Seat arm rest assembly

• US 4,807,935 A
• Filed: 12/07/1987
• Issued: 02/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Bergbau-Technik GmbH
• Original Assignee: QMP, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Shaylor E.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US07/129,653
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 297/417, 297/412, 297/411, 248/240, 248/242, 248/291, 248/558
• US Class Current: 297/411.38
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/767 Angle adjustment

Abstract

An arm rest for a vehicle seat which is rotatable from a horizontal to a generally vertical position, composed of virtually symmetrical components, permitting the interchange of assembly parts from left to right, thereby decreasing the number of parts necessary for assembly of a complete seat having left and right arm rests.

Claims

1. An arm rest assembly for a seat having a frame, said assembly including an arm rest rotatably moveable from a generally horizontal to a generally vertical position, said assembly composed of parts which are symmetrical and interchangeable from either left or right, said parts comprising a mounting bracket fixable to said seat fraome at either the right or left side thereof,

a locator plate which is assemblable to said mounting bracket and which includes means to releasably mate therewith,

said locator plate including a circumferential notch therein which defines a path of movement of said arm rest, said arm rest including a locator pin which is positioned so to cooperate with the slot in said locator plate in such a manner as to permit the arm rest to stop in its said generally horizontal and generally vertical positions,

said locator plate further including a tab portion extending from one face of said plate,

said mounting bracket including two openings located so as to mate with the tab portion of said locator plate, one of which mates when said mounting bracket is fixed to the left side of said seat frame and the other of which mates when said mounting bracket is fixed to the right side of said seat frame, and

means to attach said arm rest to said mounting bracket with said locator plate located therebetween.

2. The arm rest assembly of claim 1 wherein said locator plate includes a series of spaced apart holes of a size to accept said locator pin, said locator pin including a head means for preventing unintentional withdrawal of said locator pin from one of said holes or notch after it has been inserted therein.

3. An arm rest assembly in combination with a seat frame, said arm rest assembly being composed of parts which are symmetrical and interchangeable from either left or right, said combination comprising a mounting bracket secured to either the left or right side of said seat frame, a locator plate overlying said mounting bracket and including a projecting part engaging said mounting bracket at one of two locations to selectively orient the locator plate relative to the mounting backet depending upon which said side of the seat frame the bracket is secured, an arm rest rotatably moveable in a general plane from a generally horizontal to a generally vertical position and overlying said locator plate, said arm rest carrying stop means engageable with the locator plate for limiting movement of the arm rest at said horizontal and vertical positions, and a pivot connection securing said arm rest and locator to said mounting bracket to allow movement of the arm rest between said horizontal and vertical positions relative to the locator part.

4. An arm rest assembly in combination with a seat frame, said arm rest assembly being composed of parts which are symmetrical and interchangeable from either left or right, said combination comprising a mounting bracket secured to either the left or right side of said seat frame, a locator plate overlying said mounting bracket and including a part engaging said mounting bracket at one of two locations to selectively orient the locator plate relative to the mounting bracket depending upon which said side of the seat frame the bracket is secured, an arm rest rotatably moveable in a general plane from a generally horizontal to a generally vertical position and overlying said locator plate, said arm rest carrying stop means engageable with the locator plate for limiting movement of the arm rest at said horizontal and vertical positions, and a pivot connection securing said arm rest and locator plate to said mounting bracket to allow movement of the arm part between said horizontal and vertical positions relative to the locator part, said pivot connection including means for permitting lateral movement of said arm rest out of said general plane of arm movement to disengage the stop means from said locator plate, said stop means including a pin including a shouldered part constituting means from engaging said locator plate to prevent said arm rest lateral movement without movement of the arm rest first in its said general plane.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said locator plate includes spaced open portions, said shouldered part engageable with said locator plate at a selected one of said open portions.