Wireless hand-held remote-control device and dock therefor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless hand-held remote control devices for powered chairs are prone to misplacement and require frequent recharging, as they lack a dedicated docking solution that integrates seamlessly with the chair's structure, leading to inconvenience and inefficiency in operation.
Innovation Solution
A wireless hand-held remote control device with a dock that is fixedly secured within the chair's arm section, featuring a magnetic interface for secure storage and automatic charging, ensuring proper alignment and accessibility of control buttons, and a charging interface for maintaining battery power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wireless hand-held remote-control device is used to control powered chairs, then the device can be located anywhere and is not restricted by wire length, but the device may become misplaced or lost due to lack of a designated storage location
Solution Approach 1:
The remote control device is nested within a receptacle that is integrated into the chair structure. The receptacle provides a designated storage location within the chair armrest, ensuring the remote is always returned to a known position after use, thus preventing misplacement while maintaining wireless operation freedom.
2Ease of operation
If a wireless hand-held remote-control device operates on battery power, then the device is portable and independent of wall sockets, but the battery needs periodic recharging which requires external recharging devices
Solution Approach 1:
The receptacle integrated into the chair includes a battery charging circuit that automatically charges the remote control device when it is placed in the receptacle. This self-service charging mechanism eliminates the need for external recharging devices and reduces the time and effort required for battery maintenance, as the remote is recharged passively during storage.
3Use of energy by moving object
If external recharging devices are used for wireless remote control devices, then the remote can be recharged, but the recharging devices must be placed on external surfaces of the chair or on tables adjacent to the chair
Solution Approach 1:
The battery charging circuit is merged with the chair structure itself, specifically integrated into the receptacle within the armrest. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate external recharging devices and their associated placement requirements, simplifying the overall system while maintaining full recharging functionality.
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 prevents misplacement and ensures continuous functionality by securely storing and charging the remote control device within the chair's structure, maintaining operational readiness and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetic interface defined between a pair of magnets incorporated which are within or upon an interior rear wall portion of the dock, and a pair of ferromagnetic plates which are incorporated within a rear side wall portion of the wireless hand-held remote-control device
Implementation Method 2
the interior rear wall portion of the dock and the rear side wall portion of the wireless hand-held remote-control device are also provided with suitable electrical charging interface components whereby when the wireless hand-held remote-control device is disposed within the dock, the batteries of the wireless remote-control device can automatically be charged
Data Source
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AI summary
A dock (300) and a wireless hand-held remote-control device (200), for controlling various sections of a powered chair, is disclosed, wherein the dock (300) is adapted to be incorporated within, for example, an arm section of the powered chair, while the wireless hand-held remote-control device (200) is adapted to be inserted into the dock (300) so as not to be lost or misplaced. The wireless hand-held remote-control device (200) has a plurality of control buttons disposed upon the primary or upper face portion (216) thereof so as to control various sections of the powered chair, such as, for example, the headrest section, the back section, a lumbar support section, and a footrest section. In addition, control buttons for the aforenoted sections of the powered chair are also disposed upon a front sidewall portion (212) of the wireless hand-held remote-control device (200) such that the various sections of the powered chair can be controlled both when the wireless hand-held remote-control device (200) is disposed within the dock (300) or when the wireless hand-held remote-control device (200) has been removed from the dock (300).