Arm rest trash compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12479344-B2
Application number	US-202318132084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2023
Priority date	Jun 27, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

The present application relates to an arm rest trash compartment. An arm rest assembly includes an arm rest body having an A-surface with a trash cavity defined therethrough; and a trash compartment corresponding to the trash cavity. The trash compartment includes a movable member releasably secured at the A-surface, and a flexible member which forms the trash cavity. The trash compartment has a stored position and an extended position, where, in the stored position, the movable member is flush with the A-surface, and in the extended position, at least a portion of the flexible member is positioned below the A-surface such that a trash cavity volume in the extended position is greater than a trash cavity volume in the stored position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An arm rest assembly, comprising:
an arm rest body comprising an A-surface with an opening defined therethrough; and a trash compartment including a movable member releasably secured within the opening at the A-surface, and a flexible member configured to form a trash cavity, wherein the trash compartment is configured to move between a stored position and an extended position, wherein the movable member is secured to a bottom of the flexible member such that, in the stored position, the movable member is flush with the A-surface, and in the extended position, at least a portion of the flexible member and the movable member are positioned below the A-surface such that a trash cavity volume in the extended position is greater than a trash cavity volume in the stored position.

2 . The arm rest assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a cupholder panel secured to the arm rest body at a distal end, the cupholder panel comprising a storage position and a deployed position, wherein in the deployed position, the cupholder panel reveals the trash cavity.

3 . The arm rest assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cupholder panel is hingedly connected to the arm rest body at the distal end such that the cupholder panel pivots about a hinge from the storage position to the deployed position.

4 . The arm rest assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a storage compartment with a storage cavity defined in the arm rest body.

5 . The arm rest assembly of claim 4 , wherein the storage cavity is concealed and revealed via at least one storage compartment door.

6 . The arm rest assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sliding door slidably attached to an inner surface of the arm rest body, opposite to the A-surface.

7 . The arm rest assembly of claim 6 , wherein the sliding door has a forward position revealing the trash compartment at an inner end of the arm rest body, and concealing a cupholder panel.

8 . The arm rest assembly of claim 7 , wherein the sliding door has a rearward position revealing the cupholder panel at a distal end of the arm rest body opposite to the inner end, and concealing the trash compartment.

9 . The arm rest assembly of claim 1 , wherein the movable member defines a bottom of the trash cavity, and wherein the flexible member defines a periphery of the trash cavity.

10 . An arm rest assembly, comprising:
an arm rest body comprising an A-surface with an opening defined therethrough; and a trash compartment including a movable member releasably secured within the opening at the A-surface, and a flexible member configured to form a trash cavity, wherein the trash compartment is configured to move between a stored position and an extended position, wherein the movable member is secured to a bottom of the flexible member such that, in the stored position, the movable member is flush with the A-surface, and in the extended position, at least a portion of the flexible member and the movable member are positioned below the A-surface to increase a volume of the trash cavity; and a cupholder panel attached to the arm rest body, wherein the cupholder panel comprises a storage position concealing the trash compartment, and a deployed position revealing the trash compartment.

11 . The arm rest assembly of claim 10 , wherein the cupholder panel is attached at a distal end of the arm rest body and is hingedly connected to the arm rest body such that the cupholder panel pivots about a hinge from the storage position to the deployed position.

12 . The arm rest assembly of claim 11 , wherein the cupholder panel is movable from the storage position to the deployed position upon opening of a storage compartment door attached to the arm rest body.

13 . The arm rest assembly of claim 12 , wherein the storage compartment door is closed while the cupholder panel is in the deployed position.

14 . The arm rest assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a storage compartment with a storage cavity defined in the arm rest body, wherein the storage cavity is concealed and revealed via at least one storage compartment door.

15 . The arm rest assembly of claim 10 , wherein the trash compartment includes a cover to selectively conceal the trash cavity.

16 . The arm rest assembly of claim 10 , wherein the movable member defines a bottom of the trash cavity, and wherein the flexible member defines a periphery of the trash cavity.

17 . An arm rest assembly, comprising:
an arm rest body with an A-surface, wherein the arm rest body comprises a trash compartment storage cavity defined therein; and a trash compartment housed in the trash compartment storage cavity in a compartment storage position, and extending from a distal end of the arm rest body in a deployed position, the trash compartment including a frame, a movable member releasably secured with the arm rest body, and a flexible member connected to the frame, the flexible member defining a trash cavity, wherein the trash compartment is configured to move between a stored position and an extended position, wherein the movable member is secured to a bottom of the flexible member such that, in the stored position, the movable member is stored flush with the A-surface, and in the extended position, at least a portion of the flexible member and the moveable member are positioned lower than the arm rest body.

18 . The arm rest assembly of claim 17 , wherein the movable member is releasably secured to the arm rest body via corresponding magnets on the movable member and the arm rest body.

19 . The arm rest assembly of claim 17 , wherein the movable member is secured to a bottom of the flexible member such that the movable member moves upon extension of the flexible member to the extended position.

20 . The arm rest assembly of claim 17 , wherein the trash compartment is slidably connected to the arm rest body such that the frame translates between the compartment storage position and the deployed position.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Smith Lea Thomas
• Sundberg Thomas
• Kohlhofer Jochen

Classifications

• B60N2/793

  for use as storage compartments · CPC title

• B60N3/08

  of receptacles for refuse, e.g. ash-trays · CPC title

• B60N3/102

  storable or foldable in a non-use position · CPC title

• B60R7/043 Primary

  mounted on or under a seat · CPC title

• B60N2/757 Primary

  in a recess of the back-rest · CPC title