Lock for pivoting member in vehicle with push button release

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723246-B2
Application number	US-201916565633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2019
Priority date	Jul 24, 2017
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A lock for a pivoting member in a vehicle comprising: a button having a depressed position and an undepressed position; a cam abutting the button having a rotated position and an un-rotated position; and a rod operably connected to the cam having an extended position and a retracted position; wherein, when the button is in the depressed position, the cam is in the rotated position, and the rod is in the retracted position. The pivoting member can be an armrest or a seatback, among other things. The rod includes a first grooved section. The cam includes a first finger adjacent to the first grooved section. As the cam transitions from the un-rotated position to the rotated position, the first finger of the cam interacts with the first grooved section of the rod to cause the rod to transition from the extended position to the retracted position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An armrest for a vehicle comprising:
a structural support;
an exterior surface; and
a lock attached to the structural support, the lock comprising:
a button including a push acceptance portion, a terminal portion, a shaft between the push acceptance portion and the terminal portion, a depressed position, and an undepressed position, the push acceptance portion being available for manipulation from the exterior surface;
a cam rotatable about an axle and disposed beneath the exterior surface, the cam including a button contacting portion that contacts the terminal portion of the button, a first finger extending from a side of the button contacting portion, a second finger opposite the first finger extending from another side of the button contacting portion, an un-rotated position, and a rotated position; and
a rod extending between the first finger and the second finger of the cam, the rod including an elongated shaft that terminates in an end, a first grooved section adjacent the first finger of the cam, a second grooved section adjacent the second finger of the cam, an extended position where at least a portion of the rod extends past the exterior surface, and a retracted position where less or none of the rod extends past the exterior surface;

wherein, as the button moves from the undepressed position to the depressed position, the terminal portion of the button pushes the button contacting portion and causes the cam to rotate about the axle from the un-rotated position to the rotated position, and the first finger and the second finger of the cam interact with the first grooved section and the second grooved section respectively of the rod to withdraw the rod from the extended position to the retracted position.

2. The armrest of claim 1 ,
the push acceptance portion of the button has a concavely contoured depressed surface.

3. The armrest of claim 1 further comprising:
one or more springs disposed beneath the exterior surface that bias the button to the undepressed position, the cam to the un-rotated position, and the rod to the extended position.

4. The armrest of claim 1 ,
the cam abuts the button below the exterior surface.

5. The armrest of claim 1 ,
the push acceptance portion of the button is recessed relative to the exterior surface but still available for manipulation from the exterior surface.

6. The armrest of claim 1 ,
the push acceptance portion of the button is at least relatively contiguous with the exterior surface.

7. A vehicle comprising:
a pair of seatbacks;
an armrest comprising:
an upright position where the armrest is positioned relatively vertically and adjacent to and between the pair of seatbacks;
a folded position where the armrest pivots so that it is positioned relatively horizontally;
a structural support;
an exterior surface; and
a lock attached to the structural support, the lock comprising:
a button including a push acceptance portion, a terminal portion, a shaft between the push acceptance portion and the terminal portion, a depressed position, and an undepressed position, the push acceptance portion being available for manipulation from the exterior surface;
a cam rotatable about an axle and disposed beneath the exterior surface, the cam including a button contacting portion that contacts the terminal portion of the button, a first finger extending from a side of the button contacting portion, a second finger opposite the first finger extending from another side of the button contacting portion, an un-rotated position, and a rotated position; and
a rod extending between the first finger and the second finger of the cam, the rod including an elongated shaft that terminates in an end, a first grooved section adjacent the first finger of the cam, a second grooved section adjacent the second finger of the cam, an extended position where at least a portion of the rod extends past the exterior surface and into one of the seatbacks when the armrest is in the upright position so as to prevent the armrest from pivoting to the folded position, and a retracted position where the rod does not extend into the one of the seatbacks so as to not prevent the armrest from pivoting from the upright position to the folded position;

wherein, as the button moves from the undepressed position to the depressed position, the terminal portion of the button pushes the button contacting portion and causes the cam to rotate about the axle from the un-rotated position to the rotated position, and the first finger and the second finger of the cam interact with the first grooved section and the second grooved section respectively of the rod to withdraw the rod from the extended position to the retracted position.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 ,
the armrest further comprises a top from a perspective of when the armrest is in the upright position, and the button is disposed at the top.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 ,
in the folded position, the armrest is disposed over a middle seat.

10. The vehicle of claim 7 ,
the seatback of the pair of seatbacks into which the portion of the rod extends when the rod is in the extended position includes an exterior surface, a back panel, and a locking bracket attached to the back panel, the locking bracket including an aperture; and
when the rod is in the extended position and projects beyond the exterior surface of the armrest, beneath the exterior surface of the seatback, and into the aperture of the locking bracket, which prevents the armrest from moving from the upright position to the folded position.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 ,
when the button is manipulated to the depressed position, the rod is in the retracted position and does not extend into the aperture of the locking bracket of the seatback, allowing the armrest to be pivoted to the folded position.

12. The vehicle of claim 7 ,
the lock further includes one or more springs disposed beneath the exterior surface of the armrest that bias the button to the undepressed position, the cam to the un-rotated position, and the rod to the extended position.

13. The vehicle of claim 7 ,
the cam abuts the button below the exterior surface of the armrest.

14. The vehicle of claim 7 ,
the lock further includes a support structure that supports the button, the cam, and the rod, the support structure including one or more apertures; and
the armrest further includes one or more fasteners disposed through the one or more apertures and into the structural support of the armrest to fasten the lock to the structural support of the armrest.

15. A vehicle comprising:
a seatback comprising:
an exterior surface;
a structural support; and
a lock attached to the structural support, the lock comprising:
a button including a push acceptance portion, a terminal portion, a shaft between the push acceptance portion and the terminal portion, a depressed position, and an undepressed position, the push acceptance portion being available for manipulation from the exterior surface;
a cam rotatable about an axle and disposed beneath the exterior surface, the cam including a button contacting portion that contacts the terminal portion of the button, a first finger extending from a side of the button contacting portion, a second finger opposite the first finger extending from another side of the button contacting portion, an un-rotated position, and a rotated position; and
a rod extending between the first finger and the second finger of the cam, the rod including an elongated shaft that terminates in an end, a first grooved section adjacent the first finger of the cam, a second

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Setlur Raghavan Narayan
• Jacob George
• Osterhoff Daniel Jay

Classifications

• B60N2/757 Primary

  in a recess of the back-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/366 Primary

  characterised by the locking device · CPC title

• B60N2002/952

  characterised by details of the locking system · CPC title

• B60N2/919

  Positioning and locking mechanisms (B60N2/16, B60N2/18, B60N2/22, B60N2/225 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2205/35

  Seat, bench or back-rests being split laterally in two or more parts · CPC title