Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C21/00—Attachments for beds, e.g. sheet holders, bed-cover holders; Ventilating, cooling or heating means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses
  • A47C21/003—Lighting, radio, telephone or the like connected to the bedstead
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C31/00—Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets
  • A47C31/008—Use of remote controls
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F21V23/00—Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices
  • F21V23/04—Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices the elements being switches
  • F21V23/0442—Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices the elements being switches activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors

Definitions

• the invention relates to an article of furniture dedicated to rest purposes, such as a bed or an armchair, equipped with a lighting device, and the lighting device itself.
• the bedroom light has to be turned on each time someone gets out of bed to move into another room.
• a light switch which turns on a general bedroom light or a dedicated secondary light, usually located on a bedside table or incorporated in the bed itself.
• the light is a room light
• the general disturbance caused by the intense light and scope of illumination affects other people sleeping in the same room.
• a further need is that the switching-on of a light should be commanded only by the occupant requiring the light, and that the light should therefore be unreactive to the movement of other persons in the room the furniture dedicated to rest is situated in. Further, there is a need for a low-intensity light point, activated by the device.
• the aim of the present invention is to satisfy the above requirements while at the same time obviating the drawbacks outlined with reference to the prior art.
• the prior art describes devices, illustrated in document WO 2005/088192 A1 , which cause a light commanded by a movement sensor to switch on. These devices are not suited to the aims of the present invention, as in a case in which a room contains two beds, or there is a double-bed, or there are two armchairs, the switching devices are activated by the movement of either of the occupants, without regard for the other occupant. If, for example, in a double bed provided with a light for each occupant, one of the occupants gets up, the light dedicated to the other occupant is switched on.
• the aims of the invention are attained by a lighting device, applied to an article of furniture dedicated to rest, such as a bed or an armchair, the characteristics of which are defined in claim 1.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a bed of the present invention
• - figure 2 is a schematic view of a block diagram for the functioning of the lighting device of the bed of figure 1.
• 1 denotes in its entirety a bed of the present invention.
• the bed 1 comprises, in a totally general way, a support frame 2 formed by four rest legs 3 arranged at the four corners and a vertical headboard resting against a wall.
• a normal mattress 100 is arranged on the frame 2, on which a person can lie during sleep.
• two presence sensors 5 are arranged on the headboard 4 of the bed, at a certain height distance from the upper surface of the mattress 100.
• the sensors 5 can, for example, be located at the opposite corners of the headboard 4.
• a lighting device is connected to the sensors 5, which lighting device in the present example can be a small spotlight 6, which is automatically switched on when the presence sensor 5 identifies the presence of a person internally of the detection range thereof.
• the spotlight 6 In order to prevent the light issued by the spotlight 6, when lit, from disturbing any other people present in the bedroom the bed 1 is located in, the spotlight
• the range of the presence sensors 5 is directed above the mattress 100 starting from a certain height selected such that a person lying on the bed cannot be detected, while the same person's presence is detected, by falling within the range of detection, when the person passes from a lying position to a raised position, typically by getting up from the bed 1 in order to move into another room.
• the presence detectors 5 are fixed and specially oriented such as to activate the spotlight 6, only and exclusively when the person passes from the lying position on the mattress 100 to the raised position to leave the mattress 100.
• a position is meant in which the person's back is at least partially in an erect position above the mattress 100, for example, when the person is seated on the mattress 100.
• the presence detectors 5 of the present invention can be of any type, as long as they are activated only internally of a narrow and controllable range of detection.
• presence detectors of the photocell type are preferred, which are in themselves insensitive to movement and are activated only when the subject is present within the scope of the photocell. It is also possible to use ultrasound sensors, known in the sectorial art and for that reason not described in detail herein.
• the above-mentioned ultrasound sensors are sensitive to variations in the sound waves reflected in the environment by a moving object.
• any other type of presence sensor can be used alternatively to the ones mentioned herein above, as long as the sensor exhibits the same requisites.
• the detection field is constituted by a segment of circular sector, substantially extended in a horizontal plane above the mattress 100, the angle of which is comprised between 180° and 30° at a distance from each sensor 5 which is comprised between a few centimetres and two metres.
• a single presence sensor can be used for each bed, as long as the detection field thereof is able to intercept an individual rising from the bed from any position.
• a sensor can be used that is ohentable according to need in order to vary the orientation of the detection field thereof.
• the senor 5 can be set such as to keep the electric circuit closed for a limited time, enabling lighting-up of the spotlight 6 for a limited time too, at the end of which the electrical contact is re-opened and automatically turns off the spotlight 6.
• the sensor 5 can be set such as to maintain the electrical circuit closed, enabling the spotlight 6 to be lighted for a non-predefined duration.
• the turning-off of the spotlight 6 can be done manually.
• the turning-off (opening the electrical circuit) re-activates the presence-detecting function, which enables the light to be re-activated when the presence of a person internally of the detection field is detected.
• the manual switching-off can be done by directly intervening on a special manual switch, or preferably via a wireless remote device, typically a radio remote control 51 which communicates with the sensor 5 by means of a receiver 50 (figure 2).
• a wireless remote device typically a radio remote control 51 which communicates with the sensor 5 by means of a receiver 50 (figure 2).
• the presence detector 5 is provided with a programmable control system 60, preferably already incorporated, via which the functioning mode of the spotlight 6 can be controlled, or the functioning mode of any other lighting device connected thereto.
• the remote radio control is able not only to turn off the spotlight 6 but also to turn it on in the absence of an activation signal from the sensor 5.
• a single electric cable is used, to be connected to the domestic electric supply for supplying the sensors 5 and the spotlight 6.
• the sensors 5 and/or the spotlight 6 can be powered by batteries.
• the bed provided with the lighting device of the present invention satisfies the needs and obviates the drawbacks mentioned in the introductory part of the present description, made with reference to the prior art.
• the spotlight 6 automatically switches on when a person rises from the bed, without there being any need to search for the electric switch in the dark.
• the lighting of the spotlight can be freely programmed for a predetermined duration, or can be turned off manually by operating a switch or, more easily, by using a remote radio control.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Arrangement Of Elements, Cooling, Sealing, Or The Like Of Lighting Devices (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)
• Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39092019

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (3)

Citations (4)

• 2006
  • 2006-11-23 IT ITRE20060143 patent/ITRE20060143A1/it unknown
• 2007
  • 2007-11-06 WO PCT/EP2007/061902 patent/WO2008061870A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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