Fully collapsing armrest insert with tunable tensioning elements
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsMangala A. Jayasuriya, Robert William McCoy, Kenneth S. Laird, Linh Doan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A collapsible vehicular armrest substrate includes load-bearing strips extending across a gap defined within a support frame. A first tunable element secures the load-bearing strips in a support position on the support frame. A first tension-adjusting portion sets a predetermined first tension limit of the first tunable element. The load-bearing strips disengage from the support position when the first tunable element experiences an actual tension greater than the predetermined first tension limit.
Claims20
A collapsible vehicular armrest substrate comprising:
- load-bearing strips extending across a gap defined within a support frame;
- a first tunable element securing the load-bearing strips in a support position on the support frame;
- and
- a first tension-adjusting portion that sets a predetermined first tension limit of the first tunable element, wherein the load-bearing strips disengage from the support position when the first tunable element experiences an actual tension greater than the predetermined first tension limit.
A collapsible vehicular armrest substrate comprising:
- a collapsible grid;
- at least one tunable element securing the collapsible grid to a perimetrical frame in a support position;
- and
- a tension-adjusting portion that sets a predetermined tension limit of each at least one tunable element, wherein the collapsible grid disengages from the support position when the at least one tunable element experiences an actual tension greater than the predetermined tension limit.
A collapsible vehicular armrest substrate comprising:
- collapsible load-bearing strips;
- at least one tunable element securing the collapsible load-bearing strips to a perimetrical frame in a support position;
- and
- a tension-adjusting portion that sets a predetermined tension limit of the at least one tunable element, wherein the collapsible load-bearing strips move toward a collapsed position when the at least one tunable element experiences an actual tension greater than the predetermined tension limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.