US 3,951,448 AGranted

Receptacle armrest for motor vehicles

OwnerFrederick Hawieinventor

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Abstract

There is shown herein an improved means for safely storing articles in motor vehicles comprising a box-like receptacle having a lockable upholstered cover to function as an armrest, the receptacle being mounted on the back support for the backrest cushion of a bench-type motor vehicle seat, particularly the front seat of a passenger automobile, where it is conveniently available to the driver and the passenger seated on the front seat. The receptacle is pivotally mounted on the back support and is upholstered on its bottom and exposed end surfaces so that it may be swung upwardly and lie in a cavity provided in the backrest to receive it. The cover is so pivotally mounted on the receptacle that it will be automatically closed and concealed from access when the receptacle is swung into the backrest. When in lowered, i.e., horizontal position, the cover of the receptacle may serve as a seat for a small child.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A seat assembly for a motor vehicle passenger compartment including a seat portion and a backrest portion having a recess open at the front side of the backrest, an armrest pivotally mounted on said backrest portion and movable from a substantially horizontal position supported on the seat portion to a substantially vertical position into said recess in said backrest portion, said armrest comprising a substantially rectangular box having front, rear, side and bottom panels and forming a storage receptacle for holding personal property;

a cover for closing said box;
means for hingedly connecting said cover to the top of said rear panel adjacent the backrest and positioned so that when it swings upwardly and rearwardly, the cover will rest in engagement with the backrest in position to strike the backrest and be thereby moved to closed position when the armrest is moved into said recess in the backrest, the exterior of the bottom panel of the receptacle being formed and upholstered to conform to the contour of the upholstery of the backrest when the armrest is swung into said recess, the top of said cover being upholstered to function as a comfortable armrest when resting on the seat portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.