Patent ID: 8448581

Claim:
A table apparatus for a vehicle seat comprising a table, having at least one table leaf, and a table support mechanism, wherein the table support mechanism enables translational movement of the table between a substantially horizontal stowed configuration to one side of the seat and a deployed configuration, wherein said table support mechanism comprises a table support member and a linkage arrangement adapted to guide the translational movement of the table through an arc between said stowed configuration and at least a partly deployed configuration, wherein the linkage arrangement of the table support mechanism is adapted to maintain a rearmost table face substantially aligned to a user such that the table orientation is maintained substantially parallel to its final deployed position during movement between said stowed and deployed configurations, where said linkage arrangement of the table support mechanism comprises at least one substantially horizontally extending support arm extending from the table support member, the table being mounted upon a distal end of the support arm, the support arm being pivotally connected to the table support member for rotation about a first pivot axis in a substantially horizontal plane, the table being pivotally connected to said distal end of the support arm for rotation about a second pivot axis in a substantially horizontal plane, linkage means being provided for normally constraining rotational movement of the table about the second pivot axis to follow rotational movement of the support arm about the first pivot axis such that the rearmost table face remains substantially aligned to the user such that the table orientation is maintained substantially parallel to its final deployed position during movement between said stowed and deployed configurations.