Abstract:
The ottoman recliner chair includes a pair of opposed side panels, a seat coupled between the side panels, and a back pivotably coupled to the seat. The back is pivotable between a stowed, horizontal position and a generally vertical position. A footrest is coupled to the side panels and seat with a footrest linkage. The footrest is movable between a stowed and extended position wherein the ottoman recliner chair is movable between a stowed ottoman position with the back in the horizontal position and the footrest in stowed position, and a reclined position with the back in the generally vertical extended position and the footrest in extended position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of provisional application No. 60/490,817, filed Jul. 29, 2003, bearing the title Multipurpose Furniture Piece. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to an ottoman recliner, and more particularly to an ottoman that may be converted to a recliner. 
   Typical ottomans are known in the furniture industry as a furniture item that is used as a footrest while sitting on a chair or sofa. The ottoman is thus used, typically, in combination with another furniture item. It is also the case, however, that ottomans may be used as a seat as well. In a crowded room, the ottoman may provide an “extra” seating option. While the ottoman may be so used, it does not offer the same comfort as other items of furniture, due to the lack of back support, or the ability to recline. 
   Recliners are also well known in the furniture industry. Typically, recliners are chairs with extendable footrests that allow the user to recline and may include a number of alternatives used in moving the chair between the reclining position and stowed position. Some chairs are reclined by the user leaning back in the chair, others may use a handle or lever, and still some others are motorized. 
   Thus, while conventional ottomans and recliners are known, there remains a need for an ottoman that offers additional comfort when used as a seat. More specifically, there is a need in the furniture industry for an ottoman that is easily converted between an ottoman and a recliner. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention provides an ottoman that may be easily converted to a recliner chair. The ottoman recliner chair of the present invention is movable between a stowed, ottoman position and a reclined, extended position. The ottoman recliner chair includes a pair of opposed side panels with a seat coupled between the side panels. A back is provided that is pivotable between a stowed, horizontal position and a generally vertical position. A footrest is coupled to the side panels and the seat with a footrest linkage. 
   To convert the ottoman recliner from the closed ottoman position to the open recliner position, the user initially rotates the top cushion of the ottoman rearwardly. The backrest of the recliner is actually the top cushion of the ottoman unit with an integral hinge linkage applied within the internal framing. Under the top cushion or backrest is the seat cushion. Once the backrest is in the upright position, a user may be seated and can recline the chair by pushing back on the backrest while grasping the side panels. The rearward force engages the recliner mechanism and causes it to move rearwardly. This rearward motion engages the footrest mechanism and moves it from the closed ottoman position to the open recliner position. 
   Additional advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in a description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and which are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an ottoman recliner in the closed ottoman position; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the ottoman recliner of  FIG. 1  in the open recliner position; 
       FIG. 3  is cross sectional view of the ottoman recliner in the closed ottoman position taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is view of the ottoman recliner similar to  FIG. 3 , but with the chair in the chair position, and without the seat cushion for clarity; 
       FIG. 5  is view of the ottoman recliner similar to  FIG. 3 , but with the chair in the open recliner position, and without the seat cushion for clarity; and 
       FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the ottoman recliner similar to  FIG. 5  shown without the cushioning for clarity. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to the drawings in greater detail and initially to  FIG. 1 , an ottoman recliner is shown and designated generally by the numeral  10 . Ottoman recliner  10  includes a top cushion  12 , a pair of side panels  14 ,  16  and a front footrest portion  18 .  FIG. 1  illustrates the ottoman recliner  10  in the ottoman position. In this position, ottoman recliner  10  looks similar to existing ottomans.  FIG. 2  illustrates ottoman recliner  10  in a recliner position with the top cushion  12  now functioning as a backrest, with the front footrest  18  in the extended position, and with a seat cushion  20 , now exposed. As can be seen, the top cushion  12  serves both as a seat cushion and as a backrest depending on the position of ottoman  10 . The front portion  18  serves as both a front panel and as a footrest depending of the position of ottoman  10 . As best seen in  FIG. 3 , the top cushion  12  and seat  20  are angled so as to provide an ergonomically suitable unit that also folds as desired. 
   The internal linkages of ottoman  10  are best seen in  FIGS. 3-5 . As best seen in  FIGS. 3-5  the ottoman recliner linkages broadly include a stationary bracket  22 , a recliner mechanism  24 , and a footrest mechanism  26 . As best seen in  FIG. 6 , it will be appreciated that the above referenced items contain mirror-image replicas on each side of the ottoman recliner. As best illustrated in  FIG. 6 , ottoman recliner  10  broadly includes a plurality of cross-support members  27 ,  29 , and  31 . Base support members  27  are fixably coupled to side member  14  at one end and fixably coupled to side member  16  at the other end. Stationary bracket  22  is fixably coupled to side panel  16 . Any suitable attachment mechanism could be used for coupling stationary bracket  22  to side panel  16 , such as screws, bolts, pins or the like. Recliner mechanism  24  is rotatably coupled to stationary bracket  22 . Footrest mechanism  26  is rotatably coupled to stationary bracket  22  and recliner mechanism  24 . Thus stationary bracket  22  serves to interconnect recliner mechanism  24  to footrest mechanism  26 , and is the point about which the linkages, described below, move. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 3-6 , recliner mechanism  24  broadly includes the seat  20 , a seat support  28 , support members  29 , an L-shaped link  30 , and a back link  32 , which are further described below. Seat  20  is fixably coupled to seat support  28 . Seat support  28  is located under seat  20  and provides support when the user is seated. While not shown, seat  20  may include additional support such as resilient foam, springs or the like, as would be understood by one skilled in the art. Seat support  28  is a generally elongated rectangular block member and can be made from any suitable material such as wood. Support members  29  are fixably coupled to seat supports  28  to provide additional support. Seat support  28  includes a mounting bracket  34  located on its lower portion. Mounting bracket  34  contains a plurality of apertures  36  used for attachment to support  28 . Mounting bracket  34  further includes a stop  37 . Stop  37  serves to cease rearward movement of recliner linkage  24 , as will be discussed further below. 
   L-shaped link  30  includes a lower leg  38  and an upper leg  40 . Lower leg  38  contains a number of apertures  42  used to fixably couple it to seat support  28  at its lower leg  38 . Again, any suitable attachment mechanism could be used, such as screws, bolts, pins or the like. Upper leg  40  contains a mounting aperture  44  and an arcuate slot  46 . It will be appreciated from  FIGS. 3-5  that slot  46  serves to allow a controlled rotation of approximately ninety degrees. L-shaped link  30  is coupled to back link  32  at its upper leg  40  using aperture  44  and slot  46 . Again, any suitable attachment mechanism could be used, such as screws, bolts, pins or the like. Back link  32  contains a plurality of apertures  48  and a protrusion  50 . Protrusion  50  is generally cylindrical in nature and extends outwardly from back link  32 . Protrusion  50  is received in slot  46  contained in L-shaped link  30 . Link  32  is also pivotably coupled to link  30  about the connection point  44 . As best seen in  FIG. 6 , back link  32  is fixably coupled to internal framework  49 ,  51  of backrest  12 , using aperture  44  and apertures  48 . Back support members  31  are coupled to internal framework  49 ,  51  to provide additional support. As can best be seen by comparing  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when the front of backrest  12  is moved upwardly, the backrest rotates about mounting aperture  44  through a defined angle of approximately ninety degrees, defined by arcuate slot  46 . 
   Recliner mechanism  24  is coupled to stationary bracket  22  through bracket  34  and an activator link  52  and a connector link  54 . Thus, activator link  52  and connector link  54  attach recliner mechanism  24  to stationary bracket  22 . Again, any suitable attachment mechanism could be used, such as screws, bolts, pins or the like. 
   Activator link  52  is generally L-shaped and includes an attaching end  56 , a link pivot  58 , and a drive end  60 . Activator link  52  is rotatably coupled to mounting bracket  34  on recliner mechanism  24  at attaching end  56 . Attaching end  56  has a hole therethrough, which facilitates fastening activator link  52  to mounting bracket  34 . Activator link  52  is also rotatably coupled to stationary bracket  22  at link pivot  58 . 
   Connector link  54  is rotatably coupled to mounting bracket  34  on recliner mechanism  24  on its upper end and to stationary bracket  22  on its lower end. Connector link  54  has holes located at its ends for facilitating attachment to mounting bracket  34  and stationary bracket  22 . 
   With continued reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , the footrest mechanism  26  will be described in more detail. Footrest mechanism  26  includes a drive link  62 , a straight link  64 , an up link  66 , a bracket  68 , and footrest  18 . Drive link  62  is generally L-shaped and includes a drive end  70 , a pivot  72 , and an upper end  74 . As best seen in  FIG. 3  drive link  62  is rotatably coupled to activator link  52  at drive end  70  and is coupled to bracket  68  at upper end  74 . Straight link  64  includes an upper end  76 , a pivot point  72 , a lower end  78 , and a stop  80 . Straight link  64  is rotatably coupled to mounting bracket  34  at upper end  76  and rotatably coupled to up link  66  at lower end  78 . Straight link  64  is pivotably coupled to drive link  62  at pivot  72  and thus forms a scissor linkage with drive link  62 . Stop  80  on link  64  serves to cease rotation of footrest mechanism  26 . Opposite the connection of up link  66  to straight link  64 , up link  66  is coupled to bracket  68 . Bracket  68  is generally rectangular and contains a plurality of apertures  82  for fastening the various links to footrest  18 . Bracket  68  is fixably coupled to footrest  18 . 
   The conversion of the ottoman to the recliner  10  is best described with reference to  FIGS. 3-5 .  FIG. 3  represents the ottoman recliner  10  in the closed ottoman position, position one.  FIG. 4  represents the ottoman recliner  10  in the open chair position, position two.  FIG. 5  represents the ottoman recliner  10  in the open recliner position, position three. In use, if the occupant desires to convert from position one to position two, the user rotates the top cushion  12  rearwardly. The seat  20  is located under the top cushion/backrest  12 . The top cushion  12  rotates about mounting aperture  44 . The amount of rearward rotation is limited by the slot  46  and protrusion  50  configuration. It will be appreciated from  FIGS. 3-5  that the amount of rotation is limited to approximately ninety degrees. As the top cushion  12  begins to pivot rearwardly about the mounting aperture  44 , the relative positions of the seat  20  and footrest  18  remain fixed. When the top cushion  12  reaches its rotational limit, as defined by slot  46  and protrusion  50 , the ottoman recliner is in position two as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
   To move from position two to position three, additional force is applied to side panels  14 ,  16 . The forward force in direction  84  on the side panels  14 ,  16 , shown in  FIG. 5 , causes the seat portion  20  to move rearwardly as shown by reference numeral  86 . As the seat  20  begins to move rearwardly, the recliner mechanism  24  rotates clockwise about the stationary bracket  22 . This clockwise movement causes interconnected links  54 ,  52 , and  64  to rotate clockwise about the stationary bracket  22 . The clockwise motion engages acitvator link  52  and straight link  64 . Consequently, the activator link  52  pivots clockwise about pivots  56 ,  58  and straight link  64  pivots clockwise about pivot  76 . This action in turn causes links  52  and  64  to push upwardly on links  62 ,  66  thereby beginning the extension of the footrest  26  from its tucked position underneath the seat  20 . Continued rearward motion of the recliner mechanism  24  causes links  62 ,  66  to move upwardly. Rearward motion ceases when the connector link  54  and drive link  62  contact stops  37  and  80  respectively which serve to lock the footrest  18  in its fully extended position, position three, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Footrest mechanism  26  is closed in the conventional method by applying a downward force. 
   The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its scope. 
   It will be seen from the foregoing that this invention is one well adapted to attain the ends and objects set forth above, and to attain other advantages, which are obvious and inherent in the device. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and within the scope of the claims. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.