Seating unit with adjustable components

• US 7,527,335 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Houda, James D., Dekker, David J., Martin, Kirt D., Eberlein, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US11/711,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20070200401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 297/218.1, 297/218.3, 297/218.4
• US Class Current: 297/218.4
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03 the parts being arm-rests conversion into a bed A47C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0307 adjustable rectilinearly in horizontal direction
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/402 adjustable in height

Abstract

An armrest structure includes a tubular support, and an armrest having a tubular end telescopingly engaging the tubular support. A support plate engages bottom walls of the tubular support and the tubular end in a laminar arrangement. A clamping bolt slides through a top hole and into aligned holes in the laminar arrangement, with its head abutting the aligned holes. A clamping handle on a bottom of the bolt is rotatable between a clamping position tensioning the bolt to secure the arrangement, and a release position de-tensioning the bolt. By this arrangement, remaining walls of the tubular support and the tubular end are not deformed even when the clamp is clampingly pressing the adjacent sidewall sections together. An adjustable back with actuator handles at a lower edge of the back, and a seat assembly with fingers that retain an upholstery cover tight against concave areas are also shown.

Claims

1. A seat component for a seating unit comprising:

a shell with a top surface and a bottom surface, and having front, side and rear edges;

the top surface and front edge being configured to support a seated user with the front edge being curved forwardly and downwardly and being adapted to comfortably support a seated user'"'"'s legs as the user'"'"'s legs extend over the front edge, the side edges of the shell extending from ends of the front edge and each defining a downwardly-facing concavity; and

an upholstery component including a perimeter and an edge-mounted drawstring extending at least partially around the perimeter, the upholstery component covering the top surface with perimeter edge portions extending around the front, side and rear edges and extending onto the bottom surface in a manner placing the edge-mounted drawstring under the shell and across the concavities of the sides, the drawstring being tensioned and holding the upholstery on the shell, the shell including retaining fingers that retain the drawstring against the bottom surface of the shell even in areas of the concavities to improve appearance and assemble-ability, such that the drawstring does not bridge linearly across the concavities.

2. The seat component defined in claim 1, wherein the fingers define notches adjacent the bottom surface along non-linear perimeter portions of the bottom surface.

3. The seat component defined in claim 1, wherein the fingers include a bottom surface that is about equal in height with the reinforcement ribs.

4. The seat component defined in claim 1, wherein the fingers are spaced apart and are located at least along the front edge as well as the side edges.

5. The seat component defined in claim 4, wherein the fingers are also positioned along the rear edge.

6. A furniture component for a seating unit, comprising:

a molded shell with a support surface and a hidden surface, and having front, side and rear edges;

the support surface being configured to support a user with at least one of the front, rear, and side edges being curved to define a concavity on the hidden surface; and

a cover including a perimeter and an edge-mounted drawstring extending at least partially around the perimeter, the cover covering the support surface with perimeter edge portions extending around the front, side and rear edges and extending onto the hidden surface in a manner placing the edge-mounted drawstring under the shell and across the at least one concavity, the drawstring being tensioned and holding the cover on the shell, the shell including spaced-apart retaining fingers that are positioned along an entire length of at least one of the front, rear and side edges to retain the drawstring against the hidden surface of the shell even in areas of the concavity to improve appearance and assemble-ability, such that the drawstring does not bridge linearly across the concavity.

7. The furniture component defined in claim 6, wherein the fingers are positioned along an entire length of at least two adjacent ones of the front, rear, and side edges.

8. A method of assembling a seating unit comprising:

providing a shell with a top surface and a bottom surface, and having front, side and rear edges;

the top surface and front edge being configured to support a seated user with the front edge being curved forwardly and downwardly and being adapted to comfortably support a seated user'"'"'s legs as the user'"'"'s legs extend over the front edge, the side edges of the shell extending from ends of the front edge and each defining a downwardly-facing concavity, the shell further having a matrix of downwardly-extending reinforcement ribs;

providing an upholstery component including a perimeter and an edge-mounted drawstring extending at least partially around the perimeter;

covering the top surface of the shell with the upholstery component perimeter extending around the front, side and rear edges;

placing the edge-mounted drawstring under the shell and across the concavities of the sides; and

tensioning the drawstring to hold the upholstery on the shell, wherein the shell includes retaining fingers that extend from the reinforcement ribs and that retain the drawstring against the bottom surface of the shell, such that the drawstring does not bridge linearly across the concavities.

9. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the tensioning step includes providing the fingers to define notches adjacent the bottom surface along non-linear perimeter portions of the bottom surface.

10. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the step of providing the shell includes providing the reinforcement ribs with a continuous rib extending parallel the side edge but is located inboard of the perimeter.

11. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the step of providing the shell includes providing the fingers with a bottom surface that is about equal in height with the reinforcement ribs.

12. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the tensioning step includes providing fingers that are spaced apart and are located at least along the front edge as well as the side edges.

13. The method defined in claim 12, wherein the tensioning step includes providing fingers that are also positioned along the rear edge.

14. A seat component for a seating unit, comprising:

a shell with a top surface and a bottom surface, and having front, side and rear edges;

the top surface and front edge being configured to support a seated user with the front edge being curved forwardly and downwardly and being adapted to comfortably support a seated user'"'"'s legs as the user'"'"'s legs extend over the front edge, the side edges of the shell extending from ends of the front edge and each defining a downwardly-facing concavity; and

an upholstery component including a perimeter and an edge-mounted drawstring extending at least partially around the perimeter, the upholstery component covering the top surface with perimeter edge portions extending around the front, side and rear edges and extending onto the bottom surface in a manner placing the edge-mounted drawstring under the shell and across the concavities of the sides, the drawstring being tensioned and holding the upholstery on the shell, the shell including retaining fingers that retain the drawstring against the bottom surface of the shell even in areas of the concavities to improve appearance and assemble-ability, such that the drawstring does not bridge linearly across the concavities, wherein the shell includes a matrix of downwardly-extending reinforcement ribs and the fingers extend from the reinforcement ribs, and wherein the reinforcement ribs include a continuous rib extending parallel the side edge but is located inboard of the perimeter.

15. The seat component defined in claim 14, wherein the fingers include a bottom surface that is about equal in height with the reinforcement ribs.

16. The seat component defined in claim 15, wherein the fingers are spaced apart and are located at least along the front edge as well as the side edges.

17. A furniture component for a seating unit, comprising:

a molded shell with a support surface and a hidden surface, and having front, side and rear edges;

the support surface being configured to support a user with at least one of the front, rear, and side edges being curved to define a concavity on the hidden surface; and

a cover including a perimeter and an edge-mounted drawstring extending at least partially around the perimeter, the cover covering the support surface with perimeter edge portions extending around the front, side and rear edges and extending onto the hidden surface in a manner placing the edge-mounted drawstring under the shell and across the at least one concavity, the drawstring being tensioned and holding the cover on the shell, the shell including spaced-apart retaining fingers that are positioned along an entire length of at least one of the front, rear and side edges to retain the drawstring against the hidden surface of the shell even in areas of the concavity to improve appearance and assemble-ability, such that the drawstring does not bridge linearly across the concavity, wherein the shell includes a matrix of downwardly-extending reinforcement ribs, and the fingers extend from the reinforcement ribs.

18. The furniture component defined in claim 17, wherein the reinforcement ribs include a continuous rib extending parallel the side edge but is located inboard of the perimeter.

19. The furniture component defined in claim 17, wherein the fingers include a bottom surface that is about equal in height with the reinforcement ribs.