Patent ID: 8308228

Claim:
A seating unit having a chassis, a seat, a backrest, and at least one foot-support ottoman, the seating unit being adapted to move between a closed, an extended, a reclined, and a seat-lift position, the seating unit comprising: a pair of base plates in substantially parallel-spaced relation; a pair of lift assemblies, wherein each of the lift assemblies is attached to a respective base plate and raises and lowers the respective base plate above an underlying surface; a pair of seat-mounting plates in substantially parallel-spaced relation, wherein the seat-mounting plates translatably carry the seat over the lift assemblies; and a pair of generally mirror-image linkage mechanisms each moveably interconnecting each of the base plates to a respective seat-mounting plate, wherein each of the linkage mechanisms comprise: (a) a footrest assembly that extends and retracts the at least one foot-support ottoman; and (b) a seat-adjustment assembly that reclines and inclines the backrest; a linear actuator that provides automated adjustment of the seating unit between the closed position, the extended position, the reclined position, and the seat-lift position, wherein the linear actuator comprises: (a) a motor mechanism; (b) a track operably coupled to the motor mechanism; and (c) a motor activator block that translates longitudinally along the track under automated control, wherein the linear-actuator adjustment is sequenced into a first phase, a second phase, and a third phase that are mutually exclusive in stroke, wherein the first phase moves the footrest assembly between the reclined position and the extended position, wherein the second phase moves the seat-adjustment assembly between the extended position and the closed position; and wherein the third phase moves the pair of lift assemblies into and out of the seat-lift position while maintaining the pair of linkage mechanisms in the closed position; and a front motor bracket that spans between and couples to the pair of linkage mechanisms, wherein the front motor bracket has a pair of ends, and wherein the motor activator block is fixedly coupled to a section between the pair of ends of the front motor bracket.