Claims
- 1. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly adapted to be adjustably mounted on a relatively fixed structure for adjustment along a generally vertical plane, said arm rest assembly comprising:
- a generally longitudinally-extending arm rest structure;
- mounting means adapted to be fixedly secured to said fixed structure for mounting said arm rest structure thereon, said mounting means having an opening extending therethrough in a generally vertical direction;
- support means for interconnecting said arm rest structure with said mounting means for both pivotal and generally translational adjustable movement relative to said mounting means in said generally vertical plane, said support means including a generally vertically-extending elongated support member vertically slidably received in said opening in said mounting means and pivotally interconnected with said arm rest structure for pivotal relative movement in said generally vertical plane;
- a pair of selectively actuable powered actuating means longitudinally spaced apart on opposite sides of said support means and interconnecting said arm rest structure and said mounting means for selectively urging said arm rest structure to, and for holding said arm rest structure in, preselected adjusted positions relative to said mounting means, said holding means being selectively actuable independently of one another to perform said urging and holding functions in order to allow both the pivotal and translational positions of said arm rest structure relative to said fixed structure to be adjusted independently.
- 2. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means each include a housing member attached to said mounting means, and a power-actuable armature member extendible and retractable relative to said housing member, said armature member being pivotally attached to said arm rest structure for limited pivotal relative movement generally in a plane parallel to said first plane.
- 3. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of said actuating means comprises an electrically powered actuating device.
- 4. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of said actuating means comprises a hydraulically powered actuating device.
- 5. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 2, wherein each of said actuating means comprises a pneumatically powered actuating device.
- 6. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 1, wherein said opening in said mounting means is laterally spaced apart from said fixed structure in a direction generally toward said arm rest structure.
- 7. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly adapted to be adjustably mounted on a relatively fixed structure, said arm rest assembly comprising:
- a generally longitudinally-extending arm rest structure;
- mounting means adapted to be fixedly secured to said fixed structure for mounting said arm rest structure thereon, said mounting means having an opening extending therethrough in a direction generally parallel to said first plane and laterally spaced apart from said fixed structure in a direction generally toward said arm rest structure;
- support means for interconnecting said arm rest structure with said mounting means for both pivotal and generally translational adjustable movement relative to said mounting means in a first plane, said support means including an elongated support member slidably received for movement in said opening, said arm rest structure being pivotally interconnected with said support member for both pivotal and translational movement relative to said mounting means in a plane generally parallel to said first plane; and
- a pair of selectively actuable powered actuating means longitudinally spaced apart on opposite sides of said support means and interconnecting said arm rest structure and said mounting means for selectively urging said arm rest structure to, and for holding said arm rest structure in, preselected adjusted positions relative to said mounting means, said holding means being selectively actuable independently of one another to perform said urging and holding functions in order to allow both the pivotal and translational positions of said arm rest structure relative to said fixed structure to be adjusted independently, each of said actuating means including a first portion pivotally interconnected with said mounting means for limited lateral pivotal movement relative thereto at a substantially fixed location thereon, and a second portion selectively extendible and retractable relative to said first portion in directions generally parallel to said first plane, said second portion of said actuating means being pivotally interconnected with said arm rest structure for limited relative pivotal movement therebetween in a plane generally parallel to said first plane.
- 8. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly adapted to be adjustably mounted on a relatively fixed vertically-extending structure, said arm rest assembly comprising:
- a generally longitudinally-extending movable arm rest structure;
- a mounting member adapted to be fixedly secured to said fixed vertical structure for mounting said arm rest structure thereon, said mounting member having a laterally enlarged portion with a generally vertical opening extending therethrough in a direction generally parallel to said fixed vertical structure and spaced laterally therefrom;
- a generally vertically elongated support member slidably received for generally vertical movement in said vertical opening in said mounting member, said support member being pivotally interconnected with said arm rest structure for relative pivotal movement therebetween in a plane generally parallel to and laterally spaced from said fixed vertical structure;
- a pair of powered actuating means longitudinally spaced apart on opposite sides of said support member, each of said actuating means having a housing portion interconnected with said mounting member at a substantially fixed location thereon and an armature selectively extendible and retractable in generally vertical directions toward and away from said housing when said actuating means is energized, each of said armatures being pivotally interconnected with said arm rest structure for limited relative pivotal movement therebetween generally in a plane parallel to said fixed vertical structure and for urging said arm rest structure in said generally vertical directions toward and away from said housing in order to adjust the position of said arm rest structure relative to said fixed vertical structure; and
- means for selectively and independently energizing said powered actuating means in order to selectively and independently extend and retract said armatures and to thereby selectively adjust both the angular position and the vertical elevational position of said arm rest structure relative to said fixed vertical structure, said armature holding said arm rest structure in a preselected adjusted position when said actuating means are deenergized.
- 9. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 8, wherein each of said powered actuating means comprises an electrically powered actuating device.
- 10. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 8, wherein each of said powered actuating means comprises a hydraulically powered actuating device.
- 11. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 8, wherein each of said powered actuating means comprises a pneumatically powered actuating device.
- 12. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 8, wherein said arm rest assembly further comprises a fixed arm rest portion fixedly interconnected with said fixed vertical structure, said movable arm rest structure being pivotally and translationally movable toward and away from said fixed arm rest portion.
- 13. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 12, wherein said movable arm rest structure and said fixed arm rest portion are interconnected by a flexible boot member.
- 14. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 12, wherein said movable arm rest structure and said fixed arm rest portion are in part telescopically movable relative to one another.
- 15. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 8, further comprising bracket means fixedly attached to said mounting member generally adjacent each of said powered actuating means, said powered actuating means being pivotally interconnected with their respective adjacent bracket means for limited pivotal movement relative thereto in generally lateral directions.
- 16. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 15, wherein said powered actuating means are each also sidably interconnected with their respective adjacent bracket means for limited longitudinal movement relative thereto.
- 17. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly adapted to be adjustably mounted on a relatively fixed vertically-extending structure in a vehicle or the like, said arm rest assembly comprising:
- a generally longitudinally-extending movable arm rest structure;
- a mounting member adapted to be fixedly secured to said fixed vertical structure for mounting said arm rest structure thereon, said mounting member having a laterally enlarged portion with a generally vertical opening extending therethrough in a direction generally parallel to said fixed vertical structure and spaced laterally therefrom, and at least a pair of bracket members longitudinally spaced apart on opposite sides of said laterally enlarged portion and fixedly secured to said mounting member;
- a generally vertically elongated support member slidably received for generally vertical movement in said opening in said mounting member, said support member being pivotally interconnected with said arm rest structure for relative pivotal movement therebetween in a plane generally parallel to and laterally spaced from said fixed vertical structure;
- a pair of electrically powered actuating means longitudinally spaced apart on opposite sides of said support member, each of said actuating means having a housing portion pivotally interconnected with at least one of said bracket members for limited pivotal movement relative thereto and for limited longitudinal movement relative thereto, and an armature selectively extendible and retractable in generally vertical directions toward and away from said housing, each of said armatures being pivotally interconnected with said arm rest structure for limited relative pivotal movement therebetween generally in a plane parallel to said fixed vertical structure and for urging said arm rest structure in said generally vertical directions toward and away from said housing in order to adjust the vertical and angular positions of said arm rest structure relative to said fixed vertical structure; and
- means for selectively and independently energizing said electrically powered actuating means in order to selectively and independently extend and retract said armatures and to thereby selectively adjust both the angular position and the vertical elevational position of said arm rest structure relative to said fixed vertical structure independently, said armatures holding said arm rest structure in a preselected adjusted position when said electrically powered actuating means are deenerigized.
- 18. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 17, wherein said arm rest assembly further comprises a fixed arm rest portion fixedly interconnected with said fixed vertical structure, said movable arm rest structure being pivotally and translationally movable toward and away from said fixed arm rest portion.
- 19. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly according to claim 18, wherein said movable arm rest structure and said fixed arm rest portion are interconnected by a flexible boot member.
- 20. A power-operated adjustable arm rest assembly acording to claim 18, wherein said movable arm rest structure and said fixed arm rest portion are in part telescopically movable relative to one another.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This is a continuation-in-part of a copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 572,660, filed Jan. 20, 1984, entitled ADJUSTABLE ARM REST, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference; and of a copending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 769,266 ADJUSTABLE ARM REST AND CONSOLE ASSEMBLY, naming LeRoy B. Johnson as inventor, and filed of even date herewith, the disclosure of which is also hereby incorporated by reference.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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572660 |
Jan 1984 |
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