Chair having a flexible support member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11857083-B2
Application number	US-202217977500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2022
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

A seating unit includes a chair with a backrest and a hook assembly. The backrest includes a rear surface having an outwardly protruding rim. The hook assembly comprises a cover plate and a weldment, and the cover plate may include a hook being integrally formed on an exterior face. The hook assembly is configured to be securely coupled on or within the outwardly protruding rim of the backrest, and a secure coupling between the hook assembly and the backrest is formed via insertion of a fastening member, which is inserted through an apertures on a bottom surface of the cover plate, such that the fastener is aligned substantially parallel to the rear surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seating unit comprising:
a backrest extending substantially vertically above a seat;
a support member that extends along a bottom surface of the seat and a rear side of the backrest; and
a frame joining the seat, the support member, and one or more legs of the seating unit together,
wherein the support member includes a plurality of arms, each of the arms including a horizontal portion that extends along the bottom surface of the seat, an upright portion that extends along the rear side of the backrest, and a transition portion that extends curvilinearly upward from the horizontal portion to join the horizontal portion with the upright portion,
wherein each of the arms extends to a distal end, the distal end secured to the frame at an attachment location,
wherein each of the arms extends rearward from the distal end in a series of convergences toward and divergences away from a central longitudinal plane of the seat, and
wherein the distal ends of the arms extend laterally beyond a maximum amplitude of the convergences and divergences.

2. The seating unit of claim 1 , wherein the series of convergences and divergences comprises at least one of a plurality of convergences or a plurality of divergences.

3. The seating unit of claim 1 , wherein the series of convergences and divergences comprises a plurality of convergences and a plurality of divergences.

4. The seating unit of claim 1 , further comprising a passageway disposed proximate a rear end of the seat, each of the arms extending within the passageway proximate the transition portion.

5. The seating unit of claim 4 , wherein a lower end of the passageway comprises a cross-piece of the frame.

6. The seating unit of claim 4 , wherein the passageway comprises crossbeams connecting a pair of the one or more legs.

7. The seating unit of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the horizontal portion of each of the arms is sinusoidal or serpentine.

8. A support member for a seat assembly, comprising:
a plurality of arms, each of the arms including a horizontal portion, an upright portion, and a transition portion that extends curvilinearly upward from the horizontal portion to join the horizontal portion with the upright portion,
wherein each of the arms extends to a distal end, the distal end configured to be secured to a frame of a seat assembly at an attachment location of the frame,
wherein each of the arms extends rearward from the distal end in a series of convergences and divergences away from a central longitudinal plane of the support member, and
wherein the distal ends of the arms extend laterally beyond a maximum amplitude of the convergences and divergences.

9. The support member of claim 8 , wherein the series of convergences and divergences comprises at least one of a plurality of convergences or a plurality of divergences.

10. The support member of claim 8 , wherein the series of convergences and divergences comprises a plurality of convergences and a plurality of divergences.

11. The support member of claim 8 , wherein each of the arms is configured to extend within a passageway disposed proximate a rear end of a seat of the seat assembly, the passageway located proximate the transition portion of each of the arms.

12. The support member of claim 11 , wherein a lower end of the passageway comprises a cross-piece of the frame.

13. The support member of claim 11 , wherein the passageway comprises crossbeams connected to a pair of legs of the seat assembly.

14. The support member of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the horizontal portion of each of the arms is sinusoidal or serpentine.

15. A method of assembling a seating unit, comprising the steps of:
providing a backrest, a seat, a frame, and a support member comprising a plurality of arms, each of the arms including a horizontal portion, an upright portion, and a transition portion that extends curvilinearly upward from the horizontal portion to the upright portion;
coupling a distal end of the horizontal portion of each of the arms to the frame at an attachment location; and
coupling the upright portion of the support member with a rear side of the backrest,
wherein each of the arms extends rearward from the distal end in a series of convergences and divergences away from a central longitudinal plane of the support member, and
wherein the distal ends of the arms extend laterally beyond a maximum amplitude of the convergences and divergences.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the series of convergences and divergences comprises at least one of a plurality of convergences or a plurality of divergences.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the series of convergences and divergences comprises a plurality of convergences and a plurality of divergences.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the arms is configured to extend within a passageway disposed proximate a rear end of a seat of the seating unit, the passageway located proximate the transition portion of each of the arms.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein a lower end of the passageway comprises a cross-piece of the frame.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the passageway comprises crossbeams connected to a pair of legs of the seating unit.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of the horizontal portion of each of the arms is sinusoidal or serpentine.

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Machin Keith Robert
• Schneider Mark
• Morton David O
• Ramos Ryan Jerome
• Spoelhof Mark
• Payne Jamie
• Parker Daniel George

Classifications

• A47C7/42 Primary

  of detachable {or loose} type · CPC title

• A47C5/04

  Metal chairs, e.g. tubular (rocking chairs having elastic frames made of tubular material A47C3/023) · CPC title

• A47C7/62

  Accessories for chairs · CPC title

• A47C7/64 Primary

  Hat or coat holders · CPC title

• A47C3/04

  Stackable chairs or nesting chairs · CPC title