JP5325743B2 - Walking assistance vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a walking assistance vehicle used by, for example, elderly people and disabled people when going out.

  The walking assist vehicle generally includes a leg portion to which a wheel is attached, a seat portion supported by the leg portion, and a grip portion extending upward from the leg portion. Then, the user walks while holding the grip part, or sits down on the seat part and takes a break. In addition, there are some that can be folded so as to be compact when transported, for example, during storage or when placed in an automobile. For example, there is already a walking assist vehicle (walking carriage) that can be folded in the front-rear direction by pivotally attaching the front and rear legs via arms, and gripping the handgrip provided at the back of the seat and performing the folding work It is disclosed (see Patent Document 1). The walking assistance vehicle is provided with a locking bracket so as not to be unexpectedly folded during use.

JP-A-8-257064

  However, the above-described conventional walking assistance vehicle has a problem that the operability is poor at the time of folding work. Specifically, it is necessary to hold the hand grip with one hand and unlock it with the other hand, and both hands are required for the folding operation. For this reason, when both hands cannot be used freely, such as when holding a luggage with one hand, the folding work cannot be performed quickly.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a walking assistance vehicle that can be easily folded with one hand and that is self-supporting in a folded state.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and is a foldable walking auxiliary vehicle that includes a pair of left and right front legs to which front wheels are attached and a pair of left and right rear legs to which rear wheels are attached. The front leg portion and the rear leg portion intersect with each other, and the front leg portion and the rear leg portion are coupled to each other via a rotation shaft set at the intersecting portion. A pair of left and right link members are pivotably extended upward from each upper end of each of the upper and lower ends of the pair of left and right link members and upper ends of the pair of left and right rear legs. A seat is pivotally attached, and a handle is attached to the rear end of the seat so as to be pivotable up and down, and a lock bar is passed between the pair of left and right link members in the left-right direction. When the engagement hook to be engaged is engaged with the lock bar, and the handle is rotated upward When the engagement between the engagement hook and the lock bar is released, and the handle is further pulled upward and the rear end portion of the seat portion is rotated upward, the front leg portion and the seat portion are interlocked with the seat portion. The walking assist vehicle is characterized in that the rear legs rotate relative to each other so that the front wheels and the rear wheels approach each other and are folded.

  In the above configuration, the state in which the engagement hook and the lock bar are engaged is the use state of the walking auxiliary vehicle, and the upper surface of the seat portion is substantially horizontal. In this state, since the seat does not rotate with respect to the rear leg and the front leg, the walking assistance vehicle is not folded unexpectedly during walking or sitting, and it is safe. Further, when the walking assistance vehicle is folded, if the handle is turned upward with one hand to release the engaged state, and the handle is pulled up with the hand, the front wheel and the rear wheel as described above are used. A folded state in which the two are close to each other can be easily obtained. In the folded state, the front wheel and the rear wheel are arranged so as to be arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, so that the walking assistance vehicle can be made independent in the folded state, and can be stored during storage. Convenient.

  Further, the handle is biased downward by the connection of a spring, and the engagement hook is engaged with the lock bar by the biasing force of the spring, and resists the biasing force of the spring. Then, when the handle is rotated upward, the engagement between the engagement hook and the lock bar may be released.

  By adopting such a configuration, the engagement state between the engagement hook and the lock bar is maintained unless the user applies force to rotate the handle so that the engagement state is unexpectedly released during use, for example. There is no fear of being folded.

  Furthermore, an engagement member having an engagement groove having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the upper end of the rear leg is fixed at a position corresponding to the upper end of the rear leg in the folded state at the lower part of the seat. When the rear leg portion moves to the position in the folded state, the upper end portion of the rear leg portion fits into the engagement groove, and the seat portion and the rear leg portion in the folded state engage with each other. It is good also as composition which will be in a state.

  In such a configuration, when the upper end portion of the rear leg portion is fitted into the engaging groove, the rear leg portion and the seat portion are engaged with each other, and the rotation of the rear leg portion is suppressed. The Therefore, since the seat portion, the front leg portion, and the rear leg portion are fixed at the rotation positions in the respective folded states, the folded state is stably maintained, and the handling is good during transportation. In addition, when the seat portion and / or the rear leg portion are pivoted strongly in the folded state to escape the upper end portion of the rear leg portion from the inside of the engagement groove, the engagement state of the seat portion and the rear leg portion is changed. The seat portion and the rear leg portion are free to be released, and the original use state can be obtained.

  The walking assistance vehicle of the present invention can be easily folded with one hand, and can be self-supported in a folded state.

External perspective view of walking assistance vehicle Partial perspective view showing the locking mechanism seen from the rear Partial perspective view showing the drum brake as seen from the rear Partial side view of walking assistance vehicle in use condition α Partial side view of the walking assist vehicle when the handle is rotated The partial side view which shows the walk auxiliary vehicle of the state which pulled up the rear end part of the seat part Partial side view showing the walking assistance vehicle in the folded state β Partially cutaway side sectional view showing the locking mechanism in the use state α Partially cutaway side sectional view showing the lock mechanism when the handle is rotated Partially cutaway side sectional view showing the locking mechanism with the rear end of the seat raised. Partially cutaway side sectional view showing the locking mechanism in the folded state β a) XX sectional view of FIG. 10 b) YY sectional view of FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A walking auxiliary vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the like has a frame 2 made of a metal pipe, and the frame 2 further includes a main frame 3 and a sub frame 4.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main frame 3 includes a pair of standing left and right backrest portions 31, 31, and a pair of left and right front leg portions 32, 32 extending obliquely downward and forward from the lower end portion of each backrest portion 31. , And a pair of left and right front leg portions 32, 32. In addition, a gripper 5 is passed to each upper end portion of the pair of left and right backrest portions 31, 31. Further, front wheels 7A and 7A are attached to the lower end portions of the front leg portions 32 and 32 so as to be swingable left and right. A known wheel stop mechanism 17 is attached to each front wheel 7A.

  The sub-frame 4 includes a pair of left and right rear leg portions 41 and 41 to which the rear wheels 7B and 7B are attached, respectively, and a horizontal beam 42 passed between the pair of left and right rear leg portions 41 and 41. Yes. The rear leg portions 41 and 41 are arranged so as to face obliquely upward and forward, respectively, intersect with the front leg portions 32 and 32 of the main frame 3 and set in the left-right direction rotation shaft 33 set at the intersection portion. Are coupled to each other so as to be capable of mutual rotation.

  Further, a connecting member 6 in the front-rear direction is interposed between the lower part of the front leg part 32 and the lower part of the rear leg part 41. The connecting member 6 is composed of a pair of front and rear connecting rods 6A and 6A that are rotatably connected. The front end of the front connecting rod 6A is pivotally attached to the front leg 32, and the rear end of the rear connecting rod 6A is the rear. It is pivotally attached to the leg 41.

  A brake handle 14 </ b> A is attached to the upper end of each of the pair of left and right backrests 31, 31 and in front of the gripping rod 5 so as to be movable back and forth. One ends of brake wires 14B and 14B are connected to both ends of the brake handle 14A, and the other ends of the brake wires 14B and 14B are connected to the drum brakes of the pair of left and right rear wheels 7B and 7B. 15 and 15. The drum brakes 15 and 15 are connected by a connecting rod 16 in the left-right direction. In this configuration, when the brake handle 14A is pulled toward the grip rod 5, the brake rod 15A (see FIG. 3) of the drum brake 15 rotates and contacts the inside of the rear wheel 7B, and the rear wheel 7B. The rolling is prevented and the brake is applied. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a parking brake 28 is attached to the intersection of the rear leg portion 41 and the front leg portion 32. The parking brake 28 is rotatably attached to the intersecting portion, and has an operation handle 28A that is operated by a user, a connecting rod having one end connected to the operation handle 28A and the other end connected to the drum brake 15. 28B. Then, when the operation handle 28A is turned, the position of the brake rod 15A is changed to a position where the brake rod 15A contacts or does not contact the inner side of the rear wheel 7B via the connecting rod 28B.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right link members 43, 43 are respectively extended upward at the upper ends of the pair of left and right front legs 32, 32 via a rotation shaft 47 in the left-right direction. ing. The seat portion 10 is pivotally attached to the upper end portions of the link members 43 and 43 and the upper end portions of the rear leg portions 41 and 41.
More specifically, the seat portion 10 comprises a seat frame 11 made of a metal pipe and a seat plate 12 fixed to the upper surface of the seat frame 11, and a pair of left and right connecting plates from the left and right sides of the seat frame 11. 13 and 13 are extended below. The upper end portion of the rear leg 41 is pivotally attached to the front position of the connecting plate 13 via a left and right rotation shaft 45, and the link member 43 is connected to the rear position of the connecting plate 13. An upper end portion is pivotally attached via a rotation shaft 48 in the horizontal direction.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 8 and the like, the outer surface of the connecting plate 13 is provided with a front cover member 44 that covers the rotating shaft 45 of the rear leg portion 41 and the front leg portion 32. A rear cover member 46 covering the rotation shaft 47 is attached. In the link member 43, a guide member 50 that rotates around the rotation shaft 47 in synchronization with the link member 43 is attached, and is projected from the tip of the guide member 50. The guide convex portion 51 is inserted into a guide elongated hole 52 provided in the rear cover member 46 that opens in the left-right direction. When the link member 43 rotates up and down, the guide convex portion 51 moves in the longitudinal direction in the guide long hole 52 in conjunction with this. The cover members 44 and 46 are attached for preventing finger pinching at the rotating portion and are made of a synthetic resin material.

  In the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 10, and 11, when the rear end portion of the seat portion 10 rotates upward, the entire seat portion 10 changes to a posture in which it is inclined downward toward the front. Further, based on the link mechanism having the rotation shafts 33, 45, 47, and 48 as constituent elements, the front leg portion 32 and the rear leg portion 41 are mutually rotated in conjunction with the seat portion 10, and the front leg portion 32 and the As the rear leg 41 approaches, the front wheel 7A and the rear wheel 7B approach. With this folding mechanism, the walking auxiliary vehicle 1 can be folded.

Next, the lock mechanism A that prevents the walking assist vehicle 1 from being unexpectedly folded will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, between the pair of left and right link members 43, 43, a lock bar 18 made of a saddle material is passed in the left-right direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8 and the like, a connecting plate 20 is extended rearward from the rear end portion of the seat frame 11 in the seat portion 10 above the lock bar 18. A handle 22 is attached to the connecting plate 20 via a rotation shaft 24 so as to be rotatable up and down. A spring 26 disposed around the rotation shaft 24 is connected to the handle 22 and is urged downward by the urging force of the spring 26.

  Further, a pair of left and right engaging hooks 25, 25 project downward from the lower portion of the handle 22, so that the upper surface of the seat portion 10 as shown in FIGS. The upper edge of the engaging portion 25 </ b> A formed at the distal end portion of the engaging hook 25 is set to contact the lower end of the lock bar 18. Thus, in a state where the engagement hook 25 and the lock bar 18 are engaged, the seat portion 10, the front leg portion 32, and the rear leg portion 41 are all unrotatable, and the walking assist vehicle 1 is folded as a whole. It becomes impossible. In addition, since the said locking mechanism A is arrange | positioned in the back and the downward direction of the seat part 10, there exists an advantage which is not conspicuous on an external appearance. Further, the lock mechanism A has an advantage that the structure is simple.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8 and the like, an engagement member 49 made of a synthetic resin material having elasticity rotates downward at a position where the rotation shaft 45 is arranged on the connecting plate 13 of the seat portion 10. It is impossible to submit. More specifically, the disposition position of the engaging member 49 is a position facing the upper end portion of the rear leg portion 41 in the folded state β described later, and the engaging member facing the rear leg portion 41 in the folded state β. An engagement concave groove 49A having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the upper end portion of the rear leg portion 41 is formed on the surface of 49 (see FIG. 12a).

In the above configuration, when the walking auxiliary vehicle 1 in the use state α is folded, the handle 22 is first grasped with one hand, and the handle 22 is resisted against the urging force of the spring 26 as shown in FIGS. Is rotated upward about the rotation shaft 24. Then, the engagement hook 25 is retracted from the lock bar 18 and the engagement between the engagement hook 25 and the lock bar 18 is released.
Subsequently, when the handle 22 is pulled upward while holding the handle 22, the rear end portion of the seat portion 10 is pulled upward, and the seat is based on the link mechanism constituted by the rotation shafts 33, 45, 47, and 48. While the portion 10 is rotated upward, the front leg portion 32 and the rear leg portion 41 are mutually rotated (see FIGS. 6 and 10), and the connecting rods 6A and 6A are further rotated to bend the connecting member 6. The front wheel 7A and the rear wheel 7B begin to approach each other while rolling on the floor surface.
If the handle 22 is further lifted, the seat portion 10 is inclined downwardly forward as shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, and the front wheel 7A and the rear wheel 7B are adjacent to each other with a slight space therebetween. .
As shown in FIG. 12a, immediately before the folded state β is reached, the rear leg portion 41 abuts against the side surface of the engaging member 49 disposed on the connecting plate 13, and further force is applied from this position. In addition, by rotating the seat 10 and / or the rear leg 41, the rear leg 41 gets over the surface of the engaging member 49 and fits into the engaging groove 49A (see FIG. 12b). When the rear leg portion 41 is thus fitted in the engagement concave groove 49A, the rotation of the rear leg portion 41 is suppressed, so that the seat portion 10 and the rear leg portion 41 are engaged, and the folded state β is stably maintained. Further, in the folded state β, the front wheel 7A and the rear wheel 7B are arranged so as to be arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, so that the walking assist vehicle 1 is made to stand independently in the folded state β. Can do.
Since the handle 22 is biased downward, the engagement state between the engagement hook 25 and the lock bar 18 is maintained unless the user applies a force to rotate the handle 22. . Therefore, there is no fear that the engaged state is unexpectedly released in the use state α and the folded state β is obtained.

  On the other hand, when the walking auxiliary vehicle 1 in the folded state β is set to the use state α, the handle 22 is first grasped with one hand, the walking auxiliary vehicle 1 is once lifted, and then the handle 22 is pushed down while being pressed against the floor. If it does so, the said connection member 6 will be extended until it will become the maximum width | variety, the front leg part 32 and the rear leg part 41 will open in a prescribed range, and the upper surface of the seat part 10 will become substantially horizontal. When the hand is released from the handle 22, the handle 22 is rotated downward by the urging force, the engagement hook 25 is advanced to the lock bar 18 side, and the engagement hook 25 and the lock bar 18 are engaged. Match. Thus, the walking auxiliary vehicle 1 can be easily changed from the folded state β to the use state α with one hand.

  Needless to say, this embodiment is appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, the planar shape of the seat portion 10 can be changed as appropriate. Further, although the spring 22 is connected to the handle 22 and is biased downward, it may have other structures.

  The present invention is a foldable walking auxiliary vehicle and can be used industrially.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Walk auxiliary vehicle 7A Front wheel 7B Rear wheel 10 Seat part 18 Lock bar 22 Handle 25 Engagement hook 26 Spring 32 Front leg part 41 Rear leg part 43 Link member 49 Engagement member 49A Engagement groove

Claims (3)

A foldable walking aid vehicle,
A pair of left and right front legs to which front wheels are attached, and a pair of left and right rear legs to which rear wheels are attached;
The front leg part and the rear leg part intersect, and the front leg part and the rear leg part are coupled to each other via a pivot shaft set at the intersection part,
From each upper end portion of the front leg portion, a pair of left and right link members are respectively extended so as to be rotatable upward,
A seat is pivotally attached to each upper end of the pair of left and right link members and each upper end of the pair of left and right rear legs,
Further, a handle is attached to the rear end portion of the seat portion so as to be rotatable up and down, a lock bar is passed between the pair of left and right link members in the left and right direction, and an engagement hook that is extended from the handle is the lock. Engaging the bar,
When the handle is rotated upward, the engagement between the engagement hook and the lock bar is released, and when the handle is further lifted upward and the rear end of the seat is rotated upward, the seat A walking auxiliary vehicle characterized in that the front leg portion and the rear leg portion are rotated in conjunction with each other so that the front wheel and the rear wheel approach each other and are folded. The handle is biased downward by connecting a spring;
The engagement hook is engaged with the lock bar by the biasing force of the spring,
The walking auxiliary vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the handle rotates upward against the biasing force of the spring, the engagement between the engagement hook and the lock bar is released. An engagement member having an engagement groove having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the upper end portion of the rear leg portion is fixed at a position corresponding to the upper end portion of the rear leg portion in the folded state at the lower portion of the seat portion. And
When the rear leg portion moves to the position in the folded state, the upper end portion of the rear leg portion is fitted into the engaging groove, and the seat portion and the rear leg portion in the folded state are engaged. The walking auxiliary vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.