Chairs and seats – Back carries stored supplemental body support – Armrest movable from recess in back
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-24
2001-04-10
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Back carries stored supplemental body support
Armrest movable from recess in back
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213546
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an armrest for a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to an armrest that is integral to a seatback and slidable from a stowed position to a use position and visa-versa.
Vehicle armrests have been fabricated in a variety of forms to accommodate various seat structures and configurations present in modem automobiles, such as rear bench seats. Present conventional armrests mounted in the rear seat of an automobile deploy from the stowed position to the use position by rotating about a fixed pivot in the seat structure. The stowed position is typically a generally vertical position with the armrest fitted into the seat back to form a flush seatback surface and the use position is typically a generally horizontal position at approximately the elbow height for a user. In operation, a conventional rotatable armrest will be rotated by the user from the stowed position to the use position.
One disadvantage with conventional rotatable armrests is that they are generally difficult to install and mechanically intricate, as they require numerous fittings to be attached to the seat back frame. In this regard, rotatable armrests require that a pivot point be installed in the frame of the seat and that both the top and bottom surfaces be trimmed with cover material. These additional fittings and trim material cause the installation of a rotatable armrest to be highly complex.
Furthermore, present rotatable armrests are not ergonomically friendly, as they require the user to first move his or her arm and then to rotate the armrest from its generally vertical stowed position to its generally horizontal use position. This action is time consuming and may also be difficult or awkward for less dexterous individuals to execute.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ergonomically deployed armrest assembly that is easily installed into a standard vehicle seat which does not suffer from the above mentioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an armrest assembly is provided with modular packaging and a slidable deployment mechanism. The armrest assembly includes a support frame that mounts in simple fashion to a seat frame using tabs and conventional fasteners. An armrest is slidably coupled at one end to slots in the support frame and is pivotably coupled on its bottom surface to a load-bearing lever that is also pivotably coupled to the support frame.
The armrest deploys from a generally vertical stowed position in the armrest assembly to a generally horizontal use position in a sliding/pivoting ergonomic fashion. In operation, a seated user will generate downward and/or forward forces on the armrest to deploy the armrest, using an elbow or other portion of the arm, or alternatively by pulling the armrest with a hand. One end of the armrest slidably couples to the slots in the support frame, allowing the armrest to slide and pivot downward along the fixed path provided by the slots. The lever, as it pivots and deploys to a load-bearing position, will force the armrest to gradually pivot from a vertical position to a horizontal use position. The lever is pivotably coupled at the bottom end of the support frame and is parallel to and hidden under the armrest in the stowed position. The lever will pivot about its pivot coupling on the support frame and extend outward, thus generating a force on its pivot coupling point on the bottom surface of the armrest. Accordingly, the downward and/or forward forces exerted by the user will place the lever in a load-bearing position for the armrest in the use position.
The deployment method of the armrest assembly of the present invention is simple and ergonomic, as the user's arm is on the top or use surface of the armrest at all times during its deployment. The user does not have to lift an arm to pivot the armrest, as in conventional assemblies, rather the user need only push or pull downward and/or forward on the armrest.
Furthermore, the modular packaging of the present invention allows the armrest assembly to be easily inserted into the cutout of a seat cushion. Tabs on the top of the support frame of the armrest assembly slip into coupling apertures on a seat frame and the bottom of the support frame is coupled to a seat frame with conventional fasteners. This simple tab and fastener coupling method is superior to the multi-part installation of conventional rotating armrests. The amount of trim material for the armrest of the present invention is also reduced, as compared to a conventional rotatable armrest, since only one surface is exposed to a user in both the stowed and deployed positions. The reduction of trim material simplifies the armrest of the present invention and reduces its overall thickness.
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Malusev Aleksandar D.
Smith Susan H.
Foley & Lardner
Johnson Controls Technology Company
Jr. Milton Nelson
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