Patent Publication Number: US-2011049956-A1

Title: Recliner Apparatus

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 61/238,382 filed Aug. 31, 2009 and hereby claims the benefit under 35 USC S 119(e) and specifically incorporates this patent application by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a reclining apparatus that provides a simple means for moving the seat bottom and seat back portions between two positions, a sitting position and a reclining position. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many complicated linkage and track recliner systems have been developed. These systems include external devices to operate and or unsightly breaks in the front panel. A standard lever-controlled recliner contains a series of springs attached to frame. Generally, lever-pulled recliners have three positions—slightly reclined, fully reclined and mid-range. When the lever is actuated, a cord connected to the sliding frame causes it to open and the back tilts backward and the footrest may elevate. The chair is locked in the position. Springs are attached to the frame and positioned to help the recliner return to its starting position. As the recliner spreads out, the springs are stretched facilitating a return to the original position. 
     The present apparatus is intended to overcome the disadvantages and difficulties associated with such prior art devices by providing a simple means for moving the seat bottom and seat back portions between two positions, a sitting position and a reclining position. In the sitting position, the seat is retained so that only a slight amount of pressure, appropriately applied, is required to cause the chair to move forward to the reclining position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An adjustable recliner apparatus is provided having a seat member with a seat back portion pivotally attached to a seat bottom portion. The apparatus also includes a channel assembly. The channel assembly is made of a flange, a plurality of rollers connected to the flange and a channel configured to accommodate a plurality of rollers. The channel has a detent positioned to hold the seat back portion in a substantially vertical position and this detent is sized to retard at least one of the plurality of rollers from rolling past the detent. The channel assembly is connected to the recliner frame and the flange is connected to the seat bottom portion of the seat member. 
     In one embodiment, a back-stop is attached or integral to the frame. The back stop is positioned to adjust the angle of the seat back portion of the seat member, with respect to the position of the seat bottom. In the upright position, the back-stop is positioned to obtain about a 90 degree angle between the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion and is positioned to obtain greater than a 90 degree angle between the seat back portion and the seat bottom portion when the seat member is in the recliner position. The adjustable recline apparatus has a seat member with a seat back portion flexibly attached to the seat bottom portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1A  is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the upright position. 
         FIG. 1B  is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the reclining position. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of a portion of the recliner apparatus. 
         FIG. 3  is a frontal view of a portion of the recliner apparatus. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of a portion of the recliner apparatus. 
         FIG. 5A  is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the upright position. 
         FIG. 5B  is a side elevational view of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the reclining position. 
         FIG. 6A  is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the upright position. 
         FIG. 6B  is a side elevational view of an embodiment recliner apparatus with the seat bottom portion in the reclining position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Returning now to the drawings in detail, there is illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a recliner apparatus  13 .  FIGS. 1A and 1B  show a seat member  10  having a seat back portion  9  and a seat bottom portion  8 . The seat member  10  is formed of a seat bottom portion  8  connected to seat back portion  9  by a hinge  12 . In the upright position the seat back portion  9  and seat bottom portion  8  and the travel position of the rail assembly  11  is shown in  FIG. 1A  and in the reclining position the seat back portion  9  and seat bottom portion  8  and the travel position of the rail assembly  11  is shown in  FIG. 1B . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 2  the relative movement of the seat member  10  to the frame  16  is accomplished by the rail assembly  11 . The rail assembly  11  is made of a flange  1  which is attached to the seat bottom portion  8  of a seat member  10 . Flange  1  is also connected to channel  5  of the rail assembly  11  via a plurality of rollers  2 . The plurality of rollers  2  are attached to the flange  1  at right angles to the seat bottom portion  8 . The plurality of rollers  2 , in one embodiment, is connected to the flange  1  with thread axles  3  and threaded fasteners  4 . 
     Channel  5  has a detent  7  that is configured to stop at least one of the plurality of rollers  2  in the detent  7 . In an alternate embodiment, more than one detent  7  can be used to capture a plurality of rollers  2 . The channel  5  is sized to accommodate the plurality of rollers  2 . In the preferred embodiment, the configuration of detent  7  results in the forward roller  20  of the plurality of rollers  2  to become reversibly captured in the detent  7 . When the forward roller  20  is captured in the detent  7 , the seat back portion  9  is in the forward upright position as shown in  FIG. 1A . At least one travel stop  6 , is provided to prevent the plurality of rollers  2  from traveling out of the channel  5  in the reclined position  FIG. 1B . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , the rail assembly  11  is made of a flange  1  that is attached to the base of the seat bottom portion  8  via a connection means such as a bolt  18 . In most recliner apparatus  13 , at least two angled flanges  1  are attached to the underside of the seat bottom portion  8  along each side and mounted parallel to the direction of motion of the reclining action. A plurality of rollers  2  are mounted to the vertical sides of the angle flanges  1 . At least two U-shaped channels  5  are attached to frame  16  via opening  14  on either side and/or underneath the seat bottom portion  8  and are configured to receive the plurality of rollers  2  of the angle flanges  1 . The frame  16  is the mountable element to which the seat member  10  is attached. The frame  16  could be a built in mount for a sofa or a chair or a built in mount for recreational vehicle, such as a boat. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 4 , the channel  5  and flange  1  of rail assembly  11  as it would appear prior to installation in a reclining apparatus  13  is shown. A channel  5  is attached to frame  16  through a plurality of openings  14 . The rail assembly  11  supports a seat portion  10  allowing a sliding motion relative to frame  16 , with detent  7  and end stop  6  features to limit travel. The channel  5  can be installed in pairs as right and left hand. The seat back portion  9  is connected to seat bottom portion  8  by a hinge  12 . The sliding action of the seat bottom portion  8  causes the seat back portion  9  to recline due to the forward shift in position of the seat bottom portion  8  with respect to the seat back portion  9 . Another travel stop  6  can be positioned at the opposite end of the rail assembly  11 . 
     The channels  5  have a lower projected surface which is configured to receive the rollers  2  of the seat bottom portion  8  angle flange apparatus  1  and is further configured with a detent  7  position to capture a roller  2  when the seat member  10  is in the upright sitting position. The angle between seat back portion  9  and seat bottom portion  8  is about 90 degrees, when one of the rollers  2  is positioned in the detent  7 . The angle between the seat back portion  9  and the seat bottom portion  8  is greater than a 90 degree when the seat member  10  is in the recliner position and a roller  2  is not in a detent  7  of the rail assembly  11 . 
     The rail assembly  11  supports a reclining chair seat or similar portion of a sofa allowing a sliding motion with detent  7  and end stop  6  feature to limit travel. The channel assembly  11  is installed in pairs as right and left hand assemblies. The seat back portion  9  is connected to the seat bottom portion  8  by a hinge  12 . A hinge is a type of bearing that connects two solid objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Two objects connected by a hinge rotate relative to each other about a fixed axis of rotation. Hinges may be made of flexible material or of moving components. 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , a back-stop  50  is attached or integral to the frame  16 . The sliding action of the seat bottom portion  8  causes the hingedly attached seat back portion  9  to recline due to the forward shift in position to the seat bottom portion  8  with the respect to the sitting position. In one embodiment, a back stop  50  is attached to either the frame  16  or channel  5 . The back stop  50  is positioned to adjust the angle of the seat back portion  9  of the seat member  10 , with respect to the position of the seat bottom  8 . In the upright position, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the back-stop  50  is positioned to obtain about a 90 degree angle between the seat back portion  9  and the seat bottom portion  8 . In the reclining position, as shown in  FIG. 5B  the seat back  9  is at an angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the seat bottom portion  8 . In the upright position shown in  FIG. 1A  the seat back portion  9  and seat bottom portion  8  are substantially perpendicular. The recliner position is achieved by pushing forward in the seat. As flange  1  attached to the seat bottom portion  8  moves forward on rollers  2  in the channel  5  an angle of greater than 90 degree between the hingedly attached  12  seat back portion  9  and the seat bottom portion  8  can be obtained before one of the plurality of rollers  2  contacts the travel stop  6 . Seat back portion  9  remains in contact with back stop  50  in this embodiment. In this way, the seat member  10  can recline without an external lever or knob to actuate the chair. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the flange  1  can be attached to the frame  16  and the channel  5  can attached to the seat back portion  9 . 
     Now referring to  FIGS. 6A and 6B  an alternative embodiment is shown, the seat back portion  9  is connected to the seat bottom portion  8  by a flexible member  40 . The flexible member  40  can be made of rubber of any similar compressible materials. 
     The retainer apparatus  13  is conventionally upholstered and back-cushions can be added by a nonwoven fabric to the seat member  10 . 
     Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with respect to preferred embodiments and a preferred user thereof, it is not to be so limited since modifications and changes can be made therein which are within the full scope of the invention.