Auditorium seating

Abstract

A seating apparatus includes a support element having an upright extending from a floor and a swing arm pivotably mounted to the upright about a generally vertical pivot axis, a work surface is secured to the upright above the swing arm, and a seat is mounted on the swing arm, and the seat having a seat base upon which an occupant can be seated. The swing arm is pivotable between a stowed position wherein the seat base is tucked substantially underneath the work surface, and a deployed position wherein the seat base is substantially clear of the work surface. The seating apparatus further includes a dynamic return stop element secured to the swing arm and a static return stop element secured to the upright. The dynamic and static return stop elements are positioned in a common horizontal plane and abut each other when the swing arm is in the stowed position. At least one of the static and dynamic return stop elements is adjustable relative to the swing arm and the upright, respectively, to change the angular position of the swing arm relative to the upright when the swing arm is in the stowed position.

1 . A seating apparatus comprising: 
 a) a support element having an upright extending from a floor and a swing arm pivotably mounted to the upright about a generally vertical pivot axis;    b) a work surface secured to the upright above the swing arm;    c) a seat mounted on the swing arm, the seat having a seat base upon which an occupant can be seated;    d) the swing arm being pivotable between a stowed position wherein the seat base is tucked substantially underneath the work surface, and a deployed position wherein the seat base is substantially clear of the work surface; and    e) a dynamic return stop element secured to the swing arm and a static return stop element secured to the upright, the dynamic and static return stop elements positioned in a common horizontal plane and abutting each other when the swing arm is in the stowed position, at least one of the static and dynamic return stop elements being adjustable relative to the swing arm and the upright, respectively, to change the angular position of the swing arm relative to the upright when the swing arm is in the stowed position.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the dynamic return stop element is adjustable relative to the swing arm to which the dynamic return stop element is secured.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the dynamic return stop element comprises an eccentrically mounted button, the button having an attachment axis about which the button can be rotatably adjusted, and an outer surface spaced laterally away from the attachment axis for contacting the static return stop element.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the static return stop element comprises a bracket extending from the upright.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the bracket has at least one generally vertical gusset, and the static return stop element comprises an exposed edge of the gusset.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising biasing means for biasing the arm to the stowed position.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the biasing means comprises a flat coiled torsion spring, the torsion spring having a first end fixed directly or indirectly to the upright and a second end fixed directly or indirectly to the swing arm.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the flat coiled torsion spring comprises a thin strip of resilient metal coiled in a flat spiral about the pivot axis.  
   
   
       9 . A seating apparatus comprising: 
 a) a support element having an upright extending from a floor and a swing arm pivotably mounted to the upright about a pivot joint having generally vertical pivot axis;    b) a work surface secured to the upright above the swing arm;    c) a seat mounted on the swing arm, the seat having a seat base upon which an occupant can be seated;    d) the swing arm being pivotable between a stowed position wherein the seat base is tucked substantially underneath the work surface, and a deployed position wherein the seat base is substantially clear of the work surface; and    e) the upright having a lower end adjacent the floor and an upper end adjacent the work surface, the upright being generally straight, and inclined to the vertical such that, relative to a direction in which the seating apparatus is facing, the upper end of the upright is forward of the pivot joint, and the pivot joint is forward of the lower end of the upright.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the lower end of the upright provides an attachment locus for attachment of the upright to the floor, the attachment locus being positioned rearward of the pivot axis.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10  wherein the attachment locus of the upright is rearward of a leading edge of the seat base when the swing arm is in the deployed position.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the upright is free of bends between the lower end and the upper end of the upright.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12  wherein the pivot axis is inclined relative to the axis of the upright.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus according to  claim 9  wherein the upright has a lower end face that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the upright.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  further comprising a floor bracket secured to the lower end of the upright for mounting the apparatus to the floor.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15  wherein the floor bracket comprises a flange adapted to be mounted in flush engagement to the floor and an attachment pocket positioned generally centrally of the flange and in elevation above the flange, the attachment pocket adapted to receive the lower end of the upright.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16  wherein the attachment pocket has an inclined base that is adapted to engage the lower end face of the upright in flush engagement.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the upright has an upper end face that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the upright.  
   
   
       19 . A swivel mechanism for swivelably supporting a seat above an arm, the mechanism comprises: 
 a) a sleeve fixed to an outer end of the arm, the sleeve having open upper and lower ends;    b) a post rotatable within the sleeve, the post having an upper end for attachment to a seat, the post being axially moveable between a raised position and a lowered position;    c) an upper cam fixed within the sleeve and a lower cam fixed to the post and slidable within the sleeve, the upper cam disposed between the lower cam and the upper end of the post; the upper and lower cams having matching inclined annular lower and upper surfaces, respectively, wherein the position of the lower cam relative to the upper cam providing generally flush contact of the matching inclined annular surfaces defines the central position of the swivel mechanism; and    d) a compression spring urging the lower cam against the upper cam, thereby urging the post to the raised position and the swivel mechanism to the central position.    
   
   
       20 . The swivel mechanism of  claim 18  wherein the upper cam has at least one downwardly directed crest and the lower cam has at least one upwardly directed crest, and wherein, when the pivot is in the lowered position, an axial gap is provided between the downwardly directed and upwardly directed events.