Reciprocating Seating Unit with Power Actuator

• US 20120119547A1
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ultra-Mek Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultra-Mek Incorporated
• Inventors: Hoffman, D. Stephen, Murphy, Marcus L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,297,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/84
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0355 actuated by linkages, e.g. lazy-tongs mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/0255 pivotally mounted in the base frame, e.g. swings

Abstract

A reciprocating and reclining seating unit includes: a base unit with a first bearing surface; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base and substantially rearward of the seat; an extendable ottoman; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links; a reciprocating mechanism attached to the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism being configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to reciprocate relative to the base unit along a longitudinal path responsive to a longitudinally-directed force; and a power actuating unit attached to the reclining mechanism, the actuating unit configured to move the chair between an upright position, an intermediate TV position, and a fully reclined position.

Claims

1. A seating unit, comprising:

a base unit with a first bearing surface;

a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base;

a generally upright backrest positioned above the base and substantially rearward of the seat;

an extendable ottoman;

a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links;

a reciprocating mechanism attached to the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism being configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to reciprocate relative to the base unit along a longitudinal path responsive to a longitudinally-directed force; and

a linear actuating unit attached to the reclining mechanism, the linear actuating unit configured to move the chair between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases;

wherein the linear actuating unit includes opposed first and second ends, and wherein the first end of the linear actuating unit moves forwardly as the seating unit moves from the upright position to the TV position, and wherein the second end of the linear actuating unit moves rearwardly when the seating unit moves from the TV position to the fully reclined position.

2. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the reclining mechanism includes a pantographic linkage on which the ottoman is mounted, and wherein in the TV and fully reclined positions, pivots between links of the pantographic linkage form a near over-center arrangement that locks the ottoman in position.

3. The seating unit defined in claim 1, further comprising a locking mechanism that allows the seating unit to reciprocate while in the upright position but prevents reciprocating of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions.

4. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the linear actuating unit is attached to an actuating mechanism, the actuating mechanism comprising a cross-member extending transversely across the seating unit, wherein the cross-member is pivotally attached to the actuating unit;

and wherein the cross-member is pivotally attached to a lower swing link of the reclining mechanism, the lower swing link being pivotally attached to an upper swing link of the reclining mechanism and to a mounting bracket that is attached to the reciprocating mechanism.

5. The seating unit defined in claim 4, wherein the upper swing link is pivotally attached with the backrest.

6. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the seat rises in moving from the TV position to the fully reclined position.

7. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the reclining mechanism includes a backpost that is fixed relative to the backrest, a mounting bracket that is fixed relative to the reciprocating mechanism and pivotally attached to the backpost, and a seat adapter that is fixed relative to the seat and pivotally attached to the backpost.

8. The seating unit defined in claim 7, wherein the lower swing link is angled, and wherein a segment of the lower swing link attached to the upper swing link is generally parallel to an axis defined by an extendable member of the linear actuating unit when the seating unit is in the upright and TV positions.

9. The seating unit defined in claim 8, wherein a first pivot defined by the cross-member and the lower swing link and a second pivot defined by the lower swing link and the upper swing link are below the axis defined by the extendable member of the actuating unit when the seating unit is in the upright and TV positions.

10. The seating unit defined in claim 9, wherein the lower swing link is attached to the mounting bracket at a third pivot, and wherein in the upright and TV positions, the first, second and third pivots define a first angle, and in the fully reclined position, the first, second and third pivots define a second angle that is larger than the first angle.

11. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the reciprocating mechanism is a gliding mechanism.

12. A reciprocating seating unit, comprising:

a base;

a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base;

a generally upright backrest positioned above the base and substantially rearward of the seat;

an extendable ottoman;

a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links;

a reciprocating mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed reciprocating motion relative to the base unit; and

a linear actuator attached to the reclining mechanism, the linear actuator having first and second movable members, wherein the relative movement of the first and second movable members moves the chair between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases;

wherein the reclining mechanism includes;

a backpost that is fixed relative to the backrest;

a mounting bracket that is attached to the second movable member of the linear actuator;

a lower swing link that is attached to the mounting bracket; and

an upper swing link that is pivotally attached to the lower swing link and to the backpost.

13. The seating unit defined in claim 12, further comprising a seat adapter that is fixed relative to the seat and directly pivotally attached to the backpost.

14. The reciprocating seating unit defined in claim 13, wherein the reclining mechanism includes a pantographic linkage that extends the footrest in the TV and fully reclined positions, and wherein the pantographic linkage comprises upper and lower ottoman swing links that are directly pivotally attached to the seat adapter.