Patent Application
20100060043
The present disclosure relates to furniture, and particularly to motion activated furniture. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a release handle that is used to activate a portion of the motion activated furniture, such as an extendable footrest. Current handle designs that are positioned between the armrest and the seat cushion of the chair are coupled to a cable that transmits the upward movement of the release handle to either release a foot rest, recline the chair or both. Often times, due to consumer movement of the release handle while watching TV the cable can become frayed and break.
According to the present disclosure, a release handle is adapted to activate a portion of a chair or sofa, such as a foot rest or a recline mechanism. The handle allows a user to selectively control the movement of functions of the chair.
In illustrative embodiments, the handle is coupled to a cable, which is used to release a mechanism on the chair, such as the footrest. The handle includes a D-shaped ring that is coupled to an annular tube at one end. The annular tube is adapted to be positioned over sheath of the pull cable. The annular tube protects the cable within the sheath to prevent wear to the cable to prevent breakage. The handle also includes a retention slot positioned at the top of the annular tube, at the junction of the tube and the D-ring. The retention slot is adapted to allow an end fitting of the cable to be snapped into the handle to secure its position. The handle also includes a pass through slot that is adapted to allow the barrel end of the cable to pass through the annular tube to allow the barrel end to be rotate 90 degrees and snapped into the retention slot.
Additional features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
While the present disclosure may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, embodiments with the understanding that the present description is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.
Motion furniture requires a device to activate the mechanism to cause a footrest 12 to extend or portions of the chair 10 to recline, as shown in
Handle 1 is coupled to cable 7 as shown in
Cable sheath 22 of cable 7 is secured to the furniture by use of bracket 28. Bracket 28 includes apertures 30 that are configured to accept screws (not shown) to secure the cable 7 to the chair 10. Handle 1 is preferably a molded one piece structure with grip ring 18 molded with elongated annular tube 20. Handle 1 also includes webs 32 to reinforce grip ring 18 to elongated annular tube 20. Handle 1 also include a cable retainer 34 that secures cable end 36 to handle 1.
The handle 1 includes cable retainer 34 that is configured to include a snap-in feature in the form of a retention slot 38 for attaching the cable 7 to the handle 1, as shown in
By incorporating retention slot 38 into the handle 1, cables 7 can be changed out if broken without changing the complete handle assembly. Retention slot 38 incorporates retention tabs 40 that are deformable projections 40 to prevent the cable end 36 from shifting or separating from handle 1. While a barrel-shaped end fitting is shown secured to the end of the cable 7, it is contemplated that other types of cable end fittings could also be used. The retention slot could also use a clip or other fastener means to fasten the cable to the handle.
Retention slot 38 of handle 1 is defined by curved walls 42 that engage barrel shaped end fitting 36 of cable 7. Walls 42 include retention tabs 40 that retain cable end fitting 36. Cable retainer 34 also includes pass through slot 44. Pass though slot 44 is perpendicular from retention slot 38 and is configured to allow cable end fitting 36 to pass through handle 1. This allows the cable 7 to be inserted from bottom end 46 of elongated annular tube 20, passed through pass through slot 44 and out handle 1. Once cable end fitting 36 exits pass through slot 44, end fitting 36 can be rotated 90 degrees and snapped into retention slot 38. Other retainers could also be used such as crimp on cable fittings that would retain the cable to the handle without the use of the retention slot 38.
Cable 7 passes through handle 1, as shown, for example, in
As handle 1 is pulled upward, handle pulls on cable end fitting 36, which, in turn, pulls cable wire 24 from cable sheath 22 and cable end attachment 26. Movement of cable wire 24 within cable sheath 22 cause activation of the mechanism that releases the foot rest 12 of the chair 10. Damage to the cable wire 24 is minimized because the movement between the cable end attachment 26 and the cable wire 24 is generally linear with very little pivoting motion or side to side motion of the handle with respect to the cable sheath.
Window 52 of handle 1 is configured to accept retention clip 56, as shown, for example, in
Handle 1 may also be used with bracket 70, as shown in
In use, a user inserts the cable end fitting 36, cable end attachment 26 and a portion of the cable sheath 22 into the central bore 47 of the elongated annular tube 20 of handle 1. Cable end fitting 36 is moved through central bore 47 through pass through slot 44. Once cable end fitting 36 passes through pass through slot 44, the cable end fitting 36 is rotated ninety degrees and snapped into retention slot 38 of handle 1. With cable end fitting 36 positioned in retention slot 38, linear movement of the handle 1 away from the cable sheath 22 and cable end attachment 26 causes cable wire 24 to extend from cable sheath 22 to cause the release of the footrest 12 of the chair 10.
The pull handle 1 can be various shapes and materials such as plastic, metal or wood and be elliptical, round, square or D-shaped for example. The pull handle 1 or attachment can employ holes or slots to facilitate ease of manufacture.
While embodiments have been illustrated and described in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustrations and descriptions are considered to be exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected. The applicants have provided description and figures which are intended as illustrations of embodiments of the disclosure, and are not intended to be construed as containing or implying limitation of the disclosure to those embodiments. There are a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arising from various features set forth in the description. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of the disclosure and associated methods, without undue experimentation, that incorporate one or more of the features of the disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/094,649 filed on Sep. 5, 2008, which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61094649 | Sep 2008 | US |
