WO2004062431A1

WO2004062431A1 - Motorised relaxation chair

Info

Publication number: WO2004062431A1
Application number: PCT/FR2003/003049
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Chaillard
Original assignee: Scc Chaillard Innovation
Priority date: 2002-12-10
Filing date: 2003-10-16
Publication date: 2004-07-29
Also published as: FR2848080B1; FR2848080A1; AU2003285406A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a relaxation chair (1) comprising at least one mobile part (2). According to the invention, the aforementioned mobile part can be moved by motor means which are remote controlled by control means (10) which are solidly connected to at least one of the armrests (4, 5) of the relaxation chair (1). The above-mentioned control means (10) comprise switches (11, 12) which can control each movement of the mobile part (2) respectively. The invention is characterised in that each switch (11, 12) extends over essentially the entire length of the armrest (4, 5) comprising said switch (11, 12).

Description

MOTORIZED RELAXATION SEAT

The present invention relates to a seat ^motorized relaxation, that is to say provided with at least one movable part capable of being moved by means of motor means controlled distance. The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the field of furniture. It should be noted that throughout this document, the term seat designates any piece of armchair designed so that one can sit on it, and in particular an armchair, a sofa or a sofa bed.

A relaxation seat must have several positions of use to be able to properly perform its function. This is why it is provided with one or more mobile parts, such as for example a reclining backrest and / or a lifting footrest and / or an adjustable headrest, etc. It is these mobilities that allow the relaxation seat to benefit from a variable conformation, capable of adapting as best as possible to the wishes of the user.

In the field of relaxation seats, the movement of each movable part is advantageously provided by motor means which may in particular be electric and / or hydraulic and / or pneumatic. In addition, these motor means are just as advantageously controlled by remote control means. To remotely control the operation of the motor means, it is possible to use a remote control, for example wired or infrared. But in practice, this solution turns out particularly unsuitable for relaxation seats. Indeed not being fixedly mounted relative to the relaxation seat, such a remote control ^is' therefore likely to slip and fall at any time. Even if it does not systematically deteriorate during its fall, the remote control is nonetheless potentially difficult to pick up for a user, especially when the latter is not very mobile because of his great age, poor health and / or a disability. Furthermore, the use of a wired remote control in the immediate vicinity of moving parts always presents risks for the wire itself. Without necessarily going as far as cutting, excessive wear can however lead to partial destruction of the protective sheath, and consequently real electrical malfunctions.

To overcome this difficulty, it is known to use conventional switch buttons directly integrated into the armrests of the relaxation seat. However, this type of control means has the disadvantage of not always being easily accessible. Due to their reduced dimensions, these buttons can indeed under certain conditions be out of reach of the user, especially if the latter is not very mobile due to his great age, poor health or disability physical. In addition, the presence of protruding buttons is particularly detrimental to the aesthetics of the whole. Also the technical problem to be solved, by the object of the present invention, is to provide a relaxation seat comprising at least one movable part which can be moved by motor means which are controlled remotely by control means integral with at least one of the armrests of said relaxation seat, the control means comprising ^' switches capable of respectively controlling each movement of the movable part, relaxation seat which would avoid problems of the state of the art, in particular offering significantly improved ergonomics, while preserving the aesthetics of the relaxation seat. The solution to the technical problem posed consists, according to the present invention, in that each switch extends over substantially the entire length of the armrest on which said switch is integrated. The invention as thus defined has the advantage of giving significantly improved accessibility to the control means. Indeed, each switch can now be reached, and therefore activated, from substantially any point on the corresponding armrest. The control means are now always at hand, regardless of the position of the user in the relaxation seat.

The present invention also relates to the characteristics which will emerge during the description which follows, and which should be considered in isolation or according to all their possible technical combinations.

This description given by way of nonlimiting example will make it easier to understand how the invention can be implemented, with reference to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, from below and three-quarters front, of a relaxation seat according to a first embodiment of the invention. ^'

Figure 2 is a perspective view, from below and three-quarter rear, of a relaxation seat according to a second embodiment of one invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a relaxation seat armrest, according to a particular embodiment.

For reasons of clarity, the same elements have been designated by identical references. Likewise, only the essential elements for understanding the invention have been shown, and this without respecting the scale and schematically.

FIG. 1 illustrates a relaxation seat 1 which comprises a single movable part 2, in this case a reclining backrest 3. Conventionally, this movable part 2 is able to be moved by means of motor means, not shown. here for the sake of clarity. Just as usual, the drive means are remotely controlled by control means 10 which are integral with the armrests 4, 5 of the relaxation seat 1. Concretely, the control means 10 comprise two switches 11, 12 which are respectively integrated to each armrest 4, 5. The assembly is arranged so that the two switches 11, 12 are able to respectively control each movement of the movable part 2, namely the tilt forwards and the tilt for the back of the backrest 3.

In accordance with the object of the present invention, each switch 11, 12 extends over substantially the entire length of the armrest on which said switch 11, 12 is integrated.

In this first exemplary embodiment, and in a particularly advantageous manner, each switch 11, 12 extends over substantially the entire length of the most horizontal part 6, 7 of the corresponding armrest 4, 5. The implantation of the control means 10 favors the most accessible parts 6, 7 of the armrests 4, 5. As the most vertical parts are those which fall least well at hand, the most horizontal parts 6 are preferred to them, 7 for receiving the various switches 11, 12. The control means 10 are thus always reachable by the user, whatever their mobility. Accessibility is thus optimal.

According to a feature of the invention, each switch 11, 12 extends in a substantially longitudinal manner relative to the corresponding armrest 4, 5. This characteristic advantageously makes it possible to use switches 4, 5 of essentially linear shape.

According to another feature of the invention, each switch 11, 12 is positioned at the level of the lower face 13, 14 of the corresponding armrest 4, 5. This type of layout has the advantage of being particularly aesthetic since the control means 10 are then not visible under normal conditions. In addition, from an ergonomic point of view, such a configuration is perfectly compatible with the specific morphology of the hand. When the latter grips an armrest 4, 5, the fingers indeed come naturally position at the level of the lower face 13, 14 of said armrest 4, 5.

According to a particular embodiment ^'of the invention, each switch 11, 12 is here mounted flush with respect to the outer surface of the armrest 4, 5. Indeed, in order to preserve the aesthetics of relaxation seat 1 , it may be advantageous not to mount the control means 10 projecting. And if a recessed mounting could be considered, we will however favor flush mounting for again essentially aesthetic reasons.

FIG. 3 represents another configuration which can advantageously be adopted when the armrest 204 has a composite structure, that is to say comprising an internal part 220 rigid and an external part 230 flexible. The switch 211 is here sandwiched between the internal part 220 and the external part 230 of the armrest 204. By its rigidity, the internal part 220 plays in particular a support role for the fixing of the switch 211. De by its soft consistency, the external part 230 is in turn able to deform and thus come to activate the switch 211. In this embodiment, the internal part 220 is constituted by a wooden frame 221, while the external part 230 is constituted by a foam 231 of cellular plastic material which is coated with a decorative fabric 232. As can be seen in the second embodiment of FIG. 2, the switches 111, 115; 112, 116 integral with the same armrest 104, 105 are positioned relative to each other so substantially parallel. Figure 2 shows in fact a relaxation seat 100 substantially identical to the first example, but which here comprises two parts ^mobile 102, 108, namely in a reclining backrest 103 and a raisable footrest 109.

Concretely, the control means 110 comprise two pairs of switches 111, 112; 115, 116 which are respectively intended to control the mobility of the reclining backrest 103 and the mobility of the footrest 109. More specifically, the switches 111, 112 are able to control the forward tilt and the tilt respectively towards the rear of the backrest 103, while the switches 115, 116 are capable of controlling the upward tilt and the downward tilt of the footrest 109 respectively.

It is also noted in FIG. 2 that the relaxation seat 100 is arranged so that a given movement of the movable part 102, 108, and its movement in the opposite direction, are controlled by two switches 111, 112; 115, 116 respectively secured to two separate armrests 104, 105.

In the two embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the switches 11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116 are formed by linear contact sensors. It is the same for the particular embodiment of Figure 3. The linear contact sensor, forming switch 211, is here in the form of a flexible tubular profile 240 which is made of insulating material. Furthermore, the tubular profile 241 is provided internally with two longitudinal conductive tracks 241, 242 which are capable of being brought into contact by deformation of said tubular section 241, for example following a simple local pressure.

Of course, other types of switches could very well be used in an equivalent manner, as long as they are able to interrupt or restore the passage of electric current, by opening or closing the corresponding circuit. One thinks for example of linear capacitive sensors or optical sensors.

More mechanical solutions could also be adopted. At least one of the switches could thus be constituted by a multiplicity of switch buttons aligned side by side and able to individually control the same movement of the moving part.

At least one of the switches could also be constituted by a bar articulated substantially in the middle, and the free ends of which would be capable of respectively controlling a given movement and the reverse movement of a movable part.

Claims

1. Relaxation seat (1, 100) comprising at least one movable part (2, 102, 103) which can be moved by motor means which are controlled remotely by control means (10, 110) integral with at least one of the armrests (4, 5, 104, 105, 204) of said relaxation seat (1, 100), the control means (10, 110) comprising switches (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116, 211 ) capable of respectively controlling each movement of the movable part (2, 102, 103), characterized in that each switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116, 211) extends over substantially the entire length of the armrest (4, 5, 104, 105, 204) on which said switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116, 211) is integrated.

2. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to claim 1, characterized in that each switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116, 211) extends over substantially the entire length of the most horizontal part (6, 7, 106, 107) of the corresponding armrest (4, 5, 104, 105, 204).

3. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116, 211) extends substantially longitudinally relative to to the corresponding armrest (4, 5, 104, 105, 204).

4. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116, 211) is positioned at the lower face (13, 14, 113, 114, 213) of the corresponding armrest (4, 5, 104, 105, 204).

5. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116) is mounted flush with the external surface of the corresponding armrest (4, 5, 104, 105).

6. Headquarters of. relaxation (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one of the armrests (204) has an internal rigid part (220) and a flexible external part (230), and in that that each switch (211) is positioned between said internal part (220) and said external part (230) of the corresponding armrest (204).

7. relaxation seat (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the switches (111, 112, 115, 116) integral with the same armrest (104, 105) are positioned one by compared to others in a substantially parallel way.

8. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a displacement of the movable part (2, 102, 108) given, and its displacement in the opposite direction, are controlled by two switches (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116) respectively secured to two separate armrests (4, 5, 104, 105).

9. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one switch (11, 12, 111, ^' 112, 115, 116, 211) constituted by a linear contact sensor.

10. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to claim 9, characterized in that the linear contact sensor comprises a tubular profile (240) which is made of insulating material and which is provided internally with two longitudinal conductive tracks ( 241, 242) capable of being brought into contact by deformation of said tubular section (240).

11. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises at least one switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116) constituted by a capacitive sensor linear.

12. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises at least one switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116) constituted by an optical sensor .

13. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises at least one switch (11, 12, 111, 112, 115, 116) constituted by a multiplicity of switch buttons aligned side by side and able to individually control the same movement of the moving part (2, 102, 108).

14. Relaxation seat (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it comprises at least one switch (11, 12, 111, ^' 112, 115, 116) consisting of a bar articulated substantially in the middle and whose free ends are capable of respectively controlling a given movement and the reverse movement of a movable part (2, 102, 108).