Height-adjustable piece of furniture and cable protector for such a piece of furniture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10470563-B2
Application number	US-201815987281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A height-adjustable piece of furniture includes a lower part, an upper part, an actuating device, first and second reference sections and a deformation sensor. Distance between the lower and upper parts can be adjusted by the actuating device. The deformation sensor is arranged to detect change between the first and second reference sections and is connected to the actuating device such that a signal of the deformation sensor can be transmitted to the actuating device. The actuating device is configured to stop the change in distance between the lower and upper parts if the signal transmitted by the deformation sensor corresponds to a change in distance that exceeds predefined threshold values. A cable protector is also provided for a cable to be mounted, and is coupled to the first and second reference sections such that tensile force acting on the cable causes change between the first and second reference sections.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A height-adjustable piece of furniture comprising:
a lower part of the piece of furniture which can be set down on a floor;
an upper part of the piece of furniture attached to the lower part;
an actuating device of the piece of furniture, wherein a distance between the lower part and the upper part can be adjusted by means of the actuating device;
a first reference section on the upper part of the piece of furniture;
a second reference section on the upper part of the piece of furniture;
a cable protector configured to have a cable mounted thereon, the cable protector being coupled to the first reference section and the second reference section such that when a tensile force acts on a cable mounted on the cable protector, the cable protector moves to come into contact with one of the first reference section and the second reference section to cause a change between the first reference section and the second reference section; and
a deformation sensor, wherein the deformation sensor
is attached to the upper part of the piece of furniture to detect the change between the first reference section and the second reference section, and
is connected to a control unit of the actuating device such that a signal of the deformation sensor can be transmitted to the control unit of the actuating device, and

wherein the actuating device is configured to stop changing the distance between the lower part and the upper part of the piece of furniture if the signal transmitted by the deformation sensor corresponds to the change between the first reference section and the second reference section exceeding a predefined threshold value.

2. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the deformation sensor comprises a piezo element.

3. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the upper part has a supporting frame and a tabletop held by the supporting frame, wherein the cable protector is mounted on the tabletop or on the supporting frame and the tabletop comprises the first reference section and the supporting frame comprises the second reference section.

4. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the cable protector comprises a deflection lever, which is connected to the first reference section or the second reference section such that when a tensile force acts on the cable mounted on the cable protector said deflection lever can be tilted about an axis of rotation.

5. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 4 , wherein the cable protector is formed such that tilting of the deflection lever about the axis of rotation transmits a force to whichever of the first reference section or of the second reference section to which the deflection lever is non-rotatably connected.

6. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 4 , wherein a cable can be mounted on the deflection lever of the cable protector.

7. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 6 , wherein the deflection lever is equipped with a cable fastening device.

8. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the actuating device triggers a counteracting change in the distance between the lower part and the upper part before the change in distance between the lower part and the upper part is stopped if the signal transmitted by the deformation sensor corresponds to the change between the first reference section and the second reference section exceeding the predefined threshold value.

9. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the change detectable by the deformation sensor between the first reference section and the second reference section comprises a relative deformation between the first reference section and the second reference section.

10. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the change between the first reference section and the second reference section being detectable by the deformation sensor comprises a change in distance between the first reference section and the second reference section.

11. The height-adjustable piece of furniture according to claim 1 , wherein the cable protector is configured such that a tensile force on a cable mounted thereon of approximately 300 N at the most, of approximately 200 N at the most or of approximately 100 N at the most brings about the change between the first reference section and the second reference section which exceeds the predefined threshold value.

12. A cable protector for a height-adjustable piece of furniture, wherein the cable protector includes
a cable fastening device that is configured to have a cable mounted thereon, and
a deflection lever that is configured to be coupled to one of a first reference section of the height-adjustable piece of furniture and a second reference section of the height-adjustable piece of furniture,
wherein if a tensile force acts on a cable mounted on the cable protector, the deflection lever can be moved to transmit a force to whichever of the first reference section or of the second reference section that is not coupled to the deflection lever.

13. The cable protector according to claim 12 , wherein the deflection lever is equipped with the cable fastening device.

Assignees

• Vitra Patente Ag

Inventors

• Keller Stefan
• Schütt Helmut

Classifications

• A47B2200/006

  with table or desk equipped with limit switches · CPC title

• A47B9/12 Primary

  with flexible height-adjusting means, e.g. rope, chain · CPC title

• A47B21/06 Primary

  characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables · CPC title

• A47B9/20

  Telescopic guides · CPC title

• H02G3/0456

  Ladders or other supports · CPC title