Patent Application
20230337822
(NOT APPLICABLE)
The invention relates to a reclining seat mount and, more particularly, to a marine seat reclining system with a rigid seat back structure pivotally mounted to a reclining base structure cooperable with a seat base.
Furniture in a marine environment can be challenging due to space and material requirements. It is desirable to include seating areas with reclining functionality. A design challenge for a reclining seat is to provide a structural configuration with sufficient strength to perform as intended without breaking and/or malfunction.
A marine seat reclining system according to the described embodiments includes a rigid seat back structure that is inserted into an opening and recess created in a seat back and secured with fasteners. The rigid seat back structure pivotally mounts to a reclining base structure secured underneath the seat base, which is also secured with fasteners. The reclining mechanism is mostly hidden from view and has the strength and rigidity to allow for a substantial seat recline without breaking.
In some embodiments, the rigid back structure is in the form of a back frame that is cooperable with the seat back and includes a top portion engaging the outside of the seat back and a bottom portion engaging the inside of the seat back. The reclining base structure is attached to the underside or to a side of the seat base and puts the leverage upward and outward on the seat base. The structure and the configuration of the back frame provide added strength to the configuration to achieve the reclining function without breaking.
In an exemplary embodiment, a reclining seat includes a seat back with an inside portion and an outside portion, a seat base, a reclining base structure fixed to the seat base, and a back frame coupled with the seat back and engaging the inside portion and the outside portion of the seat back. The back frame is connected to the reclining base structure.
The seat back may include a seat back opening therethrough, and the back frame may be positioned through the seat back opening. The seat back may include a recess in the outside portion, and the back frame may include a top portion that may be secured to the seat back in the recess. The back frame may include a bottom portion secured to the reclining base structure. The top portion of the back frame may include two metal frame bars welded to the bottom portion. The bottom portion of the back frame may include a connecting plate secured to the reclining base structure, and the two metal frame bars may be welded to the connecting plate.
The reclining base structure may be fixed to an underside of the seat base or to a side of the seat base.
The reclining base structure may include a connecting bracket to which the back frame is connected, and the connecting bracket may be pivotable between an upright position and an inclined position. In this context, the reclining base structure may be automated such that the connecting bracket is pivotable via a push-button or remote control.
In another exemplary embodiment, a seat back assembly securable to a seat base with a reclining base structure for positioning between an upright position and an inclined position includes a seat back with an inside portion and an outside portion, and a back frame cooperable with the seat back that includes a top portion engaging the outside portion of the seat back and a bottom portion engaging the inside portion of the seat back.
These and other aspects and advantages will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
With reference to
In some embodiments, the back frame 18 includes a top portion in the form of, for example, two metal frame bars 20. The back frame 18 also includes a bottom portion in the form of, for example, a connecting plate 22. In an exemplary construction, the metal frame bars 20 are welded to the connecting plate 22 to define a rigid back structure for the back frame 18.
The seat back 12 is provided with at least one seat back opening 24 therethrough. The seat back 12 also includes at least one recess 26 in the outside portion 12b. In some embodiments, the seat back 12 includes two recesses 26 that are sized and shaped to receive the frame bars 20 of the back frame 18.
With reference to
The reclining base structure 16 is of known construction, and any suitable reclining base structure may be used. Generally, the reclining base structure 16 includes a fixing bracket 28 for securing the reclining base structure 16 to an underside or to a side of the seat base 14 and a connecting bracket 30 that is pivotable relative to the fixing bracket 28. The connecting bracket 30 is pivotable relative to the fixing bracket 28 between an upright position and one or more inclined positions. In some embodiments, the connecting bracket 30 is pivotable up to 45° relative to the fixing bracket 28. The connecting bracket 30 may be spring-biased toward the upright position. A lever 32 or other mechanism may be displaced to unlock the connecting bracket 30 for pivoting against the bias of the spring. The lever 32 may itself be spring-biased and can be released to lock the connecting bracket 30 in an inclined position. In alternative configurations, the connecting bracket 30 may be pivotable via a push-button or remote control activating an electric motor.
With the back frame 18 secured to the seat back 12, the bottom portion or connecting plate 22 of the back frame 18 is secured to the connecting bracket 30 of the reclining base structure 16 with mechanical fasteners or the like. See
In use, the seat back 12 can be reclined relative to the base 14 by displacing the lever 32 to unlock the connecting bracket 30 and applying a force against the seat back 12 that exceeds the bias of the spring acting on the connecting bracket 30. When the lever 32 is released, the assembly can be locked in the inclined position. In order to displace the assembly back to the upright position, the lever 32 can be displaced to unlock the connecting bracket 30, after which the spring bias will return the assembly to the upright position. With a motorized reclining base structure, the assembly may be simply displaced between the upright and reclined positions via a push-button or remote control.
The rigid back frame including a top portion engaging the outside of the seat back and a bottom portion engaging an inside of the seat back provides added strength to the assembly, thereby enabling the assembly to perform without breaking. The reclining base structure attached to the underside or side of the seat base shifts the leverage upward and outward relative to the seat base, thereby further enhancing the strength of the assembly.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Serial No. 63/335,132, filed Apr. 26, 2022, the entire content of which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63335132 | Apr 2022 | US |
