Deployable armrest

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10737602-B2
Application number	US-201816182916-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Nov 7, 2018
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

An armrest includes a gear assembly with a crown gear directly coupled to the armrest that imparts rotational motion to the armrest, a planetary gear engaged with the crown gear, and a pinion gear coupled to the crown gear that imparts vertical motion of the entire gear assembly, and the armrest, along a rack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An armrest, comprising:
a gear assembly having a crown gear directly coupled to the armrest that imparts rotational motion to the armrest, first and second planetary gears engaged with the crown gear, and a pinion gear coupled to the crown gear that imparts vertical motion of the entire gear assembly, as well as the armrest, along a rack, wherein teeth on one of the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear engages with teeth on the pinion gear, and wherein the other of the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear is coaxially aligned with the pinion gear.

2. The armrest of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mounting assembly having a ramp structure that is engaged by a protrusion on the crown gear.

3. The armrest of claim 2 , wherein the protrusion interacts with the ramp structure.

4. The armrest of claim 1 , wherein a corresponding guide slot defined by the crown gear guides a respective post the first and second planetary gears through translational rotational motion between a stowed position and a deployed position of the armrest.

5. The armrest of claim 1 , wherein a rotation axis of the pinion gear is axially offset from a rotation axis of the crown gear.

6. The armrest of claim 5 , wherein the pinion gear extends beyond a circumference of the crown gear.

7. The armrest of claim 1 , further comprising:
a resilient member that biases the gear assembly in a vertically upward direction toward a deployed position of the armrest.

8. The armrest of claim 1 , further comprising:
a retention assembly that retains the armrest in a stowed position.

9. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:
an armrest;
a gear assembly having a crown gear directly coupled to the armrest that imparts rotational motion to the armrest, a planetary gear engaged with the crown gear, and a pinion gear coupled to the crown gear that imparts vertical motion of the entire gear assembly, as well as the armrest, along a rack, wherein a rotation axis of the pinion gear is axially offset from a rotation axis of the crown gear, and wherein the pinion gear extends radially outward beyond a circumference of the crown gear; and
a mounting assembly having a ramp structure that is engaged by a protrusion on the crown gear.

10. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9 , wherein the protrusion interacts with the ramp structure.

11. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9 , wherein the planetary gear comprises a first planetary gear and a second planetary gear, wherein teeth on one of the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear engages with teeth on the pinion gear, and wherein the other of the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear is coaxially aligned with the pinion gear.

12. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9 , wherein a post of the planetary gear passes through a guide slot defined by the crown gear, and wherein the guide slot guides the planetary gear through translational rotational motion between a stowed position and a deployed position of the armrest.

13. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a resilient member that biases the gear assembly in a vertically upward direction toward a deployed position of the armrest; and
a retention assembly that retains the armrest in a stowed position.

14. A vehicle seating assembly, comprising:
an armrest positioned in a seatback and operable between a stowed position and a deployed position;
a gear assembly having a crown gear directly coupled to the armrest that imparts rotational motion to the armrest, first and second planetary gears engaged with the crown gear, and a pinion gear coupled to the crown gear that imparts vertical motion of the entire gear assembly, as well as the armrest, along a rack, wherein teeth on one of the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear engages with teeth on the pinion gear, and wherein the other of the first planetary gear and the second planetary gear is coaxially aligned with the pinion gear; and
a mounting assembly having a ramp structure that is engaged by a protrusion on the crown gear.

15. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 14 , wherein a corresponding guide slot defined by the crown gear guides a respective post of the first and second planetary gears through translational rotational motion between a stowed position and a deployed position of the armrest.

16. The vehicle seating assembly of claim 14 , wherein a rotation axis of the pinion gear is axially offset from a rotation axis of the crown gear, and wherein the pinion gear extends beyond a circumference of the crown gear.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Weinberger Leo

Classifications

• F16H19/04

  comprising a rack · CPC title

• B60N2/757 Primary

  in a recess of the back-rest · CPC title

• B60N2/767

  Angle adjustment · CPC title

• A47C1/03

  the parts being arm-rests · CPC title

• A47C7/543

  movable to inoperative position · CPC title