U.S. patent application number 11/164794 was filed with the patent office on 2007-06-14 for headliner mounted center high mount stop lamp (chmsl).
Invention is credited to ALBERT EKLADYOUS, EHAB KAOUD, TOM PARTCH, TODD SCHWANGER, JIM SMITHBAUER, BRUCE WILLIAMS.
Application Number | 20070132284 11/164794 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38138578 |
Filed Date | 2007-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070132284 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
EKLADYOUS; ALBERT ; et
al. |
June 14, 2007 |
HEADLINER MOUNTED CENTER HIGH MOUNT STOP LAMP (CHMSL)
Abstract
A console sliding armrest assembly for a vehicle includes a
storage compartment having an opening for allowing ingress and
egress of objects, and a console lid pivotally connected to the
storage compartment. The lid may include a sliding armrest
operatively engaged therewith. A guide assembly may be disposed
within the lid for guiding the armrest, and may include a slider
frame connected to the armrest. A guide plate may be connected to
the lid for supporting the armrest, and a rail may be secured in
the slider frame. The guide plate may be slidably engaged with the
rail for allowing sliding movement of the armrest. A spring may be
disposed between the slider frame and the rail, and may be engaged
to either the slider frame or the rail for biasing the rail against
the guide plate, and for thereby regulating tension in the guide
assembly.
Inventors: |
EKLADYOUS; ALBERT; (SHELBY
TWP., MI) ; PARTCH; TOM; (TRENTON, MI) ;
SCHWANGER; TODD; (FARMINGTON HILLS, MI) ; WILLIAMS;
BRUCE; (GROSSE POINTE PARK, MI) ; KAOUD; EHAB;
(CANTON, MI) ; SMITHBAUER; JIM; (CANTON,
MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DYKEMA GOSSETT PLLC
39577 WOODWARD AVENUE
SUITE 300
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48304
US
|
Family ID: |
38138578 |
Appl. No.: |
11/164794 |
Filed: |
December 6, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/188.17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60N 2/793 20180201;
B60N 2/773 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/188.17 |
International
Class: |
A47C 7/62 20060101
A47C007/62 |
Claims
1. A console sliding armrest assembly for a vehicle, said assembly
comprising: a storage compartment having an opening for allowing
ingress and egress of objects; a console lid pivotally connected to
said storage compartment for substantially covering said storage
compartment opening in a closed position and for otherwise allowing
ingress and egress of objects in an open position, said console lid
including a sliding armrest operatively engaged therewith and
movable between extended and retracted positions; and a guide
assembly disposed substantially within said console lid, said guide
assembly securely guiding said sliding armrest between said
extended and retracted positions, and including: a slider frame
connected to said sliding armrest; a guide plate connected to said
console lid for providing vertical support and lateral stability to
said sliding armrest; at least one rail secured to said slider
frame, said rail being slidably engaged with said guide plate for
thereby allowing sliding movement of said armrest between said
extended and retracted positions; and at least one spring disposed
between said slider frame and said rail, said spring being engaged
to either said slider frame or said rail for biasing said rail
against said guide plate, said spring thereby regulating tension
between said slider frame, said rail and said guide plate during
movement of said sliding armrest.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said rail includes a
substantially "C" shaped channel for receiving an end of said guide
plate.
3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said slider frame
includes at least one substantially "C" shaped channel for
receiving said rail, said channel defines a substantially sealed
cavity for protecting said rail and said spring from environmental
elements.
4. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said rail is made of
Acetyl.
5. An assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a resilient
arm connected adjacent a forward end of said console lid, said arm
including a detent engageable with at least one catch on a
secondary plate mounted to or formed with said guide plate for
limiting sliding movement of said armrest in said extended and
retracted positions.
6. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said guide plate forms
a hinge arm for pivotally connecting said console lid to said
storage compartment.
7. A sliding armrest assembly for a vehicle, said assembly
comprising: a storage compartment having an opening for allowing
ingress and egress of objects; a compartment lid pivotally
connected to said storage compartment and disposable between opened
and closed positions, said compartment lid including an armrest
operatively engaged therewith and slidably movable between extended
and retracted positions; and a guide assembly disposed
substantially within said compartment lid, said guide assembly
securely guiding said armrest between said extended and retracted
positions, and including: a slider frame connected to said armrest;
a guide plate connected to said compartment lid for providing
vertical support and lateral stability to said armrest; at least
one rail secured to said slider frame, said rail being slidably
engaged with said guide plate for thereby allowing sliding movement
of said armrest between said extended and retracted positions; and
at least one biasing means disposed between said slider frame and
said rail, said biasing means being engaged to either said slider
frame or said rail for biasing said rail against said guide plate,
said biasing means thereby regulating tension between said slider
frame, said rail and said guide plate during sliding movement of
said armrest.
8. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein said rail includes a
substantially "C" shaped channel for receiving an end of said guide
plate.
9. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein said slider frame
includes at least one substantially "C" shaped channel for
receiving said rail, said channel defines a substantially sealed
cavity for protecting said rail and said biasing means from
environmental elements.
10. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein said rail is made of
Acetyl.
11. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein said biasing means is
at least one of a coil spring and a leaf spring.
12. An assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a
resilient arm connected adjacent a forward end of said compartment
lid, said arm including a detent engageable with at least one catch
on a secondary plate mounted to or formed with said guide plate for
limiting sliding movement of said armrest in said extended and
retracted positions.
13. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein said guide plate
forms a hinge arm for pivotally connecting said compartment lid to
said storage compartment.
14. A method of securely guiding a console sliding armrest for a
vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: pivotally connecting
a console lid to a console storage compartment, said console lid
being disposable between opened and closed positions for allowing
ingress and egress of objects from said storage compartment;
operatively engaging an armrest to said console lid, said armrest
being slidably movable between extended and retracted positions
relative to said storage compartment; connecting a slider frame to
said armrest; connecting a guide plate to said console lid for
providing vertical support and lateral stability to said armrest;
securing at least one rail to said slider frame, said rail being
slidably engaged with said guide plate for thereby allowing sliding
movement of said armrest between said extended and retracted
positions; connecting a spring to either said slider frame or said
rail for biasing said rail against said guide plate, said spring
thereby regulating tension between said slider frame, said rail and
said guide plate during sliding movement of said armrest; and
guiding said armrest between said extended and retracted
positions.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said spring is at least
one of a coil spring and a leaf spring.
16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of
connecting a resilient arm adjacent a forward end of said console
lid, said arm including a detent engageable with at least one catch
on a secondary plate mounted to or formed with said guide plate for
limiting sliding movement of said armrest in said extended and
retracted positions.
17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of
engaging an end of said guide plate with a substantially "C" shaped
channel in said rail.
18. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of
disposing said rail in a substantially "C" shaped channel in said
slider frame, said channel defining a substantially sealed cavity
for protecting said rail and said spring from environmental
elements.
19. A method according to claim 14, wherein said rail is made of
Acetyl.
20. A method according to claim 14, wherein said spring enables
regulation of sliding force required for guiding said armrest
between said extended and retracted positions, said force being
regulated to between approximately 6-13 N for sliding movement and
less than approximately 23 N for initial movement of said armrest.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of priority of Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/690,467, filed Jun. 14, 2005, hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] a. Field of Invention
[0003] The invention relates generally to consoles for motor
vehicles and the like, and more particularly to a motor vehicle
center floor console including a securely guided sliding armrest
having improved mechanics for facilitating the sliding operation
and for minimizing cross-car deflection of the armrest.
[0004] b. Description of Related Art
[0005] Motor vehicle consoles are well known in the art and
generally include a storage compartment for the storage of objects
and a console lid for covering a storage compartment opening as
well as for serving as an armrest. Often, the armrest is located at
a fixed intermediate position most suited for persons of average
size. In some luxury automobiles however, the armrest may be
designed to slide in the vehicle's length-wise direction for
providing adjustability for different users and their unique
driving positions.
[0006] Known console sliding armrests generally include a sliding
assembly which requires a user to push along the longitudinal
direction of the armrest (i.e. the vehicle's length-wise) to
release the armrest from a rest position and to continue the
sliding movement to one of a predetermined number of locking
positions particularly suited for the user. In some armrest sliding
assemblies, the sliding movement may be controlled or otherwise
facilitated by spring biasing means, known examples of which have
thus far been relatively complicated in design and operation, and
have also been unreliable during extended use.
[0007] One such known console sliding armrest is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,007,155 to Hara et al. ('155 Patent). Referring to FIG.
1 of the '155 Patent, there is disclosed a guide assembly 100 for a
retractable armrest. Guide assembly 100 includes a slide assembly
130 and a biasing assembly 135 which includes first rail member 140
and first biasing member 150. A second mirror-image biasing
assembly 137 is provided on the opposite side of slide assembly
130. In operation, a spring 154 urges biasing member 150 against
rail member 140 to thus urge member 140 orthogonally towards slide
assembly 130, thereby maintaining constant contact between member
140 and slide assembly 130. According to the '155 Patent, this
feature eliminates the rattle between member 140 and slide assembly
130, (see discussion in Col. 3:1-10).
[0008] As readily evident from the illustration of FIG. 1 of the
'155 Patent, the operation of the biasing assembly depends on
smooth relative sliding of members 140, 150, and members 160, 170
of the opposite biasing assembly. Over time however, due to the
eventual contamination of assemblies 135, 137 from environmental
and other factors, members 140, 150 and 160, 170 tend to stick
and/or slip, thus deviating from the intended operation of the
biasing assemblies. Further, due to the multiple components
required for proper operation of each biasing assembly 135, 137,
use of such multiple biasing assemblies can be prohibitive both
from a cost and reliability standpoint.
[0009] Accordingly, there exists a need for a console sliding
armrest biasing assembly which includes fewer components for
facilitating the manufacturing process. There also exists a need
for an armrest biasing assembly in which the components are less
susceptible to environmental elements, and are therefore highly
reliable for long-term use.
[0010] Other exemplary console sliding armrests are disclosed for
example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,719,367 to Mic et al. and 6,244,648 to
Gackstatter. Each of these armrest assemblies, which include unique
sliding or biasing mechanisms, are nevertheless particularly
susceptible to environmental elements which hinder their long-term
reliability, and are further susceptible to misalignment and/or
malfunction due to the multiple components which must function
together during the sliding operation.
[0011] It would therefore be of benefit to provide a console
sliding armrest which is stable in operation during both extension
and retraction of the armrest, and which includes a guiding system
having a minimal number of components for securely guiding the
armrest from both the longitudinal and lateral directions (i.e. the
vehicle's length-wise and width-wise directions) of the armrest. It
would also be of benefit to provide a console sliding armrest which
is easier and more economical to manufacture, and which provides
improved reliability for long-term use as compared to existing
sliding armrest designs.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0012] The present invention thus solves the problems and overcomes
the drawbacks and deficiencies of prior art console sliding armrest
designs by providing an improved console sliding armrest assembly
including a guide assembly which enables efficient rattle-free
sliding operation.
[0013] It is therefore an exemplary object of the present invention
to provide a console sliding armrest assembly which is less
susceptible to environmental elements and is therefore reliable in
its long-term operation.
[0014] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a
console sliding armrest assembly which provides adequate vertical
support for the armrest in both the extended and retracted
positions.
[0015] The invention thus achieves the aforementioned exemplary
objects by providing a console sliding armrest assembly for a
vehicle. The assembly may include a storage compartment having an
opening for allowing ingress and egress of objects. A console lid
may be pivotally connected to the storage compartment for
substantially covering the storage compartment opening in a closed
position and for otherwise allowing ingress and egress of objects
in an open position. The console lid may include a sliding armrest
operatively engaged therewith and movable between extended and
retracted positions. A guide assembly may be disposed substantially
within the console lid for securely guiding the sliding armrest
between the extended and retracted positions. The guide assembly
may include a slider frame connected to the sliding armrest, and a
guide plate connected to the console lid for providing vertical
support and lateral stability to the sliding armrest. The guide
assembly may further include a rail secured to the slider frame,
with the rail being slidably engaged with the guide plate for
thereby allowing sliding movement of the armrest between the
extended and retracted positions. A spring may be disposed between
the slider frame and the rail. The spring may be engaged to either
the slider frame or the rail for biasing the rail against the guide
plate. The spring may thereby regulate tension between the slider
frame, the rail and the guide plate during movement of the sliding
armrest.
[0016] For the console sliding armrest assembly described above,
the rail may include a substantially "C" shaped channel for
receiving an end of the guide plate. In a particular embodiment of
the present invention, the slider frame may include a substantially
"C" shaped channel for receiving the rail. The slider frame channel
may thus define a substantially sealed cavity for protecting the
rail and the spring from environmental elements. The rail may be
made of Acetyl or other similar materials. A resilient arm may be
connected adjacent a forward end of the console lid. The arm may
include a detent engageable with one or more catches on a secondary
plate mounted adjacent to or otherwise formed with the guide plate
for limiting sliding movement of the armrest in the extended and
retracted positions. The guide plate may also form a hinge arm for
pivotally connecting the console lid to the storage
compartment.
[0017] The invention also provides a vehicle sliding armrest
assembly including a storage compartment having an opening for
allowing ingress and egress of objects, and a compartment lid
pivotally connected to the storage compartment and disposable
between opened and closed positions. The compartment lid may
include an armrest operatively engaged therewith and slidably
movable between extended and retracted positions. A guide assembly
may be disposed substantially within the compartment lid for
securely guiding the armrest between the extended and retracted
positions. The guide assembly may include a slider frame connected
to the armrest, and a guide plate connected to the compartment lid
for providing vertical support and lateral stability to the
armrest. The guide assembly may further include a rail secured to
the slider frame. The rail may be slidably engaged with the guide
plate for thereby allowing sliding movement of the armrest between
the extended and retracted positions. The guide assembly may also
include biasing means disposed between the slider frame and the
rail. The biasing means may be engaged to either the slider frame
or the rail for biasing the rail against the guide plate. The
biasing means may thereby regulate tension between the slider
frame, the rail and the guide plate during sliding movement of the
armrest.
[0018] For the sliding armrest assembly described above, the rail
may include a substantially "C" shaped channel for receiving an end
of the guide plate. The slider frame may include a substantially
"C" shaped channel for receiving the rail, with the channel
defining a substantially sealed cavity for protecting the rail and
the biasing means from environmental elements. The biasing means
may be a coil spring and/or a leaf spring, or other equivalent
spring means. The assembly may further include a resilient arm
connected adjacent a forward end of the compartment lid. The arm
may include a detent engageable with one or more catches on a
secondary plate mounted to or otherwise formed with the guide plate
for limiting sliding movement of the armrest in the extended and
retracted positions. The guide plate may also form a hinge arm for
pivotally connecting the compartment lid to the storage
compartment.
[0019] The invention yet further provides a method of securely
guiding a console sliding armrest for a vehicle. The method may
include the step of pivotally connecting a console lid to a console
storage compartment. The console lid may be disposable between
opened and closed positions for allowing ingress and egress of
objects from the storage compartment. The method may also include
the steps of operatively engaging an armrest to the console lid,
with the armrest being slidably movable between extended and
retracted positions relative to the storage compartment, connecting
a slider frame to the armrest, and connecting a guide plate to the
console lid for vertical support and lateral stability of the
armrest. The method may further include the steps of securing a
rail to the slider frame, with the rail being slidably engaged with
the guide plate for thereby allowing sliding movement of the
armrest between the extended and retracted positions, and
connecting a spring to either the slider frame or the rail for
biasing the rail against the guide plate. The spring may thereby
regulate tension between the slider frame, the rail and the guide
plate during sliding movement of the armrest.
[0020] For the method described above, the spring may be a coil
spring and/or a leaf spring, or other equivalent spring structures.
The method may also include the step of connecting a resilient arm
adjacent a forward end of the console lid, with the arm including a
detent engageable with one or more catches on a secondary plate
mounted to or otherwise formed with the guide plate for limiting
sliding movement of the armrest in the extended and retracted
positions. The method may further include the steps of engaging an
end of the guide plate with a substantially "C" shaped channel in
the rail, and disposing the rail in a substantially "C" shaped
channel in the slider frame. The slider frame channel may define a
substantially sealed cavity for protecting the rail and the spring
from environmental elements. The spring may thus enable regulation
of the sliding force required for guiding the armrest between the
extended and retracted positions. The force may be regulated to
between approximately 6-13 N for sliding movement and less than
approximately 23 N for initial movement of the armrest.
[0021] Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the
invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the
following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it
is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the
invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and
intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope
of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred
embodiments of the invention and together with the detail
description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In
the drawings:
[0023] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a vehicle console sliding
armrest assembly according to the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the console sliding
armrest assembly of FIG. 1, taken substantially along line 2-2 in
FIG. 1, illustrating various internal features of the assembly;
[0025] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the console
sliding armrest assembly of FIG. 1, taken substantially along line
2-2 in FIG. 1, illustrating a mechanism for limiting forward and
aft sliding movement of a sliding armrest;
[0026] FIG. 4 is another enlarged cross-sectional view of the
console sliding armrest assembly of FIG. 1, taken substantially
along line 4-4 in FIG. 1, illustrating various internal features of
a guide assembly for guiding movement of the sliding armrest;
[0027] FIG. 5A is an enlarged isometric view of the console sliding
armrest assembly of FIG. 1, with the sliding armrest and various
features removed for illustrating components of the guide assembly
within the console lid;
[0028] FIG. 5B is an enlarged isometric view of a guide rail and
springs for the guide assembly of FIG. 5A;
[0029] FIG. 6A is a side cross-sectional view of the console
sliding armrest assembly of FIG. 1, taken generally along line 2-2
in FIG. 1, illustrating various internal features of the guide
assembly of FIG. 4, and the console lid in a retracted
position;
[0030] FIG. 6B is another side cross-sectional view of the console
sliding armrest assembly of FIG. 1, taken generally along line 2-2
in FIG. 1, illustrating various internal features of the guide
assembly of FIG. 4, and the console lid in an extended position;
and
[0031] FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view of the console
sliding armrest assembly of FIG. 1, taken generally along line 4-4
in FIG. 1, illustrating various internal features of the guide
assembly of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] Turning now to the drawings wherein like reference
characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the
several views, FIGS. 1-7 illustrate a console sliding armrest
assembly according to the present invention, generally designated
sliding armrest assembly 10.
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, sliding armrest assembly 10 may
be mounted on a console 12 disposed centrally in a motor vehicle
between a driver's and passenger's front seats. As readily evident
to those skilled in the art, console 12 and/or sliding armrest
assembly 10 may be disposed at any desirable location in a motor
vehicle, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Console 12 may include a base 14 affixable to a vehicle frame (not
shown), and other sub-components including cup-holders 16 and the
like attached thereto. Other standard features such as a storage
compartment 18 and console lid 20 may be provided, with lid 20
being pivotally mounted to compartment 18 and releasable by means
of a release lever 22, as discussed in further detail below.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, which illustrate cross-sectional
views of sliding armrest assembly 10, console lid 20 may be
pivotally mounted at 24 by means of a spring biased pivot
connection. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, the pivot
connection may include a standard torsional spring 26 mounted on a
pivot rod 28 for biasing lid 20 to an open position. Further, as
briefly discussed above, a release lever 22 may be mounted at 30
for enabling console lid 20 to be opened and closed as is known in
the art.
[0035] Turning next to FIGS. 4-7 (particularly FIG. 7), sliding
armrest assembly 10 may include a guide assembly 32 for permitting
sliding of an armrest 21 operatively engaged with console lid 20,
for sliding in the vehicle forward and aft directions. Guide
assembly 32 may include a unitary slider frame 34 having
mirror-image "C" shaped channels 36 which frictionally retain guide
rails 38 therein. Channels 36 may be formed on frame ends 40 which
include oblique angle supports 42 and vertical supports 44 for
providing vertical support in the event of downwards pressure
placed on console lid 20 by a user. Vertical supports 44 may
further bear against horizontal support plate 46, the edges 48, 50
of which are disposed within areas 52, 54 of compartment walls 56,
57. In this manner, console lid 20 may be supported by the
structure of compartment 18. Further, the material adjacent areas
52, 54 may be resilient for engaging edges 48, 50 and thus
sealingly enclosing the contents of the compartment.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5A and 7, guide assembly 32 may
further include a guide plate 58 fixedly mounted to support plate
46 by means of support columns 60, which in the particular
embodiment of FIG. 7 are screw bosses. Plate 58 may include a
secondary plate 62 attached thereto or formed therewith for
providing additional rigidity to the overall structure of the guide
assembly, especially from lateral forces applied to console lid 20
(and armrest 21), and for further limiting forward and aft movement
of the armrest as discussed in greater detail below.
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 7, guide rails 38, which are
engaged and retained in channels 36 of frame 34, may include
complementary slots 64 for sliding engagement with ends 66, 68 of
guide plate 58. In this manner, guide rails 38 and frame 34 move as
a unit relative to stationary guide plate 58 and support plate 46
for permitting sliding movement of armrest 21 relative to storage
compartment 18. In the embodiment shown, rails 38 may be formed of
Acetyl or the like for permitting smooth and efficient sliding of
ends 66, 68 of guide plate 58 relative to the rails.
[0038] Referring to FIGS. 5A, 5B and 7, in order to maintain the
alignment of rails 38 relative to frame 34 and guide plate 58, and
to further require a user to exert a predetermined force for
movement of armrest 21, leaf springs 70 may be mounted to outer
wall 74 of each rail 38 and disposed in engagement with inner wall
72 of each channel 36. In the particular embodiment illustrated,
three leaf springs may be mounted by press-fitting onto rails 38,
one spring adjacent each outer-most end of the rail and a third
spring disposed generally centrally along the rail. As shown in
FIG. 5B, the springs may be snap-fitted by means of posts 71A-71C,
with the central post 71B including a gap 73 for permitting
press-fitting of the spring, and posts 71A and 71C being provided
for maintaining proper alignment of the spring. Springs 70 may be
formed of a mirror-image curved profile as shown such that the
opposing leafs of the spring each exert a uniform force on the
inner wall 72 of each channel 36. In this manner, rails 38 may be
maintained at a predetermined orientation and with a predetermined
frictional engagement force relative to ends 66, 68 of guide plate
58. As mentioned above, the use of springs 70 also prevents
inadvertent misalignment of rails 38 within channels 36. While in
the exemplary embodiment shown, rails 38 are maintained in the
predetermined alignment by leaf springs 70, those skilled in the
art would appreciate in view of this disclosure that other biasing
means, such as a coil spring or other resilient material may be
used instead of or in addition to leaf springs 70 without departing
from the scope of the present invention. Further, instead of being
connected to rails 38, the springs may be likewise connected to
inner wall 72 of each channel 36 for biasing the rails as discussed
above.
[0039] Referring next to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B, in order to
positively limit sliding movement of armrest 21 in the vehicle aft
direction, each rail 38 may be configured to include a stop 76
adjacent a front end thereof for engagement with edge 78 of guide
plate 58. In order to limit movement of armrest 21 in the vehicle
forward direction, a resilient arm 80 may be attached to front
end-piece 75 of armrest 21 and include a semi-spherical detent 82
disposable within a complementary catch 84 formed in secondary
plate 62. In this manner, a user may apply a force "F" in the
vehicle forward direction on the surface of armrest 21 to release
detent 82 from catch 84 until the detent engages with forward catch
88, which also includes a raised end-portion 90 for preventing
further forward movement of armrest 21. Those skilled in the art
would appreciate in view of this disclosure that a plurality of
catches may be provided on secondary plate 62 for providing
predetermined intervals at which armrest 21 may be maintained for
different users.
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 5A, 6A, 6B and 7, in order to minimize
the number of components for sliding armrest assembly 10, guide
plate 58 may include a bent portion 92 for integration into the
pivot connection for console lid 20. In this manner, the guide
plate serves multiple purposes, the first of providing a structure
relative to which armrest 21 can slide, the second of providing a
structure for supporting lid 20 during pivoting thereof, and the
third of providing a structure for supporting armrest 21 in the
extended and retracted positions of FIGS. 6B, 6A, respectively.
[0041] Referring next to FIGS. 1, 6A and 6B, in a particular
embodiment of sliding armrest assembly 10, arm 80 and catch members
84, 88 may be dimensioned and spaced such that armrest 21 slides
approximately 98 mm (i.e. approximately 4 inches) from the
retracted position of FIG. 6A to the extended position of FIG. 6B.
It has been determined that a 98 mm range of forward movement
allows armrest 21 to be ergonomically adaptable to approximately
80% of users. Further, referring to FIGS. 1, 6A, 6B and 7, the
tension in arm 80 and springs 70 may be preset such that a user is
required to exert a forward force of approximately 23 Newtons on
armrest 21 to disengage detent 82 from catch 84, and is further
required to maintain a forward force of approximately 6-13 Newtons
for armrest movement between catch members 84, 88. The noted
exemplary force ranges prevent inadvertent release and sliding of
armrest 21, while also providing a user with sufficient ergonomic
comfort in sliding the armrest as needed. As discussed above, the
noted exemplary force ranges are regulated by means of springs 70.
Of course, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate in
view of this disclosure that the exemplary distance between
adjacent catch members 84, 88, the length of arm 80, as well as the
tension generated by arm 80 and springs 70 may be adjusted as
needed to change the range of movement of armrest 21 and the effort
needed by a user to initiate and maintain the movement.
[0042] Thus to summarize, the present invention sliding armrest
assembly 10 provides a guide assembly which enables efficient
rattle-free sliding operation of the armrest. The sliding armrest
assembly is also less susceptible to environmental elements, is
easier and more economical to manufacture, and is highly reliable
for long-term use as compared to existing sliding armrest
designs.
[0043] Although particular embodiments of the invention have been
described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying
drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
to those particular embodiments, and that various changes and
modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art
without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as
defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *