Piece of furniture with sensor device

• US 10,398,227 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grass GmbH (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Original Assignee: Grass GmbH (Thyssenkrupp AG)
• Inventors: Liebsch, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Hansen, James O
• Application Number:
  US15/430,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20170181545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 3123195, 3123191, 3123192, 312326
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0056 with a motor, e.g. an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0091 Electronic or electric devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/457 operated by electrically-powered actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/73 responsive to movement or presence of persons or objects
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/852 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/20 for furniture, e.g. cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/088 operating with electric fields G01V3/082 takes precedence

Abstract

A piece of furniture with a sensor device is provided. The sensor device includes an electrode arrangement which is arranged on a furniture section of the piece of furniture. The electrode arrangement, which is located at one side of the piece of furniture, detects changes in an electric field in a surrounding region with or without touching the electrode arrangement or the piece of furniture. The sensor device includes a detection unit, wherein a position of a body in the surrounding region of the piece of furniture is determined by a detected change in the electric field.

Claims

1. A piece of furniture with a sensor device, the sensor device comprising:

an electrode arrangement which is arranged on a furniture section of the piece of furniture in such a way that, by using the electrode arrangement, changes in an electric field in a surrounding region, which is located at one side of the piece of furniture, can be detected with or without touching the electrode arrangement or the piece of furniture; and

a detection unit by which a position of a body in the surrounding region of the piece of furniture is determined by a detected change in the electric field;

wherein the electrode arrangement comprises a plurality of probe electrodes and at least one field electrode provided to generate the electric field in the surrounding region, wherein the probe electrodes are located on a first surface of a carrier element made of an insulating material in one layer in one plane of the electrode arrangement, and the at least one field electrode is located on an opposed second surface of the carrier element in another plane of the electrode arrangement that is parallel to the one plane and behind a rear side of the plurality of probe electrodes to define a layered structure.

2. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of the probe electrodes are connected individually to the detection unit for separate detection.

3. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the field electrode is connected for charging to the detection unit.

4. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the probe electrodes are attached to the carrier element and separated from one another by electrically insulating material.

5. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 4, wherein the field electrode is attached, electrically insulated, to the carrier element.

6. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier element is a circuit board.

7. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrode arrangement is arranged on the body of the piece of furniture.

8. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrode arrangement is arranged on a movable furniture section.

9. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrode arrangement is embedded in a front panel.

10. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrode arrangement is embedded in a cover plate.

11. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sequence of a plurality of positions of a dielectric body in the surrounding region can be assigned to an actuation signal by the detection unit.

12. The piece of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the piece of furniture comprises an actuator that is connected to the sensor device for an actuation.