Patents by Inventor Johannes Uhlenbrock

Johannes Uhlenbrock 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).

  • Publication number: 20140339870
    Abstract: Seat furniture is provided that includes a seat and a backrest support which are mounted on a support member, the backrest support being pivotal about a horizontal pivot axis, and an energy accumulator which is tensioned when the seat is subjected to a load and acts on the backrest support, the energy accumulator engaging the backrest support at an effective distance from the pivot axis, characterized in that the energy accumulator is connected on one side to the support member and on another side via a transverse connector to the backrest support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventor: Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Patent number: 8833856
    Abstract: A chair comprises a seat and a backrest support which are mounted on a support member, the backrest support being pivotal about a horizontal pivot axis, and an energy accumulator which is tensioned when the seat is subjected to a load and acts on the backrest support, the energy accumulator engaging the backrest support at an effective distance from the pivot axis. To improve the efficiency of such a mechanism, the energy accumulator is connected on the one side to the support member and one the other side via a transverse connector to the backrest support. With the mechanism the energy accumulator is subject to a load substantially by the rear region of the seat and thus substantially by the complete weight of a person sitting on the seat. In an alternative embodiment the seat comprises an elastic cover which on the one side is clamped in the support member and on the other side is connected to the backrest support, the elastic cover serving as energy accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventor: Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Publication number: 20120019035
    Abstract: A chair comprises a seat and a backrest support which are mounted on a support member, the backrest support being pivotal about a horizontal pivot axis, and an energy accumulator which is tensioned when the seat is subjected to a load and acts on the backrest support, the energy accumulator engaging the backrest support at an effective distance from the pivot axis. To improve the efficiency of such a mechanism, the energy accumulator is connected on the one side to the support member and one the other side via a transverse connector to the backrest support. With the mechanism the energy accumulator is subject to a load substantially by the rear region of the seat and thus substantially by the complete weight of a person sitting on the seat. In an alternative embodiment the seat comprises an elastic cover which on the one side is clamped in the support member and on the other side is connected to the backrest support, the elastic cover serving as energy accumulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventor: Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Patent number: 6688688
    Abstract: This invention concerns a chair with a seat panel, with a central column or several legs and with a backrest carrier. In order to provide a tilting movement, the front of the seat panel rests on a horizontal, crosswise running first pivot and, in order to provide a tilting movement, the rear of the seat panel is attached to the backrest carrier around a second pivot. The backrest carrier is attached to the central column or the legs around a third pivot. The springs are arranged so that they exert an upward force on the seat panel and a forward force on the backrest. An arrangement of springs is provided that has at least one gripped spring, comprising bent spring-steel rod or wire, attached to the central column or the chair legs with at least one first and one second leg of the spring. The spring is hinged to the seat panel and supports the seat panel with one or more spring sections, and, at the same time, forms the first pivot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Inventor: Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Patent number: 6523896
    Abstract: A chair is provided comprising a seating platform having a front edge and a back edge, a seat carrier that carries the seating platform and is connected to one of a central chair column and a plurality of chair legs, a rest carrier that proceeds toward the back under the seating platform and upward behind the seating platform, and a backrest carried on the rest carrier. The seating platform, close to its front edge, is hinged to the seat carrier pivotable around a transversely proceeding, first swivelling axis and, offset therefrom toward the back edge, is hinged to the rest carrier pivotable around a parallel, second swivelling axis. The rest carrier is hinged to the seat carrier pivotable around a third swivelling axis that is located between the first and second swivelling axis and parallel thereto. A spring is provided under the seating platform and supported thereat which exerts a pre-stress force acting upwardly on the seating platform and toward the front on the back rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Inventor: Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Publication number: 20020084681
    Abstract: This invention concerns a chair with a seat panel, with a central column or several legs and with a backrest carrier. In order to provide a tilting movement, the front of the seat panel rests on a horizontal, crosswise running first pivot and, in order to provide a tilting movement, the rear of the seat panel is attached to the backrest carrier around a second pivot. The backrest carrier is attached to the central column or the legs around a third pivot. The springs are arranged so that they exert an upward force on the seat panel and a forward force on the backrest. An arrangement of springs is provided that has at least one gripped spring, comprising bent spring-steel rod or wire, attached to the central column or the chair legs with at least one first and one second leg of the spring. The spring is hinged to the seat panel and supports the seat panel with one or more spring sections, and, at the same time, forms the first pivot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2002
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventor: Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Patent number: 6234573
    Abstract: A chair is provided in which the position and movement of the backrest, which is pivotally carried on a backrest carrier, is effected by movement of the seat top, which, in turn, is subjected to the weight of the seat user. The amount of the user's weight differently affects the position of the backrest through the use of pivoting linkages and a tension spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventors: Peter Röder, Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Patent number: 6000755
    Abstract: An office swivel chair is provided comprising a foot with a center column extending upwards therefrom, wherein the center column may be variable in length and/or spring mounted, a seat carrier is secured at the upper end of the center column, a seat top pivotable around a horizontal axis close to the front edge of the seat top, is connected with the seat carrier, and is biased by a spring arrangement with an upwards directed force, and a back rest attached at least one upwards extending lever which is articulately connected with the seat carrier at a first link point under the seat top, and spaced therefrom is articulately connected with the underside of the seat top at a second link point wherein, both link points comprise swivelling axes in parallel with the seat top swivelling axis. The length of the lever between the first link point and the second link point is variable by displacing the first link point and/or the second link point in the direction of the lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Inventor: Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Patent number: 5333368
    Abstract: An office-type chair having a base, a cantilevered pedestal assembly projecting upwardly from substantially a center of the base, and a seat/back arrangement connected to an upper end of the pedestal assembly. The seat/back arrangement includes a generally horizontally enlarged seat assembly and a back assembly projecting upwardly from and adjacent a rear edge of the seat assembly. The seat/back arrangement also includes a rear tilt control mechanism for normally permitting the seat/back arrangement to be vertically tilted rearwardly against the urging of a resilient biasing element away from a normal upright position into a rearwardly tilted position. A front tilt mechanism cooperates between the pedestal assembly and the seat assembly for permitting the entire seat/back arrangement to be vertically tilted forwardly away from the normal upright position so that the seat assembly declines in a forward direction. The forward tilt mechanism is independent of the rear tilt control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Haworth, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kriener, Johannes Uhlenbrock, Larry A. Wilkerson, Richard N. Roslund, Jr.