Pivoting armest for enhancing side impact protection
View Patent ↗An armrest assembly for a motor vehicle seat having a first support member pivotably mounted to a seat structure, a second support member rotatably mounted to the first support member, and a biasing arrangement positioned relative to the first and second support members. The biasing arrangement exerts a predetermined biasing force on the second support member to prevent the second support member from rotating relative to the first member until a sufficient load force is applied to the armrest to overcome the biasing threshold.
1. An armrest assembly for a motor vehicle seat capable of reducing thoracic and abdominal loading on a vehicle passenger during a side impact event, comprising:
a first support member pivotably mounted to a seat structure;
a second support member rotatably mounted to the first support member;
a biasing arrangement positioned relative to the first and second support members so as to exert a predetermined biasing force on the second support member to prevent the second support member from rotating relative to the first support member until a sufficient load force is applied to the armrest to overcome the biasing threshold; and
wherein when the biasing threshold is overcome, the second support member rotates in a downward and lateral motion to transfer thoracic and abdominal loading during a side impact to the pelvic region of said vehicle passenger.
2. The armrest assembly of claim 1 wherein said first and second support members are constructed of a resilient polymeric material.
3. The armrest assembly of claim 1 further comprising a cover constructed of an elastically deformable cushion material and arranged to enclose said armrest assembly.
4. The armrest assembly of claim 1 wherein a hinge mechanism rotatably attaches said second support member to said first support member.
5. The armrest assembly of claim 1 wherein said biasing arrangement is a plate attached to said first and second support members and having an integrally formed tear seam.
6. The armrest assembly of claim 1 wherein said first and second support members are constructed as one support member and said biasing arrangement comprises a tear seam integrally formed with said support member.
7. A seat assembly for a motor vehicle capable of reducing thoracic and abdominal loading on a vehicle passenger during a side impact event, comprising:
a seat attached to a floor of a vehicle;
a seat back attached to said seat;
an armrest attached to one of said seat or said seat back;
said armrest having a first support member pivotably mounted to a seat structure;
a second support member rotatably mounted to the first support member;
a biasing arrangement positioned relative to the first and second support members so as to exert a predetermined biasing force on the second support member to prevent the second support member from rotating relative to the first support member until a sufficient load force is applied to the armrest to overcome the biasing threshold; and
wherein when the biasing threshold is overcome, the second support member rotates in a downward and lateral motion to transfer thoracic and abdominal loading during a side impact to the pelvic region of said vehicle passenger.
8. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein said first and second support members are constructed of a resilient polymeric material.
9. The seat assembly of claim 7 further comprising a cover constructed of an elastically deformable cushion material and arranged to enclose said armrest.
10. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein a hinge mechanism rotatably attaches said second support member to said first support member.
11. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein said biasing arrangement is a plate attached to said first and second support members and having an integrally formed tear seam.
12. The seat assembly of claim 7 wherein said first and second support members are constructed as one support member and said biasing arrangement is a tear seam integrally formed with said support member.