armrest of a vehicle

Abstract

An armrest assembly (100) provides a wider support surface for resting a passenger's forearm. The armrest assembly (100) includes an elongated support structure (102) extending along a longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly (100), and a pivot mechanism (104) provided with the support structure (102) and defining a pivot axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly (100). Furthermore, a support cushion (106) is pivotally coupled to the support structure (102) by the pivot mechanism (104) for rotation about the pivot axis between a folded position and a use position.When the support cushion is in the folded position, it assumes a vertical orientation and rests against a vertical side of the support structure (102), and when the support cushion (106) is in the use position, it rotates to a horizontal orientation to provide a wider surface for supporting an occupant's arm.

Description

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of armrest assemblies for vehicles. More particularly, it relates to a simple and improved armrest assembly having an adjustable bolster that can be extended and folded as needed, which increases passenger comfort and safety while optimizing vehicle space utilization.In today's automotive landscape, the superior importance of comfort in vehicles cannot be emphasized enough. Among the central components contributing to the comfort of the passenger, armrests play a crucial role by providing the passenger with a dedicated and comfortable space for putting his arm on while driving or sitting in the vehicle. Furthermore, existing armrests often contain features such as storage compartments and, in some cases, integrated cup holders.However, existing armrests in vehicles have been designed predominantly as fixed components and can be adapted only to a limited extent to the different body sizes, preferences and ergonomic requirements of the occupants. While such fixed armrests serve a basic purpose, they often do not provide an optimal experience for occupants who may have different comfort requirements. The elimination of these restrictions is of critical importance to improve the overall ergonomic experience and vehicle occupant satisfaction.CN107009926A discloses a side handrail structure with a tilting support plate for a car seat. The side handrail structure includes a handrail frame mounted on the car seat, a cover covering the handrail frame, and a rotatable support plate mounted on the handrail frame. The support plate is disposed above the cap and is configured to rotate upwardly about the handrail frame to accommodate changes in the width of the handrails and form a wider support surface for conveniently seating the arm of a passenger. The support plate can be rotated downwardly around the handrail frame and placed outside the cover cap. However, as can be seen, the cited reference does not provide a simple, efficient and cost effective solution to the above disadvantages and limitations.Therefore, there is a need for an improved and customizable armrest that provides overlay assistance to a passenger when needed while optimizing vehicle space utilization.A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a simple, efficient, and low cost solution to the above problems, requirements, or limitations associated with an armrest of a vehicle.An object of the present disclosure is to provide an armrest to provide passengers with a wider seating surface on which they can seat their arm when needed while optimizing vehicle space utilization.An object of the present disclosure is to provide an armrest that provides folding and sliding features to meet passenger comfort requirements as well as space requirements within the interior of the vehicle.Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an armrest that optimizes space utilization in the vehicle cabin while ensuring minimal intrusion into the passenger compartment while maintaining optimal functionality.Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the field of vehicle armrests. More particularly, it relates to a simple and improved armrest assembly having an adjustable bolster that can be extended and folded as needed, which increases passenger comfort and safety while optimizing vehicle space utilization.One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an armrest assembly that provides landing assistance to a passenger when needed while optimizing vehicle space utilization. The armrest assembly includes an elongate support structure extending along a longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly and a pivot mechanism provided with the support structure and defining a pivot axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly. The armrest assembly further includes a support pad pivotally coupled to the support structure by the pivot mechanism to enable rotation about the pivot axis between a folded position and a use position. In the folded position, the bolster assumes a vertical orientation and abuts a vertical side of the support structure, and in the use position, the bolster rotates to a horizontal orientation to provide a wider surface for supporting an occupant's arm.In one aspect, the pivot mechanism includes an inner shaft fixed to the support structure concentric with the pivot axis at an inner end of the armrest and a concave collar including a profile groove on an inner surface of the concave collar and configured for pure rotational movement about the pivot axis about the inner shaft. The pivot mechanism further comprises an outer shaft disposed within and concentric with the hollow collar and having a pin engaging the profile groove of the hollow collar. The outer shaft may be configured for purely linear movement along the pivot axis and pivotally support the pad at an outer end of the outer shaft. Further, the pivot mechanism includes a spring disposed over the inner shaft at an inner end of the inner shaft to bias the outer shaft toward an outer end of the armrest assembly. Moreover, the engagement of the pin of the first shaft in the profile groove of the hollow collar provides a push and rotate mechanism for the movement of the pad between the folded position and the use position.In one aspect, the inner shaft may include a segmented tubular portion. The outer shaft and the spring may be disposed within the segmented tubular portion of the inner shaft.According to one aspect, the pin of the outer shaft may be engaged with the profile groove of the hollow collar through the segmented tubular portion.In one aspect, the hollow collar may be in rotational sliding engagement with the support pad such that when the hollow collar rotates in a first direction, the support pad may additionally be slid from the folded position to the use position.In one aspect, the profile groove may be configured such that sliding the bolster along with the outer shaft when the bolster is in the folded position along the longitudinal axis toward the inner end of the armrest assembly against the biasing force of the spring and then releasing may cause the hollow collar to rotate in the first direction under the biasing force of the spring and push the bolster to rotate to the use position.Further, the profile groove may be configured such that sliding the bolster when the bolster is in the use position along the longitudinal axis toward the inner end of the armrest assembly against the biasing force of the spring and then releasing the bolster may cause the bolster to rotate to the collapsed position under the biasing force of the spring.In one aspect, the profile groove may include a linear profile groove oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly and at least one helical profile groove connected to the linear profile groove at an outer end of the linear profile groove. The linear profile groove may provide a path for the movement of the outer shaft in a forward and rearward direction along the longitudinal direction of the support structure, and at least one helical profile groove may provide a path for the rotational movement of the collar together with the pad.In one aspect, the bolster may be configured such that, in the collapsed position, a combination of the support structure and the bolster provides a flat top surface for use as a narrower bolster for the occupant's arm. Further, the support bolster may be configured such that, in the use position, a combination of the support structure and the support bolster provides a wider, flat surface for the occupant's resting arm.In one aspect, the armrest assembly may be pivotally attached to the passenger seat of a vehicle at a rear end of the armrest.Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, in which like reference numerals represent like components.The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure. FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of the proposed armrest assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective view of the armrest assembly of FIG. 1A in a folded position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1C illustrates a perspective view of the armrest assembly of FIG. 1A in a use position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the armrest assembly of FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of a pivot mechanism of the armrest assembly of FIG. 1A, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the engagement of the pin of the shaft with the profile grooves of the hollow collar according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are so detailed as to clearly convey the disclosure. The amount of details provided, however, is not intended to limit the expected variations of the embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.The embodiments discussed herein relate to an armrest assembly integrated with a seat of the vehicle or a body shell of the vehicle to provide landing assistance to a passenger when needed while optimizing space usage in the vehicle.Referring to FIGS. 1A to 1C, the proposed armrest 100 for providing a wider space for the resting arm of a passenger seated on a vehicle seat is disclosed. The armrest assembly 100 (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as an armrest) may be pivotally attached to the passenger seat or the body shell of the vehicle, thereby providing ease of integration into existing seating assemblies.In an embodiment, the armrest assembly 100 may include an elongated support structure 102, a pivot mechanism 104, and a support bolster 106. A rear end 102- 1 of the elongated support structure 102 may be configured to be pivotally attached to the passenger seat or the body shell of the vehicle. The elongated support structure 102 may extend along a longitudinal axis A-A' of the armrest assembly 100 and may be adapted to receive the pivot mechanism 104 within the support structure 102. The pivot mechanism 104 may define a pivot axis parallel or along the longitudinal axis A-A' of the armrest assembly 100.Further, the bolster 106 may be pivotally coupled to the support structure 102 by the pivot mechanism 104 to enable pivotal movement of the bolster 106 about the pivot axis A-A' between a folded position as shown in FIG. 1B and a use position as shown in FIG. 1C. In one embodiment, the folded position may refer to a position in which the bolster 106 is not used, and the use position may refer to another position in which the free end of the bolster is extended outward to provide a wider space for seating the arm of the passenger seated on the vehicle seat.Moreover, in one embodiment, the rear end 102- 1 of the elongated support structure 102 may be configured to be pivotally attached to the passenger seat or the body shell of the vehicle using a pivot joint 108 that allows the armrest assembly 100 to be pivotally moved about a pivot axis B-B' (perpendicular to the pivot axis A-A') between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the deployed position, the armrest assembly 100 may extend substantially parallel to a horizontal plane to allow the passenger to place his arm on the armrest assembly 100. Further, in the stowed position (not shown), the armrest assembly 100 may extend substantially parallel to a vertical plane to secure the armrest assembly 100 so as not to interfere with the passenger.In one embodiment, the bolster 106 may include a foam layer that conforms to contours of the occupant's arm to improve comfort. The foam padding provides optimal support and distributes pressure evenly, thus reducing discomfort during extended use. The memory foam provides an individual and ergonomic experience for the passengers.Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the pivot mechanism 104 of the armrest assembly 100 may include an inner shaft 302, a hollow collar 304, an outer shaft 306, and a spring 312. In one embodiment, the inner shaft 302 may be attached to the support structure 102 at an inner (rear) end of the armrest assembly 100 concentric with the pivot axis A-A'. The inner shaft 302 may further include a segmented tubular portion 314 at a rear end of the inner shaft 302. Further, the outer shaft 306 and the spring 312 may be disposed within the segmented tubular portion 314 of the inner shaft 302 such that the outer shaft 306 remains biased by the spring 312 toward an outer (front) end of the assembly 100, while the outer shaft 306 may move linearly along the inner surface of the segmented tubular portion 314 against the biasing force of the spring 312.In one embodiment, the outer shaft 306 may be disposed within and concentric with the hollow collar 304, where the hollow collar 304 has a profile groove 308 on the inner surface of the hollow collar 304. Moreover, the outer shaft 306 may include a pin 310 suitable for engaging the profile groove 308 of the collar 304. The pin 310 of the outer shaft 306 can engage the profile groove 308 of the hollow collar 304 through the segmented tubular portion 314. Accordingly, the outer shaft 306 may be configured to move in a purely linear movement along the pivot axis while pivotally supporting the pad 106 at the outer end of the outer shaft 306.In one embodiment, the spring 312 may be disposed over the inner shaft 302 at the inner end of the inner shaft 302 to bias the outer shaft 306 toward the outer end of the armrest assembly 100. The engagement of the pin 310 of the outer shaft 306 with the profile groove 308 of the hollow collar 304 provides a push and rotate mechanism that may be configured to facilitate movement of the bolster 106 between the collapsed position and the use position.In one embodiment, the hollow collar 304 may be engaged with the bolster 106 by rotational push such that when the hollow collar 304 rotates in a first direction, the bolster 106 may be pushed from the folded position to the use position. In addition, the hollow collar 304 has a supporting protrusion to support the pad 106 when the pad 106 is in the use position to improve the support and load capacity of the pad 106.In one embodiment, the hollow collar 304 may be configured with the inner shaft 302 such that the profile groove 308 around the inner shaft 302 remains configured for pure rotational movement about the pivot axis A-A'. Referring to FIGS. 3-4B, the profile groove 308 may include a linear profile groove 308- 1 oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly 100, and at least one helical profile groove 308- 2 connected to the linear profile groove 308- 1 at one or both ends of the linear profile groove 308- 1. The linear profile groove 308- 1 may provide a path for the outer shaft 306 to move in the forward and rearward directions along the longitudinal direction of the support structure 102, and the helical profile groove 308- 2 provides a path for the rotational movement of the collar 304 together with the pad 106.In one embodiment, the linear profile groove 308- 1 may allow the pin 310 to slide between forward and rearward directions along a length of the groove 308- 1 between point A at a forward end of the groove 308- 1 and point B at a rearward end of the groove 308- 2, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. As a result, the pad 106 (when in the folded position) may be slid along the longitudinal axis from the outer end (front end or point A) to the inner end (rear end or point B) of the armrest assembly 100 along the longitudinal axis, as shown in FIG. 4A. Further, when the bolster 106 is released by the passenger when in the inward (rearward or point B) position, the pin 310 engages the helical profile groove 308- 2 and slides along a length of the groove 308- 2 toward point C as shown in FIG. 4B, causing the hollow collar 304 to rotate in the first direction under the biasing force of the spring 312 and push the bolster 106 to the use position as shown in FIG. 1C.In one implementation, the profile groove 308 may be configured such that when the bolster 106 is in the folded position, sliding the bolster 106 along with the outer shaft 306 along the longitudinal axis toward the inner end (rear end) of the armrest assembly 100 against the biasing force of the spring 312 and subsequent release will cause the hollow collar 304 to rotate in the first direction under the biasing force of the spring 312 and push the bolster 106 to rotate to the use position.Further, in another implementation, the profile groove 308 may be configured such that when the bolster 106 is in the use position, sliding the bolster 106 along the longitudinal axis toward the inner (rear) end of the armrest assembly 100 against the biasing force of the spring 312 and then releasing the bolster 106 will cause the bolster 106 to rotate to the folded position under the biasing force of the spring 312.Accordingly, the bolster 106 may be configured such that, in the folded position, a combination of the support structure 102 and the bolster 106 provides a flat top surface for use as a narrower bolster surface for the occupant's arm.Thus, the present invention provides an improved and customizable armrest assembly that provides a landing support to a passenger when needed while optimizing space usage in the vehicle. The armrest provides the passengers with a wider support surface on which they can rest their arm when needed by extending the support cushion to the use position, while the armrest can be folded and secured to optimize space utilization in the vehicle and avoid any obstruction.While various embodiments of the invention are described above, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions or examples. These are included herein to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention in combination with information and knowledge available to those skilled in the art.The present disclosure provides a simple and inexpensive solution to the problems, requirements, or limitations associated with vehicle armrest.The present disclosure provides an armrest to provide passengers with a wider seating surface upon which they can rest their arm when needed, while optimizing vehicle space usage.The present disclosure provides an armrest that provides folding and sliding features to meet passenger comfort requirements as well as space requirements within the interior of the vehicle.The present disclosure provides an armrest that optimizes space utilization within the vehicle cabin while providing minimal intrusion into the passenger cabin while maintaining optimal functionality.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedCN 107009926A

[0004]

Claims

An armrest assembly (100) comprising: an elongate support structure (102) extending along a longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly (100); a pivot mechanism (104) provided with the support structure (102) and defining a pivot axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly (100); and a support pad (106) pivotally coupled to the support structure (102) by the pivot mechanism (104) for rotation about the pivot axis between a folded position and a use position; wherein the support pad (106), in the folded position, assumes a vertical orientation and abuts a vertical side of the support structure (102), and the support pad (106), in the use position, rotates to a horizontal orientation to provide a wider surface for supporting an occupant's arm.The armrest assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the pivot mechanism comprises: an inner shaft (302) attached to the support structure (102) concentric with the pivot axis at an inner end of the armrest assembly (100); a hollow collar (304) comprising a profile groove (308) on an inner surface of the hollow collar (304) and configured for pure rotational movement about the pivot axis about the inner shaft (302); an outer shaft (306) disposed within and concentric with the hollow collar (304) and having a pin (310) engaging the profile groove (308) of the hollow collar (304), wherein the outer shaft (306) is configured for pure linear movement along the pivot axis and pivotally supports the support pad (106) at an outer end of the outer shaft (306); and a spring (312) disposed over the inner shaft (302) at an inner end of the inner shaft (302) to bias the outer shaft (306) toward an outer end of the armrest assembly (100); wherein engagement of the pin (310) of the outer shaft (306) with the profile groove (308) of the hollow collar (304) provides a push and rotate mechanism for movement of the bolster (106) between the folded position and the use position.The armrest assembly (100) of claim 2, wherein the inner shaft (302) comprises a segmented tubular portion (314), and wherein the outer shaft (306) and the spring (312) are located within the tubular portion (314) of the inner shaft (302).The armrest assembly (100) of claim 3, wherein the pin (310) of the outer shaft (306) engages the profile groove (308) of the hollow collar (304) through the segmented tubular portion (314).The armrest assembly (100) of claim 2, wherein the hollow collar (304) is in rotational sliding engagement with the support pad (106) such that when the hollow collar (304) rotates in a first direction, the support pad (106) is slid from the folded position to the use position.The armrest assembly (100) of claim 5, wherein the profiled groove (308) is configured such that sliding the support pad (106) together with the outer shaft (306) when in the collapsed position along the longitudinal axis toward the inner end of the armrest assembly (100) against the biasing force of the spring (312) and subsequent release results in the hollow collar (304) rotating in the first direction under the biasing force of the spring (312) and sliding the support pad (106) to rotate to the use position.The armrest assembly (100) of claim 5, wherein the profile groove (308) is configured such that sliding the bolster (106) when in the use position along the longitudinal axis toward the inner end of the armrest assembly (100) against the biasing force of the spring (312) and then releasing the bolster (106) causes the bolster (106) to rotate to the collapsed position under the biasing force of the spring (312).The armrest assembly (100) of claim 2, wherein the profile groove (308) comprises a linear profile groove (308-1) oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armrest assembly (100) and at least one helical profile groove (308-2) connected to the linear profile groove (308-1) at one or both ends of the linear profile groove (308-1), wherein the linear profile groove (308-1) provides a path for movement of the outer shaft (306) in a forward and rearward direction along the longitudinal direction of the support structure (102) and the at least one helical profile groove (308-2) provides a path for rotational movement of the hollow collar (304) together with the support pad (106).The armrest assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the support bolster (106) is configured such that in the folded position a combination of the support structure (102) and the support bolster (106) provides a flat top surface for use as a narrower support surface for the occupant's arm.The armrest assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the armrest assembly (100) is pivotally attached to a passenger seat of a vehicle at a rear end of the armrest.

Images