FURNITURE SYSTEM

Abstract

In a furniture system having an electrically adjustable piece of furniture and an energy transmission device, the piece of furniture has at least one actuator for adjusting the piece of furniture, an electrical energy store for supplying the actuator during an adjustment process, and a charging circuit for charging the energy store. The energy transmission device is adapted to receive energy from an AC mains supply and to deliver it wirelessly. 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 and an energy transmission device, wherein the piece of furniture comprises at least one actuator for adjusting the piece of furniture, an electrical energy store for supplying the actuator during an adjustment process, and a charging circuit for charging the energy store; the energy transmission device is adapted to receive energy from an AC mains supply and to deliver that energy wirelessly ; and 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 the energy to charge the energy store.

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

3. The furniture system according to claim 2, wherein the charging controller is arranged in a housing of a controller for the at least one actuator.

4. The furniture system according to claim 2, wherein the energy is transmitted based on a radio wave based method, in particular a high frequency method.

5. The furniture system according to claim 2, 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.

6. The furniture system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the energy is transmitted based on an inductive process.

7. The furniture system according to claim 2, wherein the piece of furniture is implemented as a height-adjustable table, in particular as an office table, wherein the energy receiving device is arranged in a table frame or in a table foot of the table.

8. The furniture system according to claim 2, 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 receiving device is arranged in a bed frame or in a bed foot of the bed.

9. The furniture system according to claim 2, wherein the piece of furniture is implemented as an adjustable reclining chair, wherein the energy receiving device is arranged in a frame of the reclining chair, in particular under a cover of the reclining chair.

10. The furniture system according to claim 2, wherein the energy transmission device is mounted: in or on a wall; or in or on a floor; or in another piece of furniture comprised by the furniture system.

11. The furniture system according to claim 2, wherein the energy store is formed as an accumulator or a rechargeable battery.

12. The furniture system according to claim 2, wherein the piece of furniture comprises rollers for moving the piece of furniture.

13. The furniture system according to claim 2, further comprising a manual operating device adapted for wireless connection to a controller for the at least one actuator, the manual operating device comprising a further electrical energy store for supplying the manual operating device during an operating action and a further charging circuit for charging the further energy store.

14. The furniture system according to claim 13, wherein the piece of furniture and the manual operating device are arranged to simultaneously charge the energy store and the further energy store.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] 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.

[0037] In the drawings:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows an example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a table;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of an example of a furniture system;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows another example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a table;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows another example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a table;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows an example implementation of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a bed; and

[0043] FIG. 6 shows an example of a furniture system with an electrically adjustable piece of furniture in the form of a reclining chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] 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, to which rollers 180 are attached in this example.

[0045] The table is shown in a room with a wall 310 and a floor 320.

[0046] 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.

[0047] The table 100 also includes an energy store 120, such as a rechargeable battery or accumulator, which serves as an energy source for supplying power to the actuator 110 or the controller 140 to trigger an adjustment process. In addition, a charging circuit 130 is provided in or at the table 100, which is designed to receive energy wirelessly and to use it to charge the energy store 120.

[0048] For this purpose, the furniture system also includes an energy transmission device 200, which in the present illustration is installed in floor 320. The energy transmission device 200 is adapted to receive energy from an AC mains supply, in particular from a 230 V or 115 V mains supply, and to deliver it wirelessly. As mentioned above, this energy is at least partially received by the charging circuit 130 and converted into a charging current for the energy store.

[0049] The manual operating device 150 can also have a corresponding charging circuit and its own energy store in order to charge this additional energy store from the energy emitted by the energy transmission device 200.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows an example of a schematic block diagram of an example of a furniture system, in particular the components used for wireless charging and operation of the furniture. 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. On the furniture side, the charging circuit 130 is formed by a charging controller 131 and an energy receiving device 132. The charging controller 131 is integrated in the controller 140. Alternatively, the charging controller 131 can also be arranged separately from the controller 140, for example in its own housing or together in a housing with the energy receiving device 132.

[0051] The charging controller 131 is connected to the energy store 120 for charging. Connections between the actuator 110 and the controller 140 and the energy store 120 respectively are also shown. This should represent the control of the actuator 110 by the controller 140 on the one hand and the provision of energy to the actuator 110 by the energy store 120 on the other hand. However, the actuator 110 can also be supplied from the energy storage 120 via the controller 140, so there would be no direct connection between the energy store 120 and the actuator 110.

[0052] The energy transfer between the mains-voltage side module 220 and the energy receiving device 132 is illustrated by corresponding energy waves.

[0053] FIG. 2 also shows the manual operating device 150 with the components of a further energy store 151 and a further charging circuit 152, which also receives energy from the mains voltage-side module 220. In particular, the energy stores in the hand control unit 150 and in the piece of furniture can be charged simultaneously.

[0054] As already mentioned, wireless energy transmission can, for example, take place using a radio wave-based method, in particular an RF method. Alternatively, the energy can also be transmitted based on an inductive process. Differences exist in the possible range of the energy transmission and thus a possible necessity to bring the piece of furniture into the correct position for charging with regard to the energy transmission device 200 or the mains voltage-side module 220. In an inductive process, the distance between the mains-voltage side module 220 and the energy receiving device 132 is limited to a few cm, for example 5 cm to 10 cm, in order to enable charging. With reference to FIG. 1, a relatively exact positioning of the table 100 or the charging circuit 130 above the energy transmission device 200 is therefore necessary.

[0055] With a radio wave-based method, larger distances, for example up to a distance of 50 to 150 cm, in particular up to a distance of 60 to 90 cm, can be enough to transmit sufficient energy for charging the energy store 120. Accordingly, the table 100 in FIG. 1 can also be positioned elsewhere for charging.

[0056] While FIG. 1 shows the table 100 in a side view, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the table 100 in a front view. The energy transmission device 200 is mounted in the wall 310, in particular integrated flush. For example, the mains-voltage-side module 220 of the energy transmission device 200 is compatible with standard switch programs for electrical installations and can be mounted in a conventional installation socket, for example as a replacement for a socket. Alternatively, the energy transmission device 200 could also be equipped directly with a mains plug, especially on the housing, which can be plugged into an available socket. This allows easy retrofitting with energy transmission devices.

[0057] With reference to FIG. 3, the charging circuit 130, in particular the energy receiving device 132, is mounted in or on a telescopic frame part of the table, preferably at a corresponding height to the energy transmission device 200.

[0058] With reference to FIG. 4, the charging circuit 130 or the energy receiving device 132 is mounted in the area of the table top 115, for example laterally or at a lower edge, again at the corresponding height to the existing energy transmission device 200.

[0059] The configurations shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are particularly suitable for inductive transmission methods. However, the same or at least similar arrangement of the energy transmission components 130, 200 could also be used with a radio wave-based method, whereby a larger distance would be possible for a charging process.

[0060] 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. 5 shows a furniture system in which the piece of furniture is conceived as a bed 101, with an adjustable head section and/or an adjustable foot section 116. For reasons of clarity, corresponding actuators are not shown. Similar to the configurations described above, a controller 140, an energy store 120 and a charging circuit 130 can be arranged in a frame or frame of the bed 101. Two possible variants are shown in FIG. 5, namely the mounting in a bed frame 161 or in a bed foot 171, in particular for the charging circuit 130. Depending on the application, the energy transmission devices 200 are mounted in or on the wall 310 and/or in or on the floor 320.

[0061] FIG. 6 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 receiving device 132 is mounted in a frame of the recliner, in particular under a cover of the recliner 102. An energy transmission device 200 is not shown in FIG. 6 for reasons of clarity.

[0062] With regard to the energy transfer processes in the configurations according to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, reference is made to the more detailed configurations above, in particular with regard to the table 100.