the metallic support structure in an area corresponding to the indentation.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metallic support structure includes one or more upstanding tabs extending from one of the plurality of upper protrusions toward the plurality of lower protrusions.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of upper protrusions attach to approximately half of an inner surface of the upper cover and the plurality of lower protrusions attach to approximately half of an inner surface of the lower cover.

Assignees

• Zodiac Seats Us Llc

Inventors

• Hernandez Juan
• Flores Raul Daniel

Classifications

• B61D33/0007

  Details; Accessories · CPC title

• B60N2/242

  Bus seats · CPC title

• Y02T50/46

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• A47B31/06

  adapted to the use in vehicles {(with a set of feet and a part resting on someone's lap A47B23/041; arrangements or adaptations of tables in vehicles B60N3/001)} · CPC title

• B32B2307/54

  Yield strength; Tensile strength · CPC title