Abstract
A universal powered rocking system is disclosed with the ability to change between different styles and size chairs and different rocking motion styles in a single embodiment and with a unique mounting method to easily interchanging the universal powered rocking system with different chairs by a single user or permanently replace the feet or foundation of a chair. A universal powered rocking system with the ability to rock the chair while allowing the chair to use its original functions such as a pawl ratchet latching system and stationary style chair which have no means of manually rocking. A universal powered rocking system that the chair is constantly balanced on the rocking apparatus for operations and eliminates the jerky motion inherent to the linear motion.
Claims
1. A universal powered rocking system comprising: two rocker bases each comprising an elongate box with elongate sidewalls, an open top, and opposite longitudinal ends, wherein the elongate sidewalls of each of the two rocker bases comprise a plurality of mounting structures at predetermined positions in upper portions of one or more of the elongate sidewalls; two rocker feet each comprising an elongate member disposed in a respective one of the elongate boxes for rocking motion of the rocker feet in the elongate boxes; at least two bearing arms glidingly supporting each of the two rocker feet in the respective elongate boxes, wherein the bearing arms are pivotally connected to the upper portions of the elongate sidewalls at respective ones of the plurality of mounting structures and the bearing arms are pivotally connected to lower portions of the elongate members of the rocker feet; wherein each of the rocker bases comprises a floor defining a bottom surface adapted for resting on a floor to support the universal powered rocking system on the floor; wherein each of the two rocker feet comprises upper surfaces with portions adapted to support a wide variety of feet, legs, or bases of a wide variety of chairs or other objects in order to provide stable rocking support to the chairs or other objects; and wherein the plurality of mounting structures comprises a number of mounting structures greater than a number of the bearing arms for each of the rocker bases such that the bearing arms may be selectively mounted to the rocker bases in different configurations to selectively determine a desired rocking motion style.
2. The universal powered rocking system of claim 1, further comprising: a motor mechanism separate from the rocker bases and the rocker feet and adapted to be supported separately from the rocker bases and the rocker feet during use; wherein one of the longitudinal ends of one of the elongate boxes comprises a motor connector opening; and wherein the motor mechanism is drivingly coupled to one or more of the rocker feet by a motor connector arm extending through the motor connector opening.
3. The universal powered rocking system of claim 2, comprising: means for securing a chair to said universal powered rocking system to control said chair without using attaching hardware and accommodate various widths and sizes of chairs; means for mounting the said powered rocking system which is balanced and secure for ease, quickness and convenience of transfer from one chair to another chair; and means for eliminating jerky movement of the substantially linear motion.
4. The universal powered rocking system of claim 2, wherein: each rocker foot comprises two bearing connector holes; the plurality of mounting structures of each rocker base comprise at least two motion style connector slots and at least two home connector slots, and at least two movable bearing attachments; each of the bearing arms comprises a bearing at opposite bearing arm ends and associated connector hardware.
5. The universal powered rocking system of claim 2, wherein: each of the rocker bases is a hollow rectangular shaped box consisting of the floor on the bottom, the two elongate sidewalls having the mounting structures comprising motion style connector slots and home connector slots at the predetermined positions in the upper portion of the sidewalls, and end walls defining an open top; each of the rocker feet is a solid rectangular member having two bearing connector holes with a first bearing connector hole located on a front lower portion of the rocker foot at a predetermined location and a second bearing connector hole located on a rear lower portion of the rocker foot at a predetermined location using connector hardware and located inside the said rocker base.
6. A chair combined with the universal powered rocking system of claim 5, wherein: one of the rocker bases, one of the rocker feet and two or more of the bearing arms that interconnect the one of the rocker bases and the one of the rocker feet make up a rocking apparatus; two identical and independent ones of the rocking apparatuses are used to make up a dual rocking apparatus for supporting a chair mounted thereon; wherein one of the said rocking apparatuses is on a left side of the chair under a left chair arm panel or left chair base foot and the other of the rocking apparatuses is on a right side of the chair under a right chair arm panel or right chair base foot, thus lifting the chair off its floor foundation and allowing the chair to be rocked and controlled by the dual rocking apparatus.
7. A chair combined with the universal powered rocking system of claim 1, wherein: a dual rocking apparatus comprises two identical rocking apparatuses that each includes one of the rocker feet attached inside one of the rocker bases by at least two of the bearing arms and the rocker feet each suspended with an upper surface of each rocker foot above the rocker base to move freely in a linear back and forth motion; and a chair secured to said dual rocking apparatus, wherein the chair acts as a connecting bridge to unite the two rocking apparatuses to work in unison and to act as a base or foot to the chair to balance said chair from both side to side and front to back.
8. The combination of claim 7, further comprising a motor mechanism attached to the dual rocking apparatus by a motor connector arm.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selective embodiment and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
(2) FIG. 1 is the left rear top side perspective view of the universal powered rocking system 10 illustrated with a motor mechanism 01 at the rear of the rocking apparatus 11 with the rocker foot 03 located inside the rocker base 2 having a motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a and home connector slot(s) 4, 4a and the motor connector arm 7 protruding from the rocker base 2 and connected to the motor mechanism 01 on one end.
(3) FIG. 2 is the exploded view of the universal powered rocking system of FIG. 1 showing the motor connector arm 7 connected to the motor mechanism 01 on one end and the rocker foot 3 at the opposite end and the location of the bearing arm(s) 6 with the lower bearing 6b connected to the rocker foot 3 at the bearing connector holes 15 and the upper bearing 6a attached to the movable bearing attachment 16 which slide into the appropriate home connector slots 4, 4a or motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a in the rocker base 2 with connector hardware 8.
(4) FIG. 3 is the top surface view of the bearing arm 6 having an upper bearing 6a at one end of the bar and a lower bearing 6b at the opposite ends.
(5) FIG. 4 is the side surface view of the bearing arm 6 revealing the two offset of the rocker arm 6 near the two bearings and the upper bearing connected to the movable bearing attachment 16 using connector hardware 8.
(6) FIG. 5 is the cut away inside view of the rocking apparatus 11 without one of the rocker base 2 side wall and with the rocker foot 3 attached inside the rocker base 2 having a motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a and home connector slot 4, 4a using the bearing arms 6. The motor connector arm 7 is connected to the rocker foot 3.
(7) FIG. 6 is the end view of the rocking apparatus illustrating the connection of the internal parts revealing the rocker foot 3 connected inside the rocker base 2 using the upper bearing 6a of the bearing arm 6 which is attached to the movable bearing attachment 16 with connector hardware 8 to slide into and lock into the home connector slot 4, 4a and the lower bearing 6b attached to the rocker foot 3 at the bearing connector hole 15 with the offset of the bearing arms 6 allowing the rocker foot 3 to move freely.
(8) FIG. 7 is the back view of the chair showing the mounting of the universal powered rocking system with the chair using a dual rocking apparatus having a rocker base 2 on each side of the chair and the chair arm panel 9 sitting atop of the rocker foot 3.
(9) FIG. 8 is the bottom view of the chair and the front view of the dual rocking apparatus exposing the mounting method of rolling the chair off its feet to mount the dual rocking apparatus.
(10) FIG. 9 is the right side view of the pawl and ratchet latching mechanism which is incorporated in the frame of the chair and the property of the manufacturer of the reclining rocking char, illustrating the pawl and ratchet latching mechanism mounted to the frame of the base of the chair and the ratchet hardware mounted to the frame of the seat of the chair. The view exposes the ratchet hardware mounted on the frame of the rocking chair closest to the leg rest and the pawl in not latched to the ratchet hardware.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(11) Before describing the disclosed embodiment of this technology in detail, it is to be understood that the technology is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown here, since the technology described is capable of other embodiment. Also the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
(12) In various exemplary embodiment, the technology described herein provides a rocking apparatus, system, and associated methods and means to provide a smooth rocking reciprocatory motion to a chair or stationary object and to change to different rocking styles for the comfort of the occupant and accommodate different size and width chairs and a unique method of mounting and securing a chair for balance without the use of attachment hardware and the means to keep the original functions of the chair within a single embodiment. Examples of use is the inventive art can be an interchangeable rocking mechanism to rock objects such as chairs, cribs, bassinets, baby beds and the like and also as a permanent replacement for the base, feet or foundation of a chair or object.
(13) There are several means that may be used to achieve different rocking motion styles, such as a single point bearing, the rocking chair runners, and bearing arms and each is in its own separate embodiment in prior art. The preferred embodiment of this invention is disclosed using the bearing arm 6 in FIGS. 3 and 4 which is the most versatile for the user. The example of use in this patent is a dual rocking apparatus for securing a chair to the inventive art but is not limited to the number of rocking apparatuses 11 FIG. 2 or bearing arms 6 that may be used. The bearing arms 6 in FIGS. 3 and 4 are the means of motion for the inventive art to allow the user to interchange the rocking motion styles such as a swinging motion to a back and forth rocking motion, to an up and down wave motion, to a tilting back and forth glider motions in a single embodiment with the aid of a rocker base 2 FIGS. 1 and 2 having at lease one motion style connector slot(s) 5 or 5a. The motion style is accomplished by moving the movable bearing attachment 16 along with the upper bearing 6a and connector hardware 8 FIG. 2, 5, 6 of the bearing arms 6 from a home connector slot(s) 4 or 4a to a motion style connector slot(s) 5 or 5a, located on the rocker base 2 FIG. 5. This mean changes the angle and position of the bearing arm 6 FIG. 5 with respect to the original home connector 4, 4a position of the rocker foot 3 and the rocker base 2 producing a different rocking motion styles as the rocker foot 3 is moved linearly back and forth by the motor connector arm 7. This described embodiment will be refer to hence forth in this patent.
(14) Referring now to the FIGS. 1 and 2 the inventive art 10 is disclosed. The inventive art 10 comprises of a rocking apparatus 11 and a motor mechanism 1 connected together using the motor connector arm 7.
(15) The rocking apparatus 11 FIGS. 1 and 2 has a rocker foot 3 and four bearing arms 6 located inside a rocker base 2. The four bearing arms 6 which are two on the left side and two bearing arm 6 on the right side of the rocker foot 3 attaches the rocker foot 3 to the rocker base 2 and acts to balances the load put on top of the rocker foot 3. The height of the rocker base 2 and the rocker foot 3 is greater than the height of the chair base or feet 12 FIGS. 7 and 8 from the floor to the base of the chair arm panel 9.
(16) The rocker base 2 FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 is a hollow rectangular shape box consisting of a floor on the bottom and two end wall and two side walls having at lease one motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a and home connector slot(s) 4, 4a at a predetermined upper portion of the side walls with an open top end. The rocker base 2 supports the downward load of the chair to the floor.
(17) The rocker foot 3 FIG. 2 is a rectangular solid structure having two bearing connector holes 15 at the lower front and back portion of the rocker foot 3. The top surface of the rocker foot 3 is use to contain the chair arm panel 9 FIG. 7 which sits atop to be rocked. The rocker foot 3 also supports the downward load of the chair.
(18) The bearing arm(s) 6 referred to in FIGS. 3 and 4 being an elongated rectangular flat bar with a top and bottom and side surfaces and a upper bearing 6a and a lower bearing 6b at the opposite ends of the bar. FIG. 2 There are four bearing arm 6 for each rocking apparatus 11 with two on the left side and two on the right side of the rocker foot 3. The top surface side of the lower bearings 6b of the bearing arms 6 are attached to the rocker foot 3 at the bearing connector holes 15 using connector hardware 8. The bottom surface side of the upper bearings 6a of the bearing arms 6 are attached to the movable bearing attachments 16 using connector hardware 8. The movable bearing attachments 16 are slid into the appropriate home connector slot(s) 4, 4a or motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a on the top of the side walls of the rocker base 2 allowing a means to change to different rocking motion styles. The rocking motion style is based on the circular motion of the bearing arm 6 around the upper bearing 6a of the bearing arm 6 which is in a stationary position in one of the motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a. The angle of the bearing arms 6 at the rest position when the motor is off is the starting position and will start the rocker foot 3 motion to move forward downward until reaching the bottom of the arc or forward upward until reaching the end of the linear motion cycle based on the location of the movable bearing attachment 16 in the motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a on the rocker base 2. Then on reverse or backward motion the rocker foot will move in the opposite movement. This linear movement back and forth creates the rocker motion style and can be changed by adjusting the movable bearing attachments 16 to a different motion style connector slot(s) 5, 5a. The offset of the bearing arms 6 FIG. 6 when attached between the rocker foot 3 and the rocker base 2 will support the downward load of the chair arm panel 9 and suspend the rocker foot 3 above the floor and the top of the rocker base 2 allowing the rocker foot 3 to move freely and swing in a linear motion back and forth between the rocker base 2 side walls.
(19) The motor mechanism 1 FIGS. 1 and 2 having a motor in a housing with an internal gear shaft that rotates when powered. The motor mechanism 1 has the means to provide a reciprocatory linear back and forth motion for the rocking apparatus 11 via the rocking foot 3.
(20) The motor connector arm 7 FIG. 2 is attached to the motor mechanism 1 at the rotating motor shaft at one end and the rocker foot 3 at the opposite end to drive the rocker foot 3 in a reciprocatory linear back and forth motion and the rocker foot 3 transfers that rocking motion style to the chair arm panel 9 and chair which sits atop of the rocker foot 3.
(21) The inventive art uses a dual rocking apparatus 11 for mounting a chair. FIG. 7 The dual rocking apparatus 11 are two independent unconnected and identical rocking apparatuses 11 and are placed under both sides of the base of the chair arm panel 9 to act as a bridge to balance the chair from side to side from over turn and the length of the rocking apparatus 11 balances the chair forward and backward from over turn without the use of attaching hardware.
(22) In FIGS. 6 and 7 the rocker foot 3 extends above the top of the rocker base 2 which the chair arm panel 9 sits atop. The rocker base 2 with the attached rocker foot 3 height has a greater distance than the foot of the chair on the floor to the bottom of the chair arm panel 9 which raises the chair off its foundation when sitting atop the rocker foot 3 replacing the base or chair foot allowing the chair to move freely and be controlled by the inventive art without the need for attaching hardware.
(23) The motor mechanism 1 FIG. 2 may be attached to either one of the dual rocking apparatus 11. The chair is balanced on the rocker foot 3 and the downward load of the chair is placed on the rocker foot 3, the bearing arm 6 and rocker base 2 and not on the motor mechanism 1 and connector arm 7. The motor connector arm 7 rotates back to the original start stop position when turned off which relieves any lateral load transferred to the motor mechanism 1 and motor connector arm 7. The original start stop position of the motor connector arm 7 is where the bearing arm 6 stops at the no load rest position at the bottom of the rotational cycle of the motor mechanism 1. This mean of the inventive art improves the life of the motor mechanism 1 and cuts cost which makes the invention more marketable.
(24) The dual rocking apparatus 11 are identical and independent and due to the chair sitting atop of the rocker foot 3, the chair acts as a bridge to connect the dual rocking apparatus 11 and makes them work in unison with each other which allows the use of only one motor mechanism 1 to operate the inventive art and allows the rocking apparatus 11 to easily be mounted between the bottom of the arm panel 9 and the floor without the need for attaching hardware to connect the chair arm panel 9 resulting in a balanced and secure chair when placed atop of the rocker foot 3. The dual rocking apparatus 11 has the means of rock stationary style chair, able to accommodate different widths and size chairs and being universal makes it easier to install and transfer to other chairs and allows switching to different styles of rocking motion within the same embodiment which makes the invention user friendly and more marketable.
(25) Referring to FIG. 8 reveals the unique method of mounting the chair to the universal powered rocking system 10 FIG. 1 which uses dual rocking apparatus 11. A simple one man operation method used to mount and dismount the chair to accommodating changing to different chairs and switching rocker motion styles for the user begins with the feet of the chair 12 FIG. 8 resting on the floor and the chair is tilted backward to rest the chair back 14 on the floor supported by the feet of the chair 12. or the chair may also be tilted forward to rest the chair front 13 on the floor supported by the feet of the chair 12. The right side rocking apparatus 11 is placed on the floor on the right side of the chair with the end against the base of the chair arm panel 9 and the length of the rocking apparatus 11 lying on the floor and parallel with the outside of the feet of the chair 12. The left side rocking apparatus 11 is placed on the floor on the left side of the chair with the end against the base of the chair arm panel 9 and the length of the rocking apparatus 11 lying on the floor and parallel with the outside of the feet of the chair 12. Once in position the chair is rolled upright and the chair arm panel 9 will roll upon and sit atop of the rocker foot 3 in the rocking apparatus 11 to move freely. The chair will be balanced and maintained securely atop of the rocker foot 3. Reverse the operation to remove the chair from the rocking apparatus 11.
(26) The rocker foot 3 is attached to the powered motor mechanism 1 with the motor connector arm 7 with the means to move the chair in a reciprocatory linear back and forth motion. The rocking motion styles of the rocker foot 3 are selected by moving the movable bearing attachment 16 and connector hardware 8 with the upper bearing 6a of the bearing arm 6 to a motion style connector slot(s) 5 and 5a at a specified location. The rocking styles eliminates the inherent jerky motion of a regular straight line reciprocatory linear motion by breaking up the sudden reverse in motion of the motor connector arm 7.
(27) The inventive art is a system with dual rocking apparatus 11 that has the means to rock stationary style chairs with and without the ability to manually rock and without compromising the use of the original functions of the chair. The inventive art has the means to balance a chair without the use of attaching hardware to the chair. The inventive art using dual rocking apparatus 11 has the means to rock a chair in a variety of different and interchangeable motion styles in a single embodiment and using these motion styles to provide a smother linear motion. The inventive art dual rocking apparatus 11 has the means to adjust to different size and width chairs in a single embodiment. The inventive art dual rocking apparatus 11 has a new method of mounting to a chair without the use of attaching hardware and can be mounted by a single person for ease of interchanging with different chairs. And the invention dual rocking apparatus 11 has a means of eliminates the load bearing weight off the motor mechanism and motor connector arm for longer life.
