JP2001258948A - Wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheelchair capable of being easily put aside at a narrow place having no allowance before and behind. SOLUTION: Driving wheels 15 are provided to the intermediate part in the before and behind direction of the chassis of the wheelchair on both sides thereof and a seat 10 is provided on the chassis so that the center of gravity thereof is set almost above the straight line connecting the axes of both driving wheels, and front and rear universal wheels 17, 21 are provided before and behind both the driving wheels. In this wheelchair, the rear universal wheels are mounted on the rear ends of L-shaped swing arms 19, which are mounted on the chassis plates 13 provided to the side parts of the chassis at the bent parts thereof with a horizontal shaft 20 and extend in the before and behind direction so that the front end parts thereof are turned upwardly, and the swing arms are energized with dampers 23 to swing so that the driving wheels rise from a flat running surface in a non-load state and the front end parts of the swing arms are locked in such a state that the front universal wheels are positioned appropriately above the flat running surface to prevent the swinging of the swing arms against the energizing force of the dampers, and cams 26 for pressing the front end parts of the swing arms accompanied by revolution in a weight loaded state to shake the same to position the driving wheels appropriately above the running surface are provided to the chasis plates by using a shaft.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheelchair having improved stability and easy turning in a narrow place.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a wheelchair of this type, driving wheels are provided on both sides of a middle portion of a vehicle body in the front-rear direction,
A seat is provided so that the center of gravity of the user is located almost above the straight line connecting the axes of both driving wheels, and front and rear free wheels are provided before and after both driving wheels, and the rear is free so that all wheels are always in contact with the ground. There is known an elastically supported wheel (Japanese Patent No. 2727).
417, JP-A-9-572).

[0003]

However, in the conventional wheelchair, the use of six wheels improves stability, and the turning radius is provided by providing the driving wheels on both sides of the intermediate portion of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction. Although it is easy to change the direction in a narrow place by reducing the size, but because the driving wheel is always in contact with the ground, the width adjustment in a narrow place where there is not enough room before and after There is also a problem that becomes difficult. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair that can be easily shifted in a narrow place where there is no room in front and rear.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first wheelchair according to the present invention is provided with driving wheels on both sides of an intermediate portion of a vehicle body in the front-rear direction, and has a substantially straight line connecting the axes of both driving wheels. In a wheelchair provided with a seat so that the center of gravity comes upward, and a front part and a rear free wheel provided before and after both driving wheels, the rear free wheel is provided horizontally below a chassis plate provided on the side of the vehicle body. A bent portion is attached by a shaft and attached to the rear end of an L-shaped swing arm extending in the front-rear direction with the front end up and the driving wheel is above a flat running surface with no load by a damper. The front end of the swing arm is engaged with the front adjustable wheel in a state where the front adjustable wheel is appropriately positioned above the flat running surface, and the swing is counteracted with the urging force of the damper. In addition to preventing rotation, turning with weight load Characterized by being pivotally mounted a front portion of the swing arm pressing cams to cause to be positioned to the appropriate above the running surface of the wheel swing on top of the chassis plate I.

In the second wheelchair, driving wheels are provided on both sides of an intermediate portion of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction, and a seat is provided so that the center of gravity is located substantially above a straight line connecting the axes of the driving wheels. In a wheelchair provided with front and rear front and rear free wheels, the driving wheel is mounted on a front end of a driving wheel arm having a rear end pivotally mounted on a rear end of a chassis plate provided on a side of the vehicle body by a horizontal shaft. On the other hand, the rear adjustable wheel is mounted on the rear end of an L-shaped swing arm having a bent portion attached to a lower portion of the undercarriage plate by a horizontal axis and extending in a front-rear direction with a front end thereof facing upward. The swing arm is urged by a damper so that the driving wheel is above the flat running surface in a no-load state, and the front end of the swing arm is in a state where the front free wheel is appropriately positioned above the flat running surface. Engage to the urging force of the damper With blocking swinging to, pivotally attached to the cam to prevent its swinging while contacting the front end portion of the swing arm with the rotation in a weight bearing state on top of the chassis plate,
A cam and an intermediate portion of the driving wheel arm are connected by a link so as to raise the driving wheel with the rotation of the cam that prevents the swing arm from swinging.

In a third wheelchair, the rear adjustable wheel may be flat with the cam and the front end of the swing arm being free from the swing arm being prevented from swinging by the cam. One end is pivotally attached to the cam so as to be in contact with the running surface, and a long hole provided at the other end is connected by a link engaged with a pin implanted at the front end of the swing arm.

The fourth wheelchair is characterized in that, in the first, second or third wheelchair, an operation lever for rotating the cam is implanted on a cam shaft of the cam.

[0008] A fifth wheelchair is characterized in that, in the fourth wheelchair, the operation lever is provided so as to be operable by an electric slider.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are a side view, a rear view, and an enlarged view of a main part of the wheelchair according to the first embodiment of the present invention at the time of normal running, as viewed in the direction of arrow III in FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a foldable vehicle body. The vehicle body 1 includes a pair of left and right substantially vertical backrest frames 2 and an armrest frame 3 extending substantially horizontally from the upper portion of the backrest frame 2 to the front (to the left in FIG. 1). After extending substantially horizontally forward from the backrest frame 2 as appropriate below the armrest frame 3, the footrest frame 4 curved downward, and extending substantially horizontally forward from a substantially middle portion of the backrest frame 2, to the footrest frame 4. After extending substantially horizontally forward from the joined seat frame 5 and the lower end of the backrest frame 2,
A lower frame 6 curved upward and joined to the footrest frame 4, a substantially vertical connecting frame 7 connecting between an intermediate portion between the seat frame 5 and the lower frame 6, and a vehicle body 1.
In order to be able to fold the left and right seat frames 5 and the lower frame 6, a pair of crossbars 8 connecting between the middle part and the rear part of the lower frame 6, and the backrest 9 stretched between the upper halves of the left and right backrest frames 2. A seat (seat) 10 stretched between the left and right seat frames 5, an armrest 11 attached to the left and right armrest frames 3, and a footrest 12 attached to lower ends of the left and right footrest frames 4.
It is composed of

On both outer sides of an intermediate portion of the vehicle body 1 in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 1), that is, outside the portion surrounded by the backrest frame 2, the seat frame 5, the lower frame 6, and the connecting frame 7, A vehicle base plate 13 is attached, and a driving wheel 15 having a hand rim 14 is mounted on the outside of both vehicle base plates 13 by a driving wheel shaft 16 located on the front side of the vehicle base plate 13. The seat 10 is provided such that the center of gravity of the user sitting on the seat 10 is substantially above a straight line connecting the axes of the driving wheel shafts 16 of the both driving wheels 15. In addition, front free wheels 17 are attached to lower portions on both sides of the front portion of the vehicle body 1 at positions in front of the driving wheels 15 via brackets 18 which straddle intersections of the footrest frame 4 and the lower frame 6, respectively. .

A bent portion of an L-shaped swing arm 19 extending in the front-rear direction inside the vehicle body 1 with the front end thereof facing upward is provided on the both undercarriage plate 13 with a horizontal shaft 20 at the rear lower portion of the undercarriage plate 13. The rear swing wheels 21 are provided at the rear ends of both swing arms 19, respectively.
5 and located behind. The two swing arms 19 are connected to the seat frame 5 of the vehicle body 1.
The base is pivotally mounted on the bracket 22 near the joint between the footrest frame 4 and the swing arm 1
9 by a damper 23 attached to the front end of the rear 9
Are swingingly biased in the direction in which they touch the ground (clockwise in FIGS. 1 and 3), and the biasing force of the damper 23 is such that the rear free wheel 21 The driving wheel 15 is set to be lower than the plane formed by the ground contact surface and to relatively float above the flat running surface. In addition, the rear free wheel 21 is appropriately installed above the plane during the reclining operation described below, in other words, the front free wheel 17 is appropriately positioned above the flat running surface, in the reclining operation described below. Thus, the engagement recess 24 at the front end of the swing arm 19 is engaged to prevent the swing arm 19 from swinging against the urging force of the damper 23, and to rotate during the lift operation described later (in FIG. As the swing arm 19 rotates counterclockwise, the swing arm 19 is pressed through the front surface 25 at the front end thereof and is forcibly swung to position the rear adjustable wheel 21 appropriately below the plane. In other words, the driving wheel 15 is flattened. A cam 26 in the form of a short column, which is appropriately positioned above a suitable running surface, is axially mounted on the inside of the vehicle body 1 by a cam shaft 27 on the upper part of the chassis plate 13. The cam 26 and the front end of the swing arm 19 are connected to the swing arm 1 by the cam 26.
9 is released and the biasing force of the damper 23 is applied (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 3), the contact surface of the rear adjustable wheel 21 is brought into contact with the driving wheel 15 and the front adjustable wheel 17. One end is mounted on the end face of the cam 26 so that the front free wheel 17, the driving wheel 15, and the rear free wheel 21 are all in contact with the flat running surface so as to be in the plane formed by the ground contact surface. And a long hole 28 provided at the other end is engaged with a pin 29 implanted on the inner surface of the front end of the swing arm 19.
Linked by 0. An operation lever 31 for rotating the cam 26 is implanted at an end of the cam shaft 27 protruding outward from the chassis plate 13 so as to protrude rearward.

In order to use the wheelchair having the above structure, first,
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the operation lever 31 is lowered, and the swing of the swing arm 19 urged to swing in the direction in which the rear adjustable wheel 21 touches the ground is restrained by the link 30. 21 is a driving wheel 15 and a front adjustable wheel 1
7 is in a plane formed by the ground plane. In this state, if the running surface is flat, the front free wheel 17 and the driving wheel 1
Since all five wheels 5 and the rear adjustable wheel 21 are in contact with the ground, a stable state is maintained not only at the time of running but also at the time of getting on and off when stopping. When traveling, the operation lever 31 is moved as shown in FIG.
It is preferable that the rear adjustable wheel 21 be slightly lifted from the state shown in FIG. 3 so that the rear adjustable wheel 21 can be positioned below the plane. The swing arm 19 swings within the range in which the hole 28 moves, and the rear freewheel 2
1 can be moved up and down between the upper side and the lower side of the plane, and the rear adjustable wheel 21 is always in contact with the ground, so that more stable traveling can be performed. When the swing arm 19 swings, the damper 2
3 absorbs and reduces the impact and controls the return speed. However, when the vehicle gets on and off in the above state, the driving wheel 15 comes up and no braking is performed, and the wheelchair may start moving unexpectedly. Therefore, the operating lever 31 is lowered and the ground surface of the rear adjustable wheel 21 is present in the plane. It is necessary to keep it.

When the user gets over a relatively large step during traveling, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the user performs a reclining operation to move the center of gravity to the rear side, so that the weight is reduced by the urging force of the damper 23. Swing arm 19 to win
Swings while absorbing and relaxing the impact against the urging force of the damper 23, and the swinging of the swing arm 19 is prevented by engaging the engaging recess 24 at the front end with the cam surface of the cam 26. . For this reason, the rear free wheel 21 is appropriately positioned above the plane, in other words, the weight of the user is supported by the driving wheel 15 and the rear free wheel 21, and the front free wheel 17 is lifted from the running surface. After the front adjustable wheel 17 is put on the step while maintaining the backward tilted posture, the user can easily move over the step by moving the center of gravity back and forth and moving the driving wheel 15 forward. . To release the reclining, when the user moves the center of gravity to the front side, the engagement recess 24 is disengaged from the engagement with the cam 26, and the swing arm 19 is returned and rocked while absorbing and relaxing the impact by the damper 23, The front adjustable wheel 17 is grounded.

To shift the width of the swing arm 19 with the weight of the user loaded, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation lever 31 is lifted to rotate the cam 26, and the cam surface of the swing arm 19 is moved by the cam surface. When a lifting operation of forcibly swinging the swing arm 19 by pressing the front surface 25 of the front end portion is performed, the rear free wheel 21 is positioned below the plane, in other words, the weight of the user is equal to that of the front free wheel 17. The wheel 15 is supported by the rear free wheel 21 and the driving wheel 15 is lifted from the running surface. In this state, the lateral movement of the wheelchair, that is, the width adjustment is easily performed. Then, after the width adjustment is completed, the operating lever 31 is lowered so that the ground surface of the rear adjustable wheel 21 is present in the plane, and the swing arm 19 is swung against the urging force of the damper 23, The driving wheel 15 is gently grounded. On the other hand, in order to adjust the width of the rear adjustable wheel 21 from the state where the ground surface of the rear adjustable wheel 21 is in the plane, the operating lever 31 is slightly lifted from the state in which the weight of the user is not loaded, as described above. 21 is located below the plane, and the wheelchair can be easily shifted and folded in this state.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a second example of a wheelchair according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle during normal running according to the embodiment, and an enlarged view of a main part. In this wheelchair, the driving wheel 15 is mounted by the driving wheel shaft 16 to the front end of a driving wheel arm 33 having a rear end pivotally mounted by a horizontal shaft 32 at the rear middle portion of the undercarriage plate 13 inside the vehicle body 1, and In a weight-bearing state, the swing arm 19 contacts the front surface 25 of the cam 26 to prevent the swing of the swing arm 19 with the rotation of the cam 26 and to prevent the driving wheel 15 from rising up from a flat running surface. At the camshaft 27
The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an end face of the auxiliary cam 26a attached to the center and the intermediate portion of the driving wheel arm 33 are connected by a link 34. The link 34 and the auxiliary cam 26a
The rear surface of the rear adjustable wheel 21 is contacted with the driving wheel 15
In order to prevent the cam 26 from rotating and the driving wheel 15 from rising when the user's weight is loaded in a state where the driving wheel 15 is in the plane formed by the ground contact surface of the front free wheel 17 and 8, the operation is performed at a position slightly shifted clockwise in FIG. In FIG. 9, reference numerals 35 and 36 denote elongated holes provided in the chassis plate 13 to enable the pins connecting the driving wheel shaft 16 and the driving wheel arm 33 to the link 34 to move up and down.

When the wheelchair having the above configuration is used, as in the first embodiment, when the operating lever 31 is lowered, the swing of the swing arm 19 is restrained by the link 30, and the ground surface of the rear adjustable wheel 21 is The driving wheel 15 and the front free wheel 17 exist in a plane that forms a ground contact surface. Therefore, in the case of flat ground, 6
The wheels touch the ground and maintain a stable state when running or stopping when getting on or off. When traveling, the operation lever 31
8 and 9 is slightly lifted, and the swing arm 19 swings in a range in which the pin 29 moves through the long hole 28 of the link 30, and the rear adjustable wheel 21 is always in contact with the ground to allow stable running. Can be. When the vehicle gets over a relatively large step during traveling, as in the first embodiment, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the undercarriage plate 13 is rotated about the driving wheel shaft 16, the cam 26 engages with the engaging concave portion 24 of the swing arm 19, and the rotation is prevented. Similarly to the first embodiment, the release of the reclining is performed by moving the center of gravity to the front side, rotating the chassis plate 13 and removing the cam 26 from the engagement concave portion 24, thereby absorbing and reducing the impact by the damper 23. Then, the front adjustable wheel 17 is grounded. In order to adjust the width while the weight of the user is loaded, of course,
As shown by a solid line in FIGS. 11 and 12, the operation lever 31 is lifted to rotate the cam 26, and the cam surface of the cam 26 contacts the front surface 25 of the front end of the swing arm 19 to prevent the swing arm 19 from swinging. Then, while the position of the rear free wheel 21 is fixed, the link 34 and the driving wheel arm 33 are pulled up, and the driving wheel 15 is raised. Therefore, the wheelchair can be easily moved to the side by a lift operation in which the driving wheel 15 is lifted from the running surface by applying a slight operation force to the operation lever 31 that only rotates the cam 26. The other configurations, functions and effects are almost the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same components and the like are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are side views of a main part of a wheelchair according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
It is a V direction arrow view. In this wheelchair, the rotation of the cam 26 is performed by the manual operation of the operation lever 31, whereas the rotation of the cam 26 is performed by the electric operation of the operation lever 31 in the first and second embodiments. It is something to do. That is, electric sliders 37 (for example, SPL28T08B-06KD manufactured by Oriental Motor Co., Ltd.) are attached to the middle portions of the left and right backrest frames 2 in the vehicle body 1 by fasteners 38, respectively. The hole and the end of the operation lever 31 are connected by a horizontal pin 40. The lead wire 41 of the electric slider 37 is connected to a forward / reverse switch (not shown) mounted near the armrest 11 or the grip and a power supply (not shown) mounted on the vehicle body 1. 37 is provided so as to be driven synchronously by operating the forward / reverse switch.

In the wheelchair having the above structure, the user or the caregiver operates the forward / reverse switch to operate the electric slider 37.
13 is moved to the position shown by the solid line in FIG.
9 is released and the normal running becomes possible,
Further, by moving the swing arm 19 to the position shown by the two-dot chain line, the swing arm 19 is forcibly rocked by the cam 26 to perform the lift operation. Other configurations and operational effects are almost the same as those of the first embodiment.
The same reference numerals are given to the same components and the like, and the description is omitted.

In each of the above embodiments,
Although a manual wheelchair by a self-operator or an assistant has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to an electric wheelchair. It is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the case where the wheelchair can be folded, and may be applied to a wheelchair which cannot be folded. Further, the rotation operation of the cam is not limited to being performed by the operation lever, and the cam shaft may be performed by using a motor, a wire, a chain, or the like. Furthermore, the operation lever is not limited to being protruded rearward, but may be protruded upward or forward as far as a user or an assistant can operate. Further, the electric slider is not limited to the case of the first embodiment, but may be of course attached to the second embodiment.

[0020]

As described above, according to the first wheelchair of the present invention, the swing arm is set so that the rear free wheel is lower than the plane formed by the ground surface of the driving wheel and the front free wheel under no load. The body is supported by the front free wheel and the rear free wheel so that the vehicle body can be moved laterally. It can be easily carried out, and even in a weight-bearing state, the rear free wheel moves downward from the plane with the forcible swing of the swing arm by the cam, and the vehicle body is supported by the front and rear free wheels. As a result, the lateral movement can be easily performed, as in the case of the no-load state. Further, in a foldable wheelchair, since the braking to the lateral movement by the driving wheel is released, the folding can be easily performed.

According to the second wheelchair, the swing arm is prevented from swinging due to the contact with the front end of the swing arm in association with the rotation of the cam even in the state of weight bearing, and the position of the rear free wheel is fixed and , On the contrary, since the driving wheel rises,
The driving wheel can be lifted with a slight operation force only to rotate the cam, and the same operation and effect as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

According to the third wheelchair, the contact surface of the rear adjustable wheel can be present in the plane formed by the contact surfaces of the driving wheel and the front adjustable wheel, so that the braking by the driving wheel acts. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair from unexpectedly moving when the user gets on and off the vehicle, and it is possible to obtain the same operational effects as those of the first or second vehicle.

According to the fourth wheelchair, the cam can be manually rotated, and the same operation and effects as those of the first, second or third wheel can be obtained.

According to the fifth wheelchair, the cam can be rotated by electric power, and the same operation and effects as those of the fourth wheelchair can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a wheelchair according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the wheelchair of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part as viewed in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a function of a reclining operation by the wheelchair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a function of a reclining operation by the wheelchair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the function of the lift operation by the wheelchair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a function of a lift operation by the wheelchair of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a side view showing a wheelchair according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a main part of the wheelchair of FIG.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a function of a reclining operation by the wheelchair of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a side view showing the function of the lift operation by the wheelchair of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a function of a lift operation by the wheelchair of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged side view of a main part of a wheelchair according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow XIV in FIG. 13;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 vehicle body 10 seat (seat) 13 undercarriage plate 15 driving wheel 16 driving wheel shaft 17 front free wheel 19 swing arm 20 shaft 21 rear free wheel 23 damper 24 engaging concave portion 25 front surface 26 cam 26a auxiliary cam 28 long hole 29 pin 30 link 31 Operation lever 32 axis 33 oscillating arm 34 link 37 electric slider

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A driving wheel is provided on both sides of an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction of a vehicle body, a seat is provided so that a center of gravity is located substantially above a straight line connecting the axes of both driving wheels, and a front portion is provided before and after the both driving wheels. In a wheelchair with a rear adjustable wheel,
The rear adjustable wheel is attached to a rear end of an L-shaped swing arm which is pivotally mounted on a lower portion of a chassis plate provided on a side portion of a vehicle body by a horizontal shaft and has a front end facing upward and extending in the front-rear direction. ,
The swing arm is urged to swing above the flat running surface by a damper so that the driving wheel is above the flat running surface under no load, and the front arm is appropriately positioned above the flat running surface. The front end is engaged to prevent swinging against the urging force of the damper, and also presses and swings the front end of the swing arm with rotation in a weight-loaded state, so that the driving wheel is appropriately raised above the running surface. A wheelchair, wherein a cam to be positioned is mounted on an upper portion of a vehicle base plate. 2. A driving wheel is provided on each side of an intermediate portion of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction, a seat is provided so that a center of gravity is located substantially above a straight line connecting the axes of the two driving wheels, and a front portion is provided before and after the both driving wheels. In a wheelchair with a rear adjustable wheel,
The driving wheel is mounted on a front end of a driving wheel arm having a rear end pivotally mounted by a horizontal shaft at a rear portion of a chassis plate provided on a side portion of the vehicle body, while the rear free wheel is mounted on a lower portion of the chassis plate. It is attached to the rear end of an L-shaped swing arm that is bent by a horizontal shaft and extends in the front-rear direction with the front end up, and this swing arm is mounted on a flat running surface with no load by a damper. The swing arm is urged upward so that the front end of the swing arm is engaged with the front free wheel positioned appropriately above the flat running surface to oppose the urging force of the damper. And a cam that contacts the front end of the swing arm and prevents the swing of the swing arm during rotation while the body is loaded with weight. So that the driving wheel rises with the rotation of Wheelchair, characterized in that linked by linking the intermediate of the wheel arm. 3. The cam and the front end of the swing arm are arranged so that the rear free wheel contacts the flat running surface in a state where the swing arm is prevented from swinging by the cam.
3. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein one end is pivotally attached to the cam, and the long hole provided at the other end is connected by a link engaged with a pin implanted at the front end of the swing arm. 4. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein an operation lever for rotating the cam is implanted on a cam shaft of the cam. 5. The wheelchair according to claim 4, wherein the operation lever is provided so as to be operated by an electric slider.