The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 27, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1999
Gordon J Peterson, Rockford, MI (US);
Larry DeKraker, Holland, MI (US);
Jeffrey A Hall, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Kurt R Heidmann, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Glenn A Knoblock, Kentwood, MI (US);
Steelcase Development Inc., Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Abstract
A back construction for a chair includes a back shell having a plurality of horizontal bands defining a flexible lumbar section, with the back shell including non-parallel guides defined along its edges. A vertically adjustable lumbar support includes a panel body located at the flexible lumbar section, a bent wire member that engages the panel body and that is stretchable laterally, and opposing handles attached to ends of the bent wire member that engage the non-parallel guides. The opposing handles slidingly follow the guides and are movable between a first position where the bent wire member is flexed to a first width dimension, and a second position where the bent wire member is flexed to a second width dimension different than the first width dimension. Slots in the panel body retain the bent wire member to the panel body, but permit the bent wire member to be stretched horizontally during vertical adjustment of the lumbar support. The panel body includes generously radiused upper and lower edges shaped to slide over top and bottom edges of the plurality of horizontal bands without catching on and unacceptably twisting individual ones of the bands when the vertically adjustable lumbar support is vertically adjusted.