NZ511298A

NZ511298A - Detection of obstacle to closing in powered furniture

Info

Publication number: NZ511298A
Application number: NZ511298A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Ulland Islwyn Watkins; Stephen Henry Colclough
Original assignee: Ulland Islwyn Watkins; Stephen Henry Colclough
Priority date: 1998-11-03
Filing date: 1999-11-02
Publication date: 2003-10-31
Also published as: GB9823914D0; GB2351656B; ZA200103427B; WO2000025636A1; GB2351656A; NO20012164D0; CA2349362A1; GB2351656A8; AU1055800A; GB0027732D0; GB2343371A; NO20012164L; GB2343371B; EP1126771A1

Abstract

A furniture arrangement (typically a chair or bed) powered to be movable between a first and a second configuration, including a detector arrangement (1) which detects the presence of foreign bodies in the vicinity of the furniture piece, the detector arrangement (1) being connected to a controller arranged to modify the output of the driver driving the furniture where a foreign body is detected.

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 11 WO 00/25636 PCT/GB99/03614 Control of Powered Furniture The present invention relates ■ to t,he control of powered furniture. Chairs, beds and other furniture are available which include mechanisms and power units that enable the occupant to be moved. These devices are particularly-useful for people with physical disabilities and typically have the power to lift as much as 250kg. The same power is typically available when the mechanism is lowered or closed. It is normal that; when the mechanism is in its raised position, access can be gained to the workings of the mechanism. This access is not necessarily required, but is inherent in the design of such mechanisms. It is possible that a person, small child, animal or equipment such as a power cord may have moved into a position where injury or damage may occur if the mechanism is subsequently lowered. Improved furniture has now been devised. According to a first aspect, the invention provides furniture comprising: i1) a furniture piece movable between a first configuration and a second configuration; ii) motive means for moving the furniture between the first and second configurations; WO 00/25636 PCT/GB99/03614 -2- iii) control means controlling the operation of the motive means; and, iv) a detector arrangement for detecting the presence of foreign bodies in the vicinity of the furniture piece, the detector arrangement being connected to the control means and arranged to modify the output of the motive means where a foreign body is detected. The detector arrangement is preferably arranged to detect the presence of foreign bodies positioned between the furniture piece and the floor or wall of a building, or more preferably, the furniture piece and a plinth or base of the furniture piece, relative to which the furniture piece is moveable. The furniture therefore preferably comprises a base mount or plinth for supporting the movable furniture piece, and relative to which the furniture piece is movable, preferably by tilting. Desirably, the detector arrangement is positioned on a portion of the arrangement which remains substantially stationary whilst the furniture piece moves between the first and second configurations. The detector arrangement preferably comprises a an elongate flexible detector, desirably extending about the base mount or plinth or the base or plinth, contacting portion of the furniture piece. WO 00/25636 PCT/GB99/03614 -3- The detector arrangement comprises electrical contacts normally biassed away from one another but capable of being brought into contact by .aji. applied operating force which is substantially in the range 5N or less. The detector arrangement preferably comprises an elongate housing resiliently compressible in a direction transverse to its longitudinal direction, which housing preferably carries an elongate electrical contact. The contact is preferably received in a receiving formation of the housing which receiving formation is preferably arranged to releasably retain the contact, desirably in releasable gripping engagement. A second contact desirably runs adjacent the first contact in the housing desirably received in a channel provided in a base portion of the housing. In one embodiment at least one of the contacts may comprise an electrically conductive wire wound about an elongate flexible former. It is believed that a detector arrangement as herein defined is novel and inventive per se. Desirably, the control means is arranged to modify the output of the motive means in response to change in the contact status of the detector arrangement. The motive means is preferably caused to cease operation or reverse in operation in response to output from the detector arrangement corresponding to the contacts touching. Desirably, the motive means is caused to -reverse in operation before ceasing operation, in such circumstances. WO 00/25636 PCT/GB99/03614 -4- The motive means is preferably arranged to operate the furniture piece to tilt between the first and second conf igurat ion. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a tilting chair or bed arrangement comprising: i) a tilting bed or chair movable between a first configuration and a second configuration tilted relative to the first configuration; ii) a base mount or plinth for the chair or bed; iii) motive means for tilting the bed or chair from the first to the second configuration; iv) control means controlling the operation of the motive means; and, v) a detector arrangement for detecting the presence of foreign bodies between the base mount or plinth and the bed or chair, the detector arrangement being connected to the control means and arranged to modify the output of the motive means where a foreign body is detected, the detector means comprising an elongate detector element extending about the base of the bed or chair, or (more preferably) the base mount or plinth and having elongate portions extending in substantially mutually perpendicular directions. WO 00/25636 PCT/GB99/036I4 -5- The chair or bed is preferably connected to the base mount or plinth at a tilt axis connection. Desirably,,, the motive means is arranged to extend and retract a pivotal arm connected to the bed or chair and the base mount or plinth. The invention, will now be further described in a specific embodiment, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an arrangement for controlling the operation of furniture according to the invention; Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view of a detector arrangement comprising furniture according to the invention; Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the construction of a flexible continuous conductor shown in figure 2; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a support frame for powered tilting furniture according to the invention; and, Figure 5 is a view corresponding to figure 4, showing a detector arrangement according to the invention in position. WO 00/25636 PCT/GB99/03614 -6- Ref erring to the drawings, as shown in Figure 1, an elongate flexible detector 1 is connected to an electronic circuit 2, which can be interfaced as required to the control unit of the powered furniture 3. The electronic circuit comprises a monitor section 10 and a latch 11. The detector 1 comprises two continuous metal contacts 8 and 9, supported in a rigid non-conducting base 7 and a flexible non-conducting cover 6 as shown in Figure 2. The ■ cover 6 has sufficient flexibility to allow the contacts 8 and 9 to touch when pressure is applied and sufficient recovery strength to separate the contacts 8 and 9 when the pressure is removed. To ensure that the upper contact 8 has sufficient flexibility in all dimensions it may be made of a thin metal material, or as shown in Figure 5 it may be constructed as a wire 13 wound onto a nonconducting flexible, non-stretch former 12. Under normal circumstances, when it is safe for the furniture to be operated (for example tilted to a lowered position from a raised position), the output of the latch 11 in the electronic circuit 2 will be in a reset state. The monitor 10 in the electronic circuit 2 detects if the contacts 8 and 9 in the detector device break along their length or if they come into contact. If either event happens, the monitor 10 will set the output of the latch 11. The changed output state of the latch 11 can be used by the machine's control unit 3 to initiate the most desirable action, for example to stop or reverse the WO 00/25636 PCT/GB99/03614 -7- machine's power unit 5. The letch 11 will remain with a changed output state until the contacts 8 and 9 separate and the latch 11 5 subsequently receives a separate reset signal. As an example, for the case of a lifting chair, which is used to help the chair's occupant to stand from a sitting position, the chair's mechanism will be opened by its 10 power unit 5 as shown in Figure 4. The detector 1 is fitted to a base mount frame 14 to extend around three sides of the frame enclosing the opening area of the mechanism 4 as shown in Figure 5, so that any body of sufficient weight entering the opening in the machine will 15 press the contacts 8 and 9 in the detector device together. Alternatively, if an object with insufficient weight, such as a power cord enters the mechanism, the contacts 8 and 9 in the detector device 1 will come together as the mechanism 4 closes on it. The amount of 20 movement allowed in the detector device will ensure that damage is not caused to the obstructing object before the mechanisms' movement is stopped or reversed. 8 </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> Claims

1. A furniture arrangement including: a furniture piece movable between a first configuration and a second configuration; motive means for moving the furniture between the first and second configurations; control means controlling the operation of the motive means, and a detector arrangement for detecting the presence of foreign bodies in the vicinity of the furniture piece, and being connected to the control means, said detector arrangement including elongate electrical contacts, the control means being arranged to modify the output of the motive means both in the case that the contacts break along their length and in the case that they come into contact.

2. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement comprises electrical contacts, the control means being arranged to modify the output of the motive means in response to change in the contact status of the detector arrangement.

3. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, arranged to detect the presence of foreign bodies positioned between the furniture piece and the floor or wall of a building.

4. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the detector arrangement is Offica of \ 3 AUG 23C3 r> *|Vlf''" 9 arranged to detect the presence of foreign bodies positioned between furniture piece and a plinth or base of the furniture piece, relative to which the furniture piece is movable.

5 5. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the furniture further comprises a base mount or plinth for supporting the movable furniture piece, and relative to which the furniture piece is movable. 10

6. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 5, wherein the furniture piece is movable relative to the plinth or base by tilting.

7. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the detector arrangement is 15 positioned on a portion of the arrangement which remains substantially stationary whilst the furniture piece moves between the first and second configurations.

8. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the furniture further comprises a 2 0 base mount or plinth for supporting the movable furniture piece, and relative to which the furniture piece is movable, the elongate flexible detector extending about the base mount or plinth.

9. A furniture arrangement according to any of Claims 1 25 to 8, wherein the furniture further comprises a base mount or plinth for supporting the movable furniture piece, and relative to which the furniture piece is movable, the Ir.talScs&c1. Officio of -i 3 W 2X3 10 elongate flexible detector extending about a base or plinth contacting portion of the furniture piece.

10. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the detector arrangement 5 comprises electrical contacts normally biased away from one another but capable of being brought into contact by an applied operating force which is substantially in the range 5N or less.

11. A furniture arrangement according to any of the 10 preceding claims, wherein the detector arrangement includes an elongate housing resiliently compressible in a direction transverse to its longitudinal direction, which housing carries an elongate electrical contact.

12. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 11, wherein 15 the contact is received in a receiving formation of the housing which receiving formation is arranged to releasably retain the contact.

13. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 12, wherein the contact is retained in releasable gripping engagement 20 by the receiving formation.

14. A furniture arrangement according to any of Claims 11 to 13, wherein a second contact extends adjacent the first contact in the housing.

15. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 14, wherein 25 the second contact is received in a channel provided in a base portion of the housing. Property Office of KZ ' *-4 '"'"2 f""* ■ J nZL'wO 11

16. A furniture arrangement according to any of Claims 11 to 15, wherein at least one of the contacts comprises an electrically conductive wire wound about an elongate flexible former.

17. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the motive means is caused to cease operation or reverse in operation in response to output from the detector arrangement.

18. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 17, wherein the motive means is caused to reverse in operation before ceasing operation.

19. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the motive means is arranged to operate the furniture piece to tilt between the first and second configuration.

20. A furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a tilting chair or bed arrangement, said detector switch extending about the base of the bed or chair, or (more preferably) the base mount or plinth and having elongate portions extending in substantially mutually perpendicular directions.

21. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 20, wherein the chair or bed is connected to the base mount or plinth at a tilt axis connection.

22. A furniture arrangement according to Claim 21, wherein the motive means is arranged to extend and retract a Pi'Cporty Oris.- 3 Oa (V- ■. v ■" 7, A ■ I, i 0 V. // \ ,, 12 pivotal arm connected to the bed or chair and the base mount or plinth.

23. A furniture arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. A detector arrangement for a furniture arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, said detector arrangement including elongate electrical contacts and a control means adapted to be responsive both to a break in either of the contacts along their length and responsive to the contacts coming into contact.

25. A detector arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. END OF CLAIMS property </div>