Patent Document

TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention generally relates to armrest assemblies in a vehicle and in particular, to an armrest including a grab handle. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The automotive industry is increasingly focusing on improvements within the interior of the vehicle. As a result, the design and esthetics of the interior space of the vehicle is becoming more important to the manufacturer and the end customer. As improvements are made to the interior of the vehicle, new materials and new technologies are required to manufacture the various interior trim components. 
   For instance, a door trim of the vehicle may include several components that are attached to the door trim during secondary processes. These components may be manufactured from the same material, or from different materials, depending upon their location and function. When two trim pieces are secured together, problems arise with achieving a repeatable, balanced gap between the two trim pieces. Particularly, it becomes difficult to visually align part lines of the two trim pieces and maintain consistent gaps between the two trim pieces. Stability of the two trim pieces may also be compromised if either of the two trim pieces is not properly secured to the door trim. 
   One method of creating greater repeatability and stability of mating parts is to include additional alignment features, such as fasteners or adhesives. However, these features require additional parts, that add weight, labor costs and part costs to the manufacture of the vehicle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The inventors of the present invention have recognized these and other problems associated with designing components for the interior of a vehicle. To this end, the inventors have invented an armrest assembly secured to a substrate comprising an armrest having a cavity and at least one tee lock, a grab handle having a least one side wing, and wherein the grab handle is secured to the cavity of the armrest by operatively engaging the at least tee lock with the at least one side wing. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an isolated view of a vehicle door trim according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a plurality of tee locks secured to the vehicle door trim according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  is an isolated view of a grab handle according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of a wing of the grab handle according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of the wing of the grab handle according to an embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring to the Figures, a vehicle door substrate (“substrate”) is generally shown at  10 . The substrate  10  comprises of an inner, or “A” surface  12  visible to an occupant of the vehicle, and an outer, or “B” surface  14  that is not visible to the occupant. The substrate  10  includes, amongst other features, an armrest  16  and a grab handle  18 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , substrate  10  further includes apertures  20 , which will be discussed in greater detail below. 
   The armrest  16  is attached to the inner surface  12  of the substrate  10  and grab handle  18  is secured to armrest  16 . It can be appreciated that armrest  16  may be integrated into substrate  10  during the manufacturing of substrate  10 . Alternatively, armrest  16  may be secured to the inner surface  12  of the substrate  10  through a secondary process, such as, for example, by welding, by fasteners or by adhesives. 
   As illustrated, armrest  16  may be formed from a top portion  22  and a bottom portion  24  for ease of manufacturing armrest  16 . Top portion  22  and bottom portion  24  may be generally symmetrical with respect to each other and secured together by conventional methods. 
   Armrest  16  and grab handle  18  may be manufactured from the same material, or from different materials. For example, armrest  16  may be manufactured from a polyvinyl chloride and grab handle  18  may be manufactured from a polyurethane. Further, both armrest  16  and grab handle  18  may be covered with a decorative layer of material, or scrim (not shown). 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , armrest  16  includes a cavity  26 , dent, gap, pocket, or the like. Cavity  26  separates armrest  16  into a front portion  28  and a rear portion  30 . As illustrated, top portion  22  of armrest  16  is disjoined into separate front and rear portions  28 ,  30  by cavity  26 , while front and rear portions  28 ,  30  of bottom portion  24  remain joined by an intermediate surface  32 . Cavity  26  may be generally U-shaped and defined by opposing exposed surface  34  of the front portion  28  and exposed surface  36  of the rear portion  30  and by either substrate  10  or intermediate surface  32 . 
   Exposed surfaces  34 ,  36  of front and rear portions  28 ,  30  may include a tee lock  38 . Tee lock  38  may be integrated into exposed surfaces  34 ,  36  of front and rear portions  28 ,  30  of armrest  16  during the manufacture of armrest  16 . It can be appreciated by those skilled in the art that exposed surfaces  34 ,  36  of the front and rear portion  28 ,  30  may be angled at approximately 3 degrees so as to prevent a condition, known by those skilled in the art, as “die lock” in the mold tool (not shown) from occurring during the manufacture of armrest  16 . In other words, providing an angle to exposed surfaces  34 ,  36  of front and rear portions  28 ,  30  allows the mold tool to properly open and close without armrest  16  during the manufacture and/or removal of armrest  16  from the mold tool. According, it can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that exposed surfaces  34 ,  36  may be angled at any degree so long as the mold tool for armrest  16  does not damage armrest  16  during the manufacture and/or removal of armrest  16  from the mold tool. 
   Tee lock  38  comprises a seat  40  and a tapered guide  42 . Seat  40  may extend horizontally outwardly from exposed surfaces of front and rear portion  34 ,  36 . Seat  40  may have a uniform thickness, or as illustrated, may gradually increase in thickness from an end  40   a  to an opposing end  40   b . Tapered guide  42  may extend vertically above and below seat  40  at approximately a 90 degree angle. In the illustrated embodiment, as tapered guide extends from edge  40   a  to opposing edge  40   b , tapered guide  42  may increase in thickness. Further, tapered guide  42  may connect to exposed surfaces  34 ,  36  of front and rear portions  28 ,  30  beyond seat  40 . 
     FIGS. 3-5  illustrate grab handle  18  isolated from armrest  16 . Grab handle  18  may be generally U-shaped, and include two opposing side wings  44  with a handle area  46  therebetween. Side wings  44  may include locating pins  50  that extend outwardly past grab handle  18 . It can be appreciated that grab handle  18  may be any desired dimensions so long as an adult hand (not shown) can comfortably wrap around the handle area  46 . The two opposing side wings  44  of the grab handle  18  may be generally symmetric relative to each other. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate enlarged views of side wing  44 . Each side wing  44  includes a means for engaging tee locks  48 . The means for engaging tee locks  48  may be integrated into each side wing  44  during the manufacture of the grab handle  18 . Alternatively, means for engaging tee locks  48  may be manufactured separately and inserted into each side wing  44  of grab handle  18  during a secondary process. 
   The means for engaging tee locks  48  may be, for example, a reverse tapered guide  48  for guiding the grab handle  18  over tee locks  38 . As illustrated, reverse tapered guide  48  may be defined as a slot that extends from an edge  44   a  of side wing  44  to an opposing edge  44   b  of side wing  44 . Reverse tapered guide  48  slightly tapers from edge  44   a  of side wing  44  to a collar  52 . At collar  52 , reverse tapered guide  48  reduces in width and slightly tapers from collar  52  to opposing edge  44   b . However, it can be appreciated that the invention may be practiced without collar  52 . Thus, reversed tapered guide  48  may taper uniformly from edge  44   a  to opposing edge  44   b.    
     FIG. 4  illustrates reverse tapered guide  48  as viewed from edge  44   a  of side wing  44 , while  FIG. 5  illustrates reverse tapered guide  48  as viewed from edge  44   b  of side wing  44 . 
   When grab handle  18  is aligned with arm rest  16 , tapered guide  42  of tee lock  38  may be aligned with reverse tapered guide  48  of grab handle  18 . In an installed embodiment, grab handle  18  may be inserted into cavity  26  of armrest  16 . Thus, tapered guide  42  of tee lock  38  may be inserted into reverse tapered guide  48 . As a result, reverse tapered guide  48  is slightly larger than tapered guide  42  of tee lock  38 . When installed, grab handle  18  pulls tee locks  38  toward each other, and therefore, pulls front and rear portions  28 ,  30  of armrest  16  towards each other. Consequentially, gaps that may exist between armrest  16  and grab handle  18  are equally reduced when tapered guide  42  of tee lock  38  engages reverse tapered guide  48  of side wings  44 . 
   Grab handle  18  abuts against seat  40  of tee lock  38 , thus reducing upward and downward movement of grab handle  18  relative to armrest  16 . When grab handle  18  is inserted into armrest  16 , locating pins  50  of grab handle  18  may be inserted into apertures  20  of substrate  10 . Fasteners (not shown) may be inserted into the remaining apertures  20 , thereby further securing the location of grab handle  18 . 
   The embodiments disclosed herein have been discussed for the purpose of familiarizing the reader with novel aspects of the invention. Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, many changes, modifications and substitutions may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.

Technology Category: 7