CN106998914B

CN106998914B - Furniture member and powered tilt and lift mechanism

Info

Publication number: CN106998914B
Application number: CN201580050814.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 拉里·P·拉普安特
Original assignee: La Z Boy Inc
Current assignee: La Z Boy Inc
Priority date: 2014-09-02
Filing date: 2015-08-27
Publication date: 2019-12-13
Anticipated expiration: 2035-08-27
Also published as: AU2015312292B2; MY188697A; JP2017529153A; NZ729426A; WO2016036567A1; EP3193668A4; IL251628A0; KR20170047290A; CN106998914A; MX2017002398A; BR112017003837A2; CA2959612A1; IL251628A; PH12017500353A1; EP3193668A1; CA2959612C; AU2015312292A1; KR101808994B1

Abstract

A furniture member includes a frame, a slide member, first and second rods, a shaft, and first and second leg members. The frame includes a chair portion movable between nominal, reclined, and raised positions relative to the base. The slide member is connected to the motor and is displaceable relative to the base. The first lever is connected to the slide member and the chair portion. The first lever moves the seat portion between nominal, reclined, and lift positions. The shaft is mounted to the base. The leg members are attached to the axle and include a forefoot and a rearfoot. The second rod is connected to the chair portion and slidably connected to the shaft. The second lever rotates the shaft in a first direction in response to moving to the tilted position and rotates the shaft in a second direction in response to moving to the elevated position.

Description

Furniture member and powered tilt and lift mechanism

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to U.S. patent application No. 14/475,175, filed on 9/2 of 2014, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application No. 13/611,873, filed on 9/12 of 2012. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

the present disclosure relates to furniture members and powered tilt and lift mechanisms.

Background

this section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

The powered lift chair may provide a motor operated transition from a seated position to a raised position of an occupant, which provides the occupant with a transition from the seated position to a standing position of about 50% or more. This feature is particularly beneficial for riders who are difficult to stand directly from the fully seated position.

Known powered lift chair designs may hinder the occupant from placing both feet near their center of gravity, and therefore require the occupant to exert more leg power than necessary to stand up even when the chair is in the fully raised position. In addition, known powered lift chair designs have complex operating mechanisms that are expensive to manufacture and therefore costly to purchase. Further, known powered lift chair designs do not provide multiple seat positions or amplitudes of movement to maximize occupant selection of seating and/or footrest positions.

Disclosure of Invention

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

In one form, the present invention provides a furniture member that may include a frame assembly, a motor, a slide member, a first rod, a shaft, first and second leg members, and a second rod. The frame assembly may include a chair portion movable relative to a base between a nominal position, an inclined position, and a raised position. The motor may be attached to the base. The slide member may be connected to the motor and displaceable in a first direction and a second direction relative to the base by selective operation of the motor. The first lever may be connected to the slide member and the chair portion. The first lever may move the chair portion between a nominal position, a reclined position, and a lift position in response to operation of the motor. The shaft is rotatably mounted to the base. The first and second leg members are attached to respective first and second ends of the shaft. Each of the first leg member and the second leg member may include a forefoot and a rearfoot. The second rod may be connected to the chair portion and slidably connected to the shaft. The second lever may rotate the shaft in the first direction in response to the chair portion moving to the reclined position. The second lever may rotate the shaft in the second direction in response to the chair portion moving to the raised position.

In some embodiments, the front feet of the first and second leg members extend through the base in a tilted position such that the rear of the base and the front feet of the first and second leg members support the weight of the furniture member and the front of the base is spaced apart from the ground on which the furniture member is located.

In some embodiments, the rear feet of the first and second leg members extend through the base in the elevated position such that the front portion of the base and the rear feet of the first and second leg members support the weight of the furniture member and the rear portion of the base is spaced from the ground.

In some embodiments, the first leg member and the second leg member are substantially U-shaped members.

In some embodiments, the base includes a plurality of apertures through which the forefoot and rearfoot of the first and second leg members are extendable.

in some embodiments, the furniture member includes a leg rest mechanism having a leg rest link and a leg rest member that are movable between an extended position and a retracted position independently of movement of the first and second rods.

In some embodiments, the leg rest mechanism includes a leg rest motor drivingly engaged with the leg rest link.

In some embodiments, the shaft is rotatably supported by a bearing mount fixedly mounted to the base.

In some embodiments, the first and second leg members are fixedly attached to the shaft by first and second brackets, respectively.

In some embodiments, the second rod includes an elongated slot that slidably receives a peg fixedly attached to the shaft.

In some embodiments, the slider connected to the first rod has a longer range of motion than the elongated slot such that the peg slides along the elongated slot of the second rod only for a portion of the range of motion of the slider.

In some embodiments, continued movement of the slider in the rearward direction beyond a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the forward end of the elongated slot causes the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate relative to the base in a first rotational direction.

In some embodiments, continued movement of the slider in the forward direction beyond a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the rear end of the elongated slot causes the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate relative to the base in a second rotational direction.

In some embodiments, the furniture member may be a chair.

In some embodiments, the furniture member may be a sofa or a portion of a sofa.

In some embodiments, the angle between the seat back of the chair portion and the seat bottom of the chair portion increases by a predetermined amount when the chair portion moves from the nominal position to the elevated position. The predetermined amount may be, for example, about five degrees.

In another form, the invention provides a furniture member that may include a base member, a chair frame, a mechanism, and first and second leg members. The base member may include a front end and a rear end. The chair frame is movable relative to the base member between a nominal position, an inclined position, and a raised position. The mechanism may move the chair frame between nominal, tilted, and elevated positions relative to the base member. The first and second leg members each have a forefoot and a heel movably mounted to the base member such that the forefoot extends through the base member in the tilted position and the heel extends through the base member in the raised position. The front and rear ends of the base may support the weight of the furniture member in the nominal position. The forefoot and rear end portions may support weight in an inclined position. The rear foot and the front end portion can support the weight in the lifted position.

In some embodiments, the mechanism includes a motor attached to the base member, a slide member connected to the motor, and a first rod connected to the slide member and the chair frame.

In some embodiments, the furniture member includes a shaft rotatably mounted to the base member; and a second rod connected to the chair frame and slidably connected to the shaft. The second lever may rotate the shaft in a first direction in response to the chair frame moving to the tilted position and rotate the shaft in a second direction in response to the chair frame moving to the raised position.

in some embodiments, the slider connected to the first rod has a longer range of motion than the elongated slot such that the peg slides along the elongated slot of the second rod only within a portion of the range of motion of the sliding member.

In some embodiments, continued movement of the slide member in the rearward direction beyond a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the forward end of the elongated slot causes the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate relative to the base member in the first rotational direction.

in some embodiments, continued movement of the slide member in the forward direction beyond a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the rear end of the elongated slot causes the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate relative to the base member in the second rotational direction.

In some embodiments, the shaft is rotatably supported by a bearing mount fixedly mounted to the base member.

In some embodiments, the base member includes a plurality of apertures through which the forefoot and rearfoot of the first and second leg members are extendable.

in some embodiments, the furniture member includes a leg rest mechanism including a leg rest link and a leg rest member movable between an extended position and a retracted position independently of movement of the first and second leg members.

In some embodiments, the furniture member may be a chair.

In some embodiments, the furniture member may be a sofa or a portion of a sofa.

In some embodiments, the angle between the back of the chair frame and the seat bottom of the chair frame increases by a predetermined amount when the chair frame is moved from the nominal position to the elevated position. The predetermined amount may be, for example, about five degrees.

further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a front right perspective view of a furniture member having a powered lift mechanism shown in a nominal seating position;

FIG. 2 is the furniture member of FIG. 1 shown in a maximum lift position;

FIG. 3 is a front left perspective view of the base of the furniture member of FIG. 1 showing the powered lift mechanism in an exploded view;

FIG. 4 is a front left perspective view of FIG. 3, showing the powered lift mechanism assembled;

FIG. 5 is a front right perspective exploded assembly view of the chair portion of the furniture member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a rear right perspective view of the base and chair portions of FIGS. 4 and 5 during assembly;

FIG. 7 is a front right perspective view of the furniture member of FIG. 1 in a forwardly elevated position;

FIG. 8 is a front right perspective view of the furniture member of FIG. 1 in a reclined and seatback rotated position;

FIG. 9 is a front right perspective view of the furniture member of FIG. 1 in a footrest extended position;

FIG. 10 is a front right perspective view of the furniture member of FIG. 1 in a back rotated and foot rest extended position;

FIG. 11 is a front right perspective view of the furniture member of FIG. 9 in a footrest extended position and further in a forwardly elevated position;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the furniture member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional right side elevational view taken at section 13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional rear elevational view taken at section 14 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a left side elevational view of the furniture member of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the furniture member of FIG. 2 taken at section 16 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 17 is a partial front left perspective view of the furniture member of FIG. 2;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional right side elevational view of the furniture member of FIG. 13, further illustrating the chair portion in a rearwardly tilted position;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional right side elevational view of the furniture member of FIG. 13, further illustrating the chair portion in a fully extended footrest position;

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional right side elevational view of the furniture member of FIG. 18, further illustrating the chair portion in a fully reclined position of the chair back;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional right side elevational view of the furniture member of FIG. 20, further showing the chair portion in a fully extended footrest position;

FIG. 22 is a right side elevational view of another furniture member (with the right armrest removed) in the nominal position;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the mechanism of the furniture member of FIG. 22 in a nominal position;

FIG. 24 is a right side elevational view of the furniture member in the nominal position with the leg rest mechanism in the extended position;

FIG. 25 is a right side elevational view of the furniture member in a fully reclined position;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the mechanism in a fully tilted position;

FIG. 27 is a right side elevational view of the furniture member in a fully raised position;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the mechanism in a fully raised position; and is

Fig. 29 is a perspective view of an alternative configuration of a leg member of the furniture member of fig. 22-28.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to fig. 1, a lift chair 10 includes a rotatable frame assembly 12 having a seat back assembly 14 rotatably connected to the frame assembly 12 and a footrest member 16 connected to the frame assembly 12 and extendable/retractable relative to the frame assembly 12. Frame assembly 12 includes a base 18 positioned inside a chair portion 20 and rotatable relative to chair portion 20. For clarity, seat support springs, padding or upholstery known in the art as commonly applied to lift chairs are not shown in lift chair 10. The lift chair 10 is supported on a floor or flat surface using a square or rectangular shaped base platform 22 that is included in the base 18 according to several embodiments. The chair portion 20 further includes a first armrest portion 24 (corresponding to the right side of an occupant seated in the lift chair 10) and a second armrest portion 26 (corresponding to the left side of a seated occupant). The lift chair 10 also includes several components that are movably displaceable using a mechanism 28. The mechanisms 28 are controlled independently or in combination: forward and rearward rotational displacement of the seatback assembly 14; extension/retraction of leg rest member 16 between the stowed position shown to an outwardly extended position shown and described with reference to fig. 9 and 10; and upward and downward rotation of the chair portion 20 relative to the base portion 18 to provide a plurality of occupant seating positions and a fully raised position.

Referring to fig. 2 and again to fig. 1, the lift chair 10 is shown rotated upward/forward from the nominal seating position of fig. 1 to a maximum lift position for a user to enter or exit the lift chair 10. To rotate the lift chair 10 from a nominal seating position, defined as a position (shown in fig. 1) in which the seat back is fully upright and the foot rest is stowed, to a lift position (shown in fig. 2), a lift mechanism portion 30 of the mechanism 28 is actuated by the occupant, lifting and rotating the seat portion 20 relative to a frame rotation axis 32, which rotates the seat portion 20 in a lift rotation direction "a". In the fully raised position shown, seat back assembly 14 is positioned in a fully upright position and leg rest member 16 is positioned in its stowed position. Mechanism 28 further includes a leg rest mechanism portion 34, which will be described in greater detail with reference to figure 5, that is not operated during rotation of chair portion 20 to the fully raised position. As can also be seen in fig. 2, the chair portion 20 further includes a first inner armrest member 36 positioned to the right hand side of the occupant and a second inner armrest member 38 positioned to the left hand side of the occupant, nested between a first base frame member 40 and a second base frame member 42.

referring to fig. 3 and again to fig. 1, the components of the lift mechanism portion 30 of the mechanism 28 are positioned in a cavity defined between a first base frame member 40 and a second base frame member 42. The first base frame member 40 is positioned proximate a base platform first edge 44 of the base platform 22 and the second base frame member 42 is positioned proximate a base platform second edge 46 of the base platform 22. The first base frame member 40 and the second base frame member 42 are parallel with respect to each other and substantially perpendicular to the base platform 22. A third base frame member 48 defining a rearward facing wall of the base 18 is positioned proximate a base platform third edge 50 of the base platform 22. The plurality of feet 51 are adjustably connected to the base platform 22 at a plurality of foot positioning holes 52, respectively. The feet 51 ensure that the four corners of the base platform 22 are contacted and equally supported.

The first base frame member 40 and the second base frame member 42 are each provided with an intersection angle 53, and the frame member leading edges 54 of the first base frame member 40 and the second base frame member 42, respectively, intersect the base platform 22. The intersection angle 53 of each of the first and second base frame members 40, 42 is positioned spaced and rearward relative to the base platform front edge 55 of the base platform 22. According to several aspects, the first base frame member 40 includes a first receiving surface 56 that is parallel to an upper surface 58 of the base platform 22. The first receiving surface 56 is positioned proximate the frame member front edge 54 of the first base frame member 40. A second receiving surface 60 is similarly provided on the second base frame member 42 parallel to the upper surface 58 and coplanar with respect to the first receiving surface 56. A first receiving slot 62 of generally U-shape is formed downwardly with respect to the first receiving surface 56. The first receiving slot 62 receives a first U-shaped journal 64 that is sized to be slidably received in the first receiving slot 62 in a downward direction. The first U-shaped journal 64 integrally includes a first connecting member 66 that may be integrally incorporated as a unitary molded plastic component. Once the first U-shaped journal 64 is received in the first receiving slot 62, a connecting member fastener 68 is inserted from an exterior side or surface of the first base frame member 40 and received in a threaded hole of the first connecting member 66 to secure the position of the first connecting member 66.

A second U-shaped journal 70 of a second connecting member 72 that is a duplicate or mirror image of the first connecting member 66 is similarly positioned in a U-shaped second receiving slot formed in the second receiving surface 60 of the second base frame member 42. The second connecting member 72 is shown in its installed position. In the mounted position of the first and second connecting members 66, 72, the upper edges 74 of the two members are positioned substantially flush with or slightly above the first and second receiving surfaces 56, 60. Additionally, the upper edges 74 of the first and second U-shaped journals 64, 70 may extend partially into the U-shaped grooves defined by the U-shaped journals 64, 70. The purpose of this extension will be better described with reference to fig. 6.

the frame member forward edges 54 of the first and second base frame members 40, 42 define an acute angle α with a plane defined by the upper surface 58 of the base platform 22. The purpose of the angle alpha will be better described with reference to fig. 16. It should be noted that the intersection angle 53 is recessed rearwardly relative to the base platform forward edge 55 to create an angle α.

With continuing reference to fig. 3 and with further reference to fig. 1, the lift mechanism portion 30 includes a lift motor 76, which according to several aspects is a Direct Current (DC) motor. The mounting bracket 78 is connected to a forward face 80 of the third base frame member 48 and is also connected to the upper surface 58 of the base platform 22. The mounting bracket 78 includes coaxial through-holes 82, only one of which is best seen in FIG. 3, which slidably receive a component mounting pin 84 to connect a component including the lift motor 76 and a gearbox housing 86 directly connected to the lift motor 76 that includes internal gears (not shown) that drive and directly connect to internal worm gears (not shown) of a worm gear drive assembly 88. It should be noted that the description of a "worm drive" or gear in this disclosure is not limiting and may be replaced by other drives or gears known in the art.

Operation of the lift motor 76 slidably displaces a worm gear slide 90 that is slidably disposed on the worm gear drive assembly 88 and that is displaced in a slide lift direction "B" or an opposite slide return direction "C" during worm gear operation of the worm gear drive assembly 88. The assembly end 92 of the worm drive assembly 88 is attached to the upper surface 58 of the base platform 22 using an assembly end bracket 94. First and second triangular guide members 96 and 98, respectively, positioned on opposite sides of the worm gear drive assembly 88. According to several aspects, the first and second guide members 96, 98 are molded plastic components; however, alternative materials may be used. First guide member 96 includes a first elongated slot 100 and second guide member 98 includes a second elongated slot 102, both of which are positioned proximate upper walls or edges 103, 103' of first and second guide members 96, 98. Elongated slots 100, 102 are oriented in substantially parallel axial alignment with one another in the installed position of first and second guide members 96, 98. Each of the first and second guide members 96, 98 also includes a low-height end 104 toward the forward or forward facing portion of the base 18, and a high-height end 106 toward the rearward facing end of the third base frame member 48 or base 18. Thus, the slots 100, 102 have a continuous rear-to-front downward pitch or angle with respect to the upper surface 58. Each of the first and second guide members 96, 98 also includes a planar support surface 108 that rests on and is secured to the upper surface 58 of the base platform 22.

The elevator mechanism portion 30 further includes a rectangular and hollow metal elevator rod or tube 110. The lifter bar 110 may be a generally L-shaped bar including a first tube portion 112 that is substantially straight and a second tube portion 114 that is angularly oriented with respect to the first tube portion 112. The lifting rod 110 is connected to the worm gear slider 90 and thus displaced during its sliding movement. The combined weight of the majority of the chair portion 20 plus the majority of the occupant's weight is distributed through the lifter bar 110 to the worm gear slide 90 and thus to the first and second guide members 96, 98 such that no bending occurs over the length of the worm gear drive assembly 88.

To provide a sliding connection between the worm gear slider 90 and the first and second guide members 96, 98, two shoulder bolts are provided. First shoulder bolt 116 includes a bolt head 118, a bolt sleeve 120, and a bolt shank 122 opposite bolt head 118. During assembly, bolt screw 122 and bolt sleeve 120 of first shoulder bolt 116 are disposed through elongated slot 100 of first guide member 96. The tube connecting end 124 of the lifter bar 110 is positioned between a first inner face 126 of the first guide member 96 and a first sliding face 128 of the worm gear slider 90. After bolt screw 122 and bolt sleeve 120 of first shoulder bolt 116 extend through elongated slot 100, they are slidably disposed through a tube through bore 130 formed in tube connecting end 124. The bolt screw 122 extends out of the tube through bore 130 and is threadedly engaged with a first threaded bore 132 formed in the first sliding surface 128 of the worm gear slide 90. Different portions of the bolt sleeve 120 are slidably received in the elongated slot 100 and rotatably received in the tube through bore 130, thus allowing sliding movement of the worm gear slide 90 and rotation of the lifter bar 110 relative to the central axis of the first shoulder bolt 116. Thus, sliding contact of first shoulder bolt 116 with the wall of first elongated slot 100 distributes half of the weight received at worm gear slide 90 onto first guide member 96 and base platform 22 at any sliding position of worm gear slide 90.

The lifter bar 110 is also connected to the second guide member 98 in the following manner. The offset flange 134 is fastenably coupled to the tube connecting end 124 using bracket fasteners 136. The biasing flange 134 is integrally connected to the connecting bracket 138. The attachment bracket 138 is substantially planar such that the attachment bracket 138 may rest on a plurality of ribs defining a sliding surface 140 of the worm gear slider 90. The transverse flange 142 is oriented transversely with respect to the connecting bracket 138 and is integrally connected to the connecting bracket 138 and contacts a second sliding surface 144 of the worm gear slider 90, which second sliding surface 144 is parallel to the first sliding surface 128 but oppositely oriented. Lateral flange aperture 146 of lateral flange 142 is positioned proximate a bushing 148, and bushing 148 is disposed between lateral flange 142 and a second inner face 150 of second guide member 98. The bushing 148 has a length that generally corresponds to the width of the lifter bar 110 such that the first and second guide members 96, 98 are substantially equidistant from and spaced relative to the worm gear drive assembly 88. Bushing bore 152 of bushing 148 is coaxially aligned with transverse flange bore 146 and, similar to first shoulder bolt 116, second shoulder bolt 154 is assembled by extending second shoulder bolt 154 through elongated slot 102, bushing bore 152, transverse flange bore 146, and a threaded bore (not visible in this view) formed in second sliding surface 144 of worm gear slide 90. Thus, the second shoulder bolt 154 similarly provides sliding support for the weight that is distributed through the worm gear slider 90 to the second guide member 98 and thus to half of the base platform 22.

Referring to fig. 4 and again to fig. 1-3, the base 18 is shown after the elevator mechanism portion 30 is assembled. In the assembled state shown, worm gear slide 90 is positioned in an intermediate or nominal position that provides a basic seating position for an occupant of lift chair 10. Upon subsequent operation of the lift motor 76, the gear housing 86 and the worm gear drive assembly 88, the worm gear slider 90 is slidably disposed in the slider lifting direction "B" to displace the lift lever 110 rearwardly and upwardly to achieve a fully raised position relative to the lift chair shown in FIG. 2. The weight of the occupant, which is transmitted to the worm wheel slider 90 via the lifter 110, is dispersed to the first and second guide members 96 and 98 by the first and second shoulder bolts 116 and 154. In the nominal position of the worm gear slide 90, the first and second shoulder bolts 116, 154 are positioned approximately two-thirds along the length of the elongated slots 100, 102 as viewed forward relative to the lift motor 76. Furthermore, in the nominal position of the worm gear slider 90, the connecting bracket 138 lies substantially flat relative to the worm gear slider 90. In the assembled position of the base 18, the first and second U-shaped journals 64, 70 are fixed in position, and thus the base 18 is ready to receive the chair portion 20, as will be described with reference to fig. 6.

Referring to fig. 5 and again to fig. 1, the chair portion 20 is assembled as follows. The first and second chair frame members 156, 158 are positioned substantially parallel relative to one another. The chair frame structure tubes 160 are fixed to the rear end of each of the first and second chair frame members 156 and 158 to provide a predetermined frame spacing. The chair frame front connecting member 162 connects the front ends of the first and second chair frame members 156 and 158. The footrest mechanism portion 34 is positioned between and supported by the chair frame structural tube 160 and the chair frame front connecting member 162.

Leg rest mechanism portion 34 includes a leg rest drive motor 164, which according to several aspects is a dc motor. Leg rest drive motor 164 is connected to drive connection member 166 which is used to rotate drive rod 168 using drive rod connection member 170. The support shaft 172 is positioned in parallel with the drive rod 168 and includes a portion that extends outward via a hole 173, 173' formed in each of the first and second chair frame members 156, 158. The extension portion will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 6. The first and second pantograph linkages 174 and 176 are each connected to the drive rod 168 and the support shaft 172. Operation of leg rest drive motor 164 causes drive rod connection member 170 to extend, which axially rotates drive rod 168. Rotation of the drive rod 168 serves to extend or retract the first and second pantograph linkages 174 and 176. The first pantograph linkage 174 extends through a first clearance opening 178 formed in the chair frame front linkage member 162. Similarly, the second pantograph linkage 176 extends through a second clearance opening 180 of the chair frame front linkage member 162. Each of the first pantograph linkage 174 and the second pantograph linkage 176 is connected to the leg rest member 16. Thus, extension or retraction of first pantograph linkage 174 and second pantograph linkage 176 extends or retracts leg rest member 16.

With continued reference to figure 5, the chair portion 20 further includes a seat frame 182 partially supported on first and second swing assemblies 184 and 186 rotatably connected to a tube assembly 188. A first rear swing assembly 190 is also connected to the tube assembly 188 and a first back bracket assembly 192 is connected to the first rear swing assembly 190. Similarly, a second rear swing assembly 194 is also connected to the tube assembly 188 and a second back bracket assembly 196 is connected to the second rear swing assembly 194. The first and second back bracket assemblies 192 and 196 are adapted to releasably connect the seatback assembly 14. Rotation of the tube assembly 188 relative to the first and second rear swing assemblies 190 and 194 displaces the first and second swing assemblies 184 and 186, which displaces the seat frame 182 forward or rearward.

referring to fig. 6 and again to fig. 1-5, the frame assembly 12 is assembled by inserting the assembled chair portion 20 into the assembled base 18 by loading the chair portion 20 in the downward mounting direction "D" until the first and second shaft extensions 198 and 199 (shown in phantom in fig. 6) as integral extensions of the support shaft 172 are received in the separate first and second U-shaped journals 64 and 70 (only the first U-shaped journal 64 is clearly visible in this view). The first and second shaft extensions 198, 199 are snapped into place within the first and second U-shaped journals 64, 70 by pressing the first and second shaft extensions 198, 199 downward such that they are pressed into the upper edges 74 extending into the first and second U-shaped journals 64, 70 with a smaller clearance of the diameters of the first and second U-shaped journals 64, 70 than the first and second extensions 198, 199, thereby defining a friction snap fit, after which the upper edges 74 prevent the shaft extensions 198, 199 from being removed. The material selection for the U-shaped journals 64, 70 provides a low coefficient of friction and thus may be a polyamide or teflon material or similar polymeric material to minimize resistance to rotation of the chair portion 20 relative to the base portion 18.

To assemble the chair portion 20 to the base 18, the first shaft extension 198 and the second shaft extension 199 are snapped into the separate first U-shaped journal 64 and second U-shaped journal 70 separately and sequentially (in any order) after the chair portion 20 is received within the base 18. The second tube portion 114 of the lifter bar 110 is then positioned in a clevis 200 that is secured to the tube assembly 188. The bore of clevis insulator bushing 202 receives a tube mounting pin 204, and tube mounting pin 204 also extends through a second tube bore 206 formed in second tube portion 114 such that second tube portion 114 is rotatably coupled to clevis 200. The tube mounting pin 204 may be secured in place after insertion using a standard hairpin clip (not shown). The third base frame member 48 of the base 18 substantially serves as the rear wall when the seat portion 20 is received in the base 18, although additional structural members may be used to connect the first and second chair frame members 156, 158. A motor controlled remote control 208 is then connected to the mechanism 28 for selective operation by the occupant to operate one or both of the lift mechanism portion 30 and/or the leg rest mechanism portion 34. At this time, the footrest member 16 is freely extended forward by the operation of the footrest mechanism portion 34.

Referring to fig. 7 and again to fig. 1, the lift chair 10 is movable from the nominal position shown in fig. 1 to the forward lift position shown in fig. 7 by operation of the lift mechanism portion 30, which results in forward rotation of the chair portion 20 relative to the frame rotation axis 32. Each of the first and second armrest portions 24, 26 includes an armrest outer frame 210 having a first frame lower surface 212 at a rear end of the armrest outer frame 210 and a second frame lower surface 214 positioned at a front end of the armrest outer frame 210. First frame lower surface 212 is oriented at an angle relative to second frame lower surface 214. When chair portion 20 is rotated in the lift rotation direction "A", second frame lower surface 214 is aligned parallel with base platform 22 and first frame lower surface 212 is raised relative to base platform third edge 50. In this forward-lift position, seat back assembly 14 is in its upright position and leg rest member 16 is in its stowed position.

Referring to fig. 8 and again to fig. 1 and 7, the lift chair 10 may also be positioned in a rearward tilted position by operation of the lift mechanism portion 30. When the chair portion 20 is rotated in the chair downward rotation direction "E" relative to the frame rotation axis 32, the first frame lower surface 212 is aligned parallel with the base platform 22 and the second frame lower surface 214 is raised relative to the base platform 22. With further operation of the riser mechanism portion 30, the seatback assembly 14 rotates in the seatback tilt direction "F", which directly results in forward displacement of the seat frame 182 in the seat frame extension direction "G". The forward displacement of the seat frame 182 is caused by the rotation/displacement of the tube assembly 188 during operation of the lift mechanism portion 30. At this point, leg rest member 16 is still in its stowed position. Thus, operation of the footrest mechanism portion 34 need not reach the illustrated reclined position of the lift chair and the reclined position of the back assembly.

Referring to fig. 9 and again to fig. 1, 3 and 7-8, in the nominal position of the lift chair shown in fig. 1, with the seatback assembly 14 in the fully upright position, the footrest members 16 may be extended by operation of the footrest mechanism portion 34. Operation of the leg rest drive motor 164 causes the first and second pantograph linkages 174 and 176 to extend (for clarity, only the first pantograph linkage 174 is shown). The footrest members 16 can be extended without repositioning the seat frame 182.

referring to fig. 10 and again to fig. 9, with leg rest member 16 in the fully extended position, additional operation of the riser mechanism portion 30 can be used to rotate the seatback assembly 14 in the seatback recline direction "F" from the fully upright position to the seatback recline position. In this position, the seatback assembly 14 is fully rotated in the seatback recline direction "F", the seat frame 182 is extended forward, and the leg rest member 16 is fully extended.

Referring to fig. 11 and again to fig. 7, with lift chair 10 already positioned in the forward lift position, footrest member 16 can be extended by operation of footrest mechanism portion 34 before or after chair portion 20 is rotated in lift rotation direction "a" to the forward lift position. Again, in the forward-lift position, the second frame lower surface 214 of the armrest outer frame 210 is oriented substantially parallel to the base platform 22 or in direct contact with the base platform 22, and the first frame lower surface 212 is elevated relative to the base platform 22. From this position, chair portion 20 may return to the nominal position shown in fig. 1 before leg rest member 16 returns to the stowed position, or leg rest member 16 may return to the stowed position before chair portion 20 returns to the nominal position.

Referring to fig. 12 and again to fig. 1 and 3, in the lift chair-rated position, an occupant seated on the seat frame 182 distributes his or her weight substantially onto the worm gear slide 90, and thus onto the first and second guide members 96, 98. The weight of the occupant supported by the worm wheel slider 90 is substantially maintained by dispersing the weight via the lift lever 110 during the operation of the lifter portion 30 in either one of the slider lifting direction "B" or the slider returning direction "C".

Referring to fig. 13 and again to fig. 1, 3, 5 and 12, in the booster rated position with the seatback assembly 14 in the fully upright position and the leg rest member 16 in the stowed position, the chair frame rear wall/connecting member 216 of the chair portion 20 extends below and rearward of the third base frame member 48. The frame member lower end 218 of the chair frame rear connecting member 216 is positioned generally below the upper end 220 of the third base frame member 48. Further, as previously described, in the nominal lift chair seating position, the first shoulder bolt 116 (and the second shoulder bolt 154, not visible in this view) are positioned substantially two-thirds of the length of the elongated slot 100 relative to the rear-to-front orientation of the elongated slot 100. The chair portion defines a four-sided wood structure, including: a first chair frame member 156 and a second chair frame member 158 oriented parallel to one another; a rear wall member 216 connected to and oriented perpendicular to the first and second chair frame members 156, 158; and a front wall member 162 connected to and oriented perpendicular to the first and second chair frame members 156, 158. The base 18 also defines a four-sided wood structure, including: a first base frame member 40 and a second base frame member 42 oriented parallel to each other; a rectangular base platform 22 oriented perpendicular to the first base frame member 40 and the second base frame member 42; and a third base frame member 48 defining a rearward facing wall of the base 18.

Referring to fig. 14 and again to fig. 13, a first portion of the weight of the occupant of the lift chair 10 is partially dispersed onto the first and second base frame members 40, 42 by the first and second shaft extensions 198, 199 of the support shaft 172. As described above, the second portion of the occupant's weight is distributed to the components of the lift mechanism portion 30 and thus to the base platform 22 via the tube assembly 188 and the lift pins 110. As shown in fig. 14, the first base frame member 40 is positioned in the cavity between the first inner armrest member 36 of the first armrest portion 24 and the armrest outer frame 210. Similarly, the second base frame member 42 is positioned in the cavity between the second inner armrest member 38 of the second armrest portion 26 and the armrest outer frame 211 (similar to the armrest outer frame 210).

referring to fig. 15 and again to fig. 2, when the lift chair 10 is positioned in the maximum elevated position by rotation of the chair portion 20 about the frame rotation axis 32, there is still a gap between the lower end 222 of the footrest member 16 and the base platform 22. It should again be noted that the fully raised position of lift chair 10 is only achieved when leg rest member 16 is in the fully stowed position.

Referring to fig. 16 and again to fig. 3 and 15, the orientation of the frame member front edges 54 of the first and second base frame members 40, 42 at the angle α and the rearward positioning of the intersection angle 53 relative to the frame member front edge 54 provide additional clearance to move the occupant's feet rearward to a position closer to the occupant's center of gravity to assist the occupant in standing up from the fully raised position of the lift chair. In the fully raised position, the second shoulder bolt 154 is positioned at the full rear end of the elongated slot 102 and may be in direct contact with the slot rear end wall 224 of the elongated slot 102. First shoulder bolt 116 (not visible in this view) is also similarly positioned relative to first elongated slot 100. Thus, the lifter bar 110 provides a maximum extension height at the clevis 200. At the maximum extended height, a vertical plane 226 defined at a front edge 228 of the seat frame 182 is oriented vertically with respect to the floor surface 230. The spacing between the vertical plane 226 and the base platform front edge 55 provides additional space for the feet of the occupant to be positioned behind the vertical plane 226, thus bringing the feet closer to the center of gravity of the occupant than known lift chairs. This enhances the ability of the occupant to stand and leave the lift chair 10.

referring to fig. 17 and again to fig. 3 and 4, most of the structural components of lift chair 10 have been removed for clarity, showing the right hand components for operation of footrest member 16, and making visible the components of lift mechanism portion 30 when the lift chair is in the maximum lift position. During rotation to the full lift position of the lift chair, the leg rest drive motor 164 is not operated. Thus, the drive bar connection member 170 is in its fully retracted position, as is the first pantograph linkage 174. When worm gear slide 90 is displaced in a slide lift direction "B" rearward relative to an occupant of lift chair 10, connecting bracket 138 and lift rod 110 rotate such that second tube portion 114 connected to clevis 200 provides maximum lift for tube assembly 188. As the worm gear slider 90 moves in the slider lifting direction "B", a shoulder bolt (such as the second shoulder bolt 154 shown) slides within an elongated slot (such as the elongated slot 102 shown) toward the high-height ends 106 of the first and second guide members 96, 98. The rearward displacement of the worm gear slide 90 and the increased height of the shoulder bolt provides the maximum lift position. The maximum lift position is reached when shoulder bolts 116, 154 reach the slot rear end wall 224 of each of the respective first and second elongated slots 100, 102. The lift chair 10 will remain in the fully raised position until the occupant re-operates the lift motor 76 to return the lift chair 10 to the nominal position shown in fig. 1 or any other operating position described herein.

Referring to fig. 18 and again to fig. 8, in the chair reclined position provided by operation of the lift mechanism portion 30, the chair portion 20 rotates in the chair downward rotation direction "E" until the first frame lower surface 212 is parallel to or in contact with the upper surface 58 of the base platform 22. The chair recline position places the back assembly 14 in its furthest upright position, resulting in the lift pins 110 being in a lowermost position relative to the base platform 22. During the transition toward the chair rearward-inclined position, the shoulder bolts 116, 154 are displaced in the slide-back direction "C" in the first and second elongated slots 100, 102, moving toward the slot front end wall 232. In the chair recline position, the frame member lower end 218 of the chair frame rear connecting member 216 is at its lowest height position and is positioned proximate to the base platform 22.

referring to fig. 19 and again to fig. 9, in the chair upright footrest extended position of lift chair 10, operating footrest mechanism portion 34 causes extended drive shaft 234 to displace drive rod connecting member 170 and thereby rotate drive rod 168, wherein drive shaft 234 is extended from drive connecting member 166 by operation of footrest drive motor 164. As previously described, rotation of drive rod 168 extends leg rest member 16 to the fully extended position. The lifter bar 110 and shoulder bolts 116, 154 (such as the first shoulder bolt 116 shown) are in positions corresponding to the nominal positions of the lift chair 10 shown in fig. 1. Thus, the only operation required to extend leg rest member 16 is by operating leg rest drive motor 164 to operate leg rest mechanism portion 34.

Referring to fig. 20 and again to fig. 18, to change from the chair recline position shown in fig. 18 to further achieve maximum rearward rotation of the seat back assembly 14 in the seat back recline direction "F", the lift mechanism portion 30 is operated to displace the worm gear slide 90 in the slide return direction "C" toward its earlier position in the nominal position of the lift chair 10. Thus, the worm gear slide 90 moves in the slide return direction "C" until the shoulder bolts 116, 154 (such as the first shoulder bolt 116 shown) contact the slot front end walls 232 of the first and second elongated slots 100, 102. In this position, the lift pins 110 are raised, as compared to the chair tilted back position shown in fig. 18, which allows for full rearward rotation of the seatback assembly 14 and forward displacement of the seat frame 182 in the seat frame extension direction "G". Again, the maximum chair recline position may be achieved when leg rest member 16 is in its fully stowed position.

Referring to fig. 21 and again to fig. 20, to change from the maximum chair recline position shown in fig. 20 to further include full extension of footrest member 16, footrest mechanism portion 34 can be further operated to extend footrest member 16 to the fully extended position shown when operation of lift mechanism portion 30 is complete.

Referring to fig. 22-28, another furniture member 500 is provided. The structure and function of the furniture member 500 may be similar or identical to that of the lift chair 10 described above, with any exception noted below. Therefore, similar features will not be described in detail.

Briefly, furniture member 500 may include a base portion 518 and a chair portion 520 rotatably mounted to base portion 518. The lift/tilt mechanism 530 is mounted to the base platform 522 of the base 518 and is operable to move the chair portion 520 and the base 518 between a nominal position (fig. 22), a "zero-gravity tilt position," or a fully tilted position (fig. 25), and a fully raised position (fig. 27). It should be appreciated that the lift/tilt mechanism 530 may move the base portion 518 and the chair portion 520 to any position between the tilted position and the raised position. The leg rest mechanism 534 is coupled to the chair portion 520 and the leg rest member 516, and is operable to move the leg rest member 516 relative to the base portion 518 and the chair portion 520 between a retracted position (fig. 22 and 27) and an extended position (fig. 24 and 25). Leg rest mechanism 534 is operable independently of lift/tilt mechanism 530. The structure and function of leg rest mechanism 534 may be similar or identical to that of leg rest mechanism 34 described above and therefore will not be described in detail.

The structure and function of lift/tilt mechanism 530 may be similar to that of mechanism 30 described above, with any exceptions noted herein and/or shown in the figures. Therefore, similar features will not be described in detail. Similar to the mechanism 30, the mechanism 530 may include the motor 76, the worm drive assembly 88, the first guide member 96, the second guide member 98, and the lift pins 110 (as shown in fig. 23). As described above, operation of the motor 76 causes the slider 90 to move along the worm gear drive assembly 88 and the first and second guide members 96, 98. As described above, the first end of the lift pins 110 is coupled to the slide 90 and the second end of the lift pins 110 is coupled to the tube assembly 188, which in turn is coupled to the chair portion 520.

As shown in fig. 23, the lift/tilt mechanism 530 further includes a shaft 540, first and second legs 542, 544 and a generally L-shaped extension bar 546. The shaft 540 is rotatably supported by a pair of bearing blocks 548 fixedly mounted to the base platform 522. The first end 550 of the shaft 540 may be fixedly mounted to the first leg 542 by a bracket 552. A second end 554 of the shaft 540 may be fixedly mounted to the second leg 544 by another bracket 552. In this manner, the shaft and the first and second legs 542, 544 can rotate relative to each other relative to the base portion 518 and the chair portion 520 (see fig. 22, 25, and 27).

First leg 542 and second leg 544 may be generally U-shaped members that each include a forefoot 556 and a rearfoot 558. The base platform 522 may include a plurality of apertures 560, each of which is generally aligned with a respective one of the feet 556, 558 of the first and second legs 542, 544. As shown in fig. 23, 26, and 28, the apertures 560 allow the feet 556, 558 to extend through the base platform 522, as will be described in more detail below.

Fig. 29 depicts an alternative configuration of legs 542, 544. The configuration shown in fig. 29 may be a molded plastic, metal or composite part, rather than a tubular metal, plastic or composite part. The configuration shown in fig. 29 is attached to mechanism 530 in the same manner as the configuration shown in fig. 22-28, and also functions in the same manner.

as shown in fig. 23, another bracket 562 is fixedly attached to the shaft 540 between the first end 550 and the first guide member 96. The bracket 562 includes a first member 564 and a second member 566 that engage a peg or pin 568. The first portion 570 of the extension rod 546 is disposed between the first and second members 564, 566 and includes an elongated slot 572 that slidably receives the pin 568 such that the extension rod 546 is slidable relative to the bracket 562 and the shaft 540. As shown in fig. 23, the slot 572 may be formed in a block 574 that is fixedly mounted to the extension bar 546, or the slot 572 may be formed in an integrally formed portion of the extension bar 546. The length of the slot 572 is shorter than the length of the first and second slots 100, 102 of the first and second guide members 96, 98. The second portion 576 of the extension bar 546 is pivotably coupled to the tube assembly 188.

With continued reference to fig. 22-28, the operation of the mechanism 530 will be described in detail. As described above, the mechanism 530 moves the base portion 518 and the chair portion 520 between the nominal position (fig. 22), the reclined position (fig. 25), and the lift position (fig. 27). In the nominal position, the front 580 and rear 582 of the base platform 522 may contact a flat ground 584 on which the furniture member 500 is located and support the entire weight of the furniture member 500. In some configurations, the front and rear feet 556, 558 of the first and second legs 542, 544 can contact the ground surface 584 and support the entire weight of the furniture member 500 in the nominal position. In the tilted position, the front feet 556 of the first and second legs 542, 544 and the rear portion 582 of the base platform 522 may contact the ground 584 and support the entire weight of the furniture member 500. In the raised position, the rear feet 558 of the first and second legs 542, 544 and the front portion 580 of the base platform 522 may contact the ground 584 and support the entire weight of the furniture member 500.

When the mechanism 530 is moved from the nominal position (fig. 22 and 23) to the inclined position (fig. 25 and 26), operation of the motor 76 in the first direction causes the slider 90 to move along the worm gear drive assembly 88 and the first and second guide members 96 and 98 toward the forwardmost position (as shown in fig. 26). Because the lifter bar 110 is connected to the slide 90 and the chair portion 520, this movement of the slide 90 toward the forwardmost position causes the chair portion 520 to move toward the tilted position. As the slider 90 moves toward the forward-most position, the pin 568 of the bracket 562 of the shaft 540 slides relative to the slot 572 of the extension bar 546 until the pin 568 contacts the rearward-most end of the slot 572 (as shown in fig. 26). As the pin 568 slides relative to the slot 572, the shaft 540 remains stationary relative to the base platform 522. Once the pin 568 contacts the rearmost end of the slot 572, continued movement of the slider 90 toward the forwardmost position causes the extension bar 546 to rotate the shaft 540 and the legs 542, 544 in the first rotational direction such that the forefoot 556 of the legs 542, 544 protrudes through the corresponding hole 560 in the base platform 522 (as shown in fig. 25 and 26). As the forefoot 556 extends further through the aperture 560, the front portion 580 of the base platform 522 is lifted off the ground 584 to further tilt the furniture member 500 to the fully tilted position shown in FIG. 25.

When the mechanism 530 is moved from the nominal position (fig. 22 and 23) to the raised position (fig. 27 and 28), operation of the motor 76 in a second direction (opposite the first direction) causes the slider 90 to move along the worm gear drive assembly 88 and the first and second guide members 96 and 98 toward the final position (as shown in fig. 28). Because the lifter bar 110 is connected to the slider 90 and the chair portion 520, this movement of the slider 90 toward the rearmost position causes the chair portion 520 to move toward the raised position. As the slider 90 moves toward the rearmost position, the pin 568 of the bracket 562 of the shaft 540 slides relative to the slot 572 of the extension bar 546 until the pin 568 contacts the forwardmost end of the slot 572 (as shown in FIG. 28). As the pin 568 slides relative to the slot 572, the shaft 540 remains stationary relative to the base platform 522. Once the pin 568 contacts the forwardmost end of the slot 572, continued movement of the slider 90 towards the rearmost position causes the extension bar 546 to rotate the shaft 540 and the legs 542, 544 in a second direction (opposite the first direction) such that the rear feet 558 of the legs 542, 544 protrude through respective holes 560 in the base platform 522 (as shown in fig. 27 and 28). As the rear feet 558 extend further through the apertures 560, the rear portion 582 of the base platform 522 is lifted off the ground 584 to further lift the furniture member 500 to the fully raised position shown in fig. 27.

providing the legs 542, 544 and moving the legs 542, 544 to the position shown in fig. 25 and 27 provides an increased range of motion for the furniture member 500 relative to the chair 10 shown in fig. 1-21. While the seat height of the chair 10 and furniture member 500 in the nominal position may be the same (e.g., 16.5 inches as shown in fig. 13 and 22), the additional range of motion provided by the mechanism 530 relative to the mechanism 30 results in a significant increase in the footrest height and tilt angle of the furniture member 500 in the fully tilted position. A comparison of fig. 21 and 25 shows that, for the exemplary embodiment of the chair 10 and furniture member 500, providing the mechanism 530 with rotatable legs 542, 544 increases the footrest height of the furniture member 500 by about 6.75 inches (e.g., from 20.25 inches to 27 inches) and increases the tilt angle of the furniture member 500 by about nine degrees (e.g., from 12.25 degrees to 21.25 degrees).

The additional range of motion provided by rotating the legs 542, 544 to the "zero-gravity tilt" position shown in fig. 25 may be particularly comfortable for many users, as the user's feet (resting on the extended footrest 516) will be positionable at or near the vertical level of the user's heart (i.e., the vertical distance from the ground 584). This "zero gravity" positioning of the user's body in the furniture member 500 promotes rest and relaxation.

The additional range of motion provided by mechanism 530 relative to mechanism 30 also results in a significant increase in the seat height of furniture member 500 in the fully raised position relative to the previously described chair 10. A comparison of fig. 16 and 27 shows that, for the exemplary embodiment of the chair 10 and furniture member 500, providing the mechanism 530 with rotatable legs 542, 544 increases the seat height of the furniture member 500 by about 3.25 inches (e.g., from 21.75 inches to 24 inches).

The additional lift provided by rotating legs 542, 544 to the position shown in fig. 27 provides additional lift for a user seated in furniture member 500 toward a standing position, thereby reducing the effort and effort required by the user to stand up off of furniture member 500. This may be particularly beneficial for elderly or physically disabled users.

Furniture member 500 may also include structure that tilts back the back frame 514 approximately 5 degrees relative to the seat frame 182 and frame member 515 when the furniture member 500 is in the raised position, for example, which prevents undesirable pressure on the occupant's head and/or shoulders when the occupant stands up off the furniture member 500 to the standing position. A comparison of fig. 22 and 27 shows this five degree tilt of the back frame 514 (fig. 22 shows the angle X between the back frame 514 and the frame member 515 in the nominal position, and fig. 27 shows the angle X +5 degrees in the raised position).

As shown in fig. 27, the pivot bracket 586 is connected to the tube assembly 188, the seatback frame 514, and the seat frame 182 (via the swing assembly 184). A pair of sliding brackets 588 are attached to the seat frame 182. The sliding bracket 588 includes a slot 590 that slidably receives the shaft 172. When the furniture member 500 is moved to the raised position, the weight of the seat frame 182 (and the remainder of the seat bottom assembly supported by the seat frame 182) causes the seat frame 182 and the slide bracket 588 (and the remainder of the seat bottom assembly) to slide forward relative to the shaft 172, which causes relative rotation between the seat frame 182 and the back frame 514, tilting the back frame 514 approximately five degrees rearward. The interface between the pivot bracket 586 and the sliding bracket 588 and the shaft 172 allows the weight of the chair back, seat bottom and mechanism 530 to be balanced to determine the amount the chair back is tilted in the raised position. Thus, in some embodiments, the seat back may tilt in the raised position by an amount greater than or less than five degrees.

Although the mechanisms 530, 534 are described above as powered mechanisms driven by the motors 76, 164, in some configurations, either or both of the mechanisms 530, 534 may be manual (i.e., non-motor driven) mechanisms.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. 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. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having," are inclusive and therefore 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. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on …," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between …" versus "directly between …", "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent", etc.). As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. As used herein, numerical terms such as "first," "second," and others do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "below," "lower," "upper," and the like, may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "below" can include both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. As such may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A furniture member comprising:

A frame assembly including a chair portion movable relative to a base between a nominal position, a reclined position, and a raised position; and

A motor attached to the base;

A slide member connected to the motor and displaceable in a first direction and a second direction relative to the base by selective operation of the motor;

A first lever connected to the slide member and the chair portion, the first lever moving the chair portion between the nominal position, the reclined position, and the lift position in response to operation of the motor;

A shaft rotatably mounted to the base;

A first leg member and a second leg member connected to the first end and the second end of the axle, respectively, each of the first leg member and the second leg member including a forefoot and a rearfoot; and

A second lever coupled to the chair portion and slidably coupled to the shaft, the second lever rotating the shaft in a first direction in response to the chair portion moving to the reclined position and rotating the shaft in a second direction in response to the chair portion moving to the lift position.

2. The furniture member of claim 1, wherein the front feet of the first and second leg members extend through the base in the tilted position such that a rear portion of the base and the front feet of the first and second leg members support a weight of the furniture member and a front portion of the base is spaced apart from a ground surface on which the furniture component is located.

3. the furniture member of claim 2, wherein the rear feet of the first and second leg members extend through the base in the elevated position such that the front portion of the base and the rear feet of the first and second leg members support the weight of the furniture member and the rear portion of the base is spaced from the ground.

4. The furniture member of claim 3, wherein the first and second leg members are substantially U-shaped members.

5. The furniture member of claim 4, wherein the base includes a plurality of apertures through which the front and rear feet of the first and second leg members are extendable.

6. The furniture member of claim 2, wherein the rear feet of the first and second leg members extend through the base in the elevated position such that the front portion of the base and the rear feet of the first and second leg members support the weight of the furniture member and the rear portion of the base is spaced from the ground on which the furniture member is located.

7. the furniture member of claim 1, further comprising a leg rest mechanism including a leg rest link and a leg rest member movable between extended and retracted positions independently of movement of the first and second rods.

8. the furniture member of claim 7, wherein the leg rest mechanism includes a leg rest motor drivingly engaged with the leg rest link.

9. The furniture member of claim 1, wherein the shaft is rotatably supported by a bearing block fixedly mounted to the base.

10. The furniture member of claim 9, wherein the first and second leg members are fixedly attached to the shaft by first and second brackets, respectively.

11. the furniture member of claim 1, wherein the second rod includes an elongated slot slidably receiving a peg fixedly attached to the shaft.

12. the furniture member of claim 11, wherein the slide member connected to the first rod has a longer range of motion than the elongated slot such that the peg slides along the elongated slot of the second rod only within the range of motion of a portion of the slide member.

13. the furniture member of claim 12, wherein continued movement of the slide member in the rearward direction beyond a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the forward end of the elongated slot causes the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate relative to the base in a first rotational direction.

14. The furniture member of claim 13, wherein continued movement of the slide member in a forward direction causes its position to exceed a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the rear end of the elongated slot, thereby causing the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate in a second rotational direction relative to the base.

15. The furniture member of claim 1, wherein an angle between a seat back of the seat portion and a seat bottom of the seat portion increases by a predetermined amount when the seat portion moves from the nominal position to the raised position.

16. The furniture member of claim 15, wherein the predetermined amount is five degrees.

17. a furniture member comprising:

a base member including a front end and a rear end;

A chair frame movable relative to the base member between a nominal position, an inclined position, and a raised position;

A mechanism for moving the chair frame relative to the base member between the nominal, reclined, and lift positions; and

Both having first and second leg members movably mounted to a forefoot and a heel of the base member such that the forefoot foot extends through the base member in the inclined position and the heel extends through the base member in the raised position,

Wherein the front and rear ends of the base support a weight of the furniture member in the nominal position, the front and rear feet support the weight in the inclined position, and the rear and front feet support the weight in the raised position.

18. the furniture member of claim 17, wherein the mechanism includes a motor attached to the base member, a slide member connected to the motor, and a first rod connected to the slide member and the chair frame.

19. The furniture member of claim 18, further comprising:

a shaft rotatably mounted to the base member; and

a second rod connected to the chair frame and slidably connected to the shaft, the second rod rotating the shaft in a first direction in response to the chair frame moving to the reclined position and rotating the shaft in a second direction in response to the chair frame moving to the elevated position.

20. The furniture member of claim 19, wherein the second rod includes an elongated slot slidably receiving a peg fixedly attached to the shaft.

21. The furniture member of claim 20, wherein the slide member connected to the first rod has a longer range of motion than the elongated slot such that the peg slides along the elongated slot of the second rod only within the range of motion of a portion of the slide member.

22. The furniture member of claim 21, wherein continued movement of the slide member in the rearward direction beyond a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the forward end of the elongated slot causes the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate relative to the base in a first rotational direction.

23. The furniture member of claim 22, wherein continued movement of the slide member in a forward direction causes its position to exceed a position corresponding to initial contact between the peg and the rear end of the elongated slot, thereby causing the shaft and the first and second leg members to rotate in a second rotational direction relative to the base member.

24. The furniture member of claim 23, wherein the shaft is rotatably supported by a bearing block fixedly mounted to the base member.

25. The furniture member of claim 24, wherein the first and second leg members are fixedly attached to the shaft by first and second brackets, respectively.

26. The furniture member of claim 17, wherein the base member includes a plurality of apertures through which the front and rear feet of the first and second leg members are extendable.

27. The furniture member of claim 17, further comprising a leg rest mechanism including a leg rest link and a leg rest member movable between extended and retracted positions independently of movement of the first and second leg members.

28. The furniture member of claim 27, wherein the leg rest mechanism includes a leg rest motor drivingly engaged with the leg rest link.

29. The furniture member of claim 17, wherein the first and second leg members are substantially U-shaped members.

30. The furniture member of claim 17, wherein an angle between a seat back of the chair frame and a seat bottom of the chair frame increases by a predetermined amount when the chair frame is moved from the nominal position to the elevated position.

31. The furniture member of claim 30, wherein the predetermined amount is five degrees.