Seating arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11096497-B2
Application number	US-201815997097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Apr 13, 2015
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A seating arrangement includes an upwardly-extending back arrangement movable between upright and reclined positions, and a seat arrangement that includes a first link member extending horizontally and having forward and rearward portions, a second link member spaced from the first link member, a third link member coupled to the first and second link members and substantially flexible along a majority of a length thereof, and a fourth link member operably coupled to the first and second link members, the fourth link member being substantially rigid along a majority of a length thereof, wherein the link members cooperate to form a four-bar linkage assembly, and wherein the seat arrangement moves in a rearward direction as the back arrangement is moved between the upright position and the reclined position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seating arrangement, comprising:
a flexibly resilient first shell member having a horizontally-extending first portion and a second portion extending upwardly from the first portion, the first portion configured to support a seated user and including a flexible tab member configured to flex independently from a majority of the first shell member, and the second portion configured to move between an upright position and a reclined position;
a second shell member having a horizontally extending first portion at least partially spaced from the first portion of the first shell member; and
a first support member extending between and supporting the first portion of the first shell member from the first portion of the second shell member, wherein the support member is attached to the tab member of the first portion of the first shell member, and where the tab flexes a greater amount than the majority of the first portion of the first shell member as the second portion of the first shell member is moved from the upright position to the reclined position.

2. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the tab includes a portion having a reduced thickness that is less than a thickness of the majority of the first portion of the first shell member.

3. The seating arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the portion of the tab having reduced thickness is located forward of a location at which the first support member is connected to the tab.

4. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first support member is flexibly resilient.

5. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second support member extending between and supporting the first portion of the first shell member from the first portion of the second shell member, such that the first portion of the first shell member, the first portion of the second shell member, the first support member and the second support member cooperate to form a four-bar linkage.

6. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the second shell member and the first support member includes a first material and a stranded material having a modulus of elasticity that is greater than a modulus of elasticity of the first material.

7. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:
a reinforcement member coupled to the first and second portions of the first shell member such that the reinforcement member causes flexure in at least one of the first and second portions of the first shell member as the second portion of the first shell member moves from the upright position to the reclined position.

8. The seating arrangement of claim 6 , further comprising:
a tape that includes a substrate material molded about the stranded material.

9. The seating arrangement of claim 6 , wherein a majority of the stranded material is located closer to a first surface of the at least one link member than a second surface that is opposite the first surface.

10. The seating arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the reinforcing member is a single piece.

11. The seating arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the reinforcement member is substantially rigid.

12. A seating arrangement, comprising:
a flexibly resilient first shell member having a horizontally-extending first portion and a second portion extending upwardly from the first portion, the second portion of the first shell member movable between an upright position and a reclined position;
a flexibly resilient second shell member having a horizontally extending first portion at least partially spaced from the first portion of the first shell member, and a second portion extending upwardly from the first portion of the second shell member and at least partially spaced from the second portion of the first shell member, wherein the first portion of the second shell member includes a reduced thickness region where the thickness of the first portion of the second shell member is less than a thickness of a majority of the first portion of the second shell member;
a flexibly resilient first support member extending between and supporting the first portion of the first shell member from the first portion of the second shell member, where the first support member includes a reduced thickness region where the thickness of the first support member is less than a thickness of a majority of the first support member; and
a second support member extending between and supporting the first portion of the first shell member from the first portion of the second shell member such that the first portion of the first shell member, the first portion of the second shell member, first support member, and the second support member cooperate to form a linkage arrangement; and
wherein the reduced thickness region of the first portion of the second shell member flexes more than the majority of the first portion of the second shell member and the reduced thickness region of the first support member flexes more than the majority of the first support member as the second portion of the first shell member moves from the upright to the reclined positions.

13. The seating arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the reduced thickness region of the first support member is located proximate a lower end of the first support member.

14. The seating arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the reduced thickness region of the first portion of the second shell member is located forward of a location at which the second support member connects to the second shell member.

15. The seating arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the second support member is more rigid than the first support member.

16. The seating arrangement of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the second shell member and the first support member includes a first material and a stranded material having a modulus of elasticity that is greater than a modulus of elasticity of the first material.

17. The seating arrangement of claim 12 , further comprising:
a reinforcement member coupled to the first and second portions of the first shell member such that the reinforcement member causes flexure in at least one of the first and second portions of the first shell as the second portion of the first shell member moves from the upright position toward the reclined position.

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

19. The seating arrangement of claim 16 , further comprising:
a tape that includes a substrate material molded about the stranded material.

20. The seating arrangement of claim 16 , wherein a majority of the stranded material is located closer to a first surface of the at least one link member than a second surface that is opposite the first surface.

21. The seating arrangement of claim 17 , wherein the reinforcing member is a single piece.

22. The seating arrangement of claim 17 , wherein the reinforcement member is substantially rigid.

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Ludwig James
• Deevers Nickolaus William Charles
• Heidmann Kurt
• Smith Bruce Michael
• Spoelhof Mark

Classifications

• A47C7/445 Primary

  with bar or leaf springs · CPC title

• A47C3/20

  Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats · CPC title

• A47C1/03277

  with bar or leaf springs · CPC title

• A47C3/18

  Chairs or stools with rotatable seat (adjustable in height by rotation A47C3/24) · CPC title

• A47C5/12

  of plastics, with or without reinforcement · CPC title