Description:Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle interior. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tray assembly for a vehicle seat.

Background of the invention:

[0002] In today's increasingly connected and mobile world, vehicles have transformed from mere modes of transportation into multifunctional spaces where drivers and passengers seek not only convenience but also enhanced productivity. Within a vehicle's interior, there's often a lack of suitable storage space for electronic devices and personal items. This can lead to clutter, inconvenience, and even safety concerns, as items may become dislodged during travel. As a result, there is a growing demand for innovative interior solutions that provide secure storage, organization, and accessibility to various items and electronic devices within the confines of an automobile.

[0003] Moreover, in today's tech-savvy era, electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets have become constant companions of vehicle occupants. They serve as platforms for video consumption, enabling passengers to stream content for entertainment and information. Consequently, there's a need for a secure arrangement that can proficiently accommodate and support these electronic devices, ensuring that occupants can utilize them effectively without having the inconvenience of holding them manually.

[0004] Furthermore, the demands of vehicle occupants extend to creating an onboard dining space for enjoying meals or snacks while travelling. Additionally, occupants require a dedicated workspace where they can place their laptops and engage in productive tasks for extended durations during their journeys. However, incorporating all these functionalities such as securely holding phones or tablets, providing dining space, and offering a practical workspace within the limited space constraints of a vehicle is a complex challenge.

[0005] Therefore, there is a requirement for a tray assembly for a vehicle seat to overcome all or a few drawbacks of the present technologies.

Objects of the invention

[0006] Object of the present invention is to provide a tray assembly for a vehicle seat which provides an integrated solution to facilitate a docketing station, a dining space or a workspace within the confined space wherein, the docketing station and dining space are configurable according to the use of the occupant.

Summary of the invention:

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided with a tray assembly for a vehicle seat. The tray assembly may include a first receptacle and a second receptacle. The first receptacle may be adapted to configure a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis that may be parallel to each other and configured at opposite ends of the first receptacle. The first receptacle may be hingedly fixed to a backrest at a first pivot axis and detachably connected to the backrest at the second pivot axis. Further, the second receptacle may be pivotably coupled to the first receptacle at the second pivot axis.

[0008] The first receptacle may be movable from a stowed position to a deployed position, such that in the stowed position, the first receptacle is configured in a substantially vertical position with respect to the backrest and the second receptacle may flush against the first receptacle and is adapted to receive at least one portable device or an article.

[0009] In the deployed position, the first receptacle may be configured in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the backrest for holding or placing an article thereon, and the second receptacle is adapted to support the first receptacle in its deployed position. Meanwhile, a portion of the second receptacle may be secured within a slot arranged on the backrest to support the first receptacle in its substantially horizontal position. Specifically, the bottom portion of the second receptacle may be adapted to get engaged with the slot of the backrest for configuring a second position of the second receptacle. The second receptacle may be pivoted around the second pivot axis to configure a first position to receive the article or at least one portable device, and the second position to support the first receptacle when the first receptacle is configured in the horizontal position.

[0010] Further, the second receptacle may have a hook-shaped structure to receive and hold at least one portable device in the substantially vertical position of the first receptacle.

[0011] In another aspect, the second receptacle may include a sliding arrangement to hold the portable devices having variable sizes. Specifically, the sliding arrangement includes a slider that is slidably arranged on a surface of the second receptacle and adapted to slide along a transverse direction to accommodate the portable devices having variable sizes.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the sliding arrangement may include two holding supports slidably arranged on a surface of the second receptacle and adapted to slide along a longitudinal direction to accommodate the portable devices having variable sizes.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, the bottom portion of the second receptacle may be adapted to engage with the first receptacle to provide stability to the second receptacle in the stowed position of the first receptacle.

[0014] In one more aspect of the present invention, the first receptacle and/or the second receptacle may include an integrated wireless charging pad to charge electronic devices like phones, tablets, headphone cases, watches, or any other electronic accessories when configured in the deployed position and/or stowed position respectively.

Brief description of drawings:

[0015] The advantages and features of the present invention will be understood better with reference to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which:

[0016] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a tray assembly for a vehicle seat in accordance with the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the tray assembly for a vehicle seat illustrating a stowed position of a first receptacle in accordance with the present invention; and

[0018] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the tray assembly for a vehicle seat illustrating a deployed position of the first receptacle in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

[0019] An embodiment of this invention, illustrating its features, will now be described in detail. The words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.

[0020] The terms “first,” “second,” and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms.

[0021] The present invention provides a tray assembly for a vehicle seat which provides a docking station to the occupants. The tray assembly is adapted to provide a dining space or a workspace by configuring the deployed position of the receptacle. The tray assembly is arranged inside the vehicle interior considering the space constraints of the vehicle interior to provide an integrated solution to the docking station and the dining space/workspace.

[0022] Referring now to figures 1, 2 and 3, a tray assembly (100) for a vehicle seat in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The tray assembly (100) is configured to be arranged on a backrest (200) of the vehicle, but a person skilled in the art can arrange the tray assembly (100) on any other surface of the vehicle interior.

[0023] The tray assembly (100) includes a first receptacle (10), and a second receptacle (20). The first receptacle (10) has a first pivot axis (11) and a second pivot axis (12) configured at opposite ends of the first receptacle (10). The first receptacle (10) is hingedly fixed to the backrest (200) at the first pivot axis (11) and detachably connected to the backrest (200) at the second pivot axis (12) side. Further, the second receptacle (20) is pivotably coupled to the first receptacle (10) at the second pivot axis (12).

[0024] It is obvious to a person skilled in the art to configure a second pivot axis (12) at the center portion of the first receptacle (10) to pivotably couple the second receptacle (20) on the first receptacle (10) at the second pivot axis (12).

[0025] The end of the first receptacle (10) that has the first pivot axis (11) is hingedly fixed to the backrest (200), and the end that has the second pivot axis (12) is detachably connected to the backrest (200). The first receptacle (10) is movable from a stowed position (shown in figures 1 and 2) to a deployed position (shown in figure 3). Specifically, the first receptacle (10) is movable around the first pivot axis (11) to configure the stowed position and the deployed position. In the stowed position, the plane of the first receptacle (10) is parallel to the plane of the backrest (200) such that a front surface of the first receptacle (10) is in touch or in contact with the backrest (200). In the deployed position, the plane of the first receptacle (10) is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the backrest (200) ensuring that the front surface of the first receptacle (10) is oriented towards the upward direction for receiving articles such as phones, books, beverage cups and the like.

[0026] In an embodiment, the first receptacle (10) includes a locking mechanism (not shown) arranged at a portion of the second pivot axis (12) to detach or attach the first receptacle (10) to the backrest (200). The locking mechanism can be a latch mechanism (not shown) with a hook arranged on the first receptacle (10) and a receiving portion provided on the backrest (200) to securely hold the hook therein to configure the stowed position of the first receptacle (10). It may be obvious to a person skilled in the art to use any type of locking mechanism to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the first receptacle (10).

[0027] Further, the second receptacle (20) is movable between a first position (50a) (shown in figure 2) and a second position (50b) (shown in figure 3). Specifically, the second receptacle (20) is movable around the second pivot axis (12) to configure the first position (50a) and the second position (50b). In the first position (50a) of the second receptacle (20), the second receptacle (20) is flushed against the first receptacle (10) while the first receptacle (10) is in the stowed position. Specifically, the second receptacle (20) is substantially vertical with respect to the backrest and the plane of the second receptacle (20) is parallel to the plane of the first receptacle (10).

[0028] The second receptacle (20) is adapted to receive at least one portable device (40) or an article when configured in the first position (50a). Specifically, the second receptacle (20) has a hook-shaped structure (22) to receive and hold at least one portable device (40) on the second receptacle (20) in the substantially vertical position of the first receptacle (10). The hook-shaped structure (22) is arranged at a bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) to securely hold at least one portable device (40).

[0029] In the stowed position of the first receptacle (10), the first receptacle (10) is configured in a substantially vertical position with respect to the backrest (200) and the second receptacle (20) is adapted to receive at least one portable device (40). Further, in the deployed position, the first receptacle (10) is configured in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the backrest (200) for holding or placing an article thereon, and the second receptacle (20) is adapted to support the first receptacle (10) in its deployed position.

[0030] In an embodiment of the present invention, the second receptacle (20) is arranged at the second pivot axis (12) in such a way that when configured in the first position (50a), the second receptacle (20) is movable in predefined degrees around the second pivot axis (12) to adjust the viewing angle of the portable device (40), when the portable device (40) is a smartphone, or a tablet or the like. Specifically, the second receptacle (20) is adapted to slightly move forward away from the first receptacle (10) by pivoting around the second pivot axis (12) to configure an intermediate position/s which is configurable according to the occupant's requirement. Further, to facilitate the adjustment of the second receptacle (20) for various viewing angles, the second receptacle (20) may include an adjustment mechanism arranged at the portion of the second pivot axis (12)..

[0031] In the present embodiment, the bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) is a free end but, in an embodiment, the bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) may be adapted to engage with the first receptacle (10) or the backrest (200) to configure the first position (50a). The second receptacle (20) may include an engaging mechanism (not shown) arranged at the bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) to detach or attach the second receptacle (20) to the first receptacle (10) or the backrest (200). The engaging mechanism can be a latch mechanism (not shown) with a hook arranged on the second receptacle (20) and a receiving portion provided on the first receptacle (10) or the backrest (200) to securely hold the hook therein to provide stability to the second receptacle (20). It may be obvious to a person skilled in the art to use any type of engaging mechanism to facilitate the attachment and detachment of the second receptacle (20). In the first position (50a) of the second receptacle (20), the engagement of the second receptacle (20) with the first receptacle (10) or the backrest (200) provides stability to the second receptacle (20) as the docking station.

[0032] In an embodiment, the second receptacle (20) is adapted to receive any type of portable device (40) like a smartphone, or a tablet for configuring a docketing station. Specifically, the second receptacle (20) includes a sliding arrangement (not shown) to accommodate the portable device (40) having variable sizes.

[0033] In an embodiment of the invention, the sliding arrangement includes a slider which is slidably arranged on a surface of the second receptacle (20) to accommodate the portable devices (40) having variable sizes. The slider is adapted to slide along a transverse direction that is the vertical direction to receive and hold at least one portable device (40).

[0034] In an alternative embodiment, the sliding arrangement (not shown) is adapted to slide along a longitudinal direction to receive and hold at least one portable device (40). Specifically, the sliding arrangement may include two holding supports (not shown) provided to hold the portable devices (40) from the sideways direction. Further, the two holding supports may be spring-loaded to securely accommodate the portable devices (40) having variable sizes. Specifically, the two holding supports are extendable away from each other to receive at least one portable device (40) and upon release, the spring force causes the two holding supports to retract toward each other to effectively secure the received portable device (40).

[0035] Referring again to figures 2, and 3, the tray assembly (100) is adapted to transform into a dining space or a workspace. Specifically, the first receptacle (10) is configured in the deployed position to provide the dining space or the workspace to the occupant. The first receptacle (10) is detached from the backrest (200) and then pivotably moved in a substantially horizontal position to configure the deployed position. The front surface of the first receptacle (10) is adapted to be used as the dining space or the workspace. The occupant can use the first receptacle (10) for holding or placing the articles. The occupant can use the first receptacle (10) as the dining space for holding meals, snacks or any other food products. The occupant can use the same first receptacle (10) as the workspace by keeping the laptop on the front surface of the first receptacle (10).

[0036] Meanwhile, the second receptacle (20) is engaged with the backrest (200) for configuring the second position (50b) to support the first receptacle (10) in the deployed position. Specifically, the backrest (200) includes a slot (210) adapted to receive a portion of the second receptacle (20). Specifically, the bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) is adapted to engage with the slot (210) of the backrest (200) to lock the first receptacle (10) in the horizontal position or on the deployed position and configures the second position (50b) of the second receptacle (20). It is obvious to a person skilled in the art to provide any type of engagement mechanism on the backrest (200) to receive the portion of the second receptacle (20) for supporting the first receptacle (10) in the deployed position.

[0037] In another embodiment of the present invention, the backrest (200) may include a series of slots (not shown) arranged in a vertical direction to receive the portion of the second receptacle (20). The series of slots facilitate the multiple deployed positions of the first receptacle (10) having different elevation angles with respect to the backrest (200). The occupant can configure the first receptacle (10) in any of the deployed positions according to the requirement and specific use.

[0038] In one more embodiment of the present invention, the first receptacle (10) is hingedly fixed to the backrest (200) at the first pivot axis (11) using a friction hinge or a torque hinge (not shown) allowing the first receptacle (10) to configure various positions while being moved from the stowed position to the deployed position. The friction hinge or the torque hinge is adapted to provide resistance to the pivoting motion of the first receptacle (10) to control the motion or hold the first receptacle (10) in multiple deployed positions according to the occupant's requirements. The first receptacle (10) is configurable in multiple deployed positions irrespective of the position of the second receptacle (20) by using the friction hinge or the torque hinge. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art to provide various arrangements to facilitate the multiple deployed positions of the first receptacle (10).

[0039] In an embodiment, the backrest (200) may include a projection (not shown) to engage with the bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) to lock and support the first receptacle (10) in the deployed position.

[0040] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first receptacle (10) specifically the front surface of the first receptacle (10) includes an integrated wireless charging pad (not shown) to charge electronic devices like phones, tablets, headphone cases, watches, or any other electronic accessories.

[0041] In one more embodiment of the present invention, the front surface of the first receptacle (10) includes a mobile phone stand (not shown) to receive and hold the mobile phone on the first receptacle (10) when configured in the deployed position.

[0042] Therefore, the advantage of the present invention is to provide the tray assembly (100) for a vehicle seat. The arrangement of the second receptacle (20) with respect to the first receptacle (10) facilitates the docking station as well as the dining space/workspace. Further, the tray assembly (100) is adapted to provide multiple functionalities within the confined space. In the stowed position, the tray assembly (100) enables the provision of a docking station, while in the deployed position, the tray assembly (100) enables the provision of a dining space or a workspace.

[0043] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention best and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilise the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the claims of the present invention.
, Claims:We Claim:
1. A tray assembly (100) for a vehicle seat, comprising:
a first receptacle (10) hingedly fixed to a backrest (200) at a first pivot axis (11) ;
a second receptacle (20) coupled to the first receptacle (10);
wherein the first receptacle (10) is movable from a stowed position to a deployed position, such that in the stowed position, the first receptacle (10) is configured in a substantially vertical position with respect to the backrest (200) and the second receptacle (20) is adapted to receive at least one portable device (40);
wherein in the deployed position, the first receptacle (10) is configured in a substantially horizontal position with respect to the backrest (200) for holding or placing an article thereon, and the second receptacle (20) is adapted to support the first receptacle (10) in its deployed position.
2. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hook-shaped structure (22) of the second receptacle (20) is adapted to receive and hold at least one portable device (40) in the substantially vertical position of the first receptacle (10), and a portion of the second receptacle (20) is secured within a slot (210) arranged on the backrest (200) to support the first receptacle (10) in its substantially horizontal position.

3. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second receptacle (20) is pivotably coupled to the first receptacle (10) at a second pivot axis (12), wherein the first pivot axis (11) and the second pivot axis (12) are parallel to each other and configured at opposite ends of the first receptacle (10), wherein the first receptacle (10) is detachably connected to the backrest (200) at a second pivot axis (12) side.

4. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second receptacle (20) is pivoted around the second pivot axis (12) to configure a first position (50a) to receive the at least one portable device (40), and a second position (50b) to support the first receptacle (10) when the first receptacle (10) is configured in the horizontal position.

5. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein a bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) is adapted to get engaged with the slot (210) of the backrest (200) for configuring the second position (50b) of the second receptacle (20).

6. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second receptacle (20) includes a sliding arrangement to hold the portable devices (40) having variable sizes.

7. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sliding arrangement includes a slider that is slidably arranged on a surface of the second receptacle (20) and adapted to slide along a transverse direction to accommodate the portable devices (40) having variable sizes.

8. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sliding arrangement includes two holding supports slidably arranged on a surface of the second receptacle (20) and adapted to slide along a longitudinal direction to accommodate the portable devices (40) having variable sizes.

9. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a bottom portion of the second receptacle (20) is adapted to engage with the first receptacle (10) or the backrest (200) to provide stability to the second receptacle (20) in the stowed position of the first receptacle (10).

10. The tray assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first receptacle (10) and/or the second receptacle (20) includes an integrated wireless charging pad to charge an electronic devices like phones, tablets, headphone cases, watches, or any other electronic accessories when configured in the deployed position and/or stowed position respectively.