GB2113536A - An arm mounted on a chair or seat - Google Patents

Abstract

One arm 16 of a chair or seat comprises a base portion 20 fixed to the body of the seat, a central panel portion 26 coupled to the base portion 20 at the front end of the arm by hinge means 28, so as to be movable between a stowed position in which it lies adjacent to the top of the base portion 20 and a deployed position in which it extends at least partially across the front of the seat. A pair of flaps 30 are hinged to the central panel portion 26 so as to have their top surfaces coplaner with the top surface of the central panel portion 26 when the latter is in its deployed position, and to hang substantially perpendicular to said surface of the central panel portion 26 when the latter is in its stowed position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An arm mounted on a chair or seat This invention relates to chairs or seats of the kind in which an arm thereof includes an attachment which serves as a table or writing surface for an occupant of the seat.

According to the invention, a chair or seat has one arm thereof comprising a base portion fixed to the body of the seat, a central panel portion coupled to the base portion at the front end of the arm by hinge means so as to be movable between a first position in which it lies adjacent to the top of the base portion and a second position in which it extends at least partly across the front of the seat, and a pair of flaps each hinged to the central panel portion so as to have their top surfaces coplanar with the top surface of the central panel portion when the latter is in its second position and to hang substantially perpendicular to said surface of the central panel portion when the latter is in its first position.

References herein to the front of the seat are to the side from which it is approached by an occupant.

In one form of the invention, the central panel portion, when in its first position, lies along the top of the base portion with one flap hanging on each side thereof. In another form of the invention the central panel portion lies to one side of the base portion, with both flaps hanging on said one side thereof.

In order to increase the extent to which the central panel portion extends across the front of the seat when in its second position without unduly increasing the extent to which its free end projects towards the seat occupant's upper torso while being moved between its first and second positions, the hinge means may comprise a first substantially vertical hinge pin connecting one end of a link two the front end of the base portion so that the link projects forwardly when the central panel portion is in its first position and towards the other arm of the seat when the central panel portion is in its second position and a second substantially horizontal hinge pin connecting the free end of such link to the central panel portion.The second hinge pin may extend perpendicular to the link in which case the latter moves through 90 as the central panel portion moves from its first to its second position. Alternatively, the second pivot pin may be oriented at an oblique angle to the link, in which case the link pivots through less than 90 .

Alternatively, the hinge means may have a single hinge axis bisecting the angle between the longitudinal axis of the central panel portion in its first position and in its second position, the hinge axis being tiltable relative to the top surface of the base portion. Preferably, hinge means includes camming means operative to tilt the hinge axis as the central panel portion moves between its first and second positions.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa plan view of a chair having an arm rest in accordance with the invention with the panel portion in its first position, Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view of the chair shown in Figure 1, Figures 3 and 4 are plan and side views corresponding to Figures 1 and 2 respectively but with the panel portion in its second PoSition1 Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 3, Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of the invention showing the panel portion in its second end position, and with one of the flaps partially broken away to show the hinges, Figure 8 is a plan view of two arm rests for a chair, such as an aircraft seat in accordance with the invention showing the central panel portion in its second position.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the left hand arm rest shown in Figure 8 with the central panel portion in its first position, Figure 10 is a side view of the arm rest shown in Figure 9, Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 10-10.

Figure 12 is a plan view of a chair having an arm rest in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, with the panel portion in its first position.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary side view of the chair shown in Figure 12, Figures 14 and 15 are plan and side views, corresponding to Figures 12 and 23 respectively but with the panel portion in its second position.

Figure 16 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale showing the hinge with the panel portion at the position shown in Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 17-17 in Figure 14 but showing the panel portion in an intermediate position between its two end positions, and Figure 18 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale showing the hinge with the panel portion at the position shown in Figure 12.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a chair 10 has a seat base 12, a seat back 14 and two arms 16 and 18. The arm 16 has a base portion 20 with a link 22 connected to its front end by a substantially vertical hinge 24. A central panel portion 26 of a table is connected at one end to the free end of the link 22 by a substantially horizontal hinge 28. As can best be seen in Figures 3 and 4, the central panel portion 26 has flaps 30 and 32 hinged along each side.

When the table is to be stowed the link 22 is positioned in line with the base portion 20 of the arm rest and the central panel portion 26 is positioned to lie along the top of the base portion 20 of the link 22 with the flaps 30 and 32 hanging down one on each side as shown in Figures 1 and 2. When the table is to be deployed, the central panel portion 26 is pivoted at the hinge 28 to a substantially vertical position. The link 22 is then pivoted through approximately 90 about the hinge 24 and the central panel portion 26 is further pivoted about the hinge 28 so that its free end rests on the front end of the other arm rest 18, the flaps 30 and 32 falling to a position coplanar with what has become the top of the central panel portion 26.As can be seen from Figure 5, the link 22 slopes upwardly towards the table at the same angle as the top of the base portion 20 (see Figure 4).

Movement of the table shown in Figures 1 to 5 between its stowed and its deployed positions can sometimes be a little awkward because it is difficult to transmit the required pivotal movement (about the hinge 24) to the projection 22 by holding the central panel portion 26 when the latter is substantially vertical. A modified embodiment of the invention not subject to this disadvantage is illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. In this embodiment of the invention, the link 22 is replaced by a link 40 which overlies the front end of the base portion 20 of the arm rest and is connected thereto by a hinge 42 which is inclined so that its upper end is in front of its lower end. The central panel portion 26 is connected to the free end of this link by a substantially horizontal hinge 44 which is inclined at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the link 40.When the table is deployed, the link 40 takes up an acute angle to the base portion 20 of the arm rest such that the axis of the hinge 44 bisects an angle between the longitudinal axis of the link 40 and the longitudinal axis of the central panel portion 26. With this embodiment, pivotal movement of the link 40 about the hinge 42 tends to take place when the central panel portion is less than 90 from its deployed position.

Both of the above described embodiments are suitable for use as arm-stowed tables for aircraft seats but both complicate the provision of a smoker's ash box and of controls for a seat reclining mechanism and inflight entertainment facilities. A further embodiment of the invention which is not subject to these disadvantages is illustrated in Figures 8 to 11.

Figure 8 shows two arms of the right hand end seat of a block of aircraft seats, the arm rests being spaced apart in their normal position of use but the rest of the seat is omitted. The right hand arm 50 is of conventional design and would be located at the end of a block of seats.

The left hand arm which is also illustrated in Figures 9 to 11 has a base portion 52 with a recess 54 formed in the side facing the armrest 50 and the upper surface of its front end cut away to accommodate a pivot link 56. The link 56 is attached to the base portion 52, at its rear corner adjacent to the recess 54, by a vertical hinge 58. The link 56 has a hook-like formation on its front end which, when the table is stowed, is aligned with the recess 54 and which carries a substantially horizontal hinge 60 oriented at an oblique angle similar to that of the hinge 54 of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. The hinge 60 is connected to the central panel portion 62 of the table.Flaps 64 and 66 are hinged to the sides of the central panel portion 62, the flap 66 which is nearer to the seat occupant being smaller than the panel 64, thereby reducing the length of the arm rest necessarvto provide a given clearance between the rear edge of the table and the seat back.

The deployed position of the table is generally similar to that of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. However, when the table is stowed, both panels 64 and 66 are disposed in the recess 54 and the central panel portion 62 is disposed to one side of the top of the base portion 52 and the link 56.

Thus, even when the table is stowed, an ash box 68 in the top surface of the link 56, a seat recline button 70 and an inflight entertainment control panel 72 (Figure 10) are all still accessible. The ash box 68 is intended for use by the user of the table while the seat recline button 70 and the inflight entertainment control panel 72 are for the occupant of the next adjacent seat on the left hand side, corresponding facilities for the user of the table being provided in the arm 50. Other arms for the block are the same as the arm 52 except that the controls 70 and 72 are omitted from the left hand end arm.

If the separate horizontal and vertical hinges at each of the links 22,40,56 of the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 11 are replaced by a single hinge with its axis bisecting the angle between the longitudinal axis of the central panel portion in its first position and such axis in its second position, the outer end of the central panel portion usually hits the upper torso of an occupant of the seat. One way of overcoming this problem while using a single hinge is to allow the hinge axis to tilt. Figures 12 to 18 illustrate an embodiment in which the hinge axis is constrained, and not merely allowed, to tilt when the central panel portion is in an intermediate position between its first and second positions.

Referring particularlyto Figures 12 to 15, a chair 110 has a seat base 112, a seat back 114 and two arms 116 and 118. The arm 116 has a base portion 120, the front end of which comprises a raised area 122 which is triangular in plan view with two adjacent sides extending along the front edge and the inner side edge of the arm. A hinge 124 is mounted immediately behind the triangular area 122 with its hinge pin 26 generally parallel to the hypotenuse thereof. The hinge 124 is coupled to a central panel portion 128 which, in Figure 12, lies along the top of the base portion 120 of the arm 116 and has a padded top 130 so as to make the arm 116 substantially similar to the arm 118, as can best be seen from Figures 12 and 13.

The panel portion 128 is pivotable from the position shown in Figures 12 and 13 to the position shown in Figures 14 and 15 in which its inner end, adjacent to the hinge 124, rests on the top of the triangular area 122 from which it projects horizontally across the seat substantially parallel to the front edge ofthe seat portion 112. Flaps 132 and 134 are connected by hinges to opposite sides of the panel portion 128. When the panel portion 128 is in the position shown in Figures 14 and 15, the flap portions 132 and 134 project horizontally so as to form, with the panel portions 128, a table or writing surface for use by an occupant of the chair 110.

When the panel portion 128 is in the position shown in Figures 12 and 13, the flaps 132 and 134 hang down vertically, one on each side of the base portion 120 of the arm 116.

Turning to Figures 16 to 18, the hinge pin 126, which is rigidly coupled to the panel portion 128, has two coaxial end sections 136 and 138 and a central offset section 140 which is parallel to the end sections 136 and 138. The end section 136 is a loose fit in a hole 142 in a member 144 which is rididly attached to the base portion 120 of the arm 116. The offset section 140 is received in a horizontal slot 146 in an upstanding member 148 also rigidly attached to the base portion 120. The end section 138 is received in a vertical slot 150 in an upstanding member 152 which, once again, is rigidly attached to the static portion 120.

When the panel portion 128 is in its end position in which its projects across the front of the seat 110, the offset central section 140 of the hinge pin 126 is at the end of the slot 146 nearer to the triangular area 122 which serves as a fulcrum so that the end section 138 of the hinge pin 126 is pressed firmly against the top of the slot 138, as shown in Figure 16. When the panel portion 128 is pivoted to an intermediate position, as shown in Figure 17, the engagement of the offset central section 140 of the hinge pin 126 with the top edge of the slot 146 causes the end section 138 of the hinge pin 126 to be forced down towards the bottom of the slot 150. Thus the overall orientation of the hinge axis is now inclined downwardly instead of being horizontal, with the result that the panel portion 128 is further away from the body of a seat occupant than would have been the case had the hinge 124 been of conventional form with a straight hinge pin.

When the panel portion 128 completes its movement to its other end position, as shown in Figure 12, the hinge pin 126 is in the position shown in Figure 18, with its end section 138 at the top of the slot 50 and its offset section 140 at the end of the slot 50 and its offset section 140 at the end of the slot 146 further from the triangular area 122.

The embodiment shown in Figures 12 to 18 can be modified so that both panels 132 and 134 hang on the same side of the base portion 120 by repositioning the hinge 124 closer to the other arm 118.

Claims (8)

1. A chair or seat having one arm thereof comprising a base portion fixed to the body of the seat, a central panel portion coupled to the base portion at the front end of the arm by hinge means, so as to be movable between a first position in which it lies adjacent to the top of the base portion and a second position in which it extends at least partially across the front of the seat and a pair of flaps, each hinged to the central panel portion so as to have their top surfaces coplanar with the top surface of the central panel portion when the latter is in its deployed position, and to hand substantially perpendicular to said surface of the central panel portion when the latter is in its first position.

2. A chair ortable according to claim 1 wherein the central panel portion when in its first position, lies along the top of the base portion with one flap hanging on each side thereof.

3. A chair or seat according to claim 1, wherein the central panel portion when in its first position lies to one side of the base portion with both flaps hanging on said one side thereof.

4. A chair or seat according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the hinge means comprises a first substan tiallyvertical hinge pin connecting one end of a link to the front end of the base portion so that the link projects forwardly when the central panel portion is in its first position and towards the other arm of the seat when the central panel portion is in its second position, and a second substantially horizontal hinge pin connecting the free end of such link to the central panel portion.

5. A chair or seat according to claim 4, wherein the second hinge pin is perpendicular to the link.

6. A chair or seat according to claim 5 wherein the second pivot pin is oriented at an oblique angle to the link.

7. A chair or seat according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the hinge means has a single hinge axis bisecting the angle between the longitudinal axis of the central panel portion in its first position and in its second position, the hinge axis being tiltable relative to the top surface of the base portion.

8. A chair or seat according to claim 8, wherein the hinge means includes camming means operative to tilt the hinge axis as the central panel portion moves between its first and second postions.