Patents by Inventor James Nolan Ludwig

James Nolan Ludwig 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: 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
  • Patent number: 11058224
    Abstract: A seating support arrangement includes a seating frame, a cover member supported by the seating frame, the cover member having a first elastic modulus in a first direction, the cover member having an outer surface area and a support area that is less than the outer surface area and is configured to support a user, and a polymer film surface layer attached to the support area of the cover member such that the combination of the cover member in the support area and the surface layer has a second elastic modulus in the first direction that is greater than the first elastic modulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce M. Smith, Carl V. Forslund, III, Christopher J. Norman, Gordon J. Peterson, Fredric Biddle, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • 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: 20190133324
    Abstract: A seating support arrangement includes a seating frame, a cover member supported by the seating frame, the cover member having a first elastic modulus in a first direction, the cover member having an outer surface area and a support area that is less than the outer surface area and is configured to support a user, and a polymer film surface layer attached to the support area of the cover member such that the combination of the cover member in the support area and the surface layer has a second elastic modulus in the first direction that is greater than the first elastic modulus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Bruce M. Smith, Carl V. Forslund, III, Christopher J. Norman, Gordon J. Peterson, Fredric Biddle, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers
  • Patent number: 10182656
    Abstract: A seating support arrangement includes a seating frame arrangement, a flexible cover member supported by the frame arrangement and configured to support a seated user, a surface layer covering at least a portion of the cover member and including a first surface facing the cover member and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the surface layer includes first portions attached to the cover member interspaced with second portions that are not attached to the cover member, and an elastically resilient control arrangement supported by the frame arrangement and positioned between the cover member and one of the second portions such that the control arrangement is free to move with respect to the cover member and the surface layer, wherein elastic deformation of the control arrangement changes the geometrical configuration of the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce M. Smith, Carl V. Forslund, III, Christopher J. Norman, Gordon J. Peterson, Fredric Biddle, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, James Nolan Ludwig
  • 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: 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
  • 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: 20160296026
    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: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James Nolan Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt Heidmann, Bruce Michael Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20160296025
    Abstract: A seating support arrangement includes a seating frame arrangement, a flexible cover member supported by the frame arrangement and configured to support a seated user, a surface layer covering at least a portion of the cover member and including a first surface facing the cover member and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the surface layer includes first portions attached to the cover member interspaced with second portions that are not attached to the cover member, and an elastically resilient control arrangement supported by the frame arrangement and positioned between the cover member and one of the second portions such that the control arrangement is free to move with respect to the cover member and the surface layer, wherein elastic deformation of the control arrangement changes the geometrical configuration of the cover member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce M. Smith, Carl V. Forslund, III, Christopher J. Norman, Gordon J. Peterson, Fredric Biddle, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, James Nolan Ludwig
  • 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