FURNITURE SYSTEM

Abstract

In a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture, a system component and an energy transmission device, the piece of furniture has at least one actuator for adjusting the piece of furniture and a controller for controlling the actuator. The energy transmission device is arranged on or in the piece of furniture and is adapted to receive energy from a supply network and to deliver it wirelessly. The system component has an electrical energy store for supplying voltage to the system component and a charging circuit for charging the energy store. The charging circuit is adapted to at least partially receive the energy output from the energy transmission device without physical contact with the energy transmission device and to use it to charge the energy store.

Claims

1. A furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture, a system component and an energy transmission device, wherein the piece of furniture comprises at least one actuator for adjusting the piece of furniture and a controller for controlling the actuator; the energy transmission device is arranged on or in the piece of furniture and is arranged to receive energy from a supply network and to deliver that energy wirelessly; the system component is configured for a communication connection with another system element of the furniture system and/or with the controller and has an electrical energy store for supplying a voltage to the system component and a charging circuit for charging the energy store; and the charging circuit is configured to at least partially receive the energy output from the energy transmission device without physical contact with the energy transmission device and to use it to charge the energy store.

2. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the energy transmission device is configured to deliver the energy based on a radio wave based method, in particular a high frequency method.

3. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the charging circuit comprises an energy receiving device and a charging controller which is configured to control the charging of the energy store with the energy received by the energy receiving device.

4. The furniture system according to claim 3, wherein the energy transmission device and the energy receiving device are designed to transmit sufficient energy between the energy transmission device and the energy receiving device for charging the energy store up to a distance of 50 cm to 150 cm, in particular up to a distance of 60 cm to 90 cm.

5. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the energy transmission device is arranged in a housing of the controller or a furniture component attached to the piece of furniture.

6. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the energy transmission device is arranged in a separate housing.

7. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the piece of furniture is implemented as a height-adjustable table, in particular as an office table, wherein the energy transmission device is arranged under a table top of the table.

8. The furniture system according to claim 7, wherein the system component is formed by an office chair, wherein the energy store is arranged to supply a sensor and/or a chair actuator of the office chair.

9. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the piece of furniture is implemented as a bed with an adjustable head part and/or adjustable foot part, in particular for a bedroom, wherein the energy transmission device is arranged in or on a longitudinal frame of the bed.

10. The furniture system according to claim 9, wherein the system component is formed by a side table, wherein the energy store is configured to supply an electrically operated component of the side table.

11. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the piece of furniture is implemented as an adjustable reclining chair, wherein the energy transmission device is arranged in a frame of the reclining chair, in particular under a cover of the reclining chair.

12. The furniture system according to claim 11, wherein the system component is formed by a side table, wherein the energy store is configured to supply an electrically operated component of the side table.

13. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the system component or a further system component is formed by a manual operating device adapted for wireless communication connection with the controller, wherein the electrical energy store is adapted for supplying the manual operating device during an operating action.

14. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the system component or a further system component of the furniture system is formed by one of the following: a lighting component; an electrically height-adjustable armchair or chair; an electrically adjustable backrest; an electrically adjustable monitor holder; a sensor component which is in communication with the controller during an adjustment of the piece of furniture.

15. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the energy store is formed as an accumulator or a rechargeable battery.

16. The furniture system according to claim 1, which is configured to deactivate the energy transmission device independently of an operation of the piece of furniture.

17. The furniture system according to claim 16, wherein the deactivation of the energy transmission device is triggered by a user of the furniture system and/or by a presence detection of the user at the furniture system and/or as a function of a charging state of the energy store and/or time-controlled.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the following, the invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings using exemplary embodiments. Components that are functionally identical or have an identical effect can be provided with identical reference signs. Identical components or components with identical functions may only be explained with reference to the figure in which they appear first. The explanation is not necessarily repeated in subsequent figures.

[0033] In the drawings:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a table;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a detail of another example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a table;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of an example of a furniture system;

[0037] FIG. 4 shows another example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a table;

[0038] FIG. 5 shows the example of FIG. 4 in another view;

[0039] FIG. 6 an example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a bed; and

[0040] FIG. 7 an example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a reclining chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 shows an example implementation of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a table 100. The table 100 is designed, for example, as a height-adjustable table, in particular an office table, whereby the height of a table top 115 can be adjusted via an actuator 110, which is arranged in a table frame 160. Actuator 110 is controlled, for example, by a controller 140. Table frame 160, for example, is designed as a telescopic column. The table 100 also includes a table foot 170.

[0042] Via a manual operating device 150, which is shown lying on the table top 115 as an example, a user can transmit corresponding operating commands to the controller 140 in order to effect a height adjustment via the actuator 110.

[0043] The furniture system also includes an energy transmission device 200, which is installed in the present illustration in the controller 140. The energy transmission device 200 is designed to receive energy from a supply network, such as a direct current network or an alternating current network, in particular a 230 V or 115 V power network, and to deliver it wirelessly. The energy transmission device 200 can also be supplied with direct current via the controller 140 or from an not shown power supply unit and is therefore at least indirectly connected to the AC mains.

[0044] The manual operating device 150 as an example of a system component is configured for a communication connection with the controller 140. In addition, the manual operating device 150 has an electrical energy store for supplying a voltage to the system component, which is not shown for reasons of clarity, and a charging circuit for charging the energy store, which is also not shown for reasons of clarity. The charging circuit is arranged to at least partially receive the energy delivered by the energy transmission device 200 without physical contact with the energy transmission device and to use it to charge the energy store. This is symbolically represented in FIG. 1 by the energy waves emanating from the energy transmission device 200.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows an alternative implementation that is basically based on the implementation shown in FIG. 1. In contrast to FIG. 1, only the energy transmission device 200 is arranged separately from the controller 140 below the tabletop 115.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows as an example a schematic block diagram of an example of a furniture system, in particular the components used for the operation of the piece of furniture and wireless charging. Among other things, the energy transmission device 200 is shown, which is formed by a mains connection 210 as a connection to the mains voltage and a mains voltage-side module 220. The mains voltage-side module 220, for example, is in connection with the controller 140, especially in a communication connection.

[0047] FIG. 3 also shows the manual operating device 150, with the included components of an energy store 151 and a charging circuit 152, which receives energy from the mains voltage-side module 220. For this purpose, the charging circuit 152 comprises an energy receiver 132 and a charging controller 131 arranged to control the charging of the energy store 151 with the energy received by the energy receiver 132.

[0048] Although FIG. 3 symbolically shows only one system component in the form of the manual operating device 150, there may also be other system components in the furniture system which charge corresponding energy stores with the energy emitted by the energy transmission device 200. In particular, simultaneous charging is also possible. As already mentioned, wireless energy transmission can take place, for example, using a radio wave-based process, in particular an RF process. Thus also larger distances, for instance up to a distance of 50 to 150 cm, in particular up to a distance of 60 to 90 cm, can be sufficient to transmit sufficient energy for charging the energy storage 151. Accordingly, the system component, for example the manual operating device 150, can be positioned anywhere on the piece of furniture or table for charging.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows another example implementation in accordance with the improved charging concept, in which the adjustable piece of furniture is designed as table 100. In contrast to FIG. 1, the system component shown is an office chair 180 which is equipped, for example, with at least one sensor 182 and/or a chair actuator 183 for height adjustment of the office chair. An energy supply for the sensor 182 or the associated sensor technology or the chair actuator 183 is exclusively provided by the energy store 151, which is charged by means of the charging circuit 152 with the energy transmitted by the energy transmission device 200. The energy transmission device 200, for example, is arranged in the front middle table area in order to keep the distance to the office chair 180 as short as possible.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 4, in which the arrangement of the energy transmission device 200 under the table top 115 is clearly visible. For example, the energy transmission device 200 is arranged centrally with respect to a longitudinal axis of the table, but eccentrically with respect to the transverse axis, in particular closer to a side of the tabletop facing the user.

[0051] The improved charging concept is not only applicable to furniture systems with tables, but can also be applied to other pieces of furniture. For example, FIG. 6 shows a furniture system in which the piece of furniture is embodied as a bed 101, in particular as a double bed, for example with an adjustable head section and/or adjustable foot section. Corresponding actuators are not shown for reasons of clarity. Similar to the configurations described above, a controller can be arranged in a frame or bedstead of the bed 101.

[0052] In the illustration of FIG. 6, two energy transmission devices 200 are shown, each on an outward side of the frame, in order to enable energy transmission, particularly in the area of a bedside table or side table 190. This in turn makes it possible to charge a manual operating device 150, which is placed on one of the bedside tables or side tables 190. Furthermore, the side table 190 is equipped with a lighting component, for example an LED light 191. For this purpose, the side table 190 is equipped with a corresponding energy store for supplying the lighting component and a charging circuit for charging the energy store, whereby the charging circuit at least partially uses the energy transmitted by the energy transmission device 200 for charging. Instead of or in addition to this, other electrically operated components can also be supplied by the energy store, for example actuators in an electrically adjustable side table. In the case of a possible implementation as a single bed, it may also be sufficient to provide a single energy transmission device 200 in the bed frame.

[0053] FIG. 7 shows a further possible configuration of the furniture system in which the piece of furniture is implemented as an adjustable reclining chair 102. For example, the reclining chair 102 has an adjustable back section 117 and/or an adjustable foot section 118. An energy transmission device 200 is mounted in a frame of the recliner, in particular under a cover of the recliner 102. As an example, a manual operating device 150 is again shown, which can be charged in the manner already described by the energy transmitted by the energy transmission device 200.

[0054] In other configurations, the side table 190 has a USB charging interface which is fed from the energy store of the side table to enable charging of a mobile phone, for example. It is also possible to supply other lighting elements or sensors with power from the energy store.

[0055] With regard to the energy transfer procedures in the implementations according to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, reference is made to the more detailed configurations above, in particular with regard to the table 100.