Abstract:
An armrest device includes an armrest mount, an armrest member coupled to and rotatable relative to the armrest mount about a pivot axis, a latch member that extends through the armrest member and into the armrest mount and that is movable in a direction parallel to the pivot axis between locking and unlocking positions, and an armrest button mounted movably on the armrest member and operable to move along a button axis transverse to the pivot axis for driving movement of the latch member from the locking position to the unlocking position. The latch member engages the armrest mount to arrest rotation of the armrest member relative to the armrest mount when in the locking position, and is disengaged from the armrest mount to permit rotation of the armrest member relative to the armrest mount when in the unlocking position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Chinese application no. 200520147130.4, filed on Dec. 29, 2005. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The invention relates to an armrest device, more particularly to an armrest device including a lockable armrest member that can be unlocked by pressing an armrest button. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A conventional armrest device for a juvenile car safety seat usually includes a pair of armrest mounts disposed on opposite lateral sides of a seat body, and a pair of armrest members mounted respectively on top of the armrest mounts. At present, the armrest members of most armrest devices are designed to be pivotable relative to the armrest mounts to facilitate movement of a child into and out of the seat body. Examples of conventional armrest devices with pivotable armrest members can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,682,143, 6,698,838, and 6,752,462, and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0232748. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An object of the present invention is to provide an armrest device including an armrest member that is both pivotable and lockable. 
         [0007]    Another object of the present invention is to provide an armrest device that can be operated with relative ease. 
         [0008]    According to one aspect of the invention, an armrest device comprises an armrest mount, an armrest member, a pair of latch members, and an urging unit. 
         [0009]    The armrest mount includes a parallel pair of first limiting plates, and an aligned pair of non-circular first latch holes formed through the first limiting plates, respectively. 
         [0010]    The armrest member extends between the first limiting plates. 
         [0011]    Each of the latch members extends through the armrest member and into a respective one of the first latch holes. The latch members are movable toward each other from a locking position, where each of the latch members engages a hole periphery of the respective one of the first latch holes to arrest movement of the armrest member relative to the armrest mount, to an unlocking position, where each of the latch members is disengaged from the hole periphery of the respective one of the first latch holes to permit movement of the armrest member relative to the armrest mount. 
         [0012]    The urging unit is disposed between the latch members for biasing the latch members away from each other to the locking position. 
         [0013]    According to another aspect of the invention, an armrest device comprises an armrest mount, an armrest member coupled to and rotatable relative to the armrest mount about a pivot axis, at least one latch member, and an armrest button. 
         [0014]    The latch member extends through the armrest member and into the armrest mount and is movable in a direction parallel to the pivot axis from a locking position, where the latch member engages the armrest mount to arrest rotation of the armrest member relative to the armrest mount, to an unlocking position, where the latch member is disengaged from the armrest mount to permit rotation of the armrest member relative to the armrest mount. 
         [0015]    The armrest button is mounted movably on the armrest member, and is operable to move along a button axis transverse to the pivot axis for driving movement of the latch member from the locking position to the unlocking position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary schematic side view of the preferred embodiment of an armrest device according to the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary schematic side view to illustrate a pair of latch members, an urging unit and an armrest button of the preferred embodiment; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary sectional view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating a locking position of the latch members; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary schematic side view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating one of the latch members at the locking position; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 4 , but illustrating an unlocking position of the latch members; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but illustrating an armrest member pivoted to a raised position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    Since armrest devices for a car seat are symmetrical in construction, only one armrest device  1  disposed on a lateral side of a car seat will be described hereinbelow. Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the preferred embodiment of an armrest device  1  according to the present invention is shown to include an armrest mount  2 , an armrest member  3 , a pair of latch members  5 , an urging unit  6 , an armrest button  4 , and a pair of side covers  7 . 
         [0025]    The armrest mount  2  includes a mount body  21 , a parallel pair of first limiting plates  22  formed integrally on top of the mount body  21 , and an aligned pair of non-circular first latch holes  23  formed through the first limiting plates  22 , respectively. In this embodiment, each of the first latch holes  23  includes a central circular hole part  231 , and a set of angularly spaced apart latching notches  232  that extend radially outward from the circular hole part  231 . In this embodiment, there are four latching notches  232  in each of the first latch holes  23 . 
         [0026]    The armrest member  3  includes an armrest body  31  having a lower body part  311  and an upper body part  312  coupled to the lower body part  312  and formed with a button hole  313 . The armrest member  3  further includes a parallel pair of second limiting plates  32  formed on one end of the lower body part  311  and disposed between the first limiting plates  22 , and an aligned pair of non-circular second latch holes  33  formed through the second limiting plates  32 , respectively. The first and second latch holes  23 ,  33  have hole peripheries that correspond in shape. Hence, each of the second latch holes  33  includes a central circular hole part  331 , and a set of angularly spaced apart latching notches  332  that extend radially outward from the circular hole part  331 . 
         [0027]    Each of the latch members  5  includes a central axle part  54  that extends through the circular hole parts  231 ,  331  of the first and second latch holes  23 ,  33  in a respective one of the first limiting plates  22  and a respective one of the second limiting plates  32  to retain rotatably the second limiting plates  32  on the first limiting plates  22 , and at least one latch part  55  (there are two latch parts  55  in this embodiment) that extends radially outward from the central axle part  54 . The latch members  5  are movable toward each other from a locking position (see  FIG. 4 ) to an unlocking position (see  FIG. 6 ). At the locking position, the latch part  55  of each of the latch members  5  extends through one of the latching notches  332  in the respective one of the second limiting plates  32 , and engages an aligned one of the latching notches  232  in the respective one of the first limiting plates  22 , thereby resulting in engagement between each of the latch members  5  and the hole periphery of the respective one of the first latch holes  23  to arrest rotation of the armrest member  3  relative to the armrest mount  2  about a pivot axis (L). At the unlocking position, the latch part  55  of each of the latch members  5  is retracted from the aligned one of the latching notches  232  in the respective one of the first limiting plates  22 , thereby resulting in disengagement between each of the latch members  5  and the hole periphery of the respective one of the first latch holes  23  to permit rotation of the armrest member  3  relative to the armrest mount  2  about the pivot axis (L). In this embodiment, one of the latch members  5  has an inner end  51  formed with a pair of first guide blocks  521 , and the other of the latch members  5  has an inner end  51  formed with a pair of second guide blocks  522 . 
         [0028]    The urging unit  6 , which is a coil spring in this embodiment, is disposed between the latch members  5 , and serves to bias the latch members  5  away from each other along the pivot axis (L) to the locking position. 
         [0029]    The armrest button  4  includes a press portion  41  that projects outwardly of the armrest member  3  via the button hole  313  in the upper body part  312  of the armrest body  31 , and a latch driving portion  42  that is connected to the press portion  41 , that is movably disposed between the second limiting plates  32 , and that engages the latch members  5  such that the latch members  5  are driven to move from the locking position to the unlocking position against urging action of the urging unit  6  when a pressing force is applied on the press portion  41  for moving the armrest button  4  along a button axis (M) perpendicular to the pivot axis (L), as best shown in  FIG. 6 . The latch driving portion  42  of the armrest button  4  includes a parallel pair of guide walls  423  that define a passage  43  for the latch members  5  therebetween. Each of the guide walls  423  has a generally inverted V-shaped notch with a notch-defining periphery. The notch-defining periphery includes a first peripheral part  421  and a second peripheral part  422 . The first guide blocks  521  on one of the latch members  5  abut against the first peripheral parts  421  of the notch-defining peripheries of the guide walls  423 , respectively. The second guide blocks  522  on the other of the latch members  5  abut against the second peripheral parts  422  of the notch-defining peripheries of the guide walls  423 , respectively. In this embodiment, the first guide blocks  521  and the second guide blocks  522  form a height offset relative to each other along the button axis (M). To complement the height offset of the first and second guide blocks  521 ,  522 , as best shown in  FIG. 3 , the first peripheral part  421  includes a lower straight segment  4211  and an upper inclined segment  4212  that extends upwardly from the lower straight segment  4211  and that is inclined relative to the lower straight segment  4211 . The second peripheral part  422  includes an upper straight segment  4221  that extends downwardly from the upper inclined segment  4212 , and a lower inclined segment  4222  that extends downwardly from the upper straight segment  4221  and that is inclined relative to the upper straight segment  421 . Each of the lower and upper straight segments  4211 ,  4221  extends parallel to the button axis (M) (see  FIG. 6 ). As a result, a similar height offset along the button axis (M) is also formed between the upper and lower inclined segments  4212 ,  4222 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 ,  6  and  7 , when it is desired to rotate the armrest member  3  relative to the armrest mount  2 , the armrest button  4  is pressed downward along the button axis (M) such that the first and second guide blocks  521 ,  522  of the latch members  5  are guided respectively by the upper inclined segments  4212  and the lower inclined segments  4222  to move toward each other along the pivot axis (L) against urging action of the urging unit  6 , thereby disposing the latch members  5  at the unlocking position where the latch parts  55  of the latch members  5  are disengaged from the aligned latching notches  232  in the first limiting plates  22 . The armrest member  3  may be rotated relative to the armrest mount  2  about the central axle parts  54  of the latch members  5  at this time. 
         [0031]    Upon rotating the armrest member  3  relative to the armrest mount  2  from the lowered position of  FIG. 1  to the raised position of  FIG. 7 , since the armrest button  4  and the latch members  5  rotate with the armrest member  3 , the latch parts  55  of the latch members  5  are aligned with another group of the latching notches  232  in the first limiting plates  22  of the armrest mount  2 . At this time, when the press portion  41  of the armrest button  4  is released, the urging force of the urging unit  6  restores the latch members  5  to the locking position, thereby locking the armrest member  3  to the armrest mount  2  at the raised position by virtue of engagement between the latch parts  55  of the latch members  5  and the aligned latching notches  232  in the first limiting plates  22 . It should be noted herein that, as the first and second guide blocks  521 ,  522  move outwardly along the pivot axis (L) and respectively along the upper inclined segments  4212  and the lower inclined segments  4222 , the armrest button  4  is also urged to project outwardly of the armrest member  3  via the button hole  313  in the armrest body  31 . 
         [0032]    In practice, the number of the latching notches  232 ,  332  in the armrest mount  2  and the armrest body  31 , as well as the number of the latch parts  55  of the latch members  5 , may be varied, and should not be limited to those of the preferred embodiment. 
         [0033]    In case there is only one latching notch  232 ,  332  in each limiting plate  22 ,  32  and one latch part  55  for each latch member  5 , after pivoting the armrest member  3  relative to the armrest mount  2  from an initial position to an adjusted position, the latch parts  55  of the latch members  5  will be restricted by the first limiting plates  22  from moving outwardly along the pivot axis (L), and the armrest button  4  will be at a pressed state even when the pressing force applied thereon is removed. As a result, the armrest member  3  is not locked to the armrest mount  2  at the adjusted position. Thereafter, when the armrest member  3  is rotated back to the initial position, the urging force of the urging unit  6  restores the latch members  5  to the locking position so as to once again arrest rotation of the armrest member  3  relative to the armrest mount  2 . 
         [0034]    The side covers  7  are for covering outer sides of the first limiting plates  22 , respectively, and not only improve overall appearance of the armrest device  1  but also prevent the latch members  5  from escaping from the armrest member  3 . 
         [0035]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.