Chair with pivotable tablet having selectively expandable pivot range

Abstract

A tablet assembly for a chair includes a mounting portion configured to mount at an arm rest of the chair, a tablet pivotally mounted at the mounting portion about a pivot axis, and a pivot limiting mechanism that selectively limits pivotal movement of the tablet about the pivot axis. The pivot limiting mechanism, when in a first state, limits pivotal movement of the tablet between a use position and a non-use position. Pivotal movement of the tablet is stopped at the non-use position by the pivot limiting mechanism when the pivot limiting mechanism is in the first state. The pivot limiting mechanism, when in a second state, allows for pivotal movement of the tablet further from the use position and beyond the non-use position to move the tablet further toward a side of the chair. The pivot limiting mechanism is selectively adjusted from the first state to the second state.

1 . A tablet assembly for a chair, the tablet assembly comprising:
 a mounting portion configured to mount at an arm rest of the chair;   a tablet pivotally mounted at the mounting portion about a pivot axis;   a pivot limiting mechanism that selectively limits pivotal movement of the tablet about the pivot axis;   wherein the pivot limiting mechanism, when in a first state, limits pivotal movement of the tablet between a use position, where the tablet is disposed in front of the chair for use by a person sitting in the chair, and a non-use position, where the tablet is pivoted away from in front of the chair;   wherein pivotal movement of the tablet is stopped at the non-use position by the pivot limiting mechanism when the pivot limiting mechanism is in the first state;   wherein the pivot limiting mechanism, when in a second state, allows for pivotal movement of the tablet further from the use position and beyond the non-use position to move the tablet further away toward a side of the chair; and   wherein the pivot limiting mechanism is selectively adjusted from the first state to the second state.   
     
     
         2 . The tablet assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the pivot limiting mechanism comprises a pin and an arcuate slot, and wherein the pin moves along the arcuate slot as the tablet is pivoted relative to the mounting portion, and wherein the pin has a larger diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion, and wherein the arcuate slot has a wider portion and a narrower portion, and wherein pivotal movement of the tablet is limited between the use and non-use positions when the larger diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         3 . The tablet assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the pivot limiting mechanism is in the first state when the larger diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot and is movable along only the wider portion of the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         4 . The tablet assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the pivot limiting mechanism is in the second state when the smaller diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot and moves along the narrower portion of the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         5 . The tablet assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the pin is biased toward the position where the larger diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         6 . The tablet assembly of  claim 5 , wherein, when the tablet is moved from a position beyond the non-use position toward the use position and at least to the non-use position, the pin is moved to position the larger diameter portion of the pin in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         7 . The tablet assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the pin is adjustably disposed at an underside of the tablet and the mounting portion comprises a plate having the arcuate slot disposed thereat. 
     
     
         8 . The tablet assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the arcuate slot partially circumscribes the pivot axis. 
     
     
         9 . The tablet assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the pin is movably disposed at an underside of the tablet and is biased toward an extended position that disposes the larger diameter portion of the pin in the arcuate slot, and wherein the pin is upwardly movable by a user to dispose the smaller diameter portion of the pin in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         10 . The tablet assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the wider portion of the arcuate slot provides for 90 degrees of pivotal movement of the tablet between the use position and the non-use position when the larger diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         11 . The tablet assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the narrower portion of the arcuate slot provides for 90 degrees of pivotal movement of the tablet beyond the non-use position when the smaller diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         12 . The tablet assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion is configured to pivotally mount at the arm rest of the chair. 
     
     
         13 . The tablet assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the mounting portion comprises a pivotal mounting portion that pivotally mounts at the arm rest of the chair and a mounting plate that extends radially from the pivotal mounting portion, and wherein the tablet is pivotally mounted at the mounting plate. 
     
     
         14 . The tablet assembly of  claim 13 , wherein a portion of the pivot limiting mechanism is disposed at the mounting plate and another portion of the pivot limiting mechanism is disposed at an underside of the tablet. 
     
     
         15 . The tablet assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the portion of the pivot limiting mechanism that is disposed at the mounting plate comprises an arcuate slot that partially circumscribes the pivot axis, and wherein the other portion of the pivot limiting mechanism that is disposed at the underside of the tablet comprises a pin that is movably disposed in the arcuate slot and that moves along the arcuate slot as the tablet pivots about the pivot axis. 
     
     
         16 . The tablet assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion is configured to fixedly mount at the arm rest of the chair. 
     
     
         17 . A tablet assembly for a chair, the tablet assembly comprising:
 a mounting portion comprising a mounting plate and configured to mount at an arm rest of the chair;   a tablet pivotally mounted at the mounting plate of the mounting portion about a pivot axis;   a pivot limiting mechanism comprising a pin adjustably disposed at an underside of the tablet and an arcuate slot formed at least partially through the mounting plate, the arcuate slot at least partially circumscribing the pivot axis;   wherein the pin is movably disposed in the arcuate slot and moves along the arcuate slot as the tablet is pivoted relative to the mounting plate;   wherein the pivot limiting mechanism, when the pin is in a first state, limits pivotal movement of the tablet between a use position, where the tablet is disposed in front of the chair for use by a person sitting in the chair, and a non-use position, where the tablet is pivoted away from in front of the chair;   wherein pivotal movement of the tablet is stopped at the non-use position by the pivot limiting mechanism when the pin is in the first state;   wherein the pivot limiting mechanism, when the pin is in a second state, allows for pivotal movement of the tablet further from the use position and beyond the non-use position to move the tablet further away toward a side of the chair; and   wherein the pin is selectively adjusted from the first state to the second state.   
     
     
         18 . The tablet assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the pin has a larger diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion, and wherein the arcuate slot has a wider portion and a narrower portion, and wherein a cross dimension of the narrower portion of the arcuate slot is less than a corresponding cross dimension of the larger diameter portion of the pin. 
     
     
         19 . The tablet assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the pin is in the first state when the larger diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the wider portion of the arcuate slot and is movable along only the wider portion of the arcuate slot, and wherein the pin is in the second state when the smaller diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot and is movable along the narrower portion of the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         20 . The tablet assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the pin is biased toward the first state. 
     
     
         21 . The tablet assembly of  claim 20 , wherein, when the tablet is moved from a position beyond the non-use position toward the use position and at least to the non-use position, the pin is biased to move to the first state to position the larger diameter portion of the pin in the wider portion of the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         22 . The tablet assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first state of the pin is an extended position of the pin, and wherein the pin is upwardly movable by a user to move the pin to the second state. 
     
     
         23 . The tablet assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the wider portion of the arcuate slot provides for 90 degrees of pivotal movement of the tablet between the use position and the non-use position when the pin is in the first state and the larger diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot, and wherein the narrower portion of the arcuate slot provides for 90 degrees of pivotal movement of the tablet beyond the non-use position when the pin is in the second state and the smaller diameter portion of the pin is disposed in the arcuate slot. 
     
     
         24 . The tablet assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the mounting portion comprises a pivotal mounting portion that pivotally mounts at the arm rest of the chair and the mounting plate extends radially from the pivotal mounting portion. 
     
     
         25 . The tablet assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the mounting portion is configured to fixedly mount at the arm rest of the chair. 
     
     
         26 . The tablet assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the pin is movable between the first state and the second state to adjust the pin relative to the arcuate slot, and wherein the arcuate slot is formed to allow for movement of the pin along a first portion of the arcuate slot when the pin is in the first state and to allow for movement of the pin along a second portion of the arcuate slot when the pin is in the second state. 
     
     
         27 . The tablet assembly of  claim 26 , wherein the pin does not move along the second portion of the arcuate slot when the pin is in the first state.