Claims
- 1. A seating unit comprising:a flexible back having a front surface and including a non-planar flexible lumbar region; a tensioned cover stretched over and covering at least a portion of the non-planar flexible lumbar region; and a lumbar device fit between the front surface and the cover, with a tension of the cover biasing the lumbar device against the lumbar region and resulting in a frictional force retaining the lumbar device in a selected vertical position.
- 2. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the lumbar device includes a first surface engaging a front of the lumbar region and further includes a second surface engaging a back of the cover, the second surface being more concavely shaped than the first surface.
- 3. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible back characteristically does not include a ridge defining a track.
- 4. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the lumbar device includes detents shaped to detentingly engage mating features in the lumbar region.
- 5. The seating unit defined in claim 4, wherein the mating features include horizontally extending slots in the lumbar region.
- 6. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the lumbar device is one-piece and includes handles integrally formed on ends of the lumbar device.
- 7. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the cover includes angled side edges, and wherein the portion covered by the cover does not include edge sections of the back.
- 8. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the cover includes a front panel covering the portion of the lumbar region, the front panel being made from stretchable material that is sufficiently elastic to tension the cover even when the lumbar region is flexed toward a planar condition.
- 9. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the cover includes a strip of material having an elongation elasticity of 100%, such that a length of the strip can be doubled without failure.
- 10. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the lumbar device comprises an integral one-piece plastic component.
- 11. The seating unit defined in claim 10, wherein the one piece plastic component of the lumbar device is highly flexible and includes sufficient strength to maintain a concave vertical shape but does not include sufficient strength to maintain a longitudinal shape against the force of gravity.
- 12. The seating unit defined in claim 10, wherein the one piece plastic component is made of a light-transmissive material.
- 13. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the lumbar device includes end sections that are made of light-transmissive material.
- 14. The seating unit defined in claim 13, wherein the light-transmissive material is translucent.
- 15. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the back includes at least one vertically-extending track located proximate at least one side edge of the back.
- 16. The seating unit defined in claim 15, wherein the at least one track is located at and defines the side edge of the back.
- 17. The seating unit defined in claim 15, wherein the lumbar device includes at least one handle that slidingly engages the at least one track.
- 18. The seating unit defined in claim 17, wherein the lumbar device includes a center body, and the at least one handle telescopically slidingly engages the center body for inboard and outboard movement as the lumbar device is adjusted vertically on the back.
- 19. The seating unit defined in claim 18, wherein the lumbar device includes a slide frame and also includes a flexible lumbar support component that is mounted on the slide frame.
- 20. The seating unit defined in claim 19, wherein the flexible lunber support component comprises a resilient sheet-simulating panel.
- 21. The seating unit defined in claim 20, wherein the sheet-simulating panel includes resilient fingers along edges of the panel.
- 22. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the back includes a vertically-extending track having a saw-tooth-shaped surface forming detents on the track.
- 23. The seating unit defined in claim 22, wherein the track is located proximate a side edge of the back.
- 24. The seating unit defined in claim 23, wherein the track is spaced inboard from the side edge of the back.
- 25. The seating unit defined in claim 24, wherein the lumbar device includes at least one handle that detentingly engages the saw-tooth-shaped track.
- 26. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the back includes a flexible molded back shell.
- 27. The seating unit defined in claim 26, wherein the back shell comprises a plastic sheet that characteristically does not have an edge flange and ribs in the lumbar region for rigidifying and stiffening the lumbar region.
- 28. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the back includes a flexible sheet having vertical strips at each side edge of the lumbar region and further the lumbar region has horizontal strips separated by horizontal slots that extend transversely and end at the vertical strips, the lumbar device including radiused surfaces shaped to slip over the slots during vertical adjustment of the lumbar device.
- 29. The seating unit defined in claim 28, wherein the radiused surfaces detentingly engage the slots to provide holding forces to hold the lumbar device in selected positions.
- 30. The seating unit defined in claim 1, wherein the lumbar region is concavely shaped and protrudes forwardly.
- 31. A back for a seating unit comprising:a flexible back shell having a front surface and including a non-planar flexible lumbar region; a cover covering at least a portion of the non-planar flexible lumbar region; and a lumbar device fit between the front surface and the cover, the lumbar device being vertically adjustable and being made of a material chosen to generate friction with the lumbar region and with the cover to retain the lumbar device in a selected vertical position.
- 32. The back defined in claim 31, wherein the material of the lumbar device is sufficiently stiff to change the shape of the lumbar region as the lumbar device is adjusted vertically, but that is sufficiently flexible to conform to side-to-side shapes of the back as a seated user moves and twists in the seating unit.
- 33. The back defined in claim 31, wherein the lumbar device has a front surface that is concavely shaped and that has a greater concavity than a rear surface of the lumbar device.
- 34. A method comprising steps of:providing a flexible back having a front surface and including a non-planar lumbar region of a seating unit; providing a cover shaped to cover at least a portion of the lumbar region; tensioning the cover; providing a lumbar device; and fitting the lumbar device between the front surface and the cover, with a tension of the cover biasing the lumbar device against the lumbar region and resulting in a frictional force retaining the lumbar device in a selected vertical position.
- 35. The method defined in claim 34, wherein the flexible back includes a flexible sheet of plastic that characteristically does not include edge flanges nor ribs that rigidify and stiffen the lumbar region.
- 36. The method defined in claim 34, wherein the cover is removable and is attached without the use of separate fasteners, and including a step of removing the cover.
- 37. The method defined in claim 34, wherein the lumbar device is removable and is attached without the use of separate fasteners, and including a step of removing the lumbar device.
- 38. The method defined in claim 34, wherein the lumbar region is concavely shaped and protrudes forwardly.
- 39. A method comprising steps of:providing a seating unit having a back support with a front surface; covering at least a portion of the front surface with a sheet back covering; positioning a lumbar device between the front surface of the back support and a portion of the back covering; and vertically adjusting the lumbar device to a selected height and holding the lumbar device in place with friction between the back support and the back covering.
- 40. The method defined in claim 39, wherein the back support has a lumbar region with horizontal slots formed therein, and wherein the lumbar device is shaped to frictionally engage a selected one of the slots to provide a detented force for holding the lumbar device in an adjusted vertical position associated with the selected one slot, and including a step of adjusting the lumbar device to engage the selected one slot.
- 41. The method defined in claim 39, wherein the back support includes a flexible lumbar region that is concavely shaped, and wherein the step of vertically adjusting the lumbar device flexes the lumbar region and changes a vertical shape of the lumbar region.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation-in-part application of co-assigned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/491,975, filed Jan. 27, 2000, entitled Back for Seating Unit, which is a continuation of co-assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/386,668, filed Aug. 31, 1999, entitled Chair Control Having An Adjustable Energy Mechanism, (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,695, issued Sep. 12, 2000) which is a divisional application of co-assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/957,506, filed Oct. 24, 1997, entitled Chair with Reclineable Back and Adjustable Energy Mechanism (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,153, issued Jul. 11, 2000). The present application is further a continuing application of co-assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/294,751, filed Apr. 19, 1999, entitled Chair Back and Method of Assembly (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,661, issued Apr. 24, 2001). The present application is still further a continuing application of co-assigned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/564,934, filed May 4, 2000, entitled Adjustable Lumbar Support.
This file is also related to the following co-assigned patents and applications. The disclosure of each of these co-assigned patents and applications is incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
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Continuations (3)
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