Seating unit with crossbar seat support

• US 7,048,335 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heidmann, Kurt R., Hall, Jeffrey A., Battey, Robert J., Norman, Christopher J., Karsten, Gary Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US10/845,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20040245828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 297/440.15, 297/440.2, 297/440.22, 297/285, 297/286, 297/289, 297/300.6, 297/300.7, 297/300.8, 297/301.5, 297/301.6, 297/301.7, 297/300.2, 297/300.5
• US Class Current: 297/300.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/023 the parts being horizontally-adjustable seats ; Expandable seats or the like, e.g. seats with horizontally adjustable parts
• 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 1/03255 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 5/06 Special adaptation of seat upholstery or fabric for attachment to tubular chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/025 Springs not otherwise provided for in A47C7/22 - A47C7/35
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/38 for the head adjustable coupled to reclining or easy chairs A47C1/036
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/46 with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs

Abstract

A seating unit includes a base having a housing and support arms extending laterally on each side of the housing. A back frame is pivoted to the support arms on each side, and a slide slidably engages the housing. A seat-supporting structure includes a crossbar pivotally attached to the slide member at a first pivot location and side frame sections extending rearwardly from ends of the crossbar that are pivotally attached to the lower arms of the back at a second pivot location spaced horizontally from the first pivot locations to define a three-point support for a seat above the housing. A spring is operably coupled to the slide to bias the back and seat toward upright positions.

Claims

1. A seating unit comprising:

a base having a housing and at least one support arm extending laterally relative to each side of the housing;

a force-generating device positioned within the housing;

a seat-supporting structure including a crossbar and fore-and-aft elongated side frame sections, each said side frame section having opposite ends, one of the opposite ends being attached to one of the ends of the cross bar to define a U-shape in top view, the cross bar being operably attached to the force generating device and extending laterally relative to the housing, the crossbar being operably supported for movement in a generally fore-and-aft direction relative to the housing and being biased by the force-generating device in a first direction toward an upright position and biased against movement in an opposite second direction toward a recline position; and

a seat supported at least in part by the crossbar, with the seat support being operably positioned in spaced relation to the housing and being biased against movement in the second direction.

2. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the crossbar includes a center region pivotally supported by the base and includes end sections that support the seat.

3. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including a load bearing member movably supported by the housing and supporting a front portion of the seat above the housing.

4. The seating unit defined in claim 3, wherein the load bearing member includes a slide member that slidably engages the housing.

5. The seating unit defined in claim 3, wherein the load bearing member includes a link member that is pivoted to the housing.

6. The seating unit defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one support arm includes a pair of opposite support arms, and including rear bearings supporting a rear portion of the seat on the support arms.

7. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the second direction is oriented at an angle above horizontal so that upon movement toward the recline position, potential energy is stored as a seated user'"'"'s body is lifted, such that the potential energy provides some weight-activated support to the seated user during movement toward the recline position.

8. The seating unit defined in claim 7, wherein the at least one support arm includes at least one flexible energy device.

9. The seating unit defined in claim 7, wherein said force-generating device is a boost mechanism that can be selectively engaged and disengaged.

10. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including a seat depth adjustment mechanism positioned between the seat and the seat-supporting member.

11. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the seat includes a perimeter frame defining an opening and includes a support surface extending across the opening for supporting the seated user.

12. The seating unit defined in claim 11, wherein the support surface includes a comfort surface with resilient members adapted to distribute point loads on the support surface.

13. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the base includes a height-adjustable pedestal and castors.

14. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the seat-supporting structure is biased rearwardly by the force generating device.

15. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the crossbar is located on top of the housing.

16. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including pivotal connections pivotally connecting the seat-supporting structure to the at least one support arm.

17. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including a reclineable back pivoted to the base.

18. The seating unit defined in claim 17, wherein the reclineable back includes lower arms pivotally attached to the at least one support arm.

19. The seating unit defined in claim 17, wherein the reclineable back includes an inverted U-shaped ribbon back support member that includes the lower arms.

20. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one support arm includes a pair of support arms comprising rigid structural members.

21. The seating unit defined in claim 20, including a back support member with lower arms pivoted to the at least one support arm and wherein the crossbar includes rearwardly extending side frame members having laterally-extending pivots that pivotally engage the lower arms of the back support member.

22. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including a cover on the housing.

23. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the second direction is forward, with the seat being forwardly movable toward the recline position.

24. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including a back support member pivoted to the base and having a flexible back shell pivoted to the back support member at both top and bottom locations so that the back shell can be flexed for ergonomic support of a seated user without moving the back support member from the upright position.

25. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the crossbar is pivoted to the housing for pivotal movement during movement toward the recline position.

26. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including a control for selectively actuating and deactuating the force-generating device.

27. The seating unit defined in claim 1, including a control for selectively adjusting a force of the force generating device.

46. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the side frame sections extend only forwardly from the cross bar.

47. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the side frame sections extend only rearwardly from the cross bar.

52. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the cross bar has a horizontally-extending lower center portion, angled intermediate portions extending from opposite ends of the lower center portion, and horizontally-extending raised outboard portions extending from outboard ends of the intermediate portions.

28. A seating unit comprising:

a base having a housing and support arms extending laterally and upwardly on each side of the housing;

a back with lower arms pivoted to the support arms on each side;

a slide member slidably engaging the housing;

a seat-supporting structure including a crossbar pivotally attached to the slide member at a first pivot location and including side frame sections extending from ends of the crossbar, the side frame sections being pivotally attached to the lower arms of the back at a second pivot location spaced horizontally from the first pivot location;

each said side frame section being elongated in a fore-aft direction and having opposite ends, one of the opposite ends being attached to one of the ends of the cross bar to define a U-shape in top view, the crossbar being adapted to move generally fore-and-aft relative to the housing, with the seat-supporting structure being adapted to stably support a seat above the housing; and

a biasing device operably coupled to one of the back, the slide member and the seat-supporting structure that biases the back and the seat-supporting structure toward upright positions.

29. The seating unit defined in claim 28, wherein the side frame sections extend only forwardly from the cross bar.

30. The seating unit defined in claim 28, wherein the side frame sections extend only rearwardly from the cross bar.

31. The seating unit defined in claim 28, wherein the cross bar has a horizontally-extending lower center portion, angled intermediate portions extending from opposite ends of the lower center portion, and horizontally-extending raised outboard portions extending from outboard ends of the intermediate portions.

32. The seating unit defined in claim 28, including a seat attached to the seat-supporting structure and supported at a location spaced above a center of the crossbar.

33. The seating unit defined in claim 28, including a control for selectively actuating and deactuating the biasing device.

34. The seating unit defined in claim 28, including a control for selectively adjusting a force of the biasing device.

35. A seating unit comprising:

a base support structure;

a U-shaped seat-supporting structure including a crossbar slidably attached to the base support structure at a first location and including frame-engaging sections extending from ends of the crossbar, the frame-engaging sections being elongated in a fore-and-aft direction and having opposite ends, one of the opposite ends being attached to one of the ends of the cross bar to define a U-shape in top view, the cross bar being operably supported and coupled to the base support structure at a second pivot location spaced horizontally from the first location to define

an arrangement including at least three non-aligned support points;

the crossbar being adapted to move generally fore-and-aft relative to the base support structure;

a seat supported at the at least three non-aligned support points by the seat-supporting structure above the base support structure; and

a biasing device operably coupled to at least one of the base support structure, the seat-supporting structure, and the seat that biases the seat from a recline position toward an upright position.

36. The seating unit defined in claim 35, wherein the side frame sections extend only forwardly from the cross bar.

37. The seating unit defined in claim 35, wherein the side frame sections extend only rearwardly from the cross bar.

38. The seating unit defined in claim 35, wherein the cross bar has a horizontally-extending lower center portion, angled intermediate portions extending from opposite ends of the lower center portion, and horizontally-extending raised outboard portions extending from outboard ends of the intermediate portions.

39. The seating unit defined in claim 35, including a seat attached to the seat-supporting structure and supported at a location spaced above the crossbar.

40. The seating unit defined in claim 35, including a control for selectively actuating and deactuating the biasing device.

41. The seating unit defined in claim 35, including a control for selectively adjusting a force of the biasing device.

42. A seat-supporting apparatus for use in a seating unit, where the seating unit includes a control housing, a seat, and a back operably supported on the control housing for synchronous movement upon recline of the back, the seat-supporting apparatus comprising:

a force-generating device positioned within the housing; and

a seat-supporting structure including a crossbar operably attached to the force generating device and extending laterally relative to the housing for supporting the seat over the housing, the seat-supporting structure further including side frame sections that are attached to ends of the cross bar, the side frame sections each being elongated in a fore-and-aft direction and having opposite ends, one of the opposite ends being attached to one of the ends of the cross bar to define a U-shape in top view, the cross bar being the crossbar being operably movably supported at least in part by the crossbar on the control housing for movement in a generally fore-and-aft direction relative to the housing and being biased by the force-generating device in a first direction toward an upright position and biased against movement in the substantially opposite second direction toward a recline position.

43. The seating unit defined in claim 42, wherein the cross bar has a horizontally-extending lower center portion, angled intermediate portions extending from opposite ends of the lower center portion, and horizontally-extending raised outboard portions extending from outboard ends of the intermediate portions.

44. The seating unit defined in claim 42, wherein the side frame sections extend only forwardly from the cross bar.

45. The seating unit defined in claim 42, wherein the side frame sections extend only rearwardly from the cross bar.

48. A seating unit comprising:

a base having a housing and at least one support arm extending laterally relative to each side of the housing;

a force-generating device positioned within the housing;

a seat-supporting structure including a crossbar operably attached to the force generating device and extending laterally relative to the housing, the crossbar being operably supported for movement in a generally fore-and-aft direction relative to the housing and being biased by the force-generating device in a first direction toward an upright position and biased against movement in an opposite second direction toward a recline position, the cross bar having a horizontally-extending lower center portion, angled intermediate portions extending from opposite ends of the lower center portion, and horizontally-extending raised outboard portions extending from outboard ends of the intermediate portions; and

a seat supported at least in part by the crossbar, with the seat support being operably positioned in spaced relation to the housing and being biased against movement in the second direction.

49. The seating unit defined in claim 48, wherein the seat-supporting structure further includes side frame sections that are attached to ends of the cross bar, the side frame sections each being elongated in a fore-and-aft direction and having opposite ends, one of the opposite ends being attached to one of the ends of the cross bar to define a U-shape in top view.

50. The seating unit defined in claim 49, wherein the side frame sections extend only forwardly from the cross bar.

51. The seating unit defined in claim 49, wherein the side frame sections extend only rearwardly from the cross bar.