Rocker reclining mechanism for a rocker recliner rocking between the arms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11528993-B2
Application number	US-202117316932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2021
Priority date	Jun 15, 2020
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A rocker recliner is disclosed that has a pair of stationary arms; a seat disposed between the arms; an ottoman; a back coupled to the seat. A full-recline linkage mechanism couples the ottoman, the seat and the back and is operable to move the ottoman, the seat and the back between a closed position, a TV position and a fully reclined position. A rocker assembly is coupled between the full-recline linkage mechanism and the stationary arms that allows the seat, back and ottoman to rock between the stationary arms in any of the closed position, the TV position or the fully reclined position.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A recliner mechanism for a rocker recliner having a seat, a back, a footrest and a pair of arms, comprising:
a chassis plate configured to fixedly attach to an arm of the rocker recliner;
a support plate coupled to and supported by the chassis plate;
a rocker cam having an arcuate lower surface, positioned on the support plate;
a base plate coupled to the rocker cam;
a back mounting bracket having a first end opposite a second end, the back mounting bracket pivotally coupled to the base plate between the first end and the second end, the first end being configured for coupling to the back of the rocker recliner;
a seat rail being configured for coupling to the seat of the rocker recliner;
a seat plate having a front region, a center region and a back region, the back region of the seat plate pivotally coupled to the second end of the back mounting bracket and at least one of the front region or the center region coupled to the seat rail; and
a full recline linkage assembly coupled to the seat plate, the base plate and the back mounting bracket, and operable to position the rocker recliner between a closed position, a TV position, or a fully reclined position;
wherein the base plate supports a rocking motion of the footrest, seat and back in any position between the closed position and the fully reclined position with the arms in a stationary state.

2. The recliner mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the rocker cam comprises a lower cam section and an upper cam angle bracket, wherein the rocker cam is coupled to the base plate via the upper cam angle bracket, and wherein the upper cam angle bracket has a plurality of mounting holes that allow adjustment of the position of the upper cam angle bracket relative to the lower cam section.

3. The recliner mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the back mounting bracket is pivotally coupled to the base plate a distance above the seat rail, allowing the back of the rocker recliner to pivot over the stationary arms of the rocker recliner.

4. The recliner mechanism of claim 3 , wherein the base plate has a forward end and a rearward end, with the forward end being coupled to the cam angle bracket and the rearward end being pivotally coupled to the back mounting bracket, and wherein the forward end has a plurality of mounting holes that allow adjustment of the position of the base plate relative to the cam angle bracket.

5. The recliner mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a rocker spring assembly positioned on the support plate and at least indirectly coupled to the cam angle bracket, the position of the rocker spring assembly being adjustable relative to the cam angle bracket.

6. The recliner mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the full recline linkage assembly comprises a translation sub-linkage that translates the seat rail forwardly as the full recline linkage assembly moves to the fully reclined position.

7. The recliner mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the full recline linkage assembly comprises a lift sub-linkage that changes a pitch of the seat rail, such that the front of the seat rail raises more than the back of the seat rail, as the full recline linkage assembly moves to the TV position.

8. The recliner mechanism of claim 7 , further comprising a footrest linkage assembly coupled to the seat plate, and wherein the lift sub-linkage comprises a lift control link having a first end and a second end, the first end of the lift control link being coupled to a link of the footrest linkage assembly; and a lift link coupled on one end to the lift control link and coupled to the seat plate on the other end.

9. A rocker recliner, comprising;
a seat;
a back,
a footrest;
a pair of stationary arms;
a full-recline linkage mechanism coupling the footrest, the seat and the back;
an actuator coupled to the full-recline linkage mechanism, and operable to move the full-recline linkage mechanism to position the footrest, the seat and the back between a closed position, a TV position and a fully reclined position; and
a rocker assembly coupled between the full-recline linkage mechanism and the stationary arms, wherein the rocker assembly allows the seat, the back and the footrest to rock between the stationary arms in any of the closed position, the TV position or the fully reclined position.

10. The rocker recliner of claim 9 , wherein the full-recline linkage mechanism comprises:
a chassis plate configured to fixedly attach to an arm of the rocker recliner;
a support plate coupled to and supported by the chassis plate;
a rocker cam having an arcuate lower surface, positioned on the support plate;
a base plate coupled to the rocker cam;
a back mounting bracket having a first end opposite a second end, the back mounting bracket pivotally coupled to the base plate between the first end and the second end, the first end being configured for coupling to the back of the rocker recliner;
a seat rail being configured for coupling to the seat of the rocker recliner;
a seat plate having a front region, a center region and a back region, the back region of the seat plate pivotally coupled to the second end of the back mounting bracket and at least one of the front region or the center region coupled to the seat rail; and
a full recline linkage assembly coupled to the seat plate, the base plate and the back mounting bracket, and operable to position the rocker recliner between a closed position, a TV position, or a forward position;
wherein the base plate supports a rocking motion of the footrest, the seat and the back in any position between the closed position and the fully reclined position with the arms in a stationary state.

11. The rocker recliner of claim 10 , wherein the full recline linkage assembly comprises a translation sub-linkage that translates the seat rail forwardly as the full recline linkage assembly moves to the fully reclined position.

12. The rocker recliner of claim 10 , wherein the full recline linkage assembly comprises a lift sub-linkage that changes a pitch of the seat rail, such that the front of the seat rail raises more than the back of the seat rail, as the full recline linkage assembly moves to the TV position.

13. The rocker recliner of claim 10 , wherein the rocker cam comprises a lower cam section and an upper cam angle bracket, wherein the rocker cam is coupled to the base plate via the upper cam angle bracket, and wherein the upper cam angle bracket has a plurality of mounting holes that allow adjustment of the position of the upper cam angle bracket relative to the lower cam section.

14. The rocker recliner of claim 10 , wherein the back mounting bracket is pivotally coupled to the base plate a distance above the seat rail, allowing the back of the rocker recliner to pivot over the stationary arms of the rocker recliner.

15. The rocker recliner of claim 10 , wherein the full recline linkage assembly changes the center of gravity of the rocker recliner as the full recline linkage assembly moves to the TV position to counter-balance the opening of the footrest in the TV position.

Assignees

• L&P Property Man Co

Inventors

• Crum Michael Andrew
• Lawson Gregory Mark
• Crawford Cheston Brett

Classifications

• A47C7/506

  of adjustable type · CPC title

• A47C7/541

  of adjustable type (adjustable arm-rests of reclining or easy chairs A47C1/03) · CPC title

• A47C1/0355 Primary

  actuated by linkages, e.g. lazy-tongs mechanisms · CPC title

• A47C3/02

  Rocking chairs · CPC title

• A47C7/40

  for the back · CPC title