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).

  • Patent number: 11259637
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base, a back arrangement and a seat arrangement each supported by the base, the back arrangement movable between an upright position and reclined position, the seat arrangement including a stop member, a shell supported on the base and forming at least a portion of the seat arrangement, the shell including a first portion and second portion movable relative to the first portion, the shell configured such that a downward force exerted on the first portion by a seated user forces the back arrangement from the reclined position toward the upright position, and a tilt limiter coupled to the base and configured to engage the stop member at both the upright position and the reclined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James N. Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, William Thomas Johnson, Bruce M. Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20220015546
    Abstract: A body support assembly includes a seat assembly and backrest assembly supported by tilt control assembly. Methods of using and assembling the body support assembly are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20210298484
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Russell T. Holdredge, Nathan Brock
  • Patent number: 11109683
    Abstract: A body support assembly includes a seat assembly and backrest assembly supported by tilt control assembly. Methods of using and assembling the body support assembly are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20210267375
    Abstract: A frame includes laterally spaced apart first and second support locations. A leaf spring has a longitudinal axis and extends between the first and second support locations. The leaf spring includes opposite first and second ends coupled to the frame along the longitudinal axis. A flexible shell is coupled to the frame at a third support location longitudinally spaced apart from the first and second support locations. The flexible shell is coupled to the leaf spring between the first and second support locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann
  • Patent number: 11083301
    Abstract: An arm assembly includes an arm support configured to support an arm of a seated user, an arm stalk extending downwardly from and supporting the arm support, an arm base telescopingly receiving the arm stalk between a first position and a second position and a bearing arrangement positioned between the arm stalk and the arm base. The bearing arrangement includes a bearing member configured to abut the arm base, and a biasing member configured to bias the bearing member from the arm stalk and into abutment with the arm base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Russell T. Holdredge, Nathan Brock
  • Publication number: 20210227981
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Battey, Todd T. Andres, Todd David Krupiczewicz, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Gary Karsten
  • Publication number: 20210204699
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, David Bodnar, James Ludwig, Nate Brock, Mark Spoelhof
  • Publication number: 20210177149
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base member, and an integrally formed support member coupled to the base member and supporting a seat moveable from an upright position to a reclined position, wherein a portion of the support member is bendable as the seat moves from the upright position to the reclined position such that a first side of the support member is put in tension and a second side generally opposite the first side is put in compression, and wherein the first side includes a tensile substrate so that the first side has as higher modulus of elasticity than the second side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Michael J. Kemen
  • Patent number: 10966527
    Abstract: A seating arrangement includes a base member, and an integrally formed support member coupled to the base member and supporting a seat moveable from an upright position to a reclined position, wherein a first portion of the support member positioned rearwardly of the base member is bendable such that an upper layer of the first portion is put in tension, and wherein a second portion of the support member positioned forwardly of the base member is bendable such that a lower layer of the second portion is put in tension, wherein the upper layer of the first portion and the lower layer of the second portion are reinforced with at least one tensile substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Michael J. Kemen
  • Publication number: 20210093090
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Carl V. Forslund, III, John Richard Hamilton, Kurt R. Heidmann, James Ludwig, Bruce Smith, Aaron Michael Porterfield
  • Publication number: 20210093092
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Pascal Rolf Hien, Jeffrey A. Hall, John Colasanti, Michael Yancharas
  • Patent number: D921409
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Bruce Smith, Mark Spoelhof, Kurt R. Heidmann, Pascal Hien
  • Patent number: D921410
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Bruce Smith, Mark Spoelhof, Kurt R. Heidmann, Pascal Hien
  • Patent number: D932203
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: James N. Ludwig, Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Bruce M. Smith, Mark William Spoelhof
  • Patent number: D935824
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Mark Spoelhof
  • Patent number: D936984
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig, Alyssa Anne Robert
  • Patent number: D936985
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig, Alyssa Anne Robert
  • Patent number: D937024
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig, Alyssa Anne Robert
  • Patent number: D937595
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Nickolaus William Charles Deevers, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson, Mark Spoelhof, James Ludwig, Alyssa Anne Robert