US20080309140A1

US20080309140A1 - Armrest adjusting device

Info

Publication number: US20080309140A1
Application number: US11/812,266
Authority: US
Inventors: Hsueh-Yu Ho
Original assignee: Wen Sang Plastics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Wen Sang Plastics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-06-18
Filing date: 2007-06-18
Publication date: 2008-12-18

Abstract

An armrest adjusting device for adjusting armrest of chairs includes a hollow armrest seat and a guide plate is fixedly inserted into the armrest seat. A movable member is movably received in the armrest and includes a push end which includes tapered surfaces to control two rods to be removably engaged with click notches in the vertical portion of the elevator part which is connected to the seat of the chair. The vertical portion is inserted in the armrest seat. The movable member is operated via an opening defined through a wall of the armrest seat which is moved with the movable member. The armrest seat does not need to make large holes so as to increase the structural strength and the armrest adjusting device can also be used with tubular elevator part.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an armrest adjusting device which moves the armrest to a desired height while the armrest seat does not need to make large holes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional armrest elevator device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,322 and shown in FIG. 7, wherein the control button 14 is connected with a movable block 12 which is biased by a spring so that the movable block 12 is movable in the oblong hole in the armrest seat 1 and guided by the elongated groove 102. The movable blocks 12 includes two tapered surfaces which push the cylinder shafts 15 from the opening end to the closed end of the oblong apertures 13 such that the cylinder shafts 15 are engaged with one of pairs of click grooves 111 in the elevator plate 11 to position the height of the armrest seat 1 relative to the elevator plate 11. However, the armrest seat 1 has to be made with the oblong hole 101, the elongated groove 102 and the oblong apertures 103, and all of which reduce the structural strength of the armrest seat 1 and its outer appearance. The movable block 12 has to be inserted into the elongated groove 102 and the cover plate 13 has to be hooked to the oblong hole 101, and the control button 14 is connected to the movable block 12 via the opening of the cover plate 13. The assemble processes are too many and take a lot of time. The movable block 12 is located at one side of the armrest seat 1 and if the elevator plate 11 is a hollow tube and the click grooves 111 are defined in one sidewall of the hollow tube, the cylinder shafts 15 applying forces on one sidewall will causes shaking to the elevator plate 11 and the armrest seat 1. If both sidewalls of the hollow tube are equipped with the movable blocks 12 and the cylinder shafts 15, the complicated structure increase assemble steps and might need extra maintenance.
The present invention intends to provide an adjusting device for adjusting height of chairs and the adjusting device includes less number of parts and the armrest seat does not need to make large holes. The guide plate is movable at substantially enter of the armrest seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an armrest adjusting device which comprises a hollow armrest seat having an opening defined in a first sidewall and a recessed area defined in a second sidewall of the armrest seat. An elongate slot is defined through an inside of the recessed area. An elevator part has a horizontal portion and a vertical portion which is inserted into the armrest seat from an underside of the armrest seat. An elevation slot is defined in the vertical portion of the elevator part and a plurality of click notches are defined in two insides of the elevation slot. A guide plate is received in the armrest seat and includes a top plate which is fixed to a connection top on a top of the armrest seat. A body extends from an underside of the top plate and includes an elongate slot which communicates with a narrowed space which is in communication with a restriction slot. The narrowed space and the restriction slot are located corresponding to the elevation slot and the click notches of the elevator part.
A movable member is movably received in the armrest seat and includes a elongate plate and a push end which extends from a lower end of the elongate plate. The elongate plate is slidable along the guide plate and the push end includes a block extending laterally therefrom. The block is located in the narrowed space of the guide plate and includes two tapered surfaces and two parallel push surfaces which are located above the two tapered surfaces. An operation unit is connected to the elongate plate so as to control movement of the movable member in the armrest seat. Two rods are located between two sides of the block of the push end and restricted in the restriction slot. The two rods are removably engaged with two of click notches in the two insides of the at least one elevation slot.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an armrest adjusting device for adjusting armrest of chairs, wherein the armrest seat needs only a limited area of opening via which the user can access the movable member, so that the armrest seat has better structural strength.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an armrest adjusting device for adjusting armrest of chairs, wherein the adjusting device can be cooperated with tubular elevator part.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view to show the armrest adjusting device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting device of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view to show another embodiment of the armrest adjusting device of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting device in FIG. 4 of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front cross sectional view of the armrest adjusting device in FIG. 4 of the present invention, and

FIG. 7 is a conventional armrest adjusting device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the armrest adjusting device of the present invention comprises a hollow armrest seat 3 having an opening 301 defined in a first sidewall and a recessed area 302 is defined in a second sidewall of the armrest seat 3. An elongate slot 303 is defined through an inside of the recessed area 302. A connection top 304 is connected on a top of the armrest seat 3 so as to be connected with an armrest (not shown).
An elevator part 4 has a horizontal portion 41 and a vertical portion 42 which is inserted into the armrest seat 3 from an underside of the armrest seat 3. An elevation slot 43 is defined longitudinally in the vertical portion 42 of the elevator part 4 and a plurality of click notches 44 are defined in two insides of the elevation slot 43. The horizontal portion 41 is connected with the seat of the chair (both not shown).
A guide plate 31 is received in the armrest seat 3 and located between the vertical portion 42 of the elevator part 4 and the second sidewall of the armrest seat 3. The guide plate 3 includes a top plate 311 which is fixed to the connection top 304 of the armrest seat 3. An elongate body 312 extends from an underside of the top plate 311 and includes an elongate slot 313 which communicates with a narrowed space 314 which is in communication with a restriction slot 315. The narrowed space 314 and the restriction slot 315 are located corresponding to the at least one elevation slot 43 and the click notches 44 of the elevator part 4. Two guide ridges 317 extend from a side of the body 312 of the guide plate 31 and the other side of the body 312 contacts the vertical portion 42 of the elevator part 4.
A movable member 32 is movably received in the armrest seat 3 and includes an elongate plate 321 and a push end 322 which extends from a lower end of the elongate plate 321. The elongate plate 321 is slidable along the guide ridges 317 of the guide plate 31 and the push end 322 includes a block extending laterally therefrom. The block is located in the narrowed space 314 of the guide plate 31 and including two tapered surfaces 326 and two parallel push surfaces 327 which are located above the two tapered surfaces 326. An operation unit “A” is connected to the elongate plate 321 so as to control movement of the movable member 32 in the armrest seat 3.
The operation unit “A” includes a recess 323 defined in a first side of the elongate plate 321 and the recess 323 is defined by a recessed portion protruding from a second side of the elongate plate 321. A operation flange 324 extends from the first side of the elongate plate 321 and is located at a periphery of the recess 323. The recessed portion on the second side of the elongate plate 321 is movably accommodated in the opening 301 of the armrest seat 3, so that the user's hand can insert in the recess 323 to pull the movable member 32. A spring 33 is connected between a first protrusion 325 extending from a top of the recessed portion and a second protrusion extending from an underside of the top plate 311 of the guide plate 31 so as to keep the movable member 32 at a lower position. The second side of the elongate plate 321 is movable along the two guide ridges 317 on the body 312 of the guide plate 31.
Two rods 34 extend through the elongate slot 303 in the armrest seat 3, the elevation slot 43 of the elevator part 4 and the restriction slot 315 in the guide plate 31. The rods 34 are located between two sides of the block of the push end 322 and pushed by the push surfaces 327 of the block of the push end 322 so as to be engaged with two of click notches 44 in the two insides of the at least one elevation slot 43. Each of the two rods 34 includes an enlarged head 341 which are stopped by elongate slot 303.
A cover 35 is engaged with the recessed area 302 of the armrest seat 3 and includes a rib 351 extending from an inner side thereof, the rib 351 contacts against the enlarged heads 341 of the rods 34.
When the user pulls the movable member 32 upward, the two push surfaces 327 are removed from the two rods 34 while the two tapered surfaces 326 are still located between the two rods 34, and the two rods 34 are removed from the click notches 44 so that the user can pull or push the movable member 32 together with the armrest seat 3 to a desired height. When releasing the movable member 32, the spring 33 pushes the movable member 32 downward so that the two push surfaces 327 are moved downward to push the two rods 34 to engage with click notches 44 again to position the armrest seat 3 relative to the elevator part 4 again. The guide plate 31 and the vertical portion 42 of the elevator part 4 are both received in the armrest seat 3 so that the assembly processes can be simplified and the armrest seat 3 does not need to make large holes.
FIGS. 4 to 6 show another embodiment of the armrest adjusting device which is cooperated with a tubular elevator part 6. The elevator part 6 is a hollow tube and includes the horizontal portion 61 and the vertical portion 62 which is inserted into the hollow armrest seat 5. Two elevation slots 63 are defined through two sidewalls of the vertical portion 62 respectively and each elevation slot 63 includes click notches 64 defined in the two insides thereof. The body 512 of the guide plate 51 is received in the vertical portion 62 of the elevator part 6 and the top plate 511 of the guide plate 51 is connected to the connection top 504 of the armrest seat 5. A guide ridge 517 is located in the elongate slot 513 in the body 512 and the elongate plate 521 of the movable member 52 slidably contacts the guide ridge 517.
The operation unit “A1” includes a connection portion 523 connected to the elongate plate 521 with a gap defined between the connection portion 523 and the elongate plate 521. The connection portion 523 extends through the opening 501 of the armrest seat 5 and is connected with an operation flange 524. A spring 53 is connected between a first protrusion 525 extending from a top of the push end 522 and a second protrusion extending from an underside of the guide ridge 517 of the guide plate 51. The two rods 54 are located on two sides of the tapered surfaces 526 and push surfaces 527 of the push end 522 which is located in the narrowed space 514 of the guide plate 51. The two rods 54 are pushed toward two ends of the restriction slot 515 of the guide plate 51 and are engaged with click notches 64 of both of the two elevation slots 63.
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An armrest adjusting device comprising:

a hollow armrest seat having an opening defined in a first sidewall and a recessed area defined in a second sidewall of the armrest seat, an elongate slot defined through an inside of the recessed area, a connection top connected on a top of the armrest seat;

an elevator part having a horizontal portion and a vertical portion which is inserted into the armrest seat from an underside of the armrest seat, at least one elevation slot defined in the vertical portion of the elevator part and a plurality of click notches defined in two insides of the at least one elevation slot;

a guide plate received in the armrest seat and including a top plate which is fixed to the connection top of the armrest seat, a body extending from an underside of the top plate and including an elongate slot, the elongate slot communicating with a narrowed space which is in communication with a restriction slot, the narrowed space and the restriction slot located corresponding to the at least one elevation slot and the click notches of the elevator part;

a movable member movably received in the armrest seat and including an elongate plate and a push end which extends from a lower end of the elongate plate, the elongate plate being slidable along the guide plate and the push end including a block extending laterally therefrom, the block located in the narrowed space of the guide plate and including two tapered surfaces and two parallel push surfaces which are located above the two tapered surfaces, an operation unit connected to the elongate plate so as to control movement of the movable member in the armrest seat, and

two rods located between two sides of the block of the push end and restricted in the restriction slot, the two rods engaged with two of click notches in the two insides of the at least one elevation slot.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide plate is located between the vertical portion of the elevator part and the second sidewall of the armrest seat, two guide ridges extend from a side of the body of the guide plate and the other side of the body contacts the vertical portion of the elevator part, the operation unit includes a recess defined in a first side of the elongate plate and the recess is defined by a recessed portion protruding from a second side of the elongate plate, an operation flange extends from the first side of the elongate plate and is located at a periphery of the recess, the recessed portion on the second side of the elongate plate is movably accommodated in the opening of the armrest seat, a spring is connected between a first protrusion extending from a top of the recessed portion and a second protrusion extending from an underside of the top plate of the guide plate, the second side of the elongate plate is movable along the two guide ridges on the body of the guide plate, each of the two rods includes an enlarged head which are stopped by elongate slot, a cover is engaged with the recessed area of the armrest seat and includes a rib extending from an inner side thereof, the rib contacts against the enlarged heads of the rods.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein elevator part is a hollow tube and includes the horizontal portion and the vertical portion, two elevation slots are defined through two sidewalls of the vertical portion respectively and each elevation slot includes click notches defined in the two insides thereof, the body of the guide plate is received in the vertical portion of the elevator part and a guide ridge is located in the elongate slot in the body, the elongate plate of the movable member slidably contacts the guide ridge and the operation unit includes a connection portion connected to the elongate plate with a gap defined between the connection portion and the elongate plate, the connection portion extends through the opening of the armrest seat and is connected with the operation flange, a spring is connected between a first protrusion extending from a top of the push end and a second protrusion extending from an underside of the guide ridge of the guide plate.