Pressure switch for motorized chairs

• US 20030155224A1
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Hickory Springs Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Guillot, Edmond P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,689,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/85A
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/035 in combination with movably coupled seat and back-rest, i.e. the seat and back-rest being movably coupled in such a way that the extension mechanism of the foot-rest is actuated at least by the relative movements of seat and backrest
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/008 Application power seats
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/141 Cushion or mat switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/142 of the elongated strip type
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0207 Adjustable mounting of casings

Abstract

A pressure switch strip assembly for use with a motorized chair having user-supporting elements that support a user and are movable by a motor connected by a circuit to a controller. The pressure switch strip assembly includes a pair of elongate contact strips that extend over a spring in one of the user-supporting elements. The contact strips are separated by spacers in a “normally open” position that prohibits operation of the motor by the controller. Between the contact strips and the spring is a contact wire that acts as a pressure point to deflect the contact strips together. Deflection of the contact strips closes the circuit between the controller and motor, allowing control of the chair by the user resting thereon. A pair of the pressure switch strips may be spaced apart across the user-supporting element so as to detect the user in several positions on the user-supporting element.

Claims

1. A motorized chair having user-supporting elements that are movable relative to each other and are controllable by a user resting on the chair, said chair comprising:

a frame supporting at least two user-supporting elements that are movable relative to each other for positioning the user across a range of motion, one of said user-supporting elements including a plurality of springs for flexibly supporting the user;

a motor connected to said frame and to the user-supporting elements for moving the user-supporting elements;

a position controller for controlling the motor; and

at least one pressure switch strip positioned on one of the springs of the user-supporting element, said pressure switch strip configured to disable the position controller when no user is on the user-supporting element, and to enable the position controller in response to the user resting on the user-supporting element so as to allow the user to activate the motor to control movement of the supporting surfaces.

2. A motorized chair of claim 1, wherein the springs are stretcher springs.

3. A motorized chair of claim 2, wherein the user-supporting element further includes a pair of spaced supports supporting ends of each of the stretcher springs

4. A motorized chair of claim 3, wherein the springs are spaced from each other along the supports.

5. A motorized chair of claim 4, further comprising a second pressure switch strip positioned along a second one of the stretcher springs.

6. A motorized chair of claim 5, wherein the pressure switch strips are positioned between the user and the stretcher springs.

7. A motorized chair of claim 6, wherein the pressure switch strips each include a pair of contact strips separated by spacers and a contact wire disposed between the stretcher springs and the contact strips.

8. A motorized chair of claim 7, further comprising a cushion disposed over the pressure switch strips and the stretcher springs.

9. A motorized chair of claim 1, wherein the pressure switch strip is positioned between the user and the spring.

10. A motorized chair of claim 9, further comprising a cushion disposed over the pressure switch strip and the stretcher spring.

11. A motorized chair of claim 10, wherein the pressure switch strip includes a resiliently deformable first contact strip separated by spacers from a second contact strip, and a contact wire disposed between the spring and the contact strips.

12. A pressure switch strip assembly for use with a motorized chair having user-supporting elements that support a user resting thereon and are movable relative to each other by a motor connected by a circuit to a controller and wherein one of the user-supporting elements includes a pair of spaced supports supporting ends of a plurality of stretcher springs extending therebetween, said assembly comprising:

a pair of elongate contact strips separated by spacers the contact springs being configured to extend over one side of one of the stretcher springs and further configured for connection to the circuit between the motor and controller; and

an elongate contact wire configured to extend between the stretcher spring and the contact strips so that the user resting on the motorized chair causes at least one of the contact strips adjacent the contact wire to deform about the contact wire such that the contact strips make electrical contact with each other and close the circuit allowing the user to control the motor with the controller and move the user-supporting elements.

13. A pressure switch strip assembly of claim 12, further comprising a connection strip configured to extend along another side of the stretcher spring and intermittently adhere to the contact strips in interstices between wires of the stretcher spring so as to hold the contact strips on the stretcher spring.

14. A pressure switch strip assembly of claim 13, wherein the connection strip is a two-component releasable fastening system having one component attached to the contact strip on one side of the stretcher spring and the other component positioned along another side of the stretcher spring.

15. A pressure switch strip assembly of claim 14, wherein the two-component system is a hook and loop system.

16. A pressure switch strip assembly of claim 12, wherein the length of the elongate contact strips is sufficient to extend along the stretcher spring until under a center of gravity of the user.

17. A pressure switch strip assembly of claim 12, wherein the length of the elongate contact strips extends to within 4.75 inches of a backrest supporting element of the motorized chair.

18. A method of controlling operability of a motorized chair having user-supporting elements that are movable relative to each other and are controllable by a user resting on the chair, said method comprising:

detecting the user resting on the chair using a pressure switch strip positioned on a spring of one of the user-supporting elements;

closing a circuit between the motor and a controller in response to detecting the user so as to enable the controller; and

moving the user-supporting elements in response to manipulation of the controller by the user.

19. A method of claim 18, further comprising detecting the user'"'"'s absence from the chair using the pressure switch strip and disabling the controller so as to prohibit inadvertent movement of the user-supporting elements.

20. A method of claim 18, wherein detecting the user includes detecting the user through a cushion positioned over the user-supporting element.

21. A method of claim 18, wherein detecting the user includes detecting the user in several positions on the seating element using the pressure switch strip and a second pressure switch strip positioned on a second spring spaced from the first spring.

22. A motorized furniture piece having user-supporting elements that are movable relative to each other and are controllable by a user resting on the furniture piece, said furniture piece comprising:

a frame supporting at least two user-supporting elements that are movable relative to each other for positioning the user across a range of motion, one of said user-supporting elements including a plurality of springs for flexibly supporting the user;

a motor connected to said frame and to the user-supporting elements for moving the user-supporting elements;

a position controller for controlling the motor; and

at least one pressure switch strip positioned on one of the springs of the user-supporting element, said pressure switch strip configured to disable the position controller when no user is on the user-supporting element, and to enable the position controller in response to the user resting on the user-supporting element so as to allow the user to activate the motor to control movement of the supporting surfaces.