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An inertial lockout mechanism is coupled to a latch mechanism, such that, during a collision event, the inertial lockout mechanism will move to an interference position such that the latch mechanism will be retained in a locked position as an inertial force is realized on the latch mechanism. Specif

An inertial lockout mechanism is coupled to a latch mechanism, such that, during a collision event, the inertial lockout mechanism will move to an interference position such that the latch mechanism will be retained in a locked position as an inertial force is realized on the latch mechanism. Specifically tailored compression spring configurations ensure that the inertial lockout mechanism will move to the interference position before the latch mechanism can move to the unlocked position.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A latch assembly for a vehicle armrest comprising: a latch pawl coupled to an armrest housing and operable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the latch pawl being biased to the locked position by a first compression spring having an associated compression stiffness;a catch mechan

1. A latch assembly for a vehicle armrest comprising: a latch pawl coupled to an armrest housing and operable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the latch pawl being biased to the locked position by a first compression spring having an associated compression stiffness;a catch mechanism pivotally coupled to the armrest housing and operable between an interference position, wherein the catch mechanism retains the latch pawl in the locked position, and a non-interference position, wherein the catch mechanism is disengaged from the latch pawl;a second compression spring configured to bias the catch mechanism to the non-interference position, wherein the second compression spring has an associated compression stiffness that is less than the compression stiffness of the first compression spring; and further wherein the second compression spring is configured to compress under a lower inertial force as compared to the first compression spring during a rear-end collision event such that the catch mechanism gravitationally pivots to the interference position prior to the latch pawl moving to the unlocked position; andan actuator coupled to the second compression spring and moveable in a same direction as the second compression spring, the actuator being biased by the second compression spring to engage the catch mechanism, wherein the actuator disengages the catch mechanism when an inertial load is realized on the latch assembly that compresses the second compression spring, wherein the latch pawl has a recess receiving the catch mechanism when the catch mechanism is in the interference position. 2. The latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the latch pawl further comprises: a latch disposed on a car-forward end of the latch pawl, wherein the latch is positioned to be engaged with a bin striker when the latch pawl is in the locked position, and positioned to be disengaged with the bin striker when the latch pawl is in the unlocked position. 3. The latch assembly of claim 1, further comprising: first and second stop assemblies disposed on the armrest housing, wherein the first stop assembly is adapted to engage the catch mechanism in the non-interference position, and wherein the second stop assembly is adapted to engage the catch mechanism in the interference position. 4. The latch assembly of claim 1, wherein the catch mechanism is disposed adjacent and above the latch pawl and is configured such that the catch mechanism gravitationally rotates downwardly to the interference position to engage the latch pawl. 5. The latch assembly of claim 4, wherein the latch pawl further comprises: a car-forward end the recess when in the non-interference position. 6. A latch assembly for a vehicle armrest comprising: a spring-biased latch pawl movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the spring bias is produced by a first compression spring; a spring-biased actuator, wherein the spring bias is produced by a second compression spring and moveable in a same direction as the second compression spring, the spring biased actuator being biased by the second compression spring to engage a catch mechanism, wherein the spring biased actuator disengages the catch mechanism when an inertial load is realized on the latch assembly that compresses the second compression spring, and wherein the spring biased latch pawl has a recess receiving the catch mechanism; andthe catch mechanism is operably coupled with the spring-biased actuator and configured to downwardly and gravitationally engage and retain the spring biased latch pawl in the locked position when the spring-biased actuator has been depressed due to an inertial load realized on the spring biased actuator during a rear-end collision event. 7. The latch assembly of claim 6, wherein the spring-biased latch pawl further comprises: a latch disposed on a car-forward end of the latch pawl, wherein the latch is positioned to be engaged with a bin striker of the armrest when the latch pawl is in the locked position, and positioned to be disengaged with the bin striker when the latch pawl is in the unlocked position. 8. The latch assembly of claim 7, wherein the spring-biased latch pawl comprises a compression spring having an associated compression stiffness, and further wherein the spring-biased actuator comprises a compression spring having an associated compression stiffness that is less than the compression stiffness of the spring-biased latch pawl. 9. The latch assembly of claim 8, wherein, the compression spring of the spring-biased actuator is configured to compress under a lower inertial force as compared to the compression spring of the spring-biased latch pawl during a rear-end collision event such that the catch mechanism engages the latch pawl before the latch pawl can move to the unlocked position. 10. The latch assembly of claim 6, wherein, the spring-biased actuator is moveable between extended and retracted positions, wherein the spring-biased actuator downwardly and gravitationally engages the catch mechanism in the extended position and disengages the catch mechanism in the retracted position. 11. The latch assembly of claim 6, wherein the catch mechanism is rotatably coupled to an armrest housing and is further adapted to pivot between an interference position, wherein the catch mechanism retains the spring-biased latch pawl in the locked position, and a non-interference position, wherein the catch mechanism is disengaged from the spring-biased latch pawl. 12. A latch assembly for a vehicle armrest comprising: a spring-biased latch pawl operable between a locked position and an unlocked position;an inertial lockout mechanism disposed above the latch pawl, the inertial lockout mechanism comprising a rocker mechanism gravitationally predisposed to an interference position, such that when the rocker mechanism is in the interference position the rocker mechanism engages and retains the latch pawl in the locked position;an actuator coupled to a compression spring, the actuator being movable in a same direction as the compression spring and adapted to bias the rocker mechanism to a non-interference position, wherein the compression spring is configured to compress under an inertial load during a collision event such that the rocker mechanism gravitationally pivots to the interference position,wherein the spring biased pawl has a recess receiving the rocker mechanism when the rocker mechanism is in the interference position. 13. The latch assembly of claim 12, wherein the spring-biased latch pawl further comprises: a latch disposed on a car-forward end of the latch pawl, wherein the latch is positioned to be engaged with a bin striker of the armrest when the latch pawl is in the locked position, and positioned to be disengaged with the bin striker when the latch pawl is in the unlocked position. 14. The latch assembly of claim 13, wherein the spring-biased latch pawl comprises another compression spring having an associated compression stiffness, and further wherein compression spring coupled to the actuator has an associated compression stiffness that is less than the compression stiffness of the spring-biased latch pawl. 15. The latch assembly of claim 14, wherein, the compression spring coupled to the actuator is configured to compress under a lower inertial force as compared to the another compression spring of the spring-biased latch pawl during a rear-end collision event, such that during a rear-end collision event, the rocker mechanism will gravitationally rotate to the interference position before the spring-biased latch pawl can move to the unlocked position. 16. The latch assembly of claim 12, wherein the inertial lockout mechanism is disposed adjacent and above the spring-biased latch pawl such that the rocker mechanism rotates downwardly to the interference position to engage the spring-biased latch pawl.