Platform assembly and article of furniture incorporating the same

Abstract

A platform assembly comprising a mount and an elbow that includes a horizontal portion and a vertical portion. The vertical portion is rotatably mated to the mount. An elongate arm is rotatably mated to the horizontal portion and a platform is slidably and non-rotatably disposed on the arm. The mount includes a slot formed around a portion of its circumference and the vertical portion includes a protrusion that engages the slot to limit rotation of the vertical portion with respect to the mount. The arm includes a cylindrical portion and the horizontal portion of the elbow includes a cylindrical socket that receives the cylindrical portion of the arm. The horizontal portion includes a slot formed around a portion of the circumference of the cylindrical socket and the arm includes a protrusion that engages the slot to limit rotation of the arm with respect to the horizontal portion.

1 . A platform assembly, comprising:
 a mount attachable to a surface and having a mount axis extending in a first direction;   an elbow including a first portion and a second portion, said first portion having a longitudinal first axis extending in the first direction and said second portion having a longitudinal second axis extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and wherein said first portion is rotatably mated to said mount;   an elongate arm extending in the second direction and rotatably mated to said second portion; and   a platform slidably disposed on said arm, wherein said platform is rotatable about the second axis from a stowed position to a deployed position, and wherein said platform is pivotable from a use position to an exit position.   
     
     
         2 . The platform assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said mount includes a gudgeon and said first portion includes a pintle sized and configured to mate with said gudgeon. 
     
     
         3 . The platform assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein said gudgeon includes a slot formed around a portion of its circumference and wherein said pintle includes a protrusion adapted to engage said slot thereby limiting rotation of said pintle with respect to said mount. 
     
     
         4 . The platform assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said arm includes a cylindrical portion and said second portion includes a cylindrical socket formed therein that is sized and configured to receive said cylindrical portion. 
     
     
         5 . The platform assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein said second portion includes a slot formed around a portion of the circumference of said cylindrical socket and wherein said arm includes a protrusion adapted to engage said slot thereby limiting rotation of said arm with respect to said second portion. 
     
     
         6 . The platform assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said slot extends around a portion of the circumference of said cylindrical socket such that said arm may be rotated from the stowed position to the deployed position. 
     
     
         7 . The platform assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein said slot extends around a portion of the circumference of said cylindrical socket such that said arm may be rotated through approximately 270 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The platform assembly according to  claim 5 , wherein said platform is non-rotatably attached to said arm, and wherein said platform is indexed relative to said protrusion. 
     
     
         9 . The platform assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein said platform includes an elongate slot extending in the second direction and wherein said arm includes a second protrusion adapted to engage said elongate slot to inhibit rotation of said platform with respect to said arm. 
     
     
         10 . The platform assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein said platform includes a non-round bore and said arm includes a non-round portion such that said non-round portion may slide in said bore and said platform is prevented from rotating with respect to said protrusion. 
     
     
         11 . The platform assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein said non-round bore is a parallelogram. 
     
     
         12 . An article of furniture, comprising:
 a seat portion and a back portion extending therefrom; and   a platform assembly including:   a vertically extending mount attached to said article of furniture;   an elbow including a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, said vertical portion rotatably mated to said mount;   an arm rotatably mated to said horizontal portion; and   a platform slidably disposed on said arm, wherein the platform is deployable in a first use position adapted to traverse a lap of a user and a second use position adapted to extend along an arm of the seat portion.   
     
     
         13 . The article of furniture according to  claim 12 , wherein said seat portion and said back portion are configurable between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The article of furniture according to  claim 12 , wherein said mount is attached to said back portion. 
     
     
         15 . The article of furniture according to  claim 12 , wherein said mount includes a gudgeon and said vertical portion includes a pintle sized and configured to mate with said gudgeon. 
     
     
         16 . The article of furniture according to  claim 15 , wherein said gudgeon includes a slot formed around a portion of its circumference and wherein said pintle includes a protrusion adapted to engage said slot thereby limiting rotation of said pintle with respect to said mount. 
     
     
         17 . The article of furniture according to  claim 15 , wherein said arm includes a cylindrical portion and said horizontal portion includes a cylindrical socket formed therein that is sized and configured to receive said cylindrical portion. 
     
     
         18 . The article of furniture according to  claim 17 , wherein said horizontal portion includes a slot formed around a portion of the circumference of said cylindrical socket and wherein said arm includes a protrusion adapted to engage said slot thereby limiting rotation of said arm with respect to said horizontal portion. 
     
     
         19 . The article of furniture according to  claim 18 , wherein said platform is non-rotatably attached to said arm, and wherein said platform is indexed relative to said protrusion. 
     
     
         20 . A chair, comprising:
 a seat portion and a back portion extending therefrom, wherein said seat portion and said back portion are configurable between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration; and   a platform assembly including:
 a mount means attached to said back portion for supporting said platform assembly; 
 an elbow means rotatably mated with said mount means for rotatably supporting an elongate arm in a horizontal orientation; 
 a rotation limiter means for limiting rotation of said elongate arm with respect to said elbow means; 
 a platform supported on said elongate arm; and 
 a slider means for allowing said platform to slide with respect to said arm while preventing said platform from rotating with respect to said arm.