Furniture member head support system

1. A furniture member head rest adjustment system, comprising:

an occupant support base having an arm rest support member;

a back support member rotatable with respect to the occupant support base;

a head rest assembly rotatably connected to the back support member; and

an adjustment lever movable by rotation to rotate the head rest assembly, the adjustment lever positioned between an occupant of the furniture member positioned on the base member and the arm rest support member so that the occupant can adjust the position of the head rest assembly without reaching outside of the arm rest support member.

2. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 1 , further including an actuation link rotatably connected at a first end to the head rest assembly and at an opposed second end to the adjustment lever, such that rotation of the adjustment lever operates to displace the actuation link to rotate the head rest assembly to a plurality of support positions.

3. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 2 , wherein the back support member includes first and second parallel opposed wings, with the actuation link positioned proximate the second wing.

4. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 3 , further comprising:

opposed first and second side support members of the head rest assembly rigidly connected by a brace member; and

first and second fasteners, the first fastener disposed through both the first side support member and the first wing, and the second fastener disposed through both the second side support member and the second wing, the first and second fasteners defining an axis of rotation of the head rest assembly.

5. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 4 , further comprising a connecting fastener rotatably joining the first end of the actuation link to the second side support member, the connecting fastener being horizontally spaced from the second fastener such that displacement of the actuating link operates to induce rotation of the head rest assembly about the axis of rotation of the head rest assembly.

6. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 2 , further including an axis of rotation of the back support member with respect to the occupant support base being spatially separated from an axis of rotation of the adjustment lever such that rotation of the back support member with respect to the occupant support base independently operates to displace the actuation link to rotate the head rest assembly without rotation of the adjustment lever.

7. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 1 , further including:

a bracket fixedly connected to the occupant support base; and

a pin rotatably connecting the adjustment lever to the bracket, a longitudinal axis of the pin defining the axis of rotation of the adjustment lever.

8. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment lever includes a handle grip member adapted to permit the adjustment lever to be directly manually rotatable.

9. A head rest adjustment system for a furniture member, comprising:

a back support member rotatable with respect to an occupant support base member;

a head rest assembly rotatably connected to the back support member;

an adjustment lever manually rotatable from a neutral position in a first adjustment direction to rotate the head rest assembly from a neutral position in a head rest forward direction, and from the neutral position oppositely in a second adjustment direction to rotate the head rest assembly in a head rest reclining direction;

an actuation link rotatably connected at a first end to the head rest assembly and at an opposed second end to the adjustment lever, such that rotation of the adjustment lever operates to displace the actuation link to rotate the head rest assembly to a plurality of support positions; and

an axis of rotation of the back support member with respect to the base member being spatially separated from an axis of rotation of the adjustment lever such that rotation of the back support member with respect to the base member independently operates to displace the actuation link to rotate the head rest assembly without rotation of the adjustment lever, a total angular displacement of the head rest assembly increasing in the head rest forward direction when the adjustment lever is fully extended in the first adjustment direction prior to the back support member being fully rotated in a reclining direction.

10. The head rest adjustment system of claim 9 , further comprising a mechanism connected to the base member, the back support member connected to the mechanism to permit the back support member to rotate with respect to the base member within a range bounded by an upright position and a fully reclined position.

11. The head rest adjustment system of claim 10 , wherein an angular orientation of the head rest assembly with respect to the back support member continually changes as the back support member rotates from the upright position to the fully reclined position.

12. The head rest adjustment system of claim 9 , further comprising

a flexible sheath;

a wire member slidably disposed within the flexible sheath;

a force multiplying drive mechanism including a handle rotatable to displace the wire member within the flexible sheath; and

wherein the wire member is connected to the adjustment device handle wherein rotation of the handle of the force multiplying device operates to rotate the adjustment lever which displaces the actuation link to rotate the head rest assembly, a full displacement of the handle within a cavity of the drive mechanism defining only a portion of displacement travel for the wire member and therefore only a portion of displacement travel of the adjustment lever.

13. The head rest adjust system of claim 12 , further comprising a rotatable connector fixedly receiving the wire member and rotatably connected to the adjustment device handle.

14. The head rest adjustment system of claim 9 , wherein the adjustment lever includes a handle grip member adapted to permit the adjustment lever to be directly manually rotatable to selectively position the head rest assembly in the plurality of support positions including at least each of a neutral position, a maximum forward position, and a maximum rearward position.

15. The head rest adjustment system of claim 9 , wherein the adjustment lever is positioned between an occupant of the furniture member positioned on the base member and an arm rest support member of the base member so that the occupant can adjust the position of the head rest assembly without reaching outside of the arm rest support member.

16. The head rest adjustment system of claim 9 , further comprising a leg rest member connected to the mechanism and extendable within a range bounded by a fully retracted position and a fully extended position without altering any of the plurality of support positions of the head rest assembly.

17. The head rest adjustment system of claim 9 , wherein the back support member includes first and second parallel opposed wings, with the actuation link positioned proximate the second wing.

18. The head rest adjustment system of claim 9 , further including a bracket fixed to the occupant support base member, wherein the adjustment lever is rotatably connected to the bracket by a pin defining the axis of rotation of the adjustment lever.

19. A furniture member head rest adjustment system, comprising:

an occupant support base;

a back support member rotatable with respect to the occupant support base;

a head rest assembly rotatably connected to the back support member;

an adjustment lever operable to rotate the head rest assembly;

a force multiplying drive mechanism connected to the adjustment lever operating to incrementally rotate the adjustment lever using a handle manually rotatable about an axis of rotation;

a wire member slidably displaced within a flexible sheath by actuation of the drive mechanism such that the wire member extends or retracts to displace the adjustment lever; and

a full displacement of the handle within a cavity of the drive mechanism defining only a portion of displacement travel for the wire member and thereby the adjustment lever.

20. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 19 , further including an arm rest support member of the occupant support base, wherein the adjustment lever is positioned between an occupant of the furniture member positioned on the base and the arm rest support member so that the occupant can adjust the position of the head rest assembly without reaching outside of the arm rest support member.

21. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 19 , further including an actuation link rotatably connected at a first end to the head rest assembly and at an opposed second end to the adjustment lever, such that rotation of the adjustment lever operates to displace the actuation link to rotate the head rest assembly to a plurality of support positions.

22. A furniture member head rest adjustment system, comprising:

an occupant support base having an arm rest support member;

a back support member rotatable with respect to the occupant support base;

a head rest assembly rotatably connected to the back support member;

an adjustment lever manually operated from a neutral position to either of opposite first and second head rest adjustment directions to rotate the head rest assembly, the adjustment lever positioned between an occupant of the furniture member positioned on the base member and the arm rest support member; and

an actuation link rotatably connected at a first end to the head rest assembly and at an opposed second end to the adjustment lever, such that rotation of the adjustment lever operates to displace the actuation link to synchronously rotate the head rest assembly to a plurality of support positions without motion of the adjustment lever;

wherein the plurality of support positions includes at least a neutral position having the head rest assembly substantially parallel with the back support member, a rearward position rotated in a direction away from the occupant, and a forward position rotated in a direction toward the occupant, a maximum forward position reached by rotating the adjustment lever from the neutral position in the first head rest adjustment direction after the head rest reaches the forward position by synchronous rotation.

23. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 22 , wherein an axis of rotation of the back support member with respect to the occupant support base is spatially separated from an axis of rotation of the adjustment lever such that rotation of the back support member with respect to the base member independently operates to displace the actuation link to rotate the head rest assembly without rotation of the adjustment lever.

24. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 23 , wherein an angle between the rearward and forward positions is approximately 18 degrees when the head rest assembly is rotated by displacement of the actuation link without rotation of the adjustment lever by rotation of the back support member from an upright to a fully reclined position.

25. The furniture member head rest adjustment system of claim 22 , wherein an angle between the rearward and forward positions is approximately 22 degrees when the head rest assembly is rotated using the adjustment lever.

26. A method for controlling adjustment of a furniture member head rest assembly, the furniture member having an occupant support base having an arm rest support member, a back support member, an occupant support base, an adjustment lever, and an actuation link, the method comprising:

rotatably joining the back support member to the occupant support base;

rotatably connecting the head rest assembly to the back support member;

positioning the adjustment lever between an occupant of the furniture member positioned on the base member and the arm rest support member, the adjustment lever operable to rotate the head rest assembly;

rotatably coupling the actuation link to both the head rest assembly and to the adjustment lever; and

rotating the adjustment lever to simultaneously displace the actuation link and rotate the head rest assembly, without the occupant reaching outside of the arm rest support member.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising rotating the adjustment lever to adjust the head rest assembly from a neutral position having the head rest assembly substantially parallel with the back support member to a rearward position rotated in a direction away from the occupant.

28. The method of claim 26 , further comprising rotating the adjustment lever to adjust the head rest assembly from a neutral position having the head rest assembly substantially parallel with the back support member to a forward position rotated in a direction toward the occupant.