Patent Application
20100090507
This application is the first disclosure of this invention.
This description relates to the field of motion-enabled chair. More particularly, this description relates to actuation of movie theatre seats.
Prior art systems include motion simulators and motion chairs used in homes, in video game arcades and in attraction park rides.
There is a need to introduce the technology of providing motion in seats installed in movie theatres. In the context of a movie theatre, restrictions relative to the space occupied by each individual seat are present and need to be overcome.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an actuated chair for providing seating and inducing motion to a single user with respect to the ground as a function of motion signals synchronized with a video output of a feature length movie. The chair comprises a seat base for providing seating to the single user. The seat base has a rear edge. The chair further comprises an actuating base for receiving the motion signals. The actuating base is located substantially between the seat base and the ground and comprises a frame for interfacing with the ground. The actuating base also comprises three link members, namely a first link member, a second link member and a third link member. Each link member has one translational degree of freedom and two rotational degrees of freedom. The first link member and the second link member are attached to the seat base closer to the rear edge than the third link member. The actuating base further comprises three linear actuators for inducing motion to the seat base. The actuators are fixed to the frame and each actuator is respectively connected to the seat base using a respective one of the three link members.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an actuated chair for providing seating and inducing motion to one or more users with respect to the ground as a function of motion signals. The chair comprises a seat base for providing seating to the one or more users. The seat base has a rear edge. The chair further comprises an actuating base for receiving the motion signals. The actuating base comprises a frame for interfacing with the ground. The actuating base also comprises a link member having a translational degree of freedom and a rotational degree of freedom. The actuating base further comprises a linear actuator for inducing motion to the seat base. The actuator is fixed to the frame and is connected to the seat base using the link member.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an actuating base for installation to a seat base between the seat base and the ground. The seat base is for providing seating to a user. The seat base has a rear edge. The actuating base is for inducing motion to the user with respect to the ground as a function of motion signals. The actuating base comprises a frame for interfacing with the ground. The actuating base also comprises a link member having a translational degree of freedom and a rotational degree of freedom. The actuating base further comprises a linear actuator for inducing motion to the seat base. The actuator is fixed to the frame and being connected to the seat base using the link member.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:
It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.
Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to
Between the protective cover 101 and the seat base 102 there may be a protection skirt (not shown) for preventing users from injury while viewing a moving which comprising motion effects. According to an embodiment, the terms “protective cover” includes the protection skirt. The protection skirt is horizontally wrinkled and made of flexible material to adjust itself during the actuating (movement of the chair).
Below the right armrest 104, a control panel 107 is accessible to the user for controlling the intensity (e.g., the amplitude range of the actuators 206a-b-c) of the motion effect inducing in the chair 100. Some of the options (i.e., modes of operation) include “Off” (i.e., no motion), “Light” (i.e., reduced motion), “Normal” (i.e., regular motion), “Heavy” (i.e., maximum motion), “Discreet” (i.e., fully controllable motion level between “Off” and “Heavy”), and “Automatic”. Optionally, a vibration signal, a sound signal or light signal is provided to the user to indicate in which mode of operation or at which intensity level the chair 100 is operating.
In the “Automatic” mode, the chair 100 uses a sensor (not shown) to detect a characteristic of the user (e.g., weight) and, based on the characteristic, determines the setting for the level of motion that will be induced in the chair 100. The sensor function can be achieved by a combination of feedback through one or more actuators 206a-b-c and software algorithm hosted in the processor (not shown) of the controller 210. The weight sensor function can also be achieved by using a separate sensor 208 (see
Referring to
The linear directions of movement of each of the actuators 206a-b-c define three linear axes which are substantially vertical (i.e., perpendicular) with respect to the ground or floor on which the chair is installed.
The mobile portions 209a-b-c of the actuators 206a-b-c are connected to the seat base 102 using link members 300a-b-c. In the embodiment shown in
The person skilled in the art will understand that electrical linear actuators 206a-b-c can be replaced by any linear actuators powered by any other types of energies such as hydraulic, pneumatic, or thermal.
The function of controller 210 is to receive motion signals from an encoder (not shown) and interpret and transform the motion signals into drive signals for driving each actuator 206a-b-c.
The controller 210, or another electronic device with a processor and memory (not shown), may include functionalities related to the maintenance of the actuators 206a-b-c. This includes saving data in memory for download and analysis. The types of data include: time since installation, time since new, time under power, accelerations induced to the chair over time, number of movie representations shown, etc.
Now referring to
The shaft 302b is mounted on a cradle 301b attached to the mobile portion 209b of the actuator 206b. The ball 303b is free to move on the shaft 302b. The movement of the ball 303b on the shaft 302b provides a translational degree of freedom along a longitudinal axis of the shaft 302b.
The longitudinal axis of the shaft 302b is from right to left of the seat base 102 from the point of view of the user.
Referring to
The shaft 302a is mounted on a cradle 301a attached to the mobile portion 209a of the actuator 206a. The ball 303a is free to move on the shaft 302a. The movement of the ball 303a on the shaft 302a provides a translational degree of freedom along a longitudinal axis of the shaft 302a.
The longitudinal axis of the shaft 302a is from front to rear of the seat base from the point of view of the user. The actuator 206a is located in the middle of the front edge of the seat base 102 thereby providing free space on each side thereof for the legs of the user under the seat base 102.
The embodiment described is useful for inducing motion to a user in two rotational degrees of freedom to pitch and roll and in one translational up/down degree of freedom.
Other embodiments are possible where only two actuators are used at the back of the seat base 102 and one fixed point of contact is present forward of the two actuators. Other possible embodiments would include only one actuator, possibly at the front of the seat base 102, and one or more fixed point of contact, possibly at the back of the seat base 102.
Now referring to
In an embodiment, link member 500a would be attached at the center forward of the middle of the seat base 102. The link member 500a comprises a connector 503a mounted on a pivot joint 502a forming part of a sliding ring 501a for admitting a shaft 302a therethrough. The connector 503a is screwed into the seat base 102. The link member 500a provides two rotational degrees of freedom as shown by the curved arrows.
The shaft 302a is mounted on a cradle 301a attached to the mobile portion 209a of the actuator 206a. The sliding ring 501a is free to move on the shaft 302a. The movement of the sliding ring 501a on the shaft 302a provides a translational degree of freedom along a longitudinal axis of the shaft 302a.
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made therein without departing from the essence of this invention. Such modifications are considered as possible variants comprised in the scope of the invention.
