Steelcase Inc.

David A Bodnar

Gary L Karsten

Kurt R Heidmann

Adam C Bedford

Gordon J Peterson

Robert J Battey

Charles P Roossien

James N Ludwig

Nickolaus William Charles Deevers

Mark William Spoelhof

Michael L Deimen

Arnold B Dammerman

Todd Trevor Andres

Arnold B Dammermann

David S Teppo

Jeffrey A Hall

Nathan R Brock

Duane F Nagel

Renard G Tubergen

Jonathan B Hadley

Thomas R Hahn

Eric Johnson

David L Rundhaug

Nate Brock

Michael I Deimen

A body support assembly includes a seat assembly and backrest assembly supported by a tilt control assembly. Methods of using and assembling the body support assembly are provided.

Body support assembly and methods for the use and assembly thereof

A method of assembling a spring inside of a tube includes providing a coil spring and a tube having a first retaining structure at a first end of the tube. The method includes positioning a rod in the tube. The spring is positioned in the tube, and a second retaining structure is attached to the rod with the spring positioned between the first and second retaining structures. A force is applied to the spring, and the second retaining structure is fixed at a position wherein the spring provides a desired preload.

Spring assembly and method

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.

An armrest structure includes a support and a body rotatably mounted on the support. The support includes a pair of protrusions and the body includes a notched channel for receiving the protrusions. By rotating the body on the support, the protrusions are repositioned in the notched channel between selected stable use positions. The notches are located on both sides of the channel such that the body can be located in a first position with the first surface on the body facing generally upwardly for use, and a second position with the second surface on the body facing generally upwardly for use. By varying the surfaces on the body, and also the engagement of the protrusion with the notched channel, various spacial positions and functional surfaces can be selectively positioned for use.

Articulating armrest

Chair

An armrest is provided for attachment to a chair. The chair includes vertical tubular sections which form a portion of a chair frame with open upper ends. Each armrest has a metal reinforcement with an intermediate section and downwardly protruding end sections, the end sections having an intermediate bent portion and two spaced apart portions such that the bent portion and the spaced apart portions define a dimension adapted to frictionally engage the open ends of the upright tubes. The metal reinforcement is formed from a steel rod weldment and a urethane cover is molded onto the rod weldment to support a user's forearm. To assemble the armrests, the end sections are pressed into the open ends of the vertical tubes, thus providing an easily assembled, secure and stable attachment of the armrest to the chair frame.

Armrest attachment for chair

Chair arm

Growing community of inventors

Ada, MI, United States of America

David A Bodnar