Seat Mounted Food Tray With Vanity Mirror

Abstract

A food serving tray adapted particularly for use in aircraft mounted from the back of a seat on pivot arms so that it can be collapsed flush into a recess in the back of the seat. The underside of the tray has a covered vanity mirror adapted to be used when the tray is in collapsed position.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a food serving tray mounted on pivot arms at the back of a chair or seat and, more particularly, an aircraft seat.

In a preferred form of the invention as described in detail herein, the tray is shown mounted to a seat having a back recess. The tray and pivot arms are collapsible into a position in the recess so that the tray is flush with the back of the seat. A covered vanity mirror is provided on the underside of the serving tray. The cover is hinged so that it can be swung outwardly to form a tray or platform. The vanity mirror is also hinged to the underside of the food serving tray.

The adaption of the invention for use with aircraft seats is particularly important. A large number of passengers on aircraft are served by stewardesses under relatively restricted conditions. To eliminate the need for handling of any articles, such as food trays by the stewardesses, is an important objective to be realized and is one of the objectives of this invention. The tray is very simply swung out into position for use. This can be done by the passenger. When it is not needed, the tray can be moved into collapsed position completely out of the way. It is useful repeatedly.

Another object of the invention is to realize this capability that the tray is adjustable to its position for use by the passenger and is completely collapsible into an out-of-the-way position. The vanity mirror on the underside of the tray adapts the assembly for use particularly by women passengers in providing a conveniently available mirror with associated tray for placing cosmetics and the like. Another object of the invention is to realize this capability in the assembly.

Another object is to make possible a tray assembly as described which is economical to fabricate, manufacture, and install and which does not require maintenance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description and annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred, exemplary form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the tray assembly collapsed in the back of an aircraft seat;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of holding means for holding the tray in a horizontal position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is perspective view showing the tray in collapsed position with the cover for the mirror moved outwardly about its hinge and the vanity mirror swung into position for use;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 showing the mirror cover and vanity mirror in the positions of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10--10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11--11 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 12 is a partial view of a modified form of the invention wherein the mirror is hinged directly to the back of the seat.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 designates a conventional aircraft seat having a back 12 in which there is provided a recess 14 having a shape as shown to accommodate the collapsed position of the tray. The tray is designated at 20, and its construction will be described in detail presently. Preferably, at inside corners of the tray are indentations or recesses 22 and 22'. The swing arms are attached to the tray at these positions. The pivoted swing arms are designated at 24 and 24'. They are pivotally attached to the lower part of the back of the chair at the extremities of recess 14.

The arms 24 have angular end portions designated at 28 and 28' which are pivotally mounted on the ends of a transverse shaft extending through the lower part of the seat as designated at 32 in FIG. 2. The arm extensions 28 and 28' are pivoted on the ends of this shaft. Each of these extension can come into engagement with a stop screw as shown at 34 and 34' which holds the swing arms in the desired position of the tray in which it is horizontal as may be seen in FIG. 3 and positioned outwardly from the back of the chair. The inside corners of tray 20 are pivotally mounted on pivot bolts extending from the extremities of the arms 24 and 24' as may be seen in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, one of said pivot bolts being designated at 40 in the figures.

As may be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, at the position of recess or indentation 22 on the table 20, there is an extending cylindrical stop member 44. When table 20 is in horizontal position, this stop member comes into engagement with inside surface 46 at the end of arm 24 which holds table 20 in the horizontal position preventing it moving any further in a clockwise direction. When the table collapses, this stem can move into an arcuate groove 48 in arm 24. This construction is the same on both sides of the tray.

FIGS. 6 through 10 show the construction of the tray and vanity mirror in more detail. Tray 20 itself as may be seen in FIG. 8 has a recess 50 in the back which can receive vanity mirror 52 in a flush position in the recess. The vanity mirror is hinged as described. Numeral 54 designates a hinged cover which can be swung out to form a platform as shown at FIG. 8 and swung in to a position covering the mirror. The cover 54 has a grasp 56 adapted to be received in cutout 58 in the bottom of tray 20.

Tray 20 is shown in cross section in FIGS. 6, 7, and 9. At the upper part of recess 14 is another recess 58 of less depth. Pivotally mounted therein is a latch button 60 on a stem 62 which can be rotated to engage with an upper surface 64 of the tray 20 and to be held at the position of an indentation 66 as shown.

In the exemplary form of the invention, the tray may be formed of relatively thin rigid plastic material or other material formed in a configuration as may be seen in FIG. 6. In the preferred form the tray is formed in two fabricated laminations bonded together as designated at 70 and 72 as may be seen in FIG. 1. The lower lamination or formed part provides the recess 50 for the vanity mirror. Typically, if desired, the top may be covered by a thin layer of other material, such as formica with colored bindings or edge strips around the peripheral edges of the tray.

Mirror 52 may comprise a relatively stiff, thin backing sheet 74 having the mirror surface 76 attached to it. Member 76 is attached to the bottom of recess 50 by way of a piano hinge 80 secured to the bottom of the recess as shown at 82 in FIG. 6. The securement includes stiffening strip 84. This construction is shown in more detail in FIGS. 9 and 10. The hinge pin of the hinge is designated at 86 in FIG. 9.

Near the bottom of recess 50 is a small secondary recess 88 forming a shoulder as shown including a ledge 90. A mirror cover or platform is hinged to ledge 90 by way of a piano hinge 92 having a hinge pin 94. In the exemplary form of the invention, the cover 54 is preferably formed from relatively thin sheets or pieces of stiff cardboard or plastic as designated at 96 and 98 which may be covered with a suitable thin, colored material such as vinyl or the like. The upper piece 98 has a continuous peripheral edge rib. The part on the front edge is designated at 100, and the part on the rear edge is designated at 102. The leaves of the piano hinge 92 extend between parts 96 and 98 with stiffening members being provided as designated at 104 and 106.

FIG. 12 shows a modified form of the invention wherein mirror 110 is hinged directly to the back of seat 10 rather than to the underside of the tray. The mirror is hinged at 112 and is covered by the tray when it is collapsed.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily understand the nature and construction of the invention and the manner in which it achieves the objects and purposes as set forth in the foregoing. It will be understood that the tray is completely collapsible to a flush position in the recess in the back of a chair. The mirror and its cover can be collapsed into flush position into the recess in the bottom of the tray and the cover can be swung out into a position to form a platform as shown in FIG. 8 with the mirror moved outwardly about its hinge to an appropriate position for use. Although a specific construction of an exemplary form of the tray and mirror have been shown in detail, it should be understood that other types of construction of the tray and mirror may be embodied in the invention as well as the specific types of pivotal support allowing its collapsing movement into flush position.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of preferred, exemplary forms of the invention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. As an article of manufacture, particularly adapted for use with passenger aircraft seats, a food tray adapted to be positioned in a horizontal position extending rearwardly from a back of a chair; and a pair of swing arms having pivotal attachment to the tray, the swing arms having pivotal attachment at the back of the lower part of the chair, the tray being pivotal about its pivotal supports and the swing arms being movable pivotally to position the tray in a horizontal position outwardly from the back of the seat and adapting the tray for movement about its pivotal supports and swing arms about their pivots into a position wherein the tray and the swing arms are flush against the back of the chair, the underside of the tray having a flat bottomed recess in it, a hinged cover hinged to the bottom of the tray to be moved into covering position over the recess and to be moved forwardly into a horizontal position forming a

2. An article as in claim 1, in combination with a passenger seat having a back and flat bottomed recess in it and having a depth such that said tray and swing arms can be moved against the bottom of the recess in a position wherein said cover is substantially flush with the remaining back part of

3. An article as in claim 1, including a mirror pivotally attached in said

4. As an article of manufacture, particularly adapted for use with passenger aircraft seats, a food tray adapted to be positioned in a horizontal position extending rearwardly from a back of a chair; and a pair of swing arms having pivotal attachment to the tray, the swing arms having pivotal attachment at the back of the lower part of the chair, the tray being pivotal about its pivotal supports and the swing arms being movable pivotally to position the tray in a horizontal position outwardly from the back of the seat and adapting the tray for movement about its pivotal supports and swing arms about their pivots into a position wherein the tray and the swing arms are flush against the back of the chair, the underside of the tray having a flat bottomed recess in it, a hinged cover hinged to the bottom of the tray to be moved into covering position over the recess and to be moved forwardly into a horizontal position forming a platform, a mirror hinged to the bottom of the tray in a position such that the mirror can be swung around its hinges adapting for use, the

5. An article as in claim 1, in combination with a passenger seat having a back having a flat bottomed recess in it and having a depth such that said tray and the swing arms can be moved against the bottom of the recess so as to be substantially flush with the remaining part of the back of the chair.