Patent ID: 7021711

Claim:
A rocking and reclining seating unit, comprising: a base having first and second generally horizontal bearing surfaces; a generally horizontally-disposed seat positioned above the base; a generally upright backrest positioned above the base and substantially rearward of the seat; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat and the backrest for moving said seat and backrest between upright and reclined positions relative to said base, the reclining mechanism comprising a plurality of pivotally interconnected links; a rocker cam attached with the reclining mechanism, the rocker cam including an arcuate lower contact surface positioned to contact the first bearing surface, the lower contact surface being configured for rolling contact with the first bearing surface such that the seat has a rocking motion relative to the base; a rocker spring assembly that includes a resilient member that biases the seat against rocking motion relative to the base, the rocker spring assembly being attached with a respective reclining assembly and with the base; and a locking mechanism configured to prevent rocking motion of the seat relative to the base when the chair is in a reclined position, the locking mechanism being interconnected with the base and with the reclining mechanism, the locking mechanism including: a drive link pivotally interconnected with the reclining mechanism; a control link pivotally interconnected with the base, the control link including a slot; and a bracing link pivotally and slidably interconnected with the control link via a pin mounted to the bracing link and inserted into the control link slot, the bracing link being further pivotally interconnected with the drive link, the bracing link having an engagement end: the locking mechanism being movable between a retracted position, in which the engagement end of the bracing link does not engage the base to prevent rocking motion of the seating unit, and an extended position, in which the engagement end of the bracing link engages the second bearing surface of the base to prevent rocking movement of the seating unit; the locking unit being coupled with the reclining mechanism such that, when the seating unit is in the upright position, the locking mechanism is in the retracted position, and when the seating unit is in one of the reclined positions, the locking mechanism is in the extended position.