Reclining chair with movable headrest

Claim 2

A reclining chair of the multiple movement type having a base, and a body supporting means including a seat and a backrest, body-supporting mounting mechanisms mounting said backrest on said base for movement in a first movement phase from an upright sitting position to an intermediate, tilted sitting position and for further movement in a second movement phase from said intermediate tilting seated position to a fully-reclined position with said backrest moving rearwardly during said first movement phase and turning about a backrest center of rotation during said second movement phase, a legrest, and a legrest guiding mechanism mounting said legrest on said body-supporting means for movement from a retracted position to an extended, legsupporting position in response to movement of said bodysupporting means during said first movement phase; a headrest mounted on said backrest for movement between a lowered position and a raised head-supporting position in response to movement of said body-supporting means during the said first movement phase; headrest mounting and guiding means mounting said headrest on said backrest and headrest; and headrest actuating means effectively interconnected between said backrest, said support and said headrest mounting and guiding means for actuating and control movement of said headrest, said actuating means comprising: a. a driver lever pivotally mounted on said backrest at a driver lever pivot; b. an actuating link pivotally connected at one of its ends to said base at a base pivot and at its other end to said driver lever at an actuating pivot; c. a connecting link pivotally connected at its lower end to said driver lever at a driver pivot and operatively connected at its upper end to said headrest mounting and guiding means; d. said base pivot of said actuating link being spaced from said backrest center of rotation and located on a line which bisects the angle included between a first line between the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the intermediate tilted sitting position and the backrest pivot and a second line between the backrest pivot and the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the fully-reclined position; said bisected angle being equal to the angle of rotation of said backrest about said backrest pivot during said second movement phase; e. the location of the driver lever pivot of the driver lever being along a line which is the perpendicular bisector of a line drawn between the location of the actuating pivot in the upright sitting position and the location of the actuating pivot projected onto the backrest when said actuating pivot is in the intermediate tilted sitting position and with said backrest thereafter translated into its position when in the upright sitting position.

Claim 3

A reclining chair of the multiple movement type having a support, a body-supporting means including a seat and backrest and a guiding mechanism mounting said seat and backrest within said support for motion in a first movement phase from an upright sitting position to an intermediate, tilted sitting position and for further motion in a second movement phase from said intermediate, tilted sitting position to a fully reclined position, said backrest turning about a backrest center of rotation during said second movement phase; a headrest mounted on said backrest for movement between an inactive position and an active, head-supporting position in response to movement of said seat and backrest relative to said support; mounting and guiding means mounting said headrest on said backrest and guiding same for said movement; actuating means effectively interconnected between said support, said body-supporting means and said headrest mounting and guiding means for actuating said headrest movement; said headrest actuating means comprising: a. a driver lever pivotally mounted on said body-supporting means at a driver lever pivot, an actuating link pivotally interconnected between said driver lever at an actuating pivot and said support at a base pivot, and a connecting link operatively interconnected between said driver lever at a driver pivot and said headrest mounting and guiding means; b. the axis of said base pivot being located at a point spaced from the axis of said backrest center of rotation and which is positioned to effectively maintain said headrest relative to said backrest in an effective position to support the head of a chair occupant during said second movement phase and in said fully reclined position.

Claim 4

A reclining chair of the multiple movement type having a support, a body-supporting means including a seat and backrest and a guiding mechanism mounting said seat and backrest within said support for motion in a first movement phase from an upright sitting position to an intermediate, tilted sitting position and for further motion in a second movement phase from said intermediate, tilted sitting position to a fully reclined position, said backrest turning about a backrest center of rotation during said second movement phase; a headrest mounted on said backrest for movement between an inactive position and an active, head-supporting position in response to movement of said seat and backrest relative to said support; mounting and guiding means mounting said headrest on said backrest and guiding same for said movement; actuating means effectively interconnected between said support, said body-supporting means and said headrest mounting and guiding means for actuating said headrest movement; said headrest actuating means comprising: a. a driver lever pivotally mounted on said body-supporting means at a driver lever pivot, an actuating link pivotally interconnected between said driver lever at an actuating pivot and said support at a base pivot, and a connecting link operatively interconnected between said driver lever at a driver pivot and said headrest mounting and guiding means; b. the axis of said base pivot being located at a point spaced from the axis of said backrest center of rotation and which is positioned to effectively maintain said headrest relative to said backrest in an effective position to support the head of a chair occupant during said second movement phase and in said fully reclined position.

Claim 5

In a reclining chair in accordance with claim 2, the location of said base pivot being spaced toward the front of the chair relative to the center of rotation of said backrest and being selected to produce relatively minor movement of said headrest with respect to said backrest during said second movement phase for adjusting the relative position of said headrest to said backrest to accommodate the changes of position of the chair occupant during said second movement phase.

Claim 6

In a reclining chair in accordance with claim 3, the location of said base pivot being adjacent but spaced from a line defined as the P Line which bisects the angle between a first line between the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the intermediate tilted sitting position and the center of rotation of the backrest and a second Line between the center of rotation of the backrest and the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the fully reclined position.

Claim 7

In a reclining chair having a seat and backrest mounted within an arm frame by a mounting and guiding linkage for movement from an upright position to a tilted position, a headrest mounting means mounting said headrest on said backrest for movement from a retracted position to an extended position and a headrest actuating mechanism operable in response to said movement of said seat and backrest to actuate said movement of said headrest, said headrest actuating mechanism including an actuating link pivoted to said arm frame at a base pivot and extending generally in line with the direction of said movement of said seat and backrest, a driver lever being pivotally mounted on said backrest and having two arms, a first arm being generally perpendicular to the direction of said actuating link, a connecting link pivotally conencted at its lower end to the second arm of said driver lever and pivotally connected at its upper end to said headrest mounting means, said second arm of said driver lever and said connecting link being generally perpendicular to each other.

Claim 8

In a reclining chair having a seat and backrest mounted within an arm frame by a mounting and guiding linkage for movement from an upright position to a tilted position, a headrest mounting means mounting said headrest on said backrest for movement from a retracted position to an extended position and a headrest actuating mechanism operable in response to said movement of said seat and backrest to actuate said movement of said headrest, said headrest actuating mechanism including an actuating link pivoted to said arm frame at a base pivot and extending generally in line with the direction of said movement of said seat and backrest, a driver lever being pivotally mounted on said backrest and having two arms, a first arm being generally perpendicular to the direction of said actuating link, a connecting link pivotally conencted at its lower end to the second arm of said driver lever and pivotally connected at its upper end to said headrest mounting means, said second arm of said driver lever and said connecting link being generally perpendicular to each other.

Claim 9

A reclining chair in accordance with claim 5 wherein said driver lever is located forwardly of said actuating link.

Claim 10

A reclining chair in accordance with claim 6 wherein the two arms of said driver lever are generally perpendicular and the pivotal mount of said driver lever on said backrest is at the intersection of said two arms.

Claim 11

A reclining chair of the multiple movement type having a base, and a body-supporting means including a seat and a backrest, body-supporting mounting mechanisms mounting said backrest on said base for movement in a first movement phase from an upright sitting position to an intermediate, tilted sitting position and for further movement in a second movement phase from said intermediate tilting seated position to a fully-reclined position with said backrest moving rearwardly during said first movement phase and turning about a backrest center of rotation during said second movement phase, a legrest, and a legrest guiding mechanism mounting said legrest on said body-supporting means for movement from a retracted position to an extended, legsupporting position in response to movement of said body-supporting means during said first movement phase; a headrest mounted on said backrest for movement between a lowered position and a raised head-supporting position in response to movement of said body-supporting means during said first movement phase; headrest mounting and guiding means mounting said headrest on said backrest and headrest; and headrest actuating means effectively interconnected between said backrest, said base and said headrest mounting and guiding means for actuating and control movement of said headrest, said actuating means comprising: a. a driver lever pivotally mounted on said backrest at a driver lever pivot; b. an actuating link pivotally connected at one of its ends to said base at a base pivot and at its other end to said driver lever at an actuating pivot; c. a connecting link pivotally connected at its lower end to said driver lever at a driver pivot and operatively connected at its upper end to said headrest mounting and guiding means; d. said base pivot of said actuating link being spaced from said backrest center of rotation and located adjacent a line which bisects the angle included between a first line between the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the intermediate tilted sitting position and the backrest pivot and a second line between the backrest pivot and the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the fully-reclined position; said bisected angle being equal to the angle of rotation of said backrest about said backrest pivot during said second movement phase; e. the location of the driver lever pivot of the driver lever being substantialLy along a line which is the perpendicular bisector of a line drawn between the location of the actuating pivot in the upright sitting position and the location of the actuating pivot projected onto the backrest when said actuating pivot is in the intermediate tilted sitting position and with said backrest thereafter translated into its position when in the upright sitting position.

Claim 12

A reclining chair of the multiple movement type having a base, and a body-supporting means including a seat and a backrest, body-supporting mounting mechanisms mounting said backrest on said base for movement in a first movement phase from an upright sitting position to an intermediate, tilted sitting position and for further movement in a second movement phase from said intermediate tilting seated position to a fully-reclined position with said backrest moving rearwardly during said first movement phase and turning about a backrest center of rotation during said second movement phase, a legrest, and a legrest guiding mechanism mounting said legrest on said body-supporting means for movement from a retracted position to an extended, legsupporting position in response to movement of said body-supporting means during said first movement phase; a headrest mounted on said backrest for movement between a lowered position and a raised head-supporting position in response to movement of said body-supporting means during said first movement phase; headrest mounting and guiding means mounting said headrest on said backrest and headrest; and headrest actuating means effectively interconnected between said backrest, said base and said headrest mounting and guiding means for actuating and control movement of said headrest, said actuating means comprising: a. a driver lever pivotally mounted on said backrest at a driver lever pivot; b. an actuating link pivotally connected at one of its ends to said base at a base pivot and at its other end to said driver lever at an actuating pivot; c. a connecting link pivotally connected at its lower end to said driver lever at a driver pivot and operatively connected at its upper end to said headrest mounting and guiding means; d. said base pivot of said actuating link being spaced from said backrest center of rotation and located adjacent a line which bisects the angle included between a first line between the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the intermediate tilted sitting position and the backrest pivot and a second line between the backrest pivot and the location of the actuating pivot when the chair is in the fully-reclined position; said bisected angle being equal to the angle of rotation of said backrest about said backrest pivot during said second movement phase; e. the location of the driver lever pivot of the driver lever being substantialLy along a line which is the perpendicular bisector of a line drawn between the location of the actuating pivot in the upright sitting position and the location of the actuating pivot projected onto the backrest when said actuating pivot is in the intermediate tilted sitting position and with said backrest thereafter translated into its position when in the upright sitting position.

Claim 13

A reclining chair having body supporting means including a backrest movable in a first motion phase from an upright position to a first tilted position and in a second motion phase from said tilted position to a fully reclined position, the motion from said upright position to the tilted position being different from the motion from said tilted position to said fully reclined position, a headrest mounted on said backrest for movement between a lowered position and a raised head supporting position in response to movement of said back from said upright position to said tilting position, headrest mounting and guiding means mounting said headrest on said backrest, headrest actuating means effectively interconnected between said backrest and said support and said mounting and guiding means for actuating and controlling the movement of said headrest in coordination with the movement of said backrest, said actuating means comprising a driver lever pivotally mounted on said backrest at a driver lever pivot, an actuating link pivotally connected at one of its ends to said base at a base pivot and at its other end to said driver lever at an actuating pivot, a connecting link pivotally connected at its lower end to said driver lever at a driver pivot and operatively connected at its upper end to said headrest mounting and guiding means, the base pivot of said actuating link being spaced from the pivotal center of rotation of said backrest druing the second motion phase of said backrest and located substantially on the line which bisects the angle of rotation of said backrest as it moves from said tilted position to said fully reclined position, said angle being defined by the positions of said actuating pivot in said tilted position and in said fully reclined position respectively and the pivotal center of rotation of said backrest during said second movement phase, said actuating means actuating the headrest during the first movement phase and holding the headrest substantially in the operative head supporting position during said second movement phase.

Claim 14

A reclining chair having body supporting means including a backrest movable in a first motion phase from an upright position to a first tilted position and in a second motion phase from said tilted position to a fully reclined position, the motion from said upright position to the tilted position being different from the motion from said tilted position to said fully reclined position, a headrest mounted on said backrest for movement between a lowered position and a raised head supporting position in response to movement of said back from said upright position to said tilting position, headrest mounting and guiding means mounting said headrest on said backrest, headrest actuating means effectively interconnected between said backrest and said support and said mounting and guiding means for actuating and controlling the movement of said headrest in coordination with the movement of said backrest, said actuating means comprising a driver lever pivotally mounted on said backrest at a driver lever pivot, an actuating link pivotally connected at one of its ends to said base at a base pivot and at its other end to said driver lever at an actuating pivot, a connecting link pivotally connected at its lower end to said driver lever at a driver pivot and operatively connected at its upper end to said headrest mounting and guiding means, the base pivot of said actuating link being spaced from the pivotal center of rotation of said backrest druing the second motion phase of said backrest and located substantially on the line which bisects the angle of rotation of said backrest as it moves from said tilted position to said fully reclined position, said angle being defined by the positions of said actuating pivot in said tilted position and in said fully reclined position respectively and the pivotal center of rotation of said backrest during said second movement phase, said actuating means actuating the headrest during the first movement phase and holding the headrest substantially in the operative head supporting position during said second movement phase.