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A seating apparatus has 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, the seat having a seat base

A seating apparatus has 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, 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 is also provided with a flat coiled torsion spring for biasing the arm to the stowed position, 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.

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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 se

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; ande) a flat coiled torsion spring for biasing the swing arm to the stowed position, 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, the flat coiled torsion spring comprising a thin strip of resilient metal coiled in a flat spiral about the pivot axis.2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the swing arm is pivotable about a pivot joint comprising upper and lower brackets extending from the upright to vertically straddle an inner end of the swing arm, a bore provided in the straddled inner end of the swing arm, and a generally vertical pin supported by the brackets and extending through the bore of the swing arm, the swing arm being pivotable about the pin.3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a boss fixed to pivot with the swing arm, the boss extending axially between the swing arm and an adjacent one of the upper and lower brackets of the pivot joint.4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the pivot joint further comprises a bushing provided in the bore, the bushing having an outer surface sized to fit snugly within an inner surface of the bore, and an inner diameter sized to provide a sliding fit with the pin.5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the boss extends from the bushing.6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising anti-rotate means adjacent the bushing and the bore for preventing relative motion between the bushing and bore.7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the anti-rotate means comprises an axial groove along the outer surface of the bushing and a radially inwardly directed key extending from the inner surface of the bore and engaging the groove of the bushing.8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the second end of the torsion spring is fixed to the boss, and the first end of the torsion spring is fixed to the adjacent one of the upper and lower brackets of the pivot joint.9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the adjacent one of the upper and lower brackets has a generally vertical gusset with an exposed edge extending adjacent the boss.10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first end of the torsion spring comprises a radially outwardly extending hook that is hooked onto the exposed edge of the gusset.11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the boss extends axially through the center of the torsion spring.12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second end of the torsion spring comprises a tab directed radially inwardly, and the boss has a transverse slot to engage the tab.13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a swivel mechanism for swivelably supporting the seat above the swing arm, the swivel mechanism biasing the seat in a central direction.14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the swivel mechanism comprises:a) a sleeve fixed to an outer end of the swing 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;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; andd) a compression spring urging the lower cam against the upper cam.15. The seating apparatus of claim 1 whereinthe upright has an upper end adjacent the work surface and a lower end opposite the upper end, the upright extending continuously along a straight axis between the upper and lower ends, and the upright adapted to be inclined from the vertical when in use, 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.16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the upper and lower ends of the upright are generally perpendicular to the axis of the upright.17. The apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising a work surface mounting bracket adjacent the upper end of the upright for mounting the work surface obliquely with respect to the generally perpendicular upper end of the upright.18. A support element for a seating apparatus, the support element comprising:a) an upright for supporting a work surface above a floor;b) a swing arm for supporting a seat, the swing arm pivotably mounted to the upright and pivotable between a stowed position wherein a seat supported by the swing arm is substantially underneath a work surface supported by the upright, and a deployed position wherein a seat supported by the swing arm is substantially clear of a work surface supported by the upright; andc) a flat coiled torsion spring for biasing the swing arm to the stowed position, 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, the flat coiled torsion spring comprising a thin strip of resilient metal coiled in a flat spiral about the pivot axis.19. The support element of claim 18 further comprisinga 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 to change the angular position of the swing arm relative to the upright corresponding to the position at which the dynamic and static return stop elements abut.20. The support element of claim 19 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.21. The support element of claim 20 wherein the static return stop element comprises a bracket extending from the upright.22. The support element of claim 21 wherein the bracket has at least one generally vertical gusset, and the static return stop element comprises an exposed edge of the gusset.