Patents by Inventor Bruce Michael Smith

Bruce Michael Smith has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11963621
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a support shell including a seat portion and a chair back portion each configured to support a seated user, the chair seat portion having a front region and a rear region and the chair back portion having an upper region and a lower region, where the rear region of the seat portion is coupled to the lower region of the chair back portion, a control member including a substantially flexible front support and an attachment point, where the front support engages the support shell in the front region of the seat portion and the control member engages the back portion, and a substantially rigid second support attached to the control member at the attachment point, wherein the control member is an integral, one-piece component including multiple flex regions configured to allow the support shell to move between an upright and reclined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark Spoelhof
  • Patent number: 11324325
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base, a lower shell including a first portion coupled to the base and comprising a substantially horizontal portion, a curved transition portion and a backrest portion, a pair of laterally spaced front links extending upwardly from a forward portion of the first portion, a rear link extending upwardly from a rearward portion of the first portion of the lower shell and forwardly of the transition region of the lower shell, and an upper shell comprising a seating portion coupled to the pair of front links and to the rear link, a curved transition portion spaced apart from the curved transition portion of the lower shell and defining an open lateral pass through therebetween, and a backrest portion connected to the backrest portion of the lower shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20210345781
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a support shell including a seat portion and a chair back portion each configured to support a seated user, the chair seat portion having a front region and a rear region and the chair back portion having an upper region and a lower region, where the rear region of the seat portion is coupled to the lower region of the chair back portion, a control member including a substantially flexible front support and an attachment point, where the front support engages the support shell in the front region of the seat portion and the control member engages the back portion, and a substantially rigid second support attached to the control member at the attachment point, wherein the control member is an integral, one-piece component including multiple flex regions configured to allow the support shell to move between an upright and reclined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark Spoelhof
  • Patent number: 11096497
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes an upwardly-extending back arrangement movable between upright and reclined positions, and a seat arrangement that includes a first link member extending horizontally and having forward and rearward portions, a second link member spaced from the first link member, a third link member coupled to the first and second link members and substantially flexible along a majority of a length thereof, and a fourth link member operably coupled to the first and second link members, the fourth link member being substantially rigid along a majority of a length thereof, wherein the link members cooperate to form a four-bar linkage assembly, and wherein the seat arrangement moves in a rearward direction as the back arrangement is moved between the upright position and the reclined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20200288872
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes an upwardly-extending back arrangement movable between upright and reclined positions, and a seat arrangement that includes a first link member extending horizontally and having forward and rearward portions, a second link member spaced from the first link member, a third link member coupled to the first and second link members and substantially flexible along a majority of a length thereof, and a fourth link member operably coupled to the first and second link members, the fourth link member being substantially rigid along a majority of a length thereof, wherein the link members cooperate to form a four-bar linkage assembly, and wherein the seat arrangement moves in a rearward direction as the back arrangement is moved between the upright position and the reclined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: James Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark Spoelhof
  • Patent number: 10575648
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base, a lower shell having a portion fixedly coupled to the base, and an upper shell supported entirely by the lower shell, the upper shell comprising a seating portion, a backrest portion moveable between an upright position and a reclined position, and a curved transition portion extending between the seating portion and the backrest portion, wherein a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal slots are located in portions of the seating portion and the transition portion thereby defining a central region and laterally spaced side regions, wherein the central region moves up relative to the side regions during recline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20180295996
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes an upwardly-extending back arrangement movable between upright and reclined positions, and a seat arrangement that includes a first link member extending horizontally and having forward and rearward portions, a second link member spaced from the first link member, a third link member coupled to the first and second link members and substantially flexible along a majority of a length thereof, and a fourth link member operably coupled to the first and second link members, the fourth link member being substantially rigid along a majority of a length thereof, wherein the link members cooperate to form a four-bar linkage assembly, and wherein the seat arrangement moves in a rearward direction as the back arrangement is moved between the upright position and the reclined position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: James Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark Spoelhof
  • Patent number: 10021984
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes an upwardly-extending back arrangement movable between an upright and reclined positions, and a seat arrangement that includes a first link member extending horizontally and having forward and rearward portions, a second link member spaced from the first link member, a third link member coupled to the first and second link members and substantially flexible along a majority of a length thereof, and a fourth link member operably coupled to the first and second link members, the fourth link member being substantially rigid along a majority of a length thereof, wherein the link members cooperate to form a linkage arrangement, and wherein the seat arrangement moves in a rearward direction as the back arrangement is moved between the upright position and the reclined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20180125246
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base, a lower shell including a first portion coupled to the base and comprising a substantially horizontal portion, a curved transition portion and a backrest portion, a pair of laterally spaced front links extending upwardly from a forward portion of the first portion, a rear link extending upwardly from a rearward portion of the first portion of the lower shell and forwardly of the transition region of the lower shell, and an upper shell comprising a seating portion coupled to the pair of front links and to the rear link, a curved transition portion spaced apart from the curved transition portion of the lower shell and defining an open lateral pass through therebetween, and a backrest portion connected to the backrest portion of the lower shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20180125245
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base, a lower shell having a portion fixedly coupled to the base, and an upper shell supported entirely by the lower shell, the upper shell comprising a seating portion, a backrest portion moveable between an upright position and a reclined position, and a curved transition portion extending between the seating portion and the backrest portion, wherein a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal slots are located in portions of the seating portion and the transition portion thereby defining a central region and laterally spaced side regions, wherein the central region moves up relative to the side regions during recline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Patent number: D802951
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D802952
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Jessie Michele Storey, Kurt R. Heidmann
  • Patent number: D804209
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D804839
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D804840
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D804841
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D804875
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D804876
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D808187
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: D821793
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: STEELCASE INC.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof, Kurt Heidmann, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers