Control mechanism for an adjustable position furniture

Abstract

The invention provides a safety arrangement for an electrically adjustable piece of furniture for sitting, reclining and/or lying down, the piece of furniture including a stationary supporting structure, a movable framework composed of articulated metallic members, and an electric motor for moving the framework, the safety arrangement including at least one electrically conductive strip conductively attached to at least those portions of the metallic members exposed to human touch, and a control unit including a touch sensor/switch electrically connected to the framework, for overridingly stopping the operation of the motor when the strip is touched during the movement of the framework.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A safety arrangement for an electrically adjustable piece of furniture for sitting, reclining and/or lying down, said piece of furniture including a stationary supporting structure, a movable framework composed of articulated metallic members, and an electric motor for moving said framework, said safety arrangement comprising: 
 at least one electrically conductive strip conductively attached to at least those portions of said metallic members exposed to human touch, and    a control unit including a touch sensor/switch electrically connected to said framework, for overridingly stopping the operation of said motor when said strip is touched during the movement of said framework.    
     
     
         2 . The safety arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said control unit includes a relay connectable to the power supply line of said motor, and wherein said relay is activated by said touch sensor/switch for disconnecting the power from said motor.  
     
     
         3 . The safety arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said touch sensor/switch is a capacitive touch switch.  
     
     
         4 . The safety arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said control unit further comprises an acoustic alarm activated by said touch sensor/switch.  
     
     
         5 . The safety arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a reset switch for reactivating the motor by resetting said relay.  
     
     
         6 . The safety arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said conductive strip is an aluminum strip attached to said members by means of adhesive.  
     
     
         7 . The arrangement as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said control unit further comprises a latch module for activating said relay.