Patents by Inventor Kurt R. Heidmann
Kurt R. Heidmann 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).
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Publication number: 20220338637Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a seat portion, a back portion, a support member caused to move between first and second positions, and a back recline lock arrangement that includes an actuator, a lock member caused to move between a locked position when the actuator is in an engaged position where the lock member prevents the support member from moving from the first position toward the second position, and an unlocked position when the actuator is in a disengaged position, and wherein the actuator is configured to move from the disengaged position to the engaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and the lock member is prevented from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position until the back assembly is moved from the reclined position to the upright position.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2022Publication date: October 27, 2022Applicant: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Russell T. Holdredge, Nathan Brock
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Patent number: 11464341Abstract: A chair includes a base structure, a seat support structure, a back frame comprising a front surface, a rear surface and a forwardly extending bottom portion pivotably connected to the base, a biasing member biasing the back frame from a reclined position toward an upright position, wherein the biasing member is located entirely forward a rearward most edge of the seat support structure, and a back shell comprising a forwardly extending bottom portion connected to the seat support structure, a front surface, a rear surface positioned in front of the front surface of the back frame, a pair of laterally spaced side portions defining an opening therebetween, and a top portion extending laterally between and connected to the side portions, wherein each of the side portions are exclusively connected to the back frame at a first location.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2021Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Battey, Todd T. Andres, Todd David Krupiczewicz, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Gary Karsten
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Publication number: 20220248856Abstract: A body support structure includes a base, a seat and a backrest, with the backrest connected to the base with a torsion leaf spring. The torsion leaf spring may be configured with a plurality of fingers, and/or one or more flex regions. One or more struts may be connected between the seat or backrest and the base. In another aspect, the seat and/or backrest may be supported with one or more links that provide a counter-intuitive motion. In another aspect, a link may be coupled to a support with a flexible blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2022Publication date: August 11, 2022Applicant: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gary Karsten, Mark Spoelhof
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Publication number: 20220240680Abstract: A body support structure includes a structural lattice structure having a first stiffness, and a compressive lattice structure supported by the structural lattice structure and having a second stiffness less than the first stiffness. A skin lattice structure is supported by the compressive lattice structure, wherein the skin lattice structure is resistant to shear deformation in response to a normal force and is expandable in a direction transverse to the normal force.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2022Publication date: August 4, 2022Applicant: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Carl V. Forslund, III, John Hamilton, Kurt R. Heidmann, James Ludwig, Bruce Smith, Aaron Michael Porterfield
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Patent number: 11375820Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a seat portion, a back portion, a support member caused to move between first and second positions, and a back recline lock arrangement that includes an actuator, a lock member caused to move between a locked position when the actuator is in an engaged position where the lock member prevents the support member from moving from the first position toward the second position, and an unlocked position when the actuator is in a disengaged position, and wherein the actuator is configured to move from the disengaged position to the engaged position when the chair back is in the reclined position, and the lock member is prevented from moving from the unlocked position to the locked position until the back assembly is moved from the reclined position to the upright position.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2021Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Russell T. Holdredge, Nathan Brock
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Publication number: 20220192384Abstract: A body support structure includes a pair of laterally extending load bearing support segments each having an outer portion coupled to a support structure and an inner portion. Each of the load bearing support segments extends laterally inwardly from the outer portion, and the inner portions are laterally spaced apart so as to define a gap therebetween. A body support member is spaced forwardly from the pair of load bearing support segments. A plurality of links connect the load bearing support segments to the body support member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2022Publication date: June 23, 2022Applicant: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Nickolaus Williams Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann
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Publication number: 20220183470Abstract: A backrest includes a primary frame having a pair of laterally spaced first uprights defining a first opening therebetween, a first front surface and a first rear surface. A secondary frame includes a pair of laterally spaced second uprights defining a second opening therebetween, a second rear surface facing the first front surface of the primary frame and a second front surface, wherein the secondary frame is coupled to the primary frame, and wherein at least portions of the first and second openings are aligned. A flexible shell overlies and is coupled to the second front surface of the secondary frame. The flexible shell includes a third rear surface visible through the aligned portions of the first and second openings.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2022Publication date: June 16, 2022Applicant: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Pascal Rolf Hien, Jeffrey A. Hall, John Colasanti, Michael Yancharas
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Patent number: 11357329Abstract: A body support assembly includes a seat assembly and backrest assembly supported by a tilt control assembly. Methods of using and assembling the body support assembly are provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2020Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, David Bodnar, James Ludwig, Nate Brock, Mark Spoelhof
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Publication number: 20220167747Abstract: A body support assembly includes a seat assembly and backrest assembly supported by a tilt control assembly. Methods of using and assembling the body support assembly are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2022Publication date: June 2, 2022Applicant: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, David Bodnar, James Ludwig, Nathan R. Brock, Mark Spoelhof
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Patent number: 11324322Abstract: A body support structure includes a shell having a central region, an outer peripheral region spaced from the central region, and at least one array extending between the central region and the outer peripheral region. The at least one array includes a plurality of spaced apart support members and at least one connector connecting adjacent support members within each array. The support members of the at least one array are progressively divided between the central portion and the outer peripheral edge.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus Williams Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann
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Patent number: 11324323Abstract: A body support structure includes a structural lattice structure having a first stiffness, and a compressive lattice structure supported by the structural lattice structure and having a second stiffness less than the first stiffness. A skin lattice structure is supported by the compressive lattice structure, wherein the skin lattice structure is resistant to shear deformation in response to a normal force and is expandable in a direction transverse to the normal force.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Carl V. Forslund, III, John Richard Hamilton, Kurt R. Heidmann, James Ludwig, Bruce Smith, Aaron Michael Porterfield
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Patent number: 11304528Abstract: A chair assembly includes an arm assembly that includes an armrest supported by a vertically adjustable support assembly and an arm base, where the arm base extends at an acute angle with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the chair assembly, an upholstery arrangement including a ring member attached to a cover, where the ring member includes a plurality of reliefs having a width that reduces as the ring member is wrapped about a shell member of the chair assembly, and a control arrangement having a biasing member that moves through an arcuate path as the biasing member is adjusted between varying bias settings.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2020Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: Steelcase Inc.Inventors: Robert J. Battey, Gordon J. Peterson, Todd T. Andres, Gary Karsten, Richard Roslund, Jr., Pradeep Mydur, Nathan McCaughan, Kurt R. Heidmann
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Patent number: 11291305Abstract: A backrest includes a frame having a pair of laterally spaced upright members connected with longitudinally spaced upper and lower members. A flexible shell has opposite sides coupled to the upright members and upper and lower portions coupled to the upper and lower members. The shell includes first and second slots extending longitudinally along opposite sides of the shell inboard of locations where the shell is connected to the upright members, and one or more third slots extending laterally along the lower portion of the shell above a location where the shell is connected to the lower member. Terminal ends of the one or more third slots are spaced apart from lower terminal ends of the first and second slots. In other embodiments, the shell is a three-dimensional molded component having a plurality of openings. In various embodiments, the slots and/or openings provide different levels of compliance to the backrest.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Pascal Rolf Hien, Jeffrey A. Hall, John Colasanti, Michael Yancharas
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Patent number: D951690Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2021Date of Patent: May 17, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig
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Patent number: D951691Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2021Date of Patent: May 17, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig, Alyssa Anne Robert
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Patent number: D961280Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2020Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig
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Patent number: D961281Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2020Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig
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Patent number: D961315Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2021Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig
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Patent number: D961316Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2021Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig, Alyssa Anne Robert
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Patent number: D961317Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2020Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: STEELCASE INC.Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig