U.S. patent application number 10/931106 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-03 for universal adjustable vehicle center arm rest assembly.
Invention is credited to Wright, Christopher M..
Application Number | 20050046263 10/931106 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34221779 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050046263 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wright, Christopher M. |
March 3, 2005 |
Universal adjustable vehicle center arm rest assembly
Abstract
A vehicle after market, bridge-type, universal ergonomic armrest
assembly that is adjustable longitudinally and vertically for
installation over a console while permitting access into the
console. A hinged front leg rests on the front of the console and a
hinged rear leg is attached to the rear of the console, or to a
partition behind the seat. The arm rest can be folded upward and
backward for non-use stowage. The front leg folds out of the way
when the arm rest is in the stowed position. The arm rest can be
used in a bench seat by wedging the rear foot in the crease at the
junction of the seat and back. The arm rest is simple, easy to
manufacture and install, and provides relief and alleviates fatigue
for those drivers who spend long period in their vehicles such as
truckers, police and sales persons.
Inventors: |
Wright, Christopher M.;
(Sequim, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jacques M. Dulin, Esq.
Innovation Law Group, Ltd.
NetPort Center, Suite 201
224 W. Washington Street
Sequim
WA
98382-3338
US
|
Family ID: |
34221779 |
Appl. No.: |
10/931106 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60499639 |
Sep 2, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/411.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/753 20180201;
B60N 2/773 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/411.3 |
International
Class: |
A47C 007/54 |
Claims
1. An after market universal vehicle center armrest having
ergonomic adjustability features, comprising in operative
combination: a. a substantially horizontal base plate having an
upper and a lower face and a longitudinal fore/aft dimension and a
transverse lateral dimension; b. a padded armrest cushion mounted
on the upper face of said base plate; c. a front and a rear
adjustment plates attached to the lower face of said base plate,
each said plates including at least one slot to permit longitudinal
horizontal adjustment of said plate with respect to said base
plate; d. a front leg attached by a hinge to a forward end of said
front adjustment plate; e. a rear leg attached by a hinge to an aft
end of said rear adjustment plate and including a foot portion for
securing said rear leg to at least one of a vehicle center console
or a partition wall behind an adjacent seat; f. at least one of
said legs including a slotted plate and fastener assembly for
vertical adjustment of the length of said leg; and g. said assembly
forming a bridge that permits access to a console over which said
arm rest is mounted, said slotted plates permitting both
longitudinal, fore/aft and vertical adjustment for ergonomic fit to
a wide range of driver sizes, and said hinges permitting said arm
rest to be raised out of a use position to a stowed position with
said front leg folded parallel to said base plate.
2. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 1 wherein said
front leg is vertically adjustable.
3. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 2 wherein said
rear leg is vertically adjustable.
4. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 1 wherein said
rear leg and said foot are oriented at an acute angle to form a
wedge for wedging said arm rest rear foot between the seat back and
seat portion of a bench seat.
5. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 1 wherein said
front leg includes a foot portion the bottom of which includes a
non-slip, non-marring cushioning material.
6. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 1 which includes
a latch assembly for securing said arm rest in a raised, out of
service, stowed position.
7. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 6 wherein said
latch assembly comprises a hook and eye.
8. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 6 wherein said
latch assembly comprises an elastic member secured at one end
adjacent the aft end of said arm rest, and the other end is
removably engageable to an anchor point so that said arm rest in
the stowed position is essentially retained in an over-center
position, and said elastic member is selected to have sufficient
force to retain said arm rest in the stowed position but not enough
so that said arm rest in the use position is raised by said elastic
member.
9. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 2 wherein the
upper end of said leg terminates in an inverted J-shaped flange,
the top of which is connected by said hinge to said front
adjustment plate and prevents the angle formed between said leg and
said base plate from exceeding about 90.degree..
10. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 4 wherein said
front leg is vertically adjustable.
11. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 10 wherein said
rear leg is vertically adjustable.
12. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 10 wherein said
front leg includes a foot portion the bottom of which includes a
non-slip, non-marring cushioning material.
13. An after market universal arm rest as in claim 12 which
includes a latch assembly for securing said arm rest in a raised,
out of service, stowed position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASE
[0001] This application is the Regular Application of the
Inventor's prior Provisional Application of the same title, Ser.
No. 60/499,639, filed Sep. 2, 2003, the priority of which
application is hereby claimed under 35 USC .sctn.119.
FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to after-market arm rest assemblies
for vehicles, and more particularly to arm rest assemblies having
features of both fore/aft and vertical adjustability for universal
fit into a wide range of vehicles. The inventive arm rest is of a
bridge type that permits fitting on and over a center console
leaving ample space below for access to stowage compartments below.
In addition, the arm rest can be raised from a horizontal deployed,
in-use position to a vertical, stowed position. The inventive arm
rest is particularly useful for lengthy duration drivers and front
seat passengers who spend long periods in their vehicle, such as:
police, highway patrol, security guards, surveillance personnel,
border patrol, sales persons, taxi drivers and truckers.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A wide range of after-market vehicle arm rests have been
proposed, and a few are currently available. An example is seen in
the following US patent: Salters U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,835 (1990)
shows a portable, removable arm rest having an upright tubing
structure that is compression-mounted between the floor and cab
roof of a truck. The arm rest slides vertically on the post.
[0004] In addition, a wide variety of OEM vehicle center arm rests
are illustrated in the following US patents, most of which are
highly complex, and adjustable in one or another dimension but not
both horizontally and vertically, or are not bridge type arm rests:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,901, Dec. 17, 1985, Arm Rest Device of a Seat
for a Vehicle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,905, Mar. 25, 1986, Grant,
Vehicle Armrest; U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,790, Johnson, Adjustable Arm
Rest and Console Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,899, Jun. 10, 1997,
Schiff, Kinematic Structure for Vehicle Armrest; U.S. Pat. No.
5,951,084, Sep. 14, 1999, Okazaki et al, Seat Structure for a
Vehicle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,092, Dec. 7, 1999, Slaven, System for
Adjusting Vertical Height of an Armrest; U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,927,
Dec. 21, 1999, Korber et al, Center Console Having Lengthwise,
Laterally and Vertically Moveable Armrest for an Automobile.
[0005] A special set of problems are presented in many types of
high-duty vehicles, such as in the case of non-dedicated vehicles
having bench front seats or generic, one-size-fits-all bucket seats
without arm rests. In vehicles that have some sort of center
storage console, typically the consoles are low, unpadded or
insufficiently padded, too short or not properly located fore and
aft, and are not adjustable vertically. Others must be more or less
permanently mounted on top of the console, and either block console
interior access or are difficult to move out of the way. Others are
made of plastic materials that do not withstand daily, heavy duty
use. Putting a pillow over the console does not solve the problems
as it may be too soft, and block access to the console access
door.
[0006] The mis-aligned or wrong sized center arm rest results in
the driver experiencing back discomfort after a few hours of use,
and after weeks of use, the discomfort can result in chronic pain,
not only of the back but also the hip and shoulders. This results
in workers comp claims, missed work and loss of productivity.
Examples of such vehicles include police patrol cars, security
guard vehicles, taxis, and messenger, sales personnel, and delivery
vehicles, both automobiles and van-type vehicles. In addition
trucks of all sizes have the same problems.
[0007] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a simple, easily
manufactured, ergonomic, universal center arm rest that is both
stable and vertically and horizontally adjustable to fit a wide
variety of vehicles as well as drivers of all physical sizes and
heights, and which permits access to the console storage as well as
being quickly and easily stowable completely out of the way as
needed and securable for extended periods in the stowed position,
yet easily and quickly deployable to the use position.
THE INVENTION
[0008] Summary, Including Objects and Advantages:
[0009] The invention comprises an after-market, center position,
ergonomic universal arm rest assembly having a fully padded top
that is fully adjustable fore and aft and vertically, and includes
hinged supporting legs having features permitting folding flat in a
stowed position. The hinged back leg permits a wide range of
alternative mounting arrangements, including bridging existing
center consoles to permit access to the consoles, wedging in bench
seats, and mountable to partition walls between front and rear
seats that permit quick stowage out of the way. The inventive arm
rest is securable in the stowed position, yet can be quickly
deployed to the horizontal use position as needed.
[0010] In its broad aspects the inventive arm rest comprises an
ergonomically padded, horizontal base plate that forms the working
(arm rest) surface, a pair of horizontal adjustment plates
adjustably secured through slots to the base plates, and a front
and a back leg, each of which are hinged to the adjustment plates.
The front leg also includes slots permitting vertical adjustment,
and the back leg can optionally include vertical adjustment slots.
The front leg includes a foot, the bottom of which is padded so as
to not mar any console or seat element on which it rests. The rear
leg includes holes for fasteners to alternatively fasten the leg to
the rear end of a horizontal console, or to a generally vertical
partition wall behind the front seat. The hinged rear leg permits
the arm rest to be raised to a vertical, or over-vertical, stowed
position against a partition wall, and includes a keeper device to
retain the arm rest in a stowed position. The hinge on the front
leg permits the front leg to be folded down and back so the leg is
parallel to the base plate when the arm rest is in the stowed
position.
[0011] To secure the inventive arm rest in the folded, stowed
position, it is preferred to employ a latch comprising a hook and
eye, or an optional elastic keeper member can be provided, either
of which retains the arm rest in the raised, stowed, folded
position. The over-center raised position keeps the front leg
folded flat against the base plate. Optionally, the latch cam be a
detent provided in the rear hinge.
[0012] The inventive arm rest has the following main
advantages:
[0013] it is universal, fits any car as an after-market item;
[0014] it is bridge-type, in that it straddles any type of OEM
center console;
[0015] it is ergonomic, being wide enough and well padded for long
use comfort;
[0016] it is ergonomic in that it is fully adjustable, vertically
for drivers of a wide range of torso height, and fore/aft for any
desired driver arm position;
[0017] it folds up flat, in a stowed, out of the way position, not
only for when it is not needed, but also, if necessary, for access
to the OEM console or center utility storage trays or compartments
underneath it;
[0018] an optional latch can be provided to retain the arm rest in
the raised, out-of-service, stowed position; and
[0019] it is light weight, being frame-type construction, rugged,
being made of steel or high-duty industrial plastic, and easy to
mount, requiring only 2 screws to either the back of a console or a
partition wall.
[0020] The inventive arm rest is particularly useful for long term
driver usage, that is, for drivers that spend a long time in their
vehicles, such as: public or private safety officers (police,
highway patrol, security guards, border patrol, customs agents,
etc.); taxicab drivers; sales agents; truck drivers; and the like.
The vertical and horizontal adjustability feature permits good
ergonomics, in that the driver's spinal position can be maintained
straight during long periods thereby tending to prevent
misalignment and attendant discomfort or pain.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention is described in detail in reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which the same or equivalent parts are
numbered alike.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a side elevation sectional view showing the
inventive arm rest secured to a center console between the two
front seats in a vehicle;
[0023] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the arm rest assembly of FIG.
1;
[0024] FIG. 3 is an alternate mounting scheme with the rear leg
raised and the rear foot secured to the partition wall;
[0025] FIG. 4 is another embodiment wherein the acute angle of the
rear leg and foot forms a wedge that is wedged into the crease
between the seat back and the seat portion of a bench seat;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the inventive arm rest
assembly, mounted in a vehicle to a partition dividing the front
seat area from the back as in a patrol car, taxi or truck, shown in
the raised, out-of-service, stowed position;
[0027] FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the inventive arm rest
assembly as in FIG. 5 employing an elastic retainer; and
[0028] FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the front leg
mount using a wooden block spacer instead of an metal, inverted
J-shaped flange at the front hinge.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, INCLUDING THE PRESENT BEST
MODE
[0029] The following detailed description illustrates the invention
by way of example, not by way of limitation of the scope,
equivalents or principles of the invention. This description will
clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the
invention, and describes several embodiments, adaptations,
variations, alternatives and uses of the invention, including what
is presently believed to be the best modes of carrying out the
invention.
[0030] In this regard, the invention is illustrated in the several
figures, and is of sufficient complexity that the many parts,
interrelationships, and sub-combinations thereof simply cannot be
fully illustrated in a single patent-type drawing. For clarity and
conciseness, several of the drawings show in schematic, or omit,
parts that are not essential in that drawing to a description of a
particular feature, aspect or principle of the invention being
disclosed. Thus, the best mode embodiment of one feature may be
shown in one drawing, and the best mode of another feature will be
called out in another drawing.
[0031] All publications, patents and applications cited in this
specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each
individual publication, patent or application had been expressly
stated to be incorporated by reference.
[0032] FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively an assembled view and an
exploded view of the inventive arm rest. As best seen in FIG. 1,
the pad assembly 12 comprises a wood base 42, sponge or foam
padding 40 and is covered with vinyl or leather 38, the margins of
which are stapled to the bottom of the wood base 42 before being
covered by the base plate 14. FIGS. 1 and 2 show that the pad
assembly 12 is fastened to a base plate 14 by a series of perimeter
screws.
[0033] The front and back legs are hinged and adjustable fore and
aft by means of a pair of horizontal, spaced adjustment plates, as
follows. A rear slotted adjustment plate 16 is adjustably attached
to the base plate 14 by bolts 44. The rear hinges 18 are attached
to the rear end of the plate 16, and to the top of the rear leg 20.
The rear leg 20 terminates in slotted rear foot plate 22. The slots
permit adjustable attachment to a console 66 or compartment wall
(50 in FIG. 3).
[0034] A front slotted plate 24 is adjustably secured to the base
plate 14 by bolts 44. Front hinges 26 are secured to the front end
of the slotted front horizontal adjustment plate 24. The other leaf
of front hinge 26 is secured to the top of front leg slotted
vertical adjustment plate 28 which terminates at its upper end in
an inverted J-shaped flange 29. The top of the J-shaped flange 29
and hinge 26 support the base plate at its front end, and prevent
the front leg from angling forward more than about 90.degree. from
the plane of the base plate. The front leg plate 28 is vertically
adjustable by means of the nuts/bolts 46/47 in the front leg lower
plate 32. The bottom of the front leg 32 terminates in a foot 34 to
the underside of which is secured an anti-slip, anti-mar cushion
strip 36.
[0035] Optionally, the rear leg 20 can also be a two-part,
vertically adjustable assembly of the same or equivalent
construction as the front leg, except that the upper J-shaped
flange terminus is not required. Since the construction is the same
and is shown at the front end of the assembly, it is not repeated
at the back end in order to show the widest range of alternative
constructions, with one or both legs adjustable. In some usages,
the vertical adjustability of both legs will be preferred.
[0036] Typically, the rear hinge panel of the arm rest is secured
to either: a) the rear separator or partition wall of a patrol car,
taxi or truck cab (FIG. 3); or b) to the aft end of a center,
after-market or OEM console 66 in vehicles having bucket seats, as
shown in FIG. 1. However, in an important alternative shown in FIG.
4 for bench type seats, e.g., as found in trucks, the rear hinged
leg 20 and foot 22 terminate in a wedge or like configuration. The
wedge formed by the leg 20 and foot 22 fits in the groove 56 formed
between the seat 52 and the seat back 54.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the inventive arm rest
assembly, mounted in a vehicle, shown in the raised,
out-of-service, position. The parts numbering is the same as in
FIGS. 1-3. Rear foot 22 is secured by fastener 48 to the
dividing/partition wall member 50 separating the front driver
compartment from the rear seat compartment, such as is conventional
in a police or other security vehicle, or in a commercial taxi,
having a plexiglas or wire screen 58. The foot is fastened above
the console as shown a distance sufficient so that the arm rest pad
assembly is comfortable to the driver when in the lowered position
of FIG. 1. The arm rest folds up, and the front leg assembly 28,
32, 46 folds flat, out of the way, at front hinge 26 against the
underside of the rear slot plate 16 as shown. The arm rest center
of gravity is behind the rear hinge 18 so that it rests in the
out-of-service position of FIG. 5, thus permitting access to the
compartment(s) 70 of console 66 via lid 72 (best seen in FIG. 1).
In the alternative, a conventional latch hook and eye system 60 can
be used to positively secure the arm rest in the raised/stowed
position of FIG. 5. It should be noted that the latch 60 can be
reversed, that is the eye can be secured to the rear slot plate 16
or base plate 14, and the latch can be secured to the wall 50.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the inventive Arm Rest
Assembly as in FIG. 5 employing an elastic retainer 62, such as a
bungee cord having end hooks, in place of, or in addition to, the
hook and eye 60 of FIG. 5. By appropriate placement of the elastic
member 62, e.g. with the lower retainer hook 64 placed close to the
hinge 18, the arm rest is retained in the upright position, but may
also be lowered to the use position of FIG. 1 while the bungee 62
is still attached. That is, the weight of the arm rest assembly is
sufficient and the bungee force and attachment location forward of
the hinge 18 is chosen such that the user can extend the bungee
enough to bring it from the out-of-service position of FIG. 6 to
the use position of FIG. 1 without the arm rest rising under the
force of the spring or bungee 62. Likewise, since the arm rest is
in an over-center position in FIG. 6, the bungee or spring 62 will
retain the arm rest in the raised position until suitable manual
force is used to lower the arm rest. The upper end hook 64a can be
located vertically in any suitable position along the wall unit 50
to provide the elastic assistance desired. In the alternative, a
spring-assisted gas lift cylinder, or other equivalent device, may
be used in place of the elastic member 62.
[0039] FIG. 7 shows an alternative mounting method for the front
hinge 26, using a wooden spacer block 30 instead of the metal
inverted J-shaped flange 29 shown in FIG. 1. In this non-preferred
alternative, the rear leaf of the hinge 26 is attached to the base
plate 14 as in FIG. 1. The front leaf of the hinge is attached to
the rear vertical face of the wooden spacer block. The spacer block
permits the front leg to fold flat against the base plate when the
arm rest is in the stowed position of FIGS. 5 and 6.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0040] It is clear that the universal adjustable center arm rest of
the invention is useful in a wide range of vehicle types, and
permits more ergonomic seating with the right arm of the driver
fully supported at the normal height for more comfortable driving,
yet permits complete access to the OEM stowage bins of the center
console, and stowage out of the way in an out-of-service
position.
[0041] It should be understood that various modifications within
the scope of this invention can be made by one of ordinary skill in
the art without departing from the spirit thereof and without undue
experimentation. For example, the feet need not be plates (sheets)
but may be 4 individual tubular members. In addition, the rear leg
assembly may be vertically adjustable and extensible like the front
leg assembly. The spacer block 30 can be eliminated by appropriate
placement of the front hinge 26 and design of the front slotted
plate 24. The front foot 34 can be bent forward rather than
backward. This invention is therefore to be defined by the scope of
the appended claims as broadly as the prior art will permit, and in
view of the specification if need be, including a full range of
current and future equivalents thereof.
1 PARTS LIST To assist examination; may be canceled upon allowance
at option of examiner 10 Universal bridge-type arm rest assembly 12
cushion 14 Base Plate 16 Rear slot plate 18 Rear hinge 20 Rear leg
24 Front slot plate 25 Rivet 26 Front hinge 27 Rivet 28 Front leg
slot plate 29 Inverted J-shaped flange 30 Spacer block 32 Front leg
34 Front foot 36 Anti-slip anti-marring cushion 38 Vinyl, leather
or fabric cover 40 foam padding 42 Wood base 44 Fore/aft adjustment
46 Bolts 47 Flat nut or wing nuts 48 Rear foot bolts 50 Wall 51
Window or grill 52 Seat 54 Seat back 56 Wedge 58 Plexiglas 60 Latch
(hook and eye) 62 Elastic retainer (bungee, spring) 64, 64' End
hooks 66 Console 68 Cup holder 70 Storage compartment 72 Console
lid 74 Roof A Front height adjustment B, C Fore/aft adjustment D
Rear foot placement adjustment E, F, G Lift to stow, Reverse to
deploy
* * * * *