Comfort surface for seating

A seating unit comprising:

• a back frame having at least one vertical side section forming a rearwardly concave shape in a lumbar region;
• a flexible supporting surface supported by the frame;
• a plurality of elongated resilient force-distributing members associated with said supporting surface to control a contour of the supporting surface when supporting a seated user, the resilient force-distributing members being generally flexible and bendable along their length and being sufficient in number and distribution across the supporting surface so as to reduce localized deflection of the supporting surface and thereby reduce point contact pressure associated with the seated user;
• and
• a tensioning component associated with the lumbar section of the back frame that resiliently bends and thus pretensions at least some of the resilient force-distributing members, wherein the at least one vertical side section includes a pair of spaced apart side frame members each with a plurality of recesses formed therein, the tensioning component being formed by an abutting surface on each of the side frame members that abuts an end of the plurality of force-distributing members to cause bending and hence pretensioning of some of the resilient force-distributing members, wherein the resilient force-distributing members have a round cross section.

A seating unit comprising:

• a back frame having at least one vertical side section forming a rearwardly concave shape in a lumbar region;
• a flexible supporting surface supported by the frame;
• a plurality of elongated resilient force-distributing members associated with said supporting surface to control a contour of the supporting surface when supporting a seated user, the resilient force-distributing members being generally flexible and bendable along their length and being sufficient in number and distribution across the supporting surface so as to reduce localized deflection of the supporting surface and thereby reduce point contact pressure associated with the seated user;
• and
• a tensioning component associated with the lumbar section of the back frame that resiliently bends and thus pretensions at least some of the resilient force-distributing members, wherein the at least one vertical side section includes a pair of spaced apart side frame members each with a plurality of recesses formed therein, the tensioning component being formed by an abutting surface on each of the side frame members that abuts an end of the plurality of force-distributing members to cause bending and hence pretensioning of some of the resilient force-distributing members, wherein the resilient force-distributing members are resiliently stiff steel rods.

A seating unit comprising:

• a frame having opposing side frame members defining a space therebetween;
• resilient support means adapted to bend and flex for supporting a seated user with distributed support forces even when the seated user generates point loads, the resilient support means having opposing ends that are supported by the frame and having sufficient resilient stiffness to support a seated user when the opposing ends of the force-distributing members are vertically supported;
• and
• decoupling means for operably supporting the resilient support means on the frame, the decoupling means combining with the frame to provide support to the opposing ends but allowing the opposing ends to move inwardly relative to the opposing side frame members without undesirably forcibly drawing the opposing frame members inwardly when the resilient support means are bent and flexed, the resilient support means including elongated resilient force-distributing members, wherein the decoupling means includes at least one recess that movably support ends of the plurality of resilient force-distributing members on the opposing spaced-apart side frame members for inward movement upon the seated user sitting on the seating unit and further includes surfaces inboard of the recesses for providing additional support to the resilient support means when the resilient force-distributing members are flexed to a predetermined maximum flexed condition.

A comfort surface for a seating unit comprising:

• a flexible supporting surface;
• a frame with side frame members defining a plurality of recesses with openings that open in an inboard direction and that are smaller than the recesses;
• and
• a plurality of elongated resilient force-distributing members having sufficient resilient stiffness to support a seated user, the force-distributing members including opposing ends movably supported by the side frame members for inward movement when the force-distributing members are bent from the seated user's weight, the force-distributing members being associated with said supporting surface to control the contour of the supporting surface when supporting the seated user, the resilient force-distributing members being generally bendable along their length and being sufficient in number and distribution across the supporting surface so as to reduce localized deflection of the supporting surface and thereby reduce point contact pressure associated with the seated user, the opposing ends of the force-distributing members having bent end portions that extend laterally to restrict movement of the bent end portion through the openings but that permit sliding within the recesses, including spaced-apart side frame members defining a seating area therebetween, the side frame members defining the recesses, and wherein the plurality of resilient force distributing members are positioned with the opposing ends operably supported on the side frame members, including at least one tensioning component that engages and resiliently bends at least some of the force-distributing members to a more curved pretensioned shape.

A comfort surface for a seating unit comprising:

• a flexible supporting surface;
• a frame with side frame members defining a plurality of recesses with openings that open in an inboard direction and that are smaller than the recesses;
• and
• a plurality of elongated resilient force-distributing members having sufficient resilient stiffness to support a seated user;
• the force-distributing members including opposing ends movably supported by the side frame members for inward movement when the force-distributing members are bent from the seated user's weight, the force-distributing members being associated with said supporting surface to control the contour of the supporting surface when supporting the seated user, the resilient force-distributing members being generally bendable along their length and being sufficient in number and distribution across the supporting surface so as to reduce localized deflection of the supporting surface and thereby reduce point contact pressure associated with the seated user, the force-distributing members having bent end portions that extend laterally to restrict movement of the bent end portion through the openings but that permit sliding within the recesses, including spaced-apart side frame members defining a seating area therebetween, the side frame members defining the recesses, and wherein the plurality of resilient force distributing members are positioned with the opposing ends operably supported on the side frame members, including flex-limiting surfaces on the side frame members that allow some movement in a direction parallel a length of the elongated resilient force distributing members but that engage the opposing ends of the resilient force-distributing members when flexed a predetermined amount to limit maximum flexure of at least some of the resilient force-distributing members, wherein the recesses in the side frame members are configured to matably slidingly engage ends of the resilient force-distributing members, the flex-limiting surfaces being at an inboard end of the recesses.

A comfort surface for a seating unit comprising:

• a flexible supporting surface;
• a frame including side frame members defining a plurality of recesses with openings that open in an inboard direction and that are smaller than the recesses;
• and
• a plurality of elongated resilient force-distributing members having sufficient resilient stiffness to support a seated user;
• the force-distributing members including opposing ends movably supported by the side frame members for inward movement when the force-distributing members are bent from the seated user's weight, the force-distributing members being associated with said supporting surface to control the contour of the supporting surface when supporting the seated user, the resilient force-distributing members being generally bendable along their length and being sufficient in number and distribution across the supporting surface so as to reduce localized deflection of the supporting surface and thereby reduce point contact pressure associated with the seated user, the force-distributing members having bent end portions that extend laterally to restrict movement of the bent end portion through the openings but that permit sliding within the recesses, including spaced-apart side frame members defining a seating area therebetween, the side frame members defining the recesses, and wherein the plurality of resilient force distributing members are positioned with the opposing ends operably supported on the side frame members, including a cover attached to the side frame members and covering the recesses.

A seating unit comprising:

• a back frame having a pair of vertical side sections defining a lumbar region forming a forwardly protruding shape;
• a flexible supporting surface supported by the frame;
• and
• a plurality of elongated resilient force-distributing members supported by the frame and having sufficient resilient stiffness to support a seated user when opposing ends of the force-distributing members are supported for inward movement when the force-distributing members are bent to support a weight, the force-distributing members being associated with and supporting said supporting surface to control a contour of the supporting surface when supporting a seated user, the resilient force-distributing members being generally flexible and bendable along their length and being sufficient in number and distribution across the supporting surface so as to reduce localized deflection of the supporting surface and thereby reduce point contact pressure associated with the seated user;
• several of the resilient force-distributing members being resiliently bent and having their opposing ends positioned closer together than other opposing ends such that the several force-distributing members are thus pretensioned to a more curved pretensioned shape different than a remaining number of the resilient force-distributing members, and further having at least one end slidably supported on the side sections to minimize inward pull and stress on the side sections when the seated user is sitting thereon.