Adjustable arm-rest for vehicle seat

In a seat having relatively fixed structure that comprises a seat part and having at one side of said seat part an arm-rest that comprises an arm-rest carrier and structure whereby said arm-rest carrier is connected with said fixed structure for substantially vertical motion between upper and lower limits while being confined to a substantially fixed orientation relative to said fixed structure, adjustment means whereby the arm-rest carrier is held against descent from any selected one of a plurality of adjustment positions to which it can be raised but is released for descent to its said lower limit in consequence of being riased to its said upper limit, said adjustment means comprising:

• A. a pawl mounted on said arm-rest carrier for motion relative thereto in opposite directions to and from a releasing position, said pawl being yieldingly biased away from said releasing position;
• B. a ratchet member
• (1) having a connection with said structure whereby movement of the arm-rest carrier between said limits causes relative motion between the ratchet member and the arm-rest carrier, and
• (2) having a plurality of ratchet teeth that are successively presented to the pawl by such relative motion, said teeth being formed to cooperate with the pawl in permitting rising motion of the arm-rest carrier but preventing descent thereof when the pawl is out of its releasing position;
• C. a pawl latch mounted on said arm-rest carrier for movement in opposite directions relative thereto, to and from a latching position towards which the pawl latch is biased and at which it can confine the pawl in its releasing position;
• D. cooperating cam surfaces on said pawl and on said pawl latch whereby movement of the pawl to its releasing position actuates the pawl latch to its latching position and thus enables the pawl latch to confine the pawl in its releasing position;
• E. means defining a first actuating abutment having a connection with said ratchet member and arranged to engage the pawl and actuate the same to its releasing position in consequence of movement of the arm-rest carrier to its upper limit;
• and
• F. means defining a second actuating abutment having a connection with said ratchet member and arranged to engage the pawl latch and actuate the same out of its latching position in consequence of movement of the arm-rest carrier to its lower limit.

In a seat having relatively fixed structure that comprises a seat part and having at one side of said seat part an arm-rest that comprises an arm-rest carrier and structure whereby said arm-rest carrier is connected with said fixed structure for substantially vertical motion between upper and lower limits while being confined to a substantially fixed orientation relative to said fixed structure, adjustment means whereby the arm-rest carrier is held against descent from any selected one of a plurality of adjustment positions to which it can be raised but is released for descent to its said lower limit in consequence of being raised to its said upper limit, said adjustment means comprising:

• A. a ratchet member
• (1) having a connection with said structure whereby motion of the arm-rest carrier between said limits effects relative motion between said ratchet member and the arm-rest carrier, and
• (2) having a succession of ratchet teeth, each of which defines one of said adjustment positions;
• B. a pawl having a connection with the arm-rest carrier and biased towards engagement with said teeth, said pawl being arranged to cooperate with the ratchet member in confining the arm-rest carrier against downward movement from each of said adjustment positions but to permit upward movement therefrom;
• C. a pawl latch having a connection with the arm-rest carrier and arranged to captivate the pawl and hold it against its bias in a releasing position clear of said ratchet teeth;
• D. cooperating pawl actuating means, on the pawl and on a part connected with the ratchet member, operative upon movement of the arm-rest carrier to its said upper limit to move the pawl into captivating engagement with the pawl latch so that the arm-rest carrier can descend to its lower limit;
• and
• E. cooperating pawl latch actuating means, on the pawl latch and on a part connected with the ratchet member, operative upon movement of the arm-rest carrier to its said lower limit to release the pawl latch from captivating engagement with the pawl.

An arm-rest assembly for a seat having structure comprising relatively stationary parts, said arm-rest assembly being characterized by:

• A. an arm-rest carrier supported and guided for movement along a defined path adjacent to one side of the seat, to and from a release position, and maintained in a substantially fixed orientation relative to said stationary parts;
• B. an arm-rest member pivoted to said arm-rest carrier to swing relative thereto about a tilting axis that extends sidewardly relative to said seat;
• C. cooperating means on said arm-rest carrier and on said arm-rest member defining substantially horizontal and substantially vertical orientations of said arm-rest member between which it is swingable about said tilting axis;
• D. a locking element carried by the arm-rest carrier and movable relative thereto to and from a defined locking position towards which the locking element is biased and at which it can engage a surface on the arm-rest member that is spaced from said tilting axis, to confine the arm-rest member in its horizontal orientation;
• and
• E. cooperating actuating abutments on said locking element and on a part of said structure relative to which the arm-rest carrier is movable, arranged to effect movement of the locking element out of its locking position in consequence of movement of the arm-rest carrier to its said release position, to enable the arm-rest member to be tilted to its vertical orientation.