Steelcase Inc.

Adam C Bedford

Gary L Karsten

David A Bodnar

Kurt R Heidmann

Gordon J Peterson

Robert J Battey

Jeffrey A Hall

Steven James Beukema

Michael Scott Garner

Renard G Tubergen

Jonathan B Hadley

Matthew David Remelts

Devon Robert Robinson

Eric Johnson

Jennifer Kristy Geister

Marc Eberlein

Vernie F Holford

Gary Lee Karsten

Jennifer K Geister

A body support structure includes a base and a cushion moveable between a seating configuration and a sleeping configuration. The cushion may include foldable first and second sections. In one embodiment, a spacer includes first and second support surfaces, and is pivotal between an upright position, wherein the first support surface engages and supports the cushion in the seating configuration, and a down position, wherein the second support surface engages and supports the cushion in the sleeping configuration. Methods of reconfiguring a body support structure are also provided.

Convertible body support structure

A chair includes a lower back frame, a back construction, including a back support attached to the lower back frame, a cushion assembly attached to the back support, and a vertically adjustable lumbar frame positioned between the back support and the cushion assembly. The lumbar frame includes a transition shell and a vertically sliding lumbar device having a plurality of horizontal flexible wires. A lower edge of the transition shell is positioned on top of an uppermost horizontal flexible wire of the lumbar device. The lumbar device is operably slidably mounted between the outer shell and cushion assembly and the transition shell upper edge slides between the outer shell and the upholstery cushion assembly. Also disclosed is a chair including a Y-shaped lower back frame having two uprights and a cross-piece attached to the back support. The uprights and cross-piece of the lower back frame include an overlap flange and the back support includes a channel-shaped flange having detents. The overlap flange and channel-shaped flange mate to form an overlap joint, including a box beam for added structural support.

Seating unit with adjustable lumbar device

A vertically adjustable armrest includes a tubular support constructed for attachment to a chair, an armrest assembly telescopingly positioned in the tubular support, the armrest assembly including a sleeve and a post, the sleeve including an opening adapted to receive an operative member on one side, and the post including positional detents extending down the length of a first vertical surface. The height adjustment mechanism is slidably received in the armrest assembly and includes an actuator rod having an angled ramp, an inclined surface, and a pair of angled surfaces, a locking member having teeth which are biased to selectively mate with the post detents, an inclined surface, and at least one pair of lateral followers. The actuator rod operatively engages the locking member with the inclined wedge mateably engaged with the inclined surface and the angled surfaces slideably engaged with the lateral followers.

Height adjustable armrest

A seating unit includes a base with a control housing, a back supported on the base for reclining movement, and a seat supported at least partially by a pivoting link on the base for synchronous movement with the back upon recline of the back. A back stop is operably mounted on a pair of parallel guide rods that extend transversely across the control housing for selective movement to a plurality of different positions where the back stop engages the link to limit movement of the seat and hence limit recline of the back to a plurality of selectable recline positions corresponding to the plurality of different positions.

Control for seating unit with back stop

An armrest includes an armrest support and a subassembly supported thereon for vertical adjustment by a height adjustment device having a rotatable high-lead-angle threaded shaft, a mating nut, and a trigger. The shaft member is rotatable upon a vertical force being placed on the subassembly, and the trigger engages the shaft to prevent rotation and fix a selected height position. The subassembly includes a housing, an armrest cap, and a pair of swing arms pivoted to each of the housing and cap for adjustably supporting the armrest cap for rotational and translational horizontal movement. Horizontal adjustment is controlled by choice of materials, a frictional wave spring and dampener. Optionally, the armrest cap includes a keyhole slot and one of the links includes a configured protrusion shaped to selectively linearly slide along a long part of the slot . . . or rotate in the circular end of the keyhole slot.

Adjustable armrest with motion control

Armrest with height adjustment mechanism

A seating unit includes a base, a reclineable back, a seat, and a control operably supporting the back and the seat on the base for movement between upright and recline positions. The control includes a pair of flexible support members and a link that combine to operably support the seat and back for synchronous movement on the base upon recline. The flexible support member is stiff in a vertical direction for carrying a combined weight of the one component and of the seated user, but flexible in a horizontal direction to permit a swinging movement of its ends upon recline. The link is rigid and pivoted to the base for movement about a horizontal axis and also pivoted to the one component. By this arrangement, the flexible member and the link move the one component along a defined path during recline of the back.

Control mechanism for seating unit

A seating unit includes a base, a seat, a back, and a control operably supporting the seat and the back on the base for movement between upright and recline positions. The control includes a spring providing a biasing supporting force to the back during recline, and further includes a booster mechanism for increasing the supporting force, and still further includes a stop member and a selector device for activating and deactivating the booster mechanism. The selector device is easily movable with a low effort that is independent from friction generated by internal components of the booster mechanism. The stop member is linearly slidably mounted atop a control housing for selectively engaging the booster mechanism and the link for movement between a disengaged position, a booster-engaged position, a partial-recline position, and a recline-prevented position.

Combined tension and back stop function for seating unit

A seating unit includes a base, a seat, a back, and a control operably supporting the seat and the back on the base for movement between upright and recline positions. The control includes a spring providing a biasing supporting force to the back during recline, and further includes a booster mechanism capable of increasing the supporting force, and still further includes a selector device for activating and deactivating the booster mechanism. The selector device is easily moveable with a low effort that is separated from and independent from any friction generated by internal components of the booster mechanism. In a narrower aspect, the control is powered, such as by an electrical or electromechanical device from a remote location. A back stop is attached to the selector device, for movement between a disengaged position, a partial-recline position, and a recline-prevented position.

Growing community of inventors

Rockford, MI, United States of America

Adam C Bedford