Furniture Drive Control With Position-Dependent Trigger Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drives for movable furniture parts, such as those described in EP 1 374 732 A1, are prone to unintentional triggering due to vibrations, especially when the furniture is partially open, leading to undesirable movement of the furniture part.
Innovation Solution
The drive incorporates a control device with position-dependent threshold values, where the threshold value is lower for the closed end position and higher for the fully open position, and can also consider movement variables like speed or force exerted by the user, using a measuring device to detect these variables and adjust the motor's activation accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed threshold value is used for motor activation, then the control device is simple to implement, but the furniture part is prone to unintentional triggering by vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the threshold value variable rather than fixed. The control device adjusts the threshold value based on the detected position of the furniture part, using higher thresholds in vibration-prone intermediate positions and lower thresholds in stable end positions. This dynamic adaptation prevents unintentional triggering while maintaining reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of the threshold value based on position. By monitoring the furniture part position and adjusting the activation threshold accordingly (higher in intermediate positions, lower in end positions), the system adapts to different operational conditions and prevents false triggering without requiring complex additional hardware.
2Ease of operation
If a lower threshold value is used for motor activation, then the system responds earlier to user input, but the system becomes more sensitive to vibrations and unintentional triggering
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the threshold value based on real-time position detection. In stable end positions, a lower threshold enables quick response to user input. In intermediate positions where vibrations occur during loading/unloading, a higher threshold filters out false triggers. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between responsiveness and vibration sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by setting different threshold values for different positions of the furniture part. Instead of using a uniform threshold, the system tailors the threshold to the local conditions at each position - low threshold at stable end positions for responsiveness, high threshold at vulnerable intermediate positions for vibration resistance.
3Reliability
If different threshold values are used for different positions, then unintentional triggering is reduced, but the control logic becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the threshold parameter based on detected position, implementing a lookup table or predefined threshold set corresponding to different position ranges. This approach achieves accurate motor activation with manageable control logic, as the position-dependent threshold selection follows a systematic pattern rather than requiring complex real-time calculations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a drive for a mobile furniture part, comprising a motor for driving the mobile furniture part and a control/adjusting device for controlling or adjusting the motor. Said control/adjusting device is configured to have a threshold value, and when said threshold value is exceeded, the control/adjusting device causes the motor to drive the mobile furniture part. A measuring device (7) detects the position of the mobile furniture part (2). The control/adjusting device (6) is configured in such a manner that the threshold value (S) is different for at least two different positions of the mobile furniture part (2).