Steelcase Inc.

James M Mancewicz

Gordon J Peterson

Arnold B Dammermann

David S Teppo

Charles P Roossien

David C Jenkins

David N Hodge

Michael L Mercier

David L Rundhaug

Larry G Lindgren

Ron K Watson

Jeffery L Halliwill

A vertically adjustable back construction is provided for chairs and the like of the type having a one-piece sculptured appearance. The back construction includes a lower back member with an upholstered upright portion, and an upper back member slidably mounted on the lower back member for movement between various back heights. The upper back member includes an upholstered, downwardly opening shroud portion, which is disposed over and covers at least the uppermost end of the upright portion on the lower back member, and translates thereover to permit ready vertical adjustment of the upper back member by the user to accommodate different tasks and users, while preserving the one-piece sculptured appearance of the chair.

Vertically adjustable back construction for seating

An adjustable chair includes a base, a back support, a control on the base, a seat positioned on the control and an actuator housing supported on the base. The control mounts the back for tilting movement between a fully upright position and reclined position. A seat is pivoted to the base at a front end. The seat is also connected to the base by a plurality of locking plates. The chair includes a back stop subassembly, a back or seat tension subassembly, a seat tilt subassembly and a seat depth subassembly. The actuator housing is an elongated, tubular member having concentrically mounted controls or actuators at each end. At one end of the actuator, a rotatable actuator controls back tilt tension and a concentrically mounted, push button actuator controls the back tilt or stop position. At the opposite end of the actuator housing, a rotatable actuator controls seat tilt position and a concentrically mounted pivotal lever or button controls positioning of the seat to adjust the depth through the depth subassembly.

Adjustable chair actuator

A height adjustable chair arm assembly includes an inner tube joined to an arm support of a chair, an elongated lock plate disposed within the inner tube and a lock tube assembly including an upper lock release housing and an elongated guide tube telescopingly disposed within the inner tube. The elongated lock plate defines a plurality of vertically spaced sockets or lock indentations. An elongated lock rod is movably disposed within the lock tube. A ball lock element, disposed within the lock tube, is engaged by the lock rod. The rod is movable from a locked position wherein the rod holds the lock element within one of the indentations and an unlocked position wherein the lock element may move out of the indentation and the lock tube assembly may telescope with respect to the inner tube. An armrest or arm cap is fixed to an upper end of the lock tube assembly.

Height adjustable chair arm assembly

Growing community of inventors

Wyoming, MI, United States of America

James M Mancewicz