Tag: furniture design

How about integrating USB charging in to furniture and appliances?

Article

Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 8" business tablet press picture courtesy of Samsung

Gadgets like these could benefit from chargers that are part of interior designs

King Living’s Smart Sofa Charges Your Smartphone, Remembers Your Seating Position

My Comments

King Living had put forward a “home-theatre” 2-person recliner sofa of the kind you would have in a “Gold Class” cinema. But they integrated USB charging in to this sofa so you can charge your smartphone or tablet or avoid compromising its battery runtime while you are using it.

But this kind of idea hasn’t been really explored by companies who manufacture furniture and general appliances for the home. Here, you could have a lamp or electric fan of the kind that sits on a table or desk being equipped with a 2-port or 4-port USB charger that is part of its base  Or you could have a freestanding trouser press that has the ability for you to charge your smartphone from it while your good pants are being pressed.

Similarly, a furniture maker or interior designer could come forth with a USB charging station that is integrated in to the furniture in the same way that some bedheads came with integrated bedside lamps or clock radios or some bedside tables came with clock radios. This was facilitated with various manufacturers releasing products that are designed from the outset to be integrated in to furniture. In a similar way, some people integrated car stereos that were powered by 12V power-supplies in to furniture to provide an integrated look for secondary-area audio entertainment.

This can be approached with so-called “reference-design” USB and wireless charger products that simplify the process of integrating in to existing designs and circuits. The circuits could come in to their own with furniture that has integrated electrical circuitry like a massage chair or appliances like a table lamp. They may have to be factored to allow for use with low voltages or with mains voltages so there isn’t the need for a separate power supply to be designed for applications that just have AC voltages. As well, they would have to be supplied in “short-form”

Once this is achieved, it could cut down the number of wall-warts that have to exist in the kitchen or office just to charge your gadgets.