Pivotal and retractable armrest assembly
AssigneeMagna Seating Systems Inc.
InventorsPaul Runde, Fred D. Powell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle seat assembly comprising a seat cushion and a seat back mounted to the seat cushion. An armrest is pivotally mounted to the seat back in a manner which will allows the armrest to rotate relative to the seat back. The seat assembly includes a cam for guiding the armrest in a lateral direction as the armrest is rotated about an axis between a non-use position and a use position. In particular, as the armrest is rotated downward to the use position, the cam forces the armrest to slide outwardly along the axis away from the seat back, and when the armrest is rotated upward to the non-use position the cam directs the armrest to slide inwardly along the axis toward the seat back.
Claims16
A vehicle seat assembly comprising;
- a seat back;
- an armrest rotatably supported by said seat back for movement between a non-use position and a use position;
- a cam defining an axis and interconnecting said armrest and said seat back, said cam having at least a pair of helical shaped channels for guiding said armrest axially along said axis as said armrest is rotated about said axis when said armrest moves between said non-use and use positions;
- and
- a cam follower movable within said helical shaped channels as said armrest rotates relative to said seat back for guiding said armrest axially along said axis.
A vehicle seat assembly comprising;
- a seat back;
- a tube having an axis and mounted to said seat back, said tube having at least one helical channel extending helically about said axis;
- an armrest having an armrest frame defining an aperture to receive said tube for rotatably supporting said armrest on said seat back for movement between a non-use position and a use position, said armrest frame including at least one bore formed within a side of said aperture;
- at least one guide pin having opposite ends with one of said ends extending into said bore to secure said guide pin to said armrest frame with said guide pin extending into said aperture, said guide pin engaging said helical channel such that said guide pin is movable within said helical shaped channel as said armrest rotates relative to said seat back for guiding said armrest axially along said axis as said armrest is rotated about said axis when said armrest moves between said non-use and use positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.