Recliner chair, loveseat, or sofa with a protective anti-tipping structural framework

Abstract

A recliner furniture piece wherein the pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections or frameworks of the furniture piece have their forward end portions extended forwardly beyond the location at which the footrest is disposed when the footrest is located at its fully retracted position, and wherein the pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections or frameworks of the furniture piece have their rearward end portions extended rearwardly beyond the location at which the backrest is attached to the underlying actuator and linkage system. In this manner, the moment arms of the furniture piece are effectively increased while the moment arms of the fully extended footrest and fully reclined backrest are reduced such that the recliner furniture piece can withstand, accommodate, or tolerate increased weights or loads impressed upon the fully extended footrest and/or the fully reclined backrest.

1 . A recliner furniture piece, comprising:
 a seat;   a footrest capable of being moved between fully extended and fully retracted positions;   a backrest capable of being moved between upright and fully reclined positions;   a pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections disposed upon opposite sides of said seat and operatively engaged with a floor/support surface; and   an actuator and linkage system operatively connected to said footrest and said backrest so as to move said footrest between said fully extended and said fully retracted positions, and to move said backrest between said upright and fully reclined positions;   wherein said pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece extend forwardly beyond said position at which said footrest is disposed when said footrest is located its fully retracted position such that forwardmost end sections of said pair of oppositely disposed forwardly extended side arm sections of said furniture piece extend a first predetermined distance equal to 0.4 L, wherein L is the length dimension of said furniture piece as defined between said location at which said footrest is fully retracted and said location at which said backrest is attached to said actuator and linkage assembly, and rearwardly beyond said position at which said backrest is operatively connected to said actuator and linkage system such that rearwardmost end sections of said pair of oppositely disposed rearwardly extended side arm sections of said furniture piece extend a second predetermined distance equal to 0.75 L, wherein L is the length dimension of said furniture piece as defined between said location at which said footrest is fully retracted and said location at which said backrest is attached to said actuator and linkage assembly, so as to effectively increase moment arm forces of said furniture piece while simultaneously reducing moment arm forces of said fully extended footrest and said fully reclined backrest, whereby said furniture piece will exhibit significantly increased stability, relative to conventional recliner chairs where oppositely disposed side arm sections do not extend forwardly by said first predetermined distance beyond said position at which said footrest is disposed when said footrest is located at its fully retracted position, and where oppositely disposed side arm sections do not extend rearwardly by said second predetermined distance beyond said position at which said backrest is operatively connected to said actuator and linkage system, in order to accommodate increased vertical loads or weights impressed upon said fully extended footrest and said fully reclined backrest such that said recliner furniture piece will not tend to tip over due to such increased vertical loads or weights impressed upon said fully extended footrest and said fully reclined backrest.   
     
     
         2 . The furniture piece as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said recliner furniture piece is selected from the group comprising recliner chairs, recliner loveseats, and recliner sofas.   
     
     
         3 . The furniture piece as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece are extended forwardly beyond said position at which said footrest is disposed when said footrest is located its fully retracted position so as to define forwardmost end sections upon said pair of forwardly extended oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece,   whereby when said footrest is disposed at its fully retracted position, said footrest is disposed at a rearwardly recessed position with respect to said forwardmost end sections defined upon said pair of forwardly extended oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece.   
     
     
         4 . The furniture piece as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece are extended rearwardly beyond said position at which said backrest is attached to said actuator and linkage system so as to define rearward most end sections upon said pair of rearwardly extended oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece,   whereby when said backrest is disposed at its fully reclined position, said location at which said backrest is attached to said actuator and linkage system is disposed at a forwardly recessed position with respect to said rearward most end sections defined upon said pair of rearwardly extended oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece.   
     
     
         5 . The furniture piece as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein:
 said pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece are extended forwardly beyond said position at which said footrest is disposed when said footrest is located its fully retracted position such that said forwardmost end sections of said pair of forwardly extended oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece extend a distance equal to 0.4 L, wherein L is the length dimension of said furniture piece as defined between said location at which said footrest is fully retracted and said location at which said backrest is attached to said actuator and linkage assembly,   whereby the amount of weight that can be supported upon said footrest, when said footrest is disposed at said fully extended position, is increased fivefold as compared to conventional furniture pieces that do not comprise said pair of oppositely disposed extended side arm sections.   
     
     
         6 . The furniture piece as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein:
 said pair of oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece are extended rearwardly beyond said position at which said backrest is attached to said actuator and linkage assembly such that said rearward most end sections of said pair of rearwardly extended oppositely disposed side arm sections of said furniture piece extend a distance equal to 0.75 L, wherein L is the length dimension of said furniture piece as defined between said location at which said footrest is fully retracted and said location at which said backrest is attached to said actuator and linkage assembly,   whereby the amount of weight that can be supported upon said backrest, when said backrest is disposed at said fully reclined position, is increased at least fivefold as compared to conventional furniture pieces that do not comprise said pair of oppositely disposed extended side arm sections.