FURNITURE SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a furniture system, consisting of a height-adjustable chair and a height-adjustable table. According to the invention, the chair and the table can be height-adjusted synchronously by means of a common control device, wherein the height adjustment of the table and the height adjustment of the chair are synchronized with each other in such a way that, at different heights, an ideal distance between the tabletop and the seat surface of the chair is always maintained.

Claims

1. A furniture system comprising: a height-adjustable chair; and a height-adjustable table, wherein the chair and the table are adjustable in height by means of a common control device, wherein the height adjustment of the table and the chair is synchronized with each other in such a way that, at different heights, an ideal distance between the table top and the seat surface of the chair is always maintained.

2. The furniture system according to claim 1 wherein the common control device moves the furniture system from a lower position to an upper position and vice versa in accordance with a program at predefinable time intervals or intentionally triggered.

3. The furniture system according to claim 1, wherein in the lower position in the case of the chair, at least the seat surface is adapted so that it is flat, and in the upper position the seat surface is narrow and curved upwards like a saddle.

4. A chair for acting together with a furniture system according to claim 1, wherein the chair and a table associated with the chair are synchronously height-adjusted by a common control unit, wherein the height adjustment of table and chair is synchronized with each other in such a way that, at different heights, an ideal distance between the table top and seat surface of the chair is always maintained, wherein the chair is adjustable in height between a low height and a high height by means of a control device disposed in the chair, and the control device can move the chair from the low to the high height and vice versa in accordance with a program at predefinable time intervals or intentionally triggered.

5. The chair according to claim 4, wherein at the lower height, at least the seat surface is adapted so that it is flat, and at the high height the seat surface is narrow and curved upwards like a saddle.

6. The furniture system according to claim 1 wherein the height adjustment of the table or of the chair occurs by means of electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic pressure cylinders.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1a the furniture system of the invention in the low position.

[0023] FIG. 1b the furniture system of the invention in the high position.

[0024] FIGS. 2a and 2b show the adaptation of the chair as a function of height.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the structure of the furniture system of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] A task of the invention is to produce a synchronous height adjustment of table 3 and chair 1, in the case of the furniture system of the invention in FIGS. 1a and 1b. Although the synchronous height adjustment can of course also take place by mechanical means (lever, threading, spring tension, gas springs), an electronic control is preferable. Positions 1, 2, 3 show the chair, seat surface, and table each in the lower position and positions 1, 2, 3 each in the upper position.

[0027] A further advantage of the electrical height adjustment of chair 1 is that greater height differences can be overcome with an electrically driven telescopic extension than with a conventional gas spring. Further advantages consist of possible electronic position feedback and in that the user need not release the seat for height adjustment.

[0028] The adaptation of the chair as depicted in FIGS. 2a and 2b as a function of the height can be basically addressed by usual means, such as gas springs and linkages.

[0029] However, one or more electrical drives are also more advantageous here because of the simpler synchronization with the central control unit. It is achieved thereby that the seat surface of the chair, in particular of an office chair, can be changed as a function of its height, so that it is large at a normal seat height and narrow, therefore saddle-shaped in particular in the front region of the seat surface, at a high seat height. It is also conceivable that the seat surface is slightly inclined forward in the high seat height. Positions 1, 2 show the chair and the seat surface each in the lower position or height and positions 1, 2 each in the upper position or height.

[0030] Furthermore, seat 1 can have a plurality of electrically controllable drives in the backrest, which can adjust various areas, e.g., the backrest position, lumbar support position, and the armrest position of the seat, and thus adapt them to the user and the chair height.

[0031] For the electrical height adjustment of the furniture system shown in FIG. 3, a central control unit Z is connected in each case to a decentralized control unit SS and ST to table 3 and chair 1 via a wireless communication path (indicated by broken lines in FIG. 3). The electrical height adjustment of table 3 and chair 1 offers the advantage that a synchronization of the adjustment can be easily implemented. Wired systems are also considered in general as a connection between control unit Z and table 3 and chair 1, but wireless systems such as, for example, infrared, Bluetooth, and WLAN are to be preferred.

[0032] The height adjustment of tables is usually carried out by means of springs, gas springs, or electric drives, and of chairs by means of gas springs or simple spindles. The synchronous height adjustment of table 3 and chair 1 is basically conceivable for the mechanical systems by means of sensors and a valve control of the gas spring. However, the embodiment with electrical drives in particular offers the advantage that they can be easily synchronized via a central control unit.

[0033] Overall, therefore, at least three electrical drives are controlled by the central control unit Z: the height adjustment of the table M1, as well as the height adjustment of the chair M2, and the seat surface adjustment M3 of the chair, each controlled by an associated control unit. One control unit SS is integrated in the chair, and the other control unit ST for the table is disposed in the table. Of course, because the chair has a power supply, it is also conceivable that the backrest or armrests are controlled electronically, as is indicated by electric motor M4. The drives in the table are supplied with power by a direct connection to the general power supply (not shown) or via solar cells (not shown) attached to the table, and in the chair by means of rechargeable batteries W, W, charged via a charging station L at the table. Power is supplied to central control unit Z by means of small rechargeable batteries or, if central control unit Z is fixedly connected to the table or chair, by direct connection to its respective power supply.

[0034] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.