Reclining chair

• US 3,941,417 A
• Filed: 01/20/1975
• Issued: 03/02/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DUAL Manufacturing and Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: DUAL Manufacturing and Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Re, Frank M.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, James T.
• Application Number:
  US05/542,519
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 297/68, 297/281, 297/88, 297/83, 297/84, 297/85, 297/86, 297/87, 297/329, 297/281, 297/322, 297/282, 297/342, 297/316, 297/317, 297/318, 5/108, 5/47, 5/124, 5/127, 248/424, 248/421
• US Class Current: 297/85.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0352 characterised by coupled seat and back-rest slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0355 actuated by linkages, e.g. lazy-tongs mechanisms

Abstract

A reclining chair positionable in close adjacency to a room wall in an upright sitting position and allowing ready assumption of any of a variety of reclining positions without physical contact of any chair component with that room wall. The chair envisions a fixed base, a chassis movable linearly relative to the base, and a body-support movable between the sitting/retracted and reclining/extended positions relative to the chassis, a first system of links operatively connecting between the base and chassis and body-support for effecting linear movement of the chassis relative to the base, and a second system of links connecting between the first system of links and the base and chassis and body-support unit for effecting reclining movement of the body-supporting unit relative to the chassis, said base, chassis, body-support and systems of links constituting kinematically speaking, but a single mechanism. The movements of the link systems are so coordinated that the chassis moves progressively forwardly away from the room wall as transition is made from upright sitting position to progressive reclining positions to the end that the body supporting unit is concurrently moved forwardly away from the room wall. Reversely, with the chassis moving rearwardly and progressively toward the room wall as transition is made from progressive reclining positions to upright sitting position, the body-supporting unit is concurrently moved rearwardly and toward the room wall.

Claims

1. A reclining chair adapted to be positioned in close adjacency to and forwardly of a room wall when in the upright sitting position and yet so structured as to allow ready assumption of a reclined position without physical contact with the same room wall, the reclining chair comprising:

a base, a chassis supported relative to the base,

a body-support including a seat and backrest,

a reclining linkage subassembly for mounting the body-support relative to the chassis in movements between upright and reclining positions,

a linear movement linkage subassembly for mounting the chassis relative to the base in linear movements relative to the base as the body-support is concomitantly moved,

means for operatively connecting the reclining linkage subassembly and linear movement linkage subassembly wherefore the chassis moves forwardly and progressively away from the wall and the body-support relative to the wall as transition is made from upright sitting position toward a position of reclination and the chassis moves rearwardly and progressively toward the wall and the body-support relative to the wall as transition is made from a position of reclination toward upright sitting position, with the base, chassis, body-support, reclining linkage subassembly and linear movement linkage subassembly constituting kinematically but a single mechanism.

2. An occupant-operated living room type reclining chair positionable anywhere on a floor of a room free of attachment to the floor and in close adjacency to and forwardly of an object when in upright sitting position and yet so constructed as to allow ready assumption of any reclined position free of physical contact with the same object and comprising:

a base resting on the floor, free of permanent attachment to the floor, a chassis supported relative to the base,

a body-supporting subassembly including a seat and backrest,

a leg-supporting subassembly,

control means for controlling the pivotal movements of the back relative to the seat, and

pairs of linkage subassemblies operatively connected to each other and operatively-interconnecting the body-supporting subassembly and chassis and base and leg-supporting subassembly for, first, concurrently moving;

a. the body-supporting subassembly forwardly relative to the chassis, and

b. the chassis relative to the base and progressively forwardly away from the object,

as transition is made from upright sitting position to a position of reclination by the occupant leaning backwardly against the back and exerting a forwardly-pushing force against the chassis, and for, second, concurrently moving;

a. the body-supporting subassembly and leg-supporting subassembly rearwardly relative to the chassis, and

b. the chassis relative to the base and progressively rearwardly toward the object,

as transition is made from a position of reclination to upright sitting position by the occupant leaning forwardly away from the back and exerting a downwardly-pushing force against the leg-supporting subassembly.

3. A reclining chair movable by the occupant between upright sitting and intermediate-television and fully-reclined positions and positionable anywhere on a floor of a room and free of attachment to the floor and in close adjacency to a wall or object when in upright sitting position and yet so structured as to allow ready assumption of intermediate-television and fully-reclined positions free of contact with the wall or object comprising:

a base, a chassis, a body-supporting subassembly including a seat and back having a pivotal relationship as to each other, a leg-supporting subassembly, a reclining linkage subassembly for controlling the pivotal movements of the seat relative to the back of the body-supporting subassembly and for effecting movement of the body-supporting subassembly between upright and intermediate and reclined positions concomitant with movement of the leg-supporting subassembly between retracted and extended positions respectively, and a linear movement subassembly operatively connected to the reclining linkage mechanism for effecting movement linkage of both the chassis and body-supporting subassembly relative to the base responsively to and simultaneously with movement of the body-supporting subassembly relative to the chassis.

4. A reclining chair adapted to be movable on a floor of a room and into close adjacency to and forwardly of an object when in upright sitting position and yet so structured as to allow ready assumption of a reclining position free of physical contact with the same object, the reclining chair comprising:

a base, a chassis supported relative to the base, a body-supporting unit including a seat and back and leg-support having pivotal relationships as to each other, interconnected reclining and linear movement linkage subassemblies for controlling the pivotal movements of the seat relative to the back of the body-supporting unit and for operatively-interconnecting the body-supporting unit and chassis and base and leg-support for concurrently moving the chassis relative to the base forwardly and progressively away from the object and the body-supporting unit forwardly relative to the chassis and the leg-support from retracted to an extended position as transition is made from upright sitting to reclination positions and for concurrently moving the chassis relative to the base rearwardly and progressively toward the object and the body-supporting unit rearwardly relative to the chassis and the leg-support of the body-supporting unit from an extended to retracted position as transition is made from reclination to upright sitting positions.

5. A reclining chair adapted to be positioned on a floor more particularly in close adjacency to and forwardly of an object when in upright sitting position and yet so structured as to allow ready assumption of a reclining position without physical contact with the same object, the reclining chair comprising:

a base, a chassis supported relative to the base,

a seat and a back having a pivotal relationship as to each other, a legrest, a linear movement linkage subassembly disposed between and fixed to the chassis and base,

a reclining linkage subassembly for controlling the pivotal movements of the seat relative to the back and

operatively-interconnected to the linear movement linkage subassembly, the seat and back, and legrest and chassis and base for concurrently propelling the chassis relative to the base and forwardly and progressively away from the object and the seat forwardly relative to the chassis and the legrest from retracted to an extended position as transition is made from upright sitting position to a position of reclination responsively to an impelling force generated by the occupant upon the chassis in one direction with a resultant reaction of the seat relative to the chassis in the same direction.