Seating arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375820-B2
Application number	US-202117346945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2021
Priority date	Jun 1, 2018
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A seating arrangement includes a seat portion, a back portion, a support member caused to move between first and second positions, and a back recline lock arrangement that includes an actuator, a lock member caused to move between a locked position when the actuator is in an engaged position where the lock member prevents the support member from moving from the first position toward the second position, and an unlocked position when the actuator is in a disengaged position, and wherein the actuator is configured to move from the disengaged position to the engaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and the lock member is prevented from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position until the back assembly is moved from the reclined position to the upright position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seating arrangement, comprising:
a seat portion configured to support a seated user thereon;
a back portion extending upwardly from the seat portion and moveable between an upright position and a reclined position;
a support member operably coupled to and supporting the seat portion, the support member caused to move between a first position when the back portion is in the upright position and a second position when the back portion is in the reclined position; and
a back recline lock arrangement, comprising:
an actuator configured to be actuated between an engaged position and a disengaged position;
a lock member caused to move between a locked position when the actuator is in the engaged position, where the lock member prevents the support member from moving from the first position toward the second position, and an unlocked position when the actuator is in the disengaged position where the support member is free to move from the first position to the second position; and
wherein the actuator is configured to move from the disengaged position to the engaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and the lock member is prevented from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position until the back assembly is moved from the reclined position to the upright position.

2. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to move from the engaged position to the disengaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and wherein the lock member is prevented from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position until the back portion is moved away from the reclined position.

3. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the lock member abuts the support member when in the locked position.

4. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is attached to the seat portion.

5. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the actuator and the lock member are coupled to one another by a flexible cable.

6. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising: a front shell member that includes the seat portion and the back portion.

7. The seating arrangement of claim 6 , further comprising:
a rear shell member including a substantially horizontal portion spaced from the seat portion, and a back portion extending upward from the substantially horizontal portion, wherein the support member extends between the substantially horizontal portion of the rear shell member and the seat portion of the front shell member.

8. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , where the support member is one of two support members including a forward support member and a rearward support member, and wherein the rear support member is configured to abut the lock member.

9. The seating arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the seating arrangement comprises an office chair assembly.

10. A seating arrangement, comprising:
a seat portion configured to support a seated user thereon;
a back portion extending upwardly from the seat portion and moveable between an upright position and a reclined position;
a support member operably coupled to and supporting the seat portion, the support member caused to move between a first position when the back portion is in the upright position and a second position when the back portion is in the reclined position; and
a back recline lock arrangement, comprising:
an actuator configured to be actuated between an engaged position and a disengaged position;
a lock member caused to move between a locked position when the actuator is in the engaged position where the lock member prevents the support member from moving from the first position toward the second position, and an unlocked position when the actuator is in the disengaged position where the support member is free to move from the first position to the second position; and
wherein the actuator is configured to move from the engaged position to the disengaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and the lock member is prevented from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position until the back portion is moved rearward from the reclined position.

11. The seating arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the lock member abuts the support member when in the locked position.

12. The seating arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is attached to the seat portion.

13. The seating arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the actuator and the lock member are coupled to one another by a flexible cable.

14. The seating arrangement of claim 10 , further comprising:
a front shell member that includes the seat portion and the back portion.

15. The seating arrangement of claim 14 , further comprising:
a rear shell member including a substantially horizontal portion spaced from the seat portion, and a back portion extending upward from the substantially horizontal portion, wherein the support member extends between the substantially horizontal portion of the rear shell member and the seat portion of the front shell member.

16. The seating arrangement of claim 15 , where the support member is one of two support members including a forward support member and a rearward support member, and wherein the rear support member is configured to abut the lock member.

17. The seating arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the seating arrangement comprises an office chair assembly.

18. A seating arrangement, comprising:
a front shell member including a seat portion configured to support a seated user thereon and a back portion extending upwardly from the seat portion and moveable between an upright position and a reclined position;
a rear shell member including a substantially horizontal portion spaced from the seat portion, and a back portion extending upwardly from the first portion;
a support member extending between the substantially horizontal portion of the rear shell member and the seat portion of the front shell member, the support member caused to move between a first position when the back portion is in an upright position and a second position when the back portion is in a reclined position; and
a back recline lock arrangement, comprising:
an actuator configured to be actuated between an engaged position and a disengaged position; and
a lock member caused to move between a locked position when the actuator is in the engaged position where the lock member prevents the support member from moving from the first position toward the second position, and an unlocked position when the actuator is in the disengaged position, where the support member is free to move from the first position to the second position.

19. The seating arrangement of claim 18 , wherein the actuator is configured to move from the disengaged position to the engaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and the lock member is prevented from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position until the back assembly is moved from the reclined position to the upright position.

20. The seating arrangement of claim 18 , wherein the actuator is configured to move from the engaged position to the disengaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and wherein the lock member is prevented from moving from the locked position to the unlocked position until the back portion is moved away from the reclined position.

21. The seating arrangement of claim 18 , wherein the lock member abuts the support member when in the loc

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Deevers Nickolaus William Charles
• Heidmann Kurt R
• Peterson Gordon J
• Holdredge Russell T
• Brock Nathan

Classifications

• A47C7/004

  for chairs or stools with central column, e.g. office chairs · CPC title

• A47C7/006

  with castors · CPC title

• A47C7/40

  for the back · CPC title

• A47C7/54 Primary

  Supports for the arms · CPC title

• A47C7/541 Primary

  of adjustable type (adjustable arm-rests of reclining or easy chairs A47C1/03) · CPC title