JP2001070347A - Wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheelchair that does not impose burden on a user by mitigating reliably impact on the wheelchair when it moves in a site having level differences or irregularities. SOLUTION: The wheelchair is made up of a support frame 1 having main wheels 10 and 10 on the right and left sides and auxiliary wheels 6 on the front and the rear, a seat composition frame 22 attached vertically swingably to the support frame 1 and provided with seats 34 and 35 on which a user sits and a rear composition frame 29 attached in the rear of the seat composition frame 22, and the first cushioning mechanism 4 is interposed between the support frame 1 and the seat composing frame 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheelchair mainly for the physically handicapped, the sick, and the elderly.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Wheelchairs are widely used as a means of transportation for people with physical disabilities such as the disabled, the sick, and the elderly. For example, the height of the entire seat can be adjusted,
Alternatively, there is a seat having a reclining function on a backrest portion of the seat.

[0003]

However, a wheelchair having a seat height adjusting function and a reclining function can be adjusted according to the physique and posture of the user, but the wheelchair is not used. Because he was mainly a physically handicapped or sick person, his body was very fragile compared to a healthy person. From this, for example, when traveling in a place with steps or unevenness when moving in a wheelchair,
The above-mentioned wheelchair has no special means for absorbing the impact, which causes the impact from the ground to be transmitted to the user's waist directly as a strong vibration to the wheelchair,
Furthermore, since a strong shock is applied to the brain through the spinal cord, there is a problem in that the user suffers great pain.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheelchair in which a shock applied to the wheelchair when moving on a place having a step or unevenness can be surely alleviated so as not to burden the user.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a support frame having main wheels on left and right sides and auxiliary wheels on front and rear sides,
A seat component frame that is attached to the support frame so as to be vertically swingable and includes a seat on which a user sits, and a back component frame that is attached near a rear portion of the seat component frame; and A first cushion mechanism 4 is interposed between the frame and the seat constituting frame.

Here, the terms front and rear and left and right refer to the forward direction of the wheelchair, and the direction is sequentially determined based on the forward direction. The first cushion mechanism may be any mechanism that absorbs the shock from the ground applied to the support frame and the main wheels to prevent the seat frame from vibrating. An air cylinder type gas spring or a spring interposed with a built-in coil spring may be used.

[0007] According to this structure, even when the support frame or the auxiliary wheels receive an impact from the ground when moving in a wheelchair on a place having a step or unevenness, the support frame and the seat-part-constituting frame are connected. The impact applied to the support frame and the auxiliary wheels is buffered by the first cushion mechanism interposed therebetween, and is not directly transmitted to the seat-constituting frame. Therefore, the impact on the seat on which the user sits is reduced, and the influence of the impact is reduced. Does not vibrate strongly.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, if a second cushion mechanism capable of attaching each of the main wheels to the support frame while applying an urging force is interposed, the support frame can be supported. The impact applied to each main wheel together with the impact applied to the frame is alleviated by the second cushion mechanism. Here, the second cushion mechanism may be any mechanism that can support the main wheel while applying an urging force from the support frame without hindering the rotation of the main wheel. A plurality of coil springs may be fixed radially with a space for inserting the axle of the wheel, or an upper and lower spring member may be provided so as to sandwich the axle in the case body of the bearing.

Further, in the invention according to a third aspect of the present invention, a gas spring for urging the seat-constituting frame from the support frame in a direction of extension from the support frame by gas pressure is used for the first cushion mechanism. Therefore, the seat frame can be urged and supported by the support frame by gas pressure. Of course, since the gas pressure is used, if the gas spring is provided with gas pressure adjusting means, the support frame can be urged. The air pressure in the first cylinder case can be adjusted while the seat is provided, so that the seat can be swung up and down at an arbitrary height according to the sitting posture when the wheelchair is used, and the swing angle can be maintained. It can be fixed to the support frame.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first cushion mechanism, a spring damper for urging the seat-constituting frame from the support frame by a coil spring in an extending direction is used. Therefore, the seat-constituting frame can be biased and supported from the support frame with a simpler structure. Here, the spring damper may be one in which both ends of the coil spring are simply fixed between the supporting frame and the seat-constituting frame, respectively, as long as the coil-spring can bias and support the seat-constituting frame. It does not do.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a wheelchair according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. This wheelchair is
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main wheel 10 is supported on the left and right sides via a bearing portion 8, and the auxiliary wheel 6 is rotatable in the horizontal direction via support legs 39. Frame 1 and a first cushion mechanism 4a from the support frame 1
And a back portion frame 29 attached to a rear position of the seat portion frame 22 so as to be able to adjust in a forward and backward direction in a multi-step manner so as to be able to fall or return. And, it consists of.

The support frame 1 includes a pair of left and right vertical pipes 2 and 2 and two horizontal pipes 3 and 3 which are horizontally connected in a grid pattern at intervals before and after the vertical pipes 2 and 2. An upwardly curved reinforcing pipe 7 provided on the rear side of each of the vertical pipes 2 and 2; a pair of left and right first brackets 21 fixed to the rear side of each of the reinforcing pipes 7; , 2 at each of the front and rear ends
And an auxiliary wheel 6 attached through the support wheel 9. Further, the vertical pipes 2, 2 and the reinforcing pipe 7,
Bearings 8 are respectively attached between the main wheels 7 and the main wheels 10 are rotatably supported via the bearings 8.

The seat-constituting frame 22 includes a pair of left and right seat vertical pipes 23, 23, and a plurality of horizontal members 2 which are connected to the seat vertical pipes 23, 23 horizontally in a lattice pattern.
4 and reinforcing horizontal members 24a and 24b provided below the horizontal members 24 via the connection pipes 40, respectively. The seat-constituting frame 22 is arranged opposite to the upper position of the support frame 1 and
Support frame 1 via the first brackets 21 and 21
It is pivotally supported at the rear position so that it can swing up and down. And the front part of each seat vertical pipe 23, 23 has a shape bent downward in accordance with the shape of the user's leg,
Further, at the front end of each of the front portions, a footrest plate 25 capable of flipping up in the lateral direction is provided, respectively.
An armrest 28 on which the user places his / her elbow is provided at a substantially intermediate position between the seat vertical pipes 23, 23, respectively. Further, the reinforcing lateral member 24 on the front side
A second bracket 19 in the form of an arm whose lower end is bent rearward is fixed to a, while a third reinforcing member 24b on the rear side has a third lower extending part.
The bracket 27 is fixed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first cushion mechanism 4 includes a cylinder case 16, a lever 17 for adjusting a gas pressure in the cylinder case 16, and a longitudinal direction in the cylinder case 16 by the gas pressure. A gas spring 4a consisting of a sliding piston rod 18 is interposed between the support frame 1 and the seat-constituting frame 22. The gas pressure in the cylinder case 16 causes the piston rod 18 to extend in the extension direction. It is a force. And
The end of the piston rod 18 protruding from the cylinder case 16 is pivotally supported by a U-shaped connecting member 15 having both ends fixed to the horizontal pipe 3 so as to be able to swing back and forth. On the other hand, a non-projecting side of the piston rod 18 in the cylinder case 16 is attached to a second bracket 19 fixed to a reinforcing transverse member 24a of the seat-constituting frame 22 so as to be swingable back and forth. .
The lever 17 operates to open and close the valve in conjunction with a valve (not shown) provided in the cylinder case 16. The pressure is adjusted, and the height of the seat 34 is adjusted by lifting the seat portion forming frame 22 upward.

As described above, as shown in FIG.
Is supported on the rear side of the support frame 1 via the first bracket 21 and the first cushion mechanism 4a is interposed between the two frames 1 and 22 on the front side of the support position. When the support frame 1 vibrates up and down upon receiving, the lower side of the gas spring 4a
5 can be pivoted in the front-rear direction, and the second bracket 19 can also be located above the gas spring 4a.
The seat-constituting frame 22 is always supported by the urging force of the gas spring 4a while maintaining a state in which it can swing in the front-rear direction via. The structure is such that vibration is not directly transmitted to the component frame 22 (see FIG. 4). Also, the shape of the connecting member 15 is not particularly limited,
If the connecting member 15 is formed of a U-shaped spring material as in the present embodiment, the connecting member 15 is moved from the support frame 1 to the seat portion forming frame 22 together with the urging force of the gas spring 4a.
Can be more effectively mitigated.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bearing portion 8 is provided between the vertical pipes 2 constituting the support frame 1 and the reinforcing pipes 7 with a mounting plate 9 interposed therebetween. A case body 11 having an axle holding hole 12 penetrating in the left-right direction;
Ball bearing 1 that rotatably holds 0 axle 13
4 and a plurality of coil springs 5 a fixed between the outer peripheral surface of the ball bearing 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the axle holding hole 12. The thus formed bearing portion 8 is provided in such a manner that each metal roller of the ball bearing 14 smoothly rolls and frictionally contacts along the outer peripheral surface of the axle 13, and each of the coil springs which biases and holds the ball bearing 14. 5a, the main wheels 10
The shock transmitted from the vehicle to the axle 13 is buffered,
The impact transmitted to the seat 34 in a synergistic manner is alleviated in combination with the impact relaxation force of the first cushion mechanism 4a. The configuration of the bearing portion 8 shows an embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG.
1, an axle case 42 for holding the axle 13 in a non-rotatable manner.
Coil members 5b, 5b
In this case, a ball bearing (not shown) is interposed between the axle 13 and the main wheel 10 at a portion other than the bearing portion 8, and the bearing portion 8 has a shock absorbing property. , The main wheel 10 rotates without hindrance.

The back-constituting frame 29 includes a pair of left and right back vertical frames 30, 30, and the back vertical frames 30, 30.
A plurality of horizontal members 31, 31 connected to each other in a grid pattern with a space between the first and second brackets 30, and a shaft is provided on the upper side of each of the first brackets 21, 21 fixed to the seat-constituting frame 22. It is attached via a part 46 so as to be able to swing back and forth. The upper end of each of the back vertical frames 30, 30 is bent rearward, and the bent portion is a grip portion 32 for an attendant to push the wheelchair. Further, an adjustment lever 43 is attached to the upper lateral member 31, and the adjustment lever 43 is provided with a screw lock 26 attached to the seat-constituting frame 22,
They are connected via a flexible wire 47.

Further, the back frame 29 is provided with an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the undulating angle of the back frame 29. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the adjusting mechanism pivotally supports the cylindrical sheath tube 41 via the arm 45 so as to be able to swing back and forth on the third bracket 27 fixed to the seat-constituting frame 22. And inside the sheath tube 41,
A long rod 33 provided with a plurality of depressions that enable multi-step adjustment along the longitudinal direction is inserted slidably back and forth, while an end of the rod 33 on the insertion side is a back part. It is pivotally supported by a horizontal member 31a on the lower end side of the component frame 29 so as to be vertically swingable. Further, the sheath tube 41 is provided with a screw lock 26 having a structure penetrating the pressing pin 44 into the sheath tube 41 in conjunction with the turning operation of the adjustment lever 43.
The screw lock 26 and the adjustment lever 43 are connected by a wire 47 not shown in the figure.

By forming in this manner, the rod 3
3 is inserted into the sheath tube 41 of the seat component frame 22 so as to be slidable back and forth.
4, a biasing force of a spring (not shown) installed in the screw lock 26 is applied, and one end of the pressing pin 44 is inserted into the recess of the rod 33 to be engaged, and the screw lock 26 is operated to operate the rod. 33 is fixed non-slidably. When the screw lock 26 is released, by rotating the adjusting lever 43, the spring in the screw lock 26 is pulled up by the wire 47, and the urging force on the pressing pin 44 is eliminated. Since the engagement state between the rod 44 and the rod 33 is released, the rod 33 can be freely slid again in the sheath tube 41, so that the back-constituting frame 29 can be freely swung in the front-rear direction. The angle can be adjusted to a desired angle by the user, and if the rotated adjustment lever 43 is returned to the original state, the angle can be maintained and fixed. Moreover, the back frame 29 can be completely laid down on the front side of the seat frame 22, and can be fixed in a laid state, so that the wheelchair can be stored in a compact state when not in use. Or it can be carried around.

In order to allow the user to sit comfortably on the seat-constituting frame 22 and the back-constituting frame 29, sheets 34 and 35 made of, for example, cloth, leather, vinyl, nylon, etc. It is prepared. At this time, the form of the seats 34 and 35 is not particularly limited, but the seats 34 attached to the seat structure frame 22 side are not limited.
In this case, it is desirable to attach a thick cushion-shaped member in consideration of sitting comfort since the user directly sits on the seat. Similarly, the upper portion of the seat 35 attached to the back frame 29 is also a portion for holding the user's head, so that it is desirable that the seat 35 be formed to have a thickness and a cushioning property.

FIG. 8 (a) shows a second embodiment of the first cushion mechanism 4a according to the present invention.
A spring damper 4b having a coil spring 36 is interposed. When the mounting structure of the spring damper 4b is specifically described, as shown in FIG.
The spring damper 4b is housed in a cylindrical case 37,
The coil spring 36 in which the urging force acts in the cylinder direction is housed,
The rod 38 is urged by the coil spring 36. Further, the lower end of the rod 38 is
As in the embodiment, it is pivotally supported by the connecting member 15 so as to be able to swing back and forth. With this configuration, the seat frame 22 can be biased and supported from the support frame 1 with a simpler structure. It is.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the shock from the ground is buffered even when moving on a place having a step or unevenness, and the vibration transmitted to the seat where the user sits can be reliably reduced. Therefore, a comfortable wheelchair can be provided without imposing a burden on the user's body when moving.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a rear view showing a wheelchair according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line ZZ of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view showing a bearing used in the wheelchair according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing another example of the bearing device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an enlarged main part of the wheelchair according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the wheelchair according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the back frame in the wheelchair according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are enlarged explanatory views of a main part of a wheelchair according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support frame 4, 4a, 4b 1st cushion mechanism (gas spring, spring damper) 5, 5a, 5b 2nd cushion mechanism (coil spring, spring member) 6 Auxiliary wheel 10 Main wheel 22 Seat constituent frame 29 Back constituent frame 34, 35 Seat 36 Coil spring

Claims (4)

[Claims] A support frame (1) having main wheels (10, 10) on the left and right sides and auxiliary wheels (6) on the front and rear.
A seat component frame (22) attached to the support frame (1) so as to be vertically swingable and provided with seats (34, 35) on which a user sits, and a rear portion of the seat component frame (22) And a back structure frame (29) attached to the vehicle, and a first cushion mechanism (4) is interposed between the support frame (1) and the seat structure frame (22). And wheelchair. 2. The support frame (1) is provided with a second cushion mechanism (5) which can be attached to the main wheels (10, 10) while applying an urging force thereto. The wheelchair according to claim 1. 3. A gas spring (4) for urging the seat-constituting frame (22) in a direction of extension from the support frame (1) by gas pressure.
3. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a) is used. 4. The first cushion mechanism (4) is provided with a coil spring (36) for supporting the seat frame (2).
The wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a spring damper (4b) for urging the support frame (2) in the direction of extension from the support frame (1) is used.