Arm rest assembly for seating structures

摘要

An arm rest assembly for seating structures pivotally mounted on the upstanding sides of the back support for a seat and arranged for movement in an arc generally normal to the back from a retracted position in which its arm supporting surface is generally parallel to the back and extends toward the seat to a position in which the surface is generally perpendicular to the back and to a position in which the surface defines an acute angle with the back. A detent in the form of cooperating abutments on the pivotal elements providing the arcuate motion and resilient biasing means tending to displace the elements axially of each other enables the arm supporting surface to be latched in the perpendicular relation. In the parallel relation the arm rest element tends to conform to the seat back since it has a stiffening web depending from the arm supporting surface along its length on the side outward from the region occupied by a seat occupant to effectively wrap around the front and side portions of the seat back. The detent abutments constrain relative axial motion of the arm rest element outward from the seat side except when the acute angle relationship is established to register an abutment on one pivotal element with a release notch or keyway on the other pivotal element. When so registered, the arm rest can be removed from the seat back by sliding it outward along the pivot axis to separate the pivotal elements.