Armrest assembly and unitary armrest subassembly having a support substrate and resilient web secured together by mechanical fastening feature

Abstract

An armrest assembly includes a unitary armrest subassembly having a support substrate and a resilient web secured together by a mechanical fastening feature. The armrest subassembly also includes a cushion overlying the resilient web and a coverstock concealing the cushion and the resilient web and enclosing the receiver in the unitary armrest subassembly that holds those components.

Claims

1. An armrest assembly, comprising: a unitary armrest subassembly including a support substrate, having a receiver and a retention feature, and a resilient web extending across said receiver and having an integral fastener captured in said retention feature; a cushion overlying said resilient web; and a coverstock concealing said cushion and said resilient web and closing said receiver; wherein said receiver includes (a) an inset shoulder, said inset shoulder outlining a relief opening, and (b) a plurality of tabs project from said inset shoulder into said relief opening.

2. The armrest assembly of claim 1, wherein said retention feature is carried on said plurality of tabs.

3. The armrest assembly of claim 2, wherein said integral fastener comprises a shaft and an enlarged head, said retention feature engaging said shaft.

4. An armrest subassembly, comprising: a support substrate having a receiver and a retention feature wherein said receiver includes (a) an inset shoulder, said inset shoulder outlining a relief opening, and (b) a plurality of tabs projecting from said inset shoulder into said relief opening; and a resilient web extending across said receiver and having an integral fastener captured in said retention feature.

5. The armrest subassembly of claim 4, wherein said retention feature is carried on said plurality of tabs.

6. The armrest subassembly of claim 5, wherein said integral fastener comprises a shaft and an enlarged head, said retention feature engaging said shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

(1) The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the armrest assembly, the armrest subassembly and the production method and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof.

(2) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a prior art armrest assembly incorporating five separate components.

(3) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the new and improved armrest assembly that is essentially equivalent to the prior armrest assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 but is easier and less expensive to manufacture and assemble.

(4) FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the armrest subassembly used in the armrest assembly illustrated in FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the assembled armrest assembly illustrated in FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment including offset or staggered tabs.

(7) Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the armrest assembly and the related production method, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) Reference is now made to FIG. 2-4 illustrating the new and improved armrest assembly 10 and the new and improved unitary armrest subassembly 12. That armrest subassembly 12 includes a support substrate 14 and a resilient web 16 secured together by a mechanical fastening feature generally designated by reference numeral 18.

(9) More specifically, the support substrate 14 includes a receiver 20 and a retention feature 22. The receiver 20 includes an inset shoulder 24 that, in the illustrated embodiment, extends continuously around and outlines a relief opening 26.

(10) A plurality of tabs 28 on the inset shoulder 24 project inwardly into the relief opening 26. The retention feature 22, in the form of mounting apertures in the illustrated embodiment, is carried on the tabs 28 and the inset shoulder 24.

(11) The resilient web 16 extends across the receiver 20 and has an integral fastener 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the integral fastener 30 comprises a plurality of shafts 32 having an enlarged head 34 at the distal end thereof.

(12) As will be described in greater detail below, the unitary armrest subassembly 12 is manufactured by means of a two-shot molding process wherein the integral fasteners 30 are molded in place with the shafts 32 extending through the apertures/retention features 22 and the enlarged heads 34 functioning to capture the integral fasteners 30 in the retention features preventing the shafts 32 from pulling out. Thus, the two-shot molding process effectively provides a permanent attachment of the resilient web 16 to the support substrate 14.

(13) As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the armrest assembly 10 also includes a cushion 36 that overlies the resilient web 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the cushion 36 comprises a cushion layer of an appropriate soft foam, known in the art to be useful for this particular application.

(14) In addition, the armrest assembly 10 includes a coverstock 42 that conceals the cushion 36 and the resilient web 16 while also enclosing the receiver 20. The coverstock 42 may be made from any appropriate material known in the art to be useful as an armrest Asurface covering including, for example, various fabrics, cloth, vinyl-coated fabric, leather and appropriate soft-touch materials.

(15) Consistent with the above description, a new and improved method of manufacturing an armrest assembly 10 is provided. That method includes the step of two-shot molding a unitary armrest subassembly 12 which includes the support substrate 14 and the resilient web 16 secured together by the molded-in-place mechanical fastening feature 18. In addition, the method includes positioning the cushion 36 overlying the resilient web 16 in the receiver 20 of the armrest subassembly 12. Further, the method includes the step of concealing the cushion 36 and the resilient web 16 with a coverstock 42. The coverstock 42 may be attached to the support substrate 14 by an appropriate adhesive, mechanical fasteners or a combination of adhesive and fasteners. The completed and assembled armrest assembly 10 is illustrated in FIG. 4.

(16) More specifically, the method may include the step of molding the support substrate 14 from a first material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) which has a first melting point. The resilient web 16 may be molded from a second material, such as thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), having a second melting point wherein the first melting point is greater than the second melting point.

(17) As should be apparent from the previous description, the method may also include the step of molding the retention feature 22 into the tabs 28 of the support substrate 14 when molding the support substrate. Further, the method may include the step of molding the integral fastener 30 on the resilient web 16 when molding the resilient web.

(18) Each integral fastener 30 is provided with a shaft 32 and an enlarged head 34 at the distal end of the shaft. Consequently the method further includes the step of capturing the shaft 32 in the retention feature 22 molded into the support substrate 14. The retention feature 22 and the integral fastener 30 function as an integral molded-in-place mechanical fastening feature 18 securing the resilient web 16 and the support substrate 14 together. Advantageously, the integral mechanical fastening feature 18 securing the support substrate 14 and the resilient web 16 together effectively eliminates the need to consider adhesion issues due to incompatibility between resins. Accordingly, engineers are free to select any materials necessary to optimize the performance of the support substrate 14 and resilient web 16 of the armrest subassembly 12 and thereby produce an improved overall product.

(19) The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the tabs 28 on the inset shoulder 24 of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 are opposed. Those tabs 28 could also be offset or staggered if desired. See FIG. 5. Similarly, the illustrated embodiment includes 8 integral fasteners 30 received and captured in 8 cooperating retention features 22. A smaller or larger number may be provided if desired. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.