Armrest adjustment mechanism and method of assembling same

An armrest adjustment mechanism for use with a vehicle seat defining a lateral seat axis and an armrest member defining a longitudinal axis, said mechanism comprising:

• (a) a mounting means for pivotally mounting said armrest member on said vehicle seat for selective pivotal rotation about said lateral seat axis between a deployed design configuration, wherein said longitudinal axis has a substantially horizontal orientation, and a raised stowed configuration, wherein said longitudinal axis has a substantially vertical orientation;
• (b) a lateral translation means for positive inward displacement of said armrest member along said lateral seat axis relative to said vehicle seat as said armrest member is selectively rotated as aforesaid from said deployed design configuration towards said raised stowed configuration;
• and
• (c) a stop means for preventing rotation of said armrest member beyond said deployed design configuration, said stop means being rigidly attached to said vehicle seat, and with said stop means operatively engaging said armrest member in said deployed design configuration;
• wherein said stop means comprises a guide pin rigidly attached to said vehicle seat and adapted to operatively engage in abutting relation said armrest member in said deployed design configuration;
• with said guide pin comprising a fixed segment rigidly attached to said vehicle seat, and an extension segment operatively engaging in abutting relation said armrest member in said deployed design configuration, said extension segment securely engaging said fixed segment in selectively removable relation, wherein removal of said extension segment from said fixed segment allows selective rotation of said armrest member beyond said deployed design configuration.

A method of assembling an armrest adjustment mechanism for use with a vehicle seat defining a lateral seat axis and an armrest member defining a longitudinal axis, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) rigidly mounting a male pivot pin on said vehicle seat in substantially coaxial relation with said lateral seat axis and having a spiral screw thread extending axially therearound;
• (b) rigidly mounting a complementary female pivot bearing on said armrest member, said pivot bearing having a complementary threaded segment formed thereon;
• (c) winding said complementary threaded segment of said pivot bearing on to said spiral screw thread of said pivot pin, in a first inward pivoting direction about said lateral seat axis, from an initial assembly configuration of said armrest member, wherein said spiral screw thread is initially aligned with said complementary threaded segment;
• (d) pivotally rotating said armrest member relative to said vehicle seat in said first inward pivoting direction beyond a deployed design configuration, wherein said longitudinal axis has a substantially horizontal orientation;
• and
• (e) rigidly mounting a stop means on said vehicle seat for preventing opposite rotation of said armrest member in a second outward pivoting direction beyond said deployed design configuration, with said stop means operatively engaging said armrest member in said deployed design configuration;
• such that said armrest member is selectively pivotally rotatable on said vehicle seat about said lateral seat axis between said deployed design configuration, wherein as aforesaid said longitudinal axis has said substantially horizontal orientation, and a raised stowed configuration, wherein said longitudinal axis has a substantially vertical orientation.