Arrangement with a movable portion of an article of furniture

• US 7,633,258 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Julius BLUM GmbH (BLUM Verwaltung GmbH)
• Inventors: Huber, Edgar, Mattle, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLASS, ERICK DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/325,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20030122519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,549 Days
• Field of Search: 318560-700, 318283-286
• US Class Current: 318/646
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/457 operated by electrically-powered actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/463 self-opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/722 Racks

Abstract

An arrangement with a movable portion of an article of furniture, in particular a drawer (3) or the like, includes a drive unit (5) and a regulating device (1) for regulating the drive unit (5). The arrangement has a preferably analog force measuring device (2), and the force measuring device (2) produces a force signal which is characteristic for forces (20) applied from the exterior to the movable portion (3) of the article of furniture and which can be fed to the regulating device (1).

Claims

1. An apparatus for positioning a furniture portion, comprising:

a movable portion of a furniture component;

a drive unit for driving said movable portion;

a regulating device for controlling said drive unit; and

a force measuring device for detecting a force applied externally to said movable portion, for generating a force signal corresponding to the detected force, and for transmitting the force signal to said regulating device, said regulating device being operable to start said drive unit based on the force signal generated by and received from said force measuring device such that said drive unit moves said movable portion based on the force signal generated by said force measuring device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said movable portion comprises a drawer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said force measuring device comprises an analog force measuring device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a position measuring device for detecting a position of said movable portion, for generating a position signal corresponding to the detected position, and for transmitting the position signal to said regulating device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said regulating device includes an actual value calculation device operable to calculate at least one of an instantaneous actual position, an instantaneous actual speed, and an instantaneous actual acceleration or deceleration of said movable portion, based on the position signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said regulating device further includes:

a drive unit regulator for actuating said drive unit; and

a regulating module for adapting the instantaneous actual acceleration or deceleration to a reference acceleration or deceleration value by transmitting a regulating signal to said drive unit regulator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said drive unit includes an electric motor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said electric motor comprises a servomotor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said force measuring device is arranged between a front panel of said movable portion and a part of said movable portion directly adjoining said front panel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said force measuring device is arranged between a front panel of said movable portion and said drive unit.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said force measuring device is arranged in a motor of said drive unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said movable portion includes a guide rail having a toothed rack formed thereon, said force measuring device including a gear engaging said toothed rack.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said force measuring device is operable to detect the amount of force applied externally to said movable portion, and is operable to generate the force signal based on the detected amount of force.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said force measuring device is operable to detect force applied externally to said movable portion in a horizontal direction with respect to said movable portion.

15. An apparatus for positioning a furniture portion, comprising:

a movable portion of a furniture component;

a drive unit for driving said movable portion;

a regulating device for controlling said drive unit; and

a force measuring device for detecting a force applied externally to said movable portion, for generating a force signal corresponding to the detected force, and for transmitting the force signal to said regulating device, wherein said force measuring device is operable to detect both the amount of force applied externally to said movable portion and the direction of the force applied, and is operable to generate the force signal based on the detected amount of force and the detected direction of the force.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a position measuring device for detecting a position of said movable portion, for generating a position signal corresponding to the detected position, and for transmitting the position signal to said regulating device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said regulating device is operable to start said drive unit based on the force signal generated by and received from said force measuring device.

18. An apparatus for positioning a furniture portion, comprising:

a movable portion of a furniture component

a drive unit for driving said movable portion;

a regulating device for controlling said drive unit; and

a force measuring device for detecting a force applied externally to said movable portion, for generating a force signal corresponding to the detected force, and for transmitting the force signal to said regulating device, said regulating device being operable to control said drive unit based on the force signal received from said force measuring device such that said drive unit moves said movable portion based on the force signal generated by said force measuring device;

wherein said force measuring device is operable to detect both the amount of force applied externally to said movable portion and the directional component of the force applied parallel to a direction of movement of said movable portion, and is operable to generate the force signal based on the detected amount of force and the detected directional component of the force.

19. An apparatus for positioning a furniture portion, comprising:

a movable portion of a furniture component;

a drive unit for driving said movable portion;

a regulating device for controlling said drive unit said regulating device including;

a drive unit regulator for actuating said drive unit; and

a regulating module for adapting an instantaneous actual acceleration or deceleration to a reference acceleration or deceleration value by transmitting a regulating signal to said drive unit regulator; and

a force measuring device for detecting a force applied externally to said movable portion, for generating a force signal corresponding to the detected force, and for transmitting the force signal to said regulating device, said regulating device being operable to control said drive unit based on the force signal received from said force measuring device such that said drive unit moves said movable portion based on the force signal generated by said force measuring device;

a position measuring device for detecting a position of said movable portion, for generating a position signal corresponding to the detected position, and for transmitting the position signal to said regulating device;

wherein said regulating device includes an actual value calculation device operable to calculate at least one of an instantaneous actual position, an instantaneous actual speed, and the instantaneous actual acceleration or deceleration of said movable portion, based on the position signal;

wherein said regulating device further includes a speed reference value calculation device for calculating a reference speed value based on the instantaneous actual position, said regulating module being operable to transmit to said drive unit regulator a regulating signal for reducing the instantaneous actual acceleration or for increasing the instantaneous actual deceleration when the instantaneous actual speed exceeds the reference speed value for the instantaneous actual position.

20. An apparatus for positioning a furniture portion, comprising:

a movable portion of a furniture component;

a drive unit for driving said movable portion;

a regulating device for controlling said drive unit; and

a force measuring device for detecting a force applied externally to said movable portion, for generating a force signal corresponding to the detected force, and for transmitting the force signal to said regulating device, said regulating device being operable to control said drive unit based on the force signal received from said force measuring device such that said drive unit moves said movable portion based on the force signal generated by said force measuring device;

wherein said regulating device includes an acceleration or deceleration reference value calculation device for calculating a reference acceleration or deceleration value of said movable portion based on the force signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said acceleration or deceleration reference value calculation device is operable to calculate the reference acceleration or deceleration value of said movable portion independent of the loading condition of said movable portion.