Reconfigurable chair
First Claim
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1. ) A chair comprising at least one actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair and means by which a user can control the operation of the or each actuator to vary the configuration of the chair, in opposite directions, via respective switches or sensors on either side of the chair.
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Abstract
A reconfigurable chair arranged for ease of operation by an elderly or disabled person, to change configuration to assist a person in sitting and standing, to limit the risk of a person becoming trapped in the operating mechanisms thereof and/or comprising means for sensing an abnormal load condition.
12 Citations
48 Claims
- 1. ) A chair comprising at least one actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair and means by which a user can control the operation of the or each actuator to vary the configuration of the chair, in opposite directions, via respective switches or sensors on either side of the chair.
- 5. ) An electronic control arrangement for controlling the operation of at least one actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair, the arrangement comprising means by which a user can control the operation of the or each actuator to vary the configuration of the chair, in opposite directions, via respective switches or sensors on either side of the chair.
- 9. ) A chair comprising at least one actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair to tilt the chair forwards, means for sensing whether a person is seated in the chair for operating the or each actuator to return the chair from a tilted position to an upright position, when a person is no longer seated in the chair.
- 12. ) A chair as claimed in claim I 1, wherein the proximity sensor is in the form of charge-transfer capacitance sensor, wherein a fixed charge is transferred from a sensing element (whose capacitance is affected by the proximity of a seated person) to a sampling capacitor of known capacitance, the resulting voltage across the sampling capacitor providing a measure of the extent to which the capacitance of the sensing element is affected.
- 14. ) An electronic control arrangement for controlling the operation of at least one actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair to tilt the chair forwards, the arrangement comprising means for sensing whether a person is seated in the chair and for operating the or each actuator to return the chair from a tilted position to an upright position, when a person is no longer seated in the chair.
- 19. ) A chair comprising at least one actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair and a handset comprising a plurality of buttons for controlling the operation of the or each actuator, wherein the handset must be enabled prior to use, by pressing a plurality of buttons thereof in a predetermined sequence or combination.
- 23. ) A chair comprising at least one actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair and means for sensing whether a person is seated in the chair and for preventing the or each actuator from being operated via a handset or other operating device of the chair unless a person is seated in the chair.
- 28. ) An electronic control arrangement for controlling the operation of at least one actuator to adjust the configuration of a chair, the control arrangement comprising means for sensing whether a person is seated in the chair and for preventing the or each actuator from being operated via a handset or other operating device unless a person is seated in the chair.
- 33. ) A chair comprising an actuator for adjusting the configuration of the chair in at least two stages and means arranged to detect an increase in current drawn by the actuator above a different respective threshold value in each of said stages.
- 41. ) An electronic control arrangement for controlling the operation of an actuator to adjust the configuration of a chair in at least two stages, the control arrangement comprising means for detecting an increase in current drawn by the actuator above a different respective threshold value in each of said stages.
Specification