Rotatable armrest and console assembly provided with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12539798-B2
Application number	US-202217993269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2022
Priority date	Nov 23, 2021
Publication date	Feb 3, 2026
Grant date	Feb 3, 2026

Abstract

Provided are a rotatable armrest and a console assembly provided with the rotatable armrest. The rotatable armrest includes a case, a knob system, and a hinge system, in which the knob system and the hinge system are mounted in the case. The hinge system includes a counterbalance shaft, and the rotatable armrest may be rotatable about the counterbalance shaft and fixed in a first position, a second position, and a third position. In the first position, the rotatable armrest is positioned in a folded down position, in the second position, the rotatable armrest is positioned in a horizontally forward-facing position, and in the third position, the rotatable armrest is positioned in a horizontally backward-facing position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A rotatable armrest, comprising:
a case; a knob system; and a hinge system, wherein the knob system and the hinge system are mounted in the case, and wherein the hinge system comprises a counterbalance shaft having at least one lower bracket for supporting the armrest in a plurality of positions, and wherein the rotatable armrest is rotatable about the counterbalance shaft and fixed in a first position, a second position, and a third position.

2 . The rotatable armrest of claim 1 , wherein
in the first position, the rotatable armrest is positioned in a folded down position, in the second position, the rotatable armrest is positioned in a horizontally forward-facing position, and in the third position, the rotatable armrest is positioned in a horizontally backward-facing position.

3 . The rotatable armrest of claim 1 , wherein the case comprises an armrest upper cover, an armrest lower cover, a left garnish and a right garnish that are coupled to each other, and
when the armrest upper cover, the armrest lower cover, the left garnish, and the right garnish are combined, an opening is formed in a front portion of the case.

4 . The rotatable armrest of claim 3 , wherein the knob system comprises a knob, and the knob is positioned within the opening.

5 . The rotatable armrest of claim 4 , wherein:
the knob system further comprises a knob housing, a knob shaft, a first torsion spring, a knob rear shaft, and a knob bracket.

6 . The rotatable armrest of claim 5 , wherein:
a rear end of the knob is connected to the knob rear shaft, a middle portion of the knob is mounted on the knob housing through the knob shaft, the knob is rotatable about the knob shaft, the knob shaft is fitted with a first torsion spring, one end of the first torsion spring is connected to the knob bracket, and the first torsion spring applies a restoring force for returning the knob shaft to the knob shaft, and the knob housing is mounted on a knob bracket.

7 . The rotatable armrest of claim 6 , wherein:
the at least one lower bracket comprises a disc part and a lower bracket body.

8 . The rotatable armrest of claim 7 , wherein:
a concave groove is installed at a front end of an arc of the disc part, front and rear ends of the lower bracket body are each provided with first and second latching grooves, and both ends of the arc of the disc part extend to the first latching groove and the second locking groove, respectively.

9 . The rotatable armrest of claim 8 , wherein:
the hinge system further comprises a hinge bracket, a locking assembly, and a brake assembly, the number of locking assemblies and brake assemblies corresponds to the number of lower brackets, and the locking assembly and the brake assembly are mounted on the hinge bracket.

10 . The rotatable armrest of claim 9 , wherein:
the hinge bracket comprises a hinge bracket body and a mounting plate positioned at a rear end of the hinge bracket body.

11 . The rotatable armrest of claim 10 , wherein:
the locking assembly comprises a wire, a locking connection member, and a locking member.

12 . The rotatable armrest of claim 11 , wherein:
the wire is mounted on a middle portion of the hinge bracket body of the hinge bracket, one end of the wire is connected to the knob rear shaft, the locking connection member and the locking member are each rotatably mounted on the mounting plate of the hinge bracket through the first and second shafts, a first end of the locking connection member is connected to the other end of the wire, and a second end of the locking connection member is connected to a connection part of the locking member.

13 . The rotatable armrest of claim 12 , wherein:
second and third torsion springs are provided on the first and second shafts, respectively, and the second and third torsion springs provide the restoring force for returning the locking connection member and the locking member to the locking connection member and the locking member, respectively.

14 . The rotatable armrest of claim 13 , wherein:
the locking assembly further comprises a housing, and the housing covers the locking connection member and the locking member.

15 . The rotatable armrest of claim 9 , wherein:
the brake assembly comprises a shaft bracket, a friction plate, and a hinge shaft.

16 . The rotatable armrest of claim 15 , wherein:
the shaft bracket is mounted on an outside of the lower bracket through the hinge shaft, and the friction plate is mounted between the shaft bracket and the mounting plate of the hinge bracket through the hinge shaft.

17 . A console assembly, comprising:
a console; the rotatable armrest of claim 1 ; and a connection device for mounting the rotatable armrest on the console.

18 . The console assembly of claim 17 , wherein:
the connection device comprises a hinge mounting bolt, and the armrest assembly is mounted on the console through the hinge mounting bolt.

19 . A vehicle comprising the rotatable armrest of claim 11 .

20 . A vehicle comprising the console assembly of claim 17 .

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Seoyon E Hwa Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li cheng kun
• Sang Chun Lei
• Bae Won Young
• Choi Bong Ju
• Kim Jae Min

Classifications

• B60R7/04 Primary

  in driver or passenger space {, e.g. using racks (B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2/763 Primary

  adjustable · CPC title

• B60R2011/0094

  characterised by means for covering after user, e.g. boxes, shutters or the like · CPC title

• B60N2/793

  for use as storage compartments · CPC title

• B60N2/14

  rotatable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/10 {, B60N2/2869} take precedence) · CPC title