阅读说明：本技术 用于靠背能平降的剧院座椅单元的紧凑的可调节倾斜机构 (Compact adjustable tilt mechanism for a theatre seating unit with a back that can be reclined ) 是由 G·M·劳森 C·B·克劳福德 于 2021-05-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于剧院座椅单元的紧凑的倾斜机构,当座椅单元从收拢位置移动到斜倚位置时,该倾斜机构允许座椅线性移动。该机构具有联接到座部板和基部板的靠背支架,该靠背支架具有联动装置,当座椅单元从收拢位置移动到斜倚位置时,该联动装置使代表座椅单元的靠背顶部的突出点在竖直的平面中向下移动。在另外的方面中,座椅单元具有联接在座部板和靠背之间的扶手联动装置,该扶手联动装置将扶手杆保持在水平方向。另外,在一些方面中,座椅单元的基部板可包括限制座椅单元倾斜度的调节结构以适应具有不同升降器尺寸的剧院座位,和/或包括具有调节结构的支腿以在现有剧院地面上调平座椅单元。(The present invention relates to a compact tilt mechanism for a theater seat unit that allows the seat to move linearly as the seat unit moves from a stowed position to a reclined position. The mechanism has a back bracket coupled to the seat plate and the base plate, the back bracket having a linkage that moves a protruding point representing a top of a back of the seat unit downward in a vertical plane when the seat unit is moved from a stowed position to a reclined position. In a further aspect, the seat unit has an armrest linkage coupled between the seat plate and the backrest that maintains the armrest lever in a horizontal orientation. Additionally, in some aspects, the base plate of the seating unit may include adjustment structures that limit the inclination of the seating unit to accommodate theater seats having different riser sizes, and/or legs with adjustment structures to level the seating unit on the existing theater floor.)

1. A linkage mechanism having a recline linkage for a seat unit for moving the seat unit between a stowed position and a reclined position, the recline linkage comprising:

a base plate having a front end and a rear end;

a rear load link having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally coupled to the base plate at a location proximate the rear end of the base plate;

a rear swing link having a first end and a second end, the second end of the rear swing link pivotally coupled to the second end of the rear carrier link;

a seat plate having a front end and a rear end, the first end of the rear swing link being pivotally coupled to the seat plate at a location proximate the rear end of the seat plate;

a front carrier link having a first end and a second end, the first end of the front carrier link pivotally coupled to the base plate at a location proximate the front end of the base plate; and

a front swing link having a first end and a second end, the first end of the front swing link being pivotally coupled to the seat pan at a location closer to the front end of the seat pan than the rear end of the seat pan, the second end of the front carrier link being pivotally coupled to the front swing link between the first end and the second end of the front swing link;

wherein a distance between the pivot coupling the rear load link to the base plate and the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the rear load link is equal to a distance between the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the rear load link and the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the seat plate;

wherein a distance between the pivot coupling the front carrier link to the base plate and the pivot coupling the front swing link to the front carrier link is equal to a distance between the pivot coupling the front swing link to the front carrier link and the pivot coupling the front swing link to the seat plate; and

wherein any point on the seat plate moves linearly between the stowed and reclined positions.

2. The linkage mechanism of claim 1, wherein the angle of the seat plate changes as the seat plate moves from the stowed position to the reclined position.

3. The linkage mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a back bracket pivotally coupled to the seat plate at a location between the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the seat plate and the pivot coupling the front swing link to the seat plate;

a rear control link having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the rear control link is pivotally coupled to the rear load link at the same pivot that couples the rear load link to the rear swing link, and the rear control link is fixedly coupled to the rear swing link; and

a back support link having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the back support link is pivotally coupled to the first end of the back control link and the first end of the back support link is pivotally coupled to the back bracket;

wherein the pivot coupling the rear swing link and the seat plate is adjacent to the pivot coupling the back control link and the back support link;

wherein a point corresponding to the top of the back of the seating unit that protrudes above the top of the back bracket moves downward in a single plane.

4. The linkage mechanism of claim 3, wherein a center of a pivot coupling the rear swing link and the seat plate is above and behind a center of a pivot coupling the back control link and the back support link that are adjacent.

5. The linkage mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a central right angle bracket fixedly coupled to the base plate near a center of the base plate; and

a mount fixedly coupled to and extending downwardly from the central right angle bracket, wherein the mount and the central right angle bracket support the linkage above a support surface.

6. The linkage mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a side leg fixedly coupled to the base plate, wherein the side leg has a set of front seating holes in a spaced-apart arc arrangement and a set of rear seating holes in a spaced-apart arc arrangement; wherein the base plate is coupled to the side legs using one selected from the front seating holes and one selected from the rear seating holes, and the side legs can adapt to the inclined support surface based on the selected front and rear seating holes.

7. The linkage mechanism according to claim 6, further comprising a connector link having a front end pivotally coupled to the front swing link and a rear end pivotally coupled to the rear swing link.

8. The linkage mechanism of claim 3, further comprising:

an armrest control link having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the armrest control link is pivotally coupled to the rear end of the seat pan; and

a grab bar having a rear end pivotally coupled to a first end of the grab control link; wherein the armrest control link applies a rotational force to the rear end of the armrest lever as the linkage moves between the stowed position and the reclined position.

9. The linkage mechanism of claim 1, wherein the base plate has a set of holes in a spaced apart arc arrangement, the linkage mechanism further comprising a bolt placed through a selected one of the set of holes in the base plate, and the rear load link abuts the bolt in the reclined position; wherein placing the bolt in a different one of the holes than the one hole selected from the set of holes causes the amount of tilt of the linkage to change.

10. The linkage mechanism of claim 3, further comprising:

a front motor tube fixedly coupled to the front swing link;

a rear motor tube fixedly coupled to the back bracket; and

a gas spring pivotally coupled between the front motor tube and the rear motor tube, the gas spring biasing the linkage mechanism toward the collapsed position.

11. The linkage mechanism of claim 3, further comprising:

a front motor tube fixedly coupled to the front swing link;

a rear motor tube fixedly coupled to the back bracket; and

a motor pivotally coupled between the front and rear motor tubes, the motor operable to move the linkage mechanism between the stowed and reclined positions.

12. A seat unit having a recline linkage to move the seat unit between a stowed position and a reclined position, the seat unit comprising:

a backrest;

a seat portion; and

a linkage coupling the back and the seat, the linkage comprising:

a base plate having a front end and a rear end;

a rear load link having a first end and a second end, the first end pivotally coupled to the base plate at a location proximate the rear end of the base plate;

a rear swing link having a first end and a second end, the second end of the rear swing link pivotally coupled to the second end of the rear carrier link;

a seat plate coupled to the seat, the seat plate having a front end and a rear end, the first end of the rear swing link being pivotally coupled to the seat plate at a location proximate the rear end of the seat plate;

a front carrier link having a first end and a second end, the first end of the front carrier link pivotally coupled to the base plate at a location proximate the front end of the base plate; and

a front swing link having a first end and a second end, the first end of the front swing link being pivotally coupled to the seat pan at a location closer to the front end of the seat pan than the rear end of the seat pan, the second end of the front carrier link being pivotally coupled to the front swing link between the first end and the second end of the front swing link;

wherein a distance between the pivot coupling the rear load link to the base plate and the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the rear load link is equal to a distance between the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the rear load link and the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the seat plate;

wherein a distance between the pivot coupling the front carrier link to the base plate and the pivot coupling the front swing link to the front carrier link is equal to a distance between the pivot coupling the front swing link to the front carrier link and the pivot coupling the front swing link to the seat plate; and

wherein any point on the seat moves linearly between the stowed and reclined positions.

13. The seating unit of claim 12, wherein the angle of the seat plate and the seat changes as the seat plate moves from the stowed position to the reclined position.

14. The seating unit of claim 12, further comprising:

a back bracket coupled to the back, the back bracket pivotally coupled to the seat plate at a location between the pivot coupling the rear swing link to the seat plate and the pivot coupling the front swing link to the seat plate;

a rear control link having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the rear control link is pivotally coupled to the rear load link at the same pivot that couples the rear load link to the rear swing link, and the rear control link is fixedly coupled to the rear swing link; and

a back support link having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the back support link is pivotally coupled to the first end of the back control link and the first end of the back support link is pivotally coupled to the back bracket;

wherein the pivot coupling the rear swing link and the seat plate is adjacent to the pivot coupling the back control link and the back support link;

wherein the top of the back of the seating unit moves downward in a single plane.

15. The seating unit defined in claim 14, wherein a center of the pivot coupling the rear swing link and the seat pan is above and rearward of a center of the pivot coupling the back control link and the back support link that are adjacent.

16. The seating unit of claim 12, further comprising:

a central right angle bracket fixedly coupled to the base plate near a center of the base plate; and

a seat fixedly coupled to and extending downwardly from the central right angle bracket, wherein the seat and the central right angle bracket support the seating unit above a support surface.

17. The seating unit of claim 12, further comprising:

a side leg fixedly coupled to the base plate, wherein the side leg has a set of front seating holes in a spaced-apart arc arrangement and a set of rear seating holes in a spaced-apart arc arrangement; wherein the base plate is coupled to the side legs using one selected from the front seating holes and one selected from the rear seating holes, and the side legs can adapt to the inclined support surface based on the selected front and rear seating holes.

18. The seating unit defined in claim 17, further comprising a connector link having a front end pivotally coupled to the front swing link and a rear end pivotally coupled to the rear swing link.

19. The seating unit of claim 14, further comprising:

an armrest control link having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the armrest control link is pivotally coupled to the rear end of the seat pan; and

a grab bar having a rear end pivotally coupled to a first end of the grab control link; wherein the armrest control link applies a rotational force to the rear end of the armrest lever as the linkage moves between the stowed position and the reclined position.

20. The seating unit defined in claim 12, wherein the base plate has a set of holes in a spaced-apart arcuate arrangement, the linkage further includes a bolt placed through a selected one of the set of holes in the base plate, and the rear load link abuts the bolt in the reclined position; wherein placing the bolt in a different one of the holes than the one hole selected from the set of holes causes the amount of tilt of the linkage to change.

Technical Field

The present invention relates broadly to the cinema industry for movable furniture and movable furniture mechanisms. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved tilt mechanism that has been developed to accommodate a wide variety of mounting conditions and provides a mechanism that allows for easy maintenance and cleaning; to accommodate different styles of bases/pedestals; providing a compact size that allows for shielding/shielding; moving the top of the back of the seating unit in a planar manner; and allows the integrated armrest to remain horizontal as the seat and backrest change position.

Background

Movie theaters have eliminated chairs with fixed seats and backrests and replaced with active seats that allow the backrests and seats to move or tilt, providing a better experience for the customer. As these upgrades proceed, challenges are faced because the existing floors of the theater may have different configurations, such as the slope of the floor and/or the size of the riser. Further, movie theaters may prefer a seating unit with legs to support the seating unit for a more traditional look, but some may prefer a more modern style base. In both of these configurations, the theater typically requires an attractive, easy to maintain and clean seating unit. In some environments, a theater may also require a seating unit that can be protected. Such shielding may surround the base of the seating unit to prevent material from entering underneath the base, and/or surround the back and sides of the seating unit to provide a more private experience. Finally, with the installation of the active seat unit, the theater may wish to have the armrests remain horizontal as the seat unit moves between the stowed and reclined/reclined positions. It would be advantageous to provide a mechanism that addresses the above design options.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention seeks to provide a compact tilt mechanism for a theater. At a higher level, the seat unit is configured to allow the seat portion to move linearly as the seat unit moves from the stowed position to the reclined position. The seat plate moves relative to the base plate, being carried at the front by a front load link and a front swing link, and at the rear by a rear load link and a rear swing link. The distance between the pivot axes (between) between the seat plate and the front carrier link at the front for the front swing links is equal to the distance between the pivot axes (between) between the base plate and the front swing links for the front carrier links. Likewise, the distance between the pivots between the seat plate and the rear load link at the rear for the rear swing link is equal to the distance between the pivots between the base plate and the rear swing link for the rear load link. These fore and aft pivot links allow for linear translation at any point on the seat plate as the seat unit moves from the stowed position to the reclined position. Further, the seat unit has a back bracket coupled to the seat plate and the base plate, the back bracket having a linkage that moves a protruding point representing a top of a back of the seat unit downward in a vertical plane when the seat unit is moved from the stowed position to the reclined position. This allows the rear guard to be mounted behind the seat unit without interference from the backrest when the seat unit is reclined. This also allows for sufficient spacing between rows of theater seating units even if the user reclines the seating units. In further embodiments, the seat unit has an armrest linkage coupled between the seat plate and the backrest that maintains an armrest lever (to which the armrest may be attached) in a horizontal orientation as the seat unit moves from the stowed position to the reclined position. Further, in some embodiments, the base plate of the seating unit may include adjustment structure that limits the tilt of the seating unit to accommodate theater seats having different riser sizes. In other embodiments, the seating unit may include legs with adjustment structures to level the seating unit on existing theater floors with positive or negative pitch.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a seat unit in a reclined position with a base guard shown in solid lines and a backrest guard shown in phantom lines, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the un-upholstered mechanism of FIG. 1 in a stowed position, schematically illustrating an armrest, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the components shown in FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention. (ii) a

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mechanism of FIG. 2, but in a reclined position, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an opposite side view of the mechanism of FIG. 4, according to an embodiment of the present invention. (ii) a

FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the mechanism in a reclined position showing a gas spring, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the tilt mechanism of FIG. 2, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 5, with one of the side legs and the base plate not shown to expose the other components, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial perspective view of only some of the components of the mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a selected pivot of the circled portion of the mechanism of FIG. 8, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view similar to that shown in FIG. 7, showing the motor in place of the gas spring, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a partial rear perspective view of the seating unit shown in FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 7, showing the base, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 14 is a side view of a mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown in a stowed position in solid lines, a reclined position in phantom lines, and a back guard in phantom lines.

Detailed Description

The subject matter of various aspects of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different features or combinations of features similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, it should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily a complete representation of embodiments herein, and may have various components hidden to aid in the written description thereof.

Various embodiments of the present invention may be described using directional terminology. For example, a cartesian coordinate system may be used to describe the location and movement or rotation of features described herein. Thus, some embodiments may be described with reference to three mutually perpendicular axes. These axes may be referred to herein as a transverse axis, a longitudinal axis, and a vertical axis. For example, the terms "vertical" and "vertically" as used herein refer to a direction perpendicular to each of the lateral and longitudinal axes. As another example, the longitudinal axis may extend in a front-rear direction of the seat unit and the lateral axis may extend in a left-right direction of the seat unit. In addition, relative positional terms will be used herein. For example, the term "proximal" is intended to mean on … …, around … …, near … …, beside … …, next to, at, and the like. Thus, in certain embodiments, when one feature is proximate to another feature, it is immediately adjacent to, but not necessarily exactly at, the location depicted. Further, the term "distal" refers to the portion of the feature that is distal from the midpoint of the feature.

Fig. 1 shows a tilt seat unit 10 for a theater. As shown in fig. 1, the reclining seating unit 10 includes a seat portion 12 and a backrest 14. The recliner mechanism 16 controls movement of the seat 12 and backrest 14 between a stowed position, an upright position, and a reclined position (shown in fig. 1). In some embodiments, the armrest 18 is coupled to the backrest 14, as further described below. As shown in fig. 1, in some embodiments, the seating unit 10 may include a back guard 20 and a base guard 22. In some embodiments, both the back guard 20 and the base guard 22 may be constructed from multiple components. The back guard 20 and base guard 22 may provide privacy for a customer using the seating unit 10 and may also protect the underlying mechanism 16 from debris.

As best shown in fig. 2-14, with an exterior portion of the seating unit 10 removed. One side of the mechanism 16 is shown and described, it being understood that each side of the mechanism 16 is a mirror image of the opposite side. In one aspect, the seating unit 10 is supported by side legs 24. As shown in fig. 2, the base plate 26 is coupled to the side legs 24, such as by bolting the base plate 26 to the side legs 24 with bolts 28. As shown in FIG. 3, the side legs 24 have a set of front and rear seating holes 30, 32 in a spaced arcuate arrangement. In some embodiments, the front and rear seating holes 30, 32 may be marked to assist an installer of the seating unit 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the forward-most arc segment of forward and aft placement holes 30, 32 corresponds to the ground being sloped from-2 to 8 degrees in 2 degree increments. Similarly, the rearmost arc of forward and aft placement holes 30, 32 corresponds to ground inclined from-1 to 9 degrees in 2 degree increments. The position of the bolt 28, designated 28a, in the front seating hole 30 and the position of the bolt 28, designated 28c, in the rear seating hole 32 correspond to the inclination of the installed seating unit 10. As shown, bolts 28a and 28c are in the zero degree position, but may be easily repositioned by the installer. This is particularly useful when the seating unit 10 is retrofitted into an existing theater having an inclined floor, and allows the seating unit 10 to be sloped from a negative 2 degree slope (such as might be encountered at the front of the theater) to a 9 degree slope on the floor (a positive slope is more common from the front to the back of the theater). In some embodiments, the side legs 24 may have a front rounded protrusion 34 and a rear rounded protrusion 34 to accommodate attachment of the side legs 24 to the base guard 22. Similarly, in some embodiments, the side legs 24 may have a central circular boss 36, the circular boss 36 accommodating optional accessories, such as a foldable, retractable tray table. For stability, the side legs 24 may be coupled together by a torque tube 38, with the torque tube 38 coupled to each side leg 24 and extending between the side legs 24.

As described above, the side legs 24 support the base plate 26. The base plate 26 is fixedly coupled to the side legs 24 by bolts 28 that extend through forward and aft mounting holes 30, 32. As shown in fig. 4 and 6, each base plate 26 may also be fixedly coupled to the opposing base plate 26 by a rear right angle bracket 40 and/or a center right angle bracket 42. The right angle bracket 40 and the right angle bracket 42 may be fixedly coupled to the base plate 26 by, for example, bolts, rivets, or other coupling mechanisms and provide additional stability to the tilt mechanism 16.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the seat plate 44 is supported on the base plate 26 by a series of links that allow the seat plate 44 to translate forward and rearward as the mechanism 16 moves from the stowed position to the reclined position. The seat plate 44 is coupled to the seat 12 and supports the seat 12. As shown in fig. 5, the front carrier link 46 is pivotally coupled to the base plate 26 at a pivot 48 at a location near the front of the base plate 26. The front carrier link 46 extends downwardly from the pivot 48 and is pivotally coupled to the front swing link 50 at a pivot 52 opposite the pivot 48. Pivot 52 is located approximately at the midpoint of front swing link 50. The lower end of the front swing link 50 is pivotally coupled to one end of a front control link 54 at a pivot 56. The front control link 54 extends rearwardly from a pivot 56, and the other end of the front control link 54 is pivotally coupled to the base plate 26 at a pivot 58, as shown in fig. 4. The forward control link 54 may include an inwardly laterally extending flange 60. A front motor tube 62 extends between each side of the tilt mechanism 16 and is fixedly coupled at each end to a respective flange 60. As shown in FIG. 6, the mounting yoke/U-shaped connection 64 is fixedly coupled to the front motor tube 62 generally intermediate the ends of the front motor tube 62, such as by welding, the importance of which will be discussed below. Returning to the front swing link 50, the upper end of the front swing link 50 is pivotally coupled to the seat pan 44 at pivot 66. The distance from pivot 48 to pivot 52 is substantially equal to the distance from pivot 66 to pivot 52. In some embodiments, the distance between the pivots is the same within manufacturing tolerances.

As best shown in fig. 4, near the rear end of the base plate 26, a rear load link 68 is pivotally coupled to the base plate 26 at a pivot 70. As shown in fig. 8, the rear load link 68 extends downwardly from the pivot 70 and is pivotally coupled at an end opposite the pivot 70 to a rear swing link 72 at a pivot 74. The upper end of the rear swing link 72 is pivotally coupled to the seat plate 44 at pivot 76 at a location proximate the rear end of the seat plate 44. The lower end of the rear swing link 72 is pivotally coupled to the connector link 78 at pivot 80. Connector link 78 extends forward from pivot 80 and is coupled at an opposite end to forward swing link 50 at pivot 82 directly above pivot 56. Similar to the front swing link 50, the rear swing link 72 has an inwardly laterally extending flange 84 (shown in FIG. 6). A torque tube 86 extends between the opposing flanges 84 and is fixedly coupled at each end to the respective flange 84 to provide additional stability to the tilt mechanism 16.

As best shown in fig. 4, a rear control link 88 is fixedly coupled to the rear swing link 72, such as by rivet 73, and then the swing link 72 is effectively pivoted about pivot 80. The upper end of the rear control link 88 has an inwardly extending offset that extends away from the rear swing link 72. At the upper end of this offset, the back control link 88 is pivotally coupled to the back support link 90 at pivot 92. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, in effect, the rigidly coupled rear swing link 72 and rear control link 88 provide a composite link with a forked upper end. This allows pivot 76 and pivot 92 to effectively reside on one link even though they are in close proximity to each other. The proximity and offset of pivot 76 and pivot 92 allows for desired movement of backrest 14, as further described below.

As shown in fig. 5, the end of the back support link 90 opposite the pivot 92 is pivotally coupled to the back bracket 94 at pivot 96. As shown in FIG. 4, the back bracket 94 is generally L-shaped with a lower front end pivotally coupled to the seat plate 44 at pivot 98. The back bracket 94 is coupled to the back 14 and supports movement of the back 14. As shown in fig. 6, a rear motor tube bracket 100 is fixedly coupled to each backrest bracket 94. The rear motor tube bracket 100 supports a rear motor tube 102, and the rear motor tube 102 is fixedly coupled between two opposing rear motor tube brackets 100. The mounting yoke bracket 104 is fixedly coupled to the rear motor tube 102 approximately at a midpoint of the rear motor tube 102.

As best shown in fig. 6 and 7, in some embodiments, the tilt mechanism 16 includes a gas spring 106 pivotally coupled at one end to the mounting yoke bracket 64, and an extension piston or extension shaft having an outwardly biased outer end that is pivotally coupled to the mounting yoke bracket 104. The gas spring 106 provides a biasing force toward the stowed position to assist the user in moving the mechanism from the reclined position of fig. 6 to the stowed position of fig. 7.

In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, the tilt mechanism 16 includes a motor 108, one end of the motor 108 being pivotally coupled to the mounting yoke bracket 104. The motor operates to extend and retract the shaft 110, the shaft 110 being pivotally coupled to the mounting yoke bracket 64. Operation of the motor moves the linkage between the stowed and reclined positions as the shaft 110 is extended and retracted. As understood by those skilled in the art, the motor is typically electrically coupled to a switch located on the seating unit 10 for operation by a user.

As noted above, in some embodiments, the seating unit 10 includes the armrest 18. The armrest 18 may be supported by a linkage that maintains the armrest 18 in a horizontal position even when the seat 12 and backrest 14 are moved. In theaters, this embodiment is advantageous to prevent spillage of the beverage resting on or in the arm rest 18. As shown in FIG. 4, the armrest linkage includes an armrest control link 112, the lower end of which is pivotally coupled to the seat plate 44 at a pivot 114. The armrest control link 112 extends upward and curves to generally follow the back bracket 94. The upper end of the armrest control link 112 is pivotally coupled to the armrest lever 116 at pivot 118. The grab bar 116 extends forward from the pivot shaft 118 beyond the back bracket 94. The front end of the grab bar 116 has a mounting hole 120. In some embodiments, the open collar is mounted to the grab bar 116 using mounting holes 120. As shown in fig. 12, the open collar has a screw 122 for coupling the open collar to an armrest shaft 124, which armrest shaft 124 may extend through the frame of the backrest 14 and into the armrest 18. When the recliner mechanism is moved from the stowed position to the reclined position, the armrest control link 112 and the armrest lever 116 move relative to the seat plate 44 and the back bracket 94 to maintain the armrests 18 in a horizontal position. Fig. 2 and 4 schematically illustrate the armrest in this horizontal position even when the back bracket 94 is moved to tilt.

In some embodiments, the tilting mechanism 16 is not supported by the side legs 24, but rather by the stand 126. As shown in fig. 13, the mount 126 may be fixedly coupled to the central right angle bracket 42. In some embodiments, the mount 126 has a rectangular support post 128 and a mounting flange 130, the support post 128 spacing the tilt mechanism 16 above the ground, the mounting flange 130 coupling the tilt mechanism 16 to the ground. The shape and configuration of the seat 126 may vary for stylistic or design reasons. The pedestal 126 provides another installation option for the theater and is easier to clean and maintain in certain environments.

The mechanism 16 controls the movement of the seat unit 10 and allows it to move between a stowed position, as shown in figure 2, and a reclined position, as shown in figure 1. When the mechanism 16 is moved to the reclined position, the seat 12 moves forward and any point on the seat plate 44 moves in a straight line, as shown in FIG. 14. Such linear translation of the seat plate 44 is possible due to the relationship between the links that couple the seat plate 44 and the base plate 26. More specifically, at the front end (see fig. 5), the distance from pivot 48 (coupling front carrier link 46 to base plate 26) to pivot 52 (coupling front carrier link 46 to front swing link 50) is the same as the distance from pivot 52 to pivot 66 (coupling front swing link 50 to seat plate 44) (see fig. 8). Similarly, the distance from pivot 70 (coupling the rear carrier link 68 to the base plate 26) to pivot 74 (coupling the rear carrier link 68 to the rear swing link 72) is the same as the distance from pivot 74 to pivot 76 (coupling the rear swing link 72 to the seat plate 44). Because these distances are equal (within manufacturing tolerances), the arc of one link effectively cancels the arc of an adjacent link in the triangle, resulting in linear motion at any point on the seat plate 44. In effect, one link (either front swing link 50 or rear swing link 72) swings in one manner, while the other link (either front carrier link 46 or rear carrier link 68) swings in the opposite manner. Note that although the movement of any point on the seat plate 44 is a linear movement, the angle of the seat plate 44 is varied. More specifically, the rear of the seat plate 44 will drop relative to the front of the seat plate 44, causing the pitch or angle of the seat plate 44 in the reclined position to change.

As described above, when the seat plate 44 moves forward from the stowed position to the reclined position, the back bracket 94 also moves forward and downward. The linkage that couples the back bracket 94 controls the movement of the back bracket 94 so that the projected point of the top of the back 14 moves downward generally in the same plane, allowing the back guard 20 to be used without the back 14 contacting the back guard 20, as shown in fig. 14. In fig. 14, the collapsed position is shown in solid lines. The seat plate 44, the back bracket 94 and the grab bar 116 in the reclined position and the back 14 are shown in phantom. This movement also ensures that the backrest 14 does not move rearwardly into the row of spaces in the theater immediately behind the seating unit 10. Generally, the reclining mechanism 16 is designed such that the backrest 14 with the apex of the protrusion extends above the top of the backrest bracket 94 by about 15 inches to 16 inches, and in some embodiments, the top of the backrest 14 extends above the top of the backrest bracket 94 by about 15.5 inches. It is this protruding apex of the backrest 14 that moves downwardly in the same plane to achieve the desired result.

As best shown in fig. 3, in some embodiments, the base plate 26 has a set of spaced apart apertures 132 that can be used to easily adjust the tilt mechanism 16 to accommodate different riser lengths in a theater. As shown, a set of holes 132 are labeled to accommodate elevator lengths between 42 and 48 inches. To adjust the riser length, a bolt 134 (or similar stop mechanism) is installed in a hole corresponding to the appropriate riser length. As shown in fig. 3, the bolt 134 is mounted in the bore 132 corresponding to an elevator length of 46 inches. In use, when the tilt mechanism 16 is moved to the reclined position, the rear carrier link 68 will stop when it hits the bolt 134, effectively preventing any further tilting of the tilt mechanism 16. In some embodiments, the rear load link 68 has a stop segment designed to contact the bolt 134. By repositioning the bolts 134, the installer can easily adjust the tilt mechanism 16 to accommodate elevators of different lengths.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that it may be practiced by a variety of devices other than the specifically illustrated embodiments. Therefore, it is emphasized that the invention is not limited to this embodiment, but encompasses various mechanisms that fall within the scope of protection of the following claims.