Abstract:
A diagnostic system for use in the electronic control circuit for motor actuated lift and/or recline mechanisms for chair wherein a hand controller is used to operate said lift and/or recline mechanisms, and wherein a series of LED indicators are situated at strategic locations in the circuit. The LED indicators can be used to determine whether electricity is flowing to such points in the circuit, which in turn will enable possible problems that might cause the hand control device not to work properly to be quickly more easily pinpointed by immediately narrowing the potential sources or causes of the problem.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO PREVIOUS RELATED APPLICATION 
   This invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/622,334 filed on Oct. 26, 2004, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is directly to control devices in general, and more particularly to a self-diagnostic manual control device for operating a recliner and lift-chair. 
   2. Preliminary Discussion 
   Reclining chairs having at least one actuator or motor for moving the recliner between a completely upright position, a variety of partially reclined positions, and a fully reclined position are increasing in number and popularity, mostly due to the lifestyle of the average consumer, wherein an inordinate amount of time is spent in a resting or reclined position, a substantial amount of which time is taken up watching television. Another type of chair having increased use is the lift chair, wherein an actuator or motor is used to operate a lift mechanism which lifts the chair upwardly and tilts it forwardly, to assist an elderly or disabled person sitting in the chair into a standing position, are also becoming increasingly commonplace. Combination lift and recliner chairs are also quite common. The motors or actuators are normally operated using a manual or hand control, typically a handheld device that is hardwired to the motor or motors attached to the chair frame for activating the lift and/or reclining mechanisms of the chair. The hand control usually includes several buttons which when pressed will move or tilt the chair, chair back, and foot rest into a desired reclining position, or raise and lower the lift mechanism, depending upon the nature of the chair. 
   While such electronic hand controllers make motor actuated lift chairs and recliners very simple to operate and therefore more desirable, particularly for those who do not have the strength or dexterity to operate a manual lift or recliner mechanism, when the hand control does not operate correctly, most consumers have a difficult time determining what is causing such inoperativeness. As a result, the standard response is to immediately contact a service representative. Prior to making a service call, which is expensive and time consuming for the service company, the service representative typically will try to diagnose the problem over the telephone by gathering as much information as he or she can about the problem. However, most users can only supply the service representative with a very minimal amount of information, other than to complain that the controller or chair is not working properly. The frail condition of many of such users, particularly with respect to lift chairs, further limits their ability to self-diagnose the problem, particularly if the individual using the chair lives alone or has minimal assistance from others, and would find it difficult if not impossible to check the wire connections or the like of the entire control circuit. For example, an elderly person may not be able to bend down to inspect the wires, or may have a reduced vision condition that would prevent a detailed inspection of the wires in any event. 
   While most users of such motor actuated chairs are therefore substantially unable to diagnose a non-working controller, in each case there are several typical problems that might cause the hand controller not to work, which cases together comprise the vast majority of service call situations. First, there may not be any power or current being supplied from the wall receptacle to the chair and motor. This could be caused by a power outage, a tripped breaker, a short in the receptacle or outlet, or even simply by the plug becoming loose or disconnected from the outlet. As indicated above, It is a difficult chore for many disabled individuals to diagnose such problems, even to check whether a plug has pulled out of a wall electrical socket, particularly since the plug many times located behind the chair itself. Another possible cause of an inoperable hand controller is a problem with the motor that activates the recline and/or lift mechanism. Yet another possible problem is that the motor and power supply may be operating correctly, but there may be a malfunction in the hand controller itself, such as a broken button or the like. Very often, a technician on a service call will arrive at a home and find that the problem is simply that the plug for the motor was accidentally disconnected from the wall, or that the cord connecting the controller to the motor became disconnected. As indicated above, while such problems are very easy to fix, the service call itself is invariably very expensive and time consuming, and a large percentage of such service calls could be eliminated if such simple problems could be diagnosed via the telephone, or by the user him or herself. 
   Recognizing the need for a more efficient system for diagnosing problems occurring in the hand control circuit, the present inventor has developed a system that allows such problems to be considered and diagnosed over the phone, or by the user him or herself, so that the cause of the problem can be pinpointed quickly and easily, and then often solved without the need for a service representative or technician to visit the premises. Furthermore, by use of the system of the invention, even if a serviceman still must make a house call, he or she may from the information provided by the chair user or his or her care provider may better prepare for the particular problems such as by bringing the proper repair parts or the like. 
   The system is comprised of a series of LED indicators situated at strategic locations in the electronic control circuit for the lift and/or recline mechanisms of a chair using a manual controller. Such lights will indicate basically whether electricity is flowing to such points in the circuit, which in turn will enable possible problems that might cause the hand control device not to work properly to be quickly more easily pinpointed by immediately narrowing the potential sources or causes of the problem. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a system for diagnosing problems with the control circuit for a lift and/or recliner chair actuated by a motor. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for more quickly pinpointing causes for an inoperable lift and/or recliner mechanism by immediately eliminating potential causes. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a motor actuated lift and/or recliner chair having LED indicators strategically placed in the electrical circuit, said LED indicators for enabling a quick determination whether or not electricity is passing through said point in the circuit. 
   It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a system for diagnosing possible causes for an inoperable motor actuated lift mechanism or reline mechanism, thereby reducing the number of service calls made and the number of service visits a serviceman must make. 
   It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a system for diagnosing possible causes for an inoperable motor actuated lift mechanism or reline mechanism, making service calls less time-consuming and efficient. 
   Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear upon review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the appended drawings. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A system for more quickly pinpointing and diagnosing possible causes for an inoperable motor actuated lift mechanism or recline mechanism in a chair is provided. The system enables such problems to be more thoroughly considered and diagnosed by the user without the aid of a service technician. In addition, if a service call is made, a telephone representative can gather more information about the system, and can possibly pinpoint and fix the problem over the phone without the need for a service representative or technician to visit the premises. Furthermore, by using the system of the invention, even if a serviceman still must make a house call, he or she may, from the information provided by the chair user or his or her care provider, better prepare for the particular problems, such as by bringing the proper repair parts or the like. 
   The system is comprised of a series of LED indicators situated at strategic locations in the electronic control circuit for the lift and/or recline mechanisms of a chair using a manual controller. Such LED indicator lights will indicate whether electricity is flowing to such points in the circuit, which in turn will enable possible problems that might cause the hand control device not to work properly to be more quickly and easily pinpointed by immediately narrowing the potential sources or causes of the problem. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a third embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 4   a  illustrates another view of the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The following detailed description is of the best mode or modes of the invention presently contemplated. Such description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but to be an example of the invention presented solely for illustration thereof, and by reference to which in connection with the following description and the accompanying drawings one skilled in the art may be advised of the advantages and construction of the invention. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a first embodiment of the self-diagnostic system  10  of the invention connected to recliner chair  12 . Plug  14  is connected to power cord  18  and is electrically connected in receptacle  16 . The other end of power cord  18  is electrically connected to transformer  20 . A second cord  22  connects between transformer  20  and motor  24  attached to chair  12 , while another cord  26  is operably connected between motor  24  and hand control  28 . The hand control  28  typically will have several buttons  30  for initiating a particular operation or combination of operations, depending upon the type of chair, such as to raise or lower the lift mechanism if the chair is a lift chair, or to raise and lower the footrest, to move the chair frame between a reclined and upright position, and to raise and lower the chair back if the chair is a recliner. It will be understood of course that the number of buttons and their operation is dependent upon the nature of the chair the combination of possible movements of such chair. It is also possible for the diagnostic system of the present invention, described below, to be used with other arrangements in addition to a recline or lift chair, such as, for example, an adjustable bed wherein various portions of the bed may be raised or lowered depending upon the comfort and needs of the user. 
   The diagnostic system incorporated into the above-discussed actuator arrangement will now be explained. Referring still to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , a first LED light  31  is provided in cord  22  between transformer  20  and motor  24 , and a second LED light  32  is provided in cord  26  extending between motor  24  and hand control  28 . Each of such LED lights  31  and  32 , which are preferably green, will be turned on when there is a flow of electrical current passing through such point in the control system. These lights can therefore be referred to and used by a service representative upon receiving a call from a consumer whose hand control  28  is not working, or, alternatively, the lights may be referred to by the user or another who wishes to self-diagnose the problem. 
   For example, if plug  14  is plugged into receptacle  16 , but LED light  31  is not lighted, this is indicative of the fact that there is either no current is being passed from power cord  18  to transformer  20 , or that transformer  20  is not working correctly and passing current along cord  22  past LED light  31  to motor  24 . Thus, the most likely source of the problem can be immediately narrowed down. In this scenario, LED light  32  should also be turned off, since of course if current is not flowing through LED light  31  in cord  22 , the way the circuit is connected it also should not be flowing past LED light  32  in cord  26 . In such case, a telephone service representative or other technician can immediately narrow down the possible problems to one or two. In addition, the user may also be able to self-diagnose such problem, and before calling a service representative check to make sure that plug  14  is snugly connected in outlet  16  before reporting a problem most likely with power to transformer  20 . 
   In another possible scenario, LED light  31  may be lighted or turned on, while LED light  32  is not on or turned off. This will be indicative of the fact that while power and current is passing through transformer  20  and presumably reaching motor  24 , such current is not reaching hand control  28 . Therefore, a logical user understanding the diagnostic system will immediately check to make sure the connection between cord  26  and motor  24 , which is usually a type of male/female plug connection, is not loose or has become disconnected, or that cord  22  has not pulled out of motor  24 . In such scenario, a user would not initially suspect that the motor itself has failed, since the LED light  32  is indicating that power is not reaching hand control  28 , while LED light  31  indicates power is reaching motor  24 . However, without such LED lights, the number of possible problems has not been reduced, and cannot be accurately diagnosed without performing a series of tests to determine what portions of the control circuit are still operational. 
   In a third scenario, both LED light  31  and  32  are lighted or turned on, yet the hand control  28  still will not activate motor  24 . In such case, there are two possible problems; either motor  24  has malfunctioned, or hand control  28  has malfunctioned. The user can check the connection between cord  26  and hand control  28 ; if this is secure, a service technician will likely have to check to see if the problem is with motor  24  and controller  28 . However, even in such circumstance the possible causes for the recline or lift mechanisms not working are significantly reduced, therefore reducing the amount of time that a service technician must spend on each service call. 
   In an alternative embodiment, shown in  FIG. 2 , a third LED light  40  may be provided either connected to motor  24  or (as in  FIG. 2 ) situated on hand control  28 . Such third LED light  40  will light or turn on when a signal is created indicating whether when one of the buttons  30  on hand control  28  is depressed, a current or signal is passed to the motor, and therefore will be indicative of the fact that such signal has actually being generated and sent to and received by motor  24 . If such LED light  40  indicates that a signal is being sent to or received by motor  24 , one can assume that hand control  28  is operative, and the problem is with motor  24  itself. On the other hand, if such LED light  40  indicates a signal is not being generated, it is more likely that the problem is with the hand control and not motor  24 . 
   While the invention has been described using LED lights as the means for determining or indicating whether or not current is passing through the respective points in the control circuit, other indicator means, such as a buzzer, vibrating means, or other light means may also be used in place of such LED lights while still conforming to the objectives and spirit of the invention. In addition, in another embodiment, a central box or station may be provided so that all of such lights are housed in a single location, whereby the user can more easily and quickly make a preliminary determination as to the most likely causes for a malfunction or the like should the hand control suddenly cease to operate simply by reviewing the LED lights or other signaling means which are all situated in such box rather than on or adjacent the various cords of the control system. In a further refinement an electronic means for reading the indications of the indicator system of the invention and sending such information directly over the telephone could be devised. In a still further variation of the system, using a single or multiple closely spaced indicator lights the lights may be differently colored to aid the user of the chair to describe what the indications are over the phone to a repair or service station. The indicator means may also be placed at different strategic points in the circuit where desired. For example, where transformer  20  is not required, LED light  31  would simply be placed in power chord  18 . In addition, should there be a battery backup arrangement as part of the control circuit, such battery pack may also include a power indicating means. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate two other possible arrangements utilizing an LED light diagnostic such as has just been described. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals used in  FIGS. 1 and 2  have been used. A right angle plug  42  detachably connects cord  22  to transformer  20 , while motor  26  is not connected to chair  12  as shown in  FIG. 1 . Cord  26  in  FIG. 1  has been replaced with short cord  28  extending from motor  24 , and has a female receptacle  44  on its end, to which another right angle plug  46  attached to the end of extension cord  48  is connected. Receptacle  50  is provided on the opposite end of extension cord  48 , and plug  52  attached to one end of cord  54  is inserted in receptacle  50 . Meanwhile, the opposite end of cord  54  is attached to hand control  28 . Receptacle  50  also includes a hook  55  that attached around tab  56  on plug  52  to hold such electrical connection. 
     FIG. 4  illustrates another alternative embodiment wherein hand control  28  is operably connected to three motors; back motor  24   a , and dual chair motors  24   b  and  24   c , rather than a single motor as in the previous embodiments. In such arrangement, cord  54  is connected to a control box  60 , cord  62  connects motor  24   a  to control box  60 , cord  63  connects motor  24   b  to control box  60 , and cord  63  connects motor  24   c  to control box  60 . Thus, depending upon which button  30  on hand control  28  is pressed, motors  24   a ,  24   b , or  24   c  will be activated and adjust the chair accordingly. Cord  68  having a Y-connector  70  on its outer end is also attached to control box  60 , and LED lights  71  and  72  are provided on branches  73  and  74  of Y-connector. Right angle plugs  75  and  76  are then provided on the ends of branches  73  and  74 , and connect to transformers  20  (not shown) and ultimately to an electrical supply. Another slightly alternative arrangement is shown in  FIG. 4   a.    
   While the present invention has been described at some length and with some particularity with respect to the several described embodiments, it is not intended that it should be limited to any such particulars or embodiments or any particular embodiment, but it is to be construed with references to the appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and, therefore, to effectively encompass the intended scope of the invention.