The field of the present invention relates to tray tables, such as tray tables which may extend out over a bed for use as an in-bed table and may retract when not being used.
Tray tables for use in the bed are common, and for people who choose or need to eat, read, or work in bed, having a bedside tray table that extends out over the bed when needed and stows out of the way is an indispensable convenience. Such stowable tray tables are known in the art, however they often are attached to limitations that turn their use into a frustrating convenience. For example, some stowable tray tables have too many degrees of freedom, such as is seen in the tray table disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,220,578, as all the degrees of freedom make the tray table too easily bumped out of the position in which it is set. Others have more limited degrees of freedom, but some of those degrees of freedom are not easy to use for a person who is lying in the bed and needs to adjust the position of the bed tray, such as the tray table disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,122.
For a person who is lying in bed, having a tray table with limited degrees of freedom is acceptable when the degrees of freedom provided make the tray table easy to use for a person lying in the bed and at the same time provide a sufficiently stable platform which may be used and not too easily bumped out of position. It is therefore desirable that a stowable tray table for use in the bed meet a balance between usability and stability. At the same time, another desirable feature for some stowable tray tables is that they can be stowed entirely out of sight when not in use.
The present invention is directed toward a tray table apparatus which includes a tray table which is movable between a stowed position to a deployed position. When not in use, the tray table may be stowed out of the way in the stowed position. The stowable tray table is made to be particularly easy to use by a person lying in a bed. When in use, the tray table provides adjustment mechanisms by which a person may easily adjust at least two degrees of freedom: the height of the tray table above another surface, such as a bed, and the lateral position of the tray table between, such as between the head and foot of a bed.
In a first separate aspect of the present invention, a tray table apparatus includes: a tray table; and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table, the tray table and the tray table support assembly configured to transition between a stowed position and a deployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a support shelf; a support arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis and a second end, the tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm so as to be pivotable about a tray table pivot axis; and an adjustable pivot stop positioned to limit pivot movement of the support arm about the first pivot axis in the deployed position, such that a selected adjustment position of the adjustable pivot stop determines an angle of inclination formed between the support arm and the support shelf.
In a second separate aspect of the present invention, a tray table apparatus includes: a tray table; and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table, the tray table and the tray table support assembly configured to transition between a stowed position and a deployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a support shelf; and a support arm, the support arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis and a second end, the tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm so as to be pivotable about a tray table pivot axis and translatable, relative to the support arm, in a direction parallel to the tray table pivot axis.
In a third separate aspect of the present invention, a tray table apparatus includes: a tray table having a first end and a second end; and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table, the tray table and the tray table support assembly being configured to transition between a stowed position and a deployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a support shelf; a support arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis and a second end, the first end of the tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm so as to be pivotable about a tray table pivot axis; and a support leg pivotably coupled to the tray table adjacent the second end of the tray table, the support leg configured to be adjustable in length.
In a fourth separate aspect of the present invention, a tray table apparatus includes: a support structure; a tray table; and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table and mounted to the support structure, the tray table and the tray table support assembly configured to transition between a stowed position and a deployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a support shelf having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; and a support arm having a first end and a second end, the tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm so as to be pivotable about a tray table pivot axis. The support arm is alterable between: (1) a first state in which the first end of the support arm is pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis between a first folded position in which the support arm lies atop the support shelf and a first unfolded position in which the support arm extends in a first inclined orientation such that the second end of the support arm is located laterally beyond the first edge of the support shelf; and (2) a second state in which the first end of the support arm is pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis between a second folded position in which the support arm lies atop the support shelf and a second unfolded position in which the support arm extends in a second inclined orientation such that the second end of the support arm is located laterally beyond the second edge of the support shelf.
In a fifth separate embodiment of the present invention, a tray table apparatus includes: a tray table having a first end and a second end; a telescoping leg pivotably affixed adjacent the second end of the tray table; a handle affixed to the second end of the tray table; and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table, the tray table and the tray table support assembly configured to transition between a stowed position and a deployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a support shelf having a lateral centerline, a first pivot axis, and a second pivot axis, with the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis being symmetrical to each other with respect to the lateral centerline; a support arm including at least one first pivot member pivotably coupled to the support shelf along one of the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis, and a second pivot member pivotably coupled adjacent to the first end of the tray table; an adjustable pivot stop positioned to limit pivot movement of the support arm with respect to the support shelf in the deployed position, such that an adjustment position of the adjustable pivot stop determines a height of the tray table in the deployed position; a pivot block pivotably coupling the second pivot member of the support arm to the tray table, wherein the pivot block is configured to be slidable along a longitudinal axis of the second pivot member; and a support leg pivotably coupled to the tray table adjacent the second end, the support leg being configured to be adjustable in length.
Accordingly, an improved tray table apparatus having a stowable tray table is disclosed. Advantages of the improvements will be apparent from the drawings and the description of the preferred embodiment.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the following figures:
The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “left,” “right,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such preferred embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combinations of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
As used herein, the term “night table” refers to any furniture that may be placed and/or used next to a bed. By way of example, a night table may be a free-standing piece of furniture having one or more storage compartments, such as a chest of drawers, or it may be a piece of furniture that is built-in to a wall or another piece of furniture, such as a bed or headboard. In addition, Those of skill in the art will recognize that the terms “night table,” “nightstand,” and “bedside table” are all used within the industry as standard descriptive names for the same type of furniture.
Turning in detail to the drawings,
The tray table apparatus 10 includes a tray table support assembly 21 which is coupled to and provides support for the tray table 13. The tray table apparatus 10 transitions between the deployed position and a stowed position as illustrated in
The lower storage compartment 19 of the night stand 11 is shown as two drawers in
As shown in
The tray table support assembly 21 includes a support shelf 29 which is coupled to the internal frame 31 of the night table 11 by drawer slides 33. The drawer slides 33 enable the stowed tray table apparatus 10 to slide out of the upper storage compartment 17 in the direction shown by arrows 35. In certain embodiments, the drawer slides 33 may be any appropriate type of mechanism which enables the tray table apparatus 10 to slide out from the upper storage compartment 17. The tray table apparatus 10 is shown in
More particularly, on the drawer slides 33, the support shelf 29 translates, relative to the night stand 11, between a refracted position, in which the tray table support assembly 21 is in the stowed position within the upper storage compartment 17, and an extended position, in which the tray table support assembly 21 is in an intermediate position, before transitioning to the deployed position. During translation of the support shelf 29 from the extended position to the retracted position, and vice versa, the support shelf 29 travels in a plane of motion which is parallel to the pivot axes PA1, PA2, shown in
The tray table apparatus 10 is shown in the deployed position in
In the embodiment shown, the pivot members 41 form sides of the support arm 39, and each pivot member 41 is positioned orthogonal to the pivot axis PA2. In certain embodiments, the support arm 39 may include at least one pivot member, and the at least one pivot member may be positioned at any angle to the pivot axis PA so as to allow the pivot motion when the tray table apparatus 10 transitions from the stowed position to the deployed position and vice versa.
With the pivot members 41 pivotably affixed to the pivot blocks 37, the support arm 39 is able to pivot with respect to the support shelf 29 for transitioning the tray table apparatus 10 between the intermediate position and the deployed position. As is discussed in greater detail below, the support arm 39 is also pivotably coupled to the tray table 13, so that when the support arm 39 moves during the transition between the intermediate position and the deployed position (as shown by arrow 45), the tray table 13 simultaneously can be pivoted with respect to the support arm 39. The tray table support assembly 21 also includes support blocks 47 secured into threaded receptacles (shown as threaded receptacles 44 in
The threaded receptacles used to secure the base plate 36 to the support shelf 29 and the threaded receptacles used to secure the support blocks 47 to the support shelf 29 are symmetrically located about a lateral centerline CL1 and a longitudinal centerline CL2 of the support shelf 29. Symmetric placement of the respective threaded receptacles, along with the threaded knobs 38 used to secure the base plate 36 to the support shelf 29 allows the base plate 36 to be secured to either side of the support shelf 29. This configuration also permits the user to easily and quickly reconfigure the tray table apparatus 10 to be used in a deployed position with the tray table 13 extended out on either side of the tray table support assembly 21 (as is shown in
With the support blocks 47 in place, when the tray table apparatus 10 is in the stowed position or in the intermediate position, the tray table 13 and the support shelf 29, and the support arm 39 are positioned in a plurality of parallel planes, with a first plane defined by the tray table 13, a second plane defined by the support shelf 29, and a third plane defined by the support arm 39. In certain embodiments, the support blocks 47 may include resilient caps 48 to aid in reducing wear and tear on the underside of the tray table 13 when the tray table apparatus 10 is in the stowed position or in the intermediate position.
The tray table support assembly 21 also includes a pivot stop 49, as is shown in
The bottom surface 61 of the tray table 13 is shown in
A support leg 85 is mounted adjacent and pivotably coupled to the bottom surface 61 adjacent the second end 87 of the tray table 13. A leg clip 89 is also mounted to the bottom surface 61 of the tray table 13. The support leg 85 is pivotable from a position parallel with the bottom surface 61 of the tray table 13 to a position that is orthogonal to the bottom surface 61. In the parallel position, the leg clip 89 engages the support leg 85 and secures support leg 85 to the bottom surface 61 of the tray table 13. In order to transition the tray table apparatus 10 into the stowed position from the deployed position, the support leg 85 is engaged with the leg clip 89 in the parallel position. When the tray table apparatus 10 is in the deployed position, the support leg 85 may be pivoted to the orthogonal position so that the support leg 85 can rest on the bed to provide additional stability and support to the tray table 13.
As shown in
A handle 101 is affixed to the second end 87 of the tray table 13, as is shown in
It will be appreciated that the tray table apparatus 10 may be coupled to any support structure other than a night stand or furniture. For example, in certain embodiments, the tray table apparatus 10 may be coupled to a cart with wheels to provide a deployable tray table that may be used in any convenient circumstances. It will also be appreciated that the tray table apparatus 10 may be used in other circumstances which are not adjacent a bed. In addition, in certain embodiments the tray table apparatus 10 may be coupled to a support structure which may or may not include a storage compartment for stowing the tray table apparatus 10. In such embodiments without a storage compartment, the stowed position and the intermediate position of the tray table apparatus 10 may be one and the same position. In certain embodiments, such as one in which a storage compartment which opens from above the tray table apparatus 10, instead of opening from on the side, is used for the stowing the tray table apparatus 10, the tray table apparatus 10 may have no intermediate position, instead transitioning directly from the stowed position to the deployed position. In most embodiments, the ability to quickly and easily symmetrically reconfigure the deployed position of the tray table support assembly is anticipated to provide a versatility that is heretofore not seen in the prior art.
Described another way, as part of the reconfiguration, the support arm 39 is alterable between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the first end 40 of the support arm 39 is pivotably coupled to the support shelf 21 so as to be pivotable about a the pivot axis PA2 between a first folded position and a first unfolded position in which the support arm 39 extends in a first inclined orientation such that the second end 66 of the support arm 39 is located laterally beyond the first edge 96 of the support shelf 29. In the second state, the first end 40 of the support arm 39 is pivotably coupled to the support shelf 21 so as to be pivotable about a the pivot axis PA1 between a second folded position and a second unfolded position in which the support arm 39 extends in a second inclined orientation such that the second end 66 of the support arm 39 is located laterally beyond the second edge 98 of the support shelf. Comparing the first state and the second state of the support arm 39, the first folded state of the support arm 39 is symmetrical about the lateral centerline CL1 of the support shelf 29 with the second folded state of the support arm 39. Similarly, the first extended position of the support arm 39 is symmetrical about the lateral centerline CL1 of the support shelf 29 with the second extended position of the support arm 39.
A second embodiment of a tray table apparatus 110, again shown in context coupled to a night table 111, is illustrated in
The tray table support assembly 119 also includes a pivot stop 133 which is affixed to the pivot member 131 of the support arm 127, as is shown in
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/026,062, filed Jul. 18, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20160015170 A1 | Jan 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62026062 | Jul 2014 | US |