1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to rocking reclining chairs, and more particularly to a rocking reclining chair having a lock for preventing the chair from rocking while in reclined and unreclined positions.
2) Description of Related Art
Reclining chairs are well known in the art and typically comprise a wood or metal frame defining a seat bottom, a seat back for cushioning a user""s back, two armrests, and an extendable footrest. One type of recliner is a xe2x80x9cthree-wayxe2x80x9d reclining chair. A seated user in a three-way reclining chair can adjust the backrest into an upright position, a partly reclined xe2x80x9cTVxe2x80x9d position, or a fully reclined position. In the upright position, the seat back is upright and the footrest is retained in the base of the chair to allow the user""s feet to rest on the floor. In the TV position, the footrest is extended and the seat back is reclined at a relatively shallow angle from the upright position, which still allows the user to watch television. In the fully reclined position the seating surfaces of the chair are nearly horizontal to the floor. Changing position from the upright to TV and fully reclined positions typically requires extension of the footrest using a lever positioned on an outer side of the armrest and pushing backward on the seat back while gripping the armrests.
Rocking reclining chairs, or rocker recliners, are reclining chairs that rock when the recliner is in an upright position. The frame of a rocker recliner typically includes a stationary base frame and a rocking frame. The rocking frame is attached to the seating surfaces and is supported by a pair of rocking cams. The rocking cams rest and reciprocate on the base frame to produce the rocking motion. The rocking frame and the base frame are also connected via a spring box which maintains contact between the rocking cams and the base frame during rocking and limits the rocking motion to prevent instability of the recliner. The spring box also biases the rocking cams, and hence the seating surfaces, to a neutral upright position when the rocker recliner is not being urged forward or backward during rocking. Due to potential instability of the recliner in the TV and fully reclined positions, most rocker recliners include a mechanism for automatically inhibiting rocking motion when in the reclined positions. Rocking is typically inhibited by a set of stops that extend down from the upper part of the rocking frame and onto the base frame or rocking cams as the footrest is extended.
Also known in the art are rocker recliners that include a lockout mechanism for manually inhibiting rocking motion, even when the rocker recliner is in the upright position. Although rocking the rocker recliner with the seat back in an upright position does not make the recliner unstable, seated users oftentimes find it difficult to rise from the chair while it is rocking. This is especially true for elderly users who lack the leg strength to stand unassisted and must grip the armrests to assist in the rising motion. The lockout mechanism, which can be controllable by a lever that moves a lock cam into contact with the rocking cams or base frame, allows the user to prevent rocking motion.
Despite the many improvements that have been made in rocker recliners, further improvement has been needed in the respect of simplifying a rocker recliner in terms of operation, structure, and expense. For example, the use of a manual lockout mechanism instead of an automatic locking mechanism complicates the operation of the rocker recliner by requiring the user to operate the lockout mechanism to prevent rocking while in the reclined positions. Also, the addition of a lockout mechanism also necessitates costly additional components and assembly time. Additionally, the design is complicated, increasing the likelihood of assembly errors and, possibly, wear or failure of the chair.
Thus, there exists a need for a rocker recliner that provides stable reclining as well as rocking and no-rocking modes in the upright position. While in the no-rocking mode in the upright position, the rocker recliner should be stable so that a seated user can use the rocker recliner for support while standing. Specifically, the armrests should remain stationary so that the seated user can grip and push on the armrests while standing. Additionally, the rocker recliner should be simple to use, and the structure should be simple for the sake of manufacturing ease and cost.
The present invention provides a self-locking rocker recliner that addresses these needs in the prior art. The rocker recliner includes a dual-action locking mechanism that adjusts between an unlocked position in which the rocker recliner can rock and a locked position in which rocking is inhibited. The dual-action locking mechanism is adjusted automatically when the rocker recliner is reclined, but can also be adjusted manually by a lockout lever that is rotated by a user. Thus, the rocker recliner provides an automatic no-rocking mode for stability when the rocker recliner is reclined and a manual no-rocking mode whenever the user desires additional stability, for example while standing from or sitting into the chair.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the rocker recliner includes a base frame and a rocking frame that is rockably connected to said base frame. The rocking frame includes two rocking cams that rest and reciprocate on the base frame. Rocking is also facilitated by a spring box that biases the rocking frame to a neutral position. The rocking frame supports seating surfaces of the rocker recliner, such as a seat back, a seat bottom, a footrest, and armrests. The rocking frame preferably includes an upper rocking frame and a lower rocking frame that are movably connected so that the rocker recliner can be adjusted between an upright position and at least one reclined position, such as a TV or fully reclined position. The rocker recliner can be reclined by rotating a recline lever on the side of the rocker recliner, and reclining the rocker recliner can also cause the extension of a footrest. A lockout lever, which is attached to the rocker recliner, is configured to be moved by a user between a locked position and an unlocked position. The lockout lever is linked to a dual-action locking mechanism rotatably connected to the rocker recliner such that rotation of the lockout lever causes a corresponding rotation of the dual-action locking mechanism between a locked position and an unlocked position. Rotation of the dual-action locking mechanism to the locked position prevents rocking of the rocker recliner. The dual-action locking mechanism is also configured to rotate to the locked position when the rocking frame is reclined to the reclined position. In one embodiment, an over-center mechanism biases the dual-action locking mechanism to the locked and unlocked positions. In another embodiment, the lockout lever is located between an armrest and a seat bottom of the rocker recliner. This location provides convenient access for the user while maintaining the pleasing appearance of the rocker recliner.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the rocker recliner includes a base frame, a lower rocking frame, at least one seating surface attached to the lower rocking frame, and an upper rocking frame. The lower rocking frame is rockably connected to the base frame by at least one rocking cam. The rocking cam is supported by the base frame and defines a curved surface that defines an arcuate rocking motion of the lower rocking frame relative to the base frame. The upper rocking frame is movably connected to the lower rocking frame by a recline linkage configured to adjust the upper rocking frame between an upright position and a reclined position relative to the lower rocking frame. The rocker recliner also includes a dual-action locking member, a lockout linkage, a recline linkage, and a stop blocker. The dual-action locking member is rotatably connected to the lower rocking frame such that the dual-action locking member can pivot about a pivot pin between a locked position and an unlocked position. The dual-action cam plate can be biased to the locked and unlocked positions by an over-center mechanism. The lockout linkage is connected to the dual-action locking member and configured to rotate the dual-action locking member between the locked and unlocked positions. A lockout lever can attach to the lockout linkage so that moving the lockout lever to a locked position causes the dual-action locking member to be moved to the locked position thereof regardless of position of the recline linkage. The recline lock link extends from the recline linkage and is connected to the dual-action locking member such that adjusting the recline linkage to the reclined position causes the recline lock link to rotate the dual-action locking member to the locked position. When the dual-action locking member is in the locked position, the stop blocker is configured to contact the base frame. The stop blocker can be connected to a blocker plate that defines a slot for retaining a stud attached to the base frame. The dual-action locking member can include a dual-action cam plate that defines a cam plate slot that retains a stud attached to the recline lock link. Alternatively, a dual-action linkage can connect the dual-action locking member to the stop blocker and dual-action lock link. A slot connection connects the dual-action linkage to the recline linkage. For example, the dual-action linkage can define a slot that retains a stud attached to the recline lock link.
Thus, the present invention provides a rocker recliner which inhibits rocking while the rocker recliner is in a reclined position and, alternately, when a lockout lever is in a locked position. The lockout lever can be locked while the rocker recliner is in the upright position so that the rocker recliner provides stability to a user that is standing from or sitting into the rocker recliner. Specifically, the seating surfaces, such as the armrests, are held stationary so that the seated user can grip and push on the armrests while standing. Additionally, both reclining and the manual lockout cause rocking to be inhibited by a dual-action locking mechanism, thus simplifying and economizing the design and manufacture of the rocker recliner.