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Adjustable, locking armrest for chair

Adjustable, locking armrest for chair description/claims

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/350,994, filed Feb. 9, 2006, now abandoned, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

This invention relates to an armrest support for the arms of a person seated in a chair, and more particularly to an armrest which is infinitely adjustable within the parameters of its movement to support the arm of a seated person regardless of the person's size and body geometry.

Armrests on chairs are usually fixed in one position. Some chairs have adjustable arms which are limited in their range of motion. Conventional movable armrests lock at specific default positions provided by the manufacturer. Adjustable armrests typically have a shaft with a sleeve for adjustable vertical movement, and/or have an adjustable angle using a pivot attached to the armrest.

Inasmuch as the geometry and comfortable positions of every human being is slightly different from that of other human beings, the ideal armrest would be one which is totally and infinitely adjustable in all three dimensions to accommodate the sitter no matter what his or her geometry. Also, the actual portion of the armrest that comes into contact with the sitter's arm should minimize pressure on the sitter's arm so as not to impede circulation or cause nerve pressure. In order to accomplish these ends, the armrest must be lockable in whatever position the sitter requires to be comfortable.

Problems with the prior art are solved by the present invention, which provides an adjustable armrest device that supports the sitter's arm. The portion of the armrest that comes into contact with the person's arm is preferably of thick, soft, foamed plastic which is large enough to distribute the weight of a person's arm over a relatively large area, thereby causing little or no point pressure. The device to which the foamed plastic is attached is preferably made of steel or other metal, or high density plastic. The armrest structure is adjustable angularly in the anterior-posterior plane and also adjustable vertically. The arm structure is fixed to the chair and has a locking mechanism to hold the contacting portion of the armrest wherever the sitter desires. The arm structure can utilize a triangular arrangement rigid within the plane of the armrest when locked.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an adjustable, lockable arm rest.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an assembled adjustable, lockable arm rest, and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an arm on which the armrest is supported.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a friction disk, the rear view being identical, and

FIG. 5 is a cross section thereof.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a locking shaft and cam assembly.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a bracket with a 90 degree slot, FIG. 8 is a plan view of a bracket with a 180 degree slot, and FIG. 9 is a side view of the bracket of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a side view of an alternate structure of the arm using a strut.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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