PRIORITY STATEMENT
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The present application claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/656,585 entitled PORTABLE ARMREST, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 4, 2010. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
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The present invention relates generally to a portable armrest with a container holder and, more particularly, to a portable armrest having a combination of foam layers disposed within an armrest cover having enhanced comfort and stability.
BACKGROUND
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Armrests serve a variety of functions. An armrest primarily provides support to a person's arm in an elevated position in a variety of environments. In many cases, this occurs while a person is sitting down, but is not limited to this circumstance.
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Beyond merely supporting an arm, armrests serve other functions such as holding one or more beverages. These beverage holders are generally cylindrical and are of a sufficient depth and width to accommodate most beverage container shapes.
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However, one of the primary problems with portable armrests having beverage holders is maintaining the beverage in an upright position to avoid spillage when the portable armrest is in use. This is especially true where the container is an open container where the slightest movements may cause the contents of the container to spill. Thus, the weight of a beverage container with its contents in a holder must be balanced against the weight of the supporting armrest to ensure that the armrest maintains the beverage in a stable and upright position. Otherwise, a beverage with its contents will make the armrest top heavy and likely to turn over. In some cases, a single beverage holder may be positioned along the centerline of the upper surface of an armrest in order to balance the weight of a container when held in the beverage holder with respect to body of the armrest. In other cases, a beverage holder may be placed across the centerline of the armrest so that the armrest remains balanced. These design attributes alone are insufficient to adequately stabilize an armrest when supporting a container.
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This problem becomes more difficult when the armrest is used on an uneven and/or unstable surface that tends to cause the armrest to tip over more readily when holding one or more beverages in response to the weight imbalance. A substantially planar and continuous surface provides multiple contact points between the armrest and the support surface so that the weight is distributed between the contact points. However, when the surface is non-planar and non-continuous, there may be only one contact point or irregularly distributed contact points that imbalances the weight of the armrest when supporting the weight of a beverage.
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In some cases, an armrest is secured by a supporting structure or mechanism that holds the structure in a fixed position. However, this prevents the armrest from being readily moved from one environment to another without undue effort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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The present invention is directed to a portable armrest having an elongated generally hollow member having a flexible outer surface with substantially rectangular shaped foam members disposed in the generally hollow member, a first foam member positioned in a lower portion of the hollow member for holding the portable armrest in a stable and upright position on both smooth and undulating surfaces and a second foam member in the upper portion of the hollow member made of memory foam for providing enhanced comfort. In one embodiment, the first foam member has a greater foam density that the foam density of the second foam member.
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In one exemplary embodiment, the portable armrest has a beverage holder or holders disposed on or formed in the upper surface of the hollow member, such that the weight of a beverage container or containers positioned in the beverage holder or holders is counterbalanced by the foam members so that the portable armrest remains in an upright and stable position on both smooth and undulating surfaces.
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There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, certain embodiments of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof herein may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional embodiments of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
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In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
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As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a top portion of a portable armrest in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
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FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the armrest shown in FIG. 1.
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FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom of the armrest shown in FIG. 1.
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FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of armrest shown in FIG. 1.
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FIG. 5 is an exploded view of foam layers for an armrest in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
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FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a foam layer for an armrest in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
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FIG. 7 is a side view of a container holder for an armrest in accordance with the invention.
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FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the armrest shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
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Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein.
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Accordingly, while example embodiments of the invention are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit example embodiments of the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, example embodiments of the invention are to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
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The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising,”, “includes” and/or “including”, if used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
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The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.
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An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a armrest that is both portable and lightweight. The armrest may also be collapsible and may be easily installed. However, in order to perform the desired functions of an armrest, the armrest, in accordance with some embodiments, must also be sufficiently robust to provide effective support for a person's arm. The armrest must also be resilient to provide a soft and comfortable surface yet sufficiently rigid to provide support. These features may be found in armrests according to various embodiments described below.
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FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portable armrest 10 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The armrest 10 includes a top surface 12, side surfaces 14, and a bottom surface 16 (not shown) that when assembled collectively define the cover 18. The cover 18 may be formed of any pliable material that is relatively durable while still capable of conforming to supporting surfaces. Suitable materials would include fabric, leather, or plastic, but other materials have similar characteristics may also be used. In some cases, the materials may also be treated to avoid spills, be flame retardant and/or hypoallergenic.
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In this exemplary embodiment, the armrest 10 includes a forward end 22 and rearward end 20. In other embodiments, the armrest 10 may be used regardless of orientation. An optional beverage holder 24 may be located near the forward end 22 near the centerline of the armrest 10. While one beverage holder is shown, multiple beverage holders may be positioned along the upper surface of the armrest 10 for respectively holding a container in the one or multiple beverage container holders so that the containers are maintained in a substantially upright position. The depth, width and height of each beverage holder 24 is dimensioned to receive and support a variety of beverage containers.
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In one embodiment, the beverage holder 24 may be designed to hold a circular container of an average size. However, both fixed and adjustable beverage holders may be used that accommodate a variety of shaped and sized containers.
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In the embodiment shown, the beverage holder may be a preformed insert made of semi-rigid plastic, metal or other similar material that may be manually inserted into the cover 18 and foam support member. In other embodiments, the beverage holder may be affixed to foam support member or integrally formed with the cover and or a foam support member (discussed below).
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As also shown in FIG. 1, the beverage holder 24 includes a flanged portion 27 and a cylindrical body for receiving a beverage. The beverage holder 24 is positioned within an aperture in the upper surface of the cover near the centerline of the portable armrest 10 and extends within the interior of the cover. By positioning the beverage holder 24 at or near the centerline of the portable armrest, the weight of a container with its contents is more balanced and the armrest is less likely to tip over.
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In one embodiment, an anchor 28 may be located at the rearward end 20 of the armrest 10. The anchor 28 may be made of the same or a similar material as the cover 18 or in other embodiments may be made of a different material. The anchor 28 may be positioned between the seat and back cushions of a car seat or furniture for restricting lateral and rotational movement of the armrest 10 when in use.
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FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the armrest 10. As shown there, the center of the beverage holder 24 is positioned on or near the centerline “CL” of the armrest 10. The anchor 28 extends from the rearward end 22. In use, the armrest 10 is designed to receive and to support an arm of the user around the centerline “CL”. However, the armrest 10 is capable of supporting an arm while supporting a container in the beverage holder 24 regardless of the actual position of the arm on the top surface 12.
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FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the armrest 10. The armrest 10 may also include an interior access port 40 that longitudinally extends along a substantial portion of the bottom surface of the armrest 10. The interior access port 40 may permit access to the interior of the cover 18 for easily inserting and removing constituent elements from inside the cover 18. While the interior access port shown in FIG. 3 is a zipper, other embodiments of the invention may include various other types of materials or systems to provide a way to open and close an access port 40 to selectively allow access to the interior of the cover 18 such a hoop and loop system.
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In other embodiments of the invention, the anchor 28 may also be equipped with an access port 42. While a zipper is shown in FIG. 3, the access port 42 on the anchor 28 may also include various other systems (as discussed previously) for providing selected access to the interior portion of the elbow pad 28 in accordance with the invention.
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FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the armrest 10. As shown there, the interior access port is located at or near the centerline “CL” of the armrest 10 in this embodiment. This location maintains the structural integrity of the cover 18 by isolating the access port from the intersection of the side surfaces 14 with the bottom surface 16. This location additional ensures that the access port is not visible during normal usage since the bottom surface 16 abuts a supporting surface.
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FIG. 5 is an exploded view of foam layers 46 for an armrest 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The cover 18 forms an interior chamber 44 that, among other things, receives one or more foam layers 46 that provide structural definition and counter balance the weight of a supported container in resisting tip-over. A first foam layer 50 occupies a top portion of the interior chamber 44 and a second foam layer 60 occupies the lower portion. In this exemplary embodiment, two foam layers are shown for illustration purposes only. The number of foam layers is not limited to two.
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The first foam layer 50 is made of a memory foam, also known as visco-elastic polyurethane foam. For purposes of this application, the term “memory foam” means a temperature sensitive, slow recovery polyurethane foam that readily conforms to surfaces and has certain distinguishing physical properties. It comes in many thicknesses, densities, and different levels of softness and firmness. There are many chemical formulations of memory foam that are well known. Each of these formulations of memory may be used in the disclosed apparatus, so long as it has the necessary weight, density, firmness and other physical properties described. As such, an exact chemical formulation of memory foam has been omitted.
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Memory foam may be distinguished in one respect from other types of polyurethane foam as, inter alia, having a comparatively greater density and viscosity. For example, some higher quality memory foams have a foam density of about 80 kg per cubic meter; however, densities may range from about, for example, 16 to 80 kg per cubic meter. These ranges are given for illustration purposes only and not intended to be limiting.
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Memory foam also has a higher indentation force deflection rating (IFD) when compared with other foams. IFD is a measure of foam hardness and not related to density. Using one convention, IFD measures the force required to make a dent 1 inch into a foam sample 15″×15″×4″ by an 8-inch-diameter (50 sq in) disc—known as IFD at 25% compression. Most memory foam has an IFD around 12 to 16; softer memory foams may have an IFD of around 10 to 12.
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One of the preferred attributes of most memory foams is its inherent ability to support surfaces and to maintain that shape (“the memory effect”). Depending on numerous factors including, but not limited to, the force applied, the composition of the memory foam, temperature, duration of applied force and others, an armrest having a memory foam layer will readily adapt and conform to an arm providing support. This quality provides an even greater level of stability to the armrest.
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In the exemplary embodiment, memory foam used to form the first foam layer 50 must also exhibit sufficient softness when supporting the arm of a user while maintaining the structural shape of the armrest. The foam used to form the first foam layer 50 should have a density and IFD that is not uncomfortable to the user's arm. At the same time, the foam must not be so soft that it cannot support the beverage holder 24 (with a supported beverage). In one example, the density of the memory foam used to form the first foam layer 50 is about 25 kilograms per cubic meter. This density is given for illustration purposes and memory foams with other densities might be used that possess the same performance characteristics.
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In contrast, the foam used to form the second foam layer 60 should have different physical performance characteristics. The primary function of the second foam layer 60 is to maintain the structural integrity of the armrest 10 when positioned on a supporting surface. As such, softness is not a primary performance concern. The foam used to form the second foam layer 60 does not necessary have to be memory foam and may be comparatively more dense and firmer to the touch than the material used to form the first foam layer 60. In one embodiment, the polyurethane foam used to form the second foam layer 60 has a foam density of about 17 kilograms per cubic meter. This density is given for illustration purposes and memory foams with other densities might be used that possess the same performance characteristics.
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As shown in FIG. 5, the foam layers 46 are arranged horizontally inside the armrest 10 to achieve the desired structure and weight distribution. In order to enhance the stability of the armrest, the height of the second foam layer 60 is greater than the height of the first foam layer 50. Since the second foam layer is comparatively firmer and more rigid that the first foam layer, the height of the second foam layer 60 may be substantially greater than the thickness of the first foam layer in one embodiment. For example, the thickness of the first foam layer is about 1 inch and the thickness of the second foam layer is about 5¾ inches. In one embodiment, the total height of the armrest 10 is about 7 inches that is a height that accommodates the arms of most persons. This average overall height is consistent with the exemplary heights of the first and second foam layers. By adjusting the thicknesses of the respective layers, the stability provided by the second foam layer is enhanced while maintaining the comfort of the memory foam used in the first foam layer.
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FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a foam layer for an armrest. Each of the foam layers 46 is formed to have a consistent shape with the same length and contours. In this figure, the foam layer 46 has an elongated rectangular shape. Other similar shapes may also be used. As shown here each of the four corners is rounded. The corners 55, 57 of the forward end 20 have the same radius of curvature and the corners 75, 77 of the rearward end 22 have the same radius of curvature. The radii of curvature of the corners 75, 77 are larger than those of the corners 55, 57 of the forward end 20. The side walls of the foam layer 46 are contoured in the transition areas between the forward and rearward ends to accommodate user's body when aligning an arm and placing the arm on the top surface of the armrest 10.
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FIG. 6 also shows an aperture 80 for receiving beverage container 24 as shown in FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the aperture 80 extends through more than one foam layer 46 as seen in FIG. 5. In another embodiment, the aperture may only be in a single foam layer 46.
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FIG. 7 is a side view of a beverage holder 24 for an armrest in accordance with the invention. The container holder is placed or positioned in the aperture. In one embodiment, the beverage holder 24 may have a flanged portion 27 that rests on the upper surface of the outside cover.
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FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the anchor (or stabilizer) 28. The anchor 28 may include a padded portion 30 and a flap portion 32. The padded portion 30 may be filled with material such as foam rubber, sand, beads or other material that allows the end to function as a stopper, like a knot at the end of a rope. The padded portion 30 may be separated from the flap portion 32 by a stitched portion 34. In some embodiments, the stitched portion 34 is flexible such that the portion 34 acts similar to a hinge by allowing the padded portion 30 and flap portion 32 to respectively move relative to one another. The flap portion 32 and the padded portion 30 of the anchor 28 may be made of the same material as the cover 18. The flap portion 32 connects the padding portion 30 to an end 20 of the armrest 10. The elbow pad 28 may be attached to the bottom surface 16 as shown in FIG. 2. In other embodiments, the anchor 28 may be attached to the side surface 14 or the top surface 12.
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The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
