Abstract:
A glider chair in a recreational vehicle including a frame suspended from a base by a gliding mechanism for movement of the frame in a horizontal back-and-forth gliding motion relative to the base and a locking mechanism selectively operable to disable the gliding motion of the chair relative to the base. The locking mechanism has a locking plate mounted on a rotatable arm secured in a base from the chair to move pivotally between an inactive position wherein the plate is spaced from the suspended portion of the glider mechanism and a locking position where the plate engages a frame member of the suspended portion of the glider mechanism to prevent horizontal back-and-forth motion of the frame member relative to the base.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to glider chairs used in recreational vehicles, trailers, vans, campers and other mobile vehicles, and more specifically to a locking mechanism for selectively disabling the horizontal, back-and-forth, “gliding” motion of the glider chairs in such vehicles. 
   Many recreational vehicles include glider chairs to provide additional comfort to the occupants of the recreational vehicles. The glider chairs include a glider mechanism designed to suspend the chair from a base by a series of pivoting arms which enables the chair to execute a back-and-forth horizontal motion more commonly referred to as “gliding.” Such chair provide a comfortable respite and may also help alleviate some symptoms of motion sickness by offering movement that counters some of the vehicle&#39;s movement, especially over rough or uneven travel surfaces. 
   However, there may be times that such gliding motion is not desired, either for reasons of safety, comfort, or choice. In such cases, the gliding movement of the chair must be halted and the chair placed in a stationary position relative to the base. This disablement of the gliding movement must be selectable so that the person using the chair may choose between having the movement and having the chair stationary. Thus, a mechanism for selectively stopping the gliding motion is desired. 
   It is further desired that such a mechanism be easily used, even while the person is sitting in the chair. Also, such a mechanism should be self-contained and can be used without additional tools. Finally, the mechanism should securely engage the chair to prevent any unexpected shifting of the chair due to the mechanism failing to fully halt the gliding motion. 
   Regarding chairs or seats used in vehicles, prior inventions have concentrated on providing discrete, step-like, movements, for example moving a seat forward or backward relative to the dashboard of a vehicle and raising or lowering the seat relative to the vehicle floor. Several examples of such mechanisms can be found, for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,084 issued to Kumagai (sliding a seat between discrete locations relative to the dashboard); U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,292 issued to Muraishi (raising and lowering the seat). The above patents disclosed mechanisms the move the seat from one, stationary, position to another, stationary position in discrete steps. The mechanisms do not allow the user of the seat to choose to let the seat freely move. Rather, the seat only moves to change position—the seat is ordinarily and otherwise stationary. 
   Thus, it is desirable to have a locking mechanism for glider chairs that is easily used and that allows a person to choose between the chair having a constant gliding motion and the gliding motion being completely restrained. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   Briefly described, the present invention is a glider chair in a recreational vehicle having a frame suspended from a base by a gliding mechanism for movement of the frame in a horizontal back-and-forth gliding motion relative to the base, and a locking mechanism selectively operable to disable the gliding motion of the chair relative to the base. The locking mechanism includes a rotatable arm affixable to and supported by the base. A latch plate is attached to the arm such that when the arm is in the locked position, the latch plate engages the frame, creating a rigid connection between the frame and the base and, hence, stopping any horizontal back-and-forth movement of the frame relative to the base. When the arm is in the unlocked position, the latch plate disengages from the frame, eliminating the rigid connection between the frame and the base and, hence, allowing the chair to freely move with a “gliding” motion relative to the base. The arm extends beyond the base toward the front of the chair so that a person sitting in the chair can easily move the arm between the locked and unlocked positions. The arm terminates in an handle to further improve the manipulation of the locking mechanism. 
   In a preferred embodiment, a guard is wrapped around a portion of the frame that engages the latch plate to prevent the latch plate from rubbing on the surface of the frame and possibly causing erosion of the frame. The guard is preferably made of a plastic material and more preferably from a high density polyethylene. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the arm extends between two generally parallel members of the base. In such a position, the arm is supported against lateral motion by the two members of the base, thus having the latch plate engage the frame in approximately the same location upon the frame each time the arm is rotated between the locked and unlocked positions, or vice versa. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the latch plate contains a cutout, shaped as a slot or channel, into which a portion of the frame may be inserted when the latch plate engages the frame. When a portion of the frame is enmeshed with the latch plate in such a manner, the frame is unable to slip from the latch plate or otherwise loosen the confinement of the latch plate on the frame. Thus, when the locking mechanism is engaged (i.e., the arm is in the locked position), the frame is in rigid connection with the base and the chair is prevented from any horizontal, gliding motion. Preferably, the edge of the latch plate in contact with the frame is angled toward the cutout, located intermediate opposing sides of the latch plate. The angled edges allow the frame to slide toward the cutout, thus properly aligning the frame with the latch plate when the latch plate engages the frame to prevent the gliding motion. 
   In one embodiment, the locking mechanism is installed on the glider chair during manufacture or installation of the chair in the vehicle. In another embodiment, the locking mechanism may be installed on an existing glider chair. 
   Although the glider chair of the present invention is in a recreational vehicle, the glider chair with the aforementioned locking mechanism may be in a home or business. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the locking mechanism of the present invention as installed on a glider used in a recreational vehicle; 
       FIG. 2A  is a perspective view, illustrating the locking mechanism in an unlocked position; 
       FIG. 2B  is a perspective view, illustrating an intermediate position wherein the locking mechanism is being selectively manipulated from the unlocked position to a locked position; 
       FIG. 2C  is a perspective view, illustrating the locking mechanism in the locked position; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a latch plate portion of the locking mechanism; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a rotatable arm and handle portions of the locking mechanism; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating installation of a guard on a portion of a chair frame. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In the following description, and for purposes of this invention, a glider chair includes a base, a frame, and a glider mechanism. Commonly, the glider mechanism is made of a series of pivoting arms that suspends the frame of the chair from the base and provides a horizontal, back-and-forth movement of the frame relative to the base. Such movement is referred to as “gliding.” The balance of the chair is built onto the frame opposite the glider mechanism. Thus, as the frame moves, so too moves the chair, relative to the base. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a locking mechanism  10  for a glider chair  80  placed in a recreational vehicle is used to selectively prevent the gliding motion of the chair  80 . The locking mechanism  10  has latch plate  40  attached to a rotatable arm  20 . The rotatable arm  20  is integral to the base  90  for pivotal movement thereof. The latch plate  40  attached to the rotatable arm  20  provides selective engagement of a portion of the frame  70  of the chair  80 . When the rotatable arm  20  is in a locked position, the latch plate  40  engages the portion of the frame  70 , creating a rigid linkage between the frame  70  and the base  90 , thus preventing the gliding motion of the chair  80  relative to the base  90 , as illustrated in FIG.  2 C. When the rotatable arm  20  is in an unlocked position, the latch plate  40  disengages from the frame  70 , thereby allowing the chair  80  to execute the gliding motion relative to the base  90 , a shown in FIG.  2 A. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the rotatable arm  20  has a first end  22  and a second end  24 . The arm  20  has a generally circular cross-section for facilitating pivotal movement thereof. In a preferred embodiment, illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-2C , the arm  20  is supported by two rails  90   a ,  90   b  of the base  90 . The first end  22  of the arm  20  is inserted into an opening  92   a  in a first rail  90   a . The arm  22  continues through the first rail  90   a  and into an opening  92   b  in a second rail  90   b . The first end  22  of the arm  20  protrudes from the opening  92   b  in the second rail  90   b  opposite the first rail  90   a . Fastener  26 , for example a nut, locking ring or locking pin, is attached to the first end  22  to prevent removal of the arm  20  from the base  90 . Conical washer  28  surrounds the arm  20  and is disposed between the fastener  26  and the second rail  90   b , to allow the arm  20  to rotate within the openings  92   a ,  92   b  of the rails  90   a ,  90   b . Spacers  32   a ,  32   b  placed around a portion of the arm  20  between the first and second rails  90   a ,  90   b  prevent the arm  20  from being displaced laterally relative to the first and second rails  90   a ,  90   b  of the base  90 . 
   The latch plate  40  is a shaped structural material having a first edge  42  and a second edge  44  opposite the first edge  42 , as shown in FIG.  3 . The latch plate  40  is attached at the second edge  44  to a portion of the rotatable arm  20  disposed between the spacers  32   a ,  32   b , as illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-2C . The manner of attaching the latch plate  40  to the arm  20  includes welding, brazing, or other similar permanent attachment method. Preferably, the second edge  44  of the latch plate  40  is welded to the arm  20 . The latch plate  40  is shaped so that the first edge  42  is in the same general orientation relative to the rails  90   a ,  90   b  of the base  90  when the arm  20  is in the locked position to allow the latch plate  40  to engage the frame  70 ; the first edge  42  is generally perpendicular to the rails  90   a ,  90   b  of the base  90  when the arm  20  is in the unlocked position so that the latch plate  40  is disengaged from the frame  70 . 
   In a preferred embodiment, shown in  FIG. 3 , the first edge  42  of the latch plate  40  has a cutout  46  formed in the latch plate  40  intermediate opposing sides  48  of the latch plate  40 . A portion of the frame  70  is insertable into the cutout  46  when the latch plate  40  engages the frame  70 . The cutout  46  is formed to accept the shape of the frame  70  therein. For example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2B and 2C , the cutout  46  is shaped as a slot to accept a leg  72  of the L-shaped cross section of the frame  70 . The enmeshment of a portion of the frame  70  with the first edge  42  of the latch plate  40  securely links the frame  70  to the base  90  to prevent any unexpected gliding motion of the chair  80  when the arm  20  is in the locked position. 
   In a preferred embodiment, also shown in  FIG. 3 , portions of the first edge  42  extending between the cutout  46  to the opposing sides  48  of the latch plate  40  are angled such that the frame  70  is guided toward the cutout  46  when the latch plate  40  is engaging the frame  70 . These angled portions of the first edge  42  ensure that the frame  70  enmeshes with the cutout  46  when the arm  20  is in the locked position, thus securely linking the frame  70  to the base  90  via the locking mechanism  10 . In this manner, the locking mechanism  10  is self-correcting, i.e., the chair  80  does not have to be precisely aligned with the cutout  46  in the latch plate  40  so the locking mechanism  10  to perform its job. 
   In a preferred embodiment, a guard  76  is molded to the portion of the frame  70  that is engaged by the first edge  42  of the latch plate  40 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the guard  76  is molded to opposing surfaces and intervening side of the leg  72  of the L-shaped frame  70 . The guard  76  provides a buffer between the material of the frame  70  and the material of the latch plate  40 , thereby preventing any binding between the frame  70  and latch plate  40  or wearing away of the material of either the frame  70  or latch plate  40  caused by direct contact therebetween. Preferably, the guard  76  is made of a plastic material, more preferably of high density polyethylene (HDPE). The guard  76  is attached to the frame  70  by rivets, adhesives, or similar fastening methods. 
   In a preferred embodiment, a handle  30  is attached to the second end  24  of the arm  20 . The handle  30  is preferably shaped to allow a person a limited dexterity or flexibility to grasp and turn the handle  30 , thereby rotating the arm  20  between the locked and unlocked positions as desired. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the handle  30  is paddle shaped. The handle  30  is made of a light-weight structural material, preferably plastic, and more preferably high impact polystyrene. The handle  30  is affixed to the second end  24  of the arm  20  by adhesives, pressure bonding, locking pins or set screws. 
   The locking mechanism  10  is used by a person (referred to as an operator) either while sitting in the chair  80  or preliminary thereto. In the illustrations,  FIGS. 2A-2C , the locking mechanism  10  initially is in the unlocked (i.e. gliding) position (FIG.  2 A). The operator reaches below the chair  80  and grasps and turns the handle  30 , rotating the arm  20  from the unlocked position to the locked position (shown in FIG.  2 B). The rotation of the arm  20  causes the attached latch plate  40  to rotate as well. The first edge  42  of the latch plate  40  engages the frame  70 , which moves toward the cutout  46  in the first edge  42 . A portion of the frame  70  is inserted into the cutout  46 , thereby forming a rigid link between the frame  70  and the base  90  via the latch plate  40  engaged with the frame  70  and the rotatable arm  20  attached to the base  90  (FIG.  2 C). Accordingly, the chair  80  is prevented from gliding, i.e., performing a horizontal back-and-forth motion. The operator  100  rotates the handle  30  in an opposite direction to disengage the latch plate  40  from the frame  70  to allow the chair  80  to execute the gliding motion without restraint. 
   It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.