HAND-HELD CONTROL FOR AN ELECTROMOTIVE FURNITURE DRIVE, METHOD FOR DETECTING ACTUATION OF A HAND-HELD CONTROL, AND ELECTROMOTIVE FURNITURE DRIVE

• US 20160081866A1
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DewertOkin Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dewert OKIN GmbH
• Inventors: HILLE, ARMIN
• Granted Patent: US 10,213,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/022 having independently-adjustable supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/04 with adjustable inclination A47C20/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 20/041 by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/008 Use of remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960785 with illumination

Abstract

Disclosed is a hand-held control (1) for furniture drives (81), comprising a touch-sensitive control panel section (3, 3a, 3b) that has a number of actuation surfaces (4). A method for detecting actuation of the hand-held control (1) is also provided. An electromotive furniture drive (81) is fitted with a hand-held control (1) of this type.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A hand-held control for an electromotive furniture drive, comprising:

at least one detector; and

at least one control panel section having at least one actuation surface which cooperates with the at least one detector.

22. The hand-held control of claim 21, wherein the at least one control panel section comprises a plurality of said actuation surface, said actuation surfaces being arranged at a predetermined distance from one another.

23. The hand-held control of claim 21, wherein the at least one actuation surface cooperates with the at least one detector so that the at least one actuation surface (4) has at least one touch-sensitive function.

24. The hand-held control of claim 21, wherein the at least one control panel section has a firm, non-resilient surface.

25. The hand-held control of claim 24, wherein the surface of the hand-held control has the at least one control panel section.

26. The hand-held control of claim 21, further comprising a detector printed circuit board, said at least one detector being provided on the detector printed circuit board.

27. The hand-held control of claim 21, wherein the at least one detector comprises at least one sensor surface having at least one ground plane assigned thereto.

28. The hand-held control of claim 27, further comprising at least one evaluation unit, said at least one sensor surface with the at least one associated ground plane being connected in an electrically conducting manner to the at least one evaluation unit.

29. The hand-held control of claim 27, wherein the at least one sensor surface is configured as an electrically conducting rectangular, preferably square, frame.

30. The hand-held control of claim 27, wherein the at least one sensor surface is configured to at least partially surround a through hole.

31. The hand-held control of claim 27, wherein the at least one ground plane is configured to at least partially or completely surround the at least one sensor surface.

32. The hand-held control of claim 27, wherein the at least one ground plane comprises at least one cross pattern surrounded by an edge.

33. The hand-held control of claim 21, further comprising at least one control device for generating a control signal.

34. A method for detecting an actuation of a hand-held control, comprising the steps of:

applying an electric periodic test signal from at least one evaluation unit to at least one sensor surface of at least one detector;

recording a response signal by means of a test signal modified by actuation of the at least one detector;

evaluating the test signal thus obtained and producing a logic switching signal for detecting the actuation of the hand-held control.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the logic switching signal is formed directly from the response signal.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least one evaluation unit compares in the evaluating step all response signals, with the one of the response signals having a highest signal level being used for relaying to a control device of the hand-held control.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least one evaluation unit relays in the evaluating step an output value corresponding to a signal level of the response signal to a control device.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein in the presence of a plurality of recorded identical or similar response signals, the control device takes into account a geometrical arrangement of the sensor surfaces that have delivered the response signals, with the control device specifying a geometrically nearest sensor surface as the one whose function an operator has intended.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein a height of a signal level of the response signal of the sensor surface of the detector is previously assigned to a related actuation.

40. An electromotive furniture drive for adjustment of a movable component of an item of furniture, said electromotive furniture drive comprising at least one hand-held control which includes at least one detector, and at least one control panel section having at least one actuation surface which cooperates with the at least one detector, and which is detected by applying an electric periodic test signal from at least one evaluation unit to at least one sensor surface of at least one detector, recording a response signal by means of a test signal modified by actuation of the at least one detector, evaluating the test signal thus obtained and producing a logic switching signal for detecting the actuation of the hand-held control.