SEAT SUSPENSION AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE

• US 20080106134A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Heidmann, Kurt R., Peterson, Gordon J.
• Application Number:
  US11/741,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106134A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/344.15
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 4/02 Dismountable chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 5/12 of plastics, with or without reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/006 with castors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/16 Seats made of wooden, plastics, or metal sheet material; Panel seats
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/18 having foamed material included in cushioning part foamed material mattresses A47C27/14
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/285 with metal strips or webs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/32 with tensioned cords, e.g. of elastic type, in a flat plane
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/42 of detachable or loose type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/54 Supports for the arms

Abstract

A seating construction includes a perimeter frame defining an open area, and a one-piece molded seating component supported on the frame. The seating component includes a plurality of integrally-formed flexible slats defining a support surface over the open area. Resilient wires are coupled to the slats to resiliently support the slats when flexed. The component can be handled as a unit for assembly, and is retained by connecting rods that extend along the side section of the frame, with the slats each rotatably engaging mating bearing structure on the frame. A flex-limiting member in a center of the frame limits the resilient supports to a maximum deflected condition. Tabs on the molded component interconnect the slats and permit one-piece molding, but are either flexible or breakable to permit independent flexing of the slats. Methods related to the above are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A seating construction comprising:

a frame defining an open area and including a plurality of discrete spaced-apart first structures positioned along opposite sides of the open area; and

a plurality of elongated flexible slats extending across the frame over the open area, each slat including ends with second structures thereon, at least one of the first and second structures including protruding portions that straddle a mating portion on the other of the first and second structures.

2. The seating construction defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second structures include mating bearing surfaces.

3. The seating construction defined in claim 2, wherein at least one of the mating bearing surfaces is located between the protruding portions.

4. The seating construction defined in claim 1, wherein the protruding portions extend on opposite sides of the mating portion and include holes that align with a hole on the mating portion.

5. The seating construction defined in claim 4, including at least one connector extending through the aligned holes in the first and second structures for mechanically connecting the same.

6. The seating construction defined in claim 5, wherein the at least one connector includes an elongated connector on each of the opposite sides of the frame.

7. The seating construction defined in claim 6, wherein the frame includes first and second side frame members, each having several of the first structures integrally formed thereon.

8. The seating construction defined in claim 1, wherein the frame includes a front frame section, and including a support structure operably supported on the frame that incorporates the plurality of slats in the open area generally behind the front frame section, with a front portion of the support structure being downwardly deflectable to a depressed position at least as low as the front frame section.

9. The seating construction defined in claim 1, including a cushion on several of the slats.

10. The seating construction defined in claim 9, including a plurality of resilient, wires extending across the open area and supported by the slats.

11. The seating construction defined in claim 10, wherein the slats are elongated and the resilient wires extend parallel a longitudinal direction defined by the slats.

12. The seating construction defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of the resilient wires are coupled to each of the slats.

13. The seating construction defined in claim 1, including tabs interconnecting adjacent ones of the slats, the tabs being flexible and deformable and positioned to deform when individual ones of the slats are flexed.

14. The seating construction defined in claim 13, wherein the tabs are configured to break when individual ones of the slats are flexed.

15. The seating construction defined in claim 13, wherein the tabs are configured to flex without breaking when individual ones of the slats are flexed.

16. The seating construction defined in claim 13, wherein the slats each include a bearing structure for rotatably engaging mating structure on side sections of the frame, the tabs being located on the ends adjacent the bearing structure.

17. The seating construction defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second structures are integrally formed on the frame and the slats, respectively.

18. The seating construction defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second structures define overlapping loops with aligned holes, and including an elongated connector for engaging the aligned holes.

19. The seating construction defined in claim 1, including a flex limiting member positioned under at least some of the slats for limiting deformation of the slats to a maximum deflected position.

20. The seating construction defined in claim 1, wherein the frame includes a floor panel and perimeter supporting sections that define with the side sections a pan shape.

21. The seating construction defined in claim 1, wherein the frame and the plurality of slats are each molded of recyclable polymer.

22. A seating construction comprising:

a seat frame with side frame sections defining an open area therebetween and having a plurality of discrete first structures spaced along each of the side frame sections adjacent the open area;

a plurality of flexible slats made of polymeric material and operably supported over the open area, the flexible slats each having a range of deflection under normal load and further each having ends integrally formed with the polymeric material of the slats and defining second structures, the first and second structures including arcuate bearing surfaces that matably rotatingly engage.

23. The seating construction defined in claim 22, including at least one mechanical connector operably attaching each of the second structures to an associated one of the first structures.

24. The seating construction defined in claim 22, wherein one of the first and second structures include at least one pair of protruding portions that straddle a mating structure on the other of the first and second structures.

25. The seating construction defined in claim 24, wherein the protruding portions define loops with aligned holes, and further the at least one connector includes an elongated rod extending through the aligned holes.

26. The seating construction defined in claim 24, wherein the bearing surfaces are located between the pair of protruding portions.

27. The seating construction defined in claim 22, including at least one resilient support retained to each of several of the slats for simultaneous flexing therewith so that individual ones of the flexible slats and the associated resilient supports flex as a unit.

28. The seating construction defined in claim 27, wherein the first and second structures are each integrally formed with the frame and the slats, respectively.

29. A seating construction comprising:

a base frame;

a seat frame with side sections supported on the base frame and defining an open area between the side sections; and

a one-piece molded component made separate from the seat frame and operably supported on the seat frame, the component including a plurality of integrally-formed flexible slats interconnected by a plurality of deformable tabs, the slats including ends supported on the side sections and mechanically attached thereto so as to define a support surface over the open area with individual slats being configured to individually bend and deflect, the tabs permitting material to flow between adjacent slats during molding to form the one-piece separately-molded component but being deformable to permit the slats to individually flex.

30. The seating construction defined in claim 29, wherein the slats are mechanically attached to the side sections at a plurality of discrete locations.

31. The seating construction defined in claim 29, wherein the tabs are configured to break when individual ones of the slats are flexed.

32. The seating construction defined in claim 29, wherein the tabs are configured to flex without breaking when individual ones of the slats are flexed.

33. A seating construction comprising:

a seat frame defining an open area;

a plurality of resilient supports supported on the seat frame and extending across the open area, each resilient support being configured to bend and flex to support a seated user over the open area; and

a flex-limiting member positioned in the open area and shaped to engage the resilient supports to limit movement of individual ones of the resilient supports to a maximum deflected condition.

34. The seating construction defined in claim 33, wherein the seat frame includes a floor panel under the open area.

35. The seating construction defined in claim 34, wherein the seat frame is a one-piece molding and has a pan shape.

36. The seating construction defined in claim 34, wherein the flex-limiting member is a separate piece positioned on the floor panel.

37. The seating construction defined in claim 33, wherein the flex-limiting member comprises foam.

38. The seating construction defined in claim 33, wherein the flex-limiting member is located in the open area and is supported by the seat frame to engage a bottom of the resilient supports.

39. The seating construction defined in claim 33, wherein the seat frame includes a front frame section with the open area positioned rearward of the front frame section;

the resilient supports being positioned rearward of the front frame section and further positioned so as to define a vertical distance above a vertical position of a top surface of the front frame section;

the flex-limiting member being positioned to engage one or more of the resilient supports to limit the resilient supports to a maximum flexure, with a distance of the maximum flexure being at least as great as a dimension equal to the vertical distance.

40. The seat construction defined in claim 33, including a cover positioned on the resilient supports.

41. A method of manufacturing a seating unit comprising steps of:

injection-molding a one-piece seat component, adapted to provide seating support, including molding integrally formed slats interconnected by integrally formed tabs; and

flexing the slats to deform the tabs.

42. The method defined in claim 41, wherein the step of flexing the slats causes the tabs to break.

43. The method defined in claim 41, wherein the step of flexing the slats causes the tabs to bend without breaking.

44. The method defined in claim 41, including coupling resilient, wires to individual ones of the slats to provide additional strength and resilient support to the slats.

45. The method defined in claim 41, wherein the step of injection-molding includes integrally molding retainers into the slats for retaining the resilient supports to the slats.

46. The method defined in claim 41, including providing a seat frame, and assembling the seat component onto the seat frame with ends of the slats rotatably supported on mating protruding structures on the seat frame.