JPH10201796A - Electrically motorized chair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure an easy facilitation of manipulation and sufficient installation space in a controller by installing a controller case which houses a controller along a side protective guard in a flat plane installed on a side surface frame. SOLUTION: A driving wheel 2 is driven to turn by giving to a pair of left and right driving wheels 2 as a supplementary motive force, a driving force corresponding to a pushing pressure applied to a chair main body 1 by a care taker. Between a front pipe 13 of a pair of side plane frames 10 and back pipe 11, in order to prevent clothing and the like belonging to a passenger seated on a seat, from bulging outside of the car at the side plane frames 10, a side protective guard 4 made of a thin aluminum plate is installed. In the side protective guard 4, a control circuit which controls driving of a driving unit U and a controller case 7 which houses a power source circuit and the like, are installed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair, and more particularly to a structure for mounting a control unit for controlling a driving device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electric wheelchair is provided with a driving device for generating a driving force, a control unit for controlling the driving device, a battery, and an operation unit for giving commands to the control unit, in addition to a wheelchair body. ing. These devices must be mounted so that they do not interfere with the operation of wheelchair occupants and caregivers. As a conventional electric wheelchair made in consideration of such a point, for example, in FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-150179, a control unit and a battery are arranged in an empty space under a seat formed under a vehicle body. An electric wheelchair in which an operation unit is incorporated in a hand rim is disclosed. In some cases, the operation unit is provided on a grip (operation handle) of a wheelchair provided for a caregiver (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-7521).
See No. 9. ).

[0003]

The conventional structure as described above is applied to an electric wheelchair which can be folded in the vehicle width direction, although the control section does not hinder the operation of the occupant or caregiver. Then, the control unit and the like hinder the folding operation. In general, it is desirable to minimize the space occupied by the attached devices in order to ensure foldability and ease of use. Therefore, the main power switch and the display indicating the remaining battery level are displayed on the control unit. It is desirable to add a lamp. However, when these are provided in a control unit arranged at the lower part of the vehicle body, the switches are not easily reachable, so that the operation is difficult, and the indicator lamp has poor visibility. Further, since the space under the vehicle body is limited and narrow, it is not easy to mount the control unit and the like.

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention secures, in particular, ease of operation in a control section and a sufficient mounting space for the control section, even in the case of a foldable vehicle body. It is an object to provide an electric wheelchair that can be operated.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a wheelchair body including a side frame, a driving device for driving driving wheels, a control unit for controlling the driving device, a battery for supplying power to the control unit, In an electric wheelchair equipped with an operation unit that provides a drive signal corresponding to the control unit, a substantially flat side contact provided on the side frame,
A control unit case provided along the side contact and housing the control unit (claim 1). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the side support is provided on the side frame, so that it is easy to secure a relatively large area. Therefore, it is easy to provide the control unit case along the side contact, and by securing a wide area of the side surface of the control unit case corresponding to the side contact,
The thickness in the vehicle width direction can be reduced to maintain a constant storage capacity. In addition, the control unit case provided along the side contact is easy to operate because it is within a natural operation range at hand of the occupant, and does not interfere with the folding operation even in the case of a foldable vehicle body. Does not impair the function.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the first aspect, the control section case has a container shape having a planar opening, and the planar opening is closed with respect to the side support so as to be closed by the side support. It may be detachably attached (claim 2). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the side contact serves as a lid of the control unit case, so that there is no need to provide a cover in the control unit case itself. Therefore, the control unit case can be thinned in the vehicle width direction by the amount of the lid.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the first aspect, at least one of a switch for opening / closing a main power supply of the control unit and a display unit for indicating a remaining capacity of the battery is provided on an outer surface of the control unit case. (Claim 3). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the control unit case also serves as a mounting member for the switch and the indicator light, so that the number of parts is reduced.

Further, in the electric wheelchair of the first aspect, the controller may be provided with a connector to which a charging cable is connected when charging the battery (claim 4). In the electric wheelchair thus configured, charging can be performed without removing the battery by connecting the charging cable to the connector.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the first aspect, the controller may be provided with a connector for connecting a cable to a drive unit in the control unit case. In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the control unit case and the drive device can be separately assembled or removed from the vehicle body.

[0010] In the electric wheelchair according to the fifth aspect, the control section case is provided with a connector for connecting a cable to the battery and a connector for connecting a cable to the operation section. (Claim 6). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the control unit case, the battery, and the operation unit can be separately attached to or removed from the vehicle body.

Further, the present invention provides a wheelchair body including a pair of left and right side frames, a pair of left and right driving devices for driving driving wheels, a control unit for controlling the driving devices, and a battery for supplying power to the control unit. In an electric wheelchair equipped with an operating unit that provides a drive signal corresponding to human power to the control unit, a substantially flat side contact provided on each of the side frames, and along the side contact It may be provided with a pair of left and right control unit cases that are provided and accommodate a part and another portion of the control unit, respectively.
In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the side support is provided on the side frame, so that it is easy to secure a relatively large area. Therefore, it is easy to provide the control unit case along the side contact, and by making the side surface area of the control unit case large corresponding to the side contact, the thickness in the vehicle width direction is reduced to a certain value. It is possible to maintain the storage capacity. In addition, the control unit case provided along the side contact is easy to operate because it is within a natural operation range at hand of the occupant, and does not interfere with the folding operation even in the case of a foldable vehicle body. Does not impair the function. Further, since the circuit portions constituting the control unit can be arranged separately in the left and right control unit cases, it is possible to reduce the size of each control unit case.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the present invention, the control unit includes a control circuit, a power supply circuit, and a pair of drive circuits provided corresponding to the pair of left and right drive devices, and the control circuit and the power supply circuit are one of the control circuits. It may be provided only in the part case (claim 8). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the number of wires between the control circuit and the power supply circuit located on the input side can be minimized and the shortest distance, so that noise from the wires to the control circuit is suppressed. be able to.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the present invention, at least one of a switch for opening / closing a main power supply of the control unit and a display unit for indicating a remaining capacity of a battery is provided on an outer surface of the control unit case. (Claim 9). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the control unit case also serves as a mounting member for the switch and the indicator light, so that the number of parts is reduced.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the present invention, the control unit case may be provided with a connector to which a charging cable is connected when the battery is charged. In the electric wheelchair thus configured, charging can be performed without removing the battery by connecting the charging cable to the connector.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the present invention, a connector for connecting a cable to a corresponding drive device may be provided in each of the control unit cases. In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the control unit case and the drive device can be separately assembled or removed from the vehicle body. In addition, it is possible to reduce crossover wiring between the pair of control unit cases.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the eleventh aspect,
At least one of the control unit cases may be provided with a connector for connecting a cable to the battery and a connector for connecting a cable to the operation unit. In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the control unit case, the battery, and the operation unit can be separately attached to or removed from the vehicle body.

Further, in the electric wheelchair of the eleventh aspect,
The battery and the operation unit are provided in a pair on the left and right sides of the wheelchair main body. Each of the control unit cases has a connector for performing cable connection with a corresponding battery and a connector for performing cable connection with a corresponding operation unit. May be provided (claim 13). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the wiring from the battery, the operation unit, and the driving device can be gathered to the corresponding left and right control unit cases. It can only be.

Further, in the electric wheelchair according to the thirteenth aspect,
The battery may be housed in the armrest of the wheelchair body along the longitudinal direction (claim 14). In the electric wheelchair configured as described above, the battery is disposed near the control unit case.
Therefore, the length of the wiring cable between the control unit case and the battery can be reduced to the necessary minimum. Also, unlike the lower part of the vehicle body, the armrest is located at a position where the occupant or caregiver can easily operate, so that handling such as attachment and detachment of the battery is easy.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an electric wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
Is a rear view. This electric wheelchair is of a system in which a driving force corresponding to a pressing force applied to a wheelchair body 1 by a caregiver is applied to a pair of left and right driving wheels 2 as auxiliary power to rotate the driving wheels 2. .

The pair of driving wheels 2 are mounted on both sides of the rear of the wheelchair main body 1 via a driving unit U as a driving device provided corresponding to each of the driving wheels 2.
In addition, casters 3 are provided on both front sides of the wheelchair body 1.
Is provided. The wheelchair body 1 includes a pair of left and right side frames 10 formed by metal pipes. The side frame 10 includes a back pipe 11 erected at a rear portion of the wheelchair main body 1, an arm pipe 12 having a rear end joined to the back pipe 11 and extending forward, and a diagonally downward direction from a front end of the arm pipe 12. A front pipe 13 that extends, a seat pipe 14 that connects the back pipe 11 and the front pipe 13, and a leg pipe 1 that extends diagonally downward from below the front pipe 13.
5 and a base pipe 16 disposed below the seat pipe 14 and connected to the leg pipe 15 in front of the vehicle body.
And a caster bracket 17 that extends between the seat pipe 14 and the base pipe 16 and extends downward from near the front end of the seat pipe 14. The drive unit U is supported and fixed between the lower end of the back pipe 11 and the base pipe 16.

In the wheelchair main body 1, the width of the vehicle body is reduced by connecting the pair of left and right side frames 10 by X-shaped cross bars 18 and 19 whose center portions are rotatably fixed to the center. Thus, it has a foldable configuration. Also, the back pipe 11 is the upper pipe section 1
1a and the lower pipe portion 11b are connected to each other. By removing the pin 37 provided at the connection portion, the upper pipe portion 11a is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. It can be folded compactly.

A seat 41 for seating an occupant is provided between the left and right sides of the seat pipe 14, and a seat back 42 is provided between the left and right sides of the back pipe 11 (see FIG. 2). In addition, the leg pipe 15
A foot plate 3 is provided at the lower end of the
1 is attached. The back pipe 11
A grip 34 that is held by a caregiver is provided at the upper part of the device. Detecting means (not shown, for example, JP-A-8-47114) detects a pressing force applied to the grip 34, and detects the pressing force. The driving unit U is configured to apply a corresponding driving force to the pair of driving wheels 2 as auxiliary power. A brake lever 35 is attached to the back pipe 11. This example shows a case where the diameter of the drive wheel 2 is 16 inches. In this case,
The brake lever 35 is attached to the back pipe 11 and is arranged rearward of the vehicle body. When the drive wheel 2 is 22 inches, the brake lever 35 is attached to the seat pipe 14 and arranged in front of the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drive unit U includes a motor 52 and a reducer 53 having a two-stage reduction structure to which a driving force of the motor 52 is input.
And an output unit 54 for outputting the driving force of the motor 52 via the speed reducer 53, and a bearing 55 for rotatably supporting the axle 21 of the drive wheel 2. The motor 52 is
It is constituted by a thin flat-plate motor, and is entirely provided concentrically with an axis L passing through the rotation center of the axle 21 of the drive wheel 2. The speed reducer 53 is provided concentrically with the axis L passing through the center of rotation of the axle 21 in a state facing the motor 52. The reduction gear 53 is provided with a rotating shaft 5 of the motor 52.
A plurality of planet gears 53b are arranged around a sun gear 53a connected to the second gear 2a.
It is constituted by a planetary gear type speed reducer meshed with 3c in an inscribed state.

The output unit 54 is provided at one end of an output shaft 54a.
The disk-shaped flange portion 54b is integrally formed,
The flange portion 54b is connected to a support shaft 53d of each planetary gear 53b so that the output shaft 54a can rotate integrally with each planetary gear 53b of the speed reducer 53. This output unit 54
Is provided concentrically with the axis L passing through the center of rotation of the axle 21. The bearing 55 is constituted by a double row ball bearing in the case of the drawing, and this bearing 55 is also provided concentrically with the axis L passing through the rotation center of the axle 21.

The axle 21 is formed integrally and concentrically with the output shaft 54a.
1 rotatably supported. The front end side of the axle 21 is fitted to the hub 22 of the drive wheel 2,
Is detachably attached to the axle 21 by a male screw 21a provided at the tip of the axle 21 and a nut N1 screwed to the male screw 21a.

Next, a description will be given of the structure of the armrest 32 serving as an occupant's elbow rest and the battery 33 accommodated therein as shown in FIG. First, the structure of the armrest alone before assembly will be described. FIG. 4A shows the armrest 3.
2 is a plan view (partially broken), (b) is a side view, FIG. 5 is a rear view, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. Shown is an armrest 32 attached to the right side of the wheelchair (the side visible in FIG. 1). The armrest 32 has a structure in which not only a member for resting the arm but also a part thereof is also used as the battery storage portion 32BA. As shown in FIG. 4A, the battery housing portion 32BA is arranged outside the side frames 10 (FIG. 1) such as the arm pipe 12, the front pipe 13 and the like in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the armrest 32
Along the longitudinal direction (the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body)
2a is formed, and the back side is open. This hole 32a
Is a space S for accommodating the battery 33 (FIG. 1). Hole 3
A power receiving terminal 32t is provided near the closed end of 2a, and a predetermined electrode portion thereof is exposed to the space S (see FIG. 6). The power receiving terminal 32t is connected to a cable C3 as a lead wire. The battery locking portion 32b is provided for engaging an engagement claw portion of the battery 33 (FIG. 1) described later. A protruding portion 32e formed in the armrest 32 in a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction (FIGS. 4A and 5).
Is provided to prevent erroneous mounting of the battery 33. The lid 32h is provided to close an inspection hole 32g provided in a portion facing the power receiving terminal 32t with the space S interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the armrest 32 has a flange 32c at the lower rear end and a support 32d which is slanted downward at the front. The armrest 3 is provided on the flange portion 32c.
2 is provided with a hole 32c1 for connecting the back pipe 11 and the support portion 32d is provided with a hole 32d1 for connecting the armrest 32 to the front pipe 13. As shown in FIG. 5, a recess 32 f 1 having an inner diameter substantially matching the outer diameter of the arm pipe 12 is formed in the locking portion 32 f of the armrest 32.

The armrest 32 thus configured
The locking portion 32f of the arm pipe 1
2 and are fixed to the back pipe 11 and the front pipe 13 using the holes 32c1 and 32d1, respectively, so that the state shown in FIG. 1 is obtained. Thus, the armrest 32 is supported by the three pipes of the back pipe 11, the arm pipe 12, and the front pipe 13.

The armrest 32 shown in FIGS.
Is mounted on the right side of the vehicle body, and a member substantially symmetrical with respect to the center line of the vehicle body is mounted on the left side of the vehicle body (however, the shape of the power receiving terminal 32t is partially different).

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are a plan view, a side view and a rear view of the battery 33, respectively.
The battery 33 is a package in which a total of 10 unit cells in two stages in the vertical direction and five rows in the horizontal direction are packaged, and electrodes (positive electrode, negative electrode, and thermistor electrode) 33t are exposed at one end. At the other end, a head portion 33a as an insertion stopper and a knob portion 3 for attachment / detachment operation
3b and an engagement claw 33c are provided. Further, a groove 33d for preventing erroneous mounting is formed in one side surface of the battery 33 in the longitudinal direction.

The battery 33 constructed as described above is inserted into the hole 32a from the rear in the longitudinal direction of the armrest 32 so that the electrode 33t is on the power receiving terminal 32t side of the armrest 32 shown in FIGS. , Battery 33
Is engaged with the battery engaging portion 32b of the armrest 32. Thus, the electrode 33t of the battery 33 is joined to the power receiving terminal 32t of the armrest 32, and power is supplied via the cable C3. If the electrode 33t is erroneously inserted so as to be on the side opposite to the power receiving terminal 32t at the time of insertion, the erroneous mounting can be prevented because the protrusion 32e of the armrest 32 prevents the insertion. When detaching the battery 33, the knob 33b is provided so that the engaging claw 33c is disengaged from the battery engaging portion 32b.
While pushing inward, pull it out of the hole 32a of the armrest 32 and pull it out. Thus, the battery 33 is detachable from the armrest 32. Further, since the structure is detachable from the rear side of the vehicle body, it is suitable for attaching and detaching operations by the caregiver, and since the caregiver is located at a position where it can be attached and detached in a natural posture, the attaching and detaching operation is easy.

Next, the mounting structure of the control unit case 7 (FIG. 1) and the structure of the control unit case 7 will be described. In FIG. 1, a seat 4 is provided between a front pipe 13 and a back pipe 11 of a pair of side frames 10.
A side pad 4 made of a thin aluminum plate is provided in order to prevent an occupant's clothes or the like sitting in 1 (FIG. 2) from protruding from the side frame 10 to the outside of the vehicle.

FIG. 8 is a single view of the side contact 4. The side contact 4 is a substantially flat octagonal member, of which four edges 4a are bent so as to project outward in the vehicle width direction when attached to the vehicle body. FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 8, and the other edge portion 4a has the same bent shape. By screwing the thus bent edge portion 4a to the corresponding back pipe 11, arm pipe 12, front pipe 13 and seat pipe 14, as shown in FIG. The mounting surface 4b is located at a position recessed inward from the outer end of each pipe in the vehicle width direction by a predetermined distance. Although the side pad 4 shown in FIG. 8 is for the right side of the vehicle body, a left side symmetrical shape to the vehicle body is attached to the left side.

In each side pad 4 configured as described above,
A control unit case 7 that accommodates a control circuit for controlling the driving of the driving unit U, a power supply circuit, and the like is attached.
FIG. 10 is a view of the control unit case 7 mounted on the right side of the vehicle body viewed from the mounting surface side, that is, from the mounting surface 4b side of the above-described side pad 4, and the left side of the figure is the vehicle body front and the right side is the vehicle body rear side. . FIGS. 11 to 13 show the control unit case 7 shown in FIG. 10 when viewed from each direction. FIG. 11A is a diagram viewed from above, and FIG. 12A is a view from the left, FIG. 12B is a view from the right, and FIG. 13 is a view from the back side (that is, a view in the same direction as FIG. 1). ).

The control case 7 is made of an aluminum die-cast product and has a shallow container shape (a so-called lunch box shape) having a planar opening, and the planar opening is formed on the mounting surface 4b (see FIG. 8, 9), is screwed (detachable) to the side pad 4. Thus, the side contact 4 has a function as a mounting flange for mounting the control unit case 7 to the side frame 10 and also has a function as a lid for closing the control unit case 7. As described above, since the side contact 4 functions as a mounting flange and a lid of the control unit case 7, it is not necessary to provide the mounting flange and the cover on the control unit case 7 itself. Therefore, the control unit case 7 can be reduced in thickness in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of fins 71 for promoting cooling of a built-in power supply circuit and the like are provided on the side surface of the control unit case 7.
Are protruded (FIGS. 11 to 13).

When the control unit case 7 is mounted on the mounting surface 4b of the side pad 4, the back pipe 11, the arm pipe 12, the front pipe 13 and the seat pipe 1
4 project outwardly in the vehicle width direction from the side frame 10 (see FIG. 2). However, as described above, since the mounting surface 4b of the side pad 4 is located at a position inward of the outer end of each pipe in the vehicle width direction by a predetermined distance, the control unit case 7 moves toward the vehicle outside of the side frame 10. The amount of protrusion can be made smaller than in the case where the side contact 4 is directly screwed to the outer side surfaces of the front pipe 13 and the back pipe 11. Further, the heat radiation of the control unit 6 can be made better than when the control unit case 7 is protruded from the side surface of the side pad 4 on the vehicle interior side, that is, on the occupant side.

As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit case 7
A substrate 700 is provided therein, and a predetermined circuit is formed on the substrate 700. The control unit case 7 includes:
Switch 704 for opening and closing the main power supply of the control unit, indicator light 705 for the remaining battery level, right grip 34 (FIG. 1)
706 for connecting with the connector, connector 7 for charging
07, a connector 708 for connection to the right battery 33 (FIG. 1), a connector 709 for connection to the right drive unit U (FIG. 1), and a connecting wire to the control unit case 7 on the left. Is provided. A cap 40 for always hiding the charging connector 707 is attached to the front side of the control unit case 7 via a chain 40a.

FIG. 14 is a view of the control unit case 7 mounted on the left side of the vehicle body as viewed from the mounting surface side. Drawings viewed from other directions are apparent from a comparison between FIG. The outer shape and mounting structure of the control unit case 7 are the same as those of the right control unit case 7 described above, but the mounted device configuration is different. That is, in addition to the board 700, the connector 706 for connecting to the left grip 34 (FIG. 1) and the left battery 33
Connector 708 for connection with (FIG. 1), connector 70 for connection with left drive unit U (FIG. 1)
9 and a connector 710 for connecting a crossover with the control unit case 7 on the right side.

In the mounting structure of the left and right control unit cases 7 as described above, the side contact 4 is provided on the side frame 10, so that a relatively large area can be secured. Therefore, the control unit case 7 provided along the side pad 4
Is easy to attach, and the area of the side surface of the control unit case 7 can be increased corresponding to the side pad 4, so that the thickness of the control unit case 7 in the vehicle width direction is ensured while securing its storage capacity. Can be made thinner. This means
Combined with the above-described thickness reduction due to the mounting structure of the control unit case 7 that does not require a lid, the control unit case 7 can be made even thinner, contributing to a compact vehicle body.

The control unit case 7 provided along the side pad 4 is in a natural operation range at hand of the occupant.
Therefore, the operation of the switch 704 and the like provided in the control unit case 7 is easy, and the visibility of the indicator lamp 705 is good. Further, the control unit case 7 provided on the side pad 4 has an advantage that even when the vehicle body is a foldable type, it does not interfere with the folding operation and therefore does not impair the folding function.

Next, regarding the connection of the electric system including the devices mounted on the control unit cases 7 on the left and right sides, FIG.
14 and FIG. 15 will be described. FIG.
In a control unit case 7 (right side in the figure) provided on the right side of the vehicle body, a control circuit 701 including a microcomputer, a power supply circuit 702 for supplying a predetermined voltage to each circuit and equipment, and a driving unit U Motor 52 inside
A driving circuit 703 for driving (FIG. 3) is provided. On the other hand, the power supply circuit 70
2, a switch 704 for opening and closing the main power supply, and an indicator 705 for displaying the remaining capacity of the battery 33 in a plurality of stages by changing the emission color. By providing the switch 704 and the indicator light 705 on the outer surface of the control unit case 7 in this way, the number of parts can be reduced and the vehicle body can be made more compact than when these are provided in another box or the like. Wiring length can be shortened.

The above-described five connectors 706 to 710 are provided on the outer surface of the control unit case 7, and connection to external devices is made via these connectors. That is, the right grip 34 is connected to the control circuit 701 via the cable C1 and the connector 706, and the charger 36 is connected to the power supply circuit 702 via the cable C2 and the connector 707.
3 is connected to the power supply circuit 702 via the cable C3 and the connector 708, and the right drive unit U is connected to the drive circuit 703 via the cable C4 and the connector 709, respectively. However, the charger 36 is not connected during normal use, and is connected only during charging. By connecting the charging cable C2 connected to the charger 36 to the connector 707, charging can be performed without removing the battery 33. Further, the control circuit 701, the power supply circuit 7
02 and the drive circuit 703 are mutually connected. Further, the control circuit 701 and the power supply circuit 702
0 is connected.

On the other hand, only the drive circuit 703 is provided in the control unit case 7 (left side in FIG. 15) attached to the left side of the vehicle body. The above-described four connectors 706, 708, 709, and 710 are provided on the outer surface of the control unit case 7, and are connected to external devices. That is,
The left grip 34 includes the cable C1 and the connector 706.
And the battery 33 on the left side via the cable 33 and the connector 708.
And the drive unit U on the left side are connected to a drive circuit 703 via a cable C4 and a connector 709, respectively. The drive circuit 703 is connected to the connector 710. The left and right control unit cases 7 are connected to each other by connecting the corresponding terminals of the connectors 710 via a jumper line Cm by an integrated wiring.

As a result of the circuit configuration as described above, the circuit portions constituting the control section are dispersedly arranged in the left and right control section cases 7. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of each control unit case 7, which contributes to downsizing of the electric wheelchair. Further, since the control circuit 701 and the power supply circuit 702 are housed in the same control unit case 7 (right), the number of wires between them can be minimized and the shortest distance can be achieved. This means that noise is prevented from entering the control circuit 701 from the wiring, and stable operation of the control circuit 701 can be ensured. In addition, the control unit case 7 attached to the side pad 4 and the battery 33 stored in the armrest 32 (FIG. 1) are arranged close to each other. Therefore,
Cable C for connection between control unit case 7 and battery 33
3 can be made as short as possible.

Further, by using a connector for connecting the control unit case 7 and each unit as described above,
Control unit case 7, battery 3
3. The grip 34 and the drive unit U can be separately assembled or removed from the vehicle body. Therefore, assembly of the electric wheelchair is easy, and maintenance is easy. Further, the battery 33 and the grip 34
Also, since the wiring from the drive unit U is concentrated in the corresponding left and right control unit cases 7, the crossover wiring passing between the left and right sides of the vehicle body can be only between the control unit cases 7. Therefore, also from this point, assembly and maintenance of the electric wheelchair are easy, and even when the vehicle body can be folded, the wiring does not hinder the folding operation.

In the above embodiment, the drive wheels 2
Shows an electric wheelchair having a diameter of 16 inches, but the mounting structure of the control unit case 7 and the battery 32 is the same even when the diameter of the drive wheel 2 is 22 inches. FIG. 16 shows that drive wheel 2 has 22 wheels.
1 shows a side view of an inch wheelchair; In this case, the brake lever 35 is attached to the seat pipe 14 and is disposed on the front side of the vehicle body.

The electric wheelchair of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the control unit case 7 may be provided on only one of the pair of left and right side supports 4.
Various design changes can be made. Further, although the above-described embodiment has been described with respect to the folding electric wheelchair, it is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to an electric wheelchair other than the folding type, and in that case, the folding operation is also related. Other than the above, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

[0049]

The present invention configured as described above has the following effects. According to the electric wheelchair of the first aspect, since the side support is provided on the side frame, a relatively large area can be secured. Therefore, it is easy to provide the control unit case along the side contact, and the area of the side surface of the control unit case can be ensured to be large corresponding to the side contact. The case can be thinned in the vehicle width direction. Further, since the control unit case provided along the side contact is within a natural operation range at hand of the occupant, when a switch or the like is provided in the control unit case, the operation is easy, and the folding type vehicle body is provided. Does not interfere with the folding operation and therefore does not impair the folding function.

According to the electric wheelchair of the second aspect, since the side contact serves as a lid of the control unit case, there is no need to provide a cover in the control unit case itself. Therefore, the thickness of the control unit case can be reduced in the vehicle width direction by the amount of the lid, and the protruding length of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction can be suppressed to achieve a compact vehicle body.

According to the electric wheelchair of the third aspect, the control unit case also serves as a mounting member for the switch and the indicator light, so that the number of parts is reduced. Therefore, the number of assembling steps is reduced, which contributes to the downsizing of the vehicle body. In addition, since the control unit case is located in an easy-to-operate place, the operability of the switch and the visibility of the indicator light are excellent.

According to the electric wheelchair of the fourth aspect, the charging can be performed without removing the battery by connecting the charging cable to the connector, which is convenient.

According to the electric wheelchair of the fifth aspect, the control unit case and the drive unit can be separately assembled or removed from the vehicle body, so that the electric wheelchair is easily assembled and maintenance is easy. .

According to the electric wheelchair of the sixth aspect, the control unit case, the battery, and the operation unit can be separately attached to or detached from the vehicle body, so that the electric wheelchair can be easily assembled and maintenance can be performed. Easy.

According to the electric wheelchair of the present invention, since the side contact is provided on the side frame, a relatively large area can be secured. Therefore, it is easy to provide the control unit case along the side contact, and the area of the side surface of the control unit case can be ensured to be large corresponding to the side contact. The case can be thinned in the vehicle width direction. Further, since the control unit case provided along the side contact is within a natural operation range at hand of the occupant, when a switch or the like is provided in the control unit case, the operation is easy and the folding type is provided. Even in the case of a vehicle body, it does not interfere with the folding operation and therefore does not impair the folding function. Furthermore, since the circuit parts constituting the control unit can be arranged separately in the left and right control unit cases, it is possible to reduce the size of each control unit case, resulting in a compact electric wheelchair. Contribute,
Handling becomes easy.

According to the electric wheelchair of the present invention, since the number of wires between the control circuit and the power supply circuit located on the input side thereof can be minimized and the shortest distance can be obtained, noise from the wires into the control circuit can be prevented. Can be deterred. Therefore, stable operation of the control circuit can be ensured.

According to the electric wheelchair of the ninth aspect, the control unit case also serves as a mounting member for the switch and the indicator light, so that the number of parts is reduced. Therefore, the number of assembling steps is reduced, which contributes to the downsizing of the vehicle body. In addition, since the control unit case is located in an easy-to-operate place, the operability of the switch and the visibility of the indicator light are excellent.

According to the electric wheelchair of the tenth aspect, the charging can be performed without removing the battery by connecting the charging cable to the connector, which is convenient.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since the control unit case and the drive unit can be separately assembled or removed from the vehicle body, assembly of the electric wheelchair is easy and maintenance is easy. . Further, the number of crossover wirings between the pair of control unit cases can be reduced, so that even if the vehicle body can be folded, it does not hinder the folding operation.

According to the electric wheelchair of the twelfth aspect, the control unit case, the battery, and the operation unit can be separately attached to or detached from the vehicle body. The electric wheelchair is easy to assemble and maintenance is easy.

According to the electric wheelchair of the thirteenth aspect, the wiring from the battery, the operation unit and the drive unit can be assembled to the corresponding left and right control unit cases. It can be only between cases. Therefore, assembling and maintenance of the electric wheelchair are easy, and even when the vehicle body can be folded, the wiring does not hinder the folding operation.

According to the electric wheelchair of the fourteenth aspect, the battery is disposed near the control unit case. Therefore, the length of the wiring cable between the control unit case and the battery can be reduced to the necessary minimum. Also, unlike the lower part of the car body,
Since the armrest is located at a position where the occupant and caregiver can easily operate, handling such as attaching and detaching the battery is also easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electric wheelchair shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a drive unit in the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 4 is a plan view and a side view of an armrest in the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the armrest.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the armrest taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a plan view, a side view, and a rear view of a battery in the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 8 is a side view (right) of the electric wheelchair viewed from the right side of the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of an edge portion of the side contact.

FIG. 10 is a view of the right control unit case in the electric wheelchair as viewed from the inside in the lateral direction of the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 11 is a view of the control unit case as viewed from above and below.

FIG. 12 is a view of the control unit case as viewed from the front and the rear.

FIG. 13 is a view of the control unit case as viewed from the outside in the side direction of the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 14 is a view of the left control unit case of the electric wheelchair as viewed from the inside in the lateral direction of the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 15 is a connection diagram of an electric control system in the electric wheelchair.

FIG. 16 is a side view showing an electric wheelchair equipped with the same control unit and the like as the electric wheelchair and having different drive wheels.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheelchair main body 2 Drive wheel 4 Side contact 7 Control case 10 Side frame 32 Armrest 33 Battery 34 Grip 701 Control circuit 702 Power supply circuit 703 Drive circuit 704 Switch 705 Indicator light 706-710 Connector C1, C2, C3, C4, Cm Cable U drive unit

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A wheelchair body including a side frame, a driving device for driving driving wheels, a control unit for controlling the driving device, a battery for supplying power to the control unit, and a driving signal corresponding to human power. An electric wheelchair equipped with an operation unit provided to the unit, a substantially flat side support provided on the side frame, and a control unit case provided along the side support and accommodating the control unit. An electric wheelchair comprising: 2. The control section case has a container shape having a planar opening, and is detachably attached to the side patch so that the planar opening is closed by the side patch. The electric wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein 3. The control unit case according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a switch for opening / closing a main power supply of the control unit and a display unit for indicating a remaining capacity of the battery is provided on an outer surface of the control unit case. Electric wheelchair. 4. The electric wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a connector to which a charging cable is connected when charging the battery is provided in the control unit case. 5. The electric wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the control unit case is provided with a connector for connecting a cable to the drive device. 6. The control section case is provided with a connector for connecting a cable to the battery and a connector for connecting a cable to the operation section. The described electric wheelchair. 7. A wheelchair body including a pair of left and right side frames, a pair of left and right driving devices for driving driving wheels, a control unit for controlling the driving device, a battery for supplying power to the control unit, and An electrically operated wheelchair equipped with an operating unit that provides the drive signal to the control unit, a substantially flat side support provided on each of the side frames, and provided along the side support, An electric wheelchair, comprising: a pair of left and right control unit cases that respectively store a part and another part of the control unit. 8. The control unit includes a control circuit, a power supply circuit, and a pair of drive circuits provided corresponding to the pair of left and right drive devices, and the control circuit and the power supply circuit are provided only in one control unit case. The electric wheelchair according to claim 7, which is provided. 9. The control unit case according to claim 7, wherein at least one of a switch for opening / closing a main power supply of said control unit and a display unit for indicating a remaining capacity of said battery is provided on an outer surface of said control unit case. Electric wheelchair. 10. The electric wheelchair according to claim 7, wherein a connector to which a charging cable is connected when charging the battery is provided in the control unit case. 11. The electric wheelchair according to claim 7, wherein a connector for connecting a cable to the corresponding driving device is provided in each of the control unit cases. 12. At least one of the control unit cases includes:
A connector for performing cable connection with the battery,
The electric wheelchair according to claim 11, further comprising a connector for connecting a cable to the operation unit. 13. A pair of the battery and the operation unit are provided on the left and right sides of the wheelchair main body. Each of the control unit cases has a connector for connecting a cable to the corresponding battery, and The electric wheelchair according to claim 11, further comprising a connector for connecting a cable to the operation unit. 14. An electric wheelchair according to claim 13, wherein said battery is housed in an armrest of said wheelchair main body along a longitudinal direction thereof.