Power adjustment and safety systems for power motion furniture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10021992-B2
Application number	US-201615278404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to safety mats for power motion furniture, power motion furniture systems comprising electronic architecture including the safety mats, and methods of using the same. In particular, the present invention provides object sensing safety mats for use with power motion furniture wherein the safety mats sense obstructions of movement between an extended or raised configuration of the power motion furniture and prevents movement or return of the extended or raised configuration when an obstruction is detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power motion furniture apparatus comprising:
a) a chair comprising:
a seat portion;
a backrest portion;
a base upon which the seat portion and the backrest portion are connected; and
a frame configured to pivotally support the base from a floor, such that the frame and the base interdependently define the height and tilt angle of the seat and backrest portions from the floor; and
b) a powered adjustment system configured to move the chair base from a seating position whereby the chair base rests upon the chair frame into a raised forward tilting position whereby the chair seat and chair backrest are in a raised and forward tilting position and a space exists between the chair base and the chair frame, wherein the powered adjustment system comprises:
an actuator;
an electronic actuator controller that controls operation of the actuator;
an electronic floor sensor mat controller, wherein the electronic floor sensor mat controller is electronically connected in-line between the electronic actuator controller and the actuator; and
a floor sensor mat, wherein the floor sensor mat is independent of the chair frame and chair base, takes the shape of the empty space therebetween, is exposed when the chair base is in a forward tilting position, and is electronically connected to the electronic floor sensor mat controller;
wherein the electronic actuator controller is communicatively coupled to the actuator and electronic floor sensor mat controller and selectively controls operation of the actuator when the floor sensor mat controller identifies the presence of an object on the floor sensor mat, wherein selectively controls operation comprises preventing lowering of the chair base from a raised forward tilting position into a seating position.

2. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 1 , wherein selectively controls operation further comprises, subsequent to preventing lowering of the chair base from a raised forward tilting position into a seating position, raising of the chair base from the raised forward tilting position into a higher raised forward tilting position.

3. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic floor sensor mat controller employs software that identifies if an object is present on the floor sensing mat.

4. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the software employed by the floor sensor mat controller actively monitors the status of a material within the floor sensor mat.

5. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the software identifies a change in the status of the material as the presence of an object on the mat.

6. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a change in the status of the material is an electrical change.

7. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a change in the status of the material is a change in strain, pressure, deflection, or a combination thereof.

8. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator controller prevents the base from being lowered until the floor sensor mat controller no longer identifies the presence of the object on the floor sensor mat.

9. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the chair further comprises:
(c) a powered leg rest component extendably connected to the chair base, wherein the leg rest component comprises:
a leg rest section and a footrest section, both leg rest and footrest sections having a top surface upon which the legs and feet of an occupant of the chair can rest and a bottom surface, whereby when the leg rest component is in a stowed position the bottom surface of the leg rest and footrest sections are nearly perpendicular to, and below, the chair seat portion; and
a footrest sensor mat located upon the bottom surface of the footrest section of the leg rest component.

10. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the actuator powers the leg rest component to extend or retract between the stowed position and a fully extended position.

11. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the footrest sensor mat is electronically connected to the electronic floor sensor mat controller.

12. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the electronic actuator controller selectively controls actuation of the leg rest component when the floor sensor mat controller identifies the presence of an object in contact with the footrest sensor mat, wherein selectively controls actuation of the leg rest component comprises preventing retraction of the leg rest component from an extended position into a stowed position.

13. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 12 , wherein selectively controls actuation of the leg rest component overrides input signals from a user control or switch of the power motion furniture.

14. The power motion furniture apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the actuator controller prevents the leg rest component from retracting until the floor sensor mat controller no longer identifies the presence of the object in contact with the footrest sensor mat.

15. A powered adjustment system for a lift chair comprising:
an actuator;
an electronic actuator controller that controls operation of the actuator;
an electronic floor sensor mat controller, wherein the electronic floor sensor mat controller is electronically connected in-line between the electronic actuator controller and the actuator; and
a floor sensor mat, wherein the floor sensor mat:
is independent of the chair;
takes the shape of empty space beneath the lift chair;
is exposed when the lift chair is in a raised, forward tilting position; and
is electronically connected to the electronic floor sensor mat controller;

wherein the electronic actuator controller is communicatively coupled to the actuator and electronic floor sensor mat controller and selectively controls operation of the actuator when the floor sensor mat controller identifies the presence of an object on the floor sensor mat, wherein selectively controls operation comprises preventing lowering of the lift chair from a raised forward tilting position into a seating position.

16. The powered adjustment system for a lift chair of claim 15 , further comprising a footrest sensor mat located upon the bottom surface of a footrest component of the lift chair.

17. The powered adjustment system for a lift chair of claim 16 , wherein the electronic floor sensor mat controller employs software that identifies if an object is present on the floor sensing mat and/or is in contact with the footrest sensor mat via actively monitoring the status of a material within the floor sensor mat and/or footrest sensor mat.

18. The powered adjustment system for a lift chair of claim 17 , wherein the software identifies a change in the status of the material as the presence of an object on the floor sensor mat and/or in contact with footrest sensor mat.

19. The powered adjustment system for a lift chair of claim 18 , wherein a change in the status of the material is an electrical change.

20. The powered adjustment system for a lift chair of claim 18 , wherein a change in the status of the material is a change in strain, pressure, deflection, or a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Raffel Systems Llc

Inventors

• Mesko Tyler
• Weeden Richard M
• Dorn Douglas A

Classifications

• A47C7/563

  provided with a back-rest moving with the seat · CPC title

• A47C31/00 Primary

  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 · CPC title

• A47C7/506

  of adjustable type · CPC title

• A61G5/14

  Standing-up or sitting-down aids · CPC title

• A61G2203/726

  for automatic deactivation, e.g. deactivation of actuators or motors · CPC title