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.

A double shell seat includes a base for resting on a floor, an outer shell supported by the base, and an inner shell movably supported within the outer shell. The inner shell has a seat support, a backrest support, and a hinge between the seat support and the backrest support. The inner shell is movable with respect to the outer shell from an upright condition in which the seat support has a position toward the rear of the outer shell, the backrest support has a position that is relatively vertical, and the hinge is at a first angle, to a reclined condition in which the seat support is forward of its position in the upright condition, the backrest support is less vertical than its position in the upright condition, and the hinge is open at a greater angle than the first angle. The seat is preferably free of coil springs.

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.

A reconfigurable apparatus for sitting and having a seat mounted on a frame and movable under the weight of a sitting user. As an incident of the user sitting, resistance to movement of a back rest component is increased a predetermined amount based upon the user's weight. A manually operable subassembly allows the increased resistance to be changed from the predetermined amount with the user sitting on the seat.

A reclining control system for a chair having a back and a seat including a rigid seat member having a bottom surface and a first rigid link having a first end and second end. The first end of the first rigid link may be adapted to engage the back and the second end of the first rigid link may be positioned proximally adjacent to the bottom surface of the rigid seat member. A rigid link may have a first end and a second end, where the first end of the rigid link may engage the bottom surface of the rigid seat member at an engagement point. The second end of rigid link may engage the second end of the first rigid link in an aft position. The reclining control system for a chair may further include a pivoting link having a first end and a second end. The first end of the pivoting link may engage the bottom surface of the rigid seat member at the engagement point and the second end of the pivoting link may engage the second end of the first rigid link in a fore position. The rigid link moves the rigid seat member from a non-reclining position in a downward and backward direction and the pivoting rigid link moves the back to a reclining position.

An assembly for a chair and a chair including the same are provided. The assembly includes a body coupled to an upper portion of a leg of the chair, a pair of supports extending forward from opposite sides of the body and coupled to a bottom surface of a seating part, and a pair of connecting frames extending backward from the opposite sides of the body, bent upward, and shaft-coupled to the opposite sides of the body and the seating part. A tilting operation is performed to rotate downward the seating part and a backrest to adjust inclinations of the seating part and the backrest using a weight of a user applied to the seating part and elastic force of the support and the connecting frame.

A chair support shell has an integral back portion, seat portion, and joining portion between the back portion and the seat portion. At least a major portion of the support shell comprises a compliant structure, the compliant structure having a plurality of cells interconnected by a plurality of resilient members. The compliant structure provides compliance in the seat portion, compliance in the back portion, and compliance in the joining portion. The compliant structure enables recline of the back portion relative to the seat portion.

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.

A body support structure includes a frame and a membrane attached to the frame. The membrane includes elastomeric filaments. The membrane includes different regions with different stiffness. The membrane may form a part of a seat or a backrest.

A seating arrangement includes a back arrangement moveable between upright and reclined positions, a linkage arrangement including a first link member comprising a portion of a seat arrangement, a second link member supported on a base, flexibly resilient front link members extending between forward portions of the first and second link members and being integral with the second link member, and a rigid rear link member extending between rearward portions of the first and second link members including a separate piece from the first or second link members, wherein the rearward portion of the first link member extends laterally in a first plane when the back arrangement is upright, and laterally in a second plane when the back arrangement is reclined, where the second plane is angled with respect to the first plane, and is positioned farther away from the base when the back arrangement is reclined than when upright.