Recliner chair lift base assembly

• US 4,993,777 A
• Filed: 10/18/1989
• Issued: 02/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: La-Z-Boy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: La-Z-Boy Chair Company
• Inventors: LaPointe, Larry P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/425,384
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 297/325, 297/DIG. 10, 297/326, 297/327, 297/328, 297/330, 297/338, 297/339, 297/344, 297/345, 297/195, 248/277, 248/421
• US Class Current: 297/325
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/14 Standing-up or sitting-down aids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/10 Occupant-arising assist

Abstract

A lift base assembly for an upholstered recliner chair or the like comprises upper and lower frames with wooden outer surfaces and an electric motor operated linkage mechanism for elevating and tilting the upper frame on which a chair may be mounted.

Claims

1. A lift base assembly for use with upholstered recliner chairs and the like to provide means for elevating and tilting the chair, said assembly comprising a stationary rectangular lower frame adapted to rest on a floor, a movable rectangular upper frame, said upper frame providing means on which a chair may be mounted, a lift bar member pivoted at one end to a central portion of the lower frame and extending longitudinally forwardly from said pivot, the other and front end of said lift bar member being pivoted to the front end of the upper frame, an electric motor having a rotary screw shaft, said motor being pivoted to a rear portion of said lower frame for arcuate motion of said screw shaft in a vertical plane, a pivot bracket on said lift bar and extending upwardly within the confines of the upper frame when the lift assembly is in lowered position, a screw shaft nut pivoted to an upper portion of said pivot bracket on a pivot axis parallel to and located between the pivot axes of the lift bar pivots to the lower frame and the upper frame, said screw shaft extending through and having a threaded connection with said nut whereby rotation of the screw shaft produces longitudinal movement of the nut along the length of the screw shaft and pivoting of the lift bar, longitudinal movement of the nut toward the rear producing elevation of the upper frame and longitudinal movement of the nut toward the front producing lowering of the upper frame, and tilt means connected to the upper frame producing pivoting of the upper frame about the pivot axis of the lift bar pivot to the upper frame when the upper frame is elevated or lowered.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the exterior portions of the sides of the upper and lower frames, as well as the front of the lower frame and the back of the upper frame, are formed of wood to provide the appearance of a wooden base for a chair when the assembly is in lowered position.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including means whereby the gravity load of a chair and a chair occupant applies load on said screw shaft nut urging the nut to move away from the motor so that the screw shaft is loaded in tension.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said electric motor is of the type that senses a change in load on the screw shaft and shuts itself off in response to a predetermined change in such load on the screw shaft.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 including electrical circuit means for operating said motor, said circuit means including switch means responsive to condition of a chair on the lift assembly and acting to open the circuit means if the chair is not in a predetermined condition.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said electrical motor is of the type that includes means for opening the circuit means in response to a predetermined change in load on the screw shaft.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lower frame includes a transverse pivot bracket member adjacent the rear of the frame, said motor being pivoted to said bracket member.

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tilt means comprises a tilt bar member pivoted at its rear end to said lower frame and extending longitudinally forwardly from said rear end pivot and being located substantially within the confines of the upper frame when the assembly is in lowered position, the front end of the tilt bar member being pivoted to the front end of the lower frame.

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said upper frame includes pivot plate means at its front end, said lift bar member being pivoted to said pivot plate means, said tilt bar member being pivoted to said pivot plate means.

10. An assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said lower frame includes a transverse pivot bracket member adjacent the rear of the lower frame, said transverse pivot bracket member having a top portion located within the confines of the upper frame when the assembly is in lowered position, said tilt bar member being pivoted at its rear end to said top portion of said transverse pivot bracket member.

11. An assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said motor is pivoted to said top portion of said transverse pivot bracket member.

12. An assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein the pivot axis of said screw shaft nut pivot is located on a level substantially above said pivots to said plate means and to said top portion of said transverse pivot bracket member.

13. An assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said lift bar member is substantially H-shaped with side legs and a central cross piece between the side legs, said pivot bracket being rigidly secured to a central portion of said cross piece.

14. An assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said tilt bar is substantially U-shaped with side legs and a transverse base, said base being located at the front of said tilt bar.

15. An assembly as set forth in claim 14 including means to maintain a predetermined spacing between the pivot axis of the lift bar and the pivot plate means and the pivot axis of the tilt bar and the pivot plate means and to maintain parallelism of said axes.

16. An assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein the exterior portions of the sides of the upper and lower frames as well as the front of the lower frame and the back of the upper frame are formed of wood to provide the appearance of a wooden base for a chair when the assembly is in lowered position.

17. An assembly as set forth in claim 16 including circuit means for operating said motor, said circuit means including switch means responsive to condition of a chair on the lift assembly and acting to open the circuit means if the chair is not in a predetermined condition.

18. An assembly as set forth in claim 17 wherein said switch means acts to prevent elevation of the lift assembly if the chair is not in a predetermined condition.

19. An assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said electric motor is of the type that senses a change in load on the screw shaft and shuts itself off in response to a predetermined change in such load on the screw shaft such as provided by an obstruction to motion of the upper frame.

20. An assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein gravity load on the lift bar tends to pull the nut forwardly on the screw shaft and put the screw shaft in tension.

21. An assembly as set forth in claim 20 wherein engagement of the upper frame with the lower frame upon lowering of the lift assembly produces a change in load on the screw shaft that shuts off the motor.

22. An assembly as set forth in claim 21 wherein said motor includes shut-off switch means engageable by said nut after predetermined rearward movement of the nut to shut off said motor when the upper frame reaches a predetermined elevation and tilt.

23. A lift base assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lift bar member is located substantially within the confines of the lower frame when the lift assembly is in a fully lowered position.