DEVICE ELEMENT COMPRISING AN OPERATING COMPONENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a device element comprising an operating component, wherein said device element is designed to carry out at least one process, and the operating component is designed such that said process of the device element is carried out depending on the position of the operating component, said operating component being freely placeable relative to the device element, and a sensor system is provided which detects at least one characteristic of the operating component and actuates the process of the device element depending on this detection.

Claims

1. A furniture element having a control element, wherein the furniture element is designed to carry out at least one procedure; the control element is designed such that the procedure of the furniture element is carried out in dependence on a position of the control element; wherein the control element can be freely positioned relative to the furniture element; and a sensor system is present that detects at least one property of the control element and controls the procedure of the furniture element in dependence on this detection, the control element having a plurality of surfaces that differ to the extent that which surface of the sensor system faces or faces away from the sensor system can be recognized by means of the sensor system.

2. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the furniture element has a work surface; and in that the control element can be positioned on the work surface, with the work surface having the sensor system.

3. The furniture element in accordance with claim 2, wherein the control element is three-dimensional.

4. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the furniture element has at least one region that is designed such that positioning of the control element on this region does not control any procedure of the furniture element.

5. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the property of the furniture element detected by the sensor system is its displacement or rotary position, with the rotary position being able to be an angle of rotation of the control element about an axis e.g. perpendicular on the furniture element and/or a rotary position relative to an axis of the control element itself.

6. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the property of the control element detected by the sensor system is its position on the furniture element.

7. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control element is configured to provide a user with haptic feedback, that depends on a controlled procedure of the furniture element.

8. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the furniture element has one or more functional units; and in that the control element is configured only to control exactly one or more of the functional units.

9. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control element and/or the sensor system is/are configurable.

10. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control element has an interface for a visualization and/or an interface to uploading for an update or of another piece of software.

11. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sensor system is configured to continuously detect the property of the control element.

12. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sensor system is designed to detect the property of the control element wirelessly.

13. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the furniture element is a faucet, an illumination element, a fan, a motor, an electric consumer, a display, means to output acoustic signals, an interface, an actuator, means to generate cold or heat, or a cooktop or comprises one or more of the aforesaid elements.

14. The furniture element in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control element comprises a marking that is arranged such that an arrangement of the marking correlates with the procedure triggered by the control element.

15. A piece of furniture, having at least one furniture element having the control element in accordance with claim 1.

16. The furniture element in accordance to claim 1, wherein, the control element can be recognized by the sensor system, to thus specify a desired value by the control element.

17. The furniture element in accordance with claim 3, wherein the control element has the form of a cube, a cylinder, or of a parallelepiped or of a pyramid.

18. The furniture element in accordance with claim 5, wherein the rotary piston is relative to a longitudinal axis of the control element

19. The furniture element in accordance with claim 12, wherein the sensor system is designed to detect by means of LCD technology, magnetostriction methods, or an analog Hall sensor system.

Description

[0030] Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0031] There are shown:

[0032] FIG. 1: a perspective view of a countertop with a cooktop and a control element;

[0033] FIG. 2: a further perspective view of a countertop with a cooktop and a plurality of control elements;

[0034] FIG. 3: a schematic side view or sectional view and a schematic perspective view of a countertop with a control element;

[0035] FIG. 4: perspective views of a control element in different rotary positions; and

[0036] FIG. 5: an exemplary view of procedures that can be triggered by the control element.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a countertop by the reference numeral 10 having a cooktop 20 integrated therein. A region 30 in which the control element 40 is disposed is located next to the cooktop in the countertop 10.

[0038] In this position of the control element 40, it does not initiate any action of the cooktop, i.e. none of the hobs of the cooktop are activated.

[0039] If, however, the control element 40 is removed from the region 30 and is displaced or placed into a region not shown in any more detail, the sensor system connected to this region initiates a specific action, e.g. the heating of a hob of the cooktop.

[0040] Exactly one control element is provided in FIG. 1 to control the entire cooktop. The different hobs can, for example, be activated by a corresponding positioning of the control element; a temperature setting is possible, for example, by a rotation of the control element.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment having three control elements that can be used for the activation of different functions or procedures of the furniture element. The light can, thus, for example, be switched on and off by means of one of the control elements, the cooktop can be activated by means of a further control element, and the cooling of a region of the countertop can be activated by means of a third control element.

[0042] An exemplary design of a furniture element in section or in a side view (FIG. 3a)) can be seen from FIG. 3; FIG. 3b) shows the arrangement in a perspective view.

[0043] If the control element 40 is in the region of a sensor system 50 arranged beneath the work surface 10, this is recognized by the sensor system and a corresponding signal is communicated via the cable 60 to a control unit or to another logic so that the desired action is carried out.

[0044] As can in particular be seen from FIG. 3b), the data transmission, i.e. the detection whether or at which point the control element is located, takes place wirelessly.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a control element 40 in the form of a cube in an exemplary view. Except for one side, the cube has a numerical value of 80 on each side. It can in this respect, for example, be the illuminance, a temperature, etc. The user rotates the cube so that the desired numerical value faces upward to specify the desired value. This cube position is recognized by the sensor system and the illuminant, the cooktop, etc. are controlled accordingly.

[0046] If the side of the cube 40 not provided with a number faces upward, the light, cooktop, etc. is switched off.

[0047] This example is naturally applicable to any desired other parameters.

[0048] The invention is also not restricted to numerical values. A corresponding embodiment with letters, words, symbols, etc. is also conceivable and covered by the invention.

[0049] An exemplary list of functions or procedures can be seen from FIG. 5 that can be controlled by means of the control element.

[0050] One of more of the following features are present in a conceivable embodiment:

[0051] The control element should be freely positionable, i.e. be able to be integrated or arranged at any point of the countertop;

[0052] The control element should be a very simple part, a suitable material (not magnetic, or shielding);

[0053] The control element should be universal (intelligent sensor system);

[0054] The control element should be removable (state: storage);

[0055] The control element should be recognized in any angular position (function begins with the rotary movement);

[0056] The control element should provide haptic feedback in dependence on the function (switch feel, optical or no detent);

[0057] The control element should at as a rotary input (any desired rotary direction, detection zone 0-360°);

[0058] The control element should have a virtual axis of rotation (center of rotation, small friction) and/or be displaceable;

[0059] The control element should be able to control different end devices;

[0060] The control element should be configurable (waiting times, light control, etc.);

[0061] The control element should provide an interface for a visualization; and

[0062] The control element should provide an update interface.