Abstract:
A compact free-standing reclining bed lounge, expanding a product line marketed under BedLounge®, is made with a removable fabric slip-cover enclosing foam and fiber padding covering a basic seat structure formed from air-core plastic sheet material utilizing “living” hinges and reinforced by fabric webbing. The lounge is portable, sturdy, light-weight and free-standing, requiring no external support such as a headboard or wall, and provides reclining capability over a wide range, easily adjustable by a user while seated. A cam-lever gripping mechanism, in a slidable assembly on a pair of rear support columns, normally holds the lounge fixed at the previously selected inclination. To readjust the inclination, the user, by pulling a control strap, temporarily releases the gripping and allows the inclination to be readjusted by shifting of the user&#39;s body position and weight.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to household accessory furniture for providing back support to a user seated on a flat surface such as bed, sofa or floor and more particularly it relates to a free-standing BedLounge® that can be easily user-adjusted to any desired inclination in a wide range provided from an upright position to a substantially reclined position, and that will remain secured at the inclination selected. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   For those who spend periods of time sitting in a bed, sofa or other flat surface such as a floor or ground, it is important to provide proper support to the body to avoid discomfort, fatigue and/or body deformation. Ordinary cushions and pillows fail to provide necessary support, which requires a chair-like bed lounge typically with at least a rear portion with two attached arm-rests, one at each side, and preferably a neck support/headrest. 
   To accommodate the needs of different individuals with regard to size, body shape, weight, age, etc., the bed lounge is preferably provided with several user adjustment capabilities, e.g. relating to tilt-back, arm-rest spacing, lower back support, headrest height and orientation. 
   Bedding furniture in the field of this invention has been known under such names as “bed bolster”, “husband” and “study rest”. Typically such items have been made entirely from foam, loose-filling or fiber material so that characteristically they lack support, being overly soft and flexible, and/or they are inconveniently heavy. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,098 issued to the present inventors, hereby incorporated by reference, disclosed an ergonomic BED LOUNGE made with a fabric cover enclosing foam padding over a main seat assembly formed from air-core plastic sheet material to provide the required strength while keeping the weight lighter than all-foam construction. This original version of the BedLounge® featured a basic form of limited adjustable inclination, a built-in adjustable lower back pillow, a doubly adjustable neck/head pillow and arm-rests have pivoted forward portions with “living hinges” for adjusting separation. Subsequent developments in the BedLounge® product line are disclosed in currently pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/240,538 filed Sep. 30, 2005 for DUAL-MODAL-SHAPE BED LOUNGE and 11/473,485 filed Jun. 23, 2006 for BASIC BED LOUNGE. 
   Many products in this field of endeavor fail to provide adjustable inclination; those that do provide such capability, including the previous three versions of the BedLounge® mentioned above, depend upon external support from a vertical structure such as a wall or the headboard of a bed and thus are not free-standing. 
   Known mechanisms for adjusting recliners, such as sun cots, hospital beds and the like, tend to be, excessively bulky, costly and/or heavy, impossible or highly inconvenient and difficult for a seated user to release, adjust and reset. Known lounges made of metal and/or electrically powered may pose risk of injury. Many known lounges are not fully adjustable over a continuous range of recline, providing only a limited number of detents or stops and/or inadequate range. 
   There remains an unfulfilled need for a compact, portable bed lounge that provides a wide continuous range of inclination that can be conveniently and proportionally adjusted by a user while seated in place, and that is free-standing without need for external support. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a primary object to provide a bed lounge that, in addition to the basic features of previous versions of the BedLounge®, has the additional capability of free-standing on any reasonably flat level surface without need for external support from vertical structure such a wall or headboard of a bed. 
   It is a further object to provide the free-standing version with self-contained structure and mechanism that allows the inclination, i.e. the angle of recline, of the lounge to be adjustable over a range from zero, i.e. upright, to &gt;60 degrees, i.e. &lt;30 degrees from horizontal. 
   It is a further object to provide a user control element that (1) can be manipulated by the user from a seated position in the lounge to enable adjustment of inclination conveniently and proportionally to any desired inclination in the range provided, and (2) when released, reintroduces the normal mode wherein the lounge is held firmly at the selected inclination. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The above mentioned and other objects and advantages have been realized in a free-standing bed lounge structured with a tail piece, extending from the lower rear region of the rear panel, attached to a pair of support columns that are slidably attached to an upper region of the rear panel, enabling the lounge to be reclined more than 60 degrees from upright and yet to remain free-standing on any flat surface without the conventional reliance on external vertical structure such as a wall or headboard of a bed. A selected inclination becomes automatically “locked” in place by a gripping mechanism in a slider assembly hingedly attached to the top region of the rear panel and slidably engaging the support columns. A pair of lever-cams are spring-loaded to grip onto the columns with friction pads and maintain a selected inclination in the normal mode. This gripping action can be released for readjustment of the inclination by the user from the seated position by pulling a control strap that initiates the adjustment mode by rotating the lever-cams to release the grip, thus allowing the user to select a different inclination while continuing to pull on the control strap. Then when the user releases the tension on the control strap, the spring-loaded lever-cams once again grip the columns with the friction pads to reinstate the normal mode with the lounge held firmly at the selected inclination. 
   The materials and compact structure of the lounge, especially those of the seat assembly, tailpiece and gripping mechanism accomplish an unusual combination of ruggedness, ease of manufacture and light weight. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the outline of a lounge of the present invention in an upright setting. 
       FIG. 2  is perspective view of the outline of the basic seat assembly of the lounge of  FIG. 1 , indicating the outline of the padding and slip cover in broken lines. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective front view of the lounge of  FIG. 1  indicating the adjustable armrest spacing. 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged rear view of the basic seat assembly of the lounge ( FIG. 2 ) showing the main components of the reclining mechanism, indicating the outline of the padding and slip cover in broken lines. 
       FIG. 5  is a further enlarged view of a portion of  FIG. 4  in the normal mode, with cutaways to show the dual lever-cam mechanism automatically gripping the columns and thus holding the setting of the inclination. 
       FIG. 6  shows the subject matter of  FIG. 5  in the adjustment mode with the control strap being pulled by the user to rotate the lever-cams, releasing the gripping and thus allowing adjustment of the inclination. 
       FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the seat assembly adjusted to the fully upright setting. 
       FIG. 8  shows the subject matter of  FIG. 7  after readjusting the seat assembly to the maximally reclined setting. 
       FIG. 9  is a central cross-section corresponding to  FIG. 7 . 
       FIG. 10  is a central cross-section corresponding to  FIG. 8 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  shows, in a three-dimensional perspective view, an outline of a reclining free-standing Bed lounge  10  of the present invention, showing the general external appearance of an illustrative embodiment with the inclination set to zero, i.e. fully upright. Seat cushion  16  is retained in place by adjustable woven fabric straps located underneath and thus not visible in this view, serving to stabilize the lounge to the underlying horizontal support surface by utilizing the body shape and weight of the user. The adjustable straps provide an additional element of adjustable cushioning. 
   In the normal mode as shown, an internal mechanism provides a gripping action that continuously holds the inclination of the lounge effectively “locked” to the previous setting, in this case in the upright setting shown. The control strap  42  extending to a looped end from an opening in an arm rest of the slip cover, as shown, provides the user with ability to conveniently release the normal gripping action while remaining comfortably seated, initiating an adjustment mode wherein, by body repositioning and shifting the body weight, the lounge can be readjusted to any desired inclination in the wide range provided. Upon release of the control strap, the gripping action is automatically restored and the lounge is held “locked” at the newly selected inclination for usage in the normal mode. 
     FIG. 2  is perspective view of the outline of the basic seat assembly  12  of the lounge  10  of  FIG. 1 , with the fabric covering and padding shown in broken lines. The main structural panels including rear panel  12 A, side panels  12 B, forward arm rest portions  12 C and bottom panel  12 F are fabricated from flat sheets of air core plastic approximately ¼ inch thick made in an extrusion process with multiple parallel passageways providing superior strength and light weight, plus the capability of embossing bend lines that can provide either a fixed-angle bend or a “living hinge”. 
   The main rear panel  12 A along with the two side panels  12 B and bottom panel  12 F can be made integrally from a single flat sheet. The side panels  12 B attached perpendicularly to rear panel  12 A at the corners along a bend line, form adjustable arm rests by pivotal attachment to forward armrest portions  12 C that are each configured with a vertical “living hinge” indicated by a broken line, to allow inter-spacing adjustment between the front ends  14 A of the armrests  14 . 
     FIG. 3  is a perspective front view of the lounge of  FIG. 1  showing in broken lines three alternative positions of forward arm portions  14 A in the range of variable spacing available. Also indicated in broken lines, a rear region  18  provides for location of a back pillow that can be made vertically adjustable as indicated by the arrows. 
     FIG. 4  is an enlarged rear view of the of the seat assembly  12  of  FIG. 2  with the padding and slip cover indicated in broken outline but otherwise removed to show the main structure and components of the reclining mechanism. A pair of vertical columns  18  extend from the bottom region where they are secured to the flat rear panel portion of tailpiece  20  by nylon lock-tie loops  22 . 
   At the upper end, headrest  24  is attached via a cylindrical headrest crossbar  26  to a pair of telescoping members  18 A extending from the upper ends of columns  18  to allow vertical adjustment of the headrest  24 . Columns  18  are typically made from steel in a modified U shape cross-sectional shape, but could optionally be made round, rectangular or square. The two columns  18  are secured together at a desired parallel separation by an upper cross-member  28 . 
   A metal plate  30  is fastened via nylon lock-tie loops  32  to a similar-sized attachment flap formed by cutaways at each end in a central upper region of the rear panel  12 A. The attachment flap is hinged along its bottom edge by a “living hinge” in rear panel  12 A to provide flexure required over the reclining range. 
   Plate  30  forms the base element of a slidable assembly  30 - 36  which includes a pair of side plates  34  attached to rear plate  36  and a rear plate  36  attached to side plates  34 , forming a rectangular cross-section that is dimensioned to fit closely around the two columns  18  with only sufficient horizontal clearance to allow the slidable assembly  30 - 36  to be shifted vertically relative to columns  18 , as required to enable inclination adjustment. When secured to slidable assembly  30 - 36  in the normal mode, columns  18 , supported at bottom by attachment to tailpiece  20 , provide the main-rear support of the lounge, particularly when reclined. 
   Side plates  34  are each fitted with a pin  34 A extending outwardly and engaging the lower ends of a pair of rubber stretch members  38  whose upper ends engage pins  18 B, extending outwardly from the upper region of columns  18 . Stretch members  38  are dimensioned to be only slightly tensioned when the slidable assembly  30 - 36  is located at the upper end of its travel range as shown in the upright condition. The span of stretch members  38  and the tension increase as the slidable assembly  30 - 36  moves downwardly on columns  18  toward the lower end of its travel range as the inclination increases, thus providing a counter-balance force that works in conjunction with the role of the user&#39;s body position and weight during the adjustment of inclination by the user in a seated position. 
   A mirror-image pair of lever-cams  40 , of which only lower end portions are visible in this view, are pivotally attached to rear plate  36  by fasteners  40 A such as rivets, screws, pins or eyelets. 
   A fabric user control strap  42 , typically 1 inch wide woven webbing, is fitted with a first grommet  42 A that engages a drive pin  40 B set into the lever-cam  40  as shown. Strap  42  passes thru a metal slide/guide  44  fastened to the side plate  36  to the left in  FIG. 4 , where strap  42  is rerouted 180 degrees and, in a return portion not visible in this view, similarly engages the other lever-cam ( 40 ), thence extending to and passing around a slide/guide  46  at the corner of rear panel  12 A, thence leading forward beneath the padding to a forward slip cover exit location where that end of strap  42  is formed into the loop handle (see  FIG. 1 ) for the user to manipulate for inclination adjustment. Slide/guide  46  is located at one of the openings  48  that are provided as part of the bend lines at the corner edges of the rear panel  12 A. 
   A fabric support strap  50 , typically a woven webbing 2 inches wide, is visible only in part in  FIG. 4 , extending over the top of the rear panel  12  and under the tailpiece  20 . 
     FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of an upper central portion of  FIG. 4 , with rear plate  36  shown partially cut away to expose both lever-cams  40 , each configured with a drive pin  40 B on the lever portion engaging a corresponding grommet  42 A in strap  42 . Each lever-cam  40  is configured with a resilient friction pad  40 C affixed to the cam edge, made and arranged to provide gripping action against columns  18 . 
   In the normal mode, as shown, friction pads  40 C are strongly forced against columns  18  by the torque of steel springs (not visible in this view), causing the cam action to grip the slidable assembly  30 - 36  securely to the columns  18  thus “locking in” the currently-set inclination. Part of strap  42  is shown cut away to show engagement of the other lever-cam  40  to strap  42  via drive pin  40 B and grommet  42 A. In this normal mode, strap  42 , simply resting slack and unattended, applies no force to the lever-cams  40 , thus the friction pads  40 C are held gripping the columns  18  by spring bias. 
     FIG. 6  shows the subject matter of  FIG. 5  with the control strap  42  pulled by the user in the direction of the arrow to initiate the adjustment mode. The displacement of strap  42  rotates the lever-cams  40  equally in opposite directions, as shown, overcoming the spring torque and disengaging the friction pads  40 C from columns  18  thus allowing slidable assembly  36  to be shifted along columns  18  for adjusting the inclination of the lounge. 
   The user maintains tension on the strap  42  to keep the friction pads  40 C held clear while the weight and shape variations in the user&#39;s body are utilized to shift slidable assembly  36  and thus adjust the lounge to a desired inclination; then when strap  42  is released to re-enter the normal mode, the cam griping action is restored thus holding the lounge at the selected inclination. 
     FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of the main framework components shown adjusted to the upright condition. Rear panel  12 A is vertical and armrests  12 C are set to the location shown relative to side panels  12 B through swivel action about pivot points  12 D. Support columns  18 , attached at bottom to tailpiece  20 , are attached to rear panel  12 A via slidable assembly ( 30 - 36 ) of which end plate  34  is visible, and which is secured to attachment flap  12 E, inclined as shown at its “living hinge” line. 
   In this upright condition, the slidable assembly  30 - 36  is located at the top end of its travel range, gripped in place there by the cams as previously described, and thus the two stretch members  38  are only slightly tensioned. For clarity, neither of the fabric straps are shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     FIG. 8  depicts the subject matter of  FIG. 7  with the seat assembly  12  having been readjusted to the maximally reclined condition. Rear panel  12 A is now inclined about 70 degrees from vertical. Armrests  12 C are reset to the location shown relative to side panels  12 B through swivel action about pivot points  12 D. The slidable assembly ( 30 - 36 ), as indicated by the changed location of end plate  34 , is now at the bottom end of its travel range, and the two stretch members  38  are maximally stretched as shown. 
   In order to increase the inclination, e.g. from the upright position of  FIG. 7  to the fully reclined position of  FIG. 8 , the user need only pull on strap ( 42 ) to release the gripping action and then push against the rear panel  12 A with body weight to tilt the lounge to the desired angle of inclination and then release the strap ( 42 ) to restore the gripping action and hold the inclination at the selected angle. 
   To decrease the inclination, the user leans forward to remove body weight from the main frame assembly, allowing the tension in stretch members  38  to overcome the torque caused by the combined weight of all components including the headrest  24  to the left side of the hinge point at the corner of tailpiece  20 , and cause these components to automatically rotate counterclockwise to a lesser inclination. Without stretch members  38 , this weight would prevent this automatic restoration to lesser inclination: the rear portion would have to be lifted manually. 
     FIG. 9  is an enlarged central cross-section corresponding to  FIG. 7 , i.e. in the upright condition, showing the fabric support strap  50  with an end attached by two screws  54  to a bottom front region of tailpiece  20 , extending along the underside thereof and upwardly past the rear panel of tailpiece  20  to a slider at the top of attachment flap  12 E of rear panel  12 A thence downwardly to the other end which is attached to a hinged panel  52  that is attached to rear panel  12 A, extending full width thereof and held at an upward angle as shown. Beneath hinged panel  52 , a bottom panel  12 F formed as a continuation of rear panel  12 A, is attached at its ends to side panels  12 B. 
     FIG. 10  is an enlarged cross-section corresponding to  FIG. 8 , i.e. in the fully reclined condition. Slidable assembly ( 30 - 36 ), as indicated by the location of end plate  34 , is now at the bottom end of its travel range. Fabric support strap is now sagging in a slack condition, allowing hinged panel  52  to now open to a much larger angle and rest against bottom panel  12 F. 
   A generally rectangular bottom padding cushion, typically made 2 to 3 inches in thickness, is held in place by adjustable webbing straps that may be secured to the main relatively rigid three-dimensional seat structure formed by rear panel, side panels  12 B and bottom panel  12 F all fastened together as a unit. The user&#39;s weight, transmitted to the bed or other basic support region via this seat structure, holds the lounge stabilized in place for any setting of inclination, while the tensile and compressive forces in the various components form a robust but lightweight and easily user-adjusted overall unit. 
   The invention may be embodied and practiced in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all variations, substitutions and changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.