Chair or couch with motor-driven movable parts

Abstract

A couch or chair has a frame, a movable seat, a movable back, a movable footrest, and a linkage connected to the seat, back, and footrest to shift same between different positions on the frame. A drive has a motor, a transmission, a drive housing holding the motor and transmission and secured to the frame underneath the seat, and a rigid tube having a front end fixed to the housing and a rear end. A mounting bracket fixed to the rear end of the tube is secured to the frame, and a drive element in the tube is connected to the transmission. A slide on the tube between the ends thereof engages the drive element and is connected to the linkage to shift the seat, back, and footrest. A cable is connected to the motor, extends rearward along the tube past the bracket, and carries a plug.

I claim: 
     
         1 . In combination with a piece of seating furniture having
 a frame,   a seat movable on the frame,   a back movable on the frame at a rear end of the seat,   a footrest movable on the frame at a front end of the seat, and   a linkage connected to the seat, back, and footrest to shift same between different positions on the frame,   
       a drive comprising:
 a motor; 
 a transmission; 
 a drive housing holding the motor and transmission and secured to the frame underneath the front end of the seat; 
 a rigid tube having a front end fixed to the housing and a rear end; 
 a mounting bracket fixed to the rear end of the tube and secured to the frame under the rear end of the seat; 
 a drive element extending in the tube between the ends thereof and connected to the transmission for rotation thereby; 
 a slide sitting on the tube between the ends thereof and engaged by the drive element for displacement thereby, the slide being connected to the linkage to shift the seat, back, and footrest on the frame; 
 a power cable having a front end connected to the motor and extending rearward along the tube from the housing and past the bracket; and 
 a plug carried on the power cable rearward of the bracket. 
 
     
     
         2 . The combination defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cable is recessed in the tube. 
     
     
         3 . The combination defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cable is spacedly mounted on the tube and the slide extends between the cable and the tube. 
     
     
         4 . The combination defined in  claim 1 , wherein the cable includes a stiff conduit containing the cable and extending along the tube. 
     
     
         5 . The combination defined in  claim 1 , wherein the motor is a direct-current motor. 
     
     
         6 . The combination defined in  claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided with an electrical interlock releasably interconnecting a front end of the cable with the motor.