Electrically adjustable piece of furniture

• US 8,522,695 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Linak A/S (Linak Holding A/S)
• Original Assignee: Linak A/S (Linak Holding A/S)
• Inventors: Ellegaard, Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Jayne, Darnell
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROHRHOFF, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US12/226,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20090078167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 108/147, 108/20, 108/144.11, 248/188.2, 248/188.5
• US Class Current: 108/144.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0056 with a motor, e.g. an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/00 Tables with tops of variable height lecterns with variable height A47B19/06; school forms or desks with variable height A47B39/02, A47B41/02; seats with variable height A47C3/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

An electrically adjustable piece of furniture, such as a table or armchair comprising at least one actuator and/or lifting column driven by an electric motor for adjustment of the piece of furniture. The adjustment is executed via a control with touch keys. It is characteristic that touch keys are located on the back of an element in the piece of furniture, and that indications for the touch keys are provided on a visible and accessible surface above the touch keys. The touch keys can, however, also be inlayed in an element of the piece of furniture providing possibility for operation from several sides of the element. This provides many variation possibilities for designing the control. Very simply, the indications can merely be painted directly onto the surface, while they, more sophisticatedly, can be inlayed symbols in wood, metal etc., alternatively be a plate mounted on or inlayed in the element.

Claims

1. An electrically adjustable piece of furniture, comprising:

at least one motorized lifting column for adjustment of the piece of furniture,

an element having a top side and a back side, said back side including a groove therein,

at least one controller that includes capacitive touch keys inlayed in said groove in the back side of the element, a printed circuit board which covers the groove, and means forming indications on the top side of said element above the capacitive touch keys as operation keys for activating said capacitive touch keys.

2. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the element defines an edge and the groove extends inwardly from the edge.

3. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the means forming indications is located on one or more surfaces of the element.

4. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the touch keys are held in position by means of glue, gel or paste.

5. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is mounted on the element with fastening means in the form of screws or pins which serve partly as antennas for the touch keys and partly as electroconductive connection to the touch keys.

6. The piece of furniture according to claim 5, wherein the fastening means do not completely penetrate the element.

7. The piece of furniture according to claim 5, wherein the fastening means penetrate the element and are electrically insulated from electroconductive parts of the element.

8. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the means forming indications comprises an adhesive foil.

9. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the means forming indications comprises symbols.

10. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the means forming indications comprises an inlayed glass plate.

11. The piece of furniture according to claim 1, wherein the means forming indications comprises touch fields on a plate of glass, wood, metal or plastic.

12. An electrically-adjustable piece of furniture, comprising:

at least one motorized lifting column for adjustment of the piece of furniture;

an element having a top side, a back side and a recess in the back side, and

at least one controller that includes a printed circuit board which fits into the recess and against a stop therein, capacitive touch keys electrically connected to a connection field usable directly in a plug connection or in connection with a plug, said stop positioning the touch keys in the recess as desired, and means forming indications on the top side of the element above the capacitive touch keys as operation keys for activating the capacitive touch keys.