Chair mechanism

• US 5,011,220 A
• Filed: 08/16/1990
• Issued: 04/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: La-Z-Boy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: La-Z-Boy Chair Company
• Inventors: LaPointe, Larry P.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/568,631
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 297/84, 297/85, 297/68, 297/83, 297/317, 297/318
• US Class Current: 297/89
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0347 characterised by the backrest-seat unit or back-rest slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• 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

An incliner chair has a back and seat unit mounted on a base by way of slanted tracks and wheels at the rear and swing links at the front so that the unit can move by gravity from a rear upright position to a front recline position. Positioning linkage means for holding the unit in the upright and recline positions is provided and this may be activated by a short stroke handle concealed between the side of the unit and the base. A leg rest assembly is connected to the unit to move with it and provide a means to return the unit from the recline position to the upright position.

Claims

1. A chair comprising a base, a seat and back frame, support means movably mounting the frame on the base for translatory movement between an upright first position and a recline second position, a transverse shaft mounted at opposite ends on opposite sides of the frame for angular movement in a first direction and for angular movement in a second direction opposite to the first direction and for translatory movement with the frame, connection means connecting the shaft to the base so that said shaft moves in the first direction when said frame moves from the upright first position to the recline second position and said shaft moves in its second direction when said frame moves from the recline second position to the upright first position, said connection means including frame positioning means for holding the frame in the upright first and recline second positions, a leg rest assembly mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted first position and an extended second position, said leg rest assembly being supported on said frame and connected to said shaft so that movement of the shaft in its first direction moves the leg rest assembly from its retracted first to its extended second position, said leg rest assembly being connected to said shaft so that movement of the leg rest assembly from its extended second position to its retracted first position moves said shaft in its second direction and in a translatory direction and thereby moves the frame from its recline second position to its upright first position.

2. A chair as set forth in claim 1 including a leg rest spring-urged toggle mechanism connected to said shaft and operative to yieldably hold the leg rest assembly in its first position.

3. A chair as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes track and wheel means constructed and arranged whereby the weight of the frame and a person in the frame urges the frame to move from the first to the second position and the shaft to move in its first direction.

4. A chair as set forth in claim 1 including spring means acting between the frame and the base and urging the frame to move from the first to the second position and the shaft to move in its first direction.

5. A chair as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means includes track and wheel means constructed and arranged whereby the weight of the frame and a person in the frame urges the frame to move from the first to the second position and the shaft to move in its first direction and the leg rest assembly to move from its first to its second position.

6. A chair as set forth in claim 3 wherein said frame positioning means includes a toggle arrangement for holding the frame in the first positioning and a stop element arrangement for holding the frame in the second position.

7. A chair as set forth in claim 6 including chair occupant operated means connected to said shaft for moving said shaft in its first direction a sufficient amount to overcome said toggle arrangement.

8. A chair as set forth in claim 7 wherein said chair occupant operated means comprises a short stroke handle mounted on said frame and having a lost motion connection with said shaft.

9. A chair comprising an outer frame and base, an inner frame having a unitary seat and back, and support means mounting the inner frame on the outer frame for support of the inner frame and for translatory movement of the inner frame between an upright position and a recline position located ahead of the upright position, said support means including substantially straight tracks and a pair of wheels in the tracks and having a transverse axis of rotation located adjacent the rear and bottom of the inner frame, said support means including link means acting between the frames to tilt the inner frame about said axis of rotation during movement of the inner frame between said positions with the front of the inner frame being elevated as the inner frame moves toward the recline position, said tracks being located at an angle to the horizontal with the backs higher than the fronts whereby the weight of the inner frame and of a person seated in the inner frame provides a force acting to move the inner frame toward said recline position, toggle link means connected to the frame supporting said inner frame on the outer frame and for releasably holding the inner frame in the upright position, chair occupant operated means connected to the toggle link means for moving the toggle link means to release the inner frame, a transverse drive shaft rotatably mounted on the inner frame for translatory movement with frame, said toggle link means being operatively connected to said drive shaft so that rotation of the drive shaft moves the toggle link means and movement of the toggle link means rotates the drive shaft, said chair occupant operated means being operatively connected to said drive shaft to rotate the drive shaft through a predetermined and limited angle in order to move the toggle means to release the inner frame, means associated with said toggle means and operative to limit forward movement of the inner frame and hold it in the recline position, a leg rest assembly having linkage means operatively connected to said drive shaft so that rotation of the drive shaft moves the leg rest assembly from stored position to extended position and movement of the leg rest assembly from elevated to stored position rotates the drive shaft and translates the drive shaft to move the inner frame from the recline position to the upright position, said leg rest assembly automatically being in stored condition when the inner frame is in the upright position and automatically in extended and operative condition when the inner frame is in the recline position, and leg rest toggle mechanism operatively connected to said drive shaft so that rotation of the drive shaft moves the toggle mechanism, said leg rest toggle mechanism releasably holding the leg rest assembly in the stored condition.

10. A chair as set forth in claim 9 wherein the outer frame has opposite side portions and the inner frame has opposite side portions spaced inwardly from the adjacent side portions of the outer frame, said tracks being mounted on the side portions of said outer frame and said wheels being rotatably mounted on the side portions of the inner frame.

11. A chair as set forth in claim 10 wherein said chair occupant operated means comprises a handle pivoted on a side portion of said inner frame and lost motion linkage connecting the handle to the drive shaft and stop means on said side portion to limit pivoting of the handle.

12. A chair as set forth in claim 11 wherein said drive shaft is mounted on said side portions of the inner frame on an axis located parallel to but forwardly of the axis of rotation of the wheels.

13. A chair as set forth in claim 12 wherein said toggle link means includes a drive lever mounted on the drive shaft for rotation with it and a connector link having a pivot connection with said drive lever and being secured by a pivot means to said outer frame, said toggle link means being operative to hold said inner frame in upright position when said pivot connection is below the line of centers defined by said drive shaft and said pivot means.

14. A chair as set forth in claim 13 wherein said stop means comprises a transverse stop pin on said drive lever engageable with the connector link when the inner frame reaches the recline position to thereby prevent pivoting of the drive lever and connector link about said pivot connection in a direction energized by the weight of the inner frame and occupant, whereby said toggle link means acts as a strut between said pivot means and said drive shaft to block forward movement of the inner frame.

15. A chair as set forth in claim 14 including a power assist spring means acting between the inner and outer frames to resiliently urge the inner frame toward the recline position.

16. A chair comprising an outer frame and base, an inner frame having a unitary seat and back, and support means mounting the inner frame on the outer frame for support of the inner frame and for translatory movement of the inner frame between an upright position and a recline position located ahead of the upright position, said support means including substantially straight tracks and a pair of wheels in the tracks and having a transverse axis of rotation located adjacent the rear and bottom of the inner frame, said support means including link means acting between the frame to tilt the inner frame about said axis of rotation during movement of the inner frame between said positions with the front of the inner frame being elevated as the inner frame moves toward the recline position, said tracks being located at an angle to the horizontal with the backs higher than the fronts whereby the weight of the inner frame and of a person seated in the inner frame provides a force acting to move the inner frame toward said recline position, a drive shaft rotatably mounted on said inner frame and for translatory movement with the inner frame, drive means operatively connecting the drive shaft to the outer frame whereby movement of the inner frame relative to the outer frame rotates the drive shaft, and a leg rest mechanism supported on the inner frame for translatory movement with it and operatively connected to said drive shaft so that rotation of the drive shaft elevates the leg mechanism and force applied to the leg rest mechanism in a direction to move it to stored position rotates the drive shaft to lower the leg rest mechanism to stored position and moves the inner frame to upright position.