JP2000051281A - Horizontality keeping device in wheel chair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device excellent in safety not only at the time of getting on/off an escalator but also in the middle being on it when a wheel chair user utilizes the escalator. SOLUTION: An extension and contraction means 6 is provided at a lower part near the front wheel 4 of the wheel chair is provided in order to always maintain the horizontal state of a wheel chair on the escalator at the time of getting on and off the escalator by using the wheel chair 1. In addition, the extension and contraction means is provided to operate by a sensor sensing the tilting of the wheel chair.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a leveling device for a wheelchair, and more particularly to a leveling device for a wheelchair which can always maintain the level of the wheelchair on an escalator and is excellent in safety.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a person using a wheelchair uses an escalator, an escalator designed exclusively for the wheelchair is used. In addition, the wheelchair is put on a general escalator.

[0003]

However, the number of escalators dedicated to wheelchairs is limited as in the former case, and therefore, the escalators are not installed in public facilities such as stations, schools and libraries. . Also,
The latter one is physically impossible to ride on one of the escalator steps when considered from the front and rear dimensions of the wheelchair, and the wheelchair itself leans forward when two of the escalator steps are used. There were problems such as danger.

[0004] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and particularly when a person using a wheelchair uses an escalator, not only getting on and off the escalator but also a simple structure that is excellent in safety even while riding. It is an object to propose a horizontal maintenance device for a wheelchair.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a leveling device for a wheelchair according to the present invention, wherein the escalator is used for getting on and off an escalator using a wheelchair. In order to always maintain the horizontal state of the wheelchair, a telescopic means is provided at a lower portion near the front wheel of the wheelchair.

Further, the expansion / contraction means may be provided so as to be operated by a sensor for detecting the inclination of the wheelchair.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a wheelchair to which a leveling device in a wheelchair according to the present invention is applied, and the wheelchair 1 uses a battery 2 as a power source, and a motor (not shown) operated and controlled by the power source. Is transmitted to the rear wheels 3 to travel.

Since the structure of the drive system of the wheelchair 1 is conventionally known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

An extendable means 6 is provided at a central portion between the front wheels 4 of the wheelchair 1. The extendable means 6 is mainly constituted by a timing pulley 7, movable shafts 8, 9 and a pair of sliding rods 10. I have.

As shown in FIG. 2, the timing pulley 7 is made of metal and is formed in a cylindrical shape.
1 is engraved. In addition, the timing pulley 7
At the upper and lower parts, metal disk-shaped closing members 14 and 15 having through holes 12 and 13 formed in the center are fixed by fixing members 16 made of bolts.

[0012] Through-hole 1 formed in closing members 14 and 15
Internal screws 17 and 18 are engraved on the peripheral surfaces of 2 and 13, and the internal screw 17 engraved on the through hole 12 is a through hole 1.
3 is provided on the reverse screw with respect to the internal screw 18 engraved.

The closing members 14 and 15 disposed on the upper and lower portions of the timing pulley 7 are not limited to the fixing members 16, but may be, for example, welded or screwed directly onto the timing pulley 7 by using nuts. You may wear it.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, external screws 21 and 22 are engraved on the outer periphery of the metal movable shafts 8 and 9, and the external screws 21 engraved on the movable shaft 8 are On the outer periphery engraved on the movable shaft 9, a reverse screw is provided on the outer screw 22. The outer screw 21 engraved on the movable shaft 8 is fixed to the upper part of the timing pulley 7 and screwed into the inner screw 17 engraved on the peripheral surface of the through hole 12 formed in the closing member 14. At the same time, the external screw 22 engraved on the movable shaft 9 is screwed to the internal screw 18 engraved on the peripheral surface of the through hole 13 fixed to the lower part of the timing pulley 7 and formed in the closing member 15. ing.

The movable shafts 8 and 9 screwed to the closing members 14 and 15 fixed to the upper and lower portions of the timing pulley 7 are provided so as to move in opposite directions when the timing pulley 7 rotates. Have been. The movable shaft 8 is hollow and is thicker than the movable shaft 9 so that the movable shaft 8 is accommodated in the movable shaft 8 when the movable shafts 8 and 9 are immersed in the timing pulley 7.

The movable shafts 8 and 9 may use ordinary bolts without any special processing.

A flange-shaped plate 26 a is welded to the upper end of the movable shaft 8, and the plate 26 a is fixed to the plate 26 connected to the machine frame 31 via the column 30, while the lower end of the movable shaft 9 is fixed. Is fixed to a support member 28 on which an auxiliary wheel 27 is pivotally supported.

Next, before and after the movable shaft 9, when the timing pulley 7 is rotated to move the movable shaft 9 up and down, the metal support supporting the auxiliary wheel 27 together with the auxiliary wheel 27 is provided. Metal sliding rod 1 for suppressing rotation of member 28
0, and the upper part of the sliding rod 10 slides on a metal tubular member 32 fixed to the front part of the machine frame 31 below the seat part 25 of the wheelchair 1 by welding or other appropriate means. It is housed freely, and the lower part is fixed to a support member 28.

The sliding rod 10 is preferably slid up and down within the tubular member 32, but may be projected from the upper portion of the tubular member 32 if necessary.

By the way, the tooth portion 11 engraved on the outer periphery of the timing pulley 7 and the motor 3 attached to the machine frame 31
A timing belt 37 is wrapped around a gear 36 fixed to the output shaft of the wheel 5, and the motor 35 is connected to a battery 2 disposed under the seat 25 of the wheelchair 1.
The wheelchair 1 is linked to a tilt sensor 34 which is provided in the vicinity of the wheelchair 1 and operates by sensing the front and rear tilt of the wheelchair 1. When the tilt sensor 34 operates, the motor 35
Is provided to be operated.

The power supply for the tilt sensor 34 and the motor 35 shares the battery 2 of the wheelchair 1.

Since the wheelchair 1 to which the leveling device in a wheelchair is applied is configured as described above, when using the wheelchair, as shown in FIG. When the vehicle and the rear wheel 3 ride on the two escalator steps 41 and 42 without the step of the escalator 40, the inclination sensor 34
Does not operate, and the movable shafts 8, 9 of the expansion / contraction means 6 are in a contracted state.

Next, when the escalator step 42 on which the rear wheel 3 of the wheelchair 1 rides begins to rise and a step begins to be formed, the wheelchair 1 starts to incline forward, and the inclination sensor 34 immediately responds to this inclination in real time. To detect the inclination direction and angle information and send them to the motor control circuit 38. Then, the motor control circuit 38 determines the rotation direction of the motor 35 based on the inclination direction, and rotates the motor 35 until the angle information becomes substantially 0 degree. In accordance with this, the timing pulley 7 of the expansion / contraction means 6 is driven via the timing belt 37. As the movable shafts 8 and 9 are rotated, the wheelchairs 1 are always kept horizontal so as to correspond to the steps of the escalator steps 41 and 42.

In the above description, the movable shafts 8 and 9 are provided so as to move in opposite directions when the timing pulley 7 of the expansion / contraction means 6 rotates, but actually, the timing pulley 7 and the movable shaft 9 are connected to each other. Will move.

Further, as the level difference between the escalator steps 41 and 42 becomes smaller as approaching the exit of the escalator 40, the wheelchair 1 starts to lean again, and the tilt sensor 34 operates in real time as described above, and the tilt direction and angle information are obtained. And sends it to the motor control circuit 38. Then, the motor control circuit 38 determines the rotation direction of the motor 35 based on the tilt direction, rotates the motor 35 until the angle information becomes substantially 0 degrees, and accordingly the timing pulley 7 of the expansion / contraction means 6 via the timing belt 37. The wheelchair 1 is rotated to contract the movable shafts 8 and 9 and correspond to the steps of the escalator steps 41 and 42.
Is always kept horizontal.

As described above, according to the leveling device for a wheelchair, a commonly used escalator 40 can be used, so that an escalator dedicated to a wheelchair is not required, which is economical.

In addition, since the ordinary escalator can be used as described above, the range in which the escalator can be moved even when the user is in the wheelchair 1 can be expanded. Is excellent.

[0028]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the expansion and contraction means is provided at the lower portion near the front wheel of the wheelchair, so that the escalator can be expanded and lowered when the escalator is used by the wheelchair. The wheelchair can always be kept horizontal by expanding and contracting the means, so that the user can get on and off safely.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the expansion and contraction means is provided so as to be operated by the sensor for detecting the inclination of the wheelchair, the operation of the expansion and contraction means can be performed quickly and reliably. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a wheelchair provided with a horizontal maintenance device in a wheelchair according to the present invention in a partially omitted state.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a main part showing a linkage between a timing pulley and a motor in the wheelchair in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a state in which a part of a telescopic means provided in a central portion between front wheels of a wheelchair is omitted.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a process of getting on and off an escalator using a wheelchair.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a control circuit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheelchair 4 Front wheel 6 Telescopic means 34 Sensor 40 Escalator

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yukio Sugiyama 3323-12 Mihara, Otawara-shi, Tochigi F-term in I-Electronic Industries Co., Ltd. (reference) 3F321 AA04 GB01

Claims (2)

[Claims] When a rider gets on and off an escalator using a wheelchair, an expansion / contraction means is provided at a lower portion near a front wheel of the wheelchair so as to always maintain a horizontal state of the wheelchair on the escalator. Leveling device in a rolling wheelchair. 2. The level maintaining device for a wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein said expansion / contraction means is provided so as to be operated by a sensor for detecting a tilt of the wheelchair.