GB2301280A

GB2301280A - Vehicle armrest with cup holder

Info

Publication number: GB2301280A
Application number: GB9610616A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hermann Gross; Bernd Geier; Horst Kreuzer
Original assignee: Daimler Benz AG; Mercedes Benz AG
Current assignee: Daimler Benz AG
Priority date: 1995-05-29
Filing date: 1996-05-21
Publication date: 1996-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-21
Also published as: ITRM960262A1; DE19519602C1; GB9610616D0; FR2734768A1; IT1284631B1; GB2301280B; FR2734768B1; ITRM960262A0

Description

1 Armrest for a vehicle seat 2301280 The invention relates to an armrest

for a vehicle seat.

In the case of a known armrest, which is fixed in the vehicle between the front seats, with padded pivot flap for releasing a stowage space, which can be used as an arm support (Patents Abstracts of Japan, M-1343 Dec. 9, 1992 Vol. 16/No. 569, JP-A2 4-221235), the drinking-vessel holder, also called cup holder, arranged at the front end of the armrest, the front end facing the dashboard, has a pivotable cover which covers the end side of the armrest and, in its approximately horizontal position, in which it is pivoted down forwards from the armrest, releases the standing surface for the drinking vessel. With the cover pivoted down, the retaining bracket can be pivoted out of the flat opening, released by said cover, in the end side of the armrest, which retaining bracket comprises two ring halves which are located one inside the other and are connected pivotably to one another in the diameter region. A restoring spring ensures that the two ring halves are located coaxially one inside the other. The inner ring half can be swung, by up to 180', out of the outer ring half counter to the spring force of the restoring spring, with the result that the retaining bracket encloses an opening through which the drinking vessel can be set down on the swung-open cover. once the inner ring half of the retaining bracket has been released, said inner ring half comes to rest, under the spring force of the restoring spring, against the drinking-vessel circumferential surface which is remote from the armrest, and it presses the drinking vessel, by means of its circumferential surface facing the armrest, against the inner surface of the outer ring half. The drinking vessel is thus received securely in the drinkingvessel holder. Said known drinking-vessel holder has a multiplicity of individual parts which require a not inconsiderable assembly time, and this can increase the 2 manufacturing costs for the armrest.

The present invention seeks to simplify production of an armrest with a drinking-vessel holder, with the result that said armrest can be produced in a considerably more cost-effective manner without the functionality of the drinking-vessel holder being adversely affected.

According to the present invention there is provided an armrest for a vehicle seat, having a drinkingvessel holder which is arranged at a f ree end of the arm rest, and has a support surf ace for a drinking vessel or drinks container, and a retaining bracket which partially surrounds the drinking vessel and, under spring prestressing, presses at least partially against the circumference of the drinking vessel, wherein an insert is embedded in the armrest contour, which insert has a base forming the support surface, and a rear wall which extends generally at right angles with respect to said base and is curved so as to accommodate the shape of the drinking vessel, and the retaining bracket is mounted such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis which is provided at the front end of the base, the front end being remote fror the rear wall, and is aligned transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the armrest, and the retaining bracket is such that, when there is no drinking vessel in the drinking-vessel holder, it rests against the rear wall by means of a bracket section remote from the pivot axis.

The armrest according to the invention has the advantage that the drinking-vessel holder which is to be fastened on it can consist of only two parts, to be precise, on the one hand, the plastic insert which is embedded within the armrest contour and has a standing surf ace for the drinking vessel and, on the other hand, the spring-loaded retaining bracket which is arranged pivotably on said insert and is intended for engagement around the drinking vessel at a distance from the standing surface. The two parts can be mounted very easily, for example, by clipping pivot pins, which are integrally formed on the retaining bracket, in 3 bearing sleeves which are integrally formed on the base of the plastic insert. The plastic insert and retaining bracket can be produced very cost-effectively as plastic injection mouldings.

The invention is described in more detail hereinbelow with reference to an exemplary embodiment represented in the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a detail of a side view of an armrest with drinking-vessel holder, partly in section, Figure 2 shows a detail of a side view of the armrest with drinking vessel inserted into the drinking-vessel holder, partly in section, and Figure 3 shows a detail of a plan view of the armrest with drinking- vessel holder according to the arrow direction III in Figure 2, but without the drinking vessel.

The armrest, of which a detail is represented in side view in Figure 1, has a carrier (which cannot be seen here) which is arranged pivotably on the backrest of a vehicle seat and is enclosed by armrest padding 10 which serves as the arm support. On the f ront end side (as seen in the direction of travel), the armrest padding 10 has a cutout 11 into which a plastic insert 12 is inserted such that it is located within the armrest contour. Together with a retaining bracket 13, which is likewise manufactured from plastic, the insert 12 forms a so-called drinkingvessel holder 14 or cup holder, into which a drinking vessel or drinks container, such as a can, beaker, cup, bottle or the like, can be inserted so that it will not fall. Such a drinking vessel is represented in Figure 2 and is marked by 15. The insert 12, which is manufactured in one piece as a plastic injection moulding, has a base 16, with a standing surface 17 which is formed thereon and is intended for the drinking vessel 15, and a rear wall 18 which runs approximately at right angles with respect to said base and is curved in an arcuate manner. As can easily be seen from Figure 2, the standing surface 17 for the drinking vessel 15 4 is considerably smaller than the drinking-vessel base and has approximately half the surface area of the drinkingvessel base. The standing surface 17 is sunk in the base 16 with a semicircular contour which is partially adapted to the drinking-vessel base (Figure 3).

The retaining bracket 13, which is likewise manufactured as a plastic injection moulding, is fastened pivotably at the f ront end of the base 16, the f ront end being remote from the rear wall 18, such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis 19 which is aligned transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the armrest. The retaining bracket 13, with its half-ring-shaped inner contour 131, has two bearing pins 20 which project at right angles at the bracket ends and are received pivotably in corresponding bearing sleeves 21 formed on the base 16. The bearing pins 20 are integrally formed on the retaining bracket 13 and the bearing sleeves 21 are integrally formed on the base 16, and these can be plugged one into the other in a clip-like manner as the result of a certain degree of elasticity of the retaining bracket 13. As is indicated, in particular, in Figure 3, arranged coaxially with respect to the pivot axis 19 is at least one torsion spring or leg spring 22 which is supported, by means of one spring leg 221, on the base and, by means of its other spring leg 222 on the retaining bracket 13. Two leg springs 22 are preferably provided, and, as can be seen from Figure 3, in each case one leg spring 22 is pushed onto one of the bearing pins 20 on the retaining bracket 13.

The end section 181, remote from the base, of the rear wall 18 is angled off rearwards, in the process enclosing an obtuse angle with the remaining wall section 182, running at right angles with respect to the base 16, of the rear wall 18, such that, when there is no drinking vessel 15 in the drinking-vessel holder 14, the retaining bracket 13 swings, under the action of the leg springs 22, against the rear wall 18 of the insert 12 and bears flatly, by means of its bracket section 132 remote from the pivot axis, on the end section 181 (see Figure 1 in this connection). In each case one fastening lug 23, 24 is integrally formed on at the free end of the end section 181 of the rear wall 18 and at the free end of an angled- off portion 161, which projects downwards at right angles from the base 16 in the region of the pivot axis 19. The fastening lugs 23, 24 engage behind clamping shoulders 25, 26 provided in the armrest padding 10 and thus secure the insert 12 in the cutout 11 in the armrest padding 10 against inadvertent removal.

In order to insert a drinking vessel 15 into the drinking-vessel holder 14, the retaining bracket 13 can be pivoted down manually from the rear wall 18, counter to the force of the leg springs 22, until the spacing is large enough for the drinking vessel 15 to be set down, through the retaining bracket 13, without obstruction on the standing surface 17 on the base 16. Under the action of the leg springs 22, the released retaining bracket 13 then presses, by means of its bracket section 132 remote from the pivot axis, against the circumference of the drinking vessel 15, at a vertical distance from the base 16, and presses said drinking vessel against the arcuate rear wall 18, which is adapted to the contour of the drinking vessel 15. Consequently, the drinking vessel 15 is held in the drinking-vessel holder 14 so that it will not fall. In order to remove the drinking vessel 15, all that is required is for said vessel to be pulled vertically upwards, whereupon the retaining bracket 13 is automatically swung against the rear wall 18 by the leg springs 22 and comes to bear against the end section 181 there by means of its bracket section 132 (Figure 1).

6 claims 1. An armrest for a vehicle seat, having a drinking vessel holder which is arranged at a f ree end of the arm rest, and has a support surface f or a drinking vessel or drinks container, and a retaining bracket which partially surrounds the drinking vessel and, under spring prestressing, presses at least partially against the circumference of the drinking vessel, wherein an insert is embedded in the armrest contour, which insert has a base forming the support surface, and a rear wall which extends generally at right angles with respect to said base and is curved so as to accommodate the shape of the drinking vessel, and the retaining bracket is mounted such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis which is provided at the front end of the base, the front end being remote from the rear wall, and is aligned transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the armrest, and the retaining bracket is such that, when there is no drinking vessel in the drinking-vessel holder, it rests against the rear wall by means of a bracket section remote from the pivot axis.

Claims

2. An armrest according to Claim 1, wherein, arranged coaxially with

respect to the pivot axis is at least one torsion spring or leg spring which is supported, by means of one leg, on the base and, by means of its other leg, on the retaining bracket.

3. An armrest according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the support surface is made to be considerably smaller than the drinking-vessel base of the drinking vessel received in the drinking-vessel holder.

4. An armrest according to Claim 3, wherein the standing surf ace is sunk in the base of the insert with a contour which is partially adapted to the drinking-vessel base.

7 5. An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the end section, remote from the base, of the rear wall is angled of f rearwards, in the process enclosing an obtuse angle with the remaining rear-wall section running at right angles with respect to the base, such that the bracket section, remote from the pivot axis, of the retaining bracket bears flatly on the end section.

6. An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein, at its f ree end remote f rom the rear wall, the base of the insert is angled off downwards at right angles, and the pivot axis for the retaining bracket is arranged in the angle bend.

7. An armrest according to Claim 6, wherein, in each case, one fastening lug for securing the insert within the armrest contour is integrally formed at the free end of the rear-wall end section and the angled-off base portion.

8. An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the retaining bracket has a half-ring-shaped inner contour.

9. An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the insert is formed of a plastics material.

10. An armrest for a vehicle seat, substantially a described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.

c Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. An armrest for a vehicle seat, having a drinking-vessel holder which is arranged at a free end of the arm rest, and has a standing surface for a drinking vessel or drinks container, and a retaining bracket which partially surrounds the drinking vessel and, under spring prestressing, presses at least partially against the circumference of the drinking vessel, wherein an insert is embedded in the armrest contour, which insert has a base forming the standing surface, and a rear wall which extends generally at right angles with respect to said base and is curved so as to accommodate the shape of the drinking vessel, and the retaining bracket is mounted such that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis which is provided at the front end of the base, the front end being remote from the rear wall, and is aligned transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the armrest, and the retaining bracket is such that, when there is no drinking vessel in the drinking-vessel holder, it rests against the rear wall by means of a bracket section remote from the pivot axis.

2. An armrest according to Claim 1, wherein, arranged coaxially with respect to the pivot axis is at least one torsion spring or leg spring which is supported, by means of one leg, on the base and, by means of its other leg, on the retaining bracket.

3. An armrest according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the standing surface is made to be considerably smaller than the drinking-vessel base of the drinking vessel received in the drinking-vessel holder.

4. An armrest according to Claim 3, wherein the standing surface is sunk in the base of the insert with a contour which is partially adapted to the drinking-vessel base.

-9 An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein an end section, remote from the base, of the rear wall is angled off rearwards, in the process enclosing an obtuse angle with the remaining rear-wall section running at right angles with respect to the base, such that the bracket section, remote from the pivot axis, of the retaining bracket bears flatly on the end section.

6. An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein, at a free end remote from the rear wall, the base of the insert is angled off downwards at right angles, and the pivot axis for the retaining bracket is arranged in the angle bend.

7. An armrest according to Clain 6, wherein, in each case, one fastening lug for securing the insert within the armrest contour is integrally formed at the free end of the rear-wall end section and the angled-off base portion.

8. An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the retaining bracket has a half-ring-shaped inner contour.

9. An armrest according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the insert is formed of a plastics material.

10. An armrest for a vehicle seat, substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.