US2984292A

US2984292A - Leg rest control means for reclining chairs

Info

Publication number: US2984292A
Application number: US825572A
Authority: US
Inventors: Fridtjof F Schliephacke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-07-07
Filing date: 1959-07-07
Publication date: 1961-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-16
Also published as: DE1817198U

Description

y 1961 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,984,292

LEG REST CONTROL MEANSFOR RECLINING CHAIRS Filed July 7, 1959 FIG. I.

IN V EN TOR.

F 2/071! OF E SC/IL IEPHACKE 4% vv4 nrromvtxs S tates l atent Ofiice 2,984,292 Patented May 16, 1961 LEG REST CONTROL MEANS FOR RECLINING CHAIRS Fridtjof F. Schliephacke, Berlin-Schmargendorf, Germany, assignor to Anton Lorenz, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Filed July 7, 1959, Ser. No. 825,572

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) The present invention relates to improvements in reclining chairs having a movable body-supporting structure and a leg-rest movable in response to movement of said body-supporting structure, and in particular relates to a new and improved leg-rest link-age for such reclining chairs operable to move the leg-rest from an underslung position beneath the seat to an extended position.

Leg-rest arrangements of the so-called underslung type are customarily employed in reclining chairs having high legs which support the seat well above the floor surface. In such chairs, modern styling requirements result in the use of open frame-work sides mounted on long, narrow legs which present a relatively large open space between the bottom of the seat and the floor surface. Because of such open framework, the leg-rest and its linkage must be concealed in their retracted position, so that the chair in the sitting position has the appearance of a normal well-styled modern chair. The leg-rest therefore is of the underslung type which, in its retracted position, is closely spaced from the bottom surface of the seat and is disposed substantially parallel thereto.

A problem encountered in the construction of the chair of the aforementioned type is concerned with moving the leg-rest from its retracted position beneath the seat to an extended position forwardly of the seat. In this movement, the leg-rest must be swung through the angle of nearly 180, from an inverted horizontal position beneath the seat to an upright horizontal position forwardly of the seat. This requires a relatively long path of travel of the leg-rest in response to a short path of travel of the body-supporting unit of the chair. The linkage must therefore be so constructed as to provide an accelerated movement of the leg-rest in response to a slight movement of the body-supporting unit.

Another problem inherent in the construction of reclining chairs of the aforementioned type is occasioned by the necessity of spacing the extended leg-rest well forwardly of the leading edge of the seat and in the proper position to support the legs of the occupant. For this purpose, the links of the leg-rest linkage must be of rather long dimension, and yet the leg-rest linkage must be so constructed that these long links are folded into a sufficiently compact arrangement as to be hidden from view by the chair open framework in the upright position of the body-supporting structure.

A further problem in the construction of a chair of the aforementioned type is encountered when the legrest is swung to a vertical position during its travel from the inverted underslung retracted position to the upright extended position. Chair design requires that the seat be located a comfortable distance from the ground surface and the space between the forward end of the seat and the floor surface is therefore limited. The path of travel of the leg-rest must therefore be so regulated that when the leg-rest passes between the seat and the floor surface, it is not fully in its vertically-disposed position and does not strike or scrape the floor surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a leg-rest linkage for reclining chairs of the type described which overcomes the aforementioned problems in an effective and economical manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of the leg-rest linkage of the character described in which a drag link movement of a novel type is employed for providing a long path of movement of the leg-rest in response to a relatively short path of movement of the body-supporting structure.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a leg-rest linkage of the character described in which the links are so arranged as to move the leg-rest to an extended position in which it is spaced well forwardly from the front end of the seat, while at the same time the linkage is so constructed as to cause the links to be folded up into a very compact form in the upright sitting position of the chair.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a leg-rest linkage of the character described in which novel means are provided for delaying the movement of the leg-rest to its vertically disposed position until the legrest linkage has moved the leg-rest to a position in which it has passed the forward end of the seat and will not engage the floor surface.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided in a reclining chair 'a leg-rest linkage comprising two pairs of links carrying the leg-rest and mounted on a control link which is pivotally mounted on the frame of the chair. A follower link, also mounted on the chair frame is connected to one of the pairs of links in such a manner as to provide a drag link movement to drive the leg-rest through a relatively long path in response to relatively small movement of the seat. The leg-rest linkage also includes a seat link connecting the control link to the seat and acting as lost motion means to delay actuation of the leg-rest linkage until the front of the seat has risen a suflicient distance to provide clearance between the seat and floor surface and to prevent the leg-rest from striking the floor surface.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and shown in section, of an improved reclining chair embodying the leg-rest linkage of the present invention, the chair being shown in its upright or sitting position with the leg-rest and its linkage retracted; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view similar to Fig. 1, showing the chair in a rearwardly tilted position with the leg-rest linkage extended and the leg-rest in its elevated leg-supporting position.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates the type of chair in which the leg-rest linkage of the present invention is particularly adapted and intended to be incorporated. The chair has a fixed and immovable support frame or base 10 mounted on legs 12. A body-supporting structure 14, comprising a seat 16 and a back-rest 18 formed as a rigid unit, is mounted for rearward tilting movement upon the support frame 10.

The support frame 10 is formed by open side frames 20 which include side rails 22 connected by cross bars or

braces

24 and 26. The chair also includes a leg-rest 28 which is carried by a leg-rest actuating linkage designated generally by the reference numeral 30, the latter being mounted on the support frame 10 and connected to the seat 16 in a manner which will be presently described.

The chair legs 12 are made in accordance with modern styling and are relatively high and narrow so as to present a large unencumbered space beneath the seat 16. To conform to such chair structure, the leg-rest is retracted to the underslung position shown in Fig. l, in which it is closely spaced beneath the lower surface of the seat and is substantially parallel thereto, so as to be substantially hidden from view by the side rails 22. The leg-rest linkage 38 is also so constructed that in this retracted position of the leg-rest, such linkage is collapsed into extremely compact form whereby the links constituting said linkage are closely folded together in a condition to be hidden from view by the side frames 20 of the support frame 10.

The body-supporting unit 14 is mounted for rearward tilting movement upon the support frame by a front guide link 32 and rear guide link 34. The top ends of these guide links 32 and 34 are respectively connected at spaced points to the seat 16 by pivots 36 and 38 while their lower ends are mounted at spaced points on the support frame 10 by

respective pivots

40 and 42. The front guide link 32 is inclined forwardly and upwardly from its pivotal mount 40 on the support frame 10 to its pivotal connection 36 with the seat 16, in the sitting position of the body-supporting unit shown in Fig. 1. In this forwardly inclined position, the link 32 rests upon the cross bar 24, the latter serving as a stop member to support the front portion of the seat. The rear guide link 34 is shorter than the front guide link 32 and extends substantially vertically upright in the sitting position of Fig. 1.

When the body-supporting unit 14 is tilted rearwardly from the upright sitting position of Fig. l to the reclining position of Fig. 2, the upper end of the front guide link 32 is moved in an arc rearwardly and upwardly, thereby carrying the body-supporting unit 14 in a rearward direction and at the same time raising the forward end of the seat. At the same time, the rear guide link 34 moves in a rearward and downward arc, thereby moving the rear portion of the body-supporting unit 14 in a rearward direction and also lowering the same. Thus the body supporting unit 14 is moved in a rearward direction relative to the support frame 10, and at the same time is rearwardly tilted to the attitude shown in Fig. 2. In the reclining position of Fig. 2, the rear surface of the backrest 18 engages the rear cross bar 26, the latter serving as stop means to limit further rearward tilting movement of said body-supporting unit.

Referring now specifically to the leg-rest linkage 30, the leg-rest 28 is supported by a guiding linkage comprising a first pair of links 44, 46 and a second pair of

links

48, 50. The first pair of links 44 and 46 are interconnected in end-to-end relationship by a pivot 52, While the second pair of

links

48 and 50 are likewise connected cnd-to-end by a pivot 54. The free end of the link 46 is connected to the structure of the leg-rest 28 by a pivot '56. The free end of the link 58 of the second pair of links is also connected to the leg-rest structure by a pivot 58 at a point spaced from the pivotal connection 56 of the link 46 to said leg-rest 28. The

links

46 and 48 cross each other and are connected by pivot 59 at their crossingover point.

The leg-rest linkage 30 also includes a control link 60 which is pivotally mounted at 62 on a bracket 64 rigidly affixed to the side rail 22 of the support frame 10. The end of the link 48 of the second pair of links is mounted by pivot 66 on the end portion of said control link 60. The end of link 44 of the first pair of links is mounted by pivot 68 on the central portion of the control link 60. The link 60 has a terminal extension 70 which pro jects angularly from the pivot 66 and is connected by pivot 72 to one end of a curved seat link 74. The other end of said seat link 74 is connected by pivot 76 to the forward end portion of the seat 16.

The leg-rest linkage 30 also includes a follower link 80 which is mounted by pivot 82 on a second bracket 84 affixed to the side rail 22. The free end of the follower link 80 is connected by pivot 86 to an intermediate point on the link 44 between its end pivots 52 and 68.

The seat link 74 is the only connection between the leg-rest linkage 30 and the seat 16, and serves as the actuating means to provide for movement of the leg-rest linkage in response to tilting movement of the bodysupporting unit. The seat link 74 also produces a lost motion movement which retards the unfolding action of the leg-rest guiding linkage until the forward end portion of the seat has risen a sufficient distance to permit the leg-rest 28 to clear the floor surface. After such lost motion phase in the movement of the body-supporting unit, the seat link 74 then actuates the leg-rest linkage through the control link 60 in a manner which will now be described in detail.

When the occupant of the chair leans rearwardly against the back-rest 18, the body-supporting unit 14 will begin to tilt rearwardly, guided by the guide links 32 and 34 as previously described. The forward portion of the seat 16 will thus be moved in an upward and rearward arc. Initially, this will have little effect on the leg-rest linkage 30, the seat link 74 turning about its pivotal mount 76 to compensate for this movement of the seat, and the control link 60 remaining in substantially the same position as it assumes in Fig. 1.

As the seat rises and moves further rearwardly, the pivotal mount 76 of the seat link 70 moves to a position above and in vertical alignment with the pivotal connection 72 of the seat link 74 with the control link 60. At this point, the seat link 74 lifts the free end of the control link 60, causing the latter to turn upwardly about its pivotal mount 62, and thereby causing said control link 60 to tilt upwardly with the seat 16. As the control link rises, it carries upwardly and rearwardly with it the links 44 and 48 through their respective pivotal connections 66 and 68.

The upward and rearward movement of the link 44, causes the follower link to actuate the two pairs of

links

44, 46 and 48, 50 of the leg-rest guiding linkage. The follower link 80, having a fixed pivot 82 on the support frame, acts as a pusher link, restraining the rearward and upward movement of link 44 at its intermediate pivot point 86. Thus, as the upper end of the link 44 is moved upwardly and rearwardly with the control link 60, the relatively immovable intermediate point 86 acts as a fulcrum about which the link 44 pivots, and its longer lower end portion beneath the pivot 86 turns rapidly in a forward direction to the extended position shown in Fig. 2. The follower link 80 turns upwardly during this movement.

The control link 60, the follower link 80 and the link 44 thus function as a drag link mechanism to move the pairs of leg-rest links rapidly through a wide path in response to a relatively short path of movement of the body-supporting unit. In this drag-link mechanism, the control link 60 acts as the driving crank, the follower link 80 as the driven crank, and the link 44 as the connecting rod. During the movement of the seat 16 from the sitting position to the reclining position, the drag link mechanism functions to turn the link 44 from the rearwardly-directed retracted position of Fig. 1 through an angle of nearly to the forwardly-extending position of Fig. 2. The link 44, of course, raises its connected link 46 of the first pair and also extends the second pair of

links

48 and 50 through the pivotal connection 59. Thus, as the pair of links 44, 46 move the leg-rest 28 from beneath the seat to the extended position forwardly of the seat, the

second link pair

48, 50 turn the leg-rest 28 about the pivot 56 from the inverted position of Fig. 1 through an angle of approximately 180 to the upright position of Fig. 2.

The pivot 66 is preferably made in the form of an elongated pivot pin positioned to engage the edge of the seat link 74 in the extended leg-rest position of Fig. 2. This pivot pin 66 serves as a stop member to prevent further turning movement or wobbling of the linkage in said extended position.

It will be observed that in moving forwardly, the seat link 74 carries with it the

pivots

72 and 66, thereby having the effect of moving the

link pair

48 and 50 forwardly relative to the seat and increasing the effective length of the leg-rest guiding linkage in the extended position. This provides for a greater spacing of the leg-rest 28 forwardly of the seat, which is a desirable feature.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a bodysupporting structure including a seat and a back-rest mounted on said support frame for tilting movement to a reclining position, and a leg-rest; leg-rest control means for actuating the leg-rest in response to tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, said leg-rest control means including a guiding linkage carrying the leg-rest and movable from a folded condition to an expanded condition in response to tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, thereby moving the leg-rest from a retracted position beneath the seat to an extended position forwardly of the seat, a control link pivotally mounted on the support frame and carrying the leg-rest guiding linkage, lost motion means connecting the free end of the control link to the forward end portion of the seat for upward and rearward movement of the control link and the legrest guiding linkage carried thereby with the seat during tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, and actuating means mounted on the support frame and connected to the guiding linkage for moving the guiding linkage to its expanded condition and the leg-rest to its extended position when the guiding linkage is raised by the control link, the lost motion means being arranged to delay the movement of the control link during the initial movement of the body-supporting structure toward its reclining position.

2. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a body supporting structure including a seat and a back-rest mounted on said support frame for tilting movement to a reclining position, and a leg-rest; leg-rest control means for actuating the leg-rest in response to tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, said leg-rest control means including a guiding linkage carrying the leg-rest and coupled to the seat for moving said leg-rest from a retracted position beneath the seat to an extended position forwardly of the seat, a control link pivotally mounted on the support frame, the guiding linkage being pivotally mounted on the control link, a seat link pivotally mounted on the forward end portion of the seat and pivotally connected to the free end of the control link, said seat link coupling the control link with the seat for raising said control link with the forward end of the seat when the body-supporting structure is tilted to its reclining position, and a follower link pivotally mounted on the support and pivotally connected to at least one link of the leg-rest guiding linkage for actuating the guiding linkage to move the leg-rest to its extended position when the guiding linkage is raised by said control link, the seat link being arranged and positioned to serve as lost motion means for delaying the raising movement of the control link during the initial tilting movement of the body-supporting structure whereby to delay movement of the leg-rest toward its extended position.

3. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a bodysupporting structure including a seat and a back-rest mounted on said support frame for tilting. movement to a reclining position, and a leg-rest; leg-rest control means for actuating the leg-rest in response to tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, said leg-rest control means including a guiding linkage carrying the leg-rest and movable from a folded condition to an expanded condition in response to tilting movement of the bodysupporting structure, thereby moving the leg-rest from a retracted position beneath the seat to an extended position forwardly of the seat, a control link pivotally mounted on the support frame and carrying the leg-rest guiding linkage, lost motion means connecting the control link to the seat for upward and rearward movement of the con trol link and the leg-rest guiding linkage carried thereby with the seat during tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, said lost motion means comprising a seat link pivotally mounted on the forward end portion of the seat and pivotally connected to the free end of the control link, and a follower link pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected to the guiding linkage for moving the guiding linkage to its expanded condition and the leg-rest to its extended position when the guiding linkage is raised by the control link, the seat link being positioned to provide a lost motion movement to delay the raising movement of the control link with the seat during the initial movement of the body-supporting structure toward its reclining position.

4. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a bodysupporting structure including a seat and a back-rest mounted on said support frame for tilting movement to a reclining position, and a leg-rest; leg-rest control means for actuating the leg-rest in response to tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, said leg-rest control means including a double four-bar linkage carrying the leg-rest and adapted to move the latter from a retracted position beneath the seat to an extended position forwardly of the seat, a control link pivotally mounted on the support frame, the double four-bar linkage being pivotally mounted on said control link, means for actuating said double four-bar linkage, and lost motion means for delaying the actuation of said double four-bar linkage during the initial tilting movement of the body-supporting unit toward its reclining position, lost motion means comprising a seat link mounting the free end of the control link on the forward end of the seat, said actuating means comprising a follower link pivotally mounted on the support frame and pivotally connected to at least one link of the double four-bar linkage.

5. In a reclining chair having a support frame, a bodysupporting structure including a seat and a back-rest mounted on said support frame for tilting movement to a reclining position, and a leg-rest; leg-rest control means for actuating the leg-rest in response to tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, said leg-rest control means including a guiding linkage carrying the leg-rest and movable from a folded condition to an expanded condition in response to tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, thereby moving the leg-rest from a retracted underslung, inverted position beneath the seat to an upright, extended position forwardly of the seat, a control link pivotally mounted on the support frame and carrying the leg-rest guiding linkage, lost motion means connecting the free end of the control link to the forward end portion of the seat for upward and rearward movement of the control link and the leg-rest guiding linkage carried thereby with the seat during tilting movement of the body-supporting structure, and a follower link pivotally mounted on the support frame and pivotally connected to the guiding linkage for moving the guiding linkage to its expanded condition and the leg-rest to its extended position when the guiding linkage is raised by the control link, the lost motion means comprising a seat link pivotally mounted on the forward end portion of the seat and pivotally connected to the free end of the control link, the seat link extending rearwardly and downwardly from its pivotal mount on the seat in the retracted position of the leg-rest and moving forwardly and upwardly during the initial movement of the seat toward the reclining position whereby to delay the movement of the control link during the initial movement of the body-supporting structure toward its reclining position.

6. Leg-rest control means according to claim 5 in which the leg-rest guiding linkage includes a first pair of links constituting a first and second pivotally interconnected links and a second pair of links constituting a third and fourth pivotally interconnected links, the first and third links being pivotally mounted at spaced points on the control link and the second and fourth links being pivotally connected at spaced points on the leg-rest.

7. Leg-rest control means according to claim 6 in which the follower link is pivotally connected to the first link of the guiding linkage.

8. Leg-rest control means according to claim 5 in which the follower link is connected to an intermediate point on the first link proximate to the pivotal mount of the first link on the control link, the follower link, first link and 8 control link constituting a drag-link mechanism for amplified movement of the leg-rest in response to relatively short movement of the body-supporting structure, the control link serving as the driving crank in said drag link mechanism, the follower link as the driven crank, and the first link as the connecting rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,871,919 Schliephacke Feb. 3, 1959 2,880,785 Schliephacke Apr. 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 724,384 Great Britain Feb. 16, 1955 536,061 Belgium Mar. 15, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N05 2,984,292 May 16 1961 Fridtjof F Schliephacke It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 7, line 12 for the claim reference numeral 5" read 7 Signed and sealed this 24th day of October 19610 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC