# US 2026/0208646 A1 · Vehicle door assemblies with door armrests having fore-aft slotting for improved comfort and reduced complexity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0208646 A1 - Document ID: US20260208646A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/033,543 - Filed: 2025-01-22 - Published: 2026-07-23 - Earliest claimed: 2025-01-22 - Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Applicants: GM Global Technology Operations LLC - Inventors: Fernando A. Siqueira; Denis Y. Tanaka; Bruno D. Cacace - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260208646A1 ## CPC - B60N 2/78: {post or panel mounted} - B60R 13/0243: {Doors} - B60R 2013/0287: {integrating other functions or accessories} - B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Presented are vehicle armrests having fore-aft slotting for improved comfort and reduced complexity, methods for making/using such vehicle armrests, and vehicle door assemblies fabricated with such armrests. A vehicle armrest assembly for a motor vehicle includes an armrest substrate that attaches to an interior surface inside the passenger cabin of the motor vehicle, such as an interior trim panel of a vehicle door assembly. The armrest substrate includes an elastic substrate body with an elongated slot defined through the substrate body and extending along a fore-aft length of the armrest such that the armrest substrate elastically deforms under vertical loading conditions. A compressible pad is mounted on the armrest substrate and covers the substrate body and substrate slot. A flexible outer skin is mounted on and covers the compressible pad. Adjoining opposite terminal ends of the substrate slot is a pair of through-holes that guide deflection of the substrate body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle armrest assembly for a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having a passenger cabin with an interior surface, the vehicle armrest assembly comprising: an armrest substrate configured to attach to the interior surface inside the passenger cabin, the armrest substrate including an elastic substrate body with an elongated substrate slot defined through the substrate body and extending along a fore-aft length of the armrest substrate such that the armrest substrate elastically deforms under vertical loading conditions; a compressible pad seated on the armrest substrate and covering the substrate body and the substrate slot; and a flexible outer skin seated on and covering the compressible pad. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate body further includes first and second through-holes adjoining opposing first and second terminal ends, respectively, of the substrate slot, the first and second through-holes configured to guide deflection of the substrate body when the armrest assembly is subjected to the vertical loading conditions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 2, wherein the substrate slot has a slot width substantially perpendicular to the fore-aft length of the armrest substrate, and the first and second through-holes are circular with a hole diameter greater than the slot width. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate body is a single-piece structure including a substantially horizontal substrate platform and a substantially vertical substrate wall projecting downwards from the substrate platform, and wherein the substrate slot is interposed between and separates the substrate platform and the substrate wall. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the armrest substrate further includes a plurality of stopper tabs projecting downwards from a bottom edge of the substrate body and configured to press against the interior surface to thereby prevent permanent deformation of the substrate body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 5, wherein the plurality of stopper tabs includes a first stopper tab of a first size located at a first position, a second stopper tab of a second size located at a second position, and a third stopper tab of a third size located at a third position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the compressible pad includes an elongated pad rib extending along the fore-aft length of the armrest substrate, the pad rib projecting from the compressible pad into the substrate slot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 7, wherein the compressible pad defines an elongated pad channel recessed into the pad rib, the outer skin including an elongated skin flap extending along the fore-aft length of the armrest substrate, the skin flap projecting from the outer skin into the pad channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 8, wherein the outer skin defines an elongated weld seam recessed into skin flap, and wherein the pad rib, the pad channel, the skin flap, and the weld seam are substantially coterminous with one another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate slot is arcuate with a first rectilinear slot segment of a first length connected to a second rectilinear slot segment of a second length, less than the first length, via a curved slot segment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate body is formed with a semi-rigid elastomeric material, the compressible pad is formed with an inelastic polymer foam, and the flexible outer skin is formed with an inelastic vinyl material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, characterized by a lack of a polymeric foam cushion interposed between the compressible pad and the armrest substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle includes a vehicle door assembly with an interior trim panel defining the interior surface as an armrest base, and wherein the armrest substrate rigidly mounts to the interior trim panel with an underside surface of the substrate body spaced from a top surface of the armrest base to thereby enable vertical deflection of the armrest substrate. ### Claim 14 A motor vehicle, comprising: a vehicle body including a passenger cabin; a plurality of road wheels attached to the vehicle body; a prime mover attached to the vehicle body and configured to drive at least one of the road wheels to thereby propel the motor vehicle; and a vehicle door assembly including a load-bearing door support panel movably attached to the vehicle body, an interior trim panel mounted on an inboard side of the door support panel, and a door armrest assembly mounted onto an armrest base of the interior trim panel inside the passenger cabin, the door armrest assembly including: an armrest substrate including an elastic substrate body with an elongated substrate slot defined through the substrate body, the substrate slot extending along a fore-aft length of the armrest substrate such that the armrest substrate elastically deforms when the armrest assembly is subjected to vertical loading conditions; a compressible pad adhered to the armrest substrate and covering the substrate body and the substrate slot; and a flexible outer skin laminated onto and covering the compressible pad. ### Claim 15 A method of manufacturing a vehicle armrest assembly for a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having a passenger cabin with an interior surface, the method comprising: forming an armrest substrate configured to attach to the interior surface inside the passenger cabin of the motor vehicle, the armrest substrate including an elastic substrate body with an elongated substrate slot defined through the substrate body and extending along a fore-aft length of the armrest substrate such that the armrest substrate elastically deforms when the vehicle armrest assembly is subjected to vertical loading conditions; mounting a compressible pad onto the armrest substrate such that the compressible pad covers the substrate body and the substrate slot; and mounting a flexible outer skin onto the compressible pad such that the outer skin covers the compressible pad and conceals the armrest substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the substrate body further includes first and second through-holes adjoining opposing first and second terminal ends of the substrate slot, the first and second through-holes configured to guide deflection of the substrate body when the armrest assembly is subjected to the vertical loading conditions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the substrate body is a single-piece structure including a substantially horizontal substrate platform and a substantially vertical substrate wall projecting downwards from the substrate platform, and wherein the substrate slot is interposed between and separates the substrate platform and the substrate wall. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the armrest substrate further includes a plurality of stopper tabs projecting downwards from a bottom edge of the substrate body and configured to press against the interior surface to thereby prevent permanent deformation of the substrate body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the compressible pad includes an elongated pad rib extending along the fore-aft length of the armrest substrate, the pad rib projecting from the compressible pad into the substrate slot. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the compressible pad defines an elongated pad channel recessed into the pad rib, the outer skin including an elongated skin flap extending along the fore-aft length of the armrest substrate, the skin flap projecting from the outer skin into the pad channel.