Patents Assigned to Steelcase Development Corporation
  • Cushion construction for seating unit
    Patent number: 7216936
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a seating unit, such as a chair, includes manufacturing a cushion made from a non-woven fibrous material, and attaching the cushion to the seating unit for comfortable support. The cushion is made by cutting a blank from non-woven fibrous sheet material, steam-forming the blank into a pre-formed cushion shaped to support a user, and attaching a stiffener panel to the pre-formed cushion to provide a stiffened cushion assembly. The cushion assembly is aesthetically covered and assembled to seating unit. Advantageously, trimmings from the fibrous material can be recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventor: Gordon J. Peterson
  • Partition system with elevated raceway
    Patent number: 7210270
    Abstract: An elevated raceway for routing utility lines in a vertically spaced relationship above the upper edge of a partition. The raceway includes an elongated passageway configured to retain utility lines in a horizontally extending manner. A first support member extends downwardly from the raceway, and has a connector spaced apart from the raceway a first vertical distance. The connector is configured to attach to a partition frame. A second support member extends downwardly from the raceway, and has a connector spaced apart from the raceway a second vertical distance that is different from the first vertical distance, such that the raceway is supported at a generally uniform vertical height above an upper edge of a partition having sections with different heights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan J. King, Joel T. Ruiter, David J. Dekker, James D. Houda
  • Assembly with movable work surface portion and material holder
    Patent number: 7201107
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an assembly having a movable portion and a fixed portion. At least a portion of the movable portion comprises a work surface. The assembly further includes a storage device having a material holder that moves from a first position in a substantially covered configuration to a second position that uncovers or exposes at least a portion of the material holder so that a user can access the material holder and contents therein. A connection component connects the material holder to the movable portion and moves the material holder from the covered configuration to the uncovered, at least partially accessible, configuration by utilizing a translation of force from the movement of the movable portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventor: Joel Ruiter
  • Edge band and edge banding process
    Patent number: 7189442
    Abstract: The present invention provides an edge band including a protective layer attached to a wood portion. The wood portion includes a first side and a second side. A first adhesive is disposed between the protective layer and the first side of the wood portion and a second adhesive is disposed on the second side of the wood portion and may be used to attach the edge band to an article. The protective layer can be removed from the band when desired, for example, following the application of a finishing material to the associated article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: David Jesse, Terry Luyk
  • Control mechanism for seating unit
    Patent number: 7165811
    Abstract: A seating unit includes a base, a reclineable back, a seat, and a control operably supporting the back and the seat on the base for movement between upright and recline positions. The control includes a pair of flexible support members and a link that combine to operably support the seat and back for synchronous movement on the base upon recline. The flexible support member is stiff in a vertical direction for carrying a combined weight of the one component and of the seated user, but flexible in a horizontal direction to permit a swinging movement of its ends upon recline. The link is rigid and pivoted to the base for movement about a horizontal axis and also pivoted to the one component. By this arrangement, the flexible member and the link move the one component along a defined path during recline of the back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Bodnar, Adam C. Bedford, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gary L. Karsten
  • Back construction for seating unit
    Patent number: 7131700
    Abstract: A back construction includes a back shell having stiff thoracic and pelvic regions connected by a flexible lumbar region in a manner adapted to ergonomically support a seated user. The back shell includes spaced-apart resilient edge strips and leaf springs attached to or embedded into the edge strip. The springs match a curvature of the strips and span the lumbar region, biasing the lumbar region of the back shell forwardly in a manner distributing stress applied to the lumbar region by the seated user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Daryl Knoblock, legal representative, Arnold B. Dammermann, Larry DeKraker, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Charles P. Roossien, David S. Teppo, Glenn A. Knoblock, deceased
  • Chair having reclineable back and movable seat
    Patent number: 7114777
    Abstract: A seating unit includes a seating unit having a base, a seat and a back operably pivoted to the base for synchronous movement including recline of the back and forward movement of the seat, an adjustable variable back stop adjustably engaging the seat for adjustably limiting a rearward tilt of the back, and a handle. The handle and the back stop are supported for independent movement, but are interconnected by a connecting mechanism including a pair of links so that the back stop is selectively adjusted upon rotation of the handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Daryl Knoblock, legal representative, Arnold B. Dammermann, Larry DeKraker, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Charles P. Roossien, David S. Teppo, Glenn A. Knoblock, deceased
  • Seating unit with adjustable lumbar device
    Patent number: 7097247
    Abstract: A seating unit includes a back support with a perimeter frame defining an opening, and a plurality of resilient members spanning the opening. An upholstery cover extends over and covers the resilient members and a front of the perimeter frame. A bow-tie-shaped lumbar device is positioned between the cover and sides of the perimeter frame for vertical adjustment. The lumbar device includes a body with end sections defining a greater dimension than a middle of the body. Upper and lower edges of the end sections are thin and serve to wedgingly slip between the cover and the resilient members in a manner leading the middle over irregular surfaces between the resilient members. A thick area between the upper and lower edges causes a change in lumbar support force and shape as the lumbar device is adjusted. Handles are attached to the body by stretchable fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J Battey, Eric Johnson, Jonathan B. Hadley, Gordon J. Peterson
  • Chair
    Patent number: D533365
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventor: Michael V. Martin
  • Seat
    Patent number: D533728
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventor: Kirt D. Martin
  • Control for seating unit
    Patent number: D534018
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Oliver Loew, Kurt R. Heidmann
  • Seating unit having armrests
    Patent number: D534364
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Oliver Loew, Kurt R. Heidmann
  • Seat and back
    Patent number: D535126
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Oliver Loew, Kurt R. Heidmann, Bruce M. Smith
  • Armrest
    Patent number: D535131
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Oliver Loew, Bruce M. Smith
  • Seating unit
    Patent number: D535838
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Ritch, Mark B. Saffell
  • Armrest
    Patent number: D535840
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce M. Smith, Jay A. Grandin
  • Seating unit
    Patent number: D536890
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Oliver Loew, Kurt R. Heidmann, Bruce M. Smith
  • Modular lounge
    Patent number: D538549
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventor: Alison Spear
  • Chair
    Patent number: D539561
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventor: Michael V. Martin
  • Backrest
    Patent number: D542580
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Glen Oliver Loew, Kurt R. Heidmann, Bruce M. Smith