Patent Publication Number: US-8123288-B2

Title: Locking unit for rocking-reclining seating unit with power actuator

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to seating units, and relates more particularly to reclining seating units with rocking 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 “rocker-recliner,” which can, when in the upright position, rock with a forward and rearward motion similar to that of a traditional rocking chair. A typical rocker recliner, one of which is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,647 to Rogers, includes an arcuate rocker cam that is attached with the lower portion of each mechanism, with the lower convex surface of the rocker cam contacting a level bearing surface of the base. Also, a spring assembly is mounted to the base of the chair and to each rocker cam. Each spring assembly includes two quite stiff, vertically-oriented helical springs attached to mounting brackets that are in turn fixed to the base and to the rocker cam. When the chair is in its upright position and is unoccupied, the seat, backrest and reclining mechanisms reside above the base, the rocker springs are deflected only along their longitudinal axes, and the rocker cams rest on a level portion of the base. When an occupant sits on the chair and applies a forwardly- or rearwardly-directed force to the seat or backrest, the seat and backrest move relative to the base. The path of movement is defined by the convex shape of the rocker cams as they rock on the level bearing surface of the base, with the result that the seat and backrest simulate the rocking motion of a rocking chair. During the rocking movement, the rocker springs deflect such that their top portions bend away from their longitudinal axes as the chair rocks forward and back. The deflection in the springs urges the springs (and, in turn, the seat and backrest) to return to their original positions as the chair returns to and through the upright position. In this manner, the chair is capable of providing a controlled rocking motion when in the upright position. 
     Many, if not all, chairs of this design include some type of safety feature, such as an extendable foot, that prevents rocking when the chair is in a reclined position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,754 to Lawson discloses a rocker lock that is pivotally interconnected with the rear portion of the reclining mechanism and with the base of the chair. More specifically, the rocker lock includes three separate pivotally interconnected links mounted to the base and to the reclining mechanism. A bracket is mounted to and extends above the base. A slotted link is pivotally and slidably attached to the bracket via a pin on the bracket. A support link, to which a roller is attached, is pivotally interconnected with the forward end of the slotted link and with the reclining mechanism. A control link is pivotally interconnected with the support link and to the reclining mechanism. In the upright position, as the chair rocks, the slotted link moves forwardly and rearwardly relative to the mounting bracket, as the pin on the mounting bracket is free to slide within the slot of the slotted link as it moves. As the chair moves to an intermediate reclined position (often termed the “TV position”), movement of the reclining mechanism causes the control link to drive the roller on the support link downwardly into contact with a plate attached to the base. The slotted link is forced rearwardly so that the pin of the mounting bracket is lodged against the front edge of the slot. This placement of the wheel and the pin in the slot prevents the chair from rocking. 
     This locking mechanism can have some shortcomings. Because the slotted link slides on the pin of the mounting bracket during the rocking motion, in some instances the occupant of the chair can rock forward sufficiently that the rear end of the slot strikes the pin, thereby giving a jolt to the occupant. Also, because of the configuration of the locking mechanism, if the occupant is rocking forward when releasing the chair to a reclined position, in some instances the chair can “catch” and impede reclining movement. One locking mechanism that proposes to overcome some of these shortcomings is discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/982,108, filed Nov. 4, 2004 and entitled Rocking-Reclining Seating Unit with Motion Lock, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. Nevertheless, it may be desirable to provide additional configurations for motion locking mechanisms that can remove cost and/or labor from the manufacturing process and that can improve performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention are direction to a rocking and reclining seating unit. The seating unit comprises: a base unit; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base unit and substantially rearward of the seat; an extendable ottoman; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, the reclining mechanism configured to move the seating unit between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases; a longitudinally-directed reciprocating mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed reciprocating motion relative to the base unit; and a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to reciprocate while in the upright position but prevents reciprocating of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions. The locking unit comprises: a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and a capture member fixed to the base, the capture member having a corner section. The capture member and the locking link are configured such that the locking link resides in the corner section of the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions. This configuration provides a relatively simple and straightforward locking system for the seating unit. 
     As a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising: a base unit; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base unit and substantially rearward of the seat; an extendable ottoman; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, the reclining mechanism configured to move the seating unit between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases; a power actuating unit attached to the reclining mechanism; a rocker mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the rocker mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed rocking motion relative to the base unit; and a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to rock while in the upright position but prevents rocking of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions. The locking unit comprises: a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and a capture member fixed to the base, the capture member having a corner section. The capture member and the locking link are configured such that the locking link resides in the corner section of the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions. 
     As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising: a base unit; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base unit; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base unit and substantially rearward of the seat; an extendable ottoman; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat, the backrest, the ottoman and the base unit, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links, the reclining mechanism configured to move the seating unit between (a) an upright position, in which the seat is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest is generally vertically disposed, and the ottoman are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat, (b) an intermediate TV position, in which the ottoman is generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat and the backrest and the seat substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position, in which the angle between the backrest and the seat increases; a longitudinally-directed reciprocating mechanism attached with the base unit and the reclining mechanism, the reciprocating mechanism configured to enable the seat, backrest and reclining mechanism to experience a longitudinally-directed reciprocating motion relative to the base unit; and a locking unit coupled to the reclining mechanism that allows the seating unit to reciprocate while in the upright position but prevents reciprocating of the seating unit while in the TV and fully reclined positions. The locking unit comprises: a locking link pivotally attached with the reclining mechanism; and a capture member fixed to the base. The locking link engages both the base and the capture member when the seating unit is in the TV and fully reclined positions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rocker-recliner chair according to embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side section view of the chair of  FIG. 1  with the chair in its fully upright position. 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism of the chair of  FIG. 1  with the chair in its fully upright position. 
         FIG. 3  is a side section view of the chair of  FIG. 1  with the chair in its TV position. 
         FIG. 3A  is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism of the chair of  FIG. 1  with the chair in its TV position. 
         FIG. 4  is a side section view of the chair of  FIG. 1  with the chair in its fully reclined position. 
         FIG. 4A  is an enlarged view of the locking mechanism of the chair of  FIG. 1  with the chair in its fully reclined position. 
         FIG. 5  is a top cutaway view of the frame of the chair of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     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. 
     This invention is directed to seating units that have a stationary base, a seat portion, and a backrest. As used herein, the terms “forward”, “forwardly”, and “front” and derivatives thereof refer to the direction defined by a vector extending from the backrest toward the seat parallel to the underlying surface. Conversely, the terms “rearward”, “rearwardly”, and derivatives thereof refer to the direction directly opposite the forward direction; the rearward direction is defined by a vector that extends from the seat toward the backrest parallel to the underlying surface. The terms “lateral,” “laterally”, and derivatives thereof refer to the direction parallel with the floor, perpendicular to the forward and rearward directions, and extending away from a plane bisecting the seating units between their armrests. The terms “medial,” “inward,” “inboard,” and derivatives thereof refer to the direction that is the converse of the lateral direction, i.e., the direction parallel with the floor, perpendicular to the forward direction, and extending from the periphery of the seating units toward the aforementioned bisecting plane. 
     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 swiveling rocker-recliner chair, designated broadly at  10 , is illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5 . The chair  10  includes a base unit  11 , a seat  13  that is generally horizontally disposed above the base unit  11 , a backrest  15  that is generally vertically and disposed substantially above a rear portion of the seat  13 , and two ottomans  17   a ,  17   b , which, in the upright position of  FIG. 1 , are generally vertically disposed below a front portion of the seat  13 . Arms  18  are positioned on either side of the seat  13  and move in concert with the seat  13 . 
     A pair of mirror image reclining mechanisms  30  (only one of which is shown herein in  FIGS. 2-4 ) are attached to the backrest  15 , the seat  13 , and the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b . The reclining mechanisms  30 , which comprise a plurality of interconnected links, move the chair  10  between (a) an upright position ( FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  2 A), in which the seat  13  is generally horizontally disposed, the backrest  15  is generally vertically disposed, and the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  are generally vertically disposed and positioned below the seat  13 , (b) an intermediate TV position ( FIGS. 3 and 3A ), in which the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  are generally horizontally disposed in front of the seat  13  and the backrest  15  and the seat  13  substantially maintain the same relationship as they have in the upright position, and (c) a fully reclined position ( FIGS. 4 and 4A ), in which the angle between the backrest  15  and the seat  13  increases. These components are described in greater detail below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The base unit  11  includes rocker rails  16  that are reinforced by cross-members  18 . Rocker cams  20  rest on the upper bearing surfaces of the legs of the rails  16 . A recliner foundation  24  is mounted to the top surfaces of the rocker cams  20 ; the foundation  24  includes longitudinal brackets  26  and cross-members  28   a ,  28   b  that span the longitudinal brackets  26 . The arcuate lower surfaces of the cams  20  are configured for rolling contact with the bearing surfaces and enable the chair  10  to have a fore-to-aft rocking motion. This motion is controlled by rocker spring assemblies (not shown) that are attached to the cross-members  18  and to the cross-members  28   a ,  28   b . The rocker cams  20 , the rocker spring assemblies, and the components to which they are attached form a rocker mechanism. It is to be understood other rocker mechanisms may be employed; for example, the rocker spring assemblies may also be attached directly to the reclining mechanisms  30  in other embodiments, such as in the manner illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,094 to Hoffman, and the reclining mechanism can be mounted directly onto the rocker cams  20  as illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,754 to Lawson. 
     Because the reclining mechanisms  30  are mirror images of each other, only one reclining mechanism will be described in detail herein, with the understanding that the discussion is equally applicable to the mirror image mechanism  30 . Also, for clarity the mechanism will be described first with reference to  FIG. 4  (with the mechanism  30  in its reclined position), then will be described in its upright and TV positions. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , the reclining mechanism  30  includes a generally crescent-shaped mounting bracket  32  that is fixed to the longitudinal rail  26 . A slot  32   a  is present at the front end of the mounting bracket  30 . An L-shaped lower swing link  34  is attached to a lower region of the mounting bracket  32  at a pivot  36  and extends upwardly and rearwardly, then upwardly and forwardly therefrom. A straight upper swing link  38  is attached at its lower end to the upper end of the lower swing link  34  at a pivot  40  and extends upwardly and rearwardly therefrom. 
     A backpost  48  is fixed to the backrest  15  via a spacer  60  and extends generally forwardly from the lower front end of the backrest  15 . The upper swing link  38  is attached to a forward portion of the backpost  48  at a pivot  50 . A straight coupling link  52  having a slot  52   a  is attached to the backpost  48  via a pin  48   a  located forwardly of the pivot  50 . The coupling link  52  extends forwardly and downwardly from the pin  48   a  to attach to the front end of the mounting bracket  32  via a pin  52   b  inserted into a slot  32   a  in the mounting bracket  32 . A trapezoidal sequencer plate  54  is attached to the backpost  48  at a pivot  58 , and also interacts with the backpost  48  via a slot  54   a  that receives a pin  48   b . The sequencer plate  54  is also attached to the rear end of the mounting bracket  32  at a pivot  56 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , a seat frame  62 , to which the arms  18  are mounted, underlies the seat  13 . A seat bracket  64  is fixed to the seat frame  62 . In turn, a seat adapter  66  is fixed to the seat bracket  64 . The seat adapter  66  is attached to the backpost  48  at a pivot  68  that is located just rearward of the pivot  50 . The coupling link  52  is also attached to the seat adapter  66  at a pivot  67 . An upper ottoman swing link  72  is attached to a front region of the seat adapter  66  at a pivot  74  and extends downwardly and forwardly therefrom. A tripartite lower ottoman swing link  76  is attached to a pivot  78  that is located rearwardly and downwardly from the pivot  74 ; the lower ottoman swing link  76  extends generally forwardly from the pivot  78 . An upper ottoman extension link  80  is attached to the forward end of the lower ottoman swing link  76  at a pivot  82  and extends forwardly and upwardly therefrom. Also the upper ottoman extension link  80  is attached to the upper ottoman swing link at a pivot  84 . A lower ottoman extension link  86  is attached to the forward end of the upper ottoman swing link at a pivot  88  that is positioned above and forward of the pivot  84  and extends upwardly and forwardly therefrom generally parallel with the upper ottoman extension link. An outer ottoman bracket  90  is generally horizontally disposed and is attached to the upper and lower ottoman extension links  80 ,  86  at pivots  92 ,  94  respectively. The ottoman  17   a  is mounted on the outer ottoman bracket  90 . 
     A bi-angled inner ottoman bracket  96  is attached at its lower, forward end to the lower ottoman extension link  86  at a pivot  98 . At its opposite end, the inner ottoman bracket  96  supports the ottoman  17   b . The inner ottoman bracket  96  also includes a slot  96   a  that receives a pin  80   a  located on the upper ottoman extension link  80 . 
     A connecting link  100  is attached to the sequencer plate  54  at a pivot  102 . The connecting link  100  extends forwardly and slightly upwardly from the pivot  102  to a pivot  104  with the lower ottoman swing link  76 . 
     A locking unit  130  ( FIG. 4A ) is attached to the reclining mechanism  30  to prevent rocking of the chair  10  when it is in the TV or fully reclined positions. The locking unit  130  includes a lock drive link  132  that is pivotally interconnected at one end to the connecting link  100  at a pivot  134 . The drive link  132  is a straight link that extends rearwardly from the pivot  134 . The opposite end of the drive link  132  is pivotally interconnected with a locking link  136 . The locking link  136  includes a wheel  138  or other engagement structure at its lower (or engagement) end, and further includes a pin  139  at its upper end and a pin  136   a  near the wheel  138 . The locking link  136  is also attached to the mounting bracket  32  at a pivot  140 . A Z-shaped capture member  200  is fixed to the rail  16 . An upright segment  202  extends upwardly from the rail  16 , and a horizontal segment  204  extends forwardly from the upright segment  202 , thereby forming a corner section  206 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 4  and also to  FIG. 5 , the chair  10  includes a power unit  112  that drives the chair  10  between its upright, TV and fully reclined positions. The power unit  112  includes a motor unit  114 , to which is attached a sleeve  116 . The sleeve  116  extends rearwardly from the motor unit  114  and receives a retractable rod  118 . The motor unit  114  is electrically connected with an actuator (not shown), such as a toggle switch or the like, that energizes the motor unit  114  upon actuation. 
     The motor unit  114  is attached to a mounting bracket  110  at a pivot  120  via a mounting tab  114   a  (see  FIG. 5 ). The mounting bracket  110  is then attached to a cross-member  108  that extends between the reclining mechanisms  30 . A bracket  106  is fixed to each of the lower ottoman swing links  76  and to the cross-member  108 . 
     The rod  118  of the power unit  112  is attached to a bracket  46  ( FIG. 5 ) at a pivot  122 . The bracket  46  is then attached to a Z-shaped cross-member  44  that extends between the reclining mechanisms  30 . The cross-member  44  is fixed to a bracket  42  that is in turn pivotally attached to the lower swing link  34  of each reclining mechanism  30  at a pivot  45 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , in the upright position, the rod  118  of the power unit  112  is retracted into the sleeve  116 . As a result, a pantographic linkage formed by the upper and lower ottoman swing links  72 ,  76  and the upper and lower ottoman extension links  80 ,  86  are folded under the seat frame  62 , which positions the ottoman  17   b  underneath a forward portion of the seat frame  62  and the ottoman  17   a  just forward of and below the seat frame  62  in a vertical orientation. Also, the lower and upper swing links  34 ,  38  are oriented such that the upper segment of the lower swing link  34  is generally horizontal, which positions the backpost  48  and, in turn, the backrest  15 , in a generally upright position. 
     Additionally, as shown in  FIG. 2A  the locking link  136  is generally horizontally oriented, such that the pin  139  is below and forward of the corner section  206  of the capture member  200 , and the wheel  139  is positioned well above the rail  16 . In this position, the chair  10  is free to rock as the rocker cams  20  engage in rolling motion relative to the rocker rails  16 . During the rocking motion, the locking unit  130  is stationary relative to the reclining mechanisms  30 . 
     To move the chair  10  from the upright position to the TV position of  FIG. 3 , an occupant of the chair  10  actuates the actuator, which causes the rod  118  to begin to extend from the sleeve  116 . Extension of the rod  118  attempts to force the bracket  46  rearwardly, which would also attempt to rotate the bracket  42  and the lower swing link  34  about the pivot  36 . However, the weight of the seated occupant prevents substantial rotation of the bracket  42 . Because there is little to no fore-and-aft movement of the rear end of the rod  118 , the motor unit  114  moves forwardly relative to the base unit  11 , thereby driving the lower ottoman swing link  76  counterclockwise about the pivot  78 . Rotation of the lower ottoman swing link  76  forces the upper ottoman extension link  80  forward, which in turn draws the upper ottoman swing link  72  counterclockwise around the pivot  74 . Also, the lower ottoman extension link  86  moves forwardly more than the upper ottoman extension link  80 , such that the outer ottoman bracket  90  and the inner ottoman bracket  96  rotate counterclockwise (rotation of the inner ottoman bracket  96  causes the pin  80   a  to move in the slot  96   a  toward the pivot  98 . The rotation of the outer and inner ottoman brackets  90 ,  96  induces the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  to rotate from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation. Motion of the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  ceases when a pin  72   a  on the upper ottoman swing link  72  strikes the upper edge of the lower ottoman extension link  80 . 
     In addition, the rotation of the lower ottoman swing link  76  draws the connecting link  100  forward (see  FIGS. 2A and 3A ). Movement of the connecting link  100  draws the lock drive link  132  forward, which in turn draws the locking link  136  counterclockwise around the pivot  140  to a generally vertical orientation. This action forces the wheel  138  on one free end of the locking link  136  downwardly into contact with the upper bearing surface of the rail  16 , and drives the pin  139  on the other free end of the locking link  136  into the corner section  206  of the capture member  200 . In this position, any attempt to rock the chair rearwardly is prevented by the wheel  138  bearing on the upper surface of the base unit  11 , and any attempt to rock the chair forwardly is prevented by the pin  139  bearing on the capture member  200 . The configuration of the locking mechanism  130  may be particularly desirable because it involves relatively few moving parts, thereby simplifying its manufacture and operation. 
     Further, the forward movement of the connecting link  100  induces the sequencer plate  54  to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot  58 . This movement lowers the backpost  48  relative to the base  11 , which increases the pitch of the seat  13 . 
     To move the chair  10  from the TV position of  FIG. 3  to the fully reclined position of  FIG. 4 , the occupant can continue to operate the actuator, which extends the rod  118  farther out of the sleeve  116 . When the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  are fully extended, the pivots  84 ,  88  and  94  are in a near “over-center” condition that helps to lock the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  in an extended position. Thus, as the rod  118  continues to extend from the sleeve  116  when the chair is in the TV position, the motor unit  114  cannot move forward relative to the base unit  11  any farther, so the rear end of the rod  118  begins to move rearwardly relative to the base unit  11 , resulting in counterclockwise rotation of the lower swing link  34  about the pivot  36 . This rotation drives the upper swing link  38  clockwise about the pivot  50 , which forces the forward end of the backpost  48  upward. As a consequence, the backpost  48  rotates counterclockwise about the pivot  58  relative to the sequencer plate  54  (and to the seat adapter  66 , the seat frame  62  and the seat bracket  64 ). Rotation of the backpost  48  and, in turn, the backrest  15 , continues until (a) the pin  48   b  on the backpost  48  reaches the upper end of the slot  54   a  in the sequencer plate  54  and (b) the pin  52   b  of the coupling link  52  reaches the rear end of the slot  32   a  of the mounting bracket  32 . In this position, the backrest  15  has reclined relative to the seat  13  at a greater angle than in the upright and TV positions. 
     It can also be seen in  FIG. 4A  that the locking mechanism  130  continues to prevent the chair  10  from rocking as the chair  10  moves to the fully reclined position. It can also be seen that the seat  13 , driven primarily by the lower swing link  34  and the coupling link  52 , rises during movement from the TV position to the fully reclined position. 
     The chair  10  can be returned to its TV position from the fully reclined position by the occupant operating the actuator in the reverse direction. Because of the over-center condition of the pivots  82 ,  84 ,  88 , the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  remain extended, such that retraction of the rod  118  draws the backrest  15  to its upright position. Once the motion of the backrest  15  is complete, the over-center condition of the pivots  84 ,  88  and  94  can be overcome, and the ottomans  17   a ,  17   b  are able to retract to the upright position. 
     Those skilled in this art will recognize that other variations of the chair  10  are contemplated in connection with the present invention. For example, the power unit  112  may be reversed, such that the motor  114  is at the rear end of the power unit  112  and the rod  118  is at the front end. In such a case, the rod  118  would extend forwardly relative to the base unit  11  as the chair  10  moved from the upright position to the TV position, and the motor  114  would move rearwardly relative to the base unit  11  when the chair moved from the TV position to the fully reclined position. In either instance, the front end of the power unit  112  moves relative to the base unit  11  during the movement from the upright to the TV position, and the rear end of the power unit moves relative to the base unit  11  during the movement from the TV to the fully reclined position. 
     Also, in some embodiments the rocking mechanism  31  may be replaced with a gliding mechanism or the like that can impart a longitudinally-directed reciprocating movement of the seat relative to the base unit. 
     Further, the capture member  200  may take a different shape. For example, the capture member may define a closed loop, within which the pin  139  can move during rocking motion. The locking link  132  may also take a different configuration, or may be driven by a different link of the reclining mechanism  30 . The wheel  138  may be omitted or replaced with a different contact member. Other alternatives may 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 recited in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.