Articulated seating mechanism
First Claim
1. An articulated seating mechanism, comprising:
- a seat plate having a top side, a front side, a rear side, a right side, a left side, and an underside;
first and second linear gear racks;
a rocker base having an upper side;
first and second side rails, each of said side rails having an arcuate side;
first and second arcuate gear portions, each disposed on said arcuate side of one of said first and second side rails, said first and second arcuate gear portions in intermeshing relationship to said first and second linear gear racks, respectively;
a seat back pivotally connected to said seat plate;
first and second back links pivotally connected to said seat back and to said rocker base;
whereby during rocking movements of said seating mechanism, said first and second linear gear racks provide a moving tangent relative to said first and second arcuate gear portions such that said rocking movements occur over a moving fulcrum.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An articulated seating mechanism including a rocker base, a seat plate, and a pair of side rails, each having an arcuate side. The side rails may be disposed downwardly from the seat plate or upwardly from the rocker base. First and second arcuate gear portions are disposed on the arcuate side of each of the side rails and a first and second substantially flat or linear gear racks are affixed either to the underside of the seat plate or the upper side of the rocker base, so as to bring the linear gears and the arcuate gears into intermeshing relationship. A back support is pivotally connected to the seat plate and to first and second back links, and the back links are pivotally connected to the rocker base to provide a rocking motion of the seat plate and a dynamic synchronous adjustment of the angular variation between the seat plate and the back support. The linear gear racks move in a tangent to the arcuate gear portions to provide a moving fulcrum during rocking movements. No springs or other force means are necessary to assist in moving easily from a reclined position to task.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An articulated seating mechanism, comprising:
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a seat plate having a top side, a front side, a rear side, a right side, a left side, and an underside; first and second linear gear racks; a rocker base having an upper side; first and second side rails, each of said side rails having an arcuate side; first and second arcuate gear portions, each disposed on said arcuate side of one of said first and second side rails, said first and second arcuate gear portions in intermeshing relationship to said first and second linear gear racks, respectively; a seat back pivotally connected to said seat plate; first and second back links pivotally connected to said seat back and to said rocker base; whereby during rocking movements of said seating mechanism, said first and second linear gear racks provide a moving tangent relative to said first and second arcuate gear portions such that said rocking movements occur over a moving fulcrum. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification