Button-free latch system for vehicle armrest
By integrating an inertial locking element and a cam-type engagement surface, the problem of existing vehicle armrest latch systems relying on buttons is solved, and automatic armrest opening and closing without button operation is achieved to meet safety regulations.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410653665.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-03-26
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing vehicle armrest latch systems require buttons or paddles to release, limiting the freedom of armrest surface design.
A buttonless latching system with an integrated inertial lock uses an inertial member to respond to vertical acceleration, preventing the latch member or pawl from moving to the unlocked position, combined with a cam-type engagement surface to achieve automatic closing and opening of the armrest.
This allows the armrest/cover to be opened without the need for a physical button, meeting federal safety regulations while also increasing flexibility in armrest surface design.
Smart Images
Figure CN120701212A_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the background of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this section and in aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, is neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure. Technical Field
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a buttonless latch system for a vehicle armrest. Background Art
[0003] Previous armrests typically required a button or paddle to release the latch system to allow the armrest / console cover to be opened. The need for a button or paddle limits armrest surface design. Summary of the Invention
[0004] A buttonless latching system with an integrated inertia lock allows the armrest / cover to be latched in the closed position. Users can open the armrest / cover without operating a physical button or paddle latch. Simply pulling the armrest upward allows the armrest / cover to be opened with or without spring assistance, while still meeting federal safety regulations.
[0005] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle compartment includes a compartment having two opposing side edges. A lid is pivotally connected along one of the two opposing side edges of the compartment. A latch assembly is disposed along the second of the two opposing side edges and includes a latch member that is spring-biased toward a latched position and movable to an unlocked position. A finger is attached to the lid and adapted to engage the latch member, the finger including a first camming engagement surface and a second camming engagement surface, and the latch member including a third camming engagement surface and a fourth camming engagement surface, wherein the first camming engagement surface engages the third camming engagement surface when the lid moves from an open position to a closed position, and the second camming engagement surface engages the fourth camming engagement surface when the lid moves from a closed position to an open position. An inertial member is responsive to vertical acceleration to prevent the latch member from moving to the unlocked position.
[0006] According to another aspect, the compartment is a vehicle console compartment.
[0007] According to another aspect, the cover is an armrest.
[0008] According to another aspect, the compartment is a glove compartment.
[0009] According to another aspect, a latch assembly includes a track that slidably supports a latch member.
[0010] According to another aspect, a spring is disposed between the latch member and the track.
[0011] According to another aspect, the inertial member is rotatably supported adjacent the track.
[0012] According to another aspect, the latch member includes a pawl including a third camming engagement surface and a fourth camming engagement surface.
[0013] According to another aspect, when the lid moves from the open position to the closed position, the first camming engagement surface engages the third camming engagement surface and causes the latch member to move against the biasing force of the spring.
[0014] According to another aspect, when the lid moves from the closed position to the open position, the second camming engagement surface engages the fourth camming engagement surface and causes the latch member to move against the biasing force of the spring.
[0015] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle compartment includes a compartment having two opposing side edges. A lid is pivotally connected along one of the two opposing side edges of the compartment. A latch assembly is disposed along the second of the two opposing side edges and includes a pawl that is spring-biased toward a latched position and movable to an unlocked position. A finger is attached to the lid and adapted to engage the pawl, the finger including a first cam engaging surface and a second cam engaging surface, and the pawl including a third cam engaging surface and a fourth cam engaging surface, wherein the first cam engaging surface engages the third cam engaging surface when the lid moves from an open position to a closed position, and the second cam engaging surface engages the fourth cam engaging surface when the lid moves from a closed position to an open position. An inertial member is responsive to vertical acceleration to prevent the pawl from moving to the unlocked position.
[0016] According to another aspect, a latch assembly includes a support structure that pivotally supports a pawl.
[0017] According to another aspect, the latch assembly includes two pawls pivotally supported by a support structure, and a spring is disposed between the two pawls.
[0018] According to another aspect, the inertia member is rotatably supported adjacent to the pawl.
[0019] According to another aspect, the inertia member is rotatably supported by the support structure.
[0020] According to another aspect, when the lid moves from the open position to the closed position, the first cam engagement surface engages the third cam engagement surface and causes the pawl to move against the biasing force of the spring.
[0021] According to another aspect, when the cover moves from the closed position to the open position, the second cam engagement surface engages the fourth cam engagement surface and causes the pawl to move against the biasing force of the spring.
[0022] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
[0023] The present disclosure includes the following technical solutions:
[0024] 1. A vehicle compartment comprising:
[0025] a compartment having two opposing side edges;
[0026] a lid pivotally connected along one of two opposing side edges of the compartment;
[0027] a latch assembly disposed along a second of the two opposing side edges and including a latch member biased toward a latched position by a spring and movable to an unlatched position;
[0028] a finger attached to the lid and adapted to engage the latch member, the finger including a first camming engagement surface and a second camming engagement surface, and the latch member including a third camming engagement surface and a fourth camming engagement surface, wherein the first camming engagement surface engages the third camming engagement surface when the lid moves from an open position to a closed position, and wherein the second camming engagement surface engages the fourth camming engagement surface when the lid moves from the closed position to the open position; and
[0029] An inertia member is responsive to vertical acceleration to prevent movement of the latch member to the unlocked position.
[0030] 2. The vehicle compartment of claim 1 , wherein the compartment is a vehicle console compartment.
[0031] 3. The vehicle compartment according to claim 2, wherein the cover is an armrest.
[0032] 4. The vehicle compartment of claim 1 , wherein the compartment is a glove compartment.
[0033] 5. The vehicle compartment of claim 1 , wherein the latch assembly includes a track that slidably supports the latch member.
[0034] 6. The vehicle compartment according to claim 5, wherein the spring is provided between the latch member and the rail.
[0035] 7. The vehicle compartment according to claim 5, wherein the inertial member is rotatably supported adjacent to the track.
[0036] 8. The vehicle compartment of claim 7, wherein the latch member includes a pawl including the third camming engagement surface and the fourth camming engagement surface.
[0037] 9. The vehicle compartment of claim 5, wherein when the lid moves from the open position to the closed position, the first camming engagement surface engages the third camming engagement surface and causes the latch member to move against the biasing force of the spring.
[0038] 10. The vehicle compartment of claim 5, wherein when the lid moves from the closed position to the open position, the second camming engagement surface engages the fourth camming engagement surface and causes the latch member to move against the biasing force of the spring.
[0039] 11. A vehicle compartment comprising:
[0040] a compartment having two opposing side edges;
[0041] a lid pivotally connected along one of two opposing side edges of the compartment;
[0042] a latch assembly disposed along a second of the two opposing side edges and including a pawl biased toward a latched position by a spring and movable to an unlatched position;
[0043] a finger attached to the lid and adapted to engage the pawl, the finger including a first cam engaging surface and a second cam engaging surface, and the pawl including a third cam engaging surface and a fourth cam engaging surface, wherein the first cam engaging surface engages the third cam engaging surface when the lid moves from an open position to a closed position, and wherein the second cam engaging surface engages the fourth cam engaging surface when the lid moves from the closed position to the open position; and
[0044] An inertial member is responsive to vertical acceleration to prevent the pawl from moving to the unlocked position.
[0045] 12. The vehicle compartment of claim 11, wherein the compartment is a vehicle console compartment.
[0046] 13. The vehicle compartment of claim 12, wherein the cover is an armrest.
[0047] 14. The vehicle compartment of claim 11, wherein the compartment is a glove compartment.
[0048] 15. The vehicle compartment of claim 11, wherein the latch assembly includes a support structure that pivotally supports the pawl.
[0049] 16. The vehicle compartment of claim 15, wherein the latch assembly includes two pawls pivotally supported by the support structure, and the spring is disposed between the two pawls.
[0050] 17. The vehicle compartment of claim 15, wherein the inertial member is rotatably supported adjacent to the pawl.
[0051] 18. The vehicle compartment according to claim 7, wherein the inertial member is rotatably supported by the support structure.
[0052] 19. The vehicle compartment of claim 15, wherein when the lid moves from the open position to the closed position, the first cam engagement surface engages the third cam engagement surface and causes the pawl to move against the biasing force of the spring.
[0053] 20. The vehicle compartment of claim 15, wherein when the lid moves from the closed position to the open position, the second cam engagement surface engages the fourth cam engagement surface and causes the pawl to move against the biasing force of the spring. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0054] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
[0055] Figure 1 is a side view of a buttonless latch system for a vehicle armrest according to the principles of the present disclosure;
[0056] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle console compartment having an armrest and a buttonless latch system according to the principles of the present disclosure;
[0057] Figure 3 is a side view of an alternative buttonless latch system for a vehicle armrest according to the principles of the present disclosure; and
[0058] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle console compartment with an armrest and an alternative buttonless latch system according to the principles of the present disclosure.
[0059] Among the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0060] refer to Figure 2 , the buttonless latch assembly 10 is configured for an armrest / lid 12 of a vehicle console 14 . The armrest / lid 12 is connected to a first side wall 14 a of the vehicle console 14 by one or more hinges 16 .
[0061] The buttonless latch assembly 10 is disposed along the second opposing side wall 14b of the console 14. Figure 1 The buttonless latch assembly 10 includes a track / support structure 18 that slidably supports a latch member 20. The latch member 20 is biased toward the latched position by a spring 22 that engages the track 18 at one end 22a and the latch member 20 at a second end 22b. The latch member 20 is movable to an unlocked position against the spring force of the spring 22. The latch member 20 includes a pair of pawls 24a, 24b, each of which includes a first pair of receiving cam engagement surfaces 26a, 26b and a second pair of retaining cam engagement surfaces 28a, 28b. The pair of pawls 24a, 24b are disposed at the openings of a corresponding pair of slots 30a, 30b.
[0062] A pair of latch fingers 32a, 32b are attached to the lid and adapted to engage the latch member 20. Each of the pair of latch fingers 32a, 32b includes a distal cam engagement surface 34a, 34b and a proximal cam engagement surface 36a, 36b, respectively. When the lid is moved from the open position to the closed position, the distal cam engagement surfaces 34a, 34b engage the receiving cam engagement surfaces 26a, 26b. The cam engagement causes the latch member 20 to move to the right (as shown in FIG. 2 ). Figure 1 ) to allow the latch fingers 32a, 32b to be received in the pair of slots 30a, 30b, and the latch member 20 to be biased leftward (as viewed in FIG. Figure 1 ) to secure the lid 12 in the closed position.
[0063] When the lid 12 moves from the closed position to the open position, the proximal cam engagement surfaces 36a, 36b engage the retaining cam engagement surfaces 28a, 28b of the latch member 20. As the proximal cam engagement surfaces 36a, 36b engage the retaining cam engagement surfaces 28a, 28b as the lid 12 is lifted upward, the latch member 20 moves against the biasing force of the spring to allow the retaining cam engagement surfaces 28a, 28b to move to the right (as shown in FIG. Figure 1 ) and to allow the cover 12 to be opened.
[0064] like Figure 1 , the latch member 20 also includes a recess 40 in its lower surface. An inertia member 42 is pivotally mounted to the support structure 18 below the latch member 20 via a pivot 46. The inertia member 42 includes a finger 44 that is engageable with the recess 40 in the latch member 20. The inertia member 42 responds to vertical acceleration to cause the inertia member 42 to pivot upward so that the finger engages the recess 40 in the latch member 20 and prevents the latch member 20 from moving to the unlocked position.
[0065] The latch member 20 described above includes a pair of pawls 24a, 24b and a pair of latch fingers 32a, 32b. However, it should be noted that any number (including one or more) of pawls and latch fingers may be used. It should also be noted that the lid 12 may be used on other compartments, such as a glove box.
[0066] refer to Figure 4 , a buttonless latch assembly 50 is provided for the armrest / lid 12 of the vehicle console 14 . The armrest / lid 12 is connected to the first side wall 14 a of the vehicle console 14 by one or more hinges 16 .
[0067] The buttonless latch assembly 50 is disposed along the second opposing side wall 14b of the console 14. Figure 3 The buttonless latch assembly 50 includes a support structure 68 that rotatably supports a pair of pawls 70a, 70b about corresponding pivot axes 71. Each of the pawls 70a, 70b is biased toward a latched position by a spring 72 that pulls the pawls 70a, 70b toward each other. The pawls 70a, 70b are movable to an unlocked position against the spring force of the spring 72. Each of the pawls 70a, 70b includes a spring hook 74 that engages an opposing end of the spring 72. Each pawl 70a, 70b includes a first receiving cam engagement surface 76 and a second retaining cam engagement surface 78.
[0068] A pair of latch fingers 82a, 82b are attached to the lid 12 and are adapted to engage the pawls 70a, 70b. Each of the pair of latch fingers 82a, 82b includes a distal cam engagement surface 84a, 84b and a proximal cam engagement surface 86a, 86b, respectively. When the lid is moved from the open position to the closed position, the distal cam engagement surfaces 84a, 84b engage the receiving cam engagement surface 76. The cam engagement causes the pawls 70a, 70b to move apart (as shown in FIG. Figure 3 ) to allow the latch fingers 82a, 82b to be engaged by the pawls 70a, 70b, and the pawls 70a, 70b are biased together (as Figure 3 ) to secure the lid 12 in the closed position.
[0069] When the lid 12 is moved from the closed position to the open position, the proximal cam engagement surfaces 86a, 86b engage the retaining cam engagement surfaces 78 of the pawls 70a, 70b. As the proximal cam engagement surfaces 36a, 36b engage the retaining cam engagement surfaces 78 as the lid 12 is lifted upward, the pawls 70a, 70b move against the biasing force of the spring 72 to allow the retaining cam engagement surfaces 78 to move away (as shown in FIG. Figure 3 ) and to allow the cover 12 to be opened.
[0070] like Figure 3As shown in FIG, at least one of the pawls 70a, 70b further includes an arm 90. An inertia member 92 is pivotally mounted to the latch structure 68 below the pawls 70a, 70b. The inertia member 92 includes a finger 94 that can engage with the arm 90 of at least one pawl 70b. The inertia member 92 responds to vertical acceleration to cause the inertia member 92 to pivot upward so that the finger 94 engages the arm 90 of the pawl 70b and prevents the pawl 70b from moving to the unlocked position.
[0071] The latch assembly 50 described above includes a pair of pawls 70a, 70b and a pair of latch fingers 32a, 32b. However, it should be noted that any number of pawls and latch fingers (including one or more) may be used. For example, in the case of one pawl 70, a spring 72 may be connected to the pawl and latch structure 68. It is also noted that the lid 12 may be used on other compartments (such as a glove box).
[0072] Due to the relative shape and interaction of a set of pawls 24a, 24b; 70a, 70b, the latch assembly 10, 50 keeps the spring-assisted armrest 12 closed and allows the armrest 12 to be opened simply by pulling it upward, without the need for a user-activated release button. This is only possible due to the integration of an internal inertia locking device 42, 92 to meet federal safety requirements. The sliding action of the pawl is unique, allowing both latching the armrest in the closed position and unlocking the armrest to the open position, while also providing latch-integrated inertia locking capability.
[0073] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because other modifications will become apparent when studying the drawings, the description and the claims below. It should be understood that one or more steps in the method can be implemented in a different order (or simultaneously) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, although each of the embodiments is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any of the other embodiments and / or implemented in combination with them, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the arrangement of one or more embodiments with each other is still within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0074] Various terms are used to describe spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "immediately adjacent," "on top of," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when describing a relationship between a first element and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship can be a direct relationship with no other intervening elements between the first element and the second element, but can also be an indirect relationship with one or more intervening elements (either spatially or functionally) between the first element and the second element. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted to mean a logical (A OR B OR C) using a non-exclusive logical OR and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."
Claims
1. A vehicle compartment comprising: a compartment having two opposing side edges; a lid pivotally connected along one of two opposing side edges of the compartment; a latch assembly disposed along a second of the two opposing side edges and including a latch member biased toward a latched position by a spring and movable to an unlatched position; a finger attached to the lid and adapted to engage the latch member, the finger including a first camming engagement surface and a second camming engagement surface, and the latch member including a third camming engagement surface and a fourth camming engagement surface, wherein the first camming engagement surface engages the third camming engagement surface when the lid moves from an open position to a closed position, and wherein the second camming engagement surface engages the fourth camming engagement surface when the lid moves from the closed position to the open position; as well as An inertia member is responsive to vertical acceleration to prevent movement of the latch member to the unlocked position.
2. The vehicle compartment according to claim 1, wherein The compartment is a vehicle console compartment.
3. The vehicle compartment according to claim 2, wherein: The cover is an armrest.
4. The vehicle compartment according to claim 1, wherein The compartment is a glove compartment.
5. The vehicle compartment according to claim 1, wherein The latch assembly includes a track that slidably supports the latch member.
6. The vehicle compartment according to claim 5, wherein The spring is disposed between the latch member and the track.
7. The vehicle compartment according to claim 5, wherein: The inertia member is rotatably supported adjacent the track.
8. The vehicle compartment according to claim 7, wherein: The latch member includes a pawl including the third camming engagement surface and the fourth camming engagement surface.
9. The vehicle compartment according to claim 5, wherein: When the lid moves from the open position to the closed position, the first camming engagement surface engages the third camming engagement surface and causes the latch member to move against the biasing force of the spring.
10. The vehicle compartment according to claim 5, wherein When the lid moves from the closed position to the open position, the second camming engagement surface engages the fourth camming engagement surface and causes the latch member to move against the biasing force of the spring.