Universal adjustable vehicle center arm rest assembly

Abstract

A vehicle after market, bridge-type, universal ergonomic armrest assembly that is adjustable longitudinally and vertically for installation over a console while permitting access into the console. A hinged front leg rests on the front of the console and a hinged rear leg is attached to the rear of the console, or to a partition behind the seat. The arm rest can be folded upward and backward for non-use stowage. The front leg folds out of the way when the arm rest is in the stowed position. The arm rest can be used in a bench seat by wedging the rear foot in the crease at the junction of the seat and back. The arm rest is simple, easy to manufacture and install, and provides relief and alleviates fatigue for those drivers who spend long period in their vehicles such as truckers, police and sales persons.

1 . An after market universal vehicle center armrest having ergonomic adjustability features, comprising in operative combination: 
 a. a substantially horizontal base plate having an upper and a lower face and a longitudinal fore/aft dimension and a transverse lateral dimension;    b. a padded armrest cushion mounted on the upper face of said base plate;    c. a front and a rear adjustment plates attached to the lower face of said base plate, each said plates including at least one slot to permit longitudinal horizontal adjustment of said plate with respect to said base plate;    d. a front leg attached by a hinge to a forward end of said front adjustment plate;    e. a rear leg attached by a hinge to an aft end of said rear adjustment plate and including a foot portion for securing said rear leg to at least one of a vehicle center console or a partition wall behind an adjacent seat;    f. at least one of said legs including a slotted plate and fastener assembly for vertical adjustment of the length of said leg; and    g. said assembly forming a bridge that permits access to a console over which said arm rest is mounted, said slotted plates permitting both longitudinal, fore/aft and vertical adjustment for ergonomic fit to a wide range of driver sizes, and said hinges permitting said arm rest to be raised out of a use position to a stowed position with said front leg folded parallel to said base plate.    
   
   
       2 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 1  wherein said front leg is vertically adjustable.  
   
   
       3 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 2  wherein said rear leg is vertically adjustable.  
   
   
       4 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 1  wherein said rear leg and said foot are oriented at an acute angle to form a wedge for wedging said arm rest rear foot between the seat back and seat portion of a bench seat.  
   
   
       5 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 1  wherein said front leg includes a foot portion the bottom of which includes a non-slip, non-marring cushioning material.  
   
   
       6 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 1  which includes a latch assembly for securing said arm rest in a raised, out of service, stowed position.  
   
   
       7 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 6  wherein said latch assembly comprises a hook and eye.  
   
   
       8 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 6  wherein said latch assembly comprises an elastic member secured at one end adjacent the aft end of said arm rest, and the other end is removably engageable to an anchor point so that said arm rest in the stowed position is essentially retained in an over-center position, and said elastic member is selected to have sufficient force to retain said arm rest in the stowed position but not enough so that said arm rest in the use position is raised by said elastic member.  
   
   
       9 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 2  wherein the upper end of said leg terminates in an inverted J-shaped flange, the top of which is connected by said hinge to said front adjustment plate and prevents the angle formed between said leg and said base plate from exceeding about 90°.  
   
   
       10 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 4  wherein said front leg is vertically adjustable.  
   
   
       11 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 10  wherein said rear leg is vertically adjustable.  
   
   
       12 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 10  wherein said front leg includes a foot portion the bottom of which includes a non-slip, non-marring cushioning material.  
   
   
       13 . An after market universal arm rest as in  claim 12  which includes a latch assembly for securing said arm rest in a raised, out of service, stowed position.