US 10,093,213 B2Granted

Armrest release mechanism

AssigneeLear Corporation

InventorsYue Zuo, XiaoZhong Wu, Cheng Zhan, Chaoyan Zhan, Yaoju Song, Weiping Li

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Abstract

A vehicle armrest includes an armrest base having a pivot axle that extends along a pivot axis. The armrest base also includes a release mechanism that includes a pair of latch extensions supported on the armrest base for relative movement along a latch axis that is substantially parallel to the pivot axis. A latch spring biases the latch extensions apart from each other. A release handle is mounted on the armrest base for relative movement in a handle release direction. A pinion is mounted on the armrest base for relative rotational movement. Movement of the release handle in the release direction causes rotation of the pinion relative to the armrest base which, in turn, causes the latch extensions to move along the latch axis toward one another.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A vehicle armrest comprising:

an armrest base including a pivot axle that extends along a pivot axis;
and
a release mechanism that includes:
(1) a pair of latch extensions supported on the armrest base for relative movement along a latch axis that is substantially parallel to the pivot axis;
(2) a latch spring biasing the latch extensions apart from each other;
(3) a release handle mounted on the armrest base for relative movement in a handle release direction;
and
(4) a pinion mounted on the armrest base for relative rotational movement and engaged with both of the pair of latch extensions;
wherein movement of the release handle in the handle release direction causes rotation of the pinion relative to the armrest base, and rotation of the pinion relative to the armrest base causes both of the pair of latch extensions to move along the latch axis toward one another.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.