Adjustable mobile-device holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9919659-B2
Application number	US-201514978375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle seat may include a seatback, a cover, a housing, arms and a plate. The cover is connected to the seatback at a hinge and is rotatable relative to the seatback between first and second positions to open and close a recess formed in a rearward-facing surface of the seatback. The housing is movably attached to the cover. The arms are movably connected to the housing. Each arm may include a body, a gripping flange extending from an end of the body, and a protrusion extending from the body. The plate is rotatably mounted to the housing and includes a plurality of grooves. Each groove slidably receives a corresponding one of the protrusions such that rotation of the plate in a first direction causes movement of the arms toward each other and rotation of the plate in a second direction causes movement of the arms away from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat comprising:
a seatback having a rearward-facing exterior surface and a recess formed in the rearward-facing exterior surface;
a cover connected to the seatback at a hinge and rotatable relative to the seatback between a stowed position in which the cover closes the recess and deployed position in which the cover opens the recess;
a housing movably attached to the cover;
a plurality of arms movably connected to the housing, each arm including a body, a gripping flange extending from an end of the body, and a protrusion extending from the body; and
a plate rotatably mounted to the housing and including a plurality of elongated arcuate slots, each of the plurality of elongated arcuate slots slidably receiving a corresponding one of the protrusions such that rotation of the plate relative to the housing in a first direction causes corresponding linear movement of the plurality of arms toward each other and rotation of the plate relative to the housing in a second direction causes corresponding linear movement of the plurality of arms away from each other, wherein each protrusion is received in a corresponding one of the elongated arcuate slots throughout the entire range of linear movement of the plurality of arms.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member rotationally biasing the plate relative to the housing in the first direction.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a hub extending outward toward the cover, and wherein the plate includes a central aperture that defines a rotational axis and rotatably receives the hub such that the plate rotates about the rotational axis relative to the housing.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of elongated arcuate slots are arranged in a circular pattern around the rotational axis.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 4 , wherein the hub includes an aperture that rotationally receives a ball fixed to a stem extending from the cover.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the protrusions extend from the body in a first direction and the gripping flanges extend from the body in a second direction opposite the first direction.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a plurality of elongated linearly extending slots that movably receive the protrusions.

8. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the body of each of the plurality of arms is movably disposed in a cavity of the housing, wherein rotation of the plate in the first direction moves the plurality of arms further into the cavity, and wherein rotation of the plate in the second direction moves the plurality of arms further out of the cavity.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of arms include a first arm, a second arm, a third arm and a fourth arm, and wherein the first and second arms are aligned with each other and simultaneously move in opposite directions, and wherein the third and fourth arms are aligned with each other and simultaneously move in opposite directions that are perpendicular to the directions in which the first and second arms move.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 9 , wherein the housing includes an adjustable plate, a base plate, and a plurality of springs disposed within the cavity between the base plate and the adjustable plate.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 10 , wherein the adjustable plate is movable relative to the base plate in a first linear direction toward the base plate and in a second linear direction away from the base plate, the springs biasing the adjustable plate in the second linear direction.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 11 , wherein the first and second linear directions are perpendicular to the directions in which the first and second arms move and perpendicular to the directions in which the third and fourth arms move.

13. A vehicle seat comprising:
a seatback having a rearward-facing exterior surface and a recess formed in the rearward-facing exterior surface;
a cover connected to the seatback at a hinge and rotatable relative to the seatback between a stowed position in which the cover closes the recess and a deployed position in which the cover opens the recess;
a housing movably attached to the cover and including an adjustable plate, a base plate, and a plurality of springs disposed between and contacting the base plate and the adjustable plate;
a plurality of arms movably connected to the housing, each arm including a body, a gripping flange extending from an end of the body, and a protrusion extending from the body; and
a rotatable plate rotatably mounted to the housing such that the base plate is disposed between the rotatable plate and the adjustable plate, the rotatable plate including a plurality of elongated arcuate slots, each of the plurality of elongated arcuate slots slidably receiving a corresponding one of the protrusions such that rotation of the rotatable plate relative to the housing in a first direction causes corresponding linear movement of the plurality of arms toward each other and rotation of the rotatable plate relative to the housing in a second direction causes corresponding linear movement of the plurality of arms away from each other,
wherein the adjustable plate is movable relative to the base plate in a first linear direction toward the base plate and in a second linear direction away from the base plate, the springs biasing the adjustable plate in the second linear direction, wherein the first and second linear directions are perpendicular to the directions in which the plurality of arms are moveable.

14. The vehicle seat of claim 13 , wherein the base plate includes a plurality of elongated linearly extending slots that movably receive the protrusions.

Assignees

• Kipp Brian L
• Cinco Omar
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Kipp Brian L
• Cinco Omar

Classifications

• B60N2/2222

  the back-rest having two or more parts · CPC title

• F16M11/041

  Allowing quick release of the apparatus · CPC title

• B60R2011/0085

  with adjustment by rotation in their operational position · CPC title

• B60R2011/0089

  around three axes, i.e. universally mounted · CPC title

• B60R2011/0082

  collapsible, e.g. for storing after use · CPC title