Steelcase Inc.

Haworth, Inc.

Eric Johnson

Gordon J Peterson

Robert J Battey

Larry Allen Wilkerson

Wesley D Mersman

Jonathan B Hadley

Steve Gager

Kurt R Heidmann

Gary L Karsten

Jeffrey A Hall

David A Bodnar

Joe Willette

Adam C Bedford

An office chair is provided having a contoured back assembly comprising a back frame and a suspension fabric. The fabric is attached to the back frame through a spline wherein the back frame has a three-dimensional contoured shape formed by overlapped frame rings with the fabric being joined thereto by a spline. The fabric is secured to the frame by a machine wherein the fabric is first stretched from the outer edge of the fabric and then is clamped to a frame surface in the pre-tensioned or pre-streched condition. The fabric edges are allowed to hang loose and then fixed in the frame by a spline. Once secured, the fabric is unclamped from the frame.

Assembly apparatus and process for a chair back

An office chair is provided having a contoured back assembly comprising a back frame and a suspension fabric. The fabric is attached to the back frame about its periphery wherein the back frame has a three-dimensional contoured shape formed by overlapped frame rings with the fabric being joined thereto. The fabric is secured to the frame by a machine wherein the fabric is first stretched from the outer edge of the fabric and then is clamped by a front frame section in the pre-tensioned or pre-streched condition. The fabric edges are allowed to hang loose and then fixed in the front frame section. Once secured, the fabric is unclamped from the front frame section, and then this sub-assembly is affixed to the rear frame ring to complete the assembly of the back frame.

Method for assembling a frame assembly for a chair

A seating unit includes a back support with a perimeter frame defining an opening, and a plurality of resilient members spanning the opening. An upholstery cover extends over and covers the resilient members and a front of the perimeter frame. A bow-tie-shaped lumbar device is positioned between the cover and sides of the perimeter frame for vertical adjustment. The lumbar device includes a body with end sections defining a greater dimension than a middle of the body. Upper and lower edges of the end sections are thin and serve to wedgingly slip between the cover and the resilient members in a manner leading the middle over irregular surfaces between the resilient members. A thick area between the upper and lower edges causes a change in lumbar support force and shape as the lumbar device is adjusted. Handles are attached to the body by stretchable fabric.

Seating unit with adjustable lumbar device

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

Growing community of inventors

Hudsonville, MI, United States of America

Eric Johnson