Stuffed Chair Control Circuit With Cable-Free Capacitive Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuating systems in stuffed chairs are prone to operating faults due to sensitivity to electrostatic charges and magnetic fields, particularly with unipolar connection cables, and require costly adjustments with shielded cables to mitigate parasitic capacitance effects.
Innovation Solution
An actuating system with a control device that integrates capacitive proximity sensors and a microcontroller, eliminating the need for connection cables by generating interference-robust electric signals directly within the control device, housed between the chair's stuffing and cover, using metal armatures and a printed circuit with a microcontroller to manage sensor signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If unipolar connection cables are used to connect sensitive terminals to armatures, then the cost is reduced, but the system becomes sensitive to electrostatic charges and magnetic fields causing operating faults
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the connection cable from the system by integrating the capacitive sensor directly into the control device. The sensor armatures are positioned inside the control device housing, removing the need for external cables that connect sensitive terminals to armatures, thereby eliminating the source of electromagnetic interference while maintaining low cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device housing serves as an intermediary structure that contains both the sensor armatures and sensitive terminals within the same enclosed space. This housing acts as a shield and integration platform, eliminating the need for external connection cables while protecting the sensing elements from electrostatic and magnetic interference.
2Reliability
If shielded cables are used to connect sensitive terminals to armatures, then sensitivity to electrostatic charges and magnetic fields is reduced, but the cost increases and parasitic capacitance affects sensor threshold values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the shielded cable from the system entirely by integrating the capacitive sensor armatures directly into the control device housing. This eliminates the need for expensive shielded cables while maintaining interference resistance through the inherent shielding effect of the housing and the close proximity of the sensing elements to the sensitive terminals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sensor armatures and sensitive terminals into the same control device housing, eliminating the need for connection cables. This integration combines the sensing function and signal processing function in a single unit, removing the source of parasitic capacitance while reducing overall system cost.
3Reliability
If shielded cables are used to connect sensitive terminals to armatures, then interference resistance is improved, but parasitic capacitance proportional to cable length requires adjustment of control device threshold values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the connection cable from the system by integrating the sensor armatures directly into the control device housing. This eliminates the variable cable length that causes parasitic capacitance variations, thereby removing the need for threshold value adjustments while maintaining interference resistance through the integrated design.
4Device complexity
If connection cables are used to connect sensitive terminals to armatures, then the system structure is simplified, but the actuating system becomes prone to operating faults due to electromagnetic interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the connection cable from the system by integrating the capacitive sensor armatures directly into the control device housing. This maintains structural simplicity while eliminating the source of electromagnetic interference, thereby improving operational reliability without increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a reliable, cost-effective, and compact actuating system that is not affected by electrostatic and electromagnetic interferences, allowing for a single model application regardless of cable length, enhancing the chair's operational reliability and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
the change in capacitance of each capacity proximity sensor, which is generated by the proximity of the user to the relative sensitive terminal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A mobile part (7) of a stuffed chair with one or more seats, in particular armchair or couch, is moved by an actuating device (10), which is selectively controlled by a control device (11), which is mounted between a stuffing (5) and a cover (6) for the stuffing (5) itself, and has a printed circuit (15) integrating at least one proximity actuating element (19).