Remotely controlled articulated bed

• US 5,235,258 A
• Filed: 08/06/1992
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Santino Antinori
• Inventors: Schuerch, F. Willy
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US07/925,325
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 5/11, 5/60, 5/66, 5/67, 5/68, 5/446, 5/509, 5/69, 318/16, 318/114, 318/460, 318/119, 318/120, 318/128, 318/129, 318/130, 318/134, 318/434, 340/825.75, 340/825.77
• US Class Current: 318/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0097 Remote control for furniture, e.g. tables or shelves
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/72 for collision prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/726 for automatic deactivation, e.g. deactivation of actuators or motors
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/018 Control or drive mechanisms

Abstract

An articulated bed wherein all power signals within the mattress or supporting frame are maintained at 24 volt DC or less. Both body supporting surface manipulating motors and vibratory motors are accommodated. Remote control of all motors is provided, with control signals being processed as a function of a key in order to minimize the likelihood of instructions for one bed being intercepted and acted upon by another bed within range of the remote control device. A plurality of discrete vibration levels are accommodated through use of pulse width modulation control signals. Overload operation of the lifting motors is sensed, and the motors are immediately shut down regardless of whether contrary instructions are currently prevailing or being received.

Claims

1. An articulated article of furniture comprising:

A) a body supporting surface having at least first and second portions thereof being movable with respect to one another;

B) a motor operably coupled to at least one of the first and second portions;

C) control means operably coupled to the motor for controlling the motor, and hence, controlling positioning of the first portion with respect to the second portion, in response to reception of motor control signals;

D) wireless receiver means operably coupled to the control means, for receiving encryted motor control signals and for providing the encrypted motor control signals to the control means.

2. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1, and further including frame means for supporting the body supporting surface.

3. The articulated article of furniture of claim 2, wherein the motor, control means, and wireless receiver means are all disposed within the frame means.

4. The articulated article of furniture of claim 3, wherein the motor, control means, and wireless receiver means are each powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

5. The articulated article of furniture of claim 4, and further including power supply means disposed exterior to the frame means for providing the no more than 24 volts DC, wherein the power supply means includes:

i) first means for coupling to an AC power source to receive an AC power signal; and

ii) second means operably coupled to the first means for converting the AC power signal into the no more than 24 volts DC.

6. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1, and further comprising:

E) wireless transmitter means for;

i) sourcing motor control signals;

ii) processing the motor control signals as a function of a preselected key to provide the encryted motor control signals; and

iii) transmitting the encryted motor control signals to the wireless receiver means.

7. The articulated article of furniture of claim 6, wherein the wireless receiver means further includes means for processing the encryted motor control signals as a function of the preselected key to recover the encryted motor control signals.

8. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1, and further comprising:

E) vibration means for imparting vibration to at least some part of the body supporting surface;

wherein the control means is further coupled to the vibration means for controlling the vibration means, and hence, controlling impartation of vibration to at least some part of the body supporting surface, in response to reception of vibration control signals.

9. The articulated article of furniture of claim 8, wherein the wireless receiver means further functions to receive encryted vibration control signals and to provide the encryted vibration control signals to the control means.

10. The articulated article of furniture of claim 9, and further including frame means for supporting the body supporting surface.

11. The articulated article of furniture of claim 10, wherein the motor, vibration means, control means, and wireless receiver means are each disposed within the frame means.

12. The articulated article of furniture of claim 11, wherein the motor, vibration means, control means, and wireless receiver means are all powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

13. The articulated article of furniture of claim 12, and further including power supply means disposed exterior to the frame means for providing the no more than 24 volts DC, wherein the power supply means includes:

i) first means for coupling to an AC power source to receive an AC power signal; and

ii) second means operably coupled to the first means for converting the AC power signal into the no more than 24 volts DC.

14. The articulated article of furniture of claim 9, and further comprising:

F) wireless transmitter means for;

i) sourcing motor control signals and vibration control signals;

ii) processing the motor control signals and vibration control signals as a function of a preselected key to provide the encrypted motor control signals and encrypted vibration control signals; and

iii) transmitting the encrypted motor control signals and encrypted vibration control signals to the wireless receiver means.

15. The articulated article of furniture of claim 14, wherein the wireless receiver means further includes means for processing the encrypted motor control signals and encrypted vibration control signals as a function of the preselected key to recover the encrypted motor control signals and the encrypted vibration control signals.

16. The articulated article of furniture of claim 15, wherein the motor control signals includes signals to control:

i) activation of the motor;

ii) deactivation of the motor;

iii) direction of rotation of the motor.

17. The articulated article of furniture of claim 16, wherein the motor control means includes means for sensing an overload condition with respect to operation of the motor, and for deactivating operation of the motor in response thereto, regardless of whether an encrypted motor control signal contrary to deactivation is then currently being received by the wireless receiver means.

18. The articulated article of furniture of claim 15, wherein the encrypted vibration control signals includes signals to control:

i) activation of the vibration means;

ii) deactivation of the vibration means;

iii) levels of vibration imparted to the body supporting surface.

19. The articulated article of furniture of claim 18, wherein the encrypted vibration control signals related to the levels of vibration imparted to the body supporting surface include a plurality of discrete vibration levels.

20. The articulated article of furniture of claim 19, wherein the plurality of discrete vibration levels comprise five separate levels of vibration.

21. The articulated article of furniture of claim 18, wherein the control means includes clock means for causing deactivation of the vibration means following a predetermined period of duration of activation, regardless of whether an encrypted vibration control signal contrary to deactivation is then currently being received by the wireless receiver means.

22. The articulated article of furniture of claim 21, wherein the predetermined period of duration of activation is approximately twenty minutes.

23. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1 wherein at least one of the motor, control means, and wireless receiver means is powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

24. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1 wherein the motor is powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

25. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1 wherein the control means is powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

26. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1 wherein the wireless receiver means is powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

27. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1 wherein the motor and the control means are each powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

28. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1, wherein the motor and the wireless receiver means are each powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

29. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1 wherein the control means and the wireless receiver means are each powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

30. The articulated article of furniture of claim 1 wherein the motor, control means, and wireless receiver means are each powered by no more than 24 volts DC.

31. An articulated article of furniture, comprising:

A) a body supporting surface having at least first, second, and third portions thereof and being movable with respect to one another;

B) a first motor operably coupled to the first portion;

C) a second motor operably coupled to the third portion;

D) first vibration means for imparting vibration to at least some part of the body supporting surface;

E) control means operably coupled to the first and second motor and the first vibration means, for controlling the first and second motor and the first vibration means, thereby controlling positioning of the first, second, and third portions with respect to one another, and the impartation of vibration to the body supporting surface, in response to reception of first encrypted motor control signals, second encrypted motor control signals, and first encrypted vibration control signals;

F) wireless receiver means operably coupled to the control means, for receiving encrypted motor control signals and encrypted vibration control signals, and for providing the first encrypted motor control signals, the second encrypted motor control signals, and the first encrypted vibration control signals to the control means.

32. The articulated article of furniture of claim 31, wherein the control means operably couples to the first and second motor through a plurality of relays, and operably couples to the first vibration means through at least one optocoupler.

33. The articulated article of furniture of claim 32, wherein the control means provides pulse width modulated signals to the at least one optocoupler.

34. An article of furniture comprising:

A) a body supporting surface having at least first and second portions thereof and being movable with respect to one another;

B) a motor operably coupled to at least one of the first and second portions;

C) vibration means for imparting vibration to at least some part of the body supporting surface;

D) control means operably coupled;

i) to the motor through at least one relay for controlling the motor, and hence, controlling positioning of the first portion with respect to the second portion, in response to reception of motor control signals; and

ii) to the vibration means through at least one optocoupler for controlling the vibration means, and hence, controlling impartation of vibration to at least some part of the body supporting surface, in response to reception of vibration control signals;

E) wireless receiver means operably coupled to the control means for receiving;

i) keyed motor control signals and for providing the motor control signals to the control means; and

ii) keyed vibration control signals and for providing the vibration control signals to the control means.

35. The articulated article of furniture of claim 34, wherein the control means controls the vibration means through provision of pulse width modulated drive signals.