US 5,116,099 AGranted

Mechanical latch locking a cover of pivoting armrest assembly

AssigneeLear Seating Corporation

InventorsKenneth Kwasnik, David J. Harrell

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Abstract

A vehicle seat armrest assembly (10) includes a lower bin (18) defining a storage compartment (20) and an upper cover (22) hinged to the bin (18) for pivotal movement between a closed position covering the bin (18) and an open position opening the storage compartment (20). A bracket (26) supports the lower bin (18) and provides rotation of the bin (18) between a horizontal use position and a vertical storage position. A latch (40) latches the cover (22) to the bin (18) in a latched position and allows opening of the cover (22) in an unlatched position. A lock (42) interacts between the bracket (26) and the latch (40) to maintain the latch (40) in the latched position in response to pivotal movement of the bin (18) from the horizontal use position to the vertical storage position. The lock (42) includes a cam (60) which transfers the rotational movement of the bin (18) to linear movement of a controller (46). The controller (46) actuates a crank (54) to rotate a locking block (44) into engagement with the latch (40) to maintain the latch (40) in the latched position.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A vehicle seat armrest assembly (10) comprising:

a lower bin (18) defining a storage compartment (20);
an upper cover (22) for covering said lower bin (18);
a cover hinge means (24) hinging said cover (22) to said bin (18) for pivotal movement of said cover (22) relative to said bin (18) between a closed position covering said bin (18) and an open position opening said storage compartment (20);
bracket means (26) supporting said lower bin (18) for providing rotation of said bin (18) between a horizontal use position and a vertical storage position;
latch means (40) for latching said cover (22) to said lower bin (18) in a latched position and allowing opening of said cover (22) in an unlatched position;
said assembly characterized by including locking means (42) interacting between said bracket means (26) and said latch means (40) for maintaining said latch means (40) in said latched position in response to pivotal movement of said bin (18) to a predetermined position above said horizontal use position toward said vertical storage position so that said cover (22) remains latched to said bin (18) in all positions above said predetermined position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.