Patent Publication Number: US-11045370-B1

Title: Elevation-type armrest

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a nursing chair and, more particularly, to an armrest-lift apparatus for adjusting the elevation of an armrest to according to a patient&#39;s need. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     A nursing chair is used to support a senior citizen or a patient when he or she gets off a hospital bed. A nursing chair is often a recliner that allows a user to sit or lie in it, and includes two armrests to support and protect the user&#39;s arms. However, the armrests are in a fixed elevation and could not satisfy the user all the time. For example, the user might prefer a different elevation of the armrests while he or she is resting from while he or she is eating. Moreover, the user needs help to sit down in the nursing chair or stand up from the nursing chair. The armrests sometimes cause troubles for the user while he or she is sitting down in the nursing chair or standing up from the nursing chair. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a recliner with an elevation-type armrest. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the elevation-type armrest includes a driving assembly and a cushioning assembly. The driving assembly includes a trough, a box, two cylinders, a worm, a crank, an axle, a worm gear, a first toothed wheel, a shaft, a second toothed wheel and two pinions. The trough is connected to a side of a recliner. The box is formed in a middle section of the trough. Then cylinders are connected to two opposite ends of the trough. Each of the cylinders includes an aperture. The worm includes a first section located in the box and a second section located out of the box. The crank is connected to the second section of the worm. The axle is located in the box so that the axle extends perpendicular to the worm. The worm gear is connected to the axle and engaged with the worm. The first toothed wheel is connected to the axle. The shaft is located in the trough so that the shaft extends parallel to the axle. The second toothed wheel is connected to the shaft and engaged with the first toothed wheel. The pinions are connected to two ends of the shaft. Each of the pinions comprises a portion located in a corresponding one of the cylinders via the aperture. The cushioning assembly includes a supporting tube connected to two racks. Each of the racks includes a toothed portion movably located in a corresponding one of the cylinders and engaged with a corresponding one of the pinions. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a nursing chair equipped with two elevation-type armrests according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of one of the armrest-supporting apparatuses shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged partial view of the armrest-supporting apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged partial view of the armrest-supporting apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the nursing chair according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the nursing chair and the elevation-type armrests in another position than shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the nursing chair and the elevation-type armrests in another position than shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a recliner  10  includes four wheels  15 , a reclining mechanism  20 , multi-sectional cushion  25  and two elevation-type armrests  30  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. recliner  10 . The wheels  15  is connected to a lower portion of the reclining mechanism  20 . The multi-sectional cushion  25  is supported on an upper portion of the reclining mechanism  20 . The reclining mechanism  20  is operable to move the recliner  10  to various positions so that a user can sit or lie in the recliner  10 . Each of the elevation-type armrests  30  is connected to a corresponding one of two opposite sides of the reclining mechanism  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 through 4 , an exemplary one of the elevation-type armrests  30  is shown. The elevation-type armrest  30  includes a driving assembly  31  and a cushioning assembly  40 . The driving assembly  31  includes trough  32 , a box  33 , a worm  34 , a crank  35 , an axle  36 , a shaft  37 , two pinions  38 , and two tubs  39 . 
     The trough  32  is connected to the corresponding side of the reclining mechanism  20  of the recliner  10 . The box  33  is formed in or connected to a middle portion of the trough  32 . Each of the cylinders  39  is connected to a corresponding one of two opposite ends of the trough  32 . 
     The worm  34  includes a first section located in the box  33  and a second section located out of the box  33 . The crank  35  is connected to the second section of the worm  34  so that the crank  35  is operable to rotate the worm  34 . 
     The axle  36  is located in the box  33 . The axle  36  extends perpendicular to the worm  34 . A worm gear  361  is connected to a section of the axle  36 . A toothed wheel  362  is connected to another section of the axle  36 . The worm gear  361  is engaged with the worm  34  so that the axle  36  is rotatable by the worm  34 . 
     The shaft  37  is located in the trough  32 . The shaft  37  extends parallel to the axle  36 . A toothed wheel  370  is connected to a middle section of the shaft  37 . The toothed wheel  370  is engaged with the toothed wheel  362  so that the shaft  37  is rotatable by the axle  36 . 
     Each of the pinions  38  is connected to a corresponding one of two opposite ends of the shaft  37 . Each of the cylinders  39  includes an aperture  390  for receiving a portion of a corresponding one of the pinions  38 . 
     The cushioning assembly  40  includes an supporting tube  41  and two racks  42 . A cushion (not numbered) is supported on the supporting tube  41 . Each of the racks  42  includes an upper end connected to a lower portion of the supporting tube  41 . Each of the racks  42  includes a lower end movably located in a corresponding one of the cylinders  39 . 
     Each of the racks  42  include a toothed portion  43  engaged with a corresponding one of the pinions  38  so that the racks  42  are movable by the shaft  37 . Thus, the elevation of the supporting tube  41  of the cushioning assembly  40  is adjusted. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 , the elevation of each of the elevation-type armrests  30  is adjustable independent of the other elevation-type armrest  30 . In each of the elevation-type armrests  30 , the crank  35  of the driving assembly  31  of is operable to adjust the elevation of the supporting tube  41  of the cushioning assembly  40 . In specific, the crank  35  rotates the worm  34 . The worm  34  rotates the axle  36  because the worm  34  is engaged with the worm gear  361 , which is connected to the axle  36 . The axle  36  rotates the shaft  37  because the toothed wheel  362 , which is connected to the axle  36 , is engaged with the toothed wheel  370 , which is connected to the shaft  37 . The shaft  37  moves the racks  42  because the pinions  38 , which are connected to the shaft  37 , are engaged with the toothed portions  43  of the racks  42 . Thus, the supporting tube  41  is moved because it is connected to the racks  42 . 
     In use, it is preferred to lower the elevation-type armrests  30  before the user starts to sit down in or stand up from the recliner  10 . The elevation-type armrests  30  are lifted after the user finally sits in or stands up from the recliner  10 . Thus, the elevation-type armrests  30  property support and protect the user&#39;s arms. 
     Furthermore, the worm  34  is engaged with the worm gear  361  of the axle  36  in the box  33 , thereby executing a self-locking operation. The supporting tube  41  is kept in position unless the crank  35  is operated on purpose. Thus, the user can press on the supporting tubes  41 , without lowering the supporting tubes  41  by accident. That is, the user is well supported by the supporting tubes  41  while he or she is sitting down in or standing up from the recliner  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the recliner  10  further includes a table  50  and two rods  55 . The cushioning assembly  40  of each of the elevation-type armrests  30  further includes a sleeve  45  connected to a lower portion of the supporting tube  41 . Each of the rods  55  includes an end connected to a lower portion of the table  50  and another end movably located in the sleeves  45  of the cushioning assembly  40  of a corresponding one of the elevation-type armrests  30  so that the table  50  is connected to the elevation-type armrests  30 . Thus, the user can put food and drinks on the table  50 . 
     The present invention has been described via the illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.