Seating arrangement and method of construction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10966527-B2
Application number	US-201815997128-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A seating arrangement includes a base member, and an integrally formed support member coupled to the base member and supporting a seat moveable from an upright position to a reclined position, wherein a first portion of the support member positioned rearwardly of the base member is bendable such that an upper layer of the first portion is put in tension, and wherein a second portion of the support member positioned forwardly of the base member is bendable such that a lower layer of the second portion is put in tension, wherein the upper layer of the first portion and the lower layer of the second portion are reinforced with at least one tensile substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seating component for a seating arrangement, comprising:
a base member; and
an integrally formed support member coupled to the base member and supporting a seat moveable from an upright position to a reclined position, wherein a first portion of the support member positioned rearwardly of the base member is bendable such that an upper layer of the first portion is put in tension, and wherein a second portion of the support member positioned forwardly of the base member is bendable such that a lower layer of the second portion is put in tension, wherein the upper layer of the first portion and the lower layer of the second portion includes at least one tensile substrate, wherein the at least one tensile substrate has a material property that is different than a material property of a layer of the first portion and a layer of the second portion.

2. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tensile substrate includes a plurality of elongated strands.

3. The seating component of claim 2 , wherein the at least one tensile substrate includes glass fiber.

4. The seating component of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of elongated strands are in-molded within a thermoplastic.

5. The seating component of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rear member extending between the base and the seat.

6. The seating component of claim 5 , wherein the rear member is substantially rigid.

7. The seating component of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of elongated strands extend in a substantially fore-to-aft direction.

8. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second portions comprise a thermoplastic.

9. The seating component of claim 8 , wherein the at least one tensile substrate comprises a material configured to bond to the thermoplastic.

10. The seating component of claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic includes at least one of polypropylene, nylon 6 and nylon 66.

11. The seating component of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second portions has a modulus of elasticity of greater than or equal to about 1,600,000 psi.

12. A seating arrangement comprising the seating component of claim 1 .

13. The seating arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the seating arrangement comprises an office chair assembly.

14. A one-piece, seating component for a seating arrangement, comprising:
a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the second and third portions movable with respect to the first portion between respective first and second positions; and
a first transition portion positioned between the first and second portions and a second transition portion positioned between the first and third portions, the first portion, the second portion, the third portion, the first transition portion and second transition portion being an integral, single piece, the first and second transition portions configured to deform as the second and third portions are moved between the first and second positions, respectively, the transition portions each including a side in tension as the respective transition portion is deformed, a side under compression as the respective transition portion is deformed and a plurality of longitudinally-aligned strands where a majority of the plurality of strands of each transition portion are positioned in the side in tension of that transition portion, wherein the plurality of strands bias the second and third portions from the second position toward the first position thereof;
wherein the first, second, third, first transition and second transition portions cooperate to form a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side, and wherein the side in tension of the first transition portion is located in the first side and the side in tension of the second transition portion is located in the second side.

15. The seating component of claim 14 , further comprising:
a seat shell that includes the first, second, third, first transition and second transition portions.

16. The seating component of claim 14 , wherein the first portion includes a seat portion configured to support a seated user, and the second portion includes a back portion extending substantially upward from the seat portion.

17. The seating component of claim 14 , further comprising:
a back configured to support the back of a seated user, wherein at least one of the transition portions flexes as the back of the seating component moves between an upright position and a reclined position and biases the back from the reclined position toward the upright position.

18. The seating component claim 14 , wherein the plurality of strands include glass fiber.

19. The seating component of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of strands of the first and second transition portions extend in a substantially fore-to-aft direction.

20. The seating component of claim 14 , wherein all the plurality of strands of the first and second transition portions are located in the side in tension of the first and second transition portions, respectively.

21. The seating component of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the transition portions comprises a thermoplastic.

22. The seating component of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of strands comprise a material configured to bond to the thermoplastic.

23. The seating component of claim 21 , wherein the thermoplastic includes at least one of polypropylene, nylon 6 and nylon 66.

24. The seating component of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the transition portions has a modulus of elasticity of greater than or equal to about 1,600,000 psi.

25. A seating arrangement comprising the seating component of claim 14 .

26. The seating arrangement of claim 25 , wherein the seating arrangement comprises an office chair assembly.

27. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the material property includes a modulus of elasticity.

28. A seating component, comprising:
a first portion configured to support a portion of a seater user;
a second portion movable with respect to the first portion between a first position and a second position; and
a transition portion positioned between and integral with the first and second portions and configured to deform as the second portion is moved between the first and second position, the transition portion including a first side, a second side located opposite the first side, a first material have a first modulus of elasticity, and second material having a second modulus of elasticity that is greater than the first modulus of elasticity, wherein a majority of the second material is located in the first side of the transition portion, and wherein the second material biases the second portion from the second portion toward the first position.

29. The seating component of claim 28 , wherein the second material includes a stranded material.

30. The seating component of claim 29 , wherein strands of the stranded material extend in a substantially fore-to-aft direction.

31. The seating component of claim 28 , wherein the first side is a side in tension as the transition portion is deformed and the second side is a side under compression when the transition portion is deformed.

32. The seating component of claim 31 , wherein all of the second material is located in the side in tension of

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Deevers Nickolaus William Charles
• Heidmann Kurt R
• Kemen Michael J

Classifications

• A47C1/03255

  with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs · CPC title

• B29C70/88

  characterised primarily by possessing specific properties, e.g. electrically conductive or locally reinforced · CPC title

• B29D99/0092

  Producing upholstery articles, e.g. cushions, seats (B29C63/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47C1/03277

  with bar or leaf springs · CPC title

• A47C3/12 Primary

  with shell-shaped seat and back-rest unit, e.g. having arm-rests · CPC title