Patent Publication Number: US-11638482-B2

Title: Reclining seating unit with wall-proximity capability

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/538,933, filed Aug. 13, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,140,988, which claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/771,321, filed Nov. 26, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in full. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to seating units, and relates more particularly to reclining seating units with gliding capability. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Recliner chairs and other reclining seating units have proven to be popular with consumers. These seating units typically move from an upright position, in which the backrest is generally upright, to one or more reclined positions, in which the backrest pivots to be less upright. The movement of the seating unit between the upright and reclined positions is typically controlled by a pair of matching reclining mechanisms that are attached to the seat, backrest and base of the chair. 
     One particularly popular reclining chair is the so-called “wall-proximity” chair. In a conventional reclining chair, as the backrest moves to the reclined position, the upper end of the backrest moves rearwardly relative to the base of the chair. As a result, typically the chair cannot be positioned such that the backrest is adjacent a wall, as the reclining backrest would strike the wall and thereby be prevented from fully reclining. A “wall-proximity” reclining chair includes some type of mechanism (typically either a linkage or a set of wheels that roll on a track) that move the seat of the chair forward relative to the base to provide additional room for the backrest to recline. Typically, such chairs are configured so that the seat and backrest move forward relative to the base when the chair moves from an upright position to a partially reclined “TV” position, in which the footrest is extended. The seat and backrest then move farther forward relative to the base as the chair from the TV position to its fully reclined position. Exemplary wall-proximity chairs are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,663 to Cycowicz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,977 to Rogers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,778 to Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,960 to Tacker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,710 to Wiecek, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,930 to LaPointe et al., and in U.S. Patent Publication No. 20080036248 to Murphy et al., the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties. A typical wall-proximity chair in its upright position can be placed with the backrest within 3 to 4 inches of an adjacent wall and still avoid striking the adjacent wall when moved to the fully reclined position. 
     One potential shortcoming of wall-proximity chairs is that the wall-proximity mechanism or wheel/rail system is typically somewhat complex, with multiple interconnected intricate parts. As such, production of these mechanisms can be relatively expensive. Also, the mechanisms that control the movement of wall-proximity chairs tend to be rather bulky, and therefore may be unsuitable for some specialized chairs. For example, some chairs have a “high leg” style in which the arms of the chair are raised several inches off of the underlying surface (typically between about 4 and 9 inches). It is ordinarily undesirable for portions of a reclining mechanism to be visible in the space below the chair when the chair is in the upright position, so the designers are faced with providing a reclining mechanism that folds into a relatively small package that is not visible from the side in the upright position. 
     SUMMARY 
     As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a wall-proximity reclining seating unit. The seating unit comprises: a frame having a back member and a pair of arms, the back member extending between the arms; a backrest; a seat; a first footrest; and a reclining mechanism connected between the frame, backrest, seat, and first footrest. The reclining mechanism comprises a series of pivotally interconnected links and is configured to move the seating unit between: (a) an upright position, in which the backrest is disposed at a first generally upright backrest angle, the seat is disposed at a first generally horizontal seat angle, and the first footrest is retracted below a forward portion of the seat, (b) a TV position, in which the backrest substantially maintains the first backrest angle, the seat is disposed at a second seat angle that is steeper than the first seat angle, the first footrest is extended in front of the seat and is generally horizontally disposed, and the seat and backrest are moved forwardly relative to the frame between about 2.5 and 4 inches; and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the backrest is disposed at a second backrest angle that is shallower than the first backrest angle, the first footrest remains extended in front of the seat, and the seat is moved forward of its position in the TV position between about 4 and 7 inches. 
     As a second aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a wall-proximity reclining seating unit, comprising: a frame having a back member and a pair of arms, the back member extending between the arms; a backrest; a seat; a first footrest; and a reclining mechanism connected between the frame, backrest, seat, and first footrest. The reclining mechanism comprises a series of pivotally interconnected links and is configured to move the seating unit between: (a) an upright position, in which the backrest is disposed at a first generally upright backrest angle, the seat is disposed at a first generally horizontal seat angle, and the first footrest is retracted below a forward portion of the seat, (b) a TV position, in which the backrest substantially maintains the first backrest angle, the seat is disposed at a second seat angle that is steeper than the first seat angle, the first footrest is extended in front of the seat and is generally horizontally disposed, and the seat and backrest are moved forwardly relative to the frame; and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the backrest is disposed at a second backrest angle that is shallower than the first backrest angle, the first footrest remains extended in front of the seat, and the seat is moved forward of its position in the TV position. The reclining mechanism includes a foundation link fixed to the frame and a carrier link pivotally attached with the foundation link, and wherein the seat includes a seat frame, and wherein (i) when the chair moves from the upright position to the TV position, the seat frame moves forwardly relative to the carrier link, and the carrier link is substantially stationary relative to the foundation link, and (ii) when the chair moves from the TV position to the fully reclined position, the carrier link moves forwardly relative to the foundation link, and the seat frame does not move substantially forwardly relative to the carrier link. The reclining mechanism further comprises a rear intermediate swing link and a front intermediate swing link, each of the rear intermediate swing link and the front intermediate swing link being directly pivotally interconnected between the carrier link and the seat frame. In the upright position, each of the rear intermediate swing link and the front intermediate swing link is inclined slightly rearwardly as it extends from the carrier link to the seat frame. 
     As a third aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a wall-proximity reclining seating unit comprising: a frame having a back member and a pair of arms, the back member extending between the arms; a backrest; a seat; a first footrest; and a reclining mechanism connected between the frame, backrest, seat, and first footrest. The reclining mechanism comprises a series of pivotally interconnected links and is configured to move the seating unit between: (a) an upright position, in which the backrest is disposed at a first generally upright backrest angle, the seat is disposed at a first generally horizontal seat angle, and the first footrest is retracted below a forward portion of the seat, (b) a TV position, in which the backrest substantially maintains the first backrest angle, the seat is disposed at a second seat angle that is steeper than the first seat angle, the first footrest is extended in front of the seat and is generally horizontally disposed, and the seat and backrest are moved forwardly relative to the frame; and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the backrest is disposed at a second backrest angle that is shallower than the first backrest angle, the first footrest remains extended in front of the seat, and the seat is moved forward of its position in the TV position. The seat frame of the seat includes an extension fixed to a rear portion thereof, and the backrest includes a backpost that is directly attached to the extension via a single pivot axis. The reclining mechanism further comprises a rear intermediate swing link and a front intermediate swing link, each of the rear intermediate swing link and the front intermediate swing link being directly pivotally interconnected between the carrier link and the seat frame. In the upright position, each of the rear intermediate swing link and the front intermediate swing link is inclined slightly rearwardly as it extends from the carrier link to the seat frame. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG.  1    is a side view of a wall-proximity reclining chair according to embodiments of the invention, the chair shown in the upright position. 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of the chair of  FIG.  1    shown in the TV position. 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of the chair of  FIG.  1    shown in the fully reclined position. 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of the reclining and footrest mechanism of the chair of  FIG.  1    shown in the upright position. 
         FIG.  5    is a side view of the mechanism of  FIG.  4    shown in the TV position. 
         FIG.  6    is a side view of the mechanism of  FIG.  4    shown in the fully reclined position. 
         FIG.  7    is a top view of the chair of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  8    is a side view of a wall-proximity reclining chair according to alternative embodiments of the invention, the chair shown in the upright position. 
         FIG.  9    is a side view of the chair of  FIG.  8    shown in the TV position. 
         FIG.  10    is a side view of the chair of  FIG.  8    shown in the fully reclined position. 
         FIG.  11    is a side view of the reclining and footrest mechanism of the chair of  FIG.  8    shown in the upright position. 
         FIG.  12    is a side view of the mechanism of  FIG.  11    shown in the TV position. 
         FIG.  13    is a side view of the mechanism of  FIG.  11    shown in the fully reclined position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
     Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity. Broken lines illustrate optional features or operations unless specified otherwise. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as “between X and Y” and “between about X and Y” should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as “between about X and Y” mean “between about X and about Y.” As used herein, phrases such as “from about X to Y” mean “from about X to about Y.” 
     Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity. 
     It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on”, “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting”, etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on”, “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature. 
     The seating units illustrated and described herein comprise a plurality of pivotally interconnected links. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the pivots between links can take a variety of configurations, such as pivot pins, rivets, bolt and nut combinations, and the like, any of which would be suitable for use with the present invention. Also, the shapes of the links may vary as desired, as may the locations of certain of the pivots. Moreover, in some instances combinations of pivot points may be replaced by equivalent structures, such as “slider-crank” configurations, like those described in B. Paul,  Kinematics and Dynamics of Planar Machinery  4-21 (1979). 
     Referring now to the figures, a reclining wall-avoiding chair, designated broadly at  10 , is shown in  FIGS.  1 - 6   . The chair  10  includes a frame  12  having two opposed arms  14  connected by multiple cross-members  16 . Specifically, the frame  12  includes an upper cross-member  18  that spans upper end portions  14   a  of the arms  14 , and is supported by feet  19 , which may be at least 4 inches in height. The chair also includes a seat  20  with a cushion (not shown) that overlies a seat frame  22 , a backrest  24 , and main and auxiliary footrests  29   a ,  29   b.    
     The seat  20 , the backrest  24  and the footrests  29   a ,  29   b  are interconnected by two mirror image reclining mechanisms  30 . The mechanisms  30  are mirror images of each other about a longitudinal plane that divides the chair into left and right sides. As such, only one reclining mechanism  30  will be discussed in detail herein, with the understanding that the discussion is equally applicable to its mirror image mechanism. Also, the reclining mechanism  30  will be described first with respect to the fully reclined position ( FIGS.  3  and  6   ) in order to illustrate more easily the interconnection of the various links thereof. 
     The reclining mechanism  30  includes a foundation link  152  is fixed to the inner surface of the arm  14   a  to provide mounting locations for multiple links of the reclining mechanism  30 . A lower rear swing link  154  is mounted to the foundation link  152  at a pivot  156  and extends forwardly and slightly upwardly therefrom. An angled upper rear swing link  158  is attached at its lower end to the lower rear swing link  154  at a pivot  160  and extends upwardly and slightly forwardly therefrom. A control link  162  is attached at its lower end to the vertex of the upper rear swing link  158  at a pivot  164  and extends upwardly and slightly forwardly to a pivot  166  with a backpost  165  fixed to the backrest  24 . A saddle-shaped extension  168  is fixed to the rear end of the seat frame  22 ; the extension  168  is attached to the backpost  165  at a pivot  172  and to the upper end of the upper rear swing link  158  at a pivot  170 . 
     A rear recline link  174  is attached to the foundation link  152  at a pivot  176  and extends upwardly and slightly forwardly therefrom. A transition link  178  is attached in an intermediate location to the upper end of the rear recline link  174  at a pivot  180 . The lower end of the transition link  178  is attached to a carrier link  190  at a pivot  194 . The upper end of the transition link  178  is attached at a pivot  184  to the rear end of a coupling link  182 . 
     A front recline link  208  is attached at its lower end to the forward end of the foundation link  152  at a pivot  212 . At its upper end, the front recline link  208  is attached to an intermediate location of a drawing link  186  at a pivot  206 . The drawing link  186  is attached at its lower end to the carrier link  190  at a pivot  192 . The forward end of the coupling link  182  is attached to a central position on the drawing link  186  at a pivot  189 . At its upper end, the drawing link  186  is attached to a drive link  214  at a pivot  216 . The drive link  214  is attached at its rear end to the foundation link  152  at a pivot  218 . A rear seat swing link  196  is attached to the rear end of the carrier link  190  at a pivot  198  and to the seat frame  22  at a pivot  200 . A forward seat swing link  202  is attached to the carrier link  190  at a pivot  207  and to the seat frame  22  at a pivot  204 . 
     The reclining mechanism  30  also includes a footrest linkage  83  with a lower footrest swing link  84  that is attached to the seat frame  22  at a pivot  85  and extends forwardly therefrom. The lower footrest swing link  84  is also attached at its upper end to a footrest drawing link  138  at a pivot  145  and to a footrest drive link  140  at a pivot  141 . The footrest drawing link  138  is also attached to the carrier link  190  at a pivot  146 . An upper footrest swing link  88  is also attached to the seat frame  22  at a pivot  90  and extends forwardly therefrom. An upper footrest extension link  92  is attached to the forward end of the lower footrest swing link  84  at a pivot  94  and extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom. The upper footrest extension link  92  is also attached to the upper footrest swing link  88  at a pivot  93 . A lower footrest extension link  96  is attached to the forward end of the upper footrest swing link  88  at a pivot  98  and extends forwardly and upwardly therefrom. A main footrest bracket  100  is attached to the forward ends of the upper footrest extension link  92  and the lower footrest extension link  96  at, respectively, pivots  102 ,  104 . The main footrest  29   a  is mounted on the main footrest bracket  100  ( FIG.  3   ). 
     A lower auxiliary footrest swing link  110  is attached to the main footrest bracket  100  at the pivot  104 , and an upper auxiliary footrest swing link  116  is attached to the main footrest bracket  100  at a pivot  118 . An auxiliary footrest bracket  120  is attached to the front ends of the swing links  110 ,  116  at, respectively, pivots  122 ,  124 . A control link  106  is attached to the forward end of the lower footrest extension link  96  at a pivot  108  and to the upper auxiliary footrest swing link  116  at a pivot  112 . The auxiliary footrest  29   b  is mounted on the auxiliary footrest bracket  120  ( FIG.  3   ). 
     Referring still to  FIG.  6   , an actuating mechanism  130  is coupled to the reclining mechanism  130  and includes a handle  132  attached to the seat frame  22  at a pivot  134 . The handle  132  has a rear extension  132   a . A bell crank  136  is attached to seat frame  22  at a pivot  137 . A pin  136   a  extends transversely from the bell crank  136 . A pin link  143  is fixed to the footrest drive link  140 , which is attached at its rearward end to the bell crank  136  at a pivot  139 . A spring  148  is attached to a pin  143   a  on the forward end of the pin link  143  and extends forwardly to a tab  22   a  on the seat frame  22 . 
     Operation of the chair  10  typically commences with the chair  10  in the upright position of  FIGS.  1  and  4   . In the upright position, the footrest linkage  83  is folded under the front portion of the seat  20 , with the main footrest  29   a  generally vertically disposed just forward of the seat  20 , and the auxiliary footrest  29   b  generally vertically disposed rearward of the main footrest  29   a . The rear seat swing link  196  and the forward seat swing link  202  are both disposed generally upright, but with a slight rearward lean. The rear recline link  174  and the front recline link  208  are also disposed generally upright, but with a more pronounced rearward lean. Both the transition link  178  and the drawing link  186  are tilted generally forwardly. The carrier link  190  is generally horizontal and generally centered longitudinally relative to the foundation bracket  152 . The seat frame  22  has a slight pitch (between about 2 and 7 degrees). The backrest  24  is tilted slightly rearwardly (at an angle of between about 105 and 120 degrees relative to horizontal), with the upper portion of the backrest  24  adjacent the upper cross-member  18 . 
     The chair  10  is maintained in the upright position by the actuating mechanism  130 . The handle  132  is pivoted about the pivot  134  to a forward position, wherein the rear extension  132  is positioned above a recess  22   b  in the seat frame  22 . The bell crank  136  is oriented so that the pin  136   a  resides in the recess  22   b . This creates an “over-center” configuration between the pivots  139 ,  137  and  141 . Tension in the spring  148  biases the actuating mechanism  130  toward the described orientation. 
     In some embodiments, the arrangement of the footrest mechanism  130  can enable the main and auxiliary footrests  29   a ,  29   b  to be the same (or nearly the same) width (e.g., substantially the full width of the chair  10 ). This arrangement is shown in  FIG.  7   , wherein the auxiliary footrest  29   b  is nearly the same width (within 1-2 inches) as the main footrest  29   a . This is due to the fact that, in the upright position shown in  FIGS.  1  and  4   , there are no links of the reclining mechanism  30  positioned directly in front of the auxiliary footrest  29   b  that could prevent it from traveling forwardly (see also  FIG.  7   ). This is in contrast to many prior chairs, in which the auxiliary footrest  29   b  is shorter in width than the main footrest  29   a  because links controlling the extension and retraction of the main footrest  29   a  are positioned directly in front of the auxiliary footrest  29   b  and therefore would interfere with its extension if the auxiliary footrest  29   b  were nearly as wide as the main footrest  29   a.    
     To move the chair  10  to the TV position of  FIGS.  2  and  5   , the occupant of the chair  10  pulls the upper end of the handle  132  rearwardly. This action pivots the handle  132  counterclockwise about the pivot  134 , thereby driving the rear extension  132   a  into the pin  136   a  on the bell crank  136 . The bell crank  136  rotates counterclockwise about the pivot  137 , which forces the footrest drive link  140  forwardly. Forward movement of the footrest drive link  140  causes the lower footrest swing link  84  to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot  85 . The movement of the lower footrest swing link  84  drives the upper footrest extension link  92  forwardly, which in turn rotates the upper footrest swing link  88  about the pivot  90 . Rotation of the upper footrest swing link  88  drives the lower footrest extension link  96  forwardly and causes it to separate slightly from the upper footrest extension link  92 . The relative movement of the upper and lower footrest extension links  92 ,  96  rotates the main ottoman bracket  100  counterclockwise to a generally horizontal position. Relative rotation of the main ottoman bracket  100  and the lower footrest extension link  96  also forces the control link  106  away from the main footrest bracket  100 , which extends the upper auxiliary footrest swing link  116  and, in turn, the auxiliary footrest bracket  120 . Extension ceases when the upper footrest swing link  88  strikes a pin  92   a  on the upper footrest extension link  92 . Additional aspects of the extension of the footrests  29   a ,  29   b  may be discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,752,890 to Murphy et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     In addition, rotation of the lower footrest swing link  84  creates a rearwardly-directed force on the footrest drawing link  138 , which is also directed to the carrier link  190  at the pivot  146 . However, the carrier link  190  is prevented from rearward movement by the weight of the occupant of the chair; thus, an oppositely-directed forward reaction force is imposed on the seat frame  22 . As a result, the seat frame  22  (and the remainder of the seat  20 ) move forwardly relative to the carrier link  190  (and, in turn, relative to the base  12  along with the foundation link  152  mounted thereto). The forward movement of the seat frame  22  is controlled by the rear and front seat swing links  196 ,  202 . The forward movement of the seat frame  22  also rotates the lower rear swing link  154  clockwise about the pivot  156 . The rear end of the seat frame  22  descends, thereby increasing the pitch angle of the seat  20  by 2 to 10 degrees. This action ceases when a pin  22   a  on the seat frame  22  strikes the rear edge of the rear intermediate swing link  196 . 
     Notably, the length and upright to slightly rearward disposition of the rear and front intermediate swing links  196 ,  202  enables the seat  20  to move forwardly a greater distance than previous chairs. In some embodiments, the forward movement of the seat  22  relative to the base  12  is between about 2.5 and 4 inches, which occurs with substantially no relative movement between the carrier link  190  and the base  12 . 
     To move the chair  10  from the TV position of  FIGS.  2  and  5    to the fully reclined position of  FIGS.  3  and  6   , the occupant of the chair forces the occupant&#39;s back into the backrest  24  (this may be augmented by the occupant pushing forwardly on the arms). This movement drives the backpost  165  (and backrest  24 ) counterclockwise about the pivot  172 . This rotation first causes the lower rear swing link  154  to fully extend forwardly, at which point the upper rear swing link  158  rotates clockwise about the pivot  160 . This movement raises the rear end of the seat frame  22  and forces it forwardly, and also causes the backrest  24  to move to a reclined position (i.e., a position with an increased angle relative to the seat  20 ). 
     In addition, because the seat frame  22  and carrier link  190  are unable to move relative to each other, forward movement of the seat frame  22  also drives the carrier link  190  forwardly relative to the foundation link  152 . This movement is controlled by the rear recline link  174  and the front recline link  208 , which pivot clockwise relative to the foundation link  152  about pivots  176 ,  212 . The rotation of these recline links  174 ,  208  forces the carrier link  190  forward via the transition link  178  and the drawing link  186 , which are attached to the carrier link  190 . Forward movement of the carrier link  190  in turn moves the seat frame  22  forward. This movement continues until the rear recline link  174  contacts a pin  152   a  on the foundation link  152 . 
     In moving from the TV position to the fully reclined position, the seat frame  22  moves forwardly relative to the base  12  between about 4 and 7 inches, which occurs with substantially no relative forward movement between the seat frame  22  and the carrier link  190 . When this distance is combined with the forward movement of the seat frame  22  relative to the base  12  in moving from the upright position to the TV position, the total distance may be as much as 6.5 to 11 inches. Importantly, as can be seen in  FIG.  3   , this degree of movement can enable the backrest  24  to reach the fully reclined position even with the presence of the rear cross-member  18  (i.e., the uppermost end of the backrest  24  is positioned forwardly of the rear cross-member  18 ). As such, a chair according to embodiments shown herein can have wall-proximity capability even with a chair that has a fully formed back, which is often the case with chairs that are fully upholstered in the rear. 
     It should also be noted that the illustrated chair  10  is an “off-the-ground” high-leg style, such that there is space between the lower edges of the arms  14  and the underlying floor. It can be seen that the chair  10  has wall-proximity capability while still having a reclining mechanism  30  that folds into a sufficiently small “package” that the reclining mechanism  30  is not visible from the side of the chair  10  when the chair  10  is in the upright position. 
     In addition, this configuration also enables the use of a deeper seat frame  22 , which can provide more room front-to-back for sitting, laying down, napping, etc. Further, in some embodiments, a unitary upholstery piece (e.g., a cushion or pad) can be used to cover the seat and the footrests  29   a  and to attach to the footrest  29   b . As an example, the pad can be attached to the rear end of the seat  20 , extend forwardly to cover the seat  20 , extend downwardly to cover the front surface of the main footrest  29   a , and extend below the main footrest  29   a  and rearwardly to attach to the upper edge of the auxiliary footrest  29   b . Extension/retraction of the footrests  29   a ,  29   b  and forward movement of the seat  20  are such that the pad can remain taut, but not overstretch, as these components move between positions. Such a pad is shown at  470  attached to the chair  310  discussed in connection with  FIGS.  8 - 13    below. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  8 - 13   , another chair, designated broadly at  310 , is shown therein. The chair  310  has many elements and components that are identical or similar to those of the chair  10 , but differs in at least two ways: it relies on an electric linear actuator  311  to drive the chair  310  between the upright, TV and fully reclined positions, and it provides a deeper seat (i.e., the seat  320  is longer from front to back) than the chair  10 . The linear actuator  311  enables the chair  310  to be moved to any position between the upright position ( FIGS.  8  and  11   ) and the fully reclined position ( FIGS.  10  and  13   ). The deeper seat  320  can provide greater comfort for some individuals (particularly those who are taller). Also, when the seating unit  310  is part of a larger piece of furniture (such as a love seat, sofa, sectional sofa, or the like), a deeper seat  320  can provide more support space for occupants assuming different postures (e.g., prone, supine, sitting with feet tucked under, etc.). Below are described differences in the links comprising the reclining mechanisms  330  from those in the mechanisms  30 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  10  and  13   , which illustrate the chair  310  in the fully reclined position, it can be seen that an extension  323  is added to and extends rearwardly from the rear end of the seat frame  322 . The extension  468  is fixed to the extension  323 . 
     Also, an extension  453  is added to and extends rearwardly from the rear end of the foundation link  452 . The lower rear swing link  454  is attached to the rear end of the extension  453 . The upper swing link  458  is attached to the lower swing link  454  in the same manner as in the chair  10 , but the upper swing link  458  is somewhat longer and more sharply angled. Also, the control link  462  (which attaches to the upper rear swing link  458  and to the backpost  465 , is somewhat shorter in this embodiment. 
     A cross-member  455  extends between the extensions  453  on either side of the chair  310 . A flange link  457  is fixed to and extends forwardly from the cross-member  455 . 
     The linear actuator  311  includes a sleeve  312  and a reciprocating rod  313 . The sleeve  312  is attached to the flange link  457  at a pivot  459 . The rod  313  is attached at a pivot  461  to a finger  460  that is fixed to a cross-member  462 . The cross-member  462  extends between the lower footrest swing link  384 . 
     The linear actuator  311  and its associated links thus replace the actuating mechanism  130  of the chair  10  to move the chair  310  between the upright, TV and fully reclined positions. In the upright position of  FIGS.  8  and  11   , the rod  313  of the linear actuator  311  is fully retracted, such that the footrest linkage  383  is retracted and the footrests  329   a ,  329   b  are positioned under the front end of the seat  320 . In the TV position of  FIGS.  9  and  12   , the rod  313  is extended somewhat from the sleeve  312 . Extension of the rod  313  forces the lower footrest swing link  384  forward around the pivot  385  with the seat frame  322 . This action of the lower footrest swing link  384  drives the remainder of the footrest linkage  383  to its extended position. 
     From the TV position of  FIGS.  9  and  12   , further extension of the rod  313  within the sleeve  312  forces the seat frame  322  forwardly in a similar manner that that described above to the fully reclined position of  FIGS.  10  and  13   . 
     Those of skill in this art will appreciate that seating units according to embodiments of the invention may take other forms. For example, while a chair is shown herein, the reclining mechanisms  30 ,  300  may be employed in other seating units, such as love seats, sofas, sectional sofas, and the like. 
     Also, in other embodiments the actuating mechanisms may vary as desired, including both manually-operated units and other power-actuated units. For example, the “telescoping” linear actuators shown herein may be replaced by linear actuators that have a carriage that slides along a base rail. In such an embodiment, the carriage of the actuator slides forwardly to move the seating unit from the upright position to the TV and fully reclined positions. A seating unit using such a linear actuator may take advantage of the longer “stroke” to facilitate movement of the reclining mechanism. 
     Further, the chairs  10 ,  310  may have only one footrest, or may have three or more footrests in other embodiments. Other variations will be apparent to those of skill in this art. 
     The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.