EP0922410A2

EP0922410A2 - Method and device for controlling an adjustable table

Info

Publication number: EP0922410A2
Application number: EP98850190A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Matts Forsberg
Original assignee: Svenska Kenab Karlshamns Ergonomi AB
Current assignee: Svenska Kenab Karlshamns Ergonomi AB
Priority date: 1997-12-10
Filing date: 1998-12-09
Publication date: 1999-06-16
Also published as: SE9704603L; EP0922410A3; SE9704603D0

Abstract

In a method of controlling a table (1) having at least one element (2), whose position is adjustable by means of an actuator (4) which is actuated by a control means, a computer (5) neighbouring the table is used as control means. The computer is primarily intended to be used for other purposes, but is provided with a connection (8) for the actuator (4), and with a control program for actuating the actuator (4). An adjusting device comprises the control means (5) with the aid of which a desired setting of the table (1) is determinable, and the actuator (4), which is adapted to carry out the setting determined with the aid of the control means (5).

Description

The present invention relates to mechanically adjustable tables, especially vertically adjustable tables, which have special control means and actuators for carrying out the desired settings.
More specifically, the invention concerns a method for controlling a table having at least one element, the position of which is adjustable by means of an actuator which is actuated by a control means. The invention also concerns an adjusting device for an adjustable table, said adjusting device comprising a control means, with the aid of which a desired setting of the table is determinable, and an actuator which is adapted to carry out the setting determined with the aid of the control means.
Tables of different types, which are mechanically adjustable with the aid of specially designed actuators and associated special control means, are usually advantageous compared with corresponding, manually adjustable tables since they allow, inter alia, a more convenient handling. An essential drawback, however, is that the price of the mechanically adjustable tables becomes high owing to the control means and actuators which are specific for each table.
As examples of prior-art technique, reference can be made to US-A-5,224,429, US-A-5,323,695 and US-A-5,526,756, all of which disclose adjusting devices for vertical adjustment of parts of a table-top. The known adjusting devices have actuating means in the form of e.g. power-driven screw and nut assemblies as well as control means, with the aid of which the actuating means can be made to set the table-top or a part thereof at a desired level. The control means comprise more specifically a panel with buttons for selecting the desired level, and a control circuit which converts signals received from the panel into control instructions for the motor or motors of the actuating means.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device, which at a low cost still allow a convenient adjustment of a table with one or more positionable elements. In particular, the invention should be usable for vertical adjustment of tables.
This object is achieved by the method and the device according to the invention being given the characteristic features that appear from the accompanying independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the device are evident from the dependent claims.
In a method of controlling a table having at least one element, whose position is adjustable by means of an actuator which is actuated by a control means, use is thus made according to the invention of a computer neighbouring the table as control means. The computer is primarily intended to be used for other purposes, but is, according to the invention, provided with a connection for the actuator, and with a control program for actuating the actuator.
In the case of a table having a vertically adjustable position of the entire table-top, or one or more parts thereof, it is thus very common for the table to be used as a carrier of a computer, which is then intended for use in word processing, graphical work or similar conventional tasks. These tasks can in many cases be performed in a better, easier and quicker way if the user has the possibility of varying the vertical position of the entire table or parts thereof.
In other words, use is made, according to the invention, of the processor power of the computer which is supported by the table or otherwise situated close by, for a purpose for which it is not primarily intended but for which it is still well suited. For the use, which in the context is new, of the computer, on the one hand a connection between the computer and the actuator and, on the other hand, a suitable control program for actuating the actuator are required.
In a preferred embodiment, the control program comprises a plurality of predeterminable setting alternatives. It will be appreciated that this permits a simple and quick change between predetermined settings which can be associated with a single user or a plurality of different users.
Moreover, one of the alternatives can be selected automatically, for instance, when a user starts the computer and in this connection identifies himself. The computer can thus use this identity information for selecting a setting alternative preselected by the user, or for presenting a number of setting alternatives which the identified user may have determined in advance.
The used computer has, of course, a considerably higher capacity than the control means used in the prior-art technique, and it is also used in combination with an actuator which can be of a known kind, and a control program for the desired actuation of the actuator.
The invention entails advantages both in terms of function and in terms of cost.
Regarding the function, the program control, i.e. the use of a separate control program in a computer having a considerably greater capacity than the conventional control means, implies an essentially increased possibility of alternatives for actuating the actuator and, besides, a significantly simplified possibility of changing these alternatives in time. This gives obvious advantages in respect of versatility, as briefly indicated above with different setting alternatives. In respect of handling, also the conventional extra control means on the table-top is eliminated by the keyboard and mouse of the computer being usable for these purposes as well.
In terms of cost, the present invention which eliminates the need for separate control means, results in a considerable saving, i.e. in practice it may even more than half the total cost.
An embodiment of the invention will now described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which
Fig. 1 is a side view of an adjustable table and shows schematically an embodiment of the adjusting device according to the invention, and
Fig. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of the inventive method.
Fig. 1 shows a table 1, which has a top 2 and legs 3 of a telescopic design, i.e. two telescoping tubes. Each leg 3 accommodates a screw and nut assembly of prior-art type. An electric motor 4 adjacent to each leg 3 is connected for driving the screw of the respective screw and nut assembly for changing the length of the leg 3 and, thus, the vertical position of the table-top 2.
The table 1 is intended for use as working table for tasks which require the use of a computer 5 which thus is supported by the table 1 and placed on the top 2. In conventional manner, a display 6 and a keyboard 7 are associated with the computer 5.
According to the invention, a suitable control program is loaded into the computer 5 in addition to the programs which the computer 5 contains for the tasks for which it is primarily intended, such as word-processing programs, calculating programs and administrative programs. One of the outputs of the computer 5 is via a line 8 connected to the electric motors 4 for supplying these with control instructions. If the electric motors 4 are, for instance, step motors, the control instructions may have the form of a number of control pulses corresponding to the distance along which the table-top 2 or one side thereof is to be raised or lowered.
When a change of the level of the table-top 2 is to be made, the control program is started, as exemplified in the flow diagram in Fig. 2. The display then shows a number of setting alternatives, which may comprise a number of setting positions for the table-top 2, which the specific user has determined in advance and which the control program collects on the basis of an identity indicated by precisely that user, for instance in connection with the start of the computer.
If the user selects one of the predetermined alternatives, the control program establishes the control instructions which are necessary to send to the electric motors 4 to make the table-top 2 take the position corresponding to the selected alternative.
If the user wants a position of the table-top 2 other than the predetermined alternatives, he selects to enter the desired values of the variable parameter, i.e. in this case the level of the table-top 2. The control program then determines in the same way as for the predetermined alternatives which control instructions are necessary to send to the electric motors 4 for the table-top 2 to take the vertical position corresponding to the set parameter values.
After sending the control instructions in the form of suitable signals to the electric motors 4, the user finally leaves the control program.
A person skilled in the art realises that a number of modifications of the above embodiment of the adjusting device as well as the above carrying out of the method are feasible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
For example, a single motor or one motor for a pair of legs can be used, in which case some sort of mechanical transmission of the motion of the motor to the different legs is, of course, required. It goes without saying the actuator may also comprise something else than an electric motor and a screw and nut assembly. Finally, some kind of transducer can be arranged adjacent to one or more of the legs, which transducer is adapted to emit signals back to the computer for indicating the vertical position of the table-top or a change thereof.

Claims

A method for controlling a table (1) having at least one element (2), the position of which is adjustable by means of an actuator (4) which is actuated by a control means, characterised in that a computer (5) neighbouring the table (1) is used as control means, said computer being primarily used for other purposes but being provided with a connection (8) for the actuator (4), and a control program for actuating the actuator (4).
An adjusting device for an adjustable table (1), said adjusting device comprising a control means, with the aid of which a desired setting of the table is determinable, and an actuator (4), which is adapted to carry out the setting determined with the aid of the control means, characterised in that the control means consists of a computer (5) neighbouring the table (1), said computer primarily being intended for other purposes but being connected (8) to the actuator (4) and being provided with a control program for actuating the actuator (4).
An adjusting device according to claim 2, characterised in that the table (1) is vertically adjustable and supports the computer (5).
An adjusting device according to claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the table (1) has a plurality of parts which are each vertically adjustable.
An adjusting device according to any one of claims 2-4, characterised in that the control program comprises predeterminable setting alternatives.
An adjusting device according to claim 5, characterised in that at least one of the setting alternatives is preselected in dependence on the user's identity indicated when using the computer.