Abstract: A seat assembly includes a frame made from a first material having a first hardness, the frame including a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The seat assembly further includes a fabric component coupled to the first side of the frame, and a plurality of grooves are disposed within the second side of the frame. Each insert of a plurality of inserts are disposed within each respective groove in the plurality of grooves. Each insert of the plurality of inserts comprises a second material and the second material has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for molding a component onto a stretched blank. The apparatus includes a stretching assembly mounted adjacent to a first mold part. The stretching assembly includes a plurality of clamp assemblies that grasp the peripheral edge of the blank and a plurality of slide assemblies that move the clamp assemblies away from one another to apply a stretch to the fabric. The apparatus further includes a press for closing a second mold part onto the first mold part while the fabric is held in a stretched condition by the stretching assembly. In one embodiment, the stretching assembly may include a float plate that is movable with respect to the first mold part between a stretch position and a mold position. The apparatus may include a robot with tooling for moving the fabric onto the stretching assembly. The tooling may include a plurality of shot pins that push the fabric off of the tooling onto corresponding fabric pins in the stretching machine.

Abstract: A chair includes a control housing, a seat and a back support including an upwardly extending upright portion and a link portion extending forwardly from a lower portion of the upright portion. The link portion is pivotally connected to the control housing about a first pivot axis. The seat is connected to the link portion and is pivotable relative thereto. A linkage is coupled to the seat and is pivotally connected to the control housing at a second pivot axis positioned rearwardly and downwardly from the first pivot axis.

Abstract: A fabric having a plastic body integrally connected thereto by extrusion of the body onto the fabric, and a process for extruding the plastic onto the fabric.