NZ198363A - Rockable chair inclinable by foot rest extension - Google Patents

Description

1 983 6 3 Priority Dats{s): . .1 Complete Specification Filed: CI3SS! i ■ i^l J P ^ ■ J ^J| ■ ■ ^ PubSicetkv- Dato: 0&& Ass^ f00^.

N.Z. NO.

NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "IMPROVED RECLINING CHAIR." We, JASON LA-Z-BOY CHAIR COMPANY PTY. LIMITED, a company incorporated in the State of Western Australia, of Corner Orrong Road and Pilbara Street, Welshpool, in the State of Western Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us , and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 19S3$3 This invention relates to chairs and in particular chairs having a leg rest which is capable of being moved from a retracted position to an extended position.

It is an object of this invention to provide a chair whereby on the leg rest being moved to an extended position the chair will vary its seating attitude to provide a seating attitude conforming to a comfortable seating position incorporating an extended leg rest.

In one form the invention resides in a chair having a base; a chair frame comprising a seat and a back rest; a leg rest; the chair frame being rockably supported on the base; said leg rest being movable between a retracted position lying adjacent the front of the chair frame below the seat and an extended position in which the leg rest lies at an extended position in front of the seat; a linkage between the chair frame and base being adapted to cause the chair frame to rock on the base to raise the front of the chair frame on movement of the leg rest to its extended position to increase th.e rearward inclination of the seat said linkage preventing the rockable movement of the chair frame relative to the base when the leg rest is in its retracted and extended positions.

In accordance with a further preferred feature of the invention said linkage comprises a bell crank member pivotally mounted to the chair frame, said bell crank member being pivotally connected at one end to a first arm pivotally mounted to the base and pivotally connected at the other end to a second arm extending ' radially from a shaft journalled in the chair frame for rotation about a transverse axis of the chair frame. 198363 In accordance with a preferred feature of the last mentioned feature the radial arm is supported on a shaft rotatably supported in the chair frame wherein said leg rest is caused to extend or retract on rotation of the shaft.

In accordance with a further preferred feature of the last mentioned feature said leg rest has a multiple of extended positions and a locking means is associated with the shaft to retain the leg rest in each position.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which; Figure 1 is a schematic sectional side elevation of a chair according to the embodiment showing the linkage between the chair frame and base; Figure 2 is an elevation of the linkage between the chair frame and base in the normal seating position; Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the linkage between the chair frame and base in the leg rest extended position; Figure A is an elevation of the locking means associated with the leg rest activating shaft in the normal seating position; Figure 5 is an elevation of the locking means associated with the leg rest activating shaft in the leg rest extended position; and Figure 6 is a schematic sectional elevation of a chair of the embodiment in the leg rest extended position showing the linkage between the chair frame and base and the leg rest support linkage. .-non-rocking The embodiment is directed towards a'reclining chair having a chair frame 11 rockably supported on a base 12 by a pair of rockers 13 mounted to each side of the cha£i?:;,fraine which [$ P .j f EBV58* -a I Jc i/Ou , - 4 - are supported by the base -12. The rockers .13 are connected with the base 12 via a spring assembly 14 which resiliently permits the rocking action of the chair frame 11 on the base 12. The chair frame 11 and the base 12 are further interconnected by a linkage means 22 which prevents the normal rocking movement of the chair frame 11 on the base 12 but is associated with the pantograph mechanism 21 such as to change the attitude of the chair frame with the extension of the leg rest 19 by causing the chair frame to tip rearwardly with extension of the leg rest. The chair frame supports a seat 15 and supports at its rear a back rest 16 which is pivotally mounted to the chair frame 11 to permit pivotal movement of the backrest 16 in relation to the seat 15 about a transverse axis 17. An adjustable slide mechanisr is associated between the backrest 16 and the chair frame 11 to control the pivotal movement therebetween.

The chair frame 11 also supports a leg rest 19 which is movable between a retracted position as shown at Figure 1 where it lies in a substantially vertical position below the front edge of the seat 15, and an extended position as shown at Figure 6 where it lies approximately horizontal in front of the seat 15. The leg rest is supported from a chair frame via a pantograph linkage which is activated from a shaft 20 rotatably supported in the chair frame for rotation about a transverse axis and having a handle Cnot shown) mounted to its outer end at one side of the chair frame.

The linkage means comprises a bell crank 23 pivotally mounted to the chair frame 11 for rotation about a transverse axis and pivotally mounted to the vase via a first elongate member link 2< which is pivotally mounted at one end to the base 12 for rotation about a transverse axis and pivotally mounted at its other end to one end of the bell ank 23. The other end of the bell crank 23 is pivotally connected to one d of a radial arm 25 provided an the transverse shaft 20 by a seocnd elanga .jmarber link 26 pivotally mounted at its ends to the bell crank 23 and radial arm 25. 1 98 3 6 3 As stated previously the linkage means 22 serves in preventing the rocking motion of the chair frame 11 on the base 12 but with rotation of the transverse shaft 20 it will cause the chair frame 11 to rock on the base 12 such that when the leg rest 19 is in its extended seating position the front of the chair frame 11 is raised in relation to the base 12 to provide a reclined position. If desired the occupant may also pivot the backrest 16 of the chair to provide the most comfortable reclining position desired by the occupant. The two extreme positions of the linkage means 22 is shown in greater detail in Figures 2 and 3.

The leg rest 19 is capable of being moved to two intermediate positions between the retracted and extended positions of Figures 1 and 6 and locking means is provided between the transverse shaft 20 and the chair frame 11 to facilitate such intermediate positions. The details of the locking means will be fully understood by reference to Figures 4 and 5. The locking means comprises a plate 27 supported by the transverse shaft 20 and having with a camming face 28 having two end positions 29a and 29b and two recesses 30 and 31 formed therebetween. The plate 27 is associated with a locking arm 32 resiliently mounted at one end to the chair frame 11 and pivotally mounted at the other end to the plate 27 at a point spaced radially from the central axis of the transverse shaft 20. The locking arm 32 is provided adjacent the camming face 28 with L-shaped slot 33 which accommodates a spring biassed pawl 34 which is biassed into engagement with the camming surface 28. With rotation of the shaft 20 and the camming surface 28 from the retracted position of Figure 4 to the extended position of Figure 5 the camming surface 28 is caused to move past the pawl until the pawl 24 engages the slots 30 or 31 to retain the leg rest in one or another of the leg rest extended positions. The slots 30 and 31 are shaped such that on extension of the leg rest it cannot be retracted until it has been fully extended. When fully extended (see Figure 5) the pawl 34 is located in one of 198363 the arms of the L-shaped slot 33 such that with the movement of the camming surface to the retracted position from the fully extended position the pawl is raised from engagement with the camming surface 28 in the region of the slots 30 and 31.

As a result of the embodiment a reclining chair is provided in which the chair frame although unable to rock will move with the extension of the leg rest to take up a comfortable reclining position merely by rotation of the transverse shaft 20 through the handle.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention need not be retracted to the particular scope of the embodiment described above. 190363

Claims (5)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A chair having a base; a chair frame comprising a seat and a back rest; a leg rest; the chair frame being rockably supported on the base; said leg rest being movable between a retracted position lying adjacent the front of the chair frame below the seat and an extended position in which the leg rest lies at an extended position in front of the seat; a linkage between the chair frame and base being adapted to cause the chair frame to rock on the base to raise the front of the chair frame on movement of the leg rest to its extended position to increase the rearward inclination of the seat said linkage preventing the rockable movement of the chair frame relative to the base when the leg rest is in its retracted and extended positions.

2. A chair as claimed in claim 1 wherein said linkage comprises a bell crank member pivotally mounted to the chair frame, said bell crank member being pivotally connected at one end to a first arm pivotally mounted to the base and pivotally connected at the other end to a second arm extending radially from a shaft journalled in the chair frame for rotation about a transverse axis of the chair frame.

3. A chair as claimed in claim 2 wherein said leg rest is also caused to extend or retract on rotation of the shaft.

4. A chair as claimed in arty one of the preceding claims wherein the said leg rest has a multiplicity of extended positions and a locking means is associated with the shaft to retain the leg rest in each position.

5. A chair substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. JASON LA-Z-BOY CHAIR COMPANY PTY.LIMITED By Their Attorneys HENRY HUGHES LIMITED