Chair assembly with upholstery covering

• US 10,264,889 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Battey, Robert J., Peterson, Gordon J., Heidmann, Kurt R., Andres, Todd T., Krupiczewicz, Todd David
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Rodney B
• Application Number:
  US15/792,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20180042384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 2972281, 29722811, 29722812, 29722813, 297229, 29745213, 29745214, 29745256, 297285, 297296
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/024 the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable and lockable inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/032 the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest A47C1/035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03266 with adjustable elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03272 with coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03274 of torsion type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/00 Chairs characterised by structural features; Chairs or stools with rotatable or vertically-adjustable seats A47C1/00, A47C4/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/20 Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats tables with variable height A47B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/023 connecting upholstery to frames, e.g. by hooks, clips, snap fasteners, clamping means or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/004 for chairs or stools with central column, e.g. office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/006 with castors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/02 Seat parts adaptation of seats to mounting in tubular chairs A47C5/06; such parts not restricted to chairs A47C23/00; removable upholstered units or cushions A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/185 with a stiff, rigid support
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/24 Upholstered seats A47C7/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/40 for the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/44 with elastically-mounted back-rest or backrest-seat unit in the base frame
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/46 with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/462 adjustable by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/54 Supports for the arms

Abstract

A chair back assembly includes a substantially rigid back frame assembly, a back shell member operably supported by the back frame assembly and including a laterally extending top portion, a laterally extending bottom portion and a pair of longitudinally extending side portion extending between the top portion and the bottom portion and cooperating therewith to define an open space therebetween, wherein the pair of side portions are substantially rigid in a lateral direction, and wherein the back shell member is substantially rigid in a lateral direction and substantially flexibly resilient in a fore-to-aft direction, and a cover having a first surface adapted to support a seated user and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the cover is positioned over the back shell member to cover at least a portion of the open space.

Claims

1. A chair back assembly, comprising:

a substantially rigid back frame assembly;

a back shell member operably supported by the back frame assembly and comprising a laterally extending top portion, a laterally extending bottom portion and a pair of longitudinally extending side portion extending between the top portion and the bottom portion and cooperating therewith to define an open space therebetween, wherein the pair of side portions are substantially rigid in a lateral direction, and wherein the back shell member is substantially rigid in a lateral direction and substantially flexibly resilient in a fore-to-aft direction; and

a cover having a first surface adapted to support a seated user and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the cover is positioned over the back shell member to cover at least a portion of the open space.

2. The chair back assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a mesh fabric.

3. The chair back assembly of claim 1, wherein the back shell member is pivotably supported by the back frame assembly.

4. The chair back assembly of claim 1, wherein the back frame assembly is movable between an upright position and a reclined position.

5. The chair back assembly of claim 4, wherein the back shell member flexes in a fore-and-aft direction as the back frame is pivoted between the upright and reclined positions.

6. The control assembly of claim 5, wherein the third pivot point is located at a greater vertical height than the fourth pivot point when the back support structure is in the first position.

7. The chair back assembly of claim 5, wherein a lumbar area of the back shell member moves in a fore-and-aft direction as the back frame assembly is moved between the upright and reclined positions.

8. The chair back assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover is stretched over the back shell member.

13. The control assembly of claim 1, wherein the third pivot point is located at a greater vertical height than the fourth pivot point when the back support structure is in the second position.

14. The control assembly of claim 1, wherein a distance between the first pivot point and the second pivot point is greater than a distance between the third pivot point and the fourth pivot point.

15. The control assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one biasing assembly exerting a biasing force that biases the back support structure from the second position towards the first position.

9. A control assembly for a chair, comprising:

a base structure defining an upper portion having a first pivot point and a lower portion located below the upper portion and having a second pivot point spaced from the first pivot point, wherein the base structure is adapted to attach to aground-abutting base support structure;

a seat support structure having a forward portion pivotably coupled to the upper portion of the base structure for rotation about the first pivot point and a rearward portion located rearward of the forward portion, and wherein the seat support structure is adapted to support a seated user;

a back support structure having a forward portion pivotably coupled to the lower portion of the base structure for rotation about the second pivot point and a rearward portion located rearwardly of the forward portion, wherein the back support structure is adapted to move between a first position and a second position;

a control link having a first end pivotably coupled to the rearward portion of the seat support structure for rotation about a third pivot point, and a second end pivotably coupled to the rearward portion of the back support structure for rotation about a fourth pivot point;

a back shell member supported by the back support structure; and

a mesh cover having a first surface adapted to support a seated user and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the cover is positioned over at least a portion of the back shell member.

10. The control assembly of claim 9, wherein the third pivot point is located at a greater vertical height than the second pivot point.

11. The control assembly of claim 10, wherein the control link rotates the seat support structure at a rate of rotation slower than a rate of rotation of the back support structure as the back support structure is rotated between the first and second positions.

12. The control assembly of claim 11, wherein the rate of rotation of the seat support structure is about half of the rate of rotation of the back support structure as the back support structure is rotated between the first and second positions.

16. A control assembly for a chair, comprising:

a base structure defining a first pivot point and a second pivot point spaced from the first pivot point, wherein the base structure is adapted to attach to a ground-abutting base support structure;

a seat support structure pivotably coupled to the first pivot point, wherein the seat support structure is adapted to support a seated user;

a back support structure pivotably coupled to the second pivot point, wherein the back support structure is adapted to move between a first position and a second position, and wherein the base structure does not move as the back support structure moves between the first and the second positions;

a control link pivotably coupled to the rearward portion of the seat support structure for rotation about a third pivot point, and pivotably coupled to the back support structure for rotation about a fourth pivot point, wherein a distance between the first pivot point and the second pivot point is greater than a distance between the third pivot point and the fourth pivot point, and wherein the first pivot point is positioned at a greater vertical height than the second pivot point;

a back shell member supported by the back support structure; and

a mesh cover having a first surface adapted to support a seated user and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the cover is positioned over at least a portion of the back shell member.

17. The control assembly of claim 16, wherein the third pivot point is located at a first vertical height and the second pivot point is located at a second vertical height, and wherein the first vertical height is greater than the second vertical height.

18. The control assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one biasing assembly exerting a biasing force that biases the back support structure from the second position towards the first position.

19. The control assembly of claim 18, wherein the biasing force biases the third pivot point towards the second pivot point.

20. The control assembly of claim 16, wherein the movement of the back support structure includes a rotational movement between the first position and the second position.