Stowable armrest for vehicle seat

Abstract

A stowable armrest which may be moved from: (i) a lowered, operating position; (ii) to a raised position in which the armrest generally lies in a plane which is to the rear of and substantially parallel to a plane of the back portion of the seat; and (iii) then to a final stowed position in which the armrest is located rearwardly of the back portion of the seat. Armrest movement from the raised position to the stowed position may be accomplished while maintaining the armrest in the stowing plane.

1 . An armrest assembly for a vehicle seat comprising: 
 an armrest support bracket adapted for mounting in fixed position relative to the seat; and    an armrest having a base end and a free end, the base end of the armrest being pivotally connected to the support bracket;    said armrest being movable in a rearward direction from an operative position suitable for use by a seat occupant to an intermediate stowed position with the armrest extending upwardly; said armrest also being movable in a lateral direction from said intermediate stowed position toward the center line of the seat to a final stowed position.    
     
     
         2 . A stowable armrest for a vehicle seat, comprising: 
 a main bracket attached to the seat, the armrest rotatably coupled to the main bracket, wherein the armrest may be moved from a lowered, operating position in which the armrest extends in a generally horizontal orientation, to a raised position; and    a swing pivot pin, wherein when the armrest is in the raised position, the armrest is located in a stowing plane which is to the rear of the back portion of the seat;    whereby the armrest may be moved about the swing pivot pin, while maintaining the armrest in the stowing plane, to locate the armrest in a fully stowed position rearward of the back portion of the seat.    
     
     
         3 . The stowable armrest of  claim 2 , wherein the armrest rotates about a main pivot pin associated with the main bracket, the main pivot pin being oriented in an axial direction generally normal to the length of the armrest.  
     
     
         4 . The stowable armrest of  claim 3 , wherein the swing pivot pin couples the main pivot pin to a swing bracket connected to the armrest.  
     
     
         5 . The stowable armrest of  claim 4 , wherein the armrest may rotate in a limited fashion with respect to the swing bracket.  
     
     
         6 . The stowable armrest of  claim 4 , wherein when armrest is in the operating position the armrest is supported at least in part by the main pivot pin and by an armrest pivot pin connected to the swing bracket.  
     
     
         7 . The stowable armrest of  claim 6 , wherein the armrest pivot pin includes a rotation stop allowing the armrest limited rotation with respect to the swing bracket.  
     
     
         8 . The stowable armrest of  claim 2 , further comprising means for guiding the armrest during its travel from the fully raised position to the stowed position, so that the armrest remains in the stowing plane.  
     
     
         9 . The stowable armrest of  claim 8 , wherein the means for guiding comprises ribs located on the swing bracket.  
     
     
         10 . The stowable armrest of  claim 3 , further comprising a mechanism for guiding the armrest during its travel from the raised position to the stowed position, so that the armrest is caused to remain in the stowing plane, the mechanism comprising swing ribs at least partially covering the main pivot pin.  
     
     
         11 . A method for stowing an armrest behind a seat having a back portion, comprising the steps of: 
 rotating the armrest about a main bracket attached to the seat so that the armrest moves from a lowered, operating position in which the armrest extends in front of the back portion of the seat, to a raised position in which the armrest generally lies in a stowing plane which is to the rear of and substantially parallel to the back portion of the seat; and    swinging the armrest laterally toward the center line of the seat from the raised position to a stowed position rearward of the back portion of the seat, while maintaining the armrest in the stowing plane.    
     
     
         12 . The method for stowing an armrest of  claim 11 , wherein the armrest can be rotated rearward from the operating position through an arc greater than 90°.