Armrest with video deployment system
First Claim
1. A video deployment system for mounting within the hollow interior of an armrest, said video deployment system comprising:
- (a) video means for displaying video images;
(b) an arm for supporting said video means;
(c) at least two sliding means attached to said arm, said sliding means being spaced apart longitudinally of said arm;
(d) a track system having at least two guide means for supporting said sliding means, the distance between said two guide means being varied such that at one end of the track system to two guide means are spaced a distance substantially equal to the distance between said sliding means, and such that at the other end of said track system the two guide means are juxtaposed and generally parallel, said two sliding means engaging said two guide means whereby the orientation of said arm changes as said two sliding means move between the two ends of said track system so that toward one end of said track system said video means is in a viewing position and at the other end of said track system said video means is in a stowed position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An armrest for an individual seat wherein the armrest has a deployment arm for extending a video device from inside the armrest to a viewing position and retracting the video device into the armrest for storage.
The video device is connected to a deployment arm. The video device and deployment arm are configured to retractably fit within the hollow interior of an armrest. The interior of the armrest has a track system including at least two tracks to which the deployment arm is slidingly engaged. The two tracks diverge from one another so that the spaced relation between the tracks varies along the track system. The deployment arm has at least two rollers that slidingly engage the track system. The diverging tracks urge the deployment arm to change orientation as the rollers slide along the track system, thereby urging the deployment arm to extend the video device from the armrest into a viewing position. To restore the video device to the stowed position, the video device or arm is pushed in the reverse direction, and in one simple, quick motion the video device may be stowed within the armrest.
99 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A video deployment system for mounting within the hollow interior of an armrest, said video deployment system comprising:
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(a) video means for displaying video images; (b) an arm for supporting said video means; (c) at least two sliding means attached to said arm, said sliding means being spaced apart longitudinally of said arm; (d) a track system having at least two guide means for supporting said sliding means, the distance between said two guide means being varied such that at one end of the track system to two guide means are spaced a distance substantially equal to the distance between said sliding means, and such that at the other end of said track system the two guide means are juxtaposed and generally parallel, said two sliding means engaging said two guide means whereby the orientation of said arm changes as said two sliding means move between the two ends of said track system so that toward one end of said track system said video means is in a viewing position and at the other end of said track system said video means is in a stowed position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An armrest for retractably supporting a video device such that the video device may be extended to a viewing position and retracted into the armrest for storage, the armrest comprising:
- a body having a hollow interior and an opening;
a deployment arm;
a video device connected to said deployment arm, said video device and said deployment arm being configured to retractably fit through the opening and within the hollow interior of said body;
at least two spaced apart follower members connected to said deployment arm, a track system in said arm, said track system for guiding and supporting the movement of said deployment arm, said track system having a cam surface and a guide surface extending generally longitudinally of said track system, said cam surface and said guide surface being relatively near to one another at one section of said track system and being relatively spaced apart from one another transversely of said track system at another section of said track system so that the spacing of said follower members and the different spacing between the sections of said track system urges the deployment arm to change orientation as it is moved on said track system between the extended viewing position and the retracted storage position. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- a body having a hollow interior and an opening;
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18. A deployment system mounted on a vehicle seat having an arm comprising:
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a track system secured relative to the arm of the seat; a deployment arm; and a connector movably securing the deployment arm to the track system, said connector and said track system being configured to rotate said deployment arm from a generally horizontally extending position to a generally vertically extending position upon movement of said deployment arm longitudinally of said track system. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A video deployment system for mounting within the hollow interior of an armrest, said video deployment system comprising:
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(a) a video monitor for displaying video images; (b) an arm for supporting said video monitor; (c) at least two sliding members attached to said arm, said sliding members being spaced apart longitudinally of said arm; and (d) a track system having opposite ends, said track system having at least two guide surfaces spaced apart transversely of said arm for supporting said sliding members, the distance between said two guide surfaces being varied such that at one end of the track system the two guide surfaces are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between said sliding members, and such that at the other end of said track system the two guide surfaces are juxtaposed and generally parallel, said two sliding members engaging said two guide surfaces whereby the orientation of said arm changes as said two sliding members move between the two ends of said track system so that toward one end of said track system said video monitor is in a viewing position and at the other end of said track system said video monitor is in a stowed position. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification