JP3111185B1 - Operation lever device and light vehicle using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to make an operation feeling constant regardless of an operation direction of an operation lever. SOLUTION: A cam member 80 rotatably supported by a handle 7 and having a wire 69 fixed thereto, and a lock mechanism 85 for locking a state in which an operation lever 79 is rotated in a second direction D are provided. And operating lever 79
The first is to rotate the cam member 80 in the direction in which the wire 69 is pulled when the operation lever 79 is operated in the first direction U.
And a second pressing portion 82 for rotating the cam member 80 in the direction of pulling the wire 69 when the operating lever 79 is operated in the second direction D, and the cam member 8
0 includes a first receiving portion 83 pressed by the first pressing portion 81 and a second receiving portion 84 pressed by the second pressing portion 82.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation lever device for remotely operating another device by pulling a wire by operating an operation lever, and a light vehicle using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to an operation lever device having both a function of locking a state in which an operation lever is operated and a function of enabling automatic return without locking the operation lever, and a light vehicle using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an operation lever device 200 of this kind is known.
Is used, for example, for brake operation of a walking assist vehicle. The operation lever device 200 is provided below the handle 201 as shown in FIGS.
The wire 204 of the brake cable 203 is pulled by the swing operation of the operation lever 202.

The operating lever device 200 includes a handle 2
An arm 206 rotatably supported by an arm support shaft 207 with respect to a handle cover 205 fixed to the handle cover 01, and an operation lever 202 rotatably mounted on the arm 206 by a lever support shaft 208. ing. The arm support shaft 207 is attached to the front end of the arm 206, and the lever support shaft 208 is attached to an intermediate portion of the arm 206. Further, a wire 204 is attached to the rear end of the arm 206. That is,
In the operation lever device 200, the operation lever 202, the arm 206, and the handle cover 205 form a link mechanism.

In this operation lever device 200, when the operation lever 202 is pulled up from a neutral position (the position shown in FIG. 9), a contact portion 209 formed at the front end of the operation lever 202 as shown in FIG. Since the front end portion and the middle portion come into contact with each other from above, the operation lever 202 and the arm 206 rotate integrally about the arm support shaft 207 to pull up the wire 204. When the raised operation lever 202 is released, the wire 204 is pulled from the brake body side, and the operation lever 202 and the arm 20 are pulled.
6 is returned to the neutral position.

When the operating lever 202 is pushed down from the neutral position, the operating lever 202 rotates so as to push up the lever support shaft 208 as shown in FIG.
05 engages with the lock recess 211. Then, since the arm 206 rotates upward by pushing up the lever support shaft 208, the wire 204 is pulled up. In addition, since the lock projection 210 and the lock recess 211 are engaged, the operation lever 202 is locked while being pressed down. At this time, the engagement between the lock projection 210 and the lock recess 211 is released by strongly lifting the operation lever 202, and the operation lever 202 is returned to the neutral position.

[0006]

However, in the operation lever device 200 described above, since the operation lever 202 is supported by the arm 206 while using the link mechanism, the lever support shaft 208 which is the center of rotation of the operation lever 202 is provided. Has moved around the arm support shaft 207,
The rotation operation of the operation lever 202 becomes unstable.
For example, if the operator pushes down the operation lever 202 while holding the front side down and holding the rear side up, the operation lever 2
Since both the arm 02 and the arm 206 try to rotate about the arm support shaft 207, the lock projection 210 is caught on the edge of the handle cover 205 and cannot be pushed down. Further, when the operation lever 202 is pressed down, the lever 206 is pivoted about the arm support shaft 207 by the arm 206, so that the rotation center of the operation lever 202 is not constant and the operability is not good.

In addition, since the operation lever 202 rotates about the arm support shaft 207 when the operation lever 202 is raised, an uncomfortable feeling due to a difference in the center of rotation occurs between the operation of raising and lowering the operation lever 202.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an operation lever device capable of maintaining a constant operation feeling irrespective of the operation direction of the operation lever, and a light vehicle using the same.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an operation lever rotatably attached to a handle in a first direction and a second direction. An operation lever device for pulling a wire for remote operation by operating the operation lever, wherein a cam member rotatably supported by a handle and to which the wire is fixed, and an operation lever rotated in a second direction. A first pressing portion that has a lock mechanism that locks a state in which the cam member is rotated in a direction that pulls a wire when the operation lever is operated in a first direction; A second pressing portion configured to rotate the cam member in a direction in which the wire is pulled when the operation lever is operated in the second direction, and the cam member is pressed by the first pressing portion of the operation lever. of And only part, and a second receiving portion which is pressed by the second pressing portion of the operating lever, Note and Medium
The operating lever in the upright position has a first pressing portion and a second pressing portion.
Operation lever so that rotation is stopped at three points:
And over the cam member and the locking mechanism is in the so that disposed.

Therefore, since the operating lever device connects the operating lever and the wire by the cam mechanism, the operating lever can be directly rotatably attached to the handle. For this reason, since the rotation center of the operation lever is always constant regardless of the operation direction, a stable operation feeling can be obtained.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the operating lever device according to the first aspect, the operating lever has an annular operating portion. Therefore, the user can operate the operation lever in any rotation direction by inserting one or several fingers into the operation unit. Therefore, it is not necessary to re-grip the operating lever every time the operating direction of the operating lever is changed, so that good operability can be obtained.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in a light vehicle having a caster, the operation lever device according to the first or second aspect is connected to a wire and the rotation of the caster is fixed by pulling the wire. And braking means. Therefore, the operability of the brake operation of the light vehicle can be improved.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described below in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the operation lever device 9 of the present invention. The operation lever device 9 includes an operation lever 79 rotatably attached to the handle 7 and operable in a first direction U and a second direction D. The wire 69 is pulled. This operating lever device 9 is
A cam member 80 rotatably supported and a wire 69 fixed thereto, and an operation lever 79 are moved in the second direction D.
And a lock mechanism 85 for locking the rotated state.

The operation lever 79 has a first pressing portion 81 and a second pressing portion 82. The first pressing portion 81 rotates the cam member 80 in the direction in which the wire 69 is pulled when the operation lever 79 is operated in the first direction U.
The second pressing portion 82 rotates the cam member 80 in a direction in which the wire 69 is pulled when the operation lever 79 is operated in the second direction D. Further, the cam member 80 is provided with an operation lever 79.
First receiving portion 83 pressed by the first pressing portion 81
And a second receiving portion 84 pressed by the second pressing portion 82 of the operation lever 79. Therefore, the operation lever device 9 connects the operation lever 79 and the wire 69 to the first
Are connected by a cam mechanism consisting of a pressing portion 81 and a first receiving portion 83 of the same or a cam mechanism consisting of a second pressing portion 82 and a second receiving portion 84.
Can be rotatably attached to the handle 7 directly or through a fixing member such as the handle cover 70 in some cases. In the present embodiment, the operation lever 79
Is rotatably supported by a lever support shaft 111 with respect to a handle cover 70 fixed to a frame 91 of the handle 7. Therefore, since the rotation center of the operation lever 79 is always constant regardless of the operation directions U and D, a stable operation feeling can be obtained.

The first direction U of the operation direction of the operation lever 79 is set to the upper direction, and the second direction D is set to the lower direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the operation lever 79 is gradually pulled up from the neutral position M (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure) in the first direction U (indicated by a solid line), the first pressing portion 81 is moved. The first receiving portion 83 is pressed, the cam member 80 is rotated, and the wire 69 is gradually pulled up. When the external force to the operation lever 79 is eliminated, the wire 69 is pulled down from the other end, and the operation lever 79 is returned to the neutral position M.

Further, as shown in FIG.
Is pushed down in a second direction D from a neutral position M (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure) to a depressed position N (indicated by a solid line), the second pressing portion 82 pushes the second receiving portion 84 When pressed, the cam member 80 is rotated to pull up the wire 69. At this time, the lock mechanism 85 operates to operate the operation lever 7.
9 is fixed at the depressed position N.

The lock mechanism 85 has a lock projection 86 formed on the operation lever 79, a lock pin 87 that the lock projection 86 hits and rides over, and a collar 88 rotatably fitted around the lock pin 87. The lock pin 87 and the collar 88 are attached to the handle cover 70 and the operation lever 79 is in the neutral position M and the depressed position N
The lock projection 86 hits and moves over when moving between.

The magnitude of the force required for the lock projection 86 to climb over the collar 88 is greater than the force of pulling the wire 69 from the other end. Therefore, when changing the operation lever 79 between the neutral position M and the depressed position N, a click feeling can be obtained, and the lock can be locked at the depressed position N against the pull-down force. Further, since a rotatable collar 88 is attached to the lock pin 87, the friction between the lock projection 86 and the lock pin 87 can be reduced.

Therefore, by changing the operation direction of the operation lever 79 up and down, it is possible to switch between the operation of gradually pulling the wire 69 and the operation of locking the wire 69 while pulling the wire 69, thereby obtaining easy operability despite being multifunctional. be able to.

The operating lever 79 has an annular operating portion 89.
have. For this reason, the user grips the handle 7 in a state in which, for example, four fingers from the index finger to the little finger are put in the operation unit 89. Then, when pulling up the operation lever 79, the handle 7 and the operation section 89 are grasped. Also,
When pushing down the operating lever 79, for example, the thumb is removed from the handle 7 and the operating lever 79 is pushed downward with four fingers. Therefore, it is not necessary to re-grip the handle 7 every time the operating lever 79 is raised and pushed down, so that good operability can be obtained.

FIGS. 4 to 7 show an embodiment in which the operation lever device 9 of the present invention is applied to the walking assist vehicle 1 which is a light vehicle. In this specification, the "walking assist vehicle" means at least the frames 3, 5, the casters 2, 4, and the steering wheel 7.
It is a concept that includes all so-called walking cars, walking trainers, silver cars, etc., which make it easy to walk especially with the help of elderly people and physically handicapped people. .

The walking assist vehicle 1 has a wire 69 connected to the above-described operation lever device 9 and the wire 69.
And brake means 65 for fixing the rotation of the rear caster 4 by pulling. Therefore, the operability of the brake operation of the walking assist vehicle 1 can be improved.

The walking assist vehicle 1 has a first frame 3 supported by a rotatable front caster 2 and a second frame 5 supported by a rear fixed caster 4. They are foldably connected to each other by a connecting shaft 6. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the walking assist vehicle 1 has X cross-type legs in which the frames 3 and 5 are connected in an X-shape so as to be foldable. In addition, the walking assist vehicle 1 includes a handle 7 gripped during walking, an operation lever device 9 for applying a brake during walking, a movable seat 10 attached to the second frame 5, and a And a backrest belt 8 for leaning when seated.

In the walking assist vehicle 1, the handle 7 has
A grip 105 of a so-called ergonomic design that fits the shape of a human hand is fitted. For this reason, the user can obtain a feeling of close contact with the hand by gripping the grip 105 of the handle 7 and can obtain comfortable operability.

Here, as shown in FIG. 4, a handle cover 70 for covering the pipe portion is mounted on an upper portion of the handle support frame 91 mounted on the first frame 3. Then, as shown in FIG.
The operation lever device 9 and the backrest belt 8 shown in FIGS.

The wire 69 connected to the cam member 80 of the operation lever device 9 is connected to a brake shoe 65 which is a braking means of the rear caster 4. For this reason, when the wire 69 is pulled up by operating the operation lever 79, the brake shoe 65 can be operated to apply the brake.

Also, as shown in FIG.
Is greater than the spring force of the return spring 67 of the rear caster 4. Thus, the operation lever 79 can be locked against the return spring 67 at the depressed position. As a result, the brake can be kept applied, so that the walking assist vehicle 1
Can function as a parking brake. The backrest belt 8 and the handle cover 70 are connected to a connecting member 71.
Are connected by

On the other hand, when the first frame 3 and the second frame 5 are folded, the walking assist vehicle 1 connects the first frame 3 and the second frame 5 to be able to stand on their own. A fixing means 11 is provided. Also, when the first frame 3 and the second frame 5 are folded and closed,
There is provided a reverse fixing means 34 which can fix the front caster 2 in a state where the front caster 2 is turned to a position where the wheel center WF is disposed forward of the caster turning axis CF. For this reason, when the first frame 3 and the second frame 5 are folded when the walking assist vehicle 1 is not used, the frames 3 and 5 are fixed in a closed state by the closed leg fixing means 11 as shown in FIG. And the contact distance X between the front and rear wheels is
The entire center of gravity can be put between the wheel centers WF and WR wider than the distance between F and CR, and the body can be prevented from leaning forward because the height of the front wheels does not decrease when the yoke faces forward. Therefore, the walking assist vehicle 1 can be made to stand independently while being closed. Therefore, the walking assistance vehicle 1 can be left standing in a small area without standing sideways or leaning against a wall when not in use.

In this embodiment, the front caster 2 is rotatable and can be fixed to the front side by reverse fixing means 34. Here, the reverse fixing means 34 includes a self-standing lock recess 107 formed in the swivel caster body 35 as shown in FIG. 5 and a lock member 51 non-swivelly attached to the first frame 3. When the lock member 51 is fitted into the self-standing lock recess 107, the front caster 2 is fixed to the front side so as not to turn. The rear caster 4 is fixed toward the rear.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first frame 3 has vertical pipe sections 12, 12 disposed on both left and right sides, and two horizontal pipe sections 13 connecting the vertical pipe sections 12, 12. , 14 and an elevating unit 15 provided on each vertical pipe unit 12 to support the handle 7 and the handle support frame 91 so as to be able to ascend and descend. Each vertical pipe portion 12 has a shape in which an upper portion is bent rearward, and a connecting shaft 6 is attached to a tip portion thereof. In addition, the lower end of each vertical pipe portion 12 is slightly bent so as to be vertical in use,
The front caster 2 is attached so that the turning axis CF is vertical.

The second frame 5 is formed, for example, by bending a single pipe into a substantially U-shape, and includes vertical pipe sections 16, 16 disposed on both left and right sides, and each vertical pipe section 1.
And a horizontal pipe portion 17 connecting the upper end portions of the pipes 6 and 16. Each vertical pipe portion 16 is bent such that the first half is horizontal and the second half is inclined at a steep angle. A rear caster 4 is attached to a lower end of each vertical pipe portion 16. The first frame 3 and the second frame 5 are rotatably connected to each other by a connecting shaft 6 made of, for example, a bolt having a center of rotation in each of the left and right directions.

The closed leg fixing means 11 has an engagement mechanism 18 attached to the first frame 3 and an arm 19 attached to the second frame 5. Engaging mechanism 18
Is composed of, for example, a ball plunger, and is attached to side covers 20 (shown by phantom lines in FIG. 5) provided on both sides of the upper portion of the vertical pipe portion 12 of the first frame 3. The engagement mechanism 18 includes a protrusion 21 slidable in the width direction of the walking assist vehicle 1 and a compression coil spring (not shown) that presses the protrusion 21 inward in the width direction of the walking assist vehicle 1.
And

The arm 19 that can be engaged with the engagement mechanism 18
It is screwed to the vertical pipe part 16 of the second frame 5. A concave portion 23 that engages with the protrusion 21 of the engagement mechanism 18 when the legs 3 and 5 are closed
Are formed. Therefore, when folded walking and first frame 3 when not in use the assist vehicle 1 and the second frame 5, engages with the protrusion 21 of the recess 23 is the engagement mechanism 18 of the arm 19 as shown in FIG. 5 because it is secured by the compression coil spring and can be maintained in a closed state of each frame 3,5. When expanding the frames 3 and 5, a force may be applied so as to expand the frames 3 and 5 against the compression coil springs. Therefore, the maintenance and release of the closed state of the frames 3 and 5 can be performed by a one-touch operation, so that good operability can be obtained.

Further, when the walking assist vehicle 1 is in a use state in which the first frame 3 and the second frame 5 are opened, the first frame 3 and the second frame 5 are connected to each other. Are provided.
For this reason, since the frames 3 and 5 are opened and fixed in a use state, when the walking assist vehicle 1 is used, for example, the front caster 2 is used.
Can prevent the walking assist vehicle 1 from being carelessly folded when hitting an obstacle.

The open leg fixing means 24 has a release lever 25 attached to the lower side of the seat 10. The release lever 25 has a shape protruding outside of the seat 10 and is rotatable between a position where the open leg fixing means 24 can be released and a position where no interference occurs even when the seat 10 is raised.

The open leg fixing means 24 includes a claw portion (not shown) attached to the horizontal pipe portion 17 of the second frame 5 and a torsion coil spring for urging the claw portion. Are urged toward the upper horizontal pipe portion (hereinafter referred to as a lock pipe portion) 13 of the first frame 3 so as to be engageable.

The release lever 25 is rotatably attached to the pawl. By pulling up the release lever 25, the claw portion is rotated upward to be disengaged from the lock pipe portion 13 and the legs 3, 5 are released from the open state. Here, since the operation of raising the release lever 25 raises the horizontal pipe portion 17 of the second frame 5, the frames 3 and 5 can be continuously folded around the connecting shaft 6 as they are, and the leg is opened. Release and folding operations can be performed as if by one-touch operation.

When the seat 10 is raised in the open state, the rear end of the seat 10 pushes down the release lever 25 against a biasing spring (not shown). Thereby, the release lever 2
The seat 10 can be caused because the seat 5 is retracted to a position that does not interfere with the seat 10.

The seat 10 is rotatably supported by one of the frames, for example, the second frame 5. A holding member 32 that rotatably holds the seat 10 is attached to both sides of the leg fixing means 24 so that the seat 10 does not come off the horizontal pipe portion 17 of the second frame 5.

Although not shown, the seat 10 is rotatably mounted between a horizontal position for sitting and a retracted position caused for walking.

The rotatable front caster 2 includes a caster body 35, a connecting portion 36 connecting the caster body 35 and the vertical pipe portion 12 of the first frame 3, and a front caster 2.
Is provided in the front and rear direction of the walking assist vehicle 1.

The straight traveling fixing means 106 enables the front caster 2 to be fixed in the front-rear direction of the walking assist vehicle 1, and includes the lock recesses 52, 107 formed in the swivel caster body 35; A lock member 51 which is non-rotatably attached to the first frame 3. The lock member 51 is fitted into one of the lock recesses 52, 107 so that the front caster 2 faces in the front-rear direction and cannot turn. To be fixed to. Therefore, since the rear casters 4 are fixed in the front-rear direction, all the casters 2, 4 can be fixed in the front-rear direction, so that the straightness of the walking assist vehicle 1 can be secured. . That is, when walking on an inclined surface other than the inclined direction, if the casters 2 and 4 can be turned, the wheels tend to face downward and it is difficult to walk straight, but the wheels are turned by fixing all the casters 2 and 4 in the front-rear direction. Prevention and easy walking can be ensured.

As shown in FIG. 7, the rear caster 4, which is fixed so as not to turn in the front-rear direction, includes a wheel 37, a tire 38, and a yoke 56 for rotatably supporting the wheel 37.
And the rear caster 4 is connected to the vertical pipe portion 1 of the second frame 5.
And a lock bolt 57 connected to the lock bolt 6. The yoke 56 here is, similarly to the yoke 39 of the front caster 2, the center of rotation (the center line of the vertical pipe portion 16 of the second frame 5 here because the rear caster 4 does not rotate) CR
Is formed so as to offset the wheel center WR with respect to. For this reason, by turning the front casters 2 and the rear casters 4 opposite to each other, it is possible to improve the stability when the frames 3 and 5 are closed and become independent.

The lock bolt 57 has a head portion 58 fixed to the vertical pipe portion 16, a rotation lock portion 59 having a rectangular cross section and fitted so as not to rotate with respect to the yoke 56, and a screw portion penetrating the yoke 56. 60. And
The second frame 5 and the lock bolt 57 are
It is fixed by 1. Also, this lock bolt 57
Is screwed by a nut 62 through the yoke 56. For this reason, since the second frame 5, the lock bolt 57, and the yoke 56 cannot rotate with respect to each other, the rear caster 4 cannot rotate.

Further, a mounting portion 63 having a shape protruding outward is formed on an upper portion of the yoke 56. An outer pipe 68 of a cable 64 for brake operation is screwed to the mounting portion 63. A brake shoe 65 is rotatably attached to the yoke 56. The brake shoe 65 rotates with respect to the yoke 56 and the braking surface 66 presses the tire 38 so that the tire 38
Can be suppressed. A wire 69 of a cable 64 for remotely operating the brake shoe 65 is provided at an end of the brake shoe 65 opposite to the braking surface 66.
Are connected. A return spring 67 composed of a compression coil spring that biases the braking surface 66 in a direction away from the tire 38 is sandwiched between the attachment portion 63 and the brake shoe 65. Therefore, in a state where no tension is applied to the wire 69, the brake shoe 65 is maintained by the return spring 67 so as not to apply a brake. Then, by applying a tension to the wire 69, the brake shoe 65 presses the tire 38 with a pressing force corresponding to the tension to apply a brake.

On the other hand, an elevating part 15 provided on the upper part of the first frame 3 for supporting the handle 7 so as to be able to elevate and lower is
As shown in FIG. 3, an outer pipe 90 attached to the vertical pipe portion 12 of the first frame 3, an inner pipe (handle support frame) 91 slidably fitted to the outer pipe 90, An operation screw 92 capable of fixing the outer pipe 90 and the inner pipe 91 is provided. Outer pipe 90
Are integrated with the vertical pipe portion 12 of the first frame 3 by welding or the like. The operation screw 92 penetrates the outer pipe 90 and the inner pipe 91 and is screwed to the outer pipe 90, and the tip presses the inner peripheral surface of the inner pipe 91 outward. The handle 7 is formed at the upper end of the inner pipe 91. Although not shown, the inner pipe 91 is provided with several stop holes through which the operation screw 92 passes. Therefore, the inner pipe 91 can be moved up and down by loosening the operation screw 92 and moving the inner pipe 91 in and out.

When using the walking assist vehicle 1 described above,
The height of the handle 7 and the length of the backrest belt 8 are set to appropriate amounts in advance. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, each frame 3, 5 is opened. At this time, the open state of the frames 3 and 5 can be maintained by the leg fixing means 24. Then, when used as a walking vehicle, the seat 10 is raised to the retracted position, and this state is fixed by the lock claw portion of the holding member 32. The user grips the handle 7 and enters the inside of the second frame 5 to move the rear caster 4.
It is possible to walk while or in front of it.

At this time, the lock member 5 of the front caster 2
Remove 1 and make it turnable. Thereby, the direction of walking can be easily changed. When walking on an inclined surface, the lock member 51 is operated to operate the front caster 2.
To the front and back. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the front caster 2 from inadvertently turning due to the inclined surface, and to secure straightness.

Further, by operating the operation lever device 9 during walking, it is possible to apply a braking force according to the gripping force or to operate the parking brake.

When accommodating the walking assist vehicle 1, the front casters 2 are fixed forward. And the leg fixing means 24
, And fold each frame 3,5. In this folded state, the closed leg fixing means 11 is operated and locked. As a result, the walking assist vehicle 1 can be self-supported while being folded.

The above embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the operation lever 79 is locked when the operation lever 79 is pressed down. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the operation lever 79 may be locked when the operation lever 79 is raised. That is, the operation direction in which the operation lever 79 is locked can be set according to the operability of the device using the operation lever device 9, so that good operability can be obtained.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the operating lever device of the present invention is applied to the walking assist vehicle 1 has been mainly described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the so-called silver seat of FIG. You may make it apply to a car. For example, as shown in FIG.
6 can be integrally formed on the upper portion of the vertical pipe portion 16 of the second frame 5 of the vehicle body by welding or the like. A backrest 102 is attached to an upper portion of the back support rod 101, and a seat 10 is rotatably attached to a central portion.
In this walking assist vehicle 1, unlike the walking assist vehicle 1 shown in FIG.
Between the right and left elevating parts 15, 15 from the front side. Thereby, the user can lean on the backrest 102 while sitting frontward on the walking assist vehicle 1 from the front side. Here, a cushion is included inside the backrest 102 and the seat 10. For this reason, sitting comfort can be improved.

In this embodiment, the left and right handles 7, 7 are connected by the connecting portion 103 because there is no need to sit from behind the walking assist vehicle 1. For this reason, the user can grip the connecting portion 103 of the handle 7 with a width that is easy to hold without opening both hands to the left and right, so that a good feeling of use can be obtained. Then, the left and right operation lever devices 9,
Nine operation units 89, 89 are also connected by a connection unit 104. That is, the operating portion 89 is not a ring as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, but is a single bar having a longitudinal direction in the width direction. Therefore, no matter where the connecting portion 103 of the handle 7 is held, the connecting portion 104 of the operating portion 89 exists below the connecting portion 103, so that the brake operation can be easily performed.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the operation lever device 9 is used for the brake operation of the walking assist vehicle 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the operation of the turning lock of the front caster 2 of the walking assist vehicle 1 is performed. May be used for Further, in the above-described embodiment, the light vehicle using the operation lever device 9 is the walking assist vehicle 1, but the invention is not limited to this, and the light vehicle may be, for example, a bed with casters or a stretcher. Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the operation lever device 9 is used for a light vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to all devices and structures that can be remotely operated by pulling the wire 69. it can. In any case, by changing the operation direction of the operation lever 79, it is possible to switch between the operation of gradually pulling the wire 69 and the operation of locking the wire 69 while being pulled, so that it is possible to obtain easy operability despite being multifunctional. . Moreover, since the rotation center of the operation lever 79 is always constant regardless of the operation directions U and D, a stable operation feeling can be obtained.

[0056]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the operation lever device of the first aspect, since the operation lever and the wire are connected by the cam mechanism, the operation lever is directly rotated with respect to the handle. Can be mounted as possible. For this reason, since the rotation center of the operation lever is always constant regardless of the operation direction, a stable operation feeling can be obtained.

According to the operation lever device of the second aspect, since the operation lever has an annular operation portion, when the user inserts one or several fingers into the operation portion,
The operating lever can be operated in any rotational direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to re-grip the operating lever every time the operating direction of the operating lever is changed, so that good operability can be obtained.

Further, according to the light vehicle of the third aspect,
Since it has the operation lever device and the brake means, the operability of the brake operation of the light vehicle can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state where an operation lever of an operation lever device of the present invention is at a neutral position.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state where an operation lever of the operation lever device is pulled up.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state where an operation lever of the operation lever device is at a depressed position.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a use state of a walking assist vehicle which is a light vehicle using the operation lever device.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the walking assist vehicle is folded and made independent.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a use state of the walking assist vehicle.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a rear caster.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing another embodiment of the seat and the handle.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state where an operation lever of a conventional operation lever device is at a neutral position.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state where an operation lever of a conventional operation lever device is pulled up.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state where an operation lever of a conventional operation lever device is depressed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Walking assistance vehicle (light vehicle) 4 Rear caster 7 Handle 9 Operating lever device 65 Brake shoe (braking means) 69 Wire 79 Operating lever 80 Cam member 85 Lock mechanism 81 First pressing portion 82 Second pressing portion 83 First 1 receiving section 84 second receiving section 89 operation section

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60B 33/00 B62B 5/04 A61G 5/02

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An operation lever device comprising an operation lever operably mounted in a first direction and a second direction rotatably mounted on a handle, and pulling a wire for remote operation by operating the operation lever. , A cam member rotatably supported by the handle and to which the wire is fixed, and a lock mechanism for locking a state in which the operation lever is rotated in the second direction. The operation lever includes a first pressing portion that rotates the cam member in a direction in which the wire is pulled when the operation lever is operated in the first direction, and operates the operation lever in the second direction. And a second pressing portion for rotating the cam member in a direction in which the wire is pulled when the operation is performed, and the cam member is provided with a first receiving portion pressed by the first pressing portion of the operation lever. And a second receiving portion pressed by the second pressing portion of the operation lever .
The operating lever in the neutral position is in contact with the first pressing portion.
Stop rotation at three points of the second pressing portion and the lock mechanism
The operating lever, the cam member, and the lock
Click mechanism operating lever device, characterized in that Rukoto located. 2. The operation lever device according to claim 1, wherein the operation lever has an annular operation portion. 3. A light vehicle having a caster, comprising: the operation lever device according to claim 1 or 2; and a brake means to which the wire is connected and the rotation of the caster is fixed by pulling the wire. A light vehicle characterized by the above.