US 11,535,380 B2Granted

Rotating armrest assembly

AssigneeSafran Seats USA LLC

InventorsArthur Glain, Oscar Ruiz Lara

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Abstract

An armrest assembly for a passenger seat includes a moveable arm including a proximal end and a distal end, a stowed configuration wherein the moveable arm is disposed adjacent and approximately parallel to a seatback of the passenger seat, and a deployed configuration wherein the moveable arm is approximately parallel to a seat pan of the passenger seat. The moveable arm may include a first portion and a second portion. The armrest assembly may include a first rotation axis such that the moveable arm pivots about the first rotation axis when moving between the stowed configuration and the deployed configuration. The armrest assembly may include a second rotation axis such that the second portion pivots about the second rotation axis relative to the first portion.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An armrest assembly for a passenger seat comprising:

a moveable arm comprising:
a first rotation axis;
a second rotation axis;
a first portion comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end of the first portion defining a proximal end of the moveable arm, the first portion rotatable about the first rotation axis;
a second portion comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end of the second portion defining a distal end of the arm from opposite the proximal end, wherein the second portion is rotatable relative to the first portion and about the second rotation axis, wherein the second portion comprises an ergonomic face, a lower face opposite the ergonomic face, and a stowing face between the ergonomic face and the lower face, wherein a width of the ergonomic face is greater than a width of the stowing face and greater than a width of the lower face;
and
an internal rod extending from the first portion to the second portion, wherein the internal rod extends parallel to the second rotation axis, wherein an outer surface of the rod comprises a limiting portion,
wherein the first portion is rotatable about the first rotation axis such that the moveable arm is positionable about the first rotation axis between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein, in the deployed position, the moveable arm extends in a lateral direction, and wherein, in the stowed configuration, the moveable arm extends in an upward direction,
wherein the second portion is rotatable about second rotation axis relative to the first portion such that the second portion is positionable about the second rotation axis between a base configuration and a rotated configuration,
wherein, in the base configuration and in the deployed configuration, the ergonomic face faces upward and the stowing face faces a lateral direction,
wherein, in the rotated configuration and in the deployed configuration, the ergonomic face faces the lateral direction, the stowing face faces upward, and a surface of the first portion and a surface of the second portion extend in the same plane,
wherein the moveable arm further comprises:
an indexing pin at an interface between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the interface comprises the second end of the first portion and the first end of the second portion, and wherein the second end of the first portion and the first end of the second portion face each other, wherein the indexing pin extends outwards from at least one of the second end of the first portion or the first end of the second portion;
a first opening corresponding to the base configuration;
and
a second opening corresponding to the rotated configuration,
wherein the first opening and the second opening are defined in the first end of the second portion or the second end of the first portion opposite from the indexing pin, and
wherein the indexing pin is engageable with the first opening and the second opening to prevent rotation about the second rotation axis,
wherein the second portion is linearly movable along the second rotation axis relative to the first portion between a retraced configuration and an extended configuration, wherein:
in the retracted configuration, the first portion and the second portion are immediately adjacent one another and the indexing pin is engaged with the first opening or the second opening, wherein, in the retracted configuration, the limiting portion of the internal rod limits rotation of the first portion relative to the second portion;
and
in the extended configuration, the first portion and the second portion are spaced apart from one another by an armrest gap, and a distance between the first portion and the second portion in the extended position is greater than a distance between the first portion and the second portion in the retracted position, wherein, in the extended configuration, the first portion is freely rotatable relative to the second portion.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An armrest assembly for a passenger seat comprising:

a moveable arm comprising:
a first rotation axis;
a second rotation axis;
a first portion comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end of the first portion defining a proximal end of the moveable arm, the first portion rotatable about the first rotation axis;
a second portion comprising a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end of the second portion defining a distal end of the arm from opposite the proximal end, wherein the second portion is rotatable relative to the first portion and about the second rotation axis, wherein the second portion comprises an ergonomic face, a lower face opposite the ergonomic face, and a stowing face between the ergonomic face and the lower face, wherein a width of the ergonomic face is greater than a width of the stowing face and greater than a width of the lower face;
and
an internal rod extending from the first portion to the second portion, wherein the internal rod extends parallel to the second rotation axis, wherein an outer surface of the rod comprises a limiting portion,
wherein the first portion is rotatable about the first rotation axis such that the moveable arm is positionable about the first rotation axis between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein, in the deployed position, the moveable arm extends in a lateral direction, and wherein, in the stowed configuration, the moveable arm extends in an upward direction,
wherein the second portion is rotatable about second rotation axis relative to the first portion such that the second portion is positionable about the second rotation axis between a base configuration and a rotated configuration,
wherein, in the base configuration and in the deployed configuration, the ergonomic face faces upward and the stowing face faces a lateral direction,
wherein, in the rotated configuration and in the deployed configuration, the ergonomic face faces the lateral direction, the stowing face faces upward, and a surface of the first portion and a surface of the second portion extend in the same plane,
wherein the moveable arm further comprises:
an indexing pin at an interface between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the interface comprises the second end of the first portion and the first end of the second portion, and wherein the second end of the first portion and the first end of the second portion face each other, wherein the indexing pin extends outwards from at least one of the second end of the first portion or the first end of the second portion;
a first opening corresponding to the base configuration;
and
a second opening corresponding to the rotated configuration,
wherein the first opening and the second opening are defined in the first end of the second portion or the second end of the first portion opposite from the indexing pin, and
wherein the indexing pin is engageable with the first opening and the second opening to prevent rotation about the second rotation axis,
wherein the second portion is linearly movable along the second rotation axis relative to the first portion between a retraced configuration and an extended configuration, wherein:
in the retracted configuration, the first portion and the second portion are immediately adjacent one another and the indexing pin is engaged with the first opening or the second opening, wherein, in the retracted configuration, the limiting portion of the internal rod limits rotation of the first portion relative to the second portion;
and
in the extended configuration, the first portion and the second portion are spaced apart from one another by an armrest gap, and a distance between the first portion and the second portion in the extended position is greater than a distance between the first portion and the second portion in the retracted position, wherein, in the extended configuration, the first portion is freely rotatable relative to the second portion.

19 more elements