ARMREST

Abstract

The invention relates to an armrest having a base (11) and an arm support (12) that is displaceable linearly relative to the base (11) over intermediate positions between a first position and a second position in opposite displacement directions (x.sub.1, x.sub.2) along a movement path, having a guide assembly comprising a first guide on the base (11) and a second guide on the arm support (12), that form cooperating guide surfaces movable relative to one another and that limit movement of the arm support (12) relative to the base (11) in at least one direction at right angles to the displacement directions, wherein play is formed between the first guide and the second guide, and wherein in the case of a loading with a force F acting on the arm support, guide surfaces of the first and second guides are in contact.

The special feature is that the guide assembly has at least one elastic bumper block (26) that urges the first guide into contact with the second guide such that the contact is maintained during unloading.

Claims

1. An armrest comprising: a base; an arm support displaceable linearly relative to the base through intermediate positions between a first position and a second position in opposite displacement directions along a movement path; a guide assembly comprising a first guide on the base and a second guide on the arm support forming cooperating guide surfaces movable relative to one another to limit movement of the arm support relative to the base in at least one direction at a right angle to the displacement directions such that there is play between the first guide and the second guide and on loading with a force acting on the arm support, guide surfaces of the first and second guides are in contact; and an elastic bumper block that is in the guide assembly and that urges the first guide into contact with the second guide such that the contact is maintained during unloading.

2. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the cooperating guide surfaces are substantially non-deformable.

3. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the first guide or the second guide has at least one bearing that can be fastened on the base and/or on the arm support.

4. The armrest according to claim 3, wherein the elastic bumper block is on the bearing.

5. The armrest according to claim 3, wherein the bearing is a ring.

6. The armrest according to claim 3, wherein the first guide or the second guide is formed by at least one pair bearings spaced apart in the displacement directions.

7. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein the cooperating guides include at least one rod that cooperates with at least one mount forming an other of the guides.

8. The armrest according to claim 7, wherein the rod is on the arm support and the mount is on the base or the rod is on the arm support and the mount is on the base.

9. The armrest according to claim 7, wherein the guide assembly has two of the rods that work together with the mount.

10. The armrest according to claim 7, wherein the rod is cylindrical and the mount is complementarily shaped.

11. An armrest comprising: a base element; an arm-support element movable in a direction on the base element between a pair of end positions; a mount fixed on one of the elements and formed with a throughgoing hole extending in the direction; a rod fixed on the other of the elements and extending along an axis with play through the hole of the mount; a pair of inelastic slide-bearing rings fixed in the hole at ends thereof and loosely surrounding the rod; and a respective elastic bearing block fixed in and relative to each of the rings and pressing the rod radially against a diametrally opposite inner-surface portion of the respective ring.

Description

[0024] Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of embodiments schematically illustrated in the figures. Therein:

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an armrest from the front with the arm support of the armrest in a rear position,

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the armrest as in FIG. 1 with the arm support displaced into a front position,

[0027] FIG. 3 a side view of the armrest with the arm support in the rear position,

[0028] FIG. 4 is a side view of the armrest with the arm support in an intermediate position,

[0029] FIG. 5 a side view of the armrest with the arm support in the front position,

[0030] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the armrest from the front as in FIG. 1, but with a housing of the arm support not shown,

[0031] FIG. 7 is a front view of the armrest according to view arrow VII in FIG. 3,

[0032] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section through an armrest from the prior art,

[0033] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section of the armrest according to the invention along section line IX-IX in FIG. 7,

[0034] FIG. 10 shows the armrest as in FIG. 9 but with the arm support in an intermediate position and with no hatching for the sake of clarity,

[0035] FIG. 11 shows the armrest as in FIG. 9 but with the arm support in the front position and no hatching for the sake of clarity,

[0036] FIG. 12 is a section according to section line XII-XII in FIG. 9 and with the hatching of the section surfaces not shown for clarity,

[0037] FIG. 13 is a section according to section line XIII-XIII in FIG. 9 and with the hatching of the section surfaces not shown for clarity,

[0038] FIG. 14 a perspective detail view of the mount including the bearings from the front,

[0039] FIG. 15 is a vies like FIG. 14 of the bearings but with the mount 21 not shown,

[0040] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of the armrest according to the first embodiment in longitudinal section,

[0041] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram corresponding to FIG. 16 of an alternative embodiment of the armrest in longitudinal section, but with no hatching shown for the sake of clarity.

[0042] An armrest as a whole is denoted by the reference numeral 10 in the figures. Like reference numerals in the various figures indicate corresponding parts, even if small letters are adjusted or omitted.

[0043] The armrest 10 comprises, according to a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 and 9 to 16, a base 11 and an arm support 12 having a support surface 13. The user can be supported on the support surface 13. The arm support 12 is movable relative to the base 11 in directions x.sub.1 and x.sub.2. FIGS. 1 and 3 show the arm support 12 in a rear position, FIG. 4 in a middle position and FIGS. 2 and 5 in a front position. The middle position corresponds to an intermediate position. In this way, the position of the arm support 12 can be optimally adapted to the seat occupant.

[0044] In the present embodiment, the base 11 is formed from a vehicle-fixed pivot axis a.sub.1 and by an arm 14 pivotable about the pivot axis a.sub.1 so that the arm support 12 is configured pivotable about the pivot axis a.sub.1 in pivot directions u.sub.1 and u.sub.2. From a position shown in FIG. 3, in which a longitudinal axis a.sub.2 of the arm support 12 is approximately horizontal, the arm support can be pivoted in the direction u.sub.1 into an unillustrated position in which the longitudinal axis a.sub.2 is approximately vertical. This position is indicated in FIG. 4 by a dashed line a.sub.2 that is parallel to directions z.sub.1 and z.sub.2.

[0045] A pivot joint may be formed, for example, between a socket, not shown, and the arm 14. A pivot end 16 of the arm 14 forms a projection 17 at a bearing region 18 with openings 19 for engagement of bearings. The arm 14 also has a free end 20.

[0046] FIG. 6 shows the armrest 10, but a housing 15 of the arm support 12 is not shown. The arm 14 is fixed to a mount 21 in which two holes 22a and 22b are formed in the shape of elongated bores. The hole 22a receives a rod 23a, and the hole 22b receives a rod 23b. The rods 23a and 23b are fixed on the arm support 12. A longitudinal central axes of the holes 22a and 22b are coaxial with longitudinal center axes of the rods 23a and 23b and parallel to the longitudinal axis a.sub.2 of the armrest.

[0047] On movement of the arm support 12 in one of the directions x.sub.1 or x.sub.2, the rods 23a and 23b move in the holes 22a and 22b relative to the mount 21. In the present embodiment, the rods 23a and 23b and the holes 22a and 22b are cylindrical. Alternatively, they can have a different shape.

[0048] An armrest from the prior art is shown in FIG. 8. Its arm support 12 is supported in the prior art according to FIG. 8 by two annular bearings La and Lb. They are of an elastically deformable material. When loaded with a force F, they deform until the rods 23a and 23b strike against the outer ends of the holes 22a and 22b. The user of the armrest perceives that as considerable play. Since the center of gravity of the force F lies in front of the bearing La in the direction x.sub.1 in the usual load situation, the arm support 12 tilts relative to the mount 21 as part of the play of the rods 23a and 23b in the holes 22a and 22b in direction v.

[0049] According to the object of the invention, this play should be eliminated.

[0050] As can be seen in FIGS. 9, 12 and 13, the armrest 10 according to the invention has, at the ends of the hole[s 22a and] 22b, seats each provided with a respective annular bearing 24, serving as slide bearings for the rods 23a and 23b. The sections of FIGS. 12 and 13 show a total of four bearing seats 25a, 25b, 25c and 25d formed in the mount 21. The rod 23a is supported by the bearings 24 in the bearing seats 25a and 25b and the rod 23b by the bearings 24 in the seats 25c and 25d. The bearings 24 limit movement of each rod 23a and 23b in a Y-Z plane defined by [horizontal] arrows y.sub.1 and y.sub.2 and [vertical arrows] z.sub.1 and z.sub.2.

[0051] When the arm support 12 is loaded with a force F corresponding to the main load situation by supporting the arm of a user, the rods 23a and 23b abut against an inner surface 27 of each bearing 24. Due to the tilting of the arm support 12, the rods 23a and 23b abut against a lower surface portion 28 at the bearing seats 25a and 25c (see FIGS. 12 and 13) and against an upper surface portion 29 of the holes 22a and 22b or the bearings 24 at the bearing seats 25b and 25d.

[0052] Each bearing 24 is formed, for example, as a closed or open ring and provided with an elastic bumper block 26. The ring is formed, for example, from a relatively stiff plastic. The elastic bumper block 26 is formed only along a limited angular portion of the bearing 24. In this way, the elastic bumper block 26 braces the rods 23a and 23b against the side of the inner surface 27 diametrically opposite the elastic bumper block 26, in particular the inner surface 27 of the ring. As can be seen in FIGS. 12 and 13, the bearings 24 are positioned in the mount 21 such that the rods 23a and 23b are loaded by the elastic bumper block 26 of the bearing points 25a and 25c in the direction z.sub.2 and by the elastic bumper block 26 of the bearing points 25b and 25d in the direction z.sub.1, which corresponds to the relative position of the rods 23a and 23b to the mount 21 when applying a force F to the arm support 12, in particular to the support surface 13.

[0053] Thus, the arm support 12 remains in the same position relative to the mount 21 after removal of the force F. The user cannot detect any play when loading or unloading the arm support 12.

[0054] FIG. 14 shows the assembly of the mount 21 and the bearings 24. FIG. 15 shows the bearings 21 in the same arrangement as in FIG. 14, the mount 21 not being shown for the sake of clarity.

[0055] The first embodiment is shown again as a schematic diagram in FIG. 16. The elastic bumper blocks 26 brace the rod 23b according to the loading direction by a force F that corresponds to the main load situation by supporting an arm of the user, whereby the arm support is tilted in the direction v. The bearing 24 of the bearing point 25c is loaded in the direction z.sub.2 and the bearing 24 of the bearing point 25d in the direction z.sub.1.

[0056] A schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the armrest 10 is shown in FIG. 16, which only differs from the first embodiment in that the mount 21 is fixed to the arm support 12 and the rods 23a and 23b are fixed to the arm 14. In this case, the rods 23a and 23b are loaded by the elastic bumper blocks 26 of the bearing points 15a and 25c in the direction z.sub.1 and by the elastic bumper blocks 26 of the bearing points 15b and 15d in the direction z.sub.2 corresponding to the load situation under the action of a force F.