Patent Application
20180056830
This invention relates to the classification of chairs and seats, and to one or more sub-classifications under armrests. Specifically, this invention is an armrest lock with memory.
Automobiles have had seats since the very beginning. The first automobiles used bench seats. After WWII, European automakers introduced bucket seats, seats contoured to hold one person, in an effort to conserve space and cost. In the 1980s, automakers introduced minivans, which used a raised, standalone variation of the bucket seat, often called a captain's seat. Captain's seats have become ubiquitous in both minivans and SUVs.
In most sedans, the front seat is afforded with one armrest on the door panel and center console, each. Due to their elevation, automotive captain's seats often have integral armrests built into the frame of the seat-back.
An armrest mounted on the seatback introduces a number of new design issues and challenges. While many armrests accommodate basic seat occupant needs, such as providing an occupant with a place to rest his or her arms, many armrests do not provide advantageous options with respect to armrest positioning and stowing. Currently, most armrests attaching to the seatback are usually anchored with bolts, pins, or other fasteners devices. These are installed through the armrest into the seatback frame. Currently, most armrests are capable of rotating from a stowed position to a use position, and back. Some armrests allow the user to adjust the use position. While this current state of the art is functional, it is inefficient for users, because it usually does not allow a user to retrieve an armrest from a stowed position and return it to the previous use position.
Recently, advances in the art disclose mechanical armrests with the ability to be retrieved from an upward stowed position and be placed in previously “memorized” position simply by rotating the armrest. Additionally, the current state of the art also teaches mechanical armrests with the ability to be retrieved from a downward stowed position and placed in a previously “memorized” position simply by rotating the armrest. The problem with the current state of the art is that mechanical armrests with memory functionality tend to be complex. The complexity can lead to issues of weight, cost, and reliability. The art is still seeking an easy to install memory armrest for the use in captain's seats that is lightweight, simple, cost effective, reliable, and easy-to-use.
There is clearly a market demand for a simple, lightweight, inexpensive, reliable and easy-to-use memory armrest. The recent prior art shows many examples that attempt to provide such a solution, all of which fail in some aspect. For example, U.S. Utility Pat. No. 8,132,861, by named inventor Cone, entitled, “Adjustable sliding armrest” (“Cone '861”); and U.S. Utility Pat. No. 8,333,432, by named inventor Cone, entitled, “Adjustable sliding armrest” (“Cone '432”) both teach an adjustable sliding armrest that may be extendable in length and varied in rotational position. U.S. Utility Pat. No. 9,321,381, by named inventor Itzinger, entitled, “Armrest device for a vehicle seat” (“Itzinger '381”) teaches a pivoting and locking armrest with a compact and secure pivot bearing. Itzinger '381, Cone '861, and Cone '432 all fail to provide a memory function in their disclosure.
U.S. Utility Pat. No. 6,467,847, by named inventor Bidare, entitled, “Comfort armrest with memory” (“Bidare '847”) teaches an armrest with memory, and a “down” storage position. Bidare '847 is very complex with a peripheral raised portion that likely does not wear well in harsh automotive environments.
U.S. Utility Pat. No. 7,845,732, by named inventors Liu, et. al., entitled, “Vehicle armrest positioning assembly” (“Liu '732”) teaches an armrest with memory using a helical lock spring. The helical lock spring has some characteristics in common with the present invention, however, Liu '732 uses two helical locking springs, rather than one, and is more complex, than the present invention.
This summary is intended to disclose the present invention, a single spring linear adjusting lock, with memory, for use in an automotive armrest. The embodiments and descriptions are used to illustrate the invention and its utility, and are not intended to limit the invention or its use.
The present invention relates to using an improved mechanical linear locking device, with a single locking coiled spring. When firmly coiled, the single locking coil spring is able to grip a smooth rod and prevent axial motion. When the single locking coil spring is uncoiled, slightly, it releases its grip on the smooth rod, allowing axial motion. The single spring linear adjusting lock device is used in an armrest with memory.
The present invention comprises a rod, a return spring, an annular bearing, a sleeve, a two-piece housing, a coil spring, a bushing, and a cylinder with protruding trunnions. Collectively, the annular bearing, sleeve, two-piece housing, coil spring, bushing, and cylinder with protruding trunnions are called the Axial Lock. The rod has a rod hole at one end and smooth, cylindrical opposing end over which the annular bearing, sleeve, two-piece housing, coil spring, bushing, and cylinder with protruding trunnion fit. The rod hole is connected to a control member. The cylinder's protruding trunnions mate with a mating hole in a positioning system bracket and a mating hole in the support arm.
The coil spring is made of spring steel, or similar spring material, and has two protruding ends. The two protruding ends are axially disposed at approximately a 90° angle from one another. When the single spring linear adjusting lock is used in a memory armrest, the coil spring has one protruding end fixed against rotation in a notch in the sleeve and the other protruding end fixed against rotation in the bushing. The sleeve is a cylinder with a flat blade extending orthogonally from its outer surface. The interior of the sleeve facing the coil spring has a ramp feature. The ramp feature is achieved by beveling the inner surface of the sleeve towards the cylinder end. The bushing also has a ramp feature. The sleeve has a notch that mates with a protruding end of the coil spring.
When a compressive load is applied to the armrest, the ramp feature inside the bushing causes the coil spring coils to tilt and grip the rod in proportion to the load. When a tensile load is applied to the armrest, a ramp feature inside the sleeve causes the coil spring coils to tilt in the opposite orientation and grip the rod in proportion to the load. The single spring linear adjusting lock device is unlocked by applying pressure to the sleeve blade, until the sleeve blade rotates through an acute angle. The coil spring is unwound, slightly, which causes the inside diameter of the coil spring to increase until there is a clearance between the coil spring and the rod. In this condition, the Axial Lock is free to move axially on the rod to provide a re-positioning function. This allows the relative distance between the control member and the positioning system bracket to be adjusted by sliding the Axial Lock along the rod. The Axial Lock is re-locked to the rod, in any position, by removing the pressure on the sleeve blade. When the blade is released, the armrest will remember the new position, because the relative distance between the control member and the positioning system bracket will be locked. This sets the new use position for the armrest.
The present invention is illustrated with 6 drawings on 7 sheets.
The following descriptions are not meant to limit the invention, but rather to add to the summary of invention, and illustrate the present invention, by offering and illustrating various embodiments of the present invention, a single spring linear adjusting lock device. While embodiments of the invention are illustrated and described, the embodiments herein do not represent all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the descriptions, illustrations, and embodiments are intended to teach and inform without limiting the scope of the invention.
The easiest way to illustrate the present invention is to compare it to the current state of the art, a double spring linear adjusting lock, similar to that used Liu 732.
The rod 24 has a rod hole 241. The rod hole 241 is attached to a control member 4 at a control member mounting hole 242 with a washer 15 and connector 13. The cylinder with protruding trunnions 22 mates with a mating hole 281 on a positioning system bracket 28, connected to a positioning system arm 25; and a mating hole 282 on the support arm 27. The control member 4 is connected to the support arm 27 with a connector 11 and washers 10, 12. The double spring linear adjusting lock is released by rotating its sleeve with blade 21 through an acute angle. This is done with a release actuator 14, that rotates a lever 26. The lever 26, in turn, rotates the sleeve with blade 21 through an acute angle.
The rod hole 241 is attached to a control member 4 at a control member mounting hole 242 with a washer 15 and connector 13. The protrusions, or trunnions, 221, 222 of the cylinder with protruding trunnions 220 mate with a mating hole 281 on a positioning system bracket 28 and a mating hole on the support arm 27. This means that the single spring linear adjusting lock can fit in the same applications as the double spring linear adjusting lock. The control member 4 is connected to the support arm 27 with a connector 11 and washers 10, 12. The positioning system bracket 28 is connected to the positioning system arm 25.
With reference to the single spring linear adjusting lock, when a compressive load is applied to the armrest 1, the ramp feature inside the bushing 230 causes the coil spring 190 coils 193 to tilt and grip the rod 24 in proportion to the load. When a tensile load is applied to the armrest 1, a ramp feature 213 inside the notched sleeve with blade 210 causes the coil spring 190 coils 193 to tilt in the opposite orientation and grip the rod in proportion to the load. The single spring linear adjusting lock is released by rotating its sleeve with blade 210 through an acute angle. This is done with a release actuator 14 that rotates a lever 26. The lever 26, in turn, rotates the sleeve with blade 210 through an acute angle. The coil spring 190 is unwound, slightly, which causes the inside diameter 194 of each turn 193 of the coil spring 190 to increase until there is a clearance between the coil spring 190 and the rod 24. This condition is called the unlocked condition.
The Axial Lock is comprised of the two-piece housing 30A, 30B, annular bearing 180, single coil spring 190, notched sleeve with blade 210, bushing with a ramp feature 230, and cylinder with protruding trunnions 220. In the unlocked condition, the Axial Lock is free to move axially with respect to the rod 24 to provide a re-positioning function. The Axial Lock is re-locked to the rod 24, in any position, by removing the pressure on the sleeve blade 211. In the locked condition, the Axial Lock is fixed with respect to the rod 24. The single spring linear adjusting lock allows the relative distance between the control member 4 and the positioning system bracket 28 to be adjusted by sliding the Axial Lock along the rod 24. When the blade 211 is released, the armrest 1 will remember the new position, because the relative distance between the control member 4 and the positioning system bracket 28 will be locked. This sets the new use position for the armrest 1.
The release actuator 14 is held in place with a connector 3, 5. The lever 26 is held in place by a connector 9 inserted into a hole 283 in the positioning system bracket 28.
