Electrically adjustable piece of furniture

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrically adjustable piece of furniture comprising an electric drive motor for adjusting as least one furniture adjusting section with respect to a furniture support section, wherein the piece of furniture comprises sensor devices for detecting the inclination or the change of inclination of the furniture adjusting section.

Claims

1. An electrically adjustable piece of furniture with at least two electrical drive motors (4) for adjusting at least one adjustable furniture section (3) with respect to a furniture support section (2), the furniture piece (1) including a sensor arrangement (7) for sensing an inclination or inclination change of the adjustable furniture section (3) and the drive motors (4) being controllable dependent of the inclination or inclination change, but independently of one another, and the sensor arrangement (7) including at least one gyroscope sensor for determining the inclination or inclination change of the furniture section (3) and at least one gravitation sensor via which the absolute inclination of the furniture section (3) can be determined, and, wherein only a part of the drive motors (4) is controlled dependent upon the sensor arrangement (7) and at least one of the drive motors (4) is void of control dependent on the sensor arrangement (7).

2. The furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein via a control of one of the drive motors (4) the direction of the inclination change is convertible to an equally directed control movement.

3. The furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein in the case the inclination or the inclination change exceeds an acceptable value, one of the drive motors (4) is to be stopped or controlled as to rotate in the opposite direction.

4. The furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein a desired inclination of the furniture adjustment section (3) obtainable by controlling at least one of the drive motors (4).

5. The furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement (7) further for recognizing a contact-free control gesture, by which one of the drive motors (4) is controlled.

6. The furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement (7) further for a contact-free measuring of a distance between the adjustable furniture section (3) and a reference point.

7. The furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein for each of the electric drive motors (4) a separate controller is provided.

8. The furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein a common controller is provided for the at least two electric drive motors (4).

9. A method for controlling a furniture piece according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the drive motors (4) is controlled depending on a detected inclination or respectively inclination change.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the control and the position change of the furniture adjustment section (3) is initiated by a predetermined movement in the sensory range of the sensor arrangement.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the control and the position change of the furniture adjustment section (3) is initiated via an activating arrangement including a switch or a pressure button or rotatable button.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein based on the sensor data of a gyroscope sensor the drive motors are synchronized for adjusting the inclination or the inclination change of the adjustable furniture section (3) and the inclination is corrected using the sensor data of a gravitation sensor while the height of the adjustable furniture section (3) is adjusted via a distance sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows in a side view as an adjustable furniture piece a section of a table whose table plate is height-adjustable with respect to the table legs by an electric drive motor;

(2) FIG. 2 shows the table according to FIG. 1 with the table top in a raised position;

(3) FIG. 3 is a side view of a complete table with left and right side legs and an electric drive motor in each leg;

(4) FIG. 4 shows a table plate with a sensor arrangement for recognizing a contact-free control gesture generated by the hand of a user;

(5) FIG. 5 shows, in an exploded view, a control arrangement for controlling an electric drive motor including a controller and a separate sensor;

(6) FIG. 6 shows a table with a height-adjustable table plate and a sensor arrangement which operates contact-free for determining the height of the table plate with regard to the table leg;

(7) FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a table with a contact-free sensor arrangement for determining the height of the table plate with respect to the floor wherein the sensor arrangement is additionally useable for gesture control;

(8) FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment of a table with a height-adjustable table plate and a sensor arrangement which is activated contact-free and which can be used for determining the height of the table plate with respect to the ceiling; and,

(9) FIG. 9 shows, in a perspective view, a table with three table legs wherein the table plate is height adjustable by drive motors arranged in each table leg.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) FIGS. 1 and 2 show as exemplary embodiments for a furniture piece: a table 1 with a table plate 3 and a table leg 2. The table leg 2 forms a furniture movement section and the table plate 3 forms a adjustable furniture section wherein the table plate 3 is height-adjustable with respect to the table leg 2. The height adjustment occurs with the aid of an electric motor 4 which is arranged at the bottom side of the table plate 3 on a guide portion 3a which extends into the table leg 2 and is slidable guided in the table leg 2. The drive motor 4 rotates a threaded shaft 5 which is in engagement with a corresponding thread in the table leg. The shaft 5 is supported by the guide section 3a whereby, upon rotation of the shaft, a desired height adjustment of the table plate 3 is obtained.

(11) At the bottom side of the table plate 3 there is a control arrangement 6 by which this electric drive motor 4 is controlled. The control arrangement 6 comprises a controller as well as a sensor arrangement 7 whose sensor signals are processed in this controller to provide control signals by which the drive motor 4 is controlled. The electric drive motor 4 can be controlled to rotate in either direction in order to cause movement of the table plate 3 up- or downwardly.

(12) The sensor arrangement 7 comprises a sensor which works without being contacted, for example an optical sensor, an ultrasound sensor, an infrared sensor or a capacitive sensor wherein, if appropriate, several sensors of the same or a different type may be combined. As indicated by the arrow 8, the sensor arrangement covers the area above the table plate 3. The sensor of the sensor arrangement 7 covers an area which is dependent on the sensor and on the installation location. A body part or object by which a control gesture is executed and which extends into the sensing area is detected and results in a control of the drive motor.

(13) As control gesture, for example, an upward or a downward movement is performed within the sensing range of the sensor arrangement 7, wherein, via a continuous measuring of the distance between the sensor arrangement 7 and the body part or respectively, the object within the sensing range, also the direction and the speed of the body part or respectively, the object can be determined.

(14) The control gesture is detected by the sensor arrangement 7 in a contact-free manner. In principle, the body part or respectively the object may be disposed directly on the top surface of the table plate 3, whereby, also in this case, there is a distance between the object and the sensor arrangement 7 which is arranged at the bottom side of the table plate. Typically however the control gesture is performed at a distance from the top side of the table plate 3.

(15) The sensor arrangement 7 however may also be arranged on the top side of the table plate and cover the area above the table plate.

(16) For controlling the sensor the control arrangement 6 first needs to be activated by an activation gesture in order to facilitate the subsequent control procedure. The activation or respectively, the initiation of the control is achieved for example in that the controlling body part or, respectively, object is held at a predetermined distance from the sensor arrangement 7 for a predetermined time. This activation can be optically indicated for example by an LED, wherein such an optical indication is switched off after a certain time when the activation is not followed by a further gesture.

(17) After activation the position of the table plate 3 can be changed by a position-change-control gesture, in particular by an upward movement for a raising of the table plate 3 and a downward movement for a lowering of the table plate 3. The adjustment movement is preferably stopped by discontinuing the control gesture, for example, by removing the controlling body part from the sensor area. This procedure has the advantage that the adjustment movement of the table plate occurs synchronously with the control gesture.

(18) The contact-free sensor arrangement 7 may additionally be used for measuring the distance between the table plate 3 and a reference projection 9 on the table leg 2. The reference projection 9 is a transverse projection at the upper end of the table leg 2 which projection extends in the downwardly extending sensing area of the sensor arrangement 7. The distance between the table plate 3 and the reference projection 9 can be used as basis sensing as reference, in particular for a standard or desired height of the table plate with respect to which the relative adjustments are performed. The distance measurements can be performed by a second sensor arrangement or a second sensor of the sensor arrangement, so that for example the area above and below the table plate can be sensed.

(19) FIG. 3 shows a whole table 1 with two legs 2 which together support the table plate 3. Each table leg 2 accommodates a guide portion 3a which extends from the bottom side of the table plate 3 and carries each an electric drive motor 4, via which the respective guide portion 3a is height-adjustable with respect to the associated table leg 2. The two electric motors 4 are both controlled by the control arrangement 6 which comprises a contact-free sensor arrangement 7. The gesture control via the sensor arrangement 7 occurs as described in connection with exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 by manual gesturing in the sensitive area indicated by FIG. 8 above the sensor arrangement 7 and above the top side of the table plate 3.

(20) The two electrical drive motors 4 may be synchronously controlled via a common control arrangement 6. Also an independent control of the two electric drive motors is possible. This permits for example to arrange for a desired inclination of the table plate 3 or for example for a horizontal arrangement of the table plate in spite of an uneven floor or for a predetermined desk inclination. If several sensors are provided in the sensor arrangement several degrees of freedom of movement of the table plate 3 can be determined and the table plate 3 can be adjusted via different control motors to the desired values.

(21) This can also be achieved by gestures for the control of one or several sensors. To this end, for example, a long activation position is provided for an actuation in a first direction of movement and a short activation position for an actuation in a second direction of movement. The respective activation can be indicated optically for example by way of an LED in different colors or by blinking signals.

(22) In FIGS. 4 and 5 the set-up and the operation of the control arrangement 6 are shown. The control arrangement 6 comprises a controller 12 with a plate which carries a microchip or, respectively, a microcontroller 13, and a sensor arrangement 7 with a contact-free sensor whose sensing range extends upwardly or, respectively downwardly as indicated by the arrows 8 (see FIG. 5). The sensor signals of the sensor arrangement 7, which represent the distance to the hand or the foot or an object placed into the sensing space by a user, are processed in the controller in which control signals based on the sensor signals are generated for controlling the electrical drive motor or motors. The sensor may either be integrated into the controller or arranged outside the controller but communicates with the controller for transferring the measured sensor signals. An arrangement outside and independent from the controller facilitates positioning the sensor at a location which is optimal for servicing the sensor. The connection between the sensor and the controller is established via cable or by wireless signal transmission.

(23) In FIGS. 6 to 8 exemplary embodiments of arrangements for determining the distance between the table plate 3 and a fixed reference point are shown wherein the distance determination without contact is achieved with the aid of the sensor arrangement 7. The distance determination can also be combined with the gesture control. In that case, during the gesture control, a distance change is not determined via the distance sensor but via the sensors contained in the drive motors as they are calculated from the acceleration values obtained from an acceleration sensor or gravitation sensor.

(24) In accordance with FIG. 6 like in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 the distance between the sensor arrangement 7 on the bottom side of the table plate 3 and a reference projection 9 projecting from the table leg 2 below is determined in a contract-free manner.

(25) As indicated in FIG. 7 the distance between the sensor arrangement 7 and the floor 15 is measured and used as reference.

(26) As indicated in FIG. 8 the distance to the ceiling of the room in which the table stands is determined via the sensor arrangement 7 and the distance 14 is used as reference. To this end, an opening is provided in the table plate 3 like in connection with all the other embodiments with gesture control from above the table plate in which the sensor range of the sensor arrangement 7 on the bottom side of the table plate 3 extends through that opening. However, the sensor may also be integrated into the table plate or arranged on the top side of the table plate.

(27) A further embodiment is shown in FIG. 9 wherein the table plate of the table 1 extends over a corner area and the table plate is supported by three legs 2. In each case, a guide part 3a which is firmly connected to the bottom side of the table plate is arranged so as to extend over a table leg 2 to make it height adjustable in each case by an electric drive motor. There are all together three drive motors which can be controlled independently from one another by a common control arrangement 6.

(28) The control arrangement 6 comprises preferably at least two individual sensors effective in a sensor direction via which a tipping or an inclination of the table plate 3 around the axes extending horizontally in the plane of the table plate 3 can be determined. To this end, the control arrangement 6 includes a sensor arrangement with at least two sensors which are designed to determine the inclination or respectively, inclination change of the table plate. These sensors are gyroscope sensors and/or gravitation sensors wherein, via the gyroscope sensors, the inclination angle change or respectively the tilting speed of the table plate 3 and via the gravitation sensors the absolute inclination and the acceleration of the table plate 3 can be determined. If over time continuous measurements are performed, the inclination charge of the table plate can be determined via both types of sensors. The combination of gyroscope and gravity sensors is also advantageous for an accurate position control.

(29) The inclination determination via the sensor arrangement allows for different types of functions. On one hand, it becomes possible to recognize a collision by interpreting a sudden inclination change during upward or downward movement of the table plate 3 as a collision with same object, which leads to a stop of the adjustment movement of the table plate 3 and a collision with same object, which leads to a stop of the adjustment movement of the table plate 3 and possibly to a reversal of the adjustment movement into the opposite direction.

(30) On the other hand, by pressing the table edge upwardly or downwardly, a drive motor supported raising or lowering movement of the table plate can be generated. The upward or downward pushing of the table edge results in a corresponding inclination change of the table plate 3 which is processed sensorically and in the control arrangement for generating control signals for the drive motors. The drive motors can be controlled via the control arrangement individually and independently from one anotherwhich also includes a synchronous control.

(31) In addition to a raising or, respectively, lowering of the table plate 3, if appropriate, also a desired desk inclination of the table plate 3 can be adjusted. In both cases it is necessary to initiate an activation cycle for a achieving the movement, for example by pressing the table plate once or several times up or downwardly. The activation can also be achieved by an acoustic or optical activation signal, where upon the movement can be initiated by pressing the table plate edge upwardly or downwardly.

(32) It is furthermore possible to compensate for height differences in the three different table legs via a separate control of the drive motors, for example in order to obtain a table plate 3 which is standing in water in a horizontal alignment