Patent ID: 7469969

Claim:
A shield assembly for a recliner chair having at least one arm and a recliner mechanism, the recliner mechanism having a drive component protruding through the arm, the drive component moveable with respect to the arm, the shield assembly comprising: a cover plate coupled to the arm, the cover plate having an external aperture through which the drive component extends, the external aperture sized to accommodate movement of the drive component; a back plate, fixedly attached to the cover plate, having an internal aperture through which the drive component extends, the internal aperture sized to accommodate movement of the drive component; an upper paddle arm rotatably coupled to the cover plate between the cover plate and back plate, and partially covering an upper portion of the external and internal apertures; a lower paddle arm rotatably coupled to the cover plate between the cover plate and back plate, and partially covering a lower portion of the external and internal apertures; a circular plate having a bore sized to correspond to the drive component and through which the drive component extends, the circular plate slidably disposed between the back plate and the cover plate and positioned to at least partially cover a central portion of the external and internal apertures; wherein the paddle arms and the circular plate cooperate to cover the internal aperture and external the aperture.