ARMREST

Abstract

Armrest (10) comprising a base (19) and an arm (13) that can be moved by a mount (17) between at least one use position and a non-use position, wherein the arm (13) is movable by the mount (17) axially of a pivot axis (a) between a proximal and a distal position, and is pivotable about the pivot axis (a) between a primary and a secondary position, wherein the armrest (10) has an actuator (30) comprising a motor drive having a drive part (29) that is movable between a first and a second position in order to displace the arm (13) in a first direction (y.sub.1) between the non-use position and the use position, at least in part, wherein the actuator (30) has at least one spring (21) that can be tensioned upon movement of the drive part (29) or an additional drive part (29) of the actuator (30), wherein the arm (13) can be moved axially, in a second direction (y.sub.2) by the spring (21), which second direction is directed opposite the first direction (y.sub.1).

Claims

1. An armrest comprising: a base; an arm; a mount supporting the arm on the base for movement between at least one use position and a non-use position, the arm being movable by the mount axially of a pivot axis between a proximal and a distal position and about the pivot axis between a primary and a secondary position; an actuator including a motor drive having a drive part movable between a first and a second position in order to displace the arm in a first direction at least partially between the non-use position and the use position; a spring tensioned upon movement of the drive part of the actuator, the arm being movable axially by the spring in a second direction opposite the first direction.

2. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the mount has a first guide element associated with the base and a second guide element associated with the arm, the first and second guide element interacting.

3. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein the first guide element or the second guide element by is a tube.

4. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein the first guide element and the second guide element are both tubes movable telescopically with respect to one another.

5. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein, on movement of the drive part between the first position and the second position, the second guide element is displaced relative to the first guide element between the proximal position and the distal position.

6. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein the second guide element has a stop face that interacts with a driving surface of the drive part such that the second guide element is entrained when the drive part moves in a first direction and the second guide element detaches from the drive part on movement thereof in a second direction.

7. The armrest according to claim 2, further comprising: a latch for locking the second guide element in the distal position.

8. The armrest according to claim 1, further comprising: a tension rod rigidly connected to the drive part of the actuator and a first spring end of the spring is supported on the tension rod.

9. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein a second spring end of the spring is supported on a contact surface that is associated with the second guide element.

10. The armrest according to claim 2, wherein the second guide element is moved into the distal position when the drive part moves from the first position into the second position.

11. The armrest according to claim 8, wherein the spring is tensioned by the tension rod when the drive part moves from the second position into the first position.

12. The armrest according to claim 1, further comprising: a damper is provided for damping at least a portion of the movement of the arm from the non-use position into the use position.

13. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is effective linearly.

14. The armrest according to any of the preceding claims, claim 1, wherein the mount has at least one guideway for guiding the second guide element, and the guideway has an axial guide and a rotational guide that are separate from one another or forms both the axial guide and the rotational guide.

Description

[0024] Further advantages of the invention can be seen with reference to an embodiment that is shown schematically in the figures. In said figures:

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a backrest of a vehicle seat comprising an armrest according to the invention, wherein the armrest is in a non-use position,

[0026] FIG. 2 is a view of the backrest based on FIG. 1, wherein the arm is moved in the longitudinal direction of the pivot axis, from a proximal position into a distal position,

[0027] FIG. 3 shows the backrest based on FIG. 2, wherein the armrest is pivoted into a use position,

[0028] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the backrest according to FIG. 1,

[0029] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the backrest according to FIG. 2,

[0030] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the backrest according to FIG. 3,

[0031] FIG. 7 is a sectional view according to the cutting line A-A in FIG. 4,

[0032] FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the armrest according to the cutting line B-B in FIG. 5,

[0033] FIG. 9 is a sectional view according to the cutting line C-C in FIG. 6,

[0034] FIG. 10 is a sectional view according to the cutting line D-D in FIG. 4,

[0035] FIG. 11 is a sectional view according to the cutting line E-E in FIG. 5,

[0036] FIG. 12 is a sectional view according to the cutting line F-F in FIG. 6.

[0037] The armrest is denoted overall in the figures by reference sign 10. The same reference signs in different figures denote corresponding parts, even if lower-case letters follow or are omitted.

[0038] According to FIG. 1, the armrest 10 is fastened to the backrest 11 of a vehicle seat 12. A contact surface 49 of the backrest 11 is oriented in direction x1. The direction x1 corresponds for example to the straight travel direction of the vehicle, while the rear face 15 of the backrest is oriented in the opposing direction x2.

[0039] The seating surface of the vehicle seat is not shown. The armrest 10 is located in a non-use position, wherein a lower face 14 of an arm 13 opposes a rear race 15 (not visible in FIG. 1) of the backrest 11 at least in part. According to the invention, in the non-use position the arm protrudes laterally only slightly, or not at all, beyond a side face 16 of the backrest 11.

[0040] The arm 13 is movable axially of the longitudinal direction of a pivot axis a, in the directions y.sub.1 and y.sub.2, and pivotable about the pivot axis a in the directions u.sub.1 and u.sub.2 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In order to move the arm 13 out of the non-use position shown in FIG. 1 and into a use position, the arm 13 is first moved axially, in the direction y.sub.1, out of a proximal position according to FIGS. 1 and 4 and into a distal position according to FIGS. 2 and 5, until the lower face 14 is located entirely to the side of the side face 16 (see FIG. 2). Subsequently, the arm 13 is pivoted about the pivot axis in direction u.sub.1, into the use position that is shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

[0041] The arm 10 has a mount 17 (see FIG. 7) that guides the arm 13 in the longitudinal direction of the pivot axis a between a proximal position according to FIG. 7 and a distal position according to FIG. 8, upon movement in direction y.sub.1 and y.sub.2, and that guides the arm 13 between a primary position according to FIG. 8 and a secondary position according to FIG. 9, upon movement in the pivot directions u.sub.1 and u.sub.2.

[0042] The mount 17 has second guide element in the form of a sleeve 18 that is rigidly connected, via an end piece of the sleeve 18, to the arm 13 by a fastening 26, and first guide element in the form of a sleeve 20 that is rigidly connected to a base 19. In this embodiment, the base 19 has a housing 37 that is rigidly connected to the structure of the backrest 11. The sleeves 18 and 20 are arranged so as to be coaxial to the pivot axis a and so as to be telescopically movable, i.e. the sleeve 18 is movable in direction y.sub.1 and y.sub.2 relative to the sleeve 20.

[0043] In FIG. 7, a spring 21 comprising an actuator 30 can be seen, which spring is arranged so as to be coaxial to the pivot axis a. One spring end 22 of the spring 21 is supported on a contact surface 41 of a profile element 43 of a tension rod 23 that is also part of the actuator 30. The tension rod 23 is rigidly connected to the drive part 29. By another spring end 24, the spring 21 is supported on a stop face 25 that is rigidly connected to the sleeve 18. The sleeve 18 has a stop face 27 that, according to FIG. 7, interacts with a driving surface 28 of a drive part 29 of the actuator 30.

[0044] The profile element 43 is rotationally connected to the sleeve 18, for example by a spline shaft profile. In this way, the pivot movement of the arm 13 in direction u.sub.1 is damped by a damper 39. A driver 45 of the damper is rotationally connected to the profile element 43.

[0045] In FIG. 7 a spring 31 can furthermore be seen, which spring loads the arm 13 in the pivot direction u.sub.1. The spring 31 is designed as a torsion spring and one spring end thereof is supported on the base 19, e.g. on the housing 37, and another spring end is supported on the sleeve 18.

[0046] The actuator 30 is designed as a linear drive and has a motor 32 and a spindle 33. The spindle 33 is provided with an external thread 34 that is engaged in an internal thread 35 of a spindle nut 40 that is driven by the motor 32 and mounted on the motor 32. The motor 32 is rigidly connected to the drive part 29. The spindle 33 is mounted in bearings 36a and 36b that are retained on the housing 37 of the armrest 10. A guide rod 42 that is merely indicated by dashed lines is used as an anti-turn device for the drive part 29.

[0047] A controller (not shown) can be activated for example by a switch or a sensor. This causes the motor 32 to move the spindle nut 40 in a first direction of rotation, such that the drive part 29 that is rigidly connected to the motor 32 moves along the spindle 33 in direction y.sub.1. In this case, the drive part 29 carries along the assembly consisting of the sleeve 18, tension rod 23 and springs 21 and 31, and moves the assembly relative to the sleeve 20, in direction y.sub.1, out of the proximal position according to FIG. 7 and into the distal position according to FIG. 8.

[0048] In this case, the sleeve 18 is guided by an axial guide of the mount 17. This has a projection 44 that is formed on the sleeve 18 and engages in a guideway 46 that extends in direction y.sub.1 and is formed in the housing 37. The guideway 46 is designed such that the projection 44 has degrees of freedom in direction y.sub.1 and y.sub.2, and a rotational movement of the sleeve 18 in direction u.sub.1 and u.sub.2 is prevented.

[0049] The guideway 46 ends in the distal position. Owing to the loading of the arm 13 by the spring 31 in direction u.sub.1, the projection 44 is moved into a guide slot 47 of the mount 17 that forms a rotational guide that prevents movement of the projection 44 in the directions y.sub.1 and y.sub.2 but allows a movement in the directions u.sub.1 and u.sub.2. The guide slot 47 thus locks the return movement of the sleeve 18 in direction y.sub.2.

[0050] The arm 13 is moved by the spring 31, into the secondary position according to FIG. 9, wherein the projection 44 moves, in the guideway 47, into the position, shown in FIG. 12, at an end of the guideway 47. In the process, the damper 39 brakes movement of the arm 13 in direction u.sub.1. In addition, the arm 13 could be braked by a separate spring approximately 20 degrees before reaching the secondary position, which separate spring is tensioned in this pivoting range until the secondary position is reached.

[0051] The motor 32 is now driven such that the pinion 40 moves the drive part 29 in direction y.sub.2, wherein the tension rod 23 that is rigidly connected to the drive part 29 is entrained, together with the profile element 43, in direction y.sub.2, and in the process tensions the spring 21 (see FIG. 9).

[0052] If the arm 13 is now intended to be moved into the non-use position, said support is pivoted manually about the pivot axis a in direction u.sub.2, opposite the restoring force of the spring 31, until the primary position according to FIG. 8 is reached. In the process, the spring 31 is tensioned again. When the primary position is reached that corresponds to the distal position, the arm 13 is moved by the spring 21 in direction y.sub.2, into the proximal position, wherein the projection 44 runs along the guideway 46.

[0053] Alternatively to the embodiment described here, the arm of the arm rest could be guided by a helical guideway, wherein movement between the proximal position and the distal position, and movement between the primary position and the secondary position takes place simultaneously.