TWI855691B - Safety chair - Google Patents

Abstract

A safety chair is provided to overcome the problem of conventional chairs lacking assistance for users to safely sit down or stand up. This safety chair includes a main body, a seat cushion, an angle adjustment module, a sensing module and a control unit. The seat cushion is pivotally connected to the main body. The angle adjustment module has an actuating end linked to the seat cushion. The sensing module has a seat occupancy sensor set on the seat cushion to detect if someone is sitting on it. The control unit is coupled to the angle adjustment module and the sensing module. The control unit, base on the sensing result of the seat occupancy sensor, determines that there is no one seated on the seat cushion and controls the actuating end of the angle adjustment module to rotate the seat cushion relative to the main body, tilting it forward by 20 ~30 degrees.

Description

Safety chair

The present invention relates to a chair, in particular to a safety chair that can assist the user to sit down or stand up safely.

According to the current medical technology, the average life expectancy of human beings has been extended, and the number of elderly people in various countries has gradually increased. Among the elderly population, most have the problem of knee joint degeneration, which makes it difficult for the knees to support the weight of the body, and they often encounter inconveniences in sitting or standing up in life. In addition, patients with weak bodies or injured feet often need the assistance of others to sit down or stand up.

For the above-mentioned groups who are unable to take care of themselves, when using ordinary chairs, there is a risk of falling, whether sitting down or standing up. In view of this, the conventional chairs still need to be improved.

In order to solve the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a safety chair that can tilt the seat forward to help the user reduce the force when no one is sitting in it.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a safety chair that can tilt the seat cushion forward to help the user get up with less effort.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a safety chair that can provide health monitoring functions.

The directions or similar terms described in the present invention are based on the direction in which the user is facing when sitting in the safety seat in a normal sitting position as "front", the direction in which the user is facing as "back", the top of the head as "upper", and the bottom of the feet as "lower". "Left" and "right" are defined according to the left and right sides of the user; other terms such as "inside", "outside", "side", etc. are mainly used to refer to the directions of the attached drawings. However, each direction or similar terms are only used to assist in the description and understanding of the various embodiments of the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention.

The quantifiers "one" or "a" used in the components and parts described in the present invention are only for the convenience of use and to provide a general meaning of the scope of the present invention; they should be interpreted in the present invention as including one or at least one, and the single concept also includes the plural case, unless it is obvious that it means otherwise.

The similar terms such as "combination", "assembly" or "assembly" mentioned in the present invention mainly include the connection that can be separated without damaging the components, or the connection that makes the components inseparable, which can be selected by those with ordinary knowledge in the field according to the materials of the components to be connected or the assembly requirements.

The safety chair of the present invention comprises: a body; a seat cushion pivotally connected to a carrying part of the body; an angle adjustment module having an actuating end connected to the seat cushion, the angle adjustment module having an actuator having a telescopic rod, the actuator being located below the seat cushion, the carrying part having an opening, the actuator end passing through the opening and connected to a connecting part of the seat cushion; a sensing module having a sitting sensor disposed on the seat cushion for sensing whether there is a person sitting on the seat cushion; and a control unit coupled to the angle adjustment module and the sensing module, the control unit controlling the angle adjustment module according to the sensing result of the sitting sensor. When it is determined that no one is sitting on the seat cushion, the actuator end of the angle adjustment module is controlled to drive the seat cushion to pivot relative to the body until the seat cushion tilts forward 20 to 30 degrees; wherein the body has two armrests located on two sides of the seat cushion, the sensing module has a physiological signal measurement unit located at least one of the two armrests, the physiological signal measurement unit is coupled to the control unit, and is used to send a measurement result signal to the control unit after measurement, and a driver is coupled to the control unit and drives the telescopic rod to extend relative to the cylinder, and one end of the telescopic rod protrudes outside the cylinder and forms the actuator end.

Accordingly, the safety chair of the present invention can tilt the seat forward when no one is sitting in it, so as to help the user to reduce the force of sitting, and improve the convenience and safety of use; furthermore, the safety chair can also tilt the seat forward to help the user to reduce the force of getting up. In this way, whether it is the elderly, the weak or the patients with foot injuries, they can sit down or stand up safely by themselves to take care of their daily life; in addition, the safety chair can provide a health monitoring function, which has the effect of improving the added value of the safety chair. In addition, the angle adjustment module has a simple structure, which has the effect of reducing costs and improving the convenience of assembly and maintenance. The angle adjustment module can push against the seat cushion from below to safely adjust the tilt angle of the seat cushion, and the angle adjustment module is almost completely stored in the main body, which can keep the overall appearance of the safety chair simple and has the effect of improving the safety of use and the aesthetics of the product.

The main body may have a backrest located behind the seat cushion, a back massager may be provided on the backrest, the main body may have two armrests located on two sides of the seat cushion, and at least one hand massager may be provided on at least one of the two armrests. In this way, the safety chair can provide a massage function and has the effect of improving the comfort of use.

The angle adjustment module may have two actuating ends, and the two actuating ends may be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the center of gravity of the seat cushion. In this way, the stability of the seat cushion during the process of changing the tilt angle is improved.

The sitting sensor can be coupled to the control unit to measure the force on the seat cushion and send a force signal to the control unit. In this way, the control unit can easily and accurately determine whether there is someone sitting on the seat cushion, which has the effect of reducing manufacturing costs and improving judgment accuracy.

When the force signal is less than a set value, the control unit can control the actuator end to drive the seat cushion to pivot relative to the body until the seat cushion tilts forward 20 to 30 degrees. In this way, the control unit can accurately control the operating state of the angle adjustment module, thereby improving the accuracy of the seat cushion angle adjustment function.

When the force signal is greater than or equal to the set value, the control unit can control the actuator end to drive the seat cushion to pivot relative to the main body, so that the seat cushion can be gradually laid flat from the forward tilt state. In this way, the seat cushion can accurately assist the user to reduce the force of riding, which has the effect of improving the safety and convenience of use.

The safety chair may further include a controller, which may be coupled to the control unit. When the force signal is greater than or equal to the set value and the control unit receives a lifting command from the controller, the control unit may control the actuator end to drive the seat cushion to tilt forward. In this way, the seat cushion can assist the user to reduce the force to stand up, which has the effect of improving the safety and convenience of use.

1: Body

11: Carriage Department

111: First joint

112: Opening

12: Chair back

13: Armrests

14: Storage Department

15: Audio player

16: Back massager

17:Hand Massager

2: Seat cushion

21: Second joint

22: Connection part

3: Angle adjustment module

31: Actuating end

32: Actuator

33: Telescopic rod

34:Driver

4:Sensor module

41: Ride sensor

42: Physiological signal measurement unit

5: Control unit

6: Controller

θ: angle of intersection

[Figure 1] An exploded perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 2] A side view of the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the seat cushion is tilted forward.

[Figure 3] A diagram showing the use of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Figure 4] A three-dimensional diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the riding sensor provided on the seat cushion is omitted.

In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following specifically cites the preferred embodiments of the present invention and provides a detailed description in conjunction with the attached drawings; in addition, the same symbols in different drawings are considered the same and their descriptions will be omitted.

Please refer to Figure 1, which is the first embodiment of the safety chair of the present invention, comprising a body 1, a seat cushion 2, an angle adjustment module 3, a sensing module 4 and a control unit 5. The seat cushion 2 is disposed on the body 1, the angle adjustment module 3 is connected to the seat cushion 2, and the control unit 5 is coupled to the angle adjustment module 3 and the sensing module 4.

Please refer to the first and second figures, the shape of the main body 1 is not limited, as long as it can be stably hinged to the seat 2; in this embodiment, the main body 1 can be selected to be a single sofa shape. That is, the main body 1 of this embodiment can have a carrying part 11 for the seat 2 to be hinged and arranged, and the main body 1 can also have a chair back 12 located behind the seat 2, and two armrests 13 located on the left and right sides of the seat 2. Among them, the carrying part 11 can be optionally provided with a first hinge part 111 at the front end, and the carrying part 11 can have an opening 112 connected to the space below. A storage part 14 can be provided on the outer side of one of the armrest parts 13, and the storage part 14 can be, for example, a clamp for fixing crutches. There may also be an audio player 15 disposed on the backrest 12 or one of the armrests 13 of the main body 1 for playing music, voice messages, or audio such as warnings (to be described in detail later).

The front end of the seat cushion 2 may have a second pivoting portion 21, and the second pivoting portion 21 may be pivotally connected to the first pivoting portion 111 of the carrying portion 11, so that the seat cushion 2 may be pivotally connected to the body 1. The seat cushion 2 may have a connecting portion 22 for connecting to the angle adjustment module 3, so that the seat cushion 2 may be linked to the angle adjustment module 3 and tilt forward; in this embodiment, the connecting portion 22 may be provided on the lower surface of the seat cushion 2 and located between the rear end of the seat cushion 2 and the second pivoting portion 21.

The angle adjustment module 3 has an actuating end 31 connected to the connecting portion 22 of the seat cushion 2, so that when the angle adjustment module 3 is in operation, the actuating end 31 links the seat cushion 2 to pivot relative to the body 1. In this embodiment, the angle adjustment module 3 can adjust the tilt angle of the seat cushion 2 relative to the body 1 by pushing against the seat cushion 2 from below.

In detail, the angle adjustment module 3 of the present embodiment may have an actuator 32, which may be disposed in the carrying portion 11 of the body 1 and below the seat cushion 2. The actuator 32 has a telescopic rod 33, and the telescopic rod 33 may be driven to extend and retract relative to the actuator 32 by a driver 34 adjacent to the actuator 32 and coupled to the control unit 5; one end of the telescopic rod 33 protrudes outside the actuator 32 and forms the actuating end 31, and the actuating end 31 passes through the opening 112 of the carrying portion 11 and is connected to the connecting portion 22 of the seat cushion 2, so that the tilt angle of the seat cushion 2 is controlled by the extension degree of the telescopic rod 33 relative to the actuator 32. Among them, the action cylinder 32, the telescopic rod 33 and the driver 34 can be existing linear modules such as pneumatic cylinders, hydraulic cylinders or electric cylinders, so their detailed components are not described in detail here. The safety chair of this embodiment can also have a controller 6, which can be set on one of the armrests 13 of the body 1 and electrically connected to the control unit 5, so that the control unit 5 can control the operation of the driver 34 according to the instructions input by the controller 6 to control the telescopic direction and degree of the telescopic rod 33 relative to the action cylinder 32.

The sensing module 4 has a sitting sensor 41 disposed on the seat cushion 2 and coupled to the control unit 5, for sensing whether there is a person sitting on the seat cushion 2. The sitting sensor 41 can be, for example, a weight sensor or a pressure sensor, which can measure the force on the seat cushion 2 and send a force signal to the control unit 5. The control unit 5 can determine whether there is a person sitting on the seat cushion 2 based on the sensing result of the sitting sensor 41 (the force signal in this embodiment); for example, when the force signal is less than a set value (for example, 20 kg), it can be determined that no one is sitting on the seat cushion 2, and when the force signal is greater than or equal to the set value, it can be determined that there is a person sitting on the seat cushion 2. Accordingly, when the control unit 5 determines that no one is sitting on the seat cushion 2, the control unit 5 can control the angle adjustment module 3 to operate so that the actuating end 31 can drive the seat cushion 2 to pivot relative to the body 1 until the seat cushion 2 tilts forward by 20-30 degrees (the angle θ between the lower surface of the seat cushion 2 and the horizontal plane).

Please refer to Figures 2 and 3. When the user wants to sit on the safety chair of this embodiment, when the user's buttocks lean on the forward-tilted seat cushion 2, the force signal of the sitting sensor 41 will become larger; when the force signal changes to be greater than or equal to the set value, the control unit 5 can control the angle adjustment module 3 to operate, so that the actuator end 31 can drive the seat cushion 2 to pivot relative to the body 1, so that the seat cushion 2 can be gradually flattened from the forward-tilted state to support the user's buttocks and help the user to reduce the force of sitting (reduce the force of the lower body). In contrast, when the user wants to stand up, even if the force signal is still greater than or equal to the set value, the user can operate the controller 6, and the controller 6 inputs a lifting command to the control unit 5, so that the control unit 5 controls the actuator end 31 of the angle adjustment module 3 again to make the seat cushion 2 gradually tilt forward to assist the user to reduce the force to stand up.

Please also refer to FIGS. 1 and 3 , the sensing module 4 of the present embodiment may also have a physiological signal measuring unit 42; the physiological signal measuring unit 42 may be coupled to the control unit 5 and may be disposed on at least one of the two armrests 13. The physiological signal measuring unit 42 may be used to measure physiological signals such as the user's heart rate or blood pressure; for example, the measuring function may be automatically activated after the user places his hand on the physiological signal measuring unit 42 for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds), and the physiological signal of the user may be measured through radio waves or filter signals (existing technology), and a measurement result signal may be issued. After receiving the measurement result signal, the control unit 5 can update the data to the cloud to collect the user's physiological signals for health analysis, or for monitoring personnel (such as caregivers or care centers) to understand the user's health status in real time.

On the other hand, while the user is sitting in the safety seat, the audio player 15 can play music, news, weather, or status information such as "seat cushion lowering/raising", "measuring/completed", "measurement result normal/abnormal", or a voice message or warning sound to indicate that the user has been sitting for too long when the user is detected to have been sitting for too long. In addition, the monitoring personnel can also communicate with the user in real time through the audio player 15.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a second embodiment of the safety chair of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, the body 1 may further have a back massager 16 disposed on the backrest 12, and at least one hand massager 17 disposed on one of the armrests 13. Preferably, each of the two armrests 13 is provided with a hand massager 17. Accordingly, while the user is riding in the safety chair, the back massager 16 may be used to massage the back, and/or the hand massager 17 may be used to massage the hands by changing different inflation levels to promote blood circulation in the extremities of the hands. In addition, the angle adjustment module 3 of the present embodiment can be a double cylinder type with two actuating ends 31, that is, two sets of cylinders 32, telescopic rods 33 and drivers 34, and the two actuating ends 31 can be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the center of gravity of the seat cushion 2 to improve the stability of the seat cushion 2 during the process of changing the tilt angle. In addition, the controller 6 of the present embodiment can be changed into a remote control type and wirelessly coupled to the control unit 5 to wirelessly control the operation of the driver 34, and can also facilitate the integrated control of the back massager 16 and the hand massager 17 and other components. In addition, the diagram of this embodiment selects to present the control unit 5 in a wireless coupling manner to the angle adjustment module 3 and the sensing module 4, but the control unit 5 can also adopt a wired manner as shown in the aforementioned first embodiment to electrically connect the angle adjustment module 3 and the sensing module 4, so the present invention is not limited to the form disclosed in the diagram.

In summary, the safety chair of the present invention can tilt the seat forward when no one is sitting in it, so as to help the user to reduce the force of sitting, and improve the convenience and safety of use; furthermore, the safety chair can also tilt the seat forward to help the user to reduce the force of getting up. In this way, whether it is the elderly, the weak or the patients with leg injuries, they can sit down or stand up safely by themselves to take care of their daily life.

Although the present invention has been disclosed using the above preferred embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the above embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and they are still within the technical scope protected by the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention includes all changes within the meaning and equivalent scope recorded in the attached patent application scope. In addition, when the above several embodiments can be combined, the present invention includes any combination of implementations.

1: Body

11: Carriage Department

111: First joint

112: Opening

12: Chair back

13: Armrests

14: Storage Department

15: Audio player

2: Seat cushion

21: Second joint

22: Connection part

3: Angle adjustment module

31: Actuating end

32: Actuator

33: Telescopic rod

34:Driver

4:Sensor module

41: Ride sensor

42: Physiological signal measurement unit

5: Control unit

6: Controller

θ: angle of intersection

Claims (7)

A safety chair comprises: a body; a seat cushion pivotally connected to a carrying part of the body; an angle adjustment module having an actuating end connected to the seat cushion, the angle adjustment module having an actuator having a telescopic rod, the actuator being located below the seat cushion, the carrying part having an opening, the actuator end passing through the opening and connected to a connecting part of the seat cushion; a sensing module having a sitting sensor disposed on the seat cushion for sensing whether there is a person sitting on the seat cushion; and a control unit coupled to the angle adjustment module and the sensing module, the control unit judging whether the person is sitting on the seat cushion according to the sensing result of the sitting sensor. When no one is sitting on the seat cushion, the actuator end of the angle adjustment module is controlled to drive the seat cushion to pivot relative to the main body until the seat cushion tilts forward by 20-30 degrees; wherein the main body has two armrests located on two sides of the seat cushion, the sensing module has a physiological signal measurement unit located at at least one of the two armrests, the physiological signal measurement unit is coupled to the control unit, and is used to send a measurement result signal to the control unit after measurement, and a driver is coupled to the control unit and drives the telescopic rod to extend and retract relative to the cylinder, and one end of the telescopic rod protrudes outside the cylinder and forms the actuator end. As in claim 1, the safety chair, wherein the body has a backrest located behind the seat cushion, a back massager is provided on the backrest, the body has two armrests located on two sides of the seat cushion, and at least one hand massager is provided on at least one of the two armrests. As in claim 1, the safety seat, wherein the angle adjustment module has two actuating ends, and the two actuating ends are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the center of gravity of the seat cushion. A safety seat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the seating sensor is coupled to the control unit to measure the force on the seat cushion and send a force signal to the control unit. For example, in the safety seat of claim 4, when the force signal is less than a set value, the control unit controls the actuator end to drive the seat cushion to pivot relative to the main body until the seat cushion tilts forward by 20 to 30 degrees. As in claim 5, in which, when the force signal is greater than or equal to the set value, the control unit controls the actuator end to drive the seat cushion to pivot relative to the body, so that the seat cushion gradually flattens from the forward tilted state. The safety chair of claim 6 further includes a controller, which is coupled to the control unit. When the force signal is greater than or equal to the set value and the control unit receives a lifting command from the controller, the control unit controls the actuator end to drive the seat cushion to tilt forward.

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