Vehicle seat armrest with retractable arm support portion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059237-B2
Application number	US-201615336869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat base and a seatbelt buckle coupled to the seat base. An armrest is coupled to the seat base. The armrest includes a retractable arm support portion movable to positions between, and including, a retracted position and a fully extended position. The armrest is structured and coupled to the seat base such that, when the buckle is at a maximum forward position of the buckle and the retractable arm support portion is in the retracted position, a first plane extending perpendicular to a fore-aft axis of the seat and through a forward-most portion of the buckle is rearwardly spaced apart from a second plane extending parallel to the first plane and through a rear-most portion of the retractable arm support portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat comprising:
a seat base;
a seatbelt buckle portion including a seatbelt buckle, the seatbelt buckle portion being pivotably coupled to the seat base and rotatable at least between a first orientation and a second orientation, the first orientation of the seatbelt buckle portion providing a maximum forward position of the seatbelt buckle; and
an armrest coupled to the seat base, the armrest including a retractable arm support portion movable to positions between, and including, a retracted position and a fully extended position,
wherein the armrest is structured and coupled to the seat base such that, when the seatbelt buckle is at the maximum forward position and the retractable arm support portion is in the retracted position, a first plane extending perpendicular to a fore-aft axis of the seat and through a forward-most portion of the seatbelt buckle is rearwardly spaced apart from a second plane extending parallel to the first plane and through a rear-most portion of the retractable arm support portion.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the armrest includes a first arm support portion and wherein the retractable arm support portion is a second arm support portion coupled to the first arm support portion so as to be movable with respect to the first arm support portion.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 2 wherein the armrest includes a base portion attached to the seat base, and wherein the first arm support portion is supported by the base portion.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 3 wherein the armrest base portion has a rear edge positioned opposite the seatbelt buckle, and wherein the armrest is structured and coupled to the seat base such that when the seatbelt buckle is in the maximum forward position, the first plane is rearwardly spaced apart from the armrest base portion rear edge.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 4 wherein a spacing between the first plane and the second plane is less than a minimum spacing between the first plane and the armrest base portion rear edge.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 4 wherein a minimum spacing between the first plane and the armrest base portion rear edge is at least 20 millimeters.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 4 wherein the armrest base portion rear edge is structured to extend along a plane parallel with the second plane, and wherein the second plane and the plane along which the armrest base portion rear edge extends are coplanar when the retractable arm support portion is in the retracted position.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 2 wherein the retractable arm support portion is structured to cover at least a portion of an exterior of the first arm support portion when the retractable arm support portion is in the retracted position.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8 wherein the first arm support portion includes a beverage holder positioned therein, wherein the beverage holder is covered by the retractable arm support portion when the retractable arm support portion is in the retracted position, and wherein the beverage holder is exposed when the retractable arm support portion is in the fully extended position.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 8 wherein the first arm support portion includes at least one media/power connection device positioned therein, wherein the at least one media/power connection device is covered by the retractable arm support portion when the retractable arm support portion is in the retracted position, and wherein the at least one media/power connection device is exposed when the retractable arm support portion is in the fully extended position.

11. The vehicle seat claim 1 wherein the retractable arm support portion is structured to be movable in a rearward direction of the seat to the fully extended position and movable in a forward direction of the seat from an extended position to the retracted position.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the armrest is structured and coupled to the seat base such that when the seatbelt buckle is in the maximum forward position, the first plane is rearwardly spaced apart from another plane extending parallel to the first plane and through a rear-most portion of the first arm support portion.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 12 wherein the plane extending through the rear-most portion of the first arm support portion and the second plane are coplanar when the second arm support portion is in the retracted position.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 12 wherein a spacing between the first plane and the plane extending through the rear-most portion of the first arm support portion is at least 20 millimeters.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein a spacing between the first plane and the second plane is at least 20 millimeters.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 1 wherein the armrest includes a base portion coupled to the seat base and a first arm support portion supported by the base portion, wherein the retractable arm support portion is mounted on the first arm support portion so as to be movable with respect to the first arm support portion between the retracted position and the fully extended position, and wherein the armrest is structured and coupled to the seat base such that, when the seatbelt buckle is at the maximum forward position, the first plane is rearwardly spaced apart from a third plane extending parallel to the first plane and through a rear-most surface of the first arm support portion.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 16 wherein a spacing between the first plane and the third plane is at least 20 millimeters.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Salvia Iii John J
• Vargo Christopher M

Classifications

• B60N2/4646

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/468

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60N2/773 Primary

  Longitudinal adjustment · CPC title

• B60N2/79

  Adaptations for additional use of the arm-rests · CPC title

• B60N2/688

  Particular seat belt attachment and guiding · CPC title