JP2007276701A - Wheel mounting structure of walking assist vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stabilize advancement of a walking assist vehicle to support an elderly person in walking. <P>SOLUTION: This wheel mounting structure of the walking assist vehicle is constituted by mounting a wheel supporting block 41 supporting front wheels 35, 35 on a pair of left and right front leg parts 4 of the walking assist vehicle W, mounting fixing members 38 on the front leg parts 4 by fixing rotation against the front leg parts 4, mounting rotating members 42 on the front leg parts 4 free to rotate against the front leg parts 4, providing locking means 47, 40 to lock between the fixing members 38 and the wheel supporting block 41 free to unlock and locking means 52, 43 to lock between the rotating members 42 and the wheel supporting block 41 free to unlock and providing an elastic energizing means 53 to make the wheels 35, 35 of the wheel supporting block 41 directed straight to the front through the rotating members 42 in a state of locking a ring of the rotating members 42 and the wheel supporting block 41 on the rotating members 42, and consequently, it is possible to prevent drifting of the walking assist vehicle left and right in advancing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheel mounting structure for a walking assistance vehicle used as a support when an elderly person walks, for example.

  In this type of walking assistance vehicle, there are some in which the front wheels are attached so as to be able to turn left and right. Conventionally, the front wheels can be turned left and right, and can be fixed straight forward. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

No. 8-6567

  In the above configuration, when the front wheel can be rotated left and right, the front wheel can freely rotate, and the front wheel fluctuates left and right on a gravel road or an uneven road surface, so that the movement of the walking assistance vehicle is unstable. In particular, there is a problem that the walking assist vehicle is dangerous when an elderly person uses it as a wheelbarrow.

In the present invention, as a means for solving the above-described conventional problems, a wheel support block 41 that supports front wheels 35 and 35 is attached to a pair of left and right front legs 4 of a walking assistance vehicle W so as to be turnable left and right. At the same time, a fixing member 38 is attached to the front leg portion 4 while fixing the rotation with respect to the front leg portion 4, and a rotating member 42 is attached to the front leg portion 4 so as to be rotatable with respect to the front leg portion 4. And locking means 47 and 40 for releasably locking between the wheel support block 41 and locking means 52 and 43 for releasably locking between the rotating member 42 and the wheel support block 41. The wheel 35 and 35 of the wheel support block 41 are directed straight forward through the rotation member 42 in a state where the space between the rotation member 42 and the wheel support block 41 is locked. There is provided a wheel mounting structure of the walking assist vehicle W in which the elastic biasing means 53 is provided.
Locking means 47, 40 between the fixing member 38 and the wheel support block 41 are rotatably attached to the lock lever 40 that is fed out from the fixing member 38 and the wheel support block 41. And a lock block 46 provided with a lock recess 47 into which the lock member 52 is fitted, and the lock means 52 and 43 between the rotary member 42 and the wheel support block 41 are selected from the rotary member 42. It is desirable to include a lever 43 and a lock block 51 that is rotatably attached to the wheel support block 41 and is provided with an engagement recess 52 that engages with the selection lever 43.

[Action]
When the space between the wheel support block 41 and the fixing member 38 of the front leg portion 4 is locked by the locking means 47 and 40, the rotation of the wheel support block 41 is fixed and the wheel 35 supported by the wheel support block 41 is supported. , 35 are fixed straight forward.
When the space between the wheel support block 41 and the rotation member 42 is locked by the locking means 52 and 43, the rotation member 42 and the wheel support block are within an angular range regulated by the elastic biasing means 53 of the rotation member 42. The wheel support block 41 is constantly corrected by the elastic biasing means 53 of the rotating member 42 so that the front wheels 35 and 35 face straight forward.

  Locking means 47 and 40 between the fixing member 38 and the wheel support block 41 are rotatably attached to the lock lever 40 fed out from the fixing member 38 and the wheel support block 41. A lock block 46 provided with a lock recess 47 to be fitted, or lock means 52, 43 between the rotating member 42 and the wheel support block 41 are selected levers fed out from the rotating member 42 43 and a lock block 51 that is rotatably attached to the wheel support block 41 and is provided with an engagement recess 52 that engages with the selection lever 43, the lock block 46 or the lock block 51 is rotated. The rotation of the wheel support block 41 is prevented by a simple operation, or the rotation angle of the wheel support block 41 is limited. Benefit.

〔effect〕
In the walking assistance vehicle of the present invention, the front wheel can be stably moved on the gravel road or the road surface with the unevenness without the front wheel shifting from side to side.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a chair body frame of the walking assistance vehicle W, and the chair body frame 1 is a pair of left and right main frames 2, 2 and a rear leg rotatably attached to the main frames 2, 2. Part 5.

  The main frame 2 includes a back frame 3 and a front leg portion 4 bent forward and downward from the lower end of the back frame 3, and the rear leg portion 5 extends from the front to the rear on the upper portion of the front leg 4 of the main frame 2. It is attached to the front leg portion 4 so as to be rotatable via a rotation shaft 6 located at the intersection.

  The root end of the seat frame 7 is pivotally attached to the lower part of the backrest frame 3 of the pair of left and right main frames 2, 2 of the chair body frame 1 through the pivot shaft bracket 8, and thus the seat frame. 7 is attached to the chair body frame 1 so that it can be flipped up.

A back case 9 is passed to the upper ends of a pair of left and right backrest frames 3 of the main frame 2, but handles 10 and 10 are extended from the upper left and right side surfaces of the back case 9, and from the lower part. The brake levers 11 and 11 of the brake mechanism accommodated in the back case 9 are fed out through the vertically long holes 11A and 11A.
Further, a pair of left and right outer cylinders 12, 12 are extended downward from the lower end of the back case 9, and the outer cylinders 12, 12 are fitted to the back frame 3 of the main frame 2 so as to be slidable vertically. Has been.

  A transverse beam 13 is passed between the pair of left and right outer cylinders 12, 12. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right pin support cylinders 14, 14 are attached to the transverse beam 13 via brackets 15, 15. Are attached, and pins 16 and 16 project from the tip ends of the pin support cylinders 14 and 14, respectively. The pin support cylinders 14 and 14 are provided between the left and right pin support cylinders 14 and 14, respectively. Coil springs 17 that bias the left and right outer cylinders 12 and 12 (outside) are interposed, and a lever 18 is inserted into the pin support cylinders 14 and 14.

  The pins 16 and 16 of the pin support cylinders 14 and 14 are fitted into any one of a plurality of through holes 20 provided in the backrest frame 3 through the through holes 19 of one outer cylinder 12 and 12. Is done. Therefore, if the pins 16 and 16 are pulled out from any of the through holes 20 of the backrest frame 3 by sliding the pin support cylinders 14 and 14 inward through the lever 18, the outside of the back case 9 is removed. The cylinders 12 and 12 can be slid up and down with respect to the back frame 3 and 3. After adjusting the height of the desired back case 9, the levers 18 of the pin support cylinders 14 and 14 can be freely released. The pins 16 and 16 of the support cylinders 14 and 14 are fitted into the predetermined through holes 20 of the backrest frames 3 and 3 by the urging force of the coil spring 17, and thus the back case 9 is fixed at a desired height.

  Cross beams 21 and 22 are respectively passed to the lower portions of the pair of left and right backrest frames 3 and 3 of the main frame 2 and the upper ends of the front leg portions 4 and 4. Is passed. Link rods 24 are passed between the middle of both sides of the seat frame 7 and the upper end of the rear leg 5, and the side of the seat frame 7 is disposed at the upper end of the rear leg 5. Receiving portions 25 and 25 are provided for receiving the.

  Reference numeral 26 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 denotes a locking piece disposed on the lower side of the seat frame 7, and a horizontally long guide hole 27 is provided in the front upper portion of the locking piece 26. A guide pin 29 that is slidably fitted to the bracket 28 on the side of the seat frame 7 is slidably fitted, and a locking pin that protrudes from the receiving portion 25 on the rear edge of the locking piece 26. An engagement recess 31 to which 30 is engaged is formed.

Further, a U-shaped lever 32 is projected forward from the pair of left and right locking pieces 26, and the side portion of the lever 32 slides back and forth on the guide tube 33 that is fed out from the side portion of the seat frame 7. It is penetrated and supported as possible.
Further, a guide piece 34 for guiding the lever 32 is attached below the front edge of the seat frame 7.

  A pair of left and right front wheels 35, 35 are attached to the lower ends of the pair of left and right front legs 4 of the main frame 2 so as to be able to rotate left and right. Rear wheels 36 are fixedly attached, and a lateral beam 37 is provided at the lower ends of the left and right rear leg portions 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a fixed cylinder 38 as a fixing member is attached to the lower ends of the pair of left and right front legs 4 of the main frame 2, and forward from a lower end flange 39 of the fixed cylinder 38. A lock lever 40 is provided, and a wheel support block 41 is disposed below the lower end flange 39 of the fixed cylinder 38. The wheel support block 41 is connected to the front leg portion 4 of the main frame 2 and the fixed cylinder 38. A circular ring 42 is disposed on the upper surface as a rotating member so as to overlap the lower end flange 39 of the fixed cylinder 38, and the circular ring 42 is arranged with respect to the fixed cylinder 38 and the wheel support block 41. The selector lever 43 is inserted backward from the annular ring 42. From both side surfaces of the wheel support block 41, axles 44, 44 of the front wheels 35, 35 are fed out.

A front end bearing 45 of the wheel support block 41 supports a root end of a lock block 46 having a lock recess 47 on the front face so as to be able to rotate 180 °, and handles 48, 48 are provided on both sides of the lock block 46. A coil spring 49 is provided between one of the handles 48 and the wheel support block 41.
Further, a lock block 51 provided with an engaging recess 52 at the upper end is supported on the rear bearing 50 of the wheel support block 41 so as to be rotatable by 90 °. Handles 59, 59 project from both side surfaces of the lock block 51, and a coil spring 60 is passed between one of the handles 59 and the wheel support block 41.

  In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 7, the lock block 46 on the front surface of the wheel support block 41 is rotated 180 ° upward from the vertical state to the upright state, and the lock recess 47 of the lock block 46 is set to the fixed cylinder 38. The lower end flange 39 is attached to the lock lever 40. If the inner width of the lock concave portion 47 of the lock block 46 and the width of the lock lever 40 are set to be substantially the same, the fixed cylinder 38, that is, the front leg portion 4 of the main frame 2 is interposed via the lock lever 40. Relative rotation with the wheel support block 41 is prevented. In this state, the front wheels 35 and 35 are fixed straight forward and the walking auxiliary vehicle W goes straight forward. The lock block 46 is elastically fixed in a suspended state and a raised state by a coil spring 49.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the lock block 51 on the rear surface of the wheel support block 41 is rotated 90 ° upward from the suspended state (horizontal state), and the engagement recess 52 of the lock block 51 is selected as the ring 42. Engage with the lever 43. In this state, the relative rotation between the wheel support block 41 and the ring 42 is fixed, and the wheel support block 41 and the ring 42 rotate integrally. The lock block 51 is elastically fixed by the coil spring 60 in a suspended state and a horizontal state. Therefore, a coil spring 53 is passed between the selection lever 43 and the fixed cylinder 38 of the front leg portion 4 so that the wheel support block 41 is directed straight forward through the selection lever 43, that is, the front wheels 35 and 35 are straight forward. The rotation angle of the annular ring 42 is restricted to a predetermined range by the coil spring 53, thereby restricting the turning range of the wheel support block 41 (for example, turning by 60 °). Range), when the walking auxiliary vehicle W is curved, the front wheels 35 and 35 are biased so as to be straight forward immediately after the curve, so that the elderly can push the walking auxiliary vehicle W and walk stably and safely. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when neither the lock lever 40 of the fixed cylinder 38 nor the selection lever 43 of the annular ring 42 of the wheel support block 41 is locked by the lock blocks 46, 51, the wheel support is supported. The block 41 freely rotates with respect to the front leg portion 4 of the main frame 2.

A seat plate 54 is mounted on the seat frame 7 of the walking assist vehicle W so as to be able to be flipped up, and a waistrest seat 55 is passed under the back frames 3 and 3 of the pair of left and right main frames 2 and 2. .
Further, a storage bag (not shown) may be attached to the lower side of the seat frame 7, and in this case, the seat plate 54 functions as a lid of the storage bag. When an elderly person gets tired of walking, he can sit on the seat plate 54 and take a break.

  A pair of left and right operation wires 56 and 56 are connected to the brake levers 11 and 11 to the brake pieces 57 and 57 of the rear wheels 36 and 36. When the brake levers 11 and 11 are pulled upward, the brake piece 57 , 57 are pressed against the rear wheels 36, 36 via the operation wires 56, 56 and brakes are applied. The brake pieces 57 are urged in the brake release direction by a coil spring 58.

  When the walking auxiliary vehicle W is folded, from the locked state shown in FIG. 3, if the lever 32 is pulled forward as shown in FIG. 4, the locking piece 26 moves forward, and the engaging recess 31, the locking pin 30, Is released (unlocked). When the seat frame 7 is flipped up as shown by the arrows in FIG. 4, the rear leg portion 5 is drawn toward the front leg portion 4 side of the main frame 2 through the ring rod 24, and the folded state as shown in FIG. 9 is obtained. .

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, a lock block may be attached to the fixed member or the rotating member, and a lock lever or a selection lever may be attached to the wheel support block.

  Since the walking assistance vehicle of the present invention does not wobble from side to side, the walking assistance vehicle can be stably advanced, and can be used industrially because it is safe to use as a support when an elderly person walks the walking assistance vehicle. .

1 to 9 show an embodiment of the present invention.
Perspective view Back frame cross-sectional view Seat frame lock state explanation side view Side view of seat frame unlock state Front wheel installation state perspective view (front side) Front wheel installation state perspective view (rear side) Front wheel mounting part plan view (lock lever locked) Front wheel mounting partial plan view (selection lever locked) Folded side view

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chair body frame 2 Main frame 3 Back frame 4 Front leg part 5 Rear leg part 6 Rotating shaft 7 Seat frame 8 Rotating shaft bracket 9 Back case 10 Handle 11 Brake lever 11A Long hole 12 Outer cylinder 13 Cross beam 14 Pin support cylinder 15 Bracket 16 Pin 17 Coil spring 18 Lever 19 Through hole 20 Through hole 21, 22, 23 Cross beam 24 Link rod 25 Receiving portion 26 Locking piece 27 Horizontal long guide hole 28 Bracket 29 Guide pin 30 Locking pin 31 Engaging recess 32 Lever 33 Guide cylinder 34 Guide piece 35 Front wheel 36 Rear wheel 37 Cross beam 38 Fixed cylinder (fixing member)
39 Bottom flange 40 Lock lever (locking means)
41 Wheel support block 42 Ring (rotating member)
43 Selection lever (locking means)
44 Axle 45 Front bearing 46 Lock block 47 Lock recess (locking means)
48 Handle 49 Coil spring 50 Rear bearing 51 Lock block 52 Engaging recess (locking means)
53 Coil spring (elastic biasing means)
54 Seat plate 55 Waist pad 56 Operation wire 57 Brake piece 58 Coil spring 59 Handle 60 Coil spring S Spring W Walking auxiliary vehicle

Claims (3)

  A wheel support block supporting a front wheel is attached to a pair of left and right front legs of a walking assistance vehicle so as to be turnable left and right, and a fixing member is attached to the front leg while fixing the rotation with respect to the front leg. The rotating member is rotatably attached to the front leg portion, and further, a locking means for releasably locking between the fixing member and the wheel support block, and between the rotating member and the wheel support block. Locking means for releasably locking is provided, and the wheel of the wheel support block is straight forward through the rotating member while the space between the rotating member and the wheel supporting block is locked. A wheel mounting structure for a walking assistance vehicle, characterized in that elastic biasing means is provided so as to face the wheel.   The locking means between the fixing member and the wheel support block is provided with a lock lever that is fed out from the fixing member and a lock recess that is rotatably attached to the wheel support block and into which the lock lever is fitted. The wheel mounting structure for a walking auxiliary vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a lock block.   The locking means between the rotating member and the wheel support block is provided with a selection lever that is sent out from the rotating member, and an engagement recess that is rotatably attached to the wheel support block and engages with the selection lever. The wheel mounting structure for a walking auxiliary vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a lock block.

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