Chairs and seats – Armrest – Movable to nonuse position
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-30
2002-04-23
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Armrest
Movable to nonuse position
C297S411380, C297S216100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06375265
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an armrest for a motor vehicle seat, which, with one end designed as a disk, is capable of being pivoted about a bearing journal, after the release of a locking device by raising its other end, with said end in the direction towards the seat surface, into a release position, and from there by again raising in the direction towards the seatback of the vehicle seat, about a specific pivot angle between two contact stop edges, into a locked position of use.
BACKGROUND ART
With an armrest of this kind, known from public use, the locking device consists of a pivotable engagement cam, which is arranged on the disk in a pivotable manner at a bearing pin, and in the position of use is supported by a projection at a first contact stop edge of the housing. When the other end of the armrest is raised, the engagement cam falls under its own weight against the second contact stop edge, which is formed from the free limb of a leaf spring mounted in a recess on the disk. The engagement cam is held in the release position, by this, and when the armrest is again pivoted upwards, it is pressed in front of the first contact edge of the housing into the position of use of the armrest. Because the engagement spring takes effect on the engagement cam only in the release position, protection against overload is not guaranteed. This leads to the situation in which, if the armrest is subjected to load by a person sifting on it, the engagement cam or the contact stop edge of the housing may break off, and the armrest rendered unusable. In addition to this, such a design requires an expensive aluminum decanting manufacture, of both the armrest and the housing. Finally, the engagement cam must also be manufactured from stamped steel, and the U-shaped leaf spring of spring steel.
With a second embodiment of the armrest, known from public use, of the type referred to in the preamble, the locking device consists of a sliding block capable of pivoting about a fixed-position pin in the housing, which is provided on its two narrow faces with V-shaped recesses, into which corresponding projecting contact edges of the disk of the armrest engage. In order to move the armrest from its position of use into its release position, the first contact edge of the disk, when raised, slides out of the V-shaped recess of the sliding block, in the direction of the seatback, the sliding block then being pivoted outwards as the second contact edge at the disk is raised further, out of the circular pivot path of the first contact edge of the disk, as a result of which the armrest can be pivoted downwards completely, in the direction of the seat surface, into its release position. When the armrest is raised again, the sliding block is pivoted around by the second contact edge into an engagement position with the first contact edge of the disk, so that with the subsequent repeated downwards pivoting of the armrest in the direction onto the seat, the first contact edge will engage in the other V-shaped recess, and a secure locking position, and therefore a position of use, of the armrest can again be guaranteed. This armrest likewise does not feature any overload protection, and requires, for the reinforcement of the middle section of the disk, which is made of plastic, appropriately stable and profiled insertion sheets made of steel.
Finally, an armrest of a different generic type is known from DE 39 40 895 A1, with which a locking pawl of fixed position, arranged so as to pivot about a bearing pin in the housing and under the effect of a bending spring engages in an outside tooth arrangement of the end of the armrest designed as a disk, in the position of use, and, when the armrest is raised, slides upwards against the force of a recovery spring over an oblique running surface at the disk, out of the teeth arrangement, onto a surface of the disk in the shape of a circle segment. This embodiment suffers from the disadvantage that on the one hand no overload protection is provided for the armrest, and, on the other, both the raising of the armrest into the release position as well as its pivoting downwards into its position of use is always effected against a pre-stressed recovery spring. This requires, at least at the raising of the armrest into the release position, additional force to be applied by the operating person, which under certain circumstances is not inconsiderable, which is ergonomically unfavorable. In the final analysis, this design presents an extremely complicated structure and is restricted to expensive metallic materials.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Taking this prior art as the basis, the objective on which the invention is based is of creating an armrest of the generic type referred to in the preamble, which with simple structural means will guarantee a reliable position of use, optionally with or without overload protection, ensures trouble-free and low-friction switching of the locking device for moving the armrest from its position of use into its release position and vice-versa, and can be made largely of plastic.
This objective is resolved, in conjunction with the generic concept according to the invention as described in the preamble, by the following features:
a) The locking device consists of a setting piston, capable of movement approximately radially to the bearing journal and under the effect of an engagement spring, with a transverse aperture and a locking slide capable of displacement therein,
b) The setting piston is provided at its end turned away from the engagement spring with an engagement projection, and engages with this, under the effect of the engagement spring, into an engagement recess,
c) The locking slide is capable of displacement in the transverse aperture of the setting piston between the two limbs of the pivot angle from a first contact edge into a locking fixed position, pushing the setting piston against the effect of the engagement spring, now still further prestressed, to the release position of the armrest, and
d) Is capable of displacement from a second contact edge into the position of use, leading to the locking of the armrest, releasing the setting piston to the effect of the engagement spring.
By means of these features an armrest is created with which, by means of the interaction of the end of the armrest, designed as a disk, in conjunction with the setting piston and the locking slide, a compact and highly efficient locking device is created, which, according to feature d), in the position of use, the engagement spring is released to take effect on the setting piston and therefore on its engagement projection. The features a), b) and c) guarantee an armrest which can be manufactured completely out of plastic, as far as the engagement spring and the bearing journal, in economical series manufacture. No maintenance is required, because the setting piston slides within its short displacement path on plastic surfaces, as the locking slide always does, which from the outset feature low friction coefficients. This also applies to the bearing journal made of metal, because this in turn is surrounded by an annular aperture of the disk of the armrest, said disk being made of plastic. The setting piston and the locking slide form a low-friction sliding switch with high strength, with the result that a low-friction and trouble-free switching of the armrest from its release position into its position of use and vice-versa can be effected at all times.
In an advantageous further embodiment of the invention, the setting piston features a square or rectangular external cross-section shape, and at its end turned towards the spring is provided with a recess to accommodate it, and, at its end turned away from the spring, is provided, either between two fork-shaped limbs, with a rotatable engagement roller, which engages in an engagement recess in the shape of a circle section, or with a rigid engagement projection engaging with positive fit into a corresponding positive-fit engagement recess. With the first alternative, overload protection is gu
Hübner Reinhard
Rüsing Arnold
Cuomo Peter M.
Edell Joseph
Renner Kenner Greive Bobak Taylor & Weber
LandOfFree
Armrest for a vehicle seat does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Armrest for a vehicle seat, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Armrest for a vehicle seat will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2839009