SEATING UNIT WITH ADJUSTABLE LUMBAR DEVICE

• US 20080296945A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Peterson, Gordon J., Battey, Robert J., Bedford, Adam C., Karsten, Gary Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,857,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/284.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/40 for the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/462 adjustable by mechanical means

Abstract

A chair includes a lower back frame, a back construction, including a back support attached to the lower back frame, a cushion assembly attached to the back support, and a vertically adjustable lumbar frame positioned between the back support and the cushion assembly. The lumbar frame includes a transition shell and a vertically sliding lumbar device having a plurality of horizontal flexible wires. A lower edge of the transition shell is positioned on top of an uppermost horizontal flexible wire of the lumbar device. The lumbar device is operably slidably mounted between the outer shell and cushion assembly and the transition shell upper edge slides between the outer shell and the upholstery cushion assembly. Also disclosed is a chair including a Y-shaped lower back frame having two uprights and a cross-piece attached to the back support. The uprights and cross-piece of the lower back frame include an overlap flange and the back support includes a channel-shaped flange having detents. The overlap flange and channel-shaped flange mate to form an overlap joint, including a box beam for added structural support.

Claims

1. A chair back construction comprising:

an outer shell;

a lumbar assembly positioned over the outer shell and including a lumbar frame including a transition shell having an upper edge and a lower edge, and a vertically sliding live lumbar device having a plurality of horizontal flexible wires, where the transition shell lower edge is positioned on top of an uppermost horizontal flexible wire of the lumbar device; and

a cushion assembly positioned over the lumbar assembly and attached to the outer shell;

wherein the lumbar device is operably slidably mounted between the outer shell and the cushion assembly, and the transition shell upper edge slides between the outer shell and the upholstery cushion assembly.

2. The chair back according to claim 1, wherein the transition shell further includes slits extending from near a transition shell upper edge to a lower edge which form vertical strips.

3. The chair back according to claim 1, wherein the lumbar frame further comprises a lumbar device support including a first vertical flange projecting outwardly and a second vertical flange which is approximately perpendicular to the first vertical flange.

4. The chair according to claim 3, wherein the second vertical flange further comprises handles for vertically adjusting the lumbar frame and fastening apertures for attaching the lumbar device to the lumbar device support.

5. The chair according to claim 3, wherein the lumbar device support further comprises openings located where the first and second flanges intersect.

6. A lumbar device comprising:

a first, and a second wire retainer, each retainer including a convex front surface having a plurality of wells, an outside surface including oppositional tabs for slidably engaging a wave ridge of a back support to hold the lumbar device in a selected position, and a rear surface shaped to slidably engage a front, surface of the back support; and

a plurality of flexible wires positioned in the wells and held in a horizontal position, wherein the wires slightly bend when placed in the wire retainers to provide live lumbar support.

7. The lumber device according to claim 6, wherein the length of the flexible wires is greater than a distance between the pair of wire retainers.

8. The lumbar device according to claim 6, wherein the wells each include a pair of horizontal wires.

9. The lumbar device according to claim 8, wherein the pair of horizontal wires is formed using a single wire bent, into a rectangle having a first end and a second end, with the first end of the rectangle including the two ends of the single wire.

10. The lumbar device according to claim 9, wherein the first end of the rectangle is positioned in a well of the first wire retainer, and the second end is positioned in a well of the second retainer.

11. The lumber device according to claim 8, wherein the pair of horizontal wires comprise two single wires.

12. The lumbar device according to claim 6, wherein the front surface of the back support further includes a ramp, and wherein the rear surface and the ramp are concentric such that the lumbar device remains engaged with the ramp when the lumbar device is vertically adjusted.

13. The lumbar device according to claim 12, wherein the rear surface further includes at least one tabular flange, and the front surface of the back support further includes an alignment stop, wherein the at least one tabular flange abuts the alignment stop.

14. A chair comprising:

a lower back frame having two uprights and a cross-piece, wherein the uprights and cross-piece each include an overlap flange;

a back construction including a back support, attached to the lower back frame, the back support having two sides and a bottom, the sides and bottom each including a channel-shaped flange, wherein the overlap flanges of the uprights and the cross-piece and the channel-shaped flanges of the back support mate to form a U-shaped overlap joint.

15. The chair according to claim 14, wherein the lower back frame further includes an inside face including the overlap flanges, and the back support further includes an outside face including the channel-shaped flanges, and wherein the lower back frame inside face and the bottom and sides of the back support outside face mate to form the overlap joint.

16. A chair comprising:

a lower back frame having two uprights each including an overlap flange;

a back support attached to the lower back frame, the back support having two sides, each including a channel-shaped flange having detents, wherein the overlap flanges of the uprights and the channel-shaped flanges of the back support mate to form a box beam.

17. The chair according to claim 16, wherein the lower back frame comprises a Y-shape.