Folding table for fitting to the rear side of the back of a seat in a motor-coach or an aircraft

A folding table for fitting to a rear side of a back of a seat in a motor-coach or an aircraft has a folding table element, pivotal articulation means formed so that the folding table element is pivotable back and forth between an out-of-use position in which the folding table element lyes substantially flat against a rear side of a back of a seat and an in-use position in which the folding table element projects approximately horizontally from the rear side of the back of the seat, a holder provided for holding a drink container and movably connected to the holding table element, a guide connecting the holder with the holding table element so that the holder, when the folding table element is in the in-use position is movable back and forth between an out-of-use position in which the holder is stowed in the holding table element, and an in-use position in which a drink container can be placed into the holder.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention relates to a folding table for fitting to the rear
 side of the back of a seat in a motor-coach or an aircraft.
 Folding tables of that type are known per se. They are arranged on the rear
 side of the back of a seat by means of a pivotal articulation. The known
 folding tables can be pivoted from an out-of-use position, in which they
 lie substantially flat against the rear side of the seat back, into an
 in-use position, in which they project approximately horizontally from the
 rear side of the seat back, and vice versa. It is also known to construct
 such a folding table with a recess, for example a circular recess, into
 which a drink container, such as a drink can, a cup or a breaker, can be
 placed. The recess stops the drink container placed therein from slipping,
 but does not prevent container from falling over.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to develop a folding
 table for fitting to the rear side of the back of a seat in a motor-coach
 or an aircraft, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
 It is another object of present invention to provide a folding table of
 this type which is formed so that it stops a drink container placed
 therein from falling over.
 The folding table according to the invention has a holder which is movably
 connected to the folding table by way of a guide. In an out-of-use
 position, the holder is stowed in the folding table so that the holder
 does not project from the folding table, as a result of which the entire
 surface of the folding table can be used and the holder does not hinder
 pivoting of the folding table into the out-of-use position. When the
 folding table is in the in-use position, the holder can be moved out of
 the folding table so that a drink container can be placed into the holder.
 The folding table according to the invention has the advantage that its
 holder for a drinks container does not occupy any additional space in the
 out-of-use position and, in the in-use position, stops a drink container
 placed therein from falling over.
 In an embodiment of the invention, a sliding guide is provided, by means of
 which the holder is fastened to the folding table. By means of the sliding
 guide, the holder can be pulled out of the folding table at one side and,
 when not in use, can be pushed back into the folding table again. This
 embodiment of the invention has the advantage that the holder in its
 in-use position occupies no space on the folding table, so that the entire
 surface of the folding table is available, for example, for food, and a
 drink container can additionally be placed in the holder pulled out at the
 side.
 In an embodiment of the invention, a pivotal articulation is provided on
 the folding tables as the guide for the holder. In this embodiment of the
 invention, the holder can be pivoted upwards from the folding table
 through a limited pivoting angle. In the in-use position, the holder is
 located above the folding table, so that it stops a drink container placed
 therein, which is standing on the folding table, from falling over. This
 embodiment of the invention has the advantage that a drink container
 placed in the holder does not project downwards beneath the folding table.
 The drinks container is, therefore, out of the way of a passenger's legs
 and knees. Furthermore, this embodiment of the invention prevents the
 passenger from accidentally pushing the drinks container upwards out of
 the holder with his knee.
 In a further development of the invention, the guide for the holder on the
 folding table is in such a form that the holder can be brought into its
 in-use position when the folding table is in the out-of-use position. This
 has the advantage that the holder for the drink container can be used
 independently on the folding table without the folding table having to be
 pivoted into its horizontal in-use position in which it restricts the
 freedom of movement of a passenger. Two guides can be provided, one of
 which serves to bring the holder for the drinks container into the in-use
 position when the folding table is in the in-use position. The other guide
 serves to bring the holder into the in-use position when the folding table
 is occupying the out-of-use position. Both possibilities can be realized
 with one guide for the holder on the folding table.
 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide allowing the holder
 to be brought into the in-use position when the folding table is in the
 out-of-use position is in the form of a pivotal articulation having a
 limited pivoting angle.
 In an embodiment of the invention there is provided an opening spring
 element, which pivots the holder into the in-use position. A releasable
 locking device holds the holder in the out-of-use position against the
 force of the opening spring element. When the locking device is released,
 the holder pivots into its in-use position under the action of the spring.
 The pivoting movement is preferably dampened by a damping member. Pivoting
 of the holder into the in-use position may be carried out under the action
 of a spring both when the folding table is in the in-use position and when
 the folding table is in the out-of-use position, to which end two opening
 spring elements are preferably used.
 In an embodiment of the invention, a support is provided, which is
 connected to the holder or to the folding table by way of a pivotal
 articulation. The support is pivotable downwards from the holder through a
 limited pivoting angle by means of gravity and/or the force of a spring,
 and it supports a drink container placed in the holder. The support is
 provided especially in cases where a drinks container is placed in the
 holder does not stand on the folding table, that is to say, for example,
 where the holder can be pulled out of the folding table at the side or
 where the holder is used with the folding table in the out-of-use
 position.
 In order to pivot the support downwards from the holder, a spring element
 is provided in an embodiment of the invention. The opening spring element
 of the holder may be used as the spring element for the support.
 In an embodiment of the invention, a safety mounting for the folding table
 is provided, which allows the folding table to pivot downwards from the
 horizontal in-use position if the folding table is overloaded. The safety
 arrangement serves to reduce the risk of injury to a passenger in the
 event of an accident; it allows the folding table to fold away downwards
 if the passenger, for example, hits his head against the folding table.
 Under a normal load, the safety mounting holds the folding table in its
 in-use position. The safety mounting has a stop, which limits the pivoting
 angle of the folding table from the out-of-use position into the
 approximately horizontal in-use position. The stop is surmounted by
 overloading of the folding table. This embodiment of the folding table
 according to the invention can be realized independently of the presence
 of the holder for a drink container on the folding table according to the
 invention.
 In a further development of the invention, the stop is formed on the
 periphery of a pivot pin, about which the folding table is pivotable. The
 stop co-operates with a spring-operated slide and disengages the slide
 from the stop if the folding table is overloaded, so that the folding
 table pivots downwards out of its horizontal in-use position. The pivot
 pin may be fixed or it may rotate with the folding table.
 For fastening purposes, the folding table can be provided, for example,
 with laterally projecting fastening pins which are inserted into
 complementary recesses in folding table mountings fitted to the back of
 the seat. In order to prevent the folding table from pivoting together
 with the back of the seat in the case of a seat back the angle of which
 can be adjusted, it is also possible for lateral struts to be provided as
 the folding table mountings, which struts are fastened to a fixed part of
 the seat or to the floor of the vehicle and therefore do not pivot with
 the seat back. In order that the horizontal in-use position of the folding
 table does not have to be adjusted, an embodiment provides an adapter
 which guarantees the horizontal in-use position by means of an
 interlocking connection both at the folding table and at the folding table
 mounting. By the use of different adapters, the folding table can be
 adapted to different folding table mountings, especially to folding table
 mountings fitted at different angles. This embodiment of the invention has
 the advantage that the folding table merely has to be inserted into the
 folding table mountings and the horizontal in-use position is already
 determined as a result of the insertion into the folding table mountings
 and does not first have to be set.
 The interlocking connection can be achieved, for example, by means of an
 irregular polygonal section or tooth profile, by means of an inwardly or
 outwardly projecting nose or the like. In an embodiment of the invention,
 the adapter is in the form of an adapter ring having an inner and outer
 profile establishing a definite angular position.
 The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present
 invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The
 invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of
 operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will
 be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments
 when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 FIG. 1 shows a folding table 10 according to the invention in an in-use
 position in which it projects horizontally from the rear side of the back
 (not shown) of a seat in a motor-coach or an aircraft. The folding table
 10 is composed of injection-molded plastic parts; it has a support surface
 12.
 For fitting to the seat back, shaped fastening pins 16 project laterally
 close to a leading edge 14 of the folding table 10, which fastening pins
 16 can be inserted, non-rotatably, with interlocking connection, into
 complementary recesses (not shown) provided on the rear side of the seat
 back (not shown). The fastening pins 16 are mounted in the folding table
 10 to be pivotable through a limited pivoting angle; they define a
 horizontal pivotal axis 18 close to the leading edge 14 of the folding
 table 10, parallel to which the pivotal axis 18 extends.
 A holder 20, into which a drinks container (not shown), such as, for
 example, a beaker, a cup or a drinks can, can be placed, is let into the
 folding table 10 in the right-hand region. The holder 20 is in the form of
 a plate and, when viewed from above, is semi-oval in shape, a
 semi-circular side of the semi-oval being remote from the leading edge 14
 of the folding table 10.
 The holder 20 is mounted in the folding table 10 to be pivotable about an
 axis which is in alignment with the pivotal axis 18 of the folding table
 10. In its in-use position, the holder 20 projects obliquely upwards out
 of the folding table 10. The holder 20 has two circular openings 22 for
 two drinks containers. The drinks containers placed therein stand on a
 support surface 24 let into the folding table 10. When it is not in use,
 the holder 20 can be pivoted into a stowed out-of-use position in the
 folding table 10, in which position the holder 20 is flush with the
 receiving surface 12 of the folding table 10.
 The folding table 10 is produced as two shells forming an upper part,
 comprising the receiving surface 12, and a lower part. FIG. 2 shows the
 folding table 10 without the upper part, so that the lower part 26 of the
 folding table 10, in which the holder 20 and the fastening pins 16 are
 pivotally mounted, is visible. The holder 20 is mounted in the folding
 table 10 by means of a pivot pin connection 28. The pivot pin connection
 28 has two bearing pins which project laterally from the holder 20 and
 engage in complementary bearing apertures in the lower part 26 of the
 folding table 10. A laterally arranged bent spring 30, which is supported
 on the lower part 26 of the folding table 10, pushes the holder 20 into
 its in-use position in which it projects obliquely upwards. The pivoting
 movement of the holder 20 is dampened by a rotary damping member 32, the
 toothed wheel of which meshes with a toothed wheel segment 34 which is
 fixed to one side of the holder 20 and is integral therewith. The rotary
 damping member 32 is inserted, non-rotatably, into a recess 36 in the
 lower part 26 of the folding table 10.
 A locking device 38, 40 holds the holder 20 in the stowed out-of-use
 position in the folding table 10, as shown in FIG. 2, against the force of
 the leg spring 30. The locking device 38, 40 comprises a button 38
 arranged on the lateral edge of the holder 20 at a distance from the pivot
 pin connection 28. The button 38 is integral with a locking projection 40
 (FIG. 1) which projects laterally beyond the holder 20 and, when the
 holder 20 is in the out-of-use position, engages beneath the receiving
 surface 12 of the folding table 10 and thus holds the holder 20 in the
 out-of-use position. By pressing on the button 38, the locking projection
 40 is disengaged, so that the holder 20 pivots under the action of the
 spring into the in-use position in which it projects obliquely upwards.
 The locking projection 40 has a sloping surface on its underside, so that
 it automatically engages beneath the receiving surface 12 when the holder
 20 is pressed down into the folding table 10.
 FIG. 3 shows the folding table 10 in an out-of-use position in which it is
 pivoted upwards, in which the folding table 10 is pivoted against the rear
 side of the back of the seat (not shown). FIG. 3 therefore shows a view of
 the underside of the folding table 10.
 As will be seen in FIG. 3, the holder 20 is accommodated in a recess 42 in
 the folding table 10 which extends from the upper side of the folding
 table 10 to the underside. Beneath the holder 20 there is arranged a
 support 44, the base of which forms the receiving surfaces 24 for drink
 containers placed in the holder 20. When viewed from above, the support
 44, like the holder 20 is semi-oval in shape. The support 44 is
 constructed with an upwardly projecting edge 46 as a tray for collecting
 any liquid that spills from a drink container placed in the holder 20. The
 height of the edge 46 is smaller than the thickness of the folding table
 10. When it is in the out-of-use position, the holder 20 lies in the
 support 44.
 The support 44 is mounted in the folding table 10 about the same pivotal
 axis as the holder 20. For the pivot bearing, pin-receiving apertures are
 provided in the side wall 46 of the support 44, through which the pins of
 the holder 20 pass. The support 44, like the holder 20, is therefore
 pivotally fastened to the folding table 10 by means of the pin bearing 28
 (FIG. 2).
 A locking device 48, 50, 52 holds the support 44 in a stowed initial
 position in the folding table 10, in which the support 44 is flush with
 the underside of the folding table 10. The locking device comprises a
 pivoting bolt 48, which is pivotally mounted in the lower part 26 of the
 folding table 10 (FIG. 2). A projection, which is integral with the
 pivoting bolt 48 and is not visible in the drawing, engages in a recess 50
 in the lateral edge 46 of the support 44, so that the support 44 is held
 in its stowed initial position in the folding table 10. By pressing on a
 button 52 (FIG. 3) which is integral with the pivoting bolt 48 and is
 arranged on the underside of the folding table 10, the pivoting bolt 48
 can be disengaged from the support 44, so that the support 44 pivots out
 from the underside of the folding table 10 by gravity. When the folding
 table 10 is in the out-of-use position against the rear side of the seat
 back (not shown), the support 44 pivots downwards into a horizontal
 support position, as is shown in FIG. 3. A leg spring 54 pushes the
 pivoting bolt 48 into engagement with the support 44.
 The leg spring 32 of the holder 20, which is supported on the support 44,
 pushes the holder 20 into an in-use position in which it projects
 obliquely upwards from the support 44. In that position, the holder 20,
 like the support 44, projects from the underside of the folding table 10.
 Therefore, when the folding table 10 is in the out-of-use position, in
 which the folding table 10 rests obliquely upwards against the rear side
 of the back of the seat (not shown), the holder 20 and the support 44
 pivot out from the underside-of the folding table 10 when the pivoting
 bolt 48 has been released. The support 44 pivots into a horizontal support
 position, and the holder 20 projects obliquely upwards from the support
 44, that is to say it is located above the support 44 and stops a drink
 container (not shown) placed in the holder 20 from falling over. As a
 result, the holder 20 can be used for holding one or two drinks containers
 both in the in-use position and in the out-of-use position of the folding
 table 10.
 The fastening pins 16 which project laterally from the folding table 10 are
 shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 4. They have cylindrical bearing
 surfaces 56, by means of which they are located in half-bearings 58 in the
 lower part 26 and in similar half-bearings, which are not visible, in the
 upper part of the folding table 10. When the part of the fastening pins 16
 that projects laterally from the folding table 10 is placed in a
 rotationally fixed manner into recesses (not shown), the folding table 10
 is pivotally mounted about the fastening pins 16.
 In order to limit the pivoting angle of the folding table 10, a slide 60 is
 provided on each fastening pin 16 in the lower part 26 of the folding
 table 10. The slide 60 is guided in the folding table 10 in a slide guide
 62 so that it is displaceable radially with respect to the fastening pin
 16. A leaf spring 64, which has been bent to form an oval, presses with
 its two free ends 66 against the slide 60 and thus presses the slide 60
 radially against the fastening pin 16. The doubly bent spring 64 is
 inserted in a recess 68 in the lower part 26 of the folding table 10.
 A middle portion 70 of the fastening pins 16 located between the
 cylindrical bearing surfaces 56 is non-circular in shape; the shape of
 that middle portion 70 can best be seen in FIG. 5, which shows a
 longitudinal section through the slide 60 and a radial section through the
 fastening pin 16 in the same cutting plane. The middle portion 70 of the
 fastening pin 16 has two secant surfaces 72, which are arranged
 approximately at right angles to each other. When the folding table 10 is
 in the in-use position, the slide 60 presses against one of the two secant
 surfaces 72, and when the folding table 10 is in the out-of-use position,
 the slide 60 presses against the other secant surface 72. FIGS. 4 and 5
 show the in-use position of the folding table 10. In order to pivot the
 folding table 10 from the in-use position into the out-of-use position and
 vice versa, the slide 60 must surmount a thickened portion 74 which is
 formed between the two secant surfaces 72 on the middle portion 70 of the
 fastening pin 16, parallel to the axis thereof and integral therewith. As
 a result, the slide 60 holds the folding table 10 in the in-use and
 out-of-use positions.
 The fastening pin 16, the slide 60 and the leaf spring 64, which presses
 the slide 60 in the radial direction against the fastening pin 16, form a
 safety mounting for the folding table 10 according to the invention.
 Adjacent to the secant surface 72 against which the slide 60 presses in
 the in-use position of the folding table 10, the fastening pin 16 has a
 stop 76 in the form of an outwardly projecting nose extending in a
 longitudinal direction of the fastening pin 16. When the folding table 10
 is in the in-use position, the slide 60 rests against the stop 76 of the
 fastening pin 16 by means of a shoulder 78 formed on its end face. The
 shoulder 78 and the stop 76 limit the pivoting angle of the folding table
 10 when it is folded down into the in-use position, so that the folding
 table 10 is horizontal. The stop 76 and the shoulder 78 are not arranged
 radially with respect to the fastening pin 16, but an angle to the radial.
 The stop 76 and the shoulder 78 therefore form sloping surfaces. This has
 the effect that, if the folding table 10 is overloaded, the stop 76 pushes
 the slide 60 away from the fastening pin 16, so that the folding table 10
 pivots downwards beyond the horizontal in-use position. The sloping
 surfaces formed by the stop 76 and the shoulder 78 are so directed, and a
 spring force of the leaf spring 64 is so chosen, that the stop 76 folds
 away downwards only at and above a limit-value load which is considerably
 greater than a usual load exerted by food, drinks or other objects placed
 on the folding table 10. The limit-value load above which the folding
 table 10 folds away downwards is, for example, 13 kg. The folding table 10
 folds away downwards is, for example, 13 kg. The folding table 10 folds
 away downwards when it is overloaded so that the folding table 10 gives
 away if a passenger hits the folding table 10 in the event of an accident.
 The risk of injury is reduced as a result.
 For fastening purposes, the folding table 10 has two adapter rings 100
 which can be placed on the lateral fastening pins 16 of the folding table
 10 with an interlocking connection (FIG. 6). In the embodiment shown, the
 fastening pins 16 have an irregular multi-tooth profile, onto which the
 adapter ring 100 having a complementary multi-tooth profile 102 on its
 inside can be placed. The multi-tooth profiles 102 of the fastening pin 16
 and of the adapter ring 100 produce the interlocking connection between
 the adapter ring 100 and the fastening pin 16, which establishes a
 definite angular position of the adapter ring 100 on the fastening pin 16.
 In the embodiment shown, two holding struts 104 are provided as the
 mountings for the folding table, which struts 104 are arranged to the side
 of the folding table 10. The holding struts 104 are fastened to a fixed,
 lower portion of the seat (not shown) and extend obliquely upwards as far
 as the fastening pins 16. At the upper end, the holding struts 104 have
 recesses 106 into which the adapter rings 100 can be placed with an
 interlocking connection. The periphery of the recesses 106 has four sides
 108 of a notional irregular hexagon, which are completed by a concave
 curved surface 110. A groove 112 is formed in one of the four sides 108 of
 the notional hexagon. The outer periphery of the adapter ring 100 has a
 shape which is complementary to that of the recess 106, an outwardly
 projecting pin 114 being provided for engagement into the groove 112. The
 shape of the recess 106 and of the outer side of the adapter ring 100
 produces an interlocking connection with a definite angular position of
 the adapter ring 100 with respect to the holding strut 104. By means of
 the adapter ring 100, the angular position of the fastening pin 16 of the
 folding table 10 relative to the holding strut 104 is clearly fixed and
 the horizontal in-use position of the folding table 10 is firmly set as a
 result. By using an adapter 100 in which the inner profile 102 is rotated
 relative to the outer profile, the folding table 10 can readily be adapted
 to holding struts 104 at different angles.
 FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of a folding table 10 according to
 the invention in the in-use position (FIG. 7) and in the out-of-use
 position (FIG. 8). In this embodiment, a holder 80 in the form of a
 holding ring is fastened to the folding table 10 in such a manner that it
 can be pulled out of the folding table 10 at the side from a slot 82. For
 the purpose of pulling it out, the holder 80 has a slide rod 83 of
 circular cross-section which is integral with the holder 80 and is
 displaceably guided in rod holders 84 in the folding table 10. A nose 86
 which projects radially from the slide rod 82 engages in a groove 88 in
 the folding table 10 extending in the longitudinal direction of the slide
 rod 82 and holds the holder 80 non-rotatably on the folding table 10. In
 order to be able to pivot the holder 80 relative to the folding table 10,
 the holder 80 is pulled out of the folding table 10 from the side beyond
 its in-use position shown in FIG. 6, as a result of which the nose 86 is
 released from the groove 88 and the holder 80 is pivotable. The holder 80
 can then be pivoted to the underside of the folding table 10, so that,
 with the folding table 10 in the out-of-use position shown in FIG. 8, it
 assumes a horizontal in-use position. A support 90 is fastened to the
 holder 80. The support 90 is pivotally connected to the holder 80 by way
 of a pivot pin connection 92; it pivots downwards from the holder 80 by
 gravity and supports a drink container placed in the holder 80.
 In other respects, the folding table 10 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 corresponds
 with that shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 in terms of construction, and it functions
 in the same manner. In order to avoid repetition, reference is made in
 this connection to the comments made above with regard to FIGS. 1 to 5.
 It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or
 more together, may also find a useful application in other types of
 constructions differing from the types described above.
 While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in
 folding table for fitting to the rear side of the back of a seat in a
 motor-coach or an aircraft, it is not intended to be limited to the
 details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be
 made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present
 invention.
 Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of
 the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,
 readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that,
 from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential
 characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
 What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set
 forth in the appended claims: