Meal table with rotational lifting assistance

A seating configuration, comprising:

• a passenger seat;
• a console positioned to one side of the passenger seat;
• and
• a meal table assembly associated with the console, the meal table assembly comprising:
• a fixed column disposed within the console;
• a sleeve rotatably mounted on the fixed column;
• a support arm mounted at one end to the sleeve, a portion of the support arm extending outside of the console;
• a meal table mounted on the portion of the support arm extending outside of the console;
• and
• a rotational lifting mechanism comprising:
• a fixed lateral post mounted on the fixed column;
• a helical slot provided in the sleeve;
• and
• the fixed lateral post and the helical slot configured to interact to synchronize rotational and vertical motion of the sleeve relative to the fixed column;
• wherein:
• a stowed configuration of the meal table corresponds to a meal table position forward of the passenger seat;
• a deployed configuration of the meal table corresponds to a meal table position over the passenger seat;
• and
• a motion path of the meal table between the stowed configuration and the deployed configuration includes synchronous rotational and vertical motion.

A console mountable meal table assembly, comprising:

• a fixed cylindrical column;
• a sleeve rotatably mounted on the fixed cylindrical column;
• a support arm mounted at one end to the sleeve;
• a meal table mounted on the support arm;
• a rotational lifting mechanism comprising:
• diametrically opposed fixed lateral posts mounted on the fixed cylindrical column;
• diametrically opposed helical slots provided in the sleeve;
• and
• the fixed lateral posts and the helical slots configured to interact to synchronize rotational and vertical motion of the sleeve relative to the fixed cylindrical column;
• and
• a vertical lifting mechanism, comprising:
• a gas spring disposed vertically in the fixed cylindrical column, the gas spring including a gas cylinder and a reciprocating piston rod;
• diametrically opposed lateral posts carried by the piston rod;
• diametrically opposed vertical slots provided in the fixed column;
• and
• diametrically opposed horizontal slots provided in the sleeve;
• wherein:
• the lateral posts extend through each of their respective vertical slot and horizontal slot;
• in use, the gas spring operates to provide lift assistance to the sleeve, in contact with the lateral posts, as the sleeve is rotated in a first direction around the fixed cylindrical column;
• and
• in use, the gas spring operates to store potential energy as the sleeve is rotated in a second direction, opposite the first direction, around the fixed cylindrical column.