PLATFORM ASSEMBLY AND ARTICLE OF FURNITURE INCORPORATING THE SAME

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.