Patent Publication Number: US-6209961-B1

Title: Level-adjustable and swivelable armrest assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an armrest assembly that is adjustable in level and swivelable to provide the user with comfortable sitting. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a conventional level-adjusting device for an armrest of a chair. The level-adjusting device includes a fixing seat  1 ′ and an adjusting seat  2 ′. A retainer  3 ′ is secured between the fixing seat  1 ′ and the adjusting seat  2 ′ by a screw  7 ′ for retaining the fixing seat  1 ′ in place. A side of the retainer  3 ′ is born against by a spring  6 ′ and an upper side of the retainer  3 ′ is biased by an elastic plate  4 ′. A positioning plate  5 ′ is mounted on top of the retainer  3 ′ and the elastic plate  4 ′. The retainer  3 ′ may slide along a vertical slide passage  13 ′ in the fixing seat  1 ′ and be selectively engaged with one of a number of positioning notches  12 ′ in the fixing seat  1 ′. The retainer  3 ′ is retained in a selected positioning notch  12 ′ upon changing angular position of the elastic plate  4 ′ for positioning the retainer  3 ′ and the screw  7 ′. Although the device may provide the required height-adjusting function, the assembly procedure for the retainer  3 ′ and the spring  6 ′ as well as other elements is relatively difficult and thus has a high cost. The overall structure is weak and the adjusting movement is not reliable, as there are too many elements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an armrest assembly that is adjustable in level and swivelable to provide the user with comfortable sitting. 
     In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, an armrest assembly comprises: 
     a tube adapted to be secured to a chair seat; 
     an adjusting seat mounted in the tube and including an adjusting section, the adjusting section including a first vertical slide passage, a peripheral side defining the first vertical slide passage including a plurality of vertically spaced positioning notches, the adjusting section further including a second vertical slide passage, the first vertical side passage and the second vertical slide passage together defining a loop passage; 
     an armrest mounted above the adjusting seat; and 
     an actuating member including an upper end secured to the armrest to move therewith, the actuating member further including a lower end slidably received in the adjusting seat, the actuating member including a positioning member attached thereto, the positioning member including an end slidable along the loop passage and being selectively and releasably engaged in one of the positioning notches for supporting the armrest at a desired level. 
     Each positioning notch includes an opening that faces upward and outward. The lower end of the actuating member includes a hole and the positioning member includes a second end engaged in the hole of the actuating member. The adjusting seat includes a longitudinal slot along a length thereof for slidably receiving the lower end of the actuating member. A sleeve is slidably mounted around the tube and securely engaged with the armrest to slide therewith. The chair seat includes an extension, and further comprises a mounting seat including a slot through which the extension extends. The adjusting seat includes a lower end securely attached to the extension located in the mounting seat. The tube includes a plurality of angularly spaced positioning holes. A positioning element is mounted to the adjusting seat and means is provided for biasing the positioning element to releasably engage with one of the positioning holes, thereby allowing the armrest to be swiveled relative to the chair seat. In an embodiment of the invention, the positioning element is a ball, and the biasing means is an elastic element. 
     In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, an armrest assembly comprises: 
     a tube adapted to be secured to a chair seat, the tube including a plurality of angularly spaced positioning holes; 
     an adjusting seat mounted in the tube; 
     an armrest mounted above the adjusting seat; and 
     an actuating member including an upper end secured to the armrest to move therewith, the actuating member further including a lower end engaged in the adjusting seat, whereby swivel movement of the armrest cause swivel movement of the adjusting seat, 
     a positioning element mounted to the adjusting seat, and 
     means for biasing the positioning element to releasably engaged with one of the positioning holes, thereby allowing the armrest to be swiveled relative to the chair seat. 
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an armrest assembly in accordance with the present invention, wherein the armrest is removed for showing the inner structure. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the armrest assembly in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A—A in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line B—B in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating adjustment in level of the armrest. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating adjustment in level of the armrest. 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating re-adjustment in level of the armrest. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate swivel movement of the armrest assembly in accordance with the present invention, wherein the armrest in FIG. 8 has an angular position different from that in FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a conventional level-adjusting device for an armrest. 
     FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional level-adjusting device in FIG.  10 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 through 9 and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, an armrest assembly in accordance with the present invention generally includes an armrest  10 , an actuating member  20 , a positioning member  30 , an adjusting seat  40 , a tube  50 , a sleeve  60 , and a mounting seat  70 . The mounting seat  70  includes a slot  71  through which an extension  81  of a chair seat  80  extends. The tube  50  includes a lower end  54  that is secured to the extension  81  of the chair seat  80  by means of extending screws  72  through screw holes  82  in the extension  81  and screw holes  53  defined in the lower end  54  of the tube  50 . Thus, the lower end of the tube  50  is fixed to the chair seat  80 . An upper end  56  of the tube  50  includes, e.g., three angularly spaced positioning holes  52   a,    52   b,  and  52   c,  which will be described later. 
     The adjusting seat  40  is swivelably mounted in the tube  50 . The actuating member  20  is substantially T-shaped and includes a vertical section slidably mounted in the adjusting seat  40  and a horizontal section  24  secured to the armrest  10 . Namely, the upper end (namely the section  24 ) of the actuating member  20  is fixed to the armrest  10  to move therewith. In addition, the sleeve  60  is slidably mounted around the tube  50  and includes an upper end  61  that is also fixed to the armrest  10  to move therewith. Thus, the actuating member  20  will be moved vertically when the sleeve  60  is manually moved vertically. 
     In this embodiment, the adjusting seat  40  includes a longitudinal T-shape groove  41  along a length thereof. The adjusting seat  40  further includes a side compartment  42  that is communicated with the T-shape groove  41 . A receptacle  43  is defined in an upper end of the adjusting seat  40  for receiving an elastic means  44  consisting of an elastic element  441  and a ball  442 . As illustrated in FIG. 8, the ball  442  is biased radially outward by the elastic element  441  and thus partially protruded into one of the positioning holes, e.g.,  52   b.  When the user swivels the armrest  10 , the adjusting seat  40  is swiveled, as the vertical section  23  of the actuating member  20  is engaged in the T-shape groove  41  of the adjusting seat  40 . As a result, the ball  442  is moved inward into the receptacle  43  and moves together with the adjusting seat  40  until the ball  442  is aligned with another positioning hole, e.g.,  52   c.  The ball  442  is then biased radially outward by the elastic element  441  and thus partially protruded into and retained in the positioning hole  52   c , best shown in FIG.  9 . Thus, the armrest  10  may be swiveled among a plurality of angular positions relative to the seat  80  to provide comfort resting for the user&#39;s arm. It is noted that the ball  442  may be substituted by other positioning elements, such as a pin with a dome. 
     Turning back to FIG. 2, a lower end of the vertical section  23  of the actuating member  20  includes a hole  21  and two screw holes  22  above the hole  21 . The positioning member  30  is substantially ∫ shape and includes a first end  34  secured in the hole  21  and a second end  31 . The first end  34  of the positioning member  30  is secured to the vertical section  23  of the actuating member  20  by means of extending screws  33  through a mounting strip  32  and the screw holes  22 . Thus, the positioning member  30  moves together with the actuating member  20 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the adjusting seat  40  includes an adjusting section  45  including a first vertical slide passage  48 . A peripheral side defining the first vertical slide passage  48  includes a plurality of vertically spaced inclined positioning notches  47  each having an opening  49  (FIG. 3) facing upward and outward. The adjusting section  45  further includes a second vertical slide passage  46 . The first vertical slide passage  48  and the second vertical slide passage  46  together define a loop-like passage for the second end  31  of the positioning member  30 . Namely, the second end  31  of the positioning member  30  may slide along the loop-like passage consisting of the vertical slide passages  46  and  48  and may be retained in a selected positioning notch  47  when required. 
     Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, it is noted that the armrest  10  is in its lowermost position, as the second end  31  of the positioning member  30  is retained in the lowermost positioning notch  47 . When the user intends to adjust the level of the armrest  10 , he/she may directly moves the sleeve  60  or the armrest  10  upward. As the actuating member  20  and the positioning member  30  move together with the sleeve  60  and the armrest  10 , the second end  31  of the positioning member  30  is moved out of the lowermost positioning notch  47  under the guidance of the inclined positioning notch  47 . Thus, the second end  31  of the positioning member  30  may be moved to a desired level along the first vertical slide passage  48 . Then, the user exerts an inclined downward force to armrest  10  to make the second end  31  of the positioning member  30  enter an associated positioning notch  47 , best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     Referring to FIG. 7, when the armrest  10  is moved to its uppermost position, and it is found too high for the user&#39;s arm, the user may exert a downward force to lower the armrest  10  while the second end  31  of the positioning member  30  is moved back to the lowermost position along the second vertical slide passage  46 . The adjustment in the level of the armrest  10  can be easily achieved with a reliable positioning effect. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.