Locking device for a rocking chair

Abstract

The locking device is for a rocking chair. It has a stationary lower frame and an upper frame rockingly connected thereto, including a notched member fixed to the lower frame, and a lever assembly mounted to the upper frame, and including a lever arm pivoting about a support in response to a user sitting on the seat area, a spring urging a second end of the lever arm to engage with the notched member to lock the device when the user disengages the seat area, the second end disengaging when the user sits up. In a variant, the locking device includes a friction band mounted to the lower frame and a cam rotatably mounted to the upper frame, the cam being rotatable by a handle to thus engage the friction band and lock the upper to the lower frame.

1 . A locking device for a rocking chair having a stationary lower frame and an upper frame rockingly connected thereto, the upper frame delimiting a horizontal seat area for a user, the locking device comprising: 
 a notched member mountable to the lower frame and having at least one notch; and    a lever assembly operatively connectable to the upper frame, said lever assembly comprising: 
 a support mountable to the upper frame;  
 a lever arm pivotally mounted to the support, the lever arm having a first end extending in the seat area and being engagable by the user when said user sits in the seat area, and a second end engagable with the at least one notch; and  
 biasing means operatively connected to the upper frame and resting on the second end for urging the second end of the lever arm against the notched member to lock the upper and lower frames together when the second end is engaged with one of said at least one notch, said second end disengaging said one notch when the user engages the first end to pivot the second end out of said one notch and thereby unlocking the device.  
   
   
   
       2 . The locking device according to  claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a support bar mounted to the upper frame, and wherein the lever arm comprises a pivotal fastener provided between the first and second ends thereof, the fastener being pivotally connected to the support bar to enable the lever arm to pivot thereabout.  
   
   
       3 . The locking device according to  claim 2 , wherein the support bar is rotatably mounted to the upper frame, the device further comprising: 
 at least one friction band mountable to the lower frame:    at least one cam eccentrically and fixedly mounted to the support bar, having a surface capable of cooperating respectively with said at least one friction band on any location of the rocking path of the upper frame ( 22 ); and    a handle mounted to the support bar, and rotatable by the user to thereby rotate the cam via the support bar between a first position where the surface of the at least one cam engages with the at least one friction band to lock together the upper and the lower frames in one of said locations of the rocking path, and a second position where the surface of the at least one cam disengages with the at least one friction band to unlock the upper frame from the lower frame.    
   
   
       4 . The locking device according to  claim 1 , wherein the biasing means further comprise a first portion resting on the support bar and a second portion resting on the second end of the lever arm for urging the same against the notched member.  
   
   
       5 . The locking device according to  claim 4 , wherein the biasing means further comprise a third portion extending away from the first portion and resting on the upper frame to stabilize and preload the biasing means.  
   
   
       6 . The locking device according to  claim 4 , wherein the first portion of the biasing means defines a coil mounted to the support, and the second portion defines a hook engaging the second end of the lever arm.  
   
   
       7 . The locking device according to  claim 1 , wherein the biasing means is a spring.  
   
   
       8 . The locking device according to  claim 7 , further comprising a ring member retainingly connecting the second end of the lever arm and the upper frame so that the spring remains preloaded.  
   
   
       9 . The locking device according to  claim 1 , wherein the lever arm is L-shaped, the second end extending laterally away from the first end to engage the notch.  
   
   
       10 . A locking device for a rocking chair having a stationary lower frame and an upper frame rockingly connected thereto, the locking device comprising: 
 at least one friction band mountable to the lower frame;    a support bar rotatably mountable to the upper frame;    at least one cam eccentrically and fixedly mounted to the support bar, having a surface capable of cooperating respectively with said at least one friction band on any location of the rocking path of the upper frame; and    a handle mounted to the support bar, and rotatable by a user to thereby rotate the cam via the support bar between a first position where the surface of the at least one cam engages with the at least one friction band to lock together the upper and the lower frames in one of said locations of the rocking path, and a second position where the surface of the at least one cam disengages with the at least one friction band to unlock the upper frame from the lower frame.    
   
   
       11 . The locking device according to  claim 10 , wherein the upper frame delimits a horizontal seat area for the user, the locking device further comprising: 
 a notched member mountable to the lower frame and having at least one notch; and    a lever assembly operatively connectable to the support bar, said lever assembly comprising: 
 a lever arm pivotally mounted to the bar, the lever arm having a first end extending in the seat area and being engagable by the user when said user sits in the seat area, and a second end engagable with the at least one notch; and  
 biasing means operatively connected to the upper frame and resting on the second end for urging the second end of the lever arm against the notched member to lock the upper and lower frames together when the second end is engaged with one of said at least one notch, said second end disengaging said one notch when the user engages the first end to pivot the second end out of said one notch, thereby unlocking the device.  
   
   
   
       12 . The locking device according to  claim 10 , further comprising at covering guard covering each of the at least one cam and being rotationally slidable thereon, the at least one covering guard defining the surface capable of cooperating with the at least one friction band to lock the upper and the lower frames together.  
   
   
       13 . The locking device according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one covering guard is operatively connected to the upper frame to be translationally slidable threrewith and thus guided along a guiding path with respect thereto.  
   
   
       14 . The locking device according to  claim 13 , further comprising a guide member operatively connecting each of the at least one covering guard to the upper frame to guide the at least one covering guard along the guiding path when the at least one cam is rotated to engage the at least one friction band.  
   
   
       15 . The locking device according to  claim 14 , further comprising a rod fixed to the upper frame horizontally and perpendicularly with respect to the rocking path of the upper frame, and wherein the at least one guide member each has an orifice with the rod passing therethrough to allow the at least one guide member to slide radially with respect to an axis of the rod.  
   
   
       16 . The locking device according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one friction band comprises two friction bands respectively mounted to opposite sides of the rocking path on the lower frame, and the at least one cam comprises two cams respectively mounted above the two friction bands.  
   
   
       17 . The locking device according to  claim 16 , wherein the friction bands are upwardly concave to correspond to the rocking path of the upper frame.  
   
   
       18 . The locking device according to  claim 10 , further comprising a biasing unit operatively mounted to the upper frame and the cam to resist when the cam is rotated to engage the friction band.  
   
   
       19 . The locking device according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one covering guard is made of a plastic material.  
   
   
       20 . The locking device according to  claim 19 , wherein the friction bands are made of a rubber material to be frictionally engaged by the plastic covering guard.