| Rocking-reclining seating unit with motion lock -> Monitor Keywords |
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Rocking-reclining seating unit with motion lockRocking-reclining seating unit with motion lock description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060290174, Rocking-reclining seating unit with motion lock. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates generally to seating units, and relates more particularly to reclining seating units with rocking capability. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Recliner chairs and other reclining seating units have proven to be popular with consumers. These seating units typically move from an upright position, in which the backrest is generally upright, to one or more reclined positions, in which the backrest pivots to be less upright. The movement of the seating unit between the upright and reclined positions is typically controlled by a pair of matching reclining mechanisms that are attached to the seat, backrest and base of the chair. [0003] One particularly popular reclining chair is the so-called "rocker-recliner," which can, when in the upright position, rock with a forward and rearward motion similar to that of a traditional rocking chair. A typical rocker recliner, one of which is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,647 to Rogers, includes an arcuate rocker cam that is attached with the lower portion of each mechanism, with the lower convex surface of the rocker cam contacting a level bearing surface of the base. Also, a spring assembly is mounted to the base of the chair and to each rocker cam. Each spring assembly includes two quite stiff, vertically-oriented helical springs attached to mounting brackets that are in turn fixed to the base and to the rocker cam. When the chair is in its upright position and is unoccupied, the seat, backrest and reclining mechanisms reside above the base, the rocker springs are deflected only along their longitudinal axes, and the rocker cams rest on a level portion of the base. When an occupant sits on the chair and applies a forwardly- or rearwardly-directed force to the seat or backrest, the seat and backrest move relative to the base. The path of movement is defined by the convex shape of the rocker cams as they rock on the level bearing surface of the base, with the result that the seat and backrest simulate the rocking motion of a rocking chair. During the rocking movement, the rocker springs deflect such that their top portions bend away from their longitudinal axes as the chair rocks forward and back. The deflection in the springs urges the springs (and, in turn, the seat and backrest) to return to their original positions as the chair returns to and through the upright position. In this manner, the chair is capable of providing a controlled rocking motion when in the upright position. [0004] Many, if not all, chairs of this design include some type of safety feature, such as an extendable foot, that prevents rocking when the chair is in a reclined position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,754 to Lawson discloses a rocker lock that is pivotally interconnected with the rear portion of the reclining mechanism and with the base of the chair. More specifically, the rocker lock includes three separate pivotally interconnected links mounted to the base and to the reclining mechanism. A bracket is mounted to and extends above the base. A slotted link is pivotally and slidably attached to the bracket via a pin on the bracket. A support link, to which a roller is attached, is pivotally interconnected with the forward end of the slotted link and with the reclining mechanism. A control link is pivotally interconnected with the support link and to the reclining mechanism. In the upright position, as the chair rocks, the slotted link moves forwardly and rearwardly relative to the mounting bracket, as the pin on the mounting bracket is free to slide within the slot of the slotted link as it moves. As the chair moves to an intermediate reclined position (often termed the "TV position"), movement of the reclining mechanism causes the control link to drive the roller on the support link downwardly into contact with a plate attached to the base. The slotted link is forced rearwardly so that the pin of the mounting bracket is lodged against the front edge of the slot. This placement of the wheel and the pin in the slot prevents the chair from rocking. [0005] This locking mechanism can have some shortcomings. Because the slotted link slides on the pin of the mounting bracket during the rocking motion, in some instances the occupant of the chair can rock forward sufficiently that the rear end of the slot strikes the pin, thereby giving a jolt to the occupant. Also, because of the configuration of the locking mechanism, if the occupant is rocking forward when releasing the chair to a reclined position, in some instances the chair can "catch" and impede reclining movement. One locking mechanism that proposes to overcome some of these shortcomings is discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/982,108, filed Nov. 4, 2004 and entitled Rocking-Reclining Seating Unit with Motion Lock, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Nevertheless, it may be desirable to provide additional configurations for motion locking mechanisms that can remove cost and/or labor from the manufacturing process and that can improve performance. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The present invention can provide features that may address shortcomings of prior chairs. As a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a seating unit comprising: a base configured to rest upon an underlying surface; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base; an arm frame coupled and pivotable relative to the seat; the arm frame including camming surfaces configured for rolling contact with the base such that the seat has a fore-and-aft rocking motion relative to the base; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base adjacent a rear portion of the seat; a first ottoman; a rocking unit attached between the base and the arm frame; the rocking unit configured to control the rocking motion of the arm frame relative to the base; an ottoman extension mechanism that couples the arm frame and the at least one ottoman and is configured to enable the at least one ottoman to move between a retracted position, in which the at least one ottoman is positioned beneath the seat, and an extended position, in which the at least one ottoman is generally horizontally disposed and positioned forwardly of the seat; and a locking mechanism connected with the arm frame and movable between an unlocked position, in which the seat is free to rock relative to the base, and a locked position, in which the seat is prevented from rocking motion relative to the base. In this configuration, the chair can be locked from rocking when the ottomans are extended by a relatively simple mechanism. [0007] In some embodiments, the locking mechanism comprises: a crank; a locking link; a drive bar pivotally interconnected with the crank and with the locking link; a brace pivotally interconnected with the locking link; and a control link pivotally interconnected with the brace and with the base. The configuration for this locking mechanism can be manufactured relatively inexpensively. [0008] As another aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a seating unit comprising: a base configured to rest upon an underlying surface; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base; an arm frame coupled to and moveable with the seat, the arm frame including side panels having integral camming surfaces configured for rolling contact with the base such that the seat has a fore-and-aft rocking motion relative to the base; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base adjacent a rear portion of the seat; a first ottoman; a rocking unit attached between the base and the arm frame, the rocking unit configured to control the rocking motion relative to the base; and a backrest reclining mechanism that couples the arm frame and the backrest and is configured to enable the backrest to move from an upright position, in which the backrest forms a first angle with the seat, and a reclined position, in which the backrest forms a second angle with the seat, the second angle being greater than the first angle. The integration of the rocker cams into the side panels of the arm frame can reduce the cost of the chair considerably. [0009] As an additional aspect, the present invention is directed to a seating unit comprising: a base configured to rest upon an underlying surface; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base; an arm frame coupled to and moveable with the seat, the arm frame including camming surfaces configured for rolling contact with the base such that the seat has a fore-and-aft rocking motion relative to the base; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base adjacent a rear portion of the seat; a rocking unit attached between the base and the arm frame, the rocking unit configured to control the rocking motion of the seat relative to the base; and a backrest reclining mechanism that couples the arm frame and the backrest and is configured to enable the backrest to move from an upright position, in which the backrest forms a first angle with the seat, and a reclined position, in which the backrest forms a second angle with the seat, the second angle being greater than the first angle; wherein the chair is devoid of an extendable ottoman. This configuration enables a press-back rocker to employ different styles of ottomans that are separate from the chair itself, as may be desirable for some consumers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rocker-recliner chair according to embodiments of the present invention. [0011] FIG. 2 is a front cutaway view of the frame of the chair of FIG. 1. [0012] FIG. 3 is a side section view of the chair of FIG. 1 with the backrest in the upright position and the ottoman in the retracted position. [0013] FIG. 3A is an enlarged side section view of the locking mechanism of the chair of FIG. 1 with the ottoman in the retracted position. [0014] FIG. 4 is a side section view of the chair of FIG. 1 with the backrest in the upright position and the ottoman in the extended position. [0015] FIG. 4A is an enlarged side section view of the locking mechanism of the chair of FIG. 1 with the ottoman in the extended position. [0016] FIG. 5 is a side section view of the chair of FIG. 1 with the backrest in the reclined position and the ottoman in the extended position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION [0017] The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. [0018] Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Broken lines illustrate optional features or operations unless specified otherwise. [0019] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as "between about X and Y" mean "between about X and about Y." As used herein, phrases such as "from about X to Y" mean "from about X to about Y." Continue reading about Rocking-reclining seating unit with motion lock... Full patent description for Rocking-reclining seating unit with motion lock Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Rocking-reclining seating unit with motion lock patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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