Recliner chair with mechanism permitting proximity of upper end of chair

Abstract

A mechanism for a wall proximity-type of recliner chair, in which the chair-back reclining and erecting action is separate from the ottoman thrusting and retracting action, in which the forward-upward travel of the upholstered seat and arm frame unit as the chair back reclines feels as smooth as if it were produced by support wheels riding up an inclined ramp (although no wheels and ramp are used, thus avoiding the potential problem of a debris-obstructed ramp). The back end chair movement is synchronized by travel linkage to provide the desired upward and forward translation. Further, the locking linkage function and driving linkage function are provided by the same linkages. The mechanism can also be used in a modular sofa having a reclining unit, or in an armless chair, as the mechanism need not rise into a chair arm while the back is reclined and erected or the ottoman is thrust or retracted.