SOFA PROVIDED WITH A SENSOR

• US 20140319892A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patrice Boccara
• Original Assignee: Patrice Boccara
• Inventors: BOCCARA, Patrice
• Granted Patent: US 9,351,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/410
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 17/04 Seating furniture, e.g. sofas, couches, settees, or the like, with movable parts changeable to beds; Chair beds
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/041 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/38 for the head adjustable coupled to reclining or easy chairs A47C1/036

Abstract

A piece of furniture which is used to sit on or to stretch oneself out on, in particular an armchair, a seat, a bed or a sofa, includes at least a seating part (2) and/or a part (9) which forms a back, and at least one element which can go between two different positions and/or two different states, for example a headrest, and control means which are designed to command the passage of the said at least one element from one position to another or from one state to another. Means are provided which form a sensor designed to detect the presence of a person seated on the seating part and/or the part which forms a back; and the arrangement is such that the control means command the passage of the said one element from one position to another or from one state to another, when the means which form a sensor detects the presence of a person on the seating part and/or on the part which forms a back.

Claims

1. Piece of furniture which is used to sit on or to stretch oneself out on, in particular an armchair, a seat, a bed or a sofa, comprising at least a seating part (2) and/or a part (9) which forms a back, and at least one element which can go between two different positions and/or two different states, for example a headrest, and control means which are designed to command the passage of the said at least one element from one position to another or from one state to another, characterised in that:

means are provided which form a sensor designed to detect the presence of a person seated on the seating part and/or the part which forms a back; and

the arrangement is such that the control means command the passage of the said one element from one position to another or from one state to another, when the means which form a sensor detects the presence of a person on the seating part and/or on the part which forms a back.

2. Piece of furniture according to claim 1, characterised in that the said at least one element is a head rest, the headrest being designed to support the head of the person seated on the seating part;

the headrest being fitted such as to be able to go between at least one lowered position and one raised position in which it supports the head of the person seated, the movement of the headrest being driven by a motor controlled by a control system, and the control means control the displacement of the headrest into the raised position for support of the head when the means which form a sensor detect the presence of a person on the seating part.

3. Piece of furniture according to claim 1, characterised in that the sensor for detection of the presence of a person is a pressure sensor.

4. Piece of furniture according to claim 1, characterised in that the detection sensor, and in particular the pressure sensor, is placed on or in the seating part.

5. Piece of furniture according to claim 1, characterised in that the arrangement is such that, when the sensor detects that there is no-one on the seating part, in particular for at least a certain interval of time determined in advance, the control means command the passage of the element into its preceding position or state.

6. Piece of furniture according to claim 1, characterised in that, in the control system, several positions of the element are pre-recorded according to the weight of the person seated on the seating part, and the control means command the displacement of the element into one of these pre-recorded positions according to the weight detected by the pressure sensor.

7. Piece of furniture according to claim 2, characterised in that the headrest is fitted above the back, with the mechanical system connected to the headrest appearing on the exterior only in the raised position of the headrest.

8. Piece of furniture according to claim 2, characterised in that the headrest is fitted above the back, with the mechanical system connected to the headrest appearing on the exterior in none of the positions of the headrest.

9. Assembly comprising firstly a piece of furniture which is used to sit on or to stretch oneself out on, in particular an armchair, a seat, a bed or a sofa, comprising at least a seating part and/or a part which forms a back, and secondly an element, distinct from the piece of furniture, which can go from one position to another or from one state to another under the control of control means, which assembly is characterised in that:

means are provided which form a sensor, designed to detect the presence of a person seated on the seating part and/or the part which forms a back; and

the arrangement is such that the control means command the passage of the said one element from one position to another or from one state to another when the means which form a sensor detect the presence of a person on the seating part and/or on the part which forms a back.

10. Assembly according to claim 9, characterised in that the sensor for detection of the presence of a person is a pressure sensor.

11. Assembly according to claim 9, characterised in that the detection sensor, and in particular the pressure sensor, is placed on or in the seating part.

12. Assembly according to claim 9, characterised in that the arrangement is such that, when the sensor detects that there is no-one on the seating part, in particular for at least a certain interval of time determined in advance, the control means command the passage of the element into its preceding position or state.

13. Assembly according to claim 9, characterised in that, in the control system, several positions of the element are pre-recorded according to the weight of the person seated on the seating part, and the control means command the displacement of the element into one of these pre-recorded positions according to the weight detected by the pressure sensor.