Reciprocating-reclining seating unit with powered actuator

Abstract

The present application relates to a reclining seat unit comprising: a base; a seat having a seat frame; a rocking unit provided to allow the seat to reciprocate with respect to the base; the backrest is mounted on the seat frame, and the backrest and the seat frame are pivotally connected with each other; a footrest unit; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat and the backrest, the reclining mechanism configured to control relative movement of the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a reclined position; a footrest mechanism attached to the seat and the footrest unit, the footrest mechanism configured to control relative movement of the footrest unit and the seat between a retracted position and an extended position; the footrest mechanism is separated from the tilting mechanism; a first linear actuator attached to the reclining mechanism and the seat, arranged to move the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a reclining position; and a second linear actuator attached to the footrest mechanism and the seat frame, arranged to move the footrest unit between the retracted position and the extended position.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 381,606, filed Oct. 31, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 500,733, filed May 8, 2023, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention generally relates to seat units, and more particularly to reclining seat units. Background Art

[0004] Recliners and other reclining seat units have proven popular with consumers. These seat units typically move from a vertical position where the backrest is substantially vertical to one or more reclined positions where the backrest is pivoted to be less vertical. Movement of the seat unit between the vertical and reclined positions is typically controlled by a pair of mating reclining mechanisms attached to the seat, backrest, and base of the chair.

[0005] One particularly popular type of recliner is the "three-way" recliner, which has two reclined positions: the "TV position" in which the footrest or ottoman of the chair protrudes forward from the chair while the backrest remains substantially vertical; and the "fully reclined position" in which the backrest is less vertical (i.e., it has been tilted to a smaller angle relative to the floor). In a "three-way" recliner, when the chair is in its fully reclined position, the backrest pivots relative to the seat; this is different from a "two-way" recliner in which the backrest and seat are rigidly fixed and do not pivot relative to each other when the chair moves to the fully reclined position. Many three-way recliners are constructed such that the backrest and footrest are connected to each other such that the backrest cannot be reclined unless the footrest has been extended (i.e., the chair is in the TV position). See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,915,444 to Rogers, Jr. and U.S. Patent No. 6,540,291 to Hoffman, which depict fairly modern-style chairs with three-way reclining capabilities. Other recliners can have separate reclining and footrest extension mechanisms. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 7,731,276 to Hoffman et al.

[0006] In recent years, furniture designers have been looking for alternatives to rocking chairs that can provide similar relaxing repetitive motion. One alternative is the rocker-recliner or "rocker," which includes a structure that enables the seat portion of the chair to "rock" forward and backward relative to its base in order to generally simulate the rocking motion of a traditional rocking chair. Example rocker-recliners are described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 8,459,733 to Hoffman and U.S. Patent No. 8,123,288 to Murphy, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

[0007] Some reclining units employ power actuators to recline the backrest and extend the footrest. See, for example, U.S. Patent No. 8,297,693 to Hoffman et al. It may be desirable to provide additional reclining units with power drive, particularly in rocker-recliners. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to a reclining seat unit comprising: a base; a seat having a seat frame; a rocking unit configured to permit reciprocating movement of the seat relative to the base; a backrest mounted on the seat frame and pivotally interconnected therewith; a footrest unit; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat and the backrest and configured to control relative movement between the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a reclined position; a footrest mechanism attached to the seat and the footrest unit and configured to control relative movement between the footrest unit and the seat between a retracted position and an extended position; the footrest mechanism being separate from the reclining mechanism; a first linear actuator attached to the reclining mechanism and the seat and configured to move the seat and the backrest between the vertical position and the reclined position; and a second linear actuator attached to the footrest mechanism and the seat frame and configured to move the footrest unit between the retracted position and the extended position.

[0009] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to a reclining seat unit comprising: a base; a seat having a seat frame; a reciprocating unit configured to permit reciprocating movement of the seat relative to the base; a backrest mounted on the seat frame and pivotally interconnected with the seat frame; a footrest unit; a reclining mechanism attached to the seat and the backrest and configured to control relative movement between the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a reclined position; a footrest mechanism attached to the seat and the footrest unit and configured to control relative movement between the footrest unit and the seat between a retracted position and an extended position, the footrest mechanism being separate from the reclining mechanism; a first linear actuator attached to the reclining mechanism and the seat and configured to move the seat and the backrest between the vertical position and the reclined position; and a second linear actuator attached to the footrest mechanism and the seat frame and configured to move the footrest unit between the retracted position and the extended position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a side view of a rocker-reclining seat unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0011] Figure 2 Is Figure 1 A side view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the reclined position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0012] Figure 3 Is Figure 1 A side view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the extended position.

[0013] Figure 4 Is Figure 1 A side view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the reclined position and the footrest is shown in the extended position.

[0014] Figure 5 Is a schematic diagram showing a drive device and a controller operatively connected to a linear actuator of the seat unit of Figure 1

[0015] Figure 6 Is a side view of a rocker-recline seat unit according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0016] Figure 7 Is Figure 6 A side view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the reclined position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0017] Figure 8 Is Figure 6 A side view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the extended position.

[0018] Figure 9 Is Figure 6 A side view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the reclined position and the footrest is shown in the extended position.

[0019] Figure 10 Is Figure 6 A top view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0020] Figure 11 Is a side view of a slider-recline seat unit according to another embodiment of the present invention, where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0021] Figure 12 Is Figure 11 A side view of the seat unit of , where the backrest is shown in the reclined position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0022] Figure 13 Is Figure 11Side view of the seat unit, where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the extended position.

[0023] Figure 14 is Figure 11 Side view of the seat unit, where the backrest is shown in the reclined position and the footrest is shown in the extended position.

[0024] Figure 15 is Figure 11 Top view of the seat unit, where the backrest is shown in the vertical position and the footrest is shown in the retracted position.

[0025] Figures 16 - 19 is Figure 11 Side view of the seat unit, showing the seat unit sliding forward and backward with the backrest vertical ( Figure 16 and 17 ) and extended ( Figure 18 and 19 ). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0027] Like reference numerals always refer to like elements. In the drawings, for clarity, the thickness of some lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated. The dashed lines represent optional features or operations, unless otherwise specified.

[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" used herein will also include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that when used in this specification, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of the 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 term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between approximately X and Y" should be construed to include X and Y. As used herein, the phrase "between approximately X and Y" means "between approximately X and approximately Y". As used herein, the phrase "from approximately X to Y" means "from approximately X to approximately Y".

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail.

[0030] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "on" another element, "attached" to another element, "connected" to another element, "coupled" to another element, "in contact" with another element, etc., it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with, or in contact with the other element, or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as, for example, "directly on" another element, "directly attached" to another element, "directly connected" to another element, "directly coupled" to another element, or "directly in contact" with another element, no intervening elements are present. Those skilled in the art should also understand that a structure or feature arranged "adjacent" to another feature may have portions that overlap or are beneath the adjacent feature.

[0031] The seat unit shown and described herein includes a plurality of linkages pivotally interconnected with each other. Those skilled in the art should understand that the pivot portions between the linkages can adopt various configurations, such as pivot pins, rivets, bolt and nut combinations, etc., any of which are suitable for the present invention. Also, the shape of the linkages can vary as needed, and the positions of some of the pivot portions can also vary. Moreover, in some cases, a combination of pivot points can be replaced by an equivalent structure, such as a "slider-crank" configuration, similar to that described in Kinematics and Dynamics of Planar Machinery 4-21 (1979) by B. Paul.

[0032] Reference is made below to Figures 1 - 4 , in which another embodiment of a rocker-recliner (generally designated 10) is shown. The chair 10 includes: a base unit 11; a seat 13 that is disposed generally horizontally above the base unit 11 and includes an open seat frame 13a therebelow; a backrest 15 that is generally vertical and is substantially disposed above the rear portion of the seat 13; an arm frame (not shown); and two footrests 17a, 17b that are Figure 1is disposed substantially vertically below the front portion of the seat 13 in the vertical position. Arms (not shown) are located on either side of the seat 13 and move in unison with the seat 13. The backrest 15 is mounted on the seat unit 10 by an inclination mechanism 40, and the footrests 17a, 17b are mounted on the seat by a footrest mechanism 70. These mechanisms 40, 70 are described in more detail below.

[0033] The base unit 11 includes a rocking assembly 20. The rocking assembly 20 includes a vertically oriented spring 21 mounted between plates 22, 23. The lower plate 22 is mounted on a lateral member 26, which is in turn mounted on a longitudinally extending leg member 24. The upper plate 23 is mounted on a rocking cam 25, which has an arcuate lower surface that abuts the upper surface of the leg member 24. This construction enables the upper plate 23 to rock relative to the lower plate 22, wherein the movement is determined by the lower surface of the rocking cam 25 and the movement is blocked (and thus controlled) by the spring 21.

[0034] The mounting bracket 30 is fixed to the upper plate. A lateral member 27 spans the mounting bracket 30 on opposite sides of the seat unit 10 to ensure synchronous rocking movement on both sides of the seat unit 10. The mounting bracket 30 is fixed to a second mounting bracket 32.

[0035] The seat adapter 66 is fixed to the seat frame 13a to provide additional locations for mounting additional mechanism linkages. A swing link 60 having tabs at either end is mounted on the front portion of the seat adapter 66 at a pivot portion 62 and on the front portion of the mounting bracket 32 at a pivot portion 64. Also, a V-shaped swing link 134 is attached to the seat adapter 66 at the upper end of its rear leg at a pivot portion 135 and to the mounting bracket 32 at the upper end of its front leg at a pivot portion 136.

[0036] As described above, the chair 10 includes an inclination mechanism 40 that causes the backrest 15 ( Figure 2 and 4 as shown in) to incline relative to the seat 13. The inclination mechanism 40 includes an L-shaped drive link 34 that is attached to the rear end of the seat adapter 66 at a pivot portion 36. At its opposite end, the drive link 34 is attached to the lower end of a control link 38 at a pivot portion 41. A backrest column 42 is fixed to the backrest 15. The front end of the backrest column 42 is attached to the seat adapter 66 at a pivot portion 49. The upper end of the control link 38 is attached to the backrest column 42 at a pivot portion 44.

[0037] The linear actuator 54 controls the movement of the reclining mechanism 40. The linear actuator 54 includes a motor 56 and a retractable rod 57. The rod 57 is attached at the pivot portion 46 in alignment with the apex of the drive link 34 via a lateral member 61 and a bracket 63. At the opposite end of the linear actuator 54, the motor 56 is mounted on the seat adapter 66 via a mounting plate 48 fixed to the seat adapter 66, a lateral member 51 spanning across the mounting plate 48 on either side of the chair 10, and a double tab 50 fixed to the lateral member 51; the motor 56 is mounted at the pivot portion 52 on the lower end of the double tab 50.

[0038] The backrest 15 is shown in Figure 1 and 3 in the vertical position. To move the backrest 15 to its reclined position, the occupant of the chair 10 drives the motor 56 of the linear actuator 54, which causes the rod 57 to retract. The retraction of the rod 57 causes the drive link 34 to rotate clockwise about the pivot portion 36, which pushes the control link 38 forward and downward and causes it to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot portion 44. The movement of the control link 38 uses the seat adapter 66 to pull the backrest column 42 (and thus the backrest 15) counterclockwise about the pivot portion 49. Accordingly, the backrest 15 reclines relative to the seat 13.

[0039] It should be understood that the backrest 15 can recline relative to the seat 13 regardless of whether the footrests 17a, 17b are retracted as in Figure 1 and 2 or extended as in Figure 3 and 4 . Also, as long as the footrests 17a, 17b are retracted as in Figure 1 and 2 shown, the seat 13 and the backrest 15 can swing freely relative to the base 11 in the vertical or reclined position.

[0040] Referring below to Figure 4 , the footrest mechanism 70 interconnects the footrests 17a, 17b with the seat frame 13a (for clarity of illustration, Figure 4shows the footrests 17a, 17b in their extended positions). The upper footrest swing link 72 is attached at the pivot portion 74 to the front region of the seat adapter 66 and extends downwardly and forwardly therefrom. The triple lower footrest swing link 76 is attached at the pivot portion 78 which is located rearwardly and downwardly of the pivot portion 74; the lower footrest swing link 76 extends generally forwardly from the pivot portion 78. The upper footrest extension link 80 is attached at the pivot portion 82 to the front end of the lower footrest swing link 76 and extends forwardly and upwardly therefrom. Also, the upper footrest extension link 80 is attached at the pivot portion 84 to the upper footrest swing link. The lower footrest extension link 86 is attached at the pivot portion 88 (which is located forwardly and upwardly of the pivot portion 84) to the front end of the upper footrest swing link and extends upwardly and forwardly from the pivot portion 88 generally parallel to the upper footrest extension link. The outer footrest bracket 90 is disposed generally horizontally and is attached at the pivot portions 92, 94 to the upper and lower footrest extension links 80, 86 respectively. The footrest 17b is mounted on the outer footrest bracket 90.

[0041] The double angled inner footrest bracket 96 is attached at its front lower end at the pivot portion 98 to the lower footrest extension link 86. At its opposite end, the inner footrest bracket 96 supports the footrest 17a. The inner footrest bracket 96 also includes a slot 96a which receives a pin 80a located on the upper footrest extension link 80.

[0042] Still referring to Figure 4 , the chair 10 includes a linear actuator 112 which drives the footrests 17a, 17b between their retracted and extended positions. The actuator 112 includes a motor 114 and a retractable rod 118. The motor 114 is attached at the pivot portion 120 to the upper end of the double tab 50. The rod 118 of the actuator 112 is attached at the pivot portion 122 to the protruding bracket 146 which extends from the transverse member 148 between the upper footrest swing links 72.

[0043] The angled connecting link 100 is attached to the lower footrest swing link 76 at the pivot portion 104 and extends rearwardly and slightly downwardly therefrom. The connecting link 100 is pivotally connected to a locking mechanism 132 that is capable of preventing the seat 13 and the backrest 15 from swaying relative to the base 11 when the footrests 17a, 17b are extended. The locking mechanism 132 includes a V-shaped swing link 134 that is attached at its apex at the pivot portion 133 to the rear end of the connecting link 100. At the end of its front leg, the V-shaped swing link 134 is attached at the pivot portion 136 to the bracket 32. The drive link 138 is attached at its front end at the pivot portion 140 to the apex of the connecting link 100 and extends rearwardly therefrom. The locking link 142 is attached at the pivot portion 146 to the rear end of the drive link 138. The locking link 142 is also attached at the pivot portion 148 to the rear end of the mounting bracket 32. The locking link 142 has a wheel 150 at its lower end and a post 152 at its upper end. The Z-shaped stop link 154 is fixed to the leg member 24; the upper leg of the stop link 154 forms a forward-facing recess 156.

[0044] As Figure 1 shown, in the retracted position, the rod 118 of the actuator 112 is retracted. Since the rod 118 is in its retracted position, the pantograph linkage formed by the upper and lower footrest swing links 72, 76 and the upper and lower footrest extension links 80, 86 folds under the seat frame 13a, which positions the footrest 17b exactly below the front of the seat frame 13a and the footrest 17a below the front portion of the seat frame 13a in the vertical orientation. Also, the locking link 142 rotates about the pivot portion 148 to a generally horizontal position, where the wheel 150 is at the rear end of the locking link 142 and the post 152 is at the front end of the locking link 142. In this orientation, the locking link 142 does not interact with the stop link 154 or the leg member 24. Thus, the seat 13 and the backrest 15 are free to sway relative to the base 11.

[0045] To move the footrests 17a, 17b from Figure 1 their retracted positions to Figure 3 and 4In their extended positions, the occupant of chair 10 drives actuator 112, which causes rod 118 to begin extending away from motor unit 114, thus driving lower footrest swing link 76 to pivot counterclockwise about pivot 78. Rotation of lower footrest swing link 76 pushes upper footrest extension link 80 forward, and upper footrest extension link 80 in turn pulls upper footrest swing link 72 counterclockwise about pivot 74. Also, lower footrest extension link 86 moves further forward than upper footrest extension link 80, causing outer footrest bracket 90 and inner footrest bracket 96 to rotate counterclockwise (rotation of inner footrest bracket 96 causes pin 80a to move in slot 96a toward pivot 98). Rotation of outer footrest bracket 90 and inner footrest bracket 96 causes footrests 17a, 17b to rotate from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation.

[0046] In addition, rotation of lower footrest swing link 76 pulls connecting link 100 forward. Movement of connecting link 100 causes swing link 134 to rotate counterclockwise about pivot 136, which will slightly pull down seat adapter 66 (and thus seat 13) to increase the pitch angle of seat 13. The front of seat 13 is supported by swing link 60, which pivots slightly counterclockwise about pivot 64.

[0047] Movement of connecting link 100 of swing link 134 also drives drive link 138 forward. Forward movement of drive link 138 causes locking link 142 to rotate counterclockwise about pivot 148, such that post 152 of locking link 142 is received in recess 156 of stop link 154, and wheel 150 of locking link 142 engages the upper surface of leg member 24. Engagement of locking link 142 with stop link 154 prevents rocking movement of seat 13 relative to base 11.

[0048] One potential advantage of embodiments of the present invention facilitates the manufacture of the chair. During manufacture, the recline mechanism, footrest mechanism, linear actuator, rocking assembly, and base can be formed as a single assembly. Once formed, they can be dropped as a single unit into an inverted chair frame and quickly and easily mounted to the backrest, seat, and arm frames using a few screws and / or bolts. Thus, the structure of the seating unit is significantly simplified relative to a typical recliner.

[0049] As Figure 5As shown schematically, in some embodiments, linear actuator 112 and linear actuator 54 may be operatively connected to controller 200. Controller 200 may take many forms, including a printed circuit board (PCB) that includes components (such as a microchip, etc.) that control the operation of linear actuators 54, 112. Controller 200 is operatively connected (i.e., hard-wired or wirelessly connected) to a drive device 202 that includes one or more manipulable features 204, such as a set of toggle switches or buttons, a joystick, etc.

[0050] In some embodiments, controller 200 is configured such that linear actuator 54 (which drives the reclining movement of backrest 15) cannot begin to recline backrest 15 until linear actuator 112 (which controls the extension of footrests 17a, 17b) reaches a predetermined position. As an example, controller 200 may be configured such that linear actuator 54 cannot begin to recline backrest 15 until footrests 17a, 17b are fully extended.

[0051] One advantage enabled by including controller 200 that is capable of controlling the movement of linear actuators 54, 112 is simplicity of operation. In a traditional three-way recliner, as described above, the chair moves from the upright position to the TV position and then from the TV position to the fully reclined position. To mimic this movement in the rocker-recliner 10 (in which the reclining mechanism and the footrest mechanism are mechanically separate), the occupant of the rocker-recliner 10 must first drive linear actuator 112 to extend footrests 17a, 17b and then drive linear actuator 54 to recline backrest 15. Typically, this requires the occupant to use two different drive devices (e.g., two sets of toggle buttons or two joysticks) to perform the two movements. The requirement to switch between drive devices can be confusing, especially for an occupant who is not familiar with the rocker-recliner 10 or is uncomfortable with such technology.

[0052] In contrast, the use of controller 200 enables the entire movement to be accomplished using a single drive device 202, even though rocker-recliner 10 includes two different linear actuators 54, 112. For example, the occupant may use a single manipulable feature 204 (e.g., a single button or toggle switch) to drive rocker-recliner 10 from the upright position through the TV position to the reclined position and use a different single manipulable feature 204 (e.g., a second toggle switch or button) to drive rocker-recliner 10 back to the upright position. Thus, the operation of rocker-recliner 10 is simpler and more straightforward for the occupant.

[0053] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a controller operatively connected to two linear actuators and a single drive means may be used in other recliner styles. These include other rocker-recliners, slider-recliners, and non-reciprocating tilt seat units. The tilt seat unit may be an independent chair, a sectional piece, an individual seat in a multi-seat piece (such as a double seat or a sofa), etc.

[0054] Reference is now made to Figures 6 - 10 , which shows an alternative embodiment of a rocker-tilt seat unit, generally designated 310. The seat unit 310 is similar to the chair 10 and has a base unit 311, a seat 313 disposed generally horizontally above the base unit 311, a backrest 315 disposed generally vertically and substantially above the rear portion of the seat 313, arm frames (not shown), and two footrests 317a, 317b which are disposed generally vertically below the front portion of the seat 313 in the Figure 6 vertical position. Arms (not shown) are positioned on either side of the seat 313 and move in unison with the seat 313. The base unit 311 includes a rocker assembly 320 similar to the rocker unit 20 described above. The backrest 315 is mounted on the seat unit 310 by a tilt mechanism 340, and the footrests 317a, 317b are mounted on the seat by a footrest mechanism 370. Although the footrest mechanism 370 is the same as the footrest mechanism 70 and need not be described again herein, the tilt mechanism 340 is slightly different from the tilt mechanism 40 and is driven by a linear actuator 354 which is positioned differently within the seat unit 310. The tilt mechanism 340 is described in more detail below.

[0055] Now reference is made to Figure 7 and 9 , the tilt mechanism 340 includes a backrest post 342 (shown here as two different links fixed relative to each other) fixed to the backrest 315. The front end of the backrest post 342 is attached to a seat adapter 366 at a pivot portion 349. The linear actuator 354 includes a motor 356 and a retractable rod 357. The rod 357 is attached to a bracket 363 at a pivot portion 346. The bracket 346 is fixed to a transverse member 361 which is fixed to and spans the upper end of the backrest post 342. At the opposite end of the linear actuator 354, the motor 356 is mounted on a bracket 348 at a pivot portion 352, and the bracket 348 is fixed to the frame of the seat 313.

[0056] The footrests 317a, 317b are extended ( Figure 8 and 9 ) and retracted ( Figure 6 and 7). To move the backrest 315 from its vertical position to its reclined position, the occupant of the chair 310 drives the motor 356 of the linear actuator 354, which causes the rod 357 to retract. The retraction of the rod 357 pulls down the upper end of the backrest column 342, which causes the backrest column 342 to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot portion 349. The backrest 315 moves with the backrest column 342; thus, the backrest 315 reclines relative to the seat 313.

[0057] The manufacturing advantages of the chair 10 may also be present in the seat unit 310. Moreover, a controller (such as the controller 200) may be used with the seat unit 310 and provide similar advantages.

[0058] Reference is made below Figures 11 - 19 , in which another seat unit is shown, generally designated 510. The seat unit 510 is similar to the seat unit 310, in that it has the same reclining link 540 and footrest link 570 as the reclining link 340 and footrest link 370; however, the seat unit 510 has a sliding unit 600 instead of the rocking unit that imparts a reciprocating sliding motion to the seat unit 510. The connection of the sliding unit 600 to the remainder of the seat unit 510 is described below.

[0059] First reference is made to Figure 11 , the sliding unit 600 rests on top of a rotating unit 580 that enables the remainder of the seat unit 510 to rotate about a vertical axis relative to the base 511. Two lateral members 581 are fixed to the upper plate 582 of the rotating unit 580. A mounting plate 601 is fixed to the lateral members 581 and extends upward therefrom. A front sliding link 603 is mounted at its upper end at a pivot portion 604 on the front end of the mounting plate 601. Similarly, a rear sliding link 606 is mounted at its upper end at a pivot portion 608 on the rear end of the mounting plate 601. A tie link 610 is mounted at pivot portions 612, 614 on the lower ends of the front and rear sliding links 603, 606, respectively. The tie link 610 is fixed to the mounting bracket 532.

[0060] The reclining mechanism 540 is mounted on the mounting bracket 532 and is similar to the reclining mechanism 340 described above, except for the locking mechanism 632 described below, and includes a linear actuator 554 mounted on the rear end of the frame of the seat 513. The footrest mechanism 570 is attached to the seat adapter 566 in the manner described above in connection with the footrest mechanism 70. The reclining mechanism 540 and the footrest mechanism 570 both operate as described above in connection with their respective similar mechanisms.

[0061] As described above, the tilt mechanism 540 includes a locking mechanism 632 that is designed to prevent the seat unit 510 from sliding when the footrests 517a, 517b are extended. The locking mechanism 632 includes a V-shaped swing link 634 that is attached at its apex to the rear end of the connecting link 600 at a pivot portion 633. At the end of its front leg, the V-shaped swing link 634 is attached to the bracket 532 at a pivot portion 636, and at the end of its rear leg, the V-shaped swing link 634 is attached to the seat adapter 566 at a pivot portion 635. A drive link 638 is attached at its front end to the rear leg of the V-shaped link 634 at a pivot portion 640 and extends rearwardly and downwardly therefrom. A locking link 642 is attached at a pivot portion 646 to the rear end of the drive link 638. The locking link 642 is also attached at its front end to the rear end of the mounting bracket 532 at a pivot portion 648. The locking link 642 has a recess 650 near its rear end. The rear sliding link 606 has a post 652 near its lower end.

[0062] When the footrests 517a, 517b are retracted, the locking link 642 is in a raised position such that it does not engage the post 652 located on the rear sliding link 606. In this position, the rear sliding link 606 rotates freely about the pivot portion 608, and thus the front sliding link 603 rotates freely about the pivot portion 604. The rotational freedom of the front sliding link 603 and the rear sliding link 606 enables the seat 513, the backrest 515, and the footrests 517a, 517b to slide forward and backward relative to the base 601. It should be noted that this sliding movement is possible regardless of whether the backrest 515 is upright (see Figure 16 and 17 ) or tilted (see Figure 18 and 19 ).

[0063] When the footrest mechanism 570 extends the footrests 517a, 517b (as described above in connection with the footrest mechanism 70), the connecting link 600 moves forward. This movement causes the V-shaped link 634 to rotate counterclockwise about the pivot portion 635. This movement pushes the drive link 638 downward, which in turn causes the locking link 642 to pivot counterclockwise about the pivot portion 648. This rotation allows the locking link 642 to capture the post 652 of the rear sliding link 606 in the recess 650, which prevents the rear sliding link 606 from moving, thereby preventing the sliding movement of the seat 513, the backrest 515, and the footrests 517a, 517b relative to the base 601.

[0064] The foregoing describes the invention and should not be construed as limiting thereof. Although example embodiments of the invention have been presented, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many changes can be made in the example embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention. Accordingly, all such changes are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An inclined seat unit, the inclined seat unit comprising: Base; Seat, said seat having a seat frame; Swing unit, said swing unit being arranged to allow the seat to reciprocate relative to the base; Backrest, said backrest being mounted on the seat frame and pivotally interconnected with the seat frame; Footrest unit; Tilting mechanism, said tilting mechanism being attached to the seat and the backrest, the tilting mechanism being arranged to control the relative movement between the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a tilted position; Footrest mechanism, said footrest mechanism being attached to the seat and the footrest unit, the footrest mechanism being arranged to control the relative movement between the footrest unit and the seat between a retracted position and an extended position, the footrest mechanism being separate from the tilting mechanism; First linear actuator, said first linear actuator being attached to the tilting mechanism and the seat, arranged to move the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a tilted position; And Second linear actuator, said second linear actuator being attached to the footrest mechanism and the seat frame, arranged to move the footrest unit between a retracted position and an extended position.

2. The inclined seat unit according to claim 1, wherein: The second linear actuator extends so as to move the footrest unit to the extended position, and the first linear actuator retracts so as to move the backrest to the tilted position.

3. The inclined seat unit according to claim 1, wherein: The first linear actuator and the second linear actuator are pivotally mounted on a common link.

4. The inclined seat unit according to claim 3, wherein: The first linear actuator and the second linear actuator each include a motor, and the motors of the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator are each mounted under the seat.

5. The inclined seat unit according to claim 3, wherein: When the footrest unit moves to the extended position, the common link moves backward relative to the base.

6. The inclined seat unit according to claim 1, further comprising: Locking mechanism, said locking mechanism being connected to the footrest mechanism, the locking mechanism being arranged to prevent the seat from swinging relative to the base when the footrest unit is in the extended position.

7. The inclined seat unit according to claim 6, wherein: The locking mechanism includes a connecting link pivotally attached to the footrest mechanism, a driving link pivotally attached to the connecting link, and a locking link pivotally attached to the driving link, wherein, in the extended position, the locking link engages the base so as to prevent the swinging movement of the seat relative to the base.

8. The inclined seat unit according to claim 7, further comprising: A stop link fixed to the base, wherein, in the extended position, the locking link engages the stop link.

9. The inclined seat unit according to claim 1, further comprising: Controller, said controller being operatively connected to the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, the controller being arranged to prevent the first linear actuator from moving the backrest and the seat from the vertical position towards the tilted position until the second linear actuator moves the footrest unit from the retracted position towards the extended position by at least a predetermined distance.

10. The inclined seat unit according to claim 9, wherein: The controller is arranged such that the predetermined distance is associated with the full extension of the footrest unit.

11. The inclined seat unit according to claim 10, further comprising: A single drive device operatively connected to the controller.

12. The inclined seat unit according to claim 11, wherein: The drive device is arranged such that an occupant can use a single manipulable feature to move the seat unit from the vertical position to the fully tilted position.

13. An inclined seat unit, the inclined seat unit comprising: Base; Seat, said seat having a seat frame; Reciprocating unit, said reciprocating unit being arranged to allow the seat to reciprocate relative to the base; Backrest, said backrest being mounted on the seat frame and pivotally interconnected with the seat frame; Footrest unit; Tilting mechanism, said tilting mechanism being attached to the seat and the backrest, the tilting mechanism being arranged to control the relative movement between the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a tilted position; A footrest mechanism, the footrest mechanism being attached to a seat and a footrest unit, the footrest mechanism being configured to control the relative movement between the footrest unit and the seat between a retracted position and an extended position, the footrest mechanism being separated from the reclining mechanism; A first linear actuator, the first linear actuator being attached to the reclining mechanism and the seat, configured to move the seat and the backrest between a vertical position and a reclined position; And A second linear actuator, the second linear actuator being attached to the footrest mechanism and the seat frame, configured to move the footrest unit between a retracted position and an extended position.

14. The tilting seat unit according to claim 13, wherein: The reciprocating unit is a rocking unit.

15. The tilting seat unit according to claim 13, wherein: The reciprocating unit is a sliding unit.

16. The tilting seat unit according to claim 13, wherein: The first linear actuator is attached to the rear end of the seat.

17. The tilting seat unit according to claim 13, wherein: The first linear actuator and the second linear actuator are pivotally mounted on a common link.

18. The tilting seat unit according to claim 13, further comprising: A locking mechanism connected to the footrest mechanism, the locking mechanism being configured to prevent the seat from reciprocating relative to the base when the footrest unit is in the extended position.

19. The tilting seat unit according to claim 13, further comprising: A controller, the controller being operatively connected to the first linear actuator and the second linear actuator, the controller being configured to prevent the first linear actuator from moving the backrest and the seat from the vertical position towards the reclined position until the second linear actuator moves the footrest unit from the retracted position towards the extended position by at least a predetermined distance.

20. The tilting seat unit according to claim 19, wherein: The controller is configured such that the predetermined distance is associated with the full extension of the footrest unit.

21. The tilting seat unit according to claim 20, further comprising: A single drive device operatively connected to the controller.

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