Dental patient seat

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dental patient seat comprising a seat portion (31) and an elongated backrest (32) having a bottom end at its seat portion end and a top end at an opposite end. The control system of the patient seat comprises a user interface, the control system being configured to be able to send control commands to a first motorized configuration (M1) designed to adjust the height position of the seat portion (31) relative to its support structure (35) and a second motorized configuration (M2) designed to adjust the height position of the seat portion (31) relative to its support structure (35). The second motorized configuration (M2) is designed to adjust an angle of inclination between the seat portion (31) and the backrest (32). In response to an initial input from a user interface, the control system activates the motorized configuration (M1; m2) to generate a combined movement that changes the height position of the seat part (31) and the angle of inclination of the backrest (32), such that, taking into account a reference point (R) at a given short distance from the top end of the backrest (32), at the end of the combined movement, the height position of the seat part (31) and the angle of inclination of the backrest (32) are changed. The height position of the reference point (R) is the same as the height position of the reference point (R) when the initial input is received.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to dental patient chairs and, in particular, to controlling the movement of certain components of dental patient chairs. Background Art

[0002] Historically, dental patient chairs were designed to support seated patients, and dentists were accustomed to working in a standing position. This resulted in dentists having to work in an ergonomically unsuitable position and was prone to health problems.

[0003] The design of modern dental patient chairs takes into account not only the comfort of the patient but also, in particular, the working ergonomics in relation to the various working positions of the dentist. Modern dental patient chairs comprise several components whose position can be adjusted and, in more advanced solutions, the dental patient chair may comprise motorised drives to adjust the vertical and horizontal position of the seat portion, the inclination of the backrest relative to the seat portion, the position and inclination of the head support relative to the backrest and the inclination of the leg support relative to the seat portion. The dental patient chair may be a stand-alone device and comprise its own user interface, for example by means of buttons arranged to the chair itself. On the other hand, the chair may be a physical and functional part of a complete dental care unit comprising a basic frame structure, a control system and various supports for various components, for example for dental care instruments and dental operating lights.

[0004] When the system is complex and has multiple operating functions (such as multiple motorized movements of various parts of a patient chair), the control of the various movements also becomes complex. This is especially the case when the various components must be controlled individually to achieve their desired overall relative movement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The general purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a specific way to control certain movements of certain components of a dental patient chair so as to facilitate operation of the chair during treatment or between treatment operations. This purpose is achieved through the construction and control discussed in more detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] In the attached figure:

[0007] Figure 1 Shows a typical modern dental care unit with an integrated patient chair,

[0008] Figure 2 Shown with Figure 1 The dental patient chair shown in FIG. 1 is of a different design and in a different position than that shown in FIG.

[0009] Figure 3a and 3billustrates the principles of driving certain seat components according to the present disclosure,

[0010] Figure 4 shows an example of a user interface suitable for use in the present disclosure, and

[0011] Figure 5 A control system suitable for use in the present disclosure is shown simplified. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] For a more general background, in the field of dentistry, the term dental care unit (often also referred to as simply "dental unit") refers to a device or arrangement that provides power and possibly control signals to instruments used in conjunction with dental care procedures, and possibly also provides power and control signals to various other devices used in conjunction with dental care procedures.

[0013] A typical solution used in dental care units is to arrange dental care instruments on an instrument console, which is supported by a support arm extending from the frame structure of the dental care unit. The dental care unit may include more than one and also different support arms, such as for instruments of a dental assistant or other devices used in conjunction with dental care procedures.

[0014] A typical solution used in dental care units is to arrange one or more horizontal support arms into a support arrangement that extends vertically from the frame portion of the dental care unit. Such an arrangement is usually implemented to include a certain number of support arms or to enable a certain number of different arm assembly variations, which can be implemented when the dental care unit is initially assembled or can be implemented later as a retrofit. Such a vertical support arrangement is usually connected to a cover structure of the frame portion of the dental care unit. Individual dentists, on the other hand, and different dental clinics, educational institutions, and dentists from different cultural backgrounds have different needs and wishes when it comes to equipping dental care units with instruments, accessories and support arm solutions according to their own convenience.

[0015] Figure 1 The basic structure of a typical dental care unit 1 for use in conjunction with dental care procedures is shown. Figure 1 The dental care unit 1 includes a frame portion 2 and a patient seat 3 connected thereto. A support arrangement 4 extends vertically from the frame portion 2, and includes a vertically extending support portion 41, a first support structure 42 for supporting diagnostic instruments related to dental care or instruments 6 used in conjunction with dental care operations, or both, a second support structure 43 for, for example, an operating light 8 or an X-ray imaging device used in conjunction with dental care operations, and a third support structure 44 for, for example, a display 10.

[0016] Figure 1 Further shown are an instrument holder 11, which can be configured to hold instruments commonly used by a dental assistant, and a foot controller 12, by which functions of the dental care unit 1 and / or devices or structures connected or coupled to the dental care unit 1 can be controlled. In addition, the dental care unit 1 is arranged to be operatively connected to a data network or a personal computer 13.

[0017] It should be noted that Figure 1 The dental care unit is just one example. The dental care unit may include, for example, Figure 1 In addition, for example, the patient chair does not necessarily need to be integrated with the dental care unit, but can be implemented as a structure completely separate from the dental care unit. On the other hand, the frame structure as described above can be arranged as an integral part of the structure of a floor-standing chair. In addition, instead of Figure 1 The dental care unit is a structure having relatively large horizontal and vertical dimensions, as shown in the figure, and the frame structure of the dental care unit can mainly be a smaller structure in terms of its size, from which one or more support arms extend. Together with or in addition to the foot controller, the arrangement can also include a graphical user interface or other user interface. However, the structure of the dental care unit is usually implemented so that the power, fluid and / or control signals required for the use of the instruments and devices used in the dental care operation are transmitted or can be arranged to be transmitted through it. Therefore, physically, this means transmitting at least one of the following: water, compressed air, electricity, control signals.

[0018] Therefore, in the present disclosure, when a dental care unit is referred to, it basically refers to a structure that includes an arrangement that is capable of supplying at least one of the above-mentioned variables or corresponding variables to dental care instruments and / or devices used in conjunction with dental care work operations (the dental care instruments and / or devices are arranged in connection with the dental care unit).

[0019] Therefore, as mentioned above, Figure 1 The dental care unit of is an example of a typical dental care unit. The frame structure of the dental care unit may include a support structure for a patient seat (in Figure 1 The patient chair may be a separate device, but the following disclosure is primarily made with reference to a separate patient chair.

[0020] Figure 2 Shown with Figure 1A dental patient chair of a different design and in a different position than that shown in FIG. Figure 2 The dental patient chair of FIG. 1 includes a seat portion 31 , an elongated backrest 32 having a bottom end at its seat portion end and a top end at its opposite end, a head support 33 , and a leg support 34 . Figure 1 Unlike the construction of the dental care unit, the seat portion 31 is not supported by a structure extending from the frame of the dental care unit, but is supported by a base structure 35 that is designed to be mounted on the floor.

[0021] Figure 3a and 3b Schematically illustrates the basic components and specific operation of a dental patient chair according to the present disclosure. Figure 3a In contrast, the seat portion 31 is Figure 3b The backrest 32 has been driven to a higher level, while the inclination angle between the backrest 32 and the seat portion 31 has been reduced, so that a reference point R, located on a virtual extension of the elongated backrest 32 and at a distance therefrom, remains at the same height. This is achieved by the combined movement of specially designed motorized devices M1 and M2, which change the height position of the seat portion 31 and the inclination angle between the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32. In other words, when the length of the elongated backrest 32, measured from its physical or virtual pivot axis (defined by the articulation A) to its top end, and the distance from the backrest's top end to the reference point R, is known, it is possible to calculate how any change in the inclination angle changes the height position of the reference point R. (It should be noted that the position of the reference point R relative to the top end of the backrest does not need to be the same in every given case when the combined movement described above is initiated; R can even be given a position that is closer to the pivot axis than the top end of the backrest would otherwise be.)

[0022] The patient chair adopts the following Figure 1 In the case of the support shown and discussed, in such a configuration a motorized drive for adjusting the height position of the seat portion 31 can also be arranged. Here, the frame 2 can correspond to Figure 2 The base structure can also be realized in such a case as reference Figure 3a and 3b The same mutual positions of the components of the patient chair as discussed are shown.

[0023] Many structures for adjusting the height position of the seat portion (in accordance with Figure 1 or Figure 2 The invention relates to a structure for adjusting the inclination angle between the seat portion and the backrest.

[0024] Particular to the present disclosure is the configuration of the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32. Figure 3a and 3b The mutual movement shown in is arranged to be implemented in response to a specific command given from the user interface. Figure 3a The position shown in is considered as "Position A" and Figure 3b The position shown in is regarded as "position B", and compared to driving the seat part 31 and the backrest 32 separately from their mutual position A to the mutual position B, the user interface according to the present disclosure is designed to provide a single input to drive the seat part 31 and the backrest 32 from the mutual position A to the position B, and obviously vice versa.

[0025] In particular, such a single input is used only to drive the motorized means M1 for adjusting the height position of the seat portion 31 and the motorized means M2 for driving the articulated structure A, which is capable of adjusting the tilt angle between the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32. In other words, this single input does not trigger any other drive members that the patient chair may be equipped with. Such a substantially simple combined drive can be arranged to be implemented in the following manner: for example, for a user interface arranged to control the chair, such as Figure 4 . The first of these buttons can be configured to generate a "synchronous upward movement" control signal (of the seat portion) as long as a control command is issued, for example, as long as the corresponding control button is pressed, and the second of these buttons can be correspondingly configured to generate a "synchronous downward movement" control signal as long as a control command is input. Obviously, similar control can also be achieved in an alternative or additional manner via other types of user interfaces (e.g., such as a joystick of a foot control device).

[0026] The above type of control is distinguished from a control in which the control system may include stored positions of the seat component and in which a control command may be issued to drive the seat component to a position previously stored in the control system.

[0027] Figure 5 A control system suitable for use in the present disclosure is shown in simplified form. The control system may be part of a standalone chair or part of a dental care unit that includes a patient chair. In response to trigger inputs from a user interface, the control system controls the motorized actuation of the seat portion and backrest as described above.

[0028] Although Figure 3a and 3bThe position in which the angle of inclination between the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32 is shown is closer to 45 degrees than to 90 degrees (which would correspond to a seated position for the patient), but the mutual drive principle described above can also be applied to such an angle of inclination—as well as other directions, such as up to, or more precisely, "down to," the so-called Trendelenburg position, in which the patient lies almost horizontally but with the head positioned lower than the pelvis. (In such a case, the chair can be further arranged to allow adjustment of the angle of inclination between the seat portion 31 and the leg support 34 independently of the above-described operation.)

[0029] According to one particular aspect, the control system is arranged to generate the mutual movement of the seat part 31 and the backrest 32 so that, taking into account a reference point R at a given short distance from the top end of the backrest 32, at the end of the movement of the seat part 31 and the backrest 32, the height position of said reference point R will be the same as the height position when the control command for the mutual drive of the components was initially issued.

[0030] It should be noted that while the actuation of the aforementioned seat component movements can be arranged to proceed synchronously so as to always maintain the reference point R at the same height, this is not required. For example, either the seat portion movement or the backrest movement can be arranged to be faster, with the desired end position of the other being reached only after either the seat portion height position or the backrest tilt angle is deemed to have reached the desired end position. As an example, the seat portion height position can be adjusted more quickly, and once the desired height is reached, the backrest will "follow" through its entire movement, ultimately leaving the reference point R at the same height as at the start of the combined movement.

[0031] According to one aspect, the control system of the seat may be configured to, in response to receiving an input initiating the aforementioned mutual movement, calculate the height position of the reference point R based on the height position of the seat portion 31 and the inclination angle of the backrest 32 at that given moment.

[0032] According to one aspect, the dental patient chair includes a first position sensor indicating the height position of the seat portion 31 and a second position sensor indicating the tilt position of the backrest 32, wherein the first and second position sensors are optionally arranged as part of first and second motorized drive configurations (M1, M2). The control system can then be configured to receive position signals from the first and second position sensors in response to receiving an input for initiating the aforementioned mutual drive of the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32.

[0033] According to one aspect, the motorized drive for adjusting the height position of the seat portion 31 and the tilt angle of the backrest 32 comprises a stepper motor, which can be equipped to continuously provide information on the horizontal position of the seat portion 31 and the tilt position of the backrest 32, whereby the calculation of the vertical position of the reference point R can also be continuous, or does not need to be calculated based on a specific position sensor signal when the above-mentioned synchronous movement is initiated.

[0034] According to one aspect, a dental patient chair includes a seat portion 31 and an elongated backrest 32 having a bottom end at its seat portion end and a top end at an opposite end. A control system for the patient chair includes a user interface configured to send control commands to a first motorized drive configuration M1, designed to adjust the height position of the seat portion 31 relative to its support structure 35, and a second motorized drive configuration M2, designed to adjust the tilt angle between the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32. In response to an initial input from the user interface, the control system initiates actuation of the motorized configurations M1 and M2 to generate a combined movement that changes the height position and tilt angle of the seat portion 31 such that, given a reference point R at a given short distance from the top end of the backrest 32, at the end of the combined movement, the reference point R is at the same height position as it was at the time the initial input was received.

[0035] According to one aspect, a dental patient chair comprises:

[0036] A seat portion 31; an elongated backrest 32 having a bottom end at its seat portion end and a top end at an opposite end; a support structure 35 for the seat portion; a first motorized construction M1 designed to be capable of adjusting the height position of the seat portion 31 relative to the support structure 35 for the seat portion; an articulated structure A connecting the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32; a second motorized construction M2 designed to operate the articulated structure A to be capable of adjusting the tilt angle between the seat portion 31 and the backrest 32; and a control system comprising a user interface configured to be capable of sending control commands to the first and second motorized constructions M1; M2. The user interface is configured to be capable of transmitting first and second inputs to the control system, wherein,

[0037] The first input is designed to trigger a combination of operations including driving the first motorized configuration (M1) to raise the seat portion (31) and driving the second motorized configuration (M2) to reduce the tilt angle, and

[0038] The second input is designed to trigger a combination of operations including driving the first motorized configuration (M1) to lower the seat portion (31) and driving the second motorized configuration (M2) to increase the tilt angle,

[0039] And both the first and second inputs are configured so as not to cause movement of other components optionally included in the patient chair construction, and wherein the combination of the two sets of operations described above generates such a combined movement of the seat portion (31) and the backrest (32) that, taking into account a reference point (R) at a given short distance from the top end of the backrest (32), at the end of the combined movement, the height position of the reference point (R) will be the same as the height position it was at when the first and second inputs were transmitted.

Claims

1. A dental patient chair comprising: - a seat portion (31); - an elongated backrest (32) having a bottom end at a seat portion end thereof and a top end at an opposite end; - a support structure (35) of the seat portion; - a first motorized configuration (M1) designed to be able to change the height position of the seat portion (31) relative to its supporting structure (35); - an articulated structure (A) connecting the seat portion (31) and the backrest (32); a second motorized configuration (M2) designed to operate the articulated structure (A) so as to be able to vary the angle of inclination between the seat portion (31) and the backrest (32); - a control system comprising a user interface, said control system being configured to be able to send control commands to said first motorized configuration (M1) and to said second motorized configuration (M2); It is characterized in that The user interface is configured to transmit a first input and a second input to the control system, wherein: The first input is designed to trigger a first combination of operations comprising driving the first motorized configuration (M1) to raise the seat portion (31) and driving the second motorized configuration (M2) to reduce the tilt angle, and The second input is designed to trigger a second combination of operations, the second combination of operations comprising driving the first motorized configuration (M1) to lower the seat portion (31) and driving the second motorized configuration (M2) to increase the tilt angle, And wherein both the first input and the second input are configured not to cause movement of other components optionally included in the patient chair structure, and wherein both the first operation combination and the second operation combination generate such a combined movement of the seat portion (31) and the backrest (32) that, taking into account a reference point (R) at a given short distance from the top end of the backrest (32), at the end of the combined movement the height position of the reference point (R) will be the same as the height position of the reference point when the first input or the second input is transmitted.

2. The dental patient chair according to claim 1, wherein The control system is configured to calculate the height position of the reference point (R) based on the height position of the seat portion (31) and the tilt angle of the backrest (32) at that moment when the first input or the second input is received.

3. The dental patient chair according to claim 2, wherein: The dental patient chair comprises a first position sensor indicating a height position of the seat portion (31) and a second position sensor indicating an inclination position of the backrest (32), wherein the first and second position sensors are optionally arranged as part of the first motorized configuration (M1) and the second motorized configuration (M2), and wherein the control system is configured to receive position signals from the first position sensor and the second position sensor in response to receiving the first input or the second input.

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