Steelcase Inc.

Bissell Homecare, Inc.

Bissell Inc.

Jeffrey A Hall

Gordon J Peterson

Kurt R Heidmann

Todd David Krupiczewicz

Robert J Battey

Gary L Karsten

Dale M Groendal

Nathan R Brock

Nickolaus William Charles Deevers

Richard N Roslund, Jr

Todd Trevor Andres

John Albert Colasanti

Michael J Yancharas

Pascal Rolf Hien

Steven Keith Meek

Russell T Holdredge

Mark Vander Veen

Pradeep Mydur

Nathan McCaughan

John J Jailor

Todd D Krupiczewicz

Scott R Graham

William H Frederick

Charles A Reed, Jr

Kenneth L Roberts

Eric R Metzger

Adam C Bedford

Duane F Nagel

Daniel P Beemer

Edward L Tyler

Eric C Huffman

Glenn A Knoblock

Larry DeKraker

Christopher J Norman

David A Bodnar

Jonathan B Hadley

Nancy A Funk

Eric Johnson

Ng Tat Shing

Diane M Simek

Lau Wai Keung

Nathan Mccaughan

Todd T Andres

Jr Roslund Richard N

Michael Yancharas

Gary Lee Karsten

A backrest includes a primary frame having a pair of laterally spaced first uprights defining a first opening therebetween, a first front surface and a first rear surface. A secondary frame includes a pair of laterally spaced second uprights defining a second opening therebetween, a second rear surface facing the first front surface of the primary frame and a second front surface, wherein the secondary frame is coupled to the primary frame, and wherein at least portions of the first and second openings are aligned. A flexible shell overlies and is coupled to the second front surface of the secondary frame. The flexible shell includes a third rear surface visible through the aligned portions of the first and second openings.

Compliant backrest

A backrest includes a frame having a pair of laterally spaced upright members connected with longitudinally spaced upper and lower members. A flexible shell has opposite sides coupled to the upright members and upper and lower portions coupled to the upper and lower members. The shell includes first and second slots extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the shell inboard of locations where the shell is connected to the upright members, and one or more third slots extending laterally along the lower portion of the shell above a location where the shell is connected to the lower member. Terminal ends of the one or more third slots are spaced apart from lower terminal ends of the first and second slots. In other embodiments, the shell is a three-dimensional molded component having a plurality of openings. In various embodiments, the slots and/or openings provide different levels of compliance to the backrest.

A seating arrangement includes a base, a seat assembly operably coupled to the base, and a back assembly that includes a substantially rigid back frame including a pair of side portions spaced from one another and extending upward from the base, and a substantially flexible back shell including a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, a plurality of laterally-extending slots that extend between the front surface and the rear surface and that cooperate to define a plurality of laterally-extending ribs therebetween, where a pair of laterally-extending ribs of the plurality of laterally-extending ribs are connected to one another via a vertically-extending rib located at a substantial midpoint across a width of the back shell, and wherein the back shell is coupled to each of the side portions of the back frame at locations above the plurality of laterally-extending slots.

Chair assembly with upholstery covering

A chair component includes a first chair member adapted to support a seated user, a second chair member movable between a first position, wherein the second chair member is substantially coplanar with the first chair member, and a second position, wherein the second chair member is substantially parallel with the first chair member, a cover member wrapped about at least a portion of the first chair member and at least a portion of the second chair member, and a single-piece drawstring operably coupled with the cover member to draw the cover member about the at least a portion of the first chair member and the at least a portion of the second chair member when the second chair member is in the first position.

Chair assembly

A method of assembling a chair component includes providing a first chair member adapted to support a user and that includes forwardly and a rearwardly-facing surfaced, wherein the first chair member further includes at least one raised portion extending rearwardly from the rear surface, wrapping a cover member about a portion of the first chair member, providing a drawstring operably coupled with the cover member, drawing the cover member about the portion of the first chair member by the drawstring, aligning the cover with the at least one raised portion to properly align the cover with respect to the first chair member, and securing the drawstring to the first chair member with at least one fastener that is received within the at least one raised portion.

Chair assembly method

A chair assembly includes a base structure defining upper and lower portions, and a support structure, a seat support structure having a forward portion pivotably connected to the upper portion of the base structure for rotation about a first pivot point and a rearward portion, a back support structure having a forward portion pivotably connected to the lower portion of the base structure for rotation about a second pivot point that is located below and rearward of the first pivot point, and an upwardly extending back portion that moves rearwardly and downwardly as the back support structure pivots and the back portion moves, and a control link pivotably coupled to the seat support structure for rotation about a third pivot point and to the back support structure for rotation about a fourth pivot point each located rearward of the first and second pivot points.

A method of assembling a chair component includes providing a first chair member, providing a second chair member moveable between a first position, wherein the second chair member is coplanar with the first chair member, and a second position, wherein the second chair member is parallel with the first chair member, and wrapping a cover member about the first and second chair members. The method further includes providing a drawstring operably coupled with the cover member, drawing the cover member about the first and second chair members when the second chair member is in the first position, fixing an effective length of the drawstring while the second chair member is in the first position, moving the second chair member from the first position to the second position, and securing the second chair member in the second position.

A chair assembly includes a base structure, a seat support structure pivotably coupled to the base structure, and a back support structure pivotably coupled to the base structure and including an upwardly-extending portion adapted to move between upright and reclined positions and a lower portion extending forwardly of the upwardly-extending portion, and wherein the upwardly-extending portion is operably coupled to the forwardly-extending portion by a first quick connect assembly. The chair assembly further includes a generally forwardly-facing back support assembly and having an upper portion operably coupled to the upwardly-extending portion of the back support and a lower portion, and a back link releasably coupled to the lower portion of the back support surface by a second quick connect assembly and operably coupled to the seat support structure.

A chair assembly includes a base structure, a seat support structure movably coupled to the base structure, an upwardly-extending back support structure movably coupled to the base structure, wherein the back support structure is adapted to move between an upright and reclined positions, wherein the back support structure is operably coupled to the seat support structure, a flexible shell structure defining a forwardly-facing surface forming a lumbar support, wherein the flexible shell is movably coupled to the seat support structure, and a resilient member generating a variable compressive force acting on the flexible shell structure in a manner that tends to cause a curvature of the back support structure to increase, and wherein the compressive force decreases as the back support structure moves from the upright position to the reclined position.

A chair assembly includes a base structure defining upper and lower portions, a seat support structure having forward and rearward portions, wherein the forward portion of the seat support structure is pivotably coupled to the upper portion, and wherein the seat support structure includes a seat support surface configured to support a seated user thereon, a back support structure having forward and rearward portions, wherein the forward portion of the back supported is pivotably coupled to the lower portion, and wherein the back support structure includes an upwardly extending portion adapted to move between an upright position and a reclined position, and a control link having a first end pivotably coupled to the rearward portion of the seat support structure, and a second end pivotably coupled to the rearward portion of the back support structure.

A chair assembly includes a base structure, a seat support structure pivotably coupled to the base structure, a back support structure pivotably coupled to the base structure and including an upwardly extending portion adapted to move between an upright position and a reclined position, a control link having a first end pivotably coupled to the seat support structure and a second end pivotably coupled to the back support structure, a back support surface having an upper portion pivotably coupled to the back support, and a back link pivotably coupled to the seat support structure, wherein the back support surface is moved forward by the back link relative to the upwardly extending portion of the back support structure as the back support structure is moved from the upright position to the reclined position.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Jeffrey A Hall