Top panel height adjustable furniture

Abstract

Top panel height adjustable furniture ( 1 ) includes a top panel ( 2 ) that has an upper surface ( 3 ) and a lower surface ( 4 ); a support body ( 5 ) that is connected to the top panel ( 2 ) and is capable of extending or contracting in a panel thickness direction of the top panel ( 2 ); a sensor ( 11 ) that detects contact of a user on the upper surface ( 3 ) side of the top panel ( 2 ) and contact of the user on the lower surface ( 4 ) side of the top panel ( 2 ); and a control unit that controls, based on a detection result of the sensor ( 11 ), an extending/contracting operation of the support body ( 5 ) such that the support body ( 5 ) contracts when it is detected that the user has made contact with the top panel ( 2 ) on the upper surface ( 3 ) side of the top panel ( 2 ) and that the support body ( 5 ) extends when it is detected that the user has made contact with the top panel ( 2 ) on the lower surface ( 4 ) side of the top panel ( 2 ).

1 . Top panel height adjustable furniture, comprising:
 a top panel that has an upper surface and a lower surface;   a support body that supports the top panel such that the top panel is vertically movable;   a sensor that detects contact of a user on the upper surface side of the top panel and contact of the user on the lower surface side of the top panel; and   a control unit that controls, based on a detection result of the sensor, a supporting position of the top panel such that the top panel is moved downward when it is detected that the user has made contact with the top panel on the upper surface side of the top panel and the top panel is moved upward when it is detected that the user has made contact with the top panel on the lower surface side of the top panel.   
     
     
         2 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor is installed in the top panel.   
     
     
         3 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor is installed in a part other than the top panel of the top panel height adjustable furniture.   
     
     
         4 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor has:   a first sensor which is installed on the upper surface of the top panel; and   a second sensor which is installed on the lower surface of the top panel, and   wherein the control unit causes the top panel to move downward while the user is in contact with the first sensor and causes the top panel to move upward while the user is in contact with the second sensor.   
     
     
         5 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed such that the first sensor and the second sensor overlap each other when seen from the upper surface toward the lower surface.   
     
     
         6 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein an outer surface of the first sensor is positioned on substantially the same surface as the upper surface of the top panel.   
     
     
         7 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein an outer surface of the second sensor is positioned on substantially the same surface as the lower surface of the top panel.   
     
     
         8 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor has a contact sensor which detects presence or absence of contact of the user with respect to the top panel, the contact sensor being disposed in a front end portion of the top panel and extending along a width direction of the top panel.   
     
     
         9 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor has a distortion sensor which detects distortion of the top panel caused by contact of the user with respect to the top panel, and   wherein the control unit causes the top panel to move downward while the distortion sensor is detecting distortion generated in the top panel by the user pushing the upper surface of the top panel to the lower surface side, and causes the top panel to move upward while the distortion sensor is detecting distortion generated in the top panel by the user pushing the lower surface of the top panel to the upper surface side.   
     
     
         10 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor identifies a posture of a user's hand which comes into contact with the top panel, and   wherein the control unit selects either one of raising and lowering of the top panel based on the posture identified by the sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein a plurality of sensors are provided on each of the upper surface and the lower surface of the top panel, and   wherein the control unit recognizes the posture of the user's hand which comes into contact with the top panel, based on a combination of detection states of the plurality of sensors.   
     
     
         12 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the sensor individually detects a contact area of the user's hand with the upper surface of the top panel and a contact area of the user's hand with the lower surface of the top panel, and   wherein the control unit selects either one of raising and lowering of the top panel based on a difference between the contact area of the user's hand with the upper surface of the top panel and the contact area of the user's hand with the lower surface of the top panel.   
     
     
         13 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor detects a contact area of the user's hand with the upper surface or the lower surface of the top panel, and   wherein the control unit determines a raising/lowering speed of the top panel based on a size of the contact area detected by the sensor.   
     
     
         14 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor detects a magnitude of an external force applied to the top panel, and   wherein the control unit determines a raising/lowering speed of the top panel based on the magnitude of the external force detected by the sensor.   
     
     
         15 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the sensor has:   a first distal sensor which is installed on the upper surface of the top panel;   a first proximal sensor which is installed at a position closer to a front end portion of the top panel than the first distal sensor on the upper surface of the top panel;   a second distal sensor which is installed on the lower surface of the top panel; and   a second proximal sensor which is installed at a position closer to the front end portion of the top panel than the second distal sensor on the lower surface of the top panel, and   wherein the control unit controls the supporting position of the top panel such that the top panel is moved downward when contact of the user is detected by the first distal sensor, the first proximal sensor, and the second proximal sensor, and the top panel is moved upward when contact of the user is detected by the first proximal sensor, the second distal sensor, and the second proximal sensor.   
     
     
         16 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sensor has:   a first sensor which receives an input for lowering the top panel;   a second sensor which receives an input for raising the top panel; and   a receiving portion which receives an input of permission or inhibition of raising or lowering of the top panel, and   wherein the control unit controls the supporting position of the top panel based on detection results of the first sensor and the second sensor when permission for raising or lowering of the top panel is input to the receiving portion.   
     
     
         17 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the receiving portion is installed in the support body.   
     
     
         18 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein the receiving portion is installed in the top panel.   
     
     
         19 . The top panel height adjustable furniture according to  claim 16 ,
 wherein permission for raising or lowering of the top panel is input to the receiving portion when an input to the first sensor and an input to the second sensor simultaneously continue for a predetermined period of time or longer.