Base Frame for Base Assembly of Rocker Recliner Chair

The present invention relates to base assemblies used to support the linkage support mechanisms of rocker-recliner chairs, and more particularly to the base frames of such base assemblies.

Conventional base frames used in base assemblies that support the linkage support mechanisms of rocker-recliner chairs are made of hardwood side runners connected together by hardwood cross rails, the cross rails being connected to the side runners by doweling, gluing and the use of stapled corner cleats. However, such base frames can break apart if dropped, which will cause great inconvenience and unwanted repair costs to fix. In addition, these base frames require the use of eight separate pieces of hardwood, requiring significant time and expense to construct and properly connect together, and indeed good hardwood is becoming more and more difficult to find. Also, such wood base frames, in order to be aesthetically pleasing (they can be seen beneath the lower portion of the chair), must be stained, and these stains can leach out when the flooring surface around the wood base frame is cleaned. Finally, the wood base frame will display sharp edges and the wood thereof can produce splinters in the hands and feet of anyone handling the base frame.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a base frame for a base assembly used to support a linkage support mechanism of a rocker-recliner chair which will be simple in construction, extremely strong, which will have smooth corners (no sharp edges) and which will be aesthetically attractive.

According to the present invention the base frame is made of side runners and end rails, the side runners being identical and defining a generally Z-shaped cross section, and the end rails being identical and constructed to extend between and cover corresponding ends of the side runners, the end rails being connected to the side runners so as to provide a very rigid structure which is nevertheless aesthetically attractive. The side runners include upper and lower flanges and center webs which, at opposite ends of the side runners, are advantageously inclined relative to the upper and lower flanges, and the end rails include upper and lower flanges and center webs which are inclined relative to the upper and lower flanges at an inclination which corresponds to that of the center webs of the side runners. The side runners and end rails can be made of wood, but are preferably made of metal.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings and the following discussion.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a base assembly for a rocker-recliner chair containing a base frame according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is an elevational side view of the base assembly of FIG. 1 as seen along line 2--2,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the base assembly of FIG. 1 as seen along line 3--3,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the base assembly of FIG. 1 as seen along line 4--4, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the base assembly of FIG. 1 as seen along line 5--5.

A base assembly 10 for a rocker-recliner chair which includes a base frame according to the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 1-5. It includes a conventional cam assembly 15 and conventional spring assemblies 20, 30, which mount the cam assembly above the inventive base frame 40. The cam assembly 15 includes hardwood cam elements 16, 17 which have arcuate lower surfaces 16a, 17a, and hardwood cross struts 18, 19 which are connected at their opposite ends to inner (facing) surfaces of the cam elements, i.e., at opposite forward and rearward ends thereof, by doweling and/or gluing and the use of stapled corner blocks, thus providing a rigid structure. The spring assemblies 20, 30 are identical and include lower brackets 21, 31 having an L-shaped cross section, upper brackets 22, 32 having a generally L-shaped cross section, and coil springs 23, 24, 33, 34 respectively connected therebetween. The lower brackets 21, 31 are attached to an inner surface of respective side runners of the base frame (to be described below), and the upper brackets 22, 32 are attached by wood screws 25, 35 to an inner surface of the respective cam elements 16, 17, such that the coil springs 23, 24, 33, 34 are in a stretched condition. Mounting rails M1, M2 of a supported linkage support mechanism of the rocker-recliner chair can be respectively connected to the outer sides of the cam elements 16, 17 by suitable bolts.

The inventive base frame 40 includes identical metal side runners 41, 42 and identical metal end rails 43, 44. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the side runners have generally Z-shaped cross sections and define upper flanges 41a, 42a, lower flanges 41b, 42b and center webs 41c, 42c extending between the upper and lower flanges. The lower brackets of the spring assemblies are respectively connected by bolts 26, 36 to inside surfaces of the center webs 41c, 42c (so that the arcuate lower surfaces 16a, 17a of the cam elements 16, 17 will contact the upper flanges 41a, 42a). As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower flanges of the side runners are longer in length than the upper flanges thereof, and the center webs provide inclined end edge portions 41d, 41e, 42d, 42e at their opposite ends.

The end rails 43, 44 define top flanges 43a, 44a, bottom flanges 43b, 44b, and inclined center webs 43c, 44c, the inclination of the center webs 43c, 44c corresponding with the inclination of the end edges 41e, 42e, 41d, 42d of the center flanges of the side runners 41, 42. The end rails cover the ends of the side runners as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and are connected thereto by bolts 50 which connect the top flanges of the end rails to the top flanges of the side runners and bolts 60 which connect the bottom flanges of the end rails to the bottom flanges of the side runners, thus providing a very rigid structure. Such connections lock the four corners of the base frame together and provide excellent squareness, and the shaping of both the side runners and the end rails provides the base frame with smooth corners (no sharp edges). Pads 70 are connected to the lower surfaces of the bottom flanges of the end rails 43, 44 (at their opposite ends) to support the base frame on a flooring surface.

Although a specific embodiment of the inventive base frame has been shown and described, various modifications can be made therein and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. For example, instead of using bolts 50, 60 to connect the end rails to the side runners, rivets can be used, or the metal members can be connected by other known sheet metal joining techniques. Also, the side runners and end rails can be made of wood.