Inertial latch

An inertial latch for an armrest of a motor vehicle comprising:

• a bracket mounted to a support structure of the motor vehicle, the bracket having a plurality of fasteners, the armrest rotatably connected to the bracket by a first fastener;
• a travel rod disposed in an arcuate slot formed in the bracket, the arcuate slot extending from a first end to a second end, an insert disposed in at least a portion of the arcuate slot, the insert altering an effective width of the arcuate slot;
• a primary pawl rotatable about a second fastener from a first position to a second position, the primary pawl biased towards the first position and selectively limiting motion of the travel rod in the arcuate slot;
• a secondary pawl rotatable about a third pin from a third position to a fourth position, the secondary pawl biased towards the third position and selectively limiting motion of the primary pawl;
• and
• a stop limiting a range of motion of the secondary pawl,
• wherein the armrest articulates from a closed position to an open position, the travel rod is allowed to move through the entirety of the arcuate slot when the primary pawl is in a first position, the travel rod is held within a first portion less than the entirety of the arcuate slot when the primary pawl is in a second position, and the travel rod is selectively releasable from the first portion.

An inertial latch for an armrest of a motor vehicle comprising:

• a bracket mounted to a support structure of the motor vehicle, the bracket having a plurality of fasteners, the armrest rotatably connected to the bracket by a first fastener;
• a travel rod disposed in an arcuate slot formed in the bracket, the arcuate slot extending from a first end to a second end, the travel rod including a slot;
• an insert disposed in at least a portion of the arcuate slot, the insert altering an effective width of the arcuate slot;
• a primary pawl rotatable about a second fastener from a first position to a second position, the primary pawl biased towards the first position by a first control spring, the primary pawl selectively limiting motion of the travel rod in the arcuate slot;
• a secondary pawl rotatable about a third pin from a third position to a fourth position, the secondary pawl biased towards the third position by a second control spring, the secondary pawl selectively limiting motion of the primary pawl, the secondary pawl having an interference portion that physically contacts the travel rod when the travel rod is at the first end of the arcuate slot;
• and
• a stop limiting a range of motion of the secondary pawl,
• wherein the armrest articulates from a closed position to an open position, the travel rod is allowed to move through the entirety of the arcuate slot when the primary pawl is in a first position;
• the primary pawl engages with the slot of the travel rod when the primary pawl is in the second position, and the travel rod is held within a first portion less than the entirety of the arcuate slot when the primary pawl is in a second position;
• the travel rod is selectively releasable from the first portion by manipulating the armrest from the locked position at least part way towards the closed position, the secondary pawl is in contact with the stop when the secondary pawl is in the third position, and when the armrest is in the closed position and not subjected to dynamic external forces, the travel rod is disposed at the first end of the arcuate slot, and the primary pawl is in the first position, and when the armrest is in the open position and not subjected to dynamic external forces, the travel rod is disposed at the second end of the arcuate slot opposite from the first end, the primary pawl is in the first position, and the secondary pawl is in the third position, and the secondary pawl is in contact with the stop in the third position, and wherein when the armrest is in the closed position and subjected to dynamic external forces, the armrest engages a locked position in which the primary pawl moves from the first position to the second position, the travel rod moves away from the first end of the arcuate slot, and the secondary pawl moves from the third position to the fourth position, wherein the travel rod contacts and interferes with movement of the primary pawl, the secondary pawl contacts and interferes with movement of the primary pawl and the travel rod, and the travel rod is held within the first portion.