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US 7,114,777 B2Granted
Chair having reclineable back and movable seat
AssigneeSteelcase Development Corporation
InventorsArnold B. Dammermann, Larry DeKraker, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Charles P. Roossien, David S. Teppo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seating unit includes a seating unit having a base, a seat and a back operably pivoted to the base for synchronous movement including recline of the back and forward movement of the seat, an adjustable variable back stop adjustably engaging the seat for adjustably limiting a rearward tilt of the back, and a handle. The handle and the back stop are supported for independent movement, but are interconnected by a connecting mechanism including a pair of links so that the back stop is selectively adjusted upon rotation of the handle.
Claims107
A seating product comprising:
- a base including side arms;
- a back structure including a back frame pivoted to the base at back pivots for movement between upright and reclined positions and a polymeric sheet supported in front of the back frame and adapted to support a seated user;
- and
- a seat pivoted to the back structure at seat pivots and operably supported for movement on the base, the back structure including right and left configured end sections positioned on opposite sides of the seat and that are each located generally between the sides of the seat and associated ones of the side arms, the side arms each defining a vertically-elongated shape with a free end adapted to telescopingly support an armrest for height adjustment.
1 more element
A seating product comprising:
- a seat;
- a base including a pair of support members disposed on respective sides of the base and extending above the seat;
- the base further including a center post and radially-extending legs with castors thereon;
- a back shaped and adapted to support a seated user, said back having a frame member with ends extending downwardly and forwardly from the back on each side of the back to a position adjacent the support members to thus define a T-shaped arrangement with the support members, each of the frame member ends being pivotally connected to an associated one of the support members on the base to allow movement of the back between upright and reclined positions;
- and
- the seat being pivotally supported on each of the sides of the base and coupled to the frame member ends for movement upon recline of the back.
3 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a seat;
- a base including a pair of support members disposed on respective sides of the base and extending above the seat;
- a back shaped and adapted to support a seated user, said back having a frame member with ends extending downwardly and forwardly from the back on each side of the back to a position adjacent the support members to thus define a T-shaped arrangement with the support members, each of the frame member ends being pivotally connected to an associated one of the support members on the base to allow movement of the back between upright and reclined positions;
- and
- the seat being pivotally supported on each of the sides of the base and coupled to the frame member ends for movement upon recline of the back, wherein the ends each are vertically elongated and define a narrow horizontal dimension shaped to fit within a space between an associated edge of the seat and the associated support member of the base.
2 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a base including a pair of vertical support members disposed on respective sides of the base;
- a seat operably supported on the base, the support members each having a free end extending upwardly adjacent the seat and being adapted to telescopingly and adjustably support an armrest;
- a back assembly pivoted to the base at a back pivot axis for movement between upright and reclined positions and having forwardly extending support structure proximate its lower portion, the forwardly extending support structure forming at least part of a connection of the back assembly to the base;
- said seat being pivoted to the forwardly extending support structure at a seat pivot axis spaced from the back pivot axis in an arrangement that causes the seat to move in response to recline of the back assembly;
- a spring operably biasing the back assembly toward the upright position;
- and
- an armrest supported on each of said vertical support members.
4 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a base including vertical support members;
- a seat operably supported on the base;
- a back assembly pivoted to the base at a back pivot axis for movement between upright and reclined positions and having forwardly extending support structure proximate its lower portion, the forwardly extending support structure forming at least part of a connection of the back assembly to the base;
- said seat being pivoted to the forwardly extending support structure at a seat pivot axis spaced from the back pivot axis in an arrangement that causes the seat to move in response to recline of the back assembly;
- and
- a spring operably biasing the back assembly toward the upright position;
- including an armrest supported on each of said vertical support members;
- wherein the base includes a center post and radially-extending legs with castors thereon.
5 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a mobile base including a plurality of legs, a central pedestal and a control having a pair of support members disposed on respective sides thereof;
- a back assembly pivoted to the support members at a first pivot axis for movement between upright and reclined positions, said a back assembly including a back shaped and adapted to support a seated user, said back assembly further including a pair of forwardly extending support structures located proximate the sides of a lower portion thereof, each of the forwardly extending support structures being pivotably connected to an associated one of the support members on the base to allow movement of the back between the upright and reclined positions;
- a seat operably supported on the base between said support members, said seat being pivotably coupled to the forwardly extending support structures at a second pivot axis spaced from the first pivot axis in an arrangement causing the seat to move in response to recline of the back;
- and
- an armrest supported on each of the support members;
- the forwardly extending support structures and the support members forming a visible T-shaped overlapping arrangement, with the support structure extending rearwardly from overlapping adjacent portions defined by the overlapping arrangement and the support structures extending upwardly and downwardly from the overlapping adjacent portions.
3 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a seat;
- a base including a pair of support members disposed on respective sides of the base and extending above the seat;
- a back shaped and adapted to support a seated user, said back having a frame member with ends extending downwardly and forwardly from the back on each side of the back to a position adjacent the support members to thus define a T-shaped arrangement with the support members, each of the frame member ends being pivotally connected to an associated one of the support members on the base to allow movement of the back between upright and reclined positions;
- and
- the seat being pivotally supported on each of the sides of the base and coupled to the frame member ends for movement upon recline of the back, wherein the base includes an underseat support, and the support members include a horizontal portion extending laterally from the underseat support and a vertical portion extending upwardly from the horizontal portion.
2 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a base;
- a seat operably supported on the base;
- a back assembly pivoted to the base at a back pivot axis for movement between upright and reclined positions and having forwardly extending support structure proximate its lower portion, the forwardly extending support structure forming at least part of a connection of the back assembly to the base;
- said seat being pivoted to the forwardly extending support structure at a seat pivot axis spaced from the back pivot axis in an arrangement that causes the seat to move in response to recline of the back assembly;
- and
- a spring operably biasing the back assembly toward the upright position, including an armrest supported on each of said vertical support members;
- wherein the back assembly includes a flexible lumbar section, and including an energy mechanism on the back assembly that biases the flexible lumbar section toward a forwardly protruding convex shape.
4 more elements
A chair comprising:
- a base including plurality of castored legs, a central pedestal and a control having a pair of support members disposed on respective sides thereof;
- a back assembly pivoted to the support members at a first pivot axis for movement between upright and reclined positions, said a back assembly including a back shaped and adapted to support a seated user, said back assembly further including a pair of forwardly extending support structures located proximate the sides of a lower portion thereof, each of the forwardly extending support structures being pivotably connected to an associated one of the support members on the base to allow movement of the back between the upright and reclined positions;
- and
- a seat operably supported on the base between said support members, said seat being pivotably coupled to the forwardly extending support structures at a second pivot axis spaced vertically from the first pivot axis in an arrangement causing the seat to move in response to recline of the back;
- the forwardly extending support structures and the pair of support members forming on each side of the seat a T-shaped overlapping structural arrangement that both pivotally supports the back assembly on the base and also movably supports a portion of the seat on the back assembly.
2 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a base including a pair of support members disposed on respective sides of the base;
- a seat operably supported on the base, the support members each having a free end extending upwardly adjacent the seat and being adapted to telescopingly and adjustably support an armrest;
- a back assembly pivoted to the base at a back pivot axis for movement between upright and reclined positions and having forwardly extending support structure proximate its lower portion, the forwardly extending support structure forming at least part of a connection of the back assembly to the base;
- said seat being pivoted to the forwardly extending support structure at a seat pivot axis spaced from the back pivot axis in an arrangement that causes the seat to move in response to recline of the back assembly;
- and
- a spring operably biasing the back assembly toward the upright position;
- wherein the seat and back pivot axes are spaced apart and located so that the seat moves upon recline of the back assembly with a synchronous motion;
- wherein the seat pivot axis is located below the back pivot axis when in the upright position.
5 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a base including side arms;
- a back structure pivoted to the base at back pivots for movement between upright and reclined positions;
- a seat pivoted to the back structure at seat pivots and operably supported for movement on the base, the back structure including right and left configured end sections positioned on opposite sides of the seat and that are each located generally between the sides of the seat and associated ones of the side arms;
- and
- a spring operably biasing the back structure continuously toward the upright position;
- wherein the back structure includes a lower frame with forwardly extending configured ends that overlap with and define with the side arms a T-shaped arrangement on each side of the seat, wherein the seat and back pivots are spaced apart and located so that the seat moves upon recline of the back with a asynchronous motion, and including an armrest support on each of the side arms, the armrests being vertically adjustable;
- and wherein the base includes an underseat support, and the side arms each include a horizontal portion extending laterally from the underseat support and a vertical portion extending upwardly from the horizontal portion.
4 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a seat;
- a base including a pair of support members disposed on respective sides of the base and extending above the seat;
- a back shaped and adapted to support a seated user, said back having a frame member with ends extending downwardly and forwardly from the back on each side of the back to a position adjacent the support members to thus define a T-shaped arrangement with the support members, each of the frame member ends being pivotally connected to an associated one of the support members on the base to allow movement of the back between upright and reclined positions;
- and
- the seat being pivotally supported on each of the sides of the base and coupled to the frame member ends for movement upon recline of the back, wherein the ends include structure defining both the back and seat pivots.
2 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a base including side arms;
- a back structure pivoted directly to the side arms of the base at back pivots for movement between upright and reclined positions;
- and
- a seat pivoted to the back structure at rear seat pivots and operably supported for movement on the base, the back structure including a lower frame positioned rearward of the side arms and further including right and left configured end sections extending forwardly from the lower frame to locations on opposite sides of the seat and that are each located generally between the sides of the seat and associated ones of the side arms;
- including an armrest supported on each of the side arms;
- wherein the base includes an underseat support, and the side arms each include a horizontal portion extending laterally from the underseat support and a vertical portion extending upwardly from the horizontal portion.
3 more elements
A seating product comprising:
- a base including side arms;
- a back structure pivoted directly to the side arms of the base at back pivots for movement between upright and reclined positions;
- and
- a seat pivoted to the back structure at rear seat pivots and operably supported for movement on the base, the back structure including a lower frame positioned rearward of the side arms and further including right and left configured end sections extending forwardly from the lower frame to locations on opposite sides of the seat and that are each located generally between the sides of the seat and associated ones of the side arms;
- including an armrest supported on each of the side arms;
- wherein the base includes a center post and radially-extending legs with castors thereon.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.