Armrest

The present invention pertains to a vehicle armrest.

Vehicle armrests typically pivot between a raised stored position for utilization of vehicle seats for an additional passenger when an armrest is not needed and a lowered position for use as an armrest. Frequently such armrests include accessories such as cupholders and the like. Typically armrests are manufactured using a generally box-like polymeric frame which serves as a core to which foam padding is molded and which is upholstered with fabric, vinyl or leather to provide an appearance conforming to that of a vehicle.

The upholstering of such armrests typically encompasses all of the surfaces of the armrest to provide a fully enclosed armrest frame except when the armrest includes a front opening cupholder or the like. Typically a trim ring is employed to finish the interface of the upholstery material with any such openings. Although such armrests function adequately as armrests, the cost of upholstering and trimming such armrests can be excessive and it is difficult to provide a neat and trim appearance to the armrest.

The armrest of the present invention, provides an economical trim appearing armrest by providing a unique core construction and upholstery system for the armrest which may accommodate accessories such as cupholders or the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the armrest includes a core which includes a pair of spaced edges for receiving and attaching upholstery material to the core. The upholstery can be in the form of a strip with ends which can be attached by means of a fastener to the core edges such that the upholstery material can be wrapped around at least one major outer surface of the core to provide an armrest. In a preferred embodiment, the armrest core has opposite sides which define a channel into which the upholstery extends. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastener is a snap-on clip to which the ends of the upholstery material are attached and which fits over the edges of the core. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the core edges are spaced to define a recess for receiving accessories such as a cupholder or the like.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an armrest embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the armrest shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the armrest shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the armrest shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the armrest shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of the armrest shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded view of the armrest shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrow VIII in FIG. 7, once the armrest is assembled.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 there is shown a vehicle 10 and particularly the front seat area which includes a driver side seat 12 and a passenger side seat 14 between which there is mounted an armrest assembly 20 embodying the present invention. The armrest 20 is pivotally mounted such that it can be moved from a raised stored position within a recess 15 between the backs of seats 12 and 14 or to a lowered use position as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Armrest 20 includes a hard surface right side 22 which is the outer surface of the core of the armrest as described in connection with FIG. 7 below, a hard surface left side 24 and a continuous padded wraparound upholstery strip 25 extending between sides 22 and 24. In the preferred embodiment, the upholstery strip 25 extends within a channel in the core over a top 26 of the armrest 20, around a back 27 and over the bottom 28 as best seen in FIGS. 2-4, and 6. Thus a single strip of material can be employed to provide the upholstery section 25 covering the upper, lower and rear surfaces of the armrest. Extending outwardly from the front of the armrest is a cupholding drawer 50 including a recessed handle 52 for withdrawing drawer 50 from the armrest for access to a pair of cupholding support recesses 54 and 56 formed downwardly within the molded polymeric drawer 50 (FIG. 7) for use of the armrest for a cupholding function.

Drawer 50 is made of a rigid polymeric material such as ABS having a textured front surface 53 conforming to the texture, color and therefore appearance of sidewalls 22 and 24 of the armrest core which is also made of an ABS material. Thus the front and sides of armrest 20 present a textured hard surface which facilitates the durability of the armrest, particularly as it is moved between the use position shown and a stored position between seats 12 and 14. The relatively smooth hard surface sides 22 and 24 also facilitates movement of the armrest between the backs of seats 12 and 14 within recess 15. The upholstery material 25 is selected to provide a padded resting surface at the top, and a bottom surface 28 which matches the upholstery of seats 12 and 14 when in a raised stored position. The armrest thus provides an improved functional armrest with the same comforts as a conventional armrest but with easy operation due to lack of friction between upholstery fabrics of the seats and a conventional armrest while still providing the conventional comforts of a normal padded armrest.

The armrest construction is described in greater detail in connection with FIG. 7. The armrest 20 is formed in part of a central core made of a pair of core halves 30 and 32 which can be injection molded of a suitable polymeric material such as ABS or the like. Each core half includes a generally oval configuration as viewed from the side with a pair of curved inwardly facing spaced upper and lower flanges 31 and 33 respectively. The flanges are recessed below a peripheral lip 34 extending around the edge of the core members 30 and 32. The lip 34 defines a recess or channel 35 for receiving the upholstery strip 25. The facing curved edges 37 of flanges 31 and 33 respectively can include mating sockets for snap-fitting the core halves together or be flat with one set of flanges 31 and 33 being offset at ends 21 and 23 respectively as illustrated such that the two members can be fastened together such as by sonic welding or by fasteners such as rivets during the manufacture of the armrest.

Flanges 31 and 33 terminate at their forward edge in an upper and lower spaced edges 38 and 39 respectively which define generally horizontal edges when the two core halves 30 and 32 are joined and which receive the fastening means associated with the upholstery strip 25. Each of the core halves 30 and 32 further include an aperture 35' for receiving a pivot rod for pivoting the armrest when mounted to the vehicle through a suitable pivot mounting bracket (not shown) but of generally conventional construction. The core halves include a second aperture 36 for receiving a stop pin 36' to cooperate with the mounting bracket for limiting the upwardly raised stored position such that the lower surface 28 of the armrest is flush with the backs of seats 12 and 14. The inner surface of the core halves 30 and 32 in the preferred embodiment include a pair of generally horizontally extending vertically spaced rectangular tracks 40 and 42 defining drawer slides for drawer 50 which fits within the opening 60 defined by the vertical spacing between mating upper flanges 31 and lower flanges 33 and the sides 22 and 24 of the core halves.

The upholstery strip 25 comprises any desired upholstery material such as a foam backed fabric, vinyl, or leather which can be wrapped under at side edges 43 and 45 to provide a neat appearance with a width to snuggly fit between lips 34 when installed. Each of the ends 46 and 48 of the material 25 includes a generally J-shaped extruded mounting clip 60 of polymeric material having a base leg 62 and a curved end 64 to define the J-shaped member. Clip 60 is attached to the end 48 of member 25 as best seen in FIG. 7 by any suitable means such as a plurality of staples 65 spaced along the edge. The J-shaped clip is an extruded member which extends parallel to and adjacent the edge of opposite ends of strip 25 and together with the upholstery strip 25 is folded over 180 degrees from the position seen in FIG. 7 to the position as seen in FIG. 8 such that the curved open end 64 of the clip 60 compressibly engages the edge 39 defined by core halves 30 and 32. The strip 25 is then stretched over the remaining outer curved surface of the armrest with a similar J-shaped clip 60' at the upper edge 46 of the strip 25 being wrapped around and compressibly attached to edge 38. The upholstery strip is sufficiently elastic to allow the strip to be stretched for the mounting of the end clips 60 and 60' in the noted manner and remain sufficiently taut once installed to provide a neat appearing armrest as seen in the assembled views. This construction provides a finished appearance to the edge of the opening for the container holder drawer 50 without requiring a trim ring or other trim member.

Underlying the upholstery strip 25 is foam padding material 66 which is tapered around its edges to provide a trim neat appearance to the armrest as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6 and yet provides sufficient padding for the central upper surface 26 of the armrest to provide comfort for the user of the armrest.

Thus it is seen that with the armrest of the present invention, a relatively compact neat appearing armrest is provided with a unique system for providing trim upholstery thereto and further allow accessories such as a storage tray to extend from a forward edge of such armrest. The unique core construction which assures easy assembly and upholstery attachment structure results in an improved armrest construction which resists wear and is economical to manufacture.

It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.