GB2205489A - Wall proximity chair - Google Patents

Description

A

TITLE OF INVENTION

WALL PROXIMITY CHAIR This invention relates to sofas and love seats having reclining backs and seats incorporated into them, and more particularly comprises a new and improved three-way incliner. In the reclining chair industry, sofas and love seats having a fixed outside back and.side rails or arms are known as incliners.

At the present time, a number of three-position reclining chairs are on the market which employ a variety of different kinds of mechanisms. These mechanisms have been incorporated into sectional furniture including sofas and love seats but have not been incorporated into incliners because they were believed not to provide enough forward motion of the seat and back as they move from upright to TV or fully reclined positions so as to avoid.interference from the fixed back of the frame. Consequently, the reclining sofas and love seats heretofor available have been limited to two-position motions in which the seat and backrest are fixed w.th respect to one another, and the seat and backrest assembly is confined to movement between upright and TV positions. The three-position mechanisms have not proved entirely satisfactory even in the section.al furniture because it is difficult to keep the various sections together when one section is subject to the opening and closing action of the movable seat and back.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a seat construction wherein a stationary outside back and side frame is provided with an inside nonrestricted three-position seat and back with an appropriate mechanism therefor. More spec'ifically, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a seat having a fixed outside frame which includes side rails and a back, within which a seat and backrest may move between upright, TV and fully reclined positions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism suitable for use in a love seat or sofa, which will support a seat and backrest for movement within a fixed frame without interference with the back of the frame or a wall against which the frame may be placed.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an incliner with the same reclining action as..a sectional piece without the incident disadvantages of such furniture.

One well-known reclining chair mechanism which has been on the market for several years is the subject of U.S.

patent No. 4,531,778. That mechanism used only on reclining chairs and not on incliners, requires approximately 6 inches of clearance between the top of the backrest and a wall to enable the chair to move from upright to fully reclined position. Consequently, it was considered unsuitable for use in an incliner. However, by modifying the length and shape of some of the links and the location of the pivots, and mounting the mechanism on the sides of the frame, a new incliner construction has been developed which accomplishes the several objects of this invention.

4 - According to the present invention, there is provided a three-position incliner movable between upright, TV and fully reclining positions and capable of being placed with its back immediately against a wall comprising:

stationary back and sides that define a fixed outside frame, an inside seat and bracket within the fixed outside frame, and linkage mechanisms mounted on the outside frame and carrying the inside seat and backrest for movement between the three positions within the outside frame and without movement of the outside frame.

In a preferred embodiment, the outside frame includes side rails and a back which are fixed with respect to one another and remain stationary when the seat and backrest are actuated. The back of the outside frame may be placed directly against a wall, and neither the wall nor the back of the outside frame interfere with the reclining motion of the seat and backrest. No clearance is required between any part of the seat and the wall.

In the preferred em- bodiment the seat and backrest are carried by a linkage assembly that includes a mechanism on each side, and each mechanism has a roller link supported on tracks within the outside frame. The tracks are mounted on the side rails of the stationary outside frame. The roller link in turn carries front and back pivot links which are connected to a seat mounting link of the assembly. A footrest is carried by a lazy tong linkage'which is pivotally supported on the front of the seat mounting link, and a handle actuated drive mechanism is connected to the lazy tong mechanism and the seat link for extending the footrest and initiating pivotal motion of the front and back pivot links so as to move the seat from the upright toward the TV position. The backrest is pivotally mounted with respect to the seat and is connected through a series of links to the stationary outside frame. When pressure is applied by the occupant of the seat to the backrest with the seat in the TV position, the roller link is caused to ride upwardly and forwardly on the tracks, and the back pivots with respect to the seat to the.-fully reclined position.

A prefeLred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a three-position incliner showing the seat and backrest in the upright position; FIG. 1A is an enlarged side view of the linkage mechanism in FIG. 1; 4 I I- I FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the seat and backrest in the intermediate or TV position; FIG. 2A is an enlarged side view of the linkage mechanism in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a side elevation view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 but showing the seat and backrest in the fully reclined position; FIG. 3A is an enlarged side view of the linkage mechanism of FIG. 3; FIG. 4 is ragmentary elevation view of the frame and mechanism of the incliner shown in FIGS. 1-3; FIG. 5 is a detailed view showing the handle and drive mechanism for the incliner; and FIG. 6 is a side view of the chair showing the relation of the fixed and movable back in the upright position in full lines and their relationship in the TV and reclining positions in broken lines.

8 When the word chair is used herein, it should be understood to include all types of furniture for supporting an occupant in a sitting position, including sofas and love seats, as well as chairs.

In FIGS. 1-3, the three positions of an incliner having an approximately 36" backrest measured from the floor are suggested. It will be noted that in each drawing, the main outside frame remains stationary while the seat and backrest within the frame move between the several alternate positions. FIG. 1 shows the seat and backrest in the normal seating position which is sometimes called the "upright position" of the chair. In FIG. 2, the seat and backrest are in the same positions relative to one another as in FIG. 1, but they are in the intermediate or "TV position", and the footrest is elevated. In FIG. 3, the backrest is tilted rearwardly with respect to the seat as compared to their relative positions in FIG. 1 and 2, and both have moved forwardly within the outside frame. This position is normally termed the "fully reclined position" of the chair.

It is evident from this brief summary that the seat and backrest are connected to one another independently of the outside frame, and the mechanisms within the frame which support the seat and backrest control their movement and establish their positions relative to one another and to the outside frame. The mechanisms are located on each side of the outside frame within the sides and are essentially hidden from view, except, perhaps, for that portion which supports the footrest. As the mechanisms are esseiitially identical to one another on each side (one is the mirror image of the other), only one mechanism need be described.

The fixed outside frame is designated 10 in the drawings and includes a fixed back 12 and sides 14. While in the chair illustrated at least one side defines a fixed arm for the chair, it should be appreciated that one or both sides 14 may be below the plane of seat 18 so as to form an armless sofa or love seat. The sides typically may be side rails which extend from front to back of the fixed frame.

What is important is that the back 12 and sides 14 are stationary, and in accordance with the features of the present invention, the back 12 may be placed directly against a wall without interfering with the reclining action of the seat and backrest within the outside frame.

The seat 18 and backrest 20 each typically has a woode-n frame (not shown) that carries cushioning and is fully upholstered for maximum comfort of the occupant. The seat 18 is carried by a seat mounting link 22, which is rigid to the seat frame so that the seat 18 and seat mounting link 22 move together within the outside frame 10.

Each linkage mechanism which supports the seat and backrest 18 and 20 on the sides of the frame 10 also includes a base rail 24 that is connected to the inside surface of the side 14 of the outside frame 10 (see FIG. 4) whether or not the side is in the form of an arm or low side rail. The base rail 24 carries forwardly and upwardly extending inclined front and rear tracks 26 and 28 that are fixed with respect to the base rail 24 and have upper and lower flanges 30 and 32 that retain rollers which move within the tracks. Those rollers 36 and 38 are mounted on the front and rear ends, respectively, of a roller link 34. The roller link 34 forms the main carrier for the seat 18 and backrest 20.

Roller link 34 carries front and back pivot links 40 and 42 connected to the roller link 34 by rivets 44 and 46, respectively, and the upper ends of the front and back pivot links 40 and 42 are connected by rivets 48 and 50 to the seat mounting link 22. The front and back pivot links 40 and 42 pivot between the positions shown in FIG. 1 and 2. When moving from the upright to the TV position, the seat 18 moves forwardly and slightly downwardly within the outside frame 10.

A lazy tong linkage 56 connected to the front end of the seat mounting link 22 carries a bracket 54 that, in turn, supports a footrest 52. The lazy tong linkage 56 includes forward links 58 and 60 pivoted at one end to the footrest bracket 54 and at their other ends to the ends of a second pair of links 62 and 64, respectively. The links 62 and 64 are pivoted at their other ends directly to the seat mounting link 22. The link 62 of the lazy tong mechanism is also connected to the forward end of drive link 66 by rivet 68, and the drive link is connected at its other end to trigger 12 link 70 which is pivotally mounted by rivet 71 on bracket 72 fixed to the seat link 22. The trigger link 70 and drive link 66 are connected together by rivet 74.

A handle 76 which may be disposed either on the outside or inside of side 14 of outside frame 10 is pivotally carried by rivet 75 on V-shaped bracket 73 bolted to the seat mounting link 22 (see FIG. 5). The handle 74 has a hooked end 77 which engages a pin 79 carried by drive link 66. When the handle is pulled to the left as suggested by arrow A in FIG. 5, the hook 77 raises the front end of drive link 66 and moves it to the left, which begins to elevate the footrest through the lazy tong linkage 56. This action causes the trigger link 70 to ttirn counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 and move pivot point 74 above the plane of the rivets 68 and 71.

A coil spring 80 is shown connected between the drive link 66 and roller link 34. The spring 80 biases the control link 66 toward the position of FIGS. 1, 1A and 5.

I 13 - The downward force imposed on the seat mounting link 22 by the weight of an occupant of the chair when the phair is in the upright position of FIG. 1 will restrain any shifting of the seat mounting link to the forward position of FIG. 2, that is, the occupant's weight will oppose motion of the seat from the upright to the TV position. However, when the pivot links 40 and 42 move over center (to the left as viewed in FIG. 1), the occupant's weight will assist in driving the chair to the position of FIG. 2.

To move the seat 18 and its mounting link 22 along with the footrest 52 to the TV position of FIG. 2 from the upright position of FIG. 1, the handle 74 is actuated in the manner described above. As the lazy tong linkage is partially extended by the upward movement of drive link 66, link 64 pivots about pivot point 83 on the seat mounting link 22 and bears against the rear lazy tong link 81 through rivet 85, which causes the seat mounting link to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 1. This action causes the front and back pivot links 40 and 42 to move over center (counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1) and also moves the center of gravity of the chair forward. The weight of the occupant of the chair 14 will then cause the front and back pivot links to continue to swing in a counterclockwise direction about their pivots 44 and 46 so as to move the seat from the upright position of FIG. 1 to the TV position of FIG. 2. The seat 18 and backrest 20 move forwardly with seat mourting link 22, as simultaneously the drive link 66 will continue to extend the lazy tong linkage and the footrest will fully extend. It will be noted that the upper rear corner 90 of the backrest moves forward slightly with respect to the fixed back 12 (see FIG. 6), and the fixed back 12 of the chair frame does not interfere with the motion of the backrest. The forward motion of the seat provided by the swing of the front and back pivot links compensates for any slight rearward tilting of the backrest 20 which may occur.

A rear bracket 92 is mounted on the seat mounting link 22 and is fixed with respect thereto. The bracket 92 pivotally supports back mounting link 94 which is pivoted to it by rivet 96. A back drive crank 98 is also pivoted intermediate its ends on the rear of bracket 92 by means of rivet 100. The drive crank 98 is pivoted by rivet 103 at one f end to short link 102, which is also pivotally connected to the back mounting link 94 by rivet 104. The back drive crank 98 is also connected to back drive connector link 106 by means of rivet 108, and the back drive connector link is also pivotally connected by rivet 110 to the r-ear end of base rail 24. The back mounting link 94, back drive link 98 and back drive connector link 106 enable the back rest 20 to pivot with respect to the seat when the chair moves from the TV position of FIG. 2 to the fully reclined position of FIG. 3.

The counterclockwise rotation of the back drive crank 98 caused by pressure applied to the backrest by the occupant pushes against the fixed outside frame of the chair through base rail 24, which then causes the roller link 34 and all that is carried on it to move forwardly and upwardly on the tracks 26 and 28. It will be noted in FIGS. 3 and 3A that the rollers 36 and 38 on the ends of the roller link 34 are positioned at the front upper ends of the tracks 26 and 28, and consequently, the seat 18 is also moved forwardly and upwardly with respect to the fixed outside frame 10. Flanges are provided on the ends of the tracks and define safety stops for the rollers 36 and 38 and the roller link 34. This motion of the seat 18 enables the backrest 20 to pivot clockwise with respect to the seat as viewed in FIG. 2, again without interference from the fixed back 12 of the outside frame 10. Thus, pressure exerted against the backrest 20 when the chair is in the TV position causes the backrest to move counterclockwise as viewed in the drawings, and the seat to move upwardly and forwardly on the tracks 26 and 28.

The incliner illustrated has a backrest height of approximately 36 inches as measured from the floor. When the incliner is in the upright position, head pillow 120 (see FIG, 1) attached by stitching or otherwise along its top edge 121 to the top of the fixed back 12 blends into and overlaps the cushion 124 of backrest 20 to form a comfortable support for the occupant's head. When the incliner moves to the TV position of FIG. 2, the backrest 20 slides downwardly with respect to the back 12 (see also FIG. 6) and the headrest cushion 120 lies just above the cushion 124, and the arrangement continues to provide a comfortable head support for the occupant. In the fully reclined position of FIG. 3, pillow 120 remains a continuation of the backrest-20, and, 17 therefore, is in a comfortable position for the user. When the incliner returns to the upright position, the configuration of the top of the backrest 20 causes it to slide under the pillow and resume the full line position of FIG. 6.

To return the incliner to the upright position, the occupant need only relieve the pressure against the backrest which will enable the backrest to return to the position of FIG. 2 and the roller link 34 to travel on the tracks 26 and 28 to the rearward position shown in that figure. And by pressing downwardly with his or her legs on the footrest 52, the footrest 52 and lazy tong linkage 56 will return to the position beneath the' seat 18, and the front and back pivot links will swing clockwise so as to return the seat to the upright position.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing arrangement provides a three-way incliner that may be positioned against a wall. This three-way incliner has many obvious advantages over the two position incliners heretofor available. In the prior art devices, no relative movement is provided between the backrest and the seat, and the backrest merely tips rearwardly as the seat moves from the upri.,.ght to the reclined position. The incliner of the present invention has all the comforts of the three-way recliners now on the market as the mechanism may be conveniently incorporated into a one piece sofa or love seat. The arrangement of the present invention may be incorporated either into an end seat, or the center seat of a sofa because one or neither of the side panels of the fixed outside frame may be high so as to form arms for the furniture.

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Claims (14)

1. A three-position incliner mo%,ablle between upri.ght, TV and fully reclining positions and capable of beina)laced with its back immediately against a wa. 11 comprising stationary back and sides that define a fixed outside frame, a- inside seat and backrest within the fixed outside frame, and linkage mechanisms mounted on the outside frame and carrying the inside seat and backzezt for movement between the three positions withi-n-the outside frame and without movement of the outside frame.

2.. A three-position incliner as defined in claim i wherein each linkage mechanism includes a pair of tracks inclined in an upwardly and forwardly direction and a roller link movable on the tracks between a rearward and a forward position, and links pivotally connected to the roller link and carrying the inside seat.

A three-position incliner cna-: af: def7ined in clairr. I further comprising a footrest, and a footrest linkage system carrying the footrest and mounted on each linkage mechanism for extendinq the footrest when the inside seat and backrest mcve from the uprig!-it to TV position.

4. A three-position incliner as defined in claim 3 wherein an actuator mechanism including a handle is connected to the linkage mechanism for extending the footrest and initiating the movement of the inside seat from the upright to TV pos'Ition.

5. A three-position incliner as defined in claim 2 further comprising a footrest, and a footrest linkage system carrying the footrest and mounted on the linkage mechanism for extending the footrest when the inside seat and backrest move from the upright to TV position.

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6. A three-position incliner as defined in claim 5 wherein an actuator mechanism including a handle is connected to the linkage mechanism for extending the footrest and initiating the movement of the inside seat from the upright to TV position.

7. A three-position incliner as defined in claim 1 wherein a pillow is fixed along one edge to the top of the back and overlapping the top of the backrest when the incliner is in the upright and TV positions.

8. A three-position incliner movable between upright, TV and full reclined positions comprising main frame having staionary sides and a back, seat and backrest movable within the frame, base rail-carrying front and rear tracks mounted on the frame; a roller link carrying rollers at each end disposed on the track8 and movable from a first rearward position on the tracks occupied when the chair is in the upright and TV positions to a second forward position on the tracks occupied.when the chair is in the fully reclined position; front and back pivot links connected to the roller link at their lower ends; a seat mounting link carrying the seat and connected to the upper ends of the front and back pivot links;

9. A three-position incliner comprising a fdxed outside frame having a stationary back and s,-des; a seat and back rest mounted within the outside f r ar-,.e; front and rear tracks mounted on the outside frame; a roller link mounted on the tracks and movable between a first position wherein the roller link is in a rearward position,lon the tracks and a second position wherein the roller link is in a forward position on the tracks; a linkage mechanism mounted on the roller link and including a seat link carrying the seat; said mechanism enabling the seat link and seat to move relative to the roller link in a forward direction towards the front of the incliner from an upright position to a TV position; a handle actuated drive mechanism mounted on the sea-, link and connected to the linkage mechanism for iniria:ing movement of the seat from an upright position to T'C cc s " t i on i 1 e the r c, - 1 e r, - nk 1 s 1 n -- he f i r S -L - Z OOR Y and a drve linkage connecting the frame and backrest for moving the seat further fozw;rc respec -o the frame and the backrest to a fudily reclin.ed -position as the roller link moves from the firs-, rc, the second position.

10. A three-positior, incj-iner as defined in claim 1 wherein each linkaoe mechanism includes a pair of trac&s an( a roller link movable on the tracks between a rearward and a forward position, and links pivotally connected to the roller link and carrying the inside seat.

11. A three-position inc'liner movable between upright, TV and fully recl ined positions comprising a main fpame having stationary sides and a back, a seat and backrest movable within the frame; a base rail carrying front and rear tracks mounted on the frame; a roller link carrying rollers at each end disposed on the tracks and movable from a first rearward position on the tracks occupied when the chair is in the upright position to a second forward position on the tracks occupied when the chair is in the fully reclined position; ler front anc back pivot links connected to Lhe ro.

link at their I-o-we-- ends; asea-, -4%-)7 'inks; P upper ends of --be f--or.- Itack:-- 1.11, 24 a footrest and a series of footrest links mounting the footrest on the seat mounting link; a trigger link and footrest drive link connected to the footrest links for extending the footrest links and footrest and simultaneously pivoting the front and back pivot links to enable the occupant's weight to move the seat and backrest in unison from the upright to the TV position within the stationary main frame said pivoting links moving the seat and back forwardly with respect to the roller link; a handle connected to the footrest drive link for extending the footrest and moving the front and back pivot links; a back mounting link pivotally mounted on the seat mounting link and carrying the backrest; and back drive linkage means connecting the back mounting link to the frame enabling pressure on the backrest to tilt the backrest rearwardly with respect to the seat and to drive the roller link forwardly on the track and carry the seat with it.

12. A three-position incliner as defined in claim 11 wherein each linkage mechanism includes a pair of tracks and a roller link movable on the tracks between a rearward and a forward position, and links pivotally connected to the roller link and carrying the inside seat.

13.-- Athree-position incliner movable between upright, TV and fully reclined positions comprising a main frame having stationary sides and a back, a seat and.backrest movable within the frame; a base rail carrying front and rear tracks mounted on the frame; a roller link carrying rollers at each end disposed on the tracks and movable from a first rearward position on the tracks occupied when the chair is in the upright position to a second forward position on the tracks occupied when the chair is in the fully reclined position; front and back pivot links connected to the roller link at their lower ends; 26 a seat mounting link carrying the seat and connected to the upper ends of the front and back pivot links; a footrest and a series of footrest links mounting the footrest on the seat mounting link; a trigger link and footrest drive link connected to the footrest links for extending the footrest links and footrest and simultaneously pivoting the front and back pivot links to enable the occupant's weight to move the seat and backrest in unison from the upright to the TV position within the stationary main frame, said pivoting links moving the seat and back forwardly with respect to the roller link; a handle connected to the drive link for extending the footrest and moving the front and back pivot links; a back mouning link pivotally mounted on the seat mounting link and carrying the backrest; and back drive linkage means connecting the back mounting link to the frame enabling pressure on the backrest to tilt the backrest rearwardly with respect to the seat and to drive the roller link forwardly on the track and carry the seat with it.

14. A three position incliner substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office. State House, 66!71 High Holborn, London WC1R 4TP. Farther copies may be obtained from ThE Patent Office, Sales Branch. St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Mary CraY, Kent. Con. 1157.