JP2001070350A - Wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheelchair that lessens burden on a patient and a nursing carer by simplifying movement from the wheelchair to a bed and vice versa. SOLUTION: A wheelchair 1 is formed by mounting a lifting mechanism 20 that can rise and lower vertically, a sliding mechanism 30 that can move a seat 40 horizontally, and the seat 40 having a reclining mechanism using a link on a base 10 having wheels 11 and 12 and structured so as to travel freely. In the seat 40, a back plate 52 and a foot plate 53 are pivoted to a seat face 51 in a manner that allows them rise with the face upward and lie with the face downward, using a driving mechanism 60, whereby the seat 40 deforms on a flat bed. Therefore, by flattening the wheelchair to the same height as the bed using these mechanisms and by projecting onto the bed, movement from the wheelchair to the bed and vice versa is eased, and burden on a patient and a nursing carer is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheelchair for a disabled person, a sick person, a physically handicapped person, etc., who cannot easily walk independently to get on and move to a desired place.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wheelchair as described above is widely used. A lightweight folding chair is used in which a nurse moves by hand from behind, or a patient or the like moves by rolling a wheel on the side of a seat by hand. A wide variety of wheelchairs are used, from a wheelchair of a type to a wheelchair of an electric type which is equipped with a battery and an electric driving mechanism and can move widely in a city area by a driving operation of a passenger.

[0003]

However, the conventional wheelchair as described above is a device used by people with a disability, but generally moves as a result of giving priority to the function as a means of transportation. Although many considerations have been made for the function, there is still a part where sufficient consideration has not been given to getting on and off the wheelchair before and after moving.

[0004] For example, people who are forced to use a wheelchair include those who have difficulty moving or sitting in a wheelchair on their own, such as people who are bedridden or who have difficulty moving due to a traffic accident, surgery, or the like. There are many. In order for such a person to move from a bed to a wheelchair or vice versa, a plurality of nurses must
There is a problem that a large number of caregivers need to support the patient from both sides and move the patient while holding the wheelchair so as not to move.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and facilitates movement between a wheelchair and a bed to reduce the burden on patients and caregivers. An object is to provide a wheelchair with enhanced mobility.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a wheelchair according to the present invention has a base having a seat that can be seated and a wheelchair which is configured to run freely with wheels mounted on the base. It is. In addition, the seat of this wheelchair has a seating surface, a foot plate pivotally attached to an end of the seating surface, and a back plate pivotally attached to the other end of the seating surface. And a link mechanism for swinging the foot plate and the back plate, and driving means for driving the link mechanism (for example, the reclining driving mechanisms 60 and 70 in the embodiment). The wheelchair is constructed by swinging the foot plate and the back plate with respect to the seat surface so that the seat surface, the foot plate and the back plate are substantially flush with each other.

According to the wheelchair having the above-described structure, the foot plate and the back plate of the seat are configured to be swingable by the link mechanism, and these are seated by actuating the driving means for driving the link mechanism. It swings with respect to the surface, and the seating surface, the foot plate and the back plate form a substantially flat bed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wheelchair in which the movement between the bed and the wheelchair is facilitated and the burden on the patient and the caregiver is reduced.

[0008] The link mechanism is provided below the seating surface with a first arm member extending from the back plate below the seating surface, a second arm member extending below the seating surface below the seating surface. And a lower link member (for example, the connecting member 55 in the embodiment) for swingably connecting the first arm member and the second arm member in conjunction with each other. It is preferable that the wheelchair be configured such that the backboard and the footboard are swung by rotating the mounted backboard about a pivot axis. According to such a configuration, the back plate and the foot plate can be swung by a simple link mechanism, and the link mechanism and the drive mechanism are disposed at the lower portion of the seat so as not to obstruct the user. The wheelchair having the above functions can be made compact.

The link mechanism is provided at a lower portion of the seat surface, with a first arm member extending from the back plate below the seat surface, a second arm member extending below the seat plate below the seat surface. A movable member (for example, movable members 76 and 77 in the embodiment) that can move in the front-rear direction of the seat surface, and a first arm member and a movable member, both ends of which are pivotally attached to both ends in a swingable manner. (For example, the arm member 57 in the embodiment), and a second arm member and a moving member, both ends of which are pivotally connected to each other so as to be swingable.
Link member (for example, the arm member 5 in the embodiment)
6), wherein the driving means moves the moving member in the lower part of the seating surface in the front-rear direction of the seating surface so that the first
It is also preferable that the wheelchair is configured to swing the back plate and the foot plate via the second link member. According to such a configuration, the driving means and the moving member for swinging the back plate and the foot plate can be collectively formed on the lower portion of the seat surface (for example, on the same axis). It is possible to simplify the configuration of the footboard, the backboard, and the like, and to provide a wheelchair with good maintainability. In addition, according to the above configuration, by separately providing the moving member and the driving means for the back plate and the foot plate, the back plate and the foot plate can be independently raised and lowered, so that the user can adapt to the situation. Can provide meticulous care.

[0010] A wheelchair is provided between the base and the seat, with elevating means (for example, the lift mechanism 20 in the embodiment) for moving the seat vertically up and down with respect to the base. It is desirable. According to such a configuration, when trying to move between a wheelchair and another chair or between a wheelchair and a bed, even when there is a difference in height between them, the lifting / lowering means is operated. The height can be matched by raising and lowering. In addition, by reclining the seat of the wheelchair to form a flat bed, it is possible to move between them only by horizontally moving on a plane at the same height. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wheelchair in which the movement between the wheelchair and the bed is facilitated, the burden on the patient and the caregiver is reduced, and the function of moving the disabled person is enhanced.

When the foot plate and the back plate are swung with respect to the seat surface between the base and the seat to make the seat surface, the foot plate and the back plate substantially flush with each other, the seat It is preferable that the wheelchair is provided with a slide means (for example, the slide mechanism 30 in the embodiment) for moving the wheelchair in the left-right direction with respect to the base. According to such a configuration, after the seat of the wheelchair is reclined into a flat bed shape, when the user tries to move between the wheelchair and the bed, the flattened seat is moved in the bed direction or moved on the bed. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wheelchair in which the movement between the wheelchair and the bed is facilitated, the burden on the patient and the caregiver is reduced, and the function of moving the disabled person is enhanced.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a wheelchair 1 according to the present invention. The wheelchair 1 includes a base 10 having wheels 11 and 12 and configured to run freely, and a seat 40 having a reclining mechanism.
, A lift mechanism 20 and a slide mechanism 30 disposed between the base 10 and the seat 40, and a user's armrest 80 which also serves as a hand grip of a caregiver. In the following description, the left side (foot plate 53 side) in FIG. 1 is the front, the right side (back plate 52 side) is the rear side, the back side of the figure is rightward perpendicular to the plane of the paper, and the near side of the figure. Is described as the left side.

Front wheels 11, 11 are mounted on a base 10 so as to be swingable about the axes of vertically disposed legs and rotatably about the rotation axis of horizontally disposed wheels. When,
Rear wheel 1 mounted rotatably about a horizontal rotation axis
2, 12 and a base 15 for accommodating the drive unit of the lift mechanism 20.

A seat 40 (41, 42, 4) mounted on a base via a lift mechanism 20 and a slide mechanism 30 is provided.
3) is a flat bed made by reclining a seat surface 51 on which a user sits, a back plate 52 for supporting the back of a seated person, a foot plate 53 for supporting legs, a footrest 54, and a seat 40. It is composed of a reclining mechanism and the like for deforming the body. The back plate 52 and the foot plate 53 are attached to the front and rear ends of the seating surface 51 so as to be swingable about the connection shafts 101 and 102, respectively, and the footrest 54 is connected to the connection shaft 1
06 is attached to the foot plate 53.

The reclining mechanism is constructed using a link mechanism. FIG. 2 is a skeleton diagram showing the configuration of the seat in order to explain the configuration and operation of such a link mechanism. In the link mechanism 43 shown in this example, a seat surface 51, a back plate 52, a foot The connecting member 55 for engaging and connecting the plate 53, the back plate 52 and the foot plate 53 is connected to a node (connection shaft) 10.
1, 102, 103 and 104 are swingably connected to form a first link. In addition, the seating surface 51, the foot plate 53, the footrest 54, and the connecting member 56 are connected to nodes (connection shafts).
101, 105, 106, and 107 are swingably connected to each other to form a second link. Then, as a result of forming the two links in this manner, the back plate 52, the foot plate 53, and the footrest 54 are moved by tilting the back plate 52 backward or by lifting the foot plate 53 upward. The joints swing about the nodes 101, 102, and 105, which are painted black, and are transformed into a bed having a flat upper surface.

In the embodiment of the seat 40 shown in FIG. 1, the connecting member 55 is disposed below the seating surface 51, and the first link is formed below the seating surface. The first link is not a parallel link but a trapezoidal shape, and the connecting shaft 1
The reference numerals 03 and 104 are arranged offset from the foot plate 53 and the back plate 52, respectively. With such a configuration, the connecting member 55 does not protrude above the seating surface 51, and the angle between the seating surface 51 and the back plate 52 and the angle between the seating surface 51 and the foot plate 53 are reduced. The angles can be different from each other (the optimum angle when used as a chair), and the connecting member 55 does not interfere with the seat surface 51 when the bed is flat. These link mechanisms are disposed below the center of the seat 40 in the left-right direction.

A gear 63 integrally connected to the back plate 52 is provided on a connecting shaft 102 for swingably connecting the seat surface 51 and the back plate 52. Gear 62 for meshing with the back plate 52 to swing around the connection axis.
And a motor 61 for rotating (forward and reverse) the gear 62
Are provided to constitute the reclining drive mechanism 60. Therefore, a user sitting on the chair or a nurse who cares for the occupant performs a reclining instruction operation from a controller (not shown) to rotate the motor 61 and connect the back plate 52 to the connecting shaft 102 via the gears 62 and 63.
Can be turned upside down around the center of rotation. Footboard 5
Since the 3 and the footrest 54 are rocked in cooperation with each other by the above-described link mechanism, the seat 40 can be easily transformed into a flat bed by the reclining drive mechanism 60 as described above.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the reclining mechanism of the wheelchair 1 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the back plate 52 and the plate 53 are not directly linked by a connecting member, but are connected to different moving members 76 and 77 by different arm members 56 and 57. The reclining drive mechanism 70 includes a drive shaft 74 including a trapezoidal screw or a ball screw rotatably supported at both ends by fixed parts 73 and 74 by bearings or the like, and a drive shaft 74 that meshes with the drive shaft 74. It is composed of moving members 76 and 77 configured to be able to move in the axial direction (back and forth direction) by rotation, a motor 71 connected to the end of the drive shaft 74 via a coupling or the like, and the like. The motor 71 is rotationally driven by a command from a controller (not shown), and rotationally drives the drive shaft 74 in the forward and reverse directions based on the command signal.

One end of the arm member 56 is swingably connected to the moving member 76 via a connecting shaft 111, and the other end of the arm member 56 is connected to the foot plate 53 by the connecting shaft 103.
Is swingably connected. One end of the arm member 57 is swingably connected to the moving member 77 via the connection shaft 112, and the other end of the arm member 57 is swingably connected to the back plate 52 by the connection shaft 104. Have been.

In the thus configured reclining mechanism, a user sitting on the chair or a nurse who cares for the occupant performs a reclining command operation from a controller (not shown) to rotate the motor 71 to drive the drive shaft 74. Is rotated to move the moving members 76 and 77 to swing the foot plate 53 and the back plate 52 around the connecting shafts 101 and 103 via the arm members 56 and 57, respectively. As a result, the seat 40 can be easily transformed into a flat bed by the reclining drive mechanism 70 as described above.

In the above embodiment, the case where two moving members are provided separately for the back plate and the foot plate has been described. However, if the moving members have swing nodes 111 and 112, respectively, May be common. Also, the back plate 52
In order to make the swinging motion angles of the arm and the foot plate 53 different (optimal angles when used as a chair), the link shape is changed, for example, by changing the length of the arm members 56 and 57 to different lengths. Or the drive shaft 74
Is divided into two parts 74a and 74b, and these are used as different leads (having different moving amounts at the same rotation speed). Further, a drive mechanism for the backboard and a footboard are separately provided (for example, the drive shaft is divided at the center and the motors are disposed before and after the drive shaft and are separately driven). Alternatively, it is possible to configure a reclining mechanism capable of performing more detailed operation adjustment by operating in conjunction with each other.

Next, the lift mechanism 20 for vertically moving the seat 40 of the wheelchair 1 according to the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the lift mechanism 20 has a so-called scissor link mechanism configuration.

The lift mechanism 20 is disposed between the base 15 of the base 10, which is configured to run freely, and the support plate 24 that supports the seat 40, and a pair of left and right parts connected by a center connection shaft 23. Arm members 21, 21, 22, 2
2 (only the link on the left side of the seat is shown in FIG. 1), and a lift drive unit 25 for driving this link.

First arm member 21 in scissor link
Is connected to the base 15 at one end by a swing fulcrum 21a, and the other end is connected to a connecting shaft 21 connecting the left and right first arm members in an elongated hole 24a formed in the support plate 24.
At b, it is mounted so as to be movable only in the front-rear direction. One end of the second arm member 22 of the scissor link is swingably connected to the support plate 24 at a swing fulcrum 22a, and the other end of the second arm member 22 extends through a long hole 15a formed in the base. It is movably attached only in the front-rear direction by a connecting shaft 22b connecting the members.

The lift drive unit 25 is disposed inside the base 15 and has both ends on the fixing members 16, 1 on the base.
7, a drive shaft 26 comprising a trapezoidal screw or a ball screw rotatably supported by bearings or the like;
6 and the axial direction (front-rear direction) by the rotation of the drive shaft 26
And a motor 28 connected to the end of the drive shaft 26 via a coupling or the like. The motor 28 is driven to rotate by a command from a controller (not shown), and drives the drive shaft 26 to rotate forward and reverse based on the command signal. A connecting shaft 22b for connecting the left and right second arm members 22 is swingably attached to the moving member 27.

FIG. 4 is a skeleton diagram of the lift mechanism for explaining the structure and operation of such a lift mechanism. As shown in FIG.
b in the front-rear direction of the seat 40,
By changing the angle between the arm member and the second arm member, the relative distance between the base 10 and the seat 40 can be changed, that is, the seat 40 can be arbitrarily vertically moved up and down. FIG. 4 shows a configuration example in which the arrangement of the swing fulcrums 21a and 22a, the connection shafts 21b and 22b, and the drive unit 25 is reversed.

Therefore, the lift mechanism 2 constructed as described above is used.
At 0, a user sitting in this chair or a nurse who cares for the occupant performs a lift-up or lift-down command operation from a controller (not shown) to rotate the motor 28 forward or reverse, and to drive the drive shaft 26. By rotating the moving member 27 and moving the left and right arm members 22 back and forth via the connecting shaft 22b, the angle between the arm members 21 and the arm member 22 is changed, and the seat 40 is freely raised and lowered. Can be done.

Next, the slide mechanism 30 of the seat 40 of the wheelchair 1 according to the present invention will be described. Slide mechanism 30
Is the support plate 24 of the lift mechanism 20 and the seat 4
It comprises two slide members 31 and 32 provided between the bearing member 51 and the zero seat surface 51 and a not-shown locking member. The slide mechanism 30 is composed of a rail-shaped linear motion guide, a ball spline, or the like that moves relatively linearly. The slide mechanism 30 is fixed to the upper and lower seating surfaces 51 and the support plate 24 and has a seat 40 and the lift mechanism 20 therebetween. The base 10 is relatively moved in the left-right direction. A locking member (not shown) connects the upper seat 40 and the support plate 24 at normal times to lock the seat 40 so that it does not slide freely,
By releasing the lock when necessary, the seat 40 can be slid to the right or left. In addition, between the seating surface 51 and the support plate 42, a regulating member 35 for regulating the movement in the left and right direction is provided so that the seat 40 does not move more than necessary and the wheelchair 1 falls.

FIG. 5 shows a skeleton diagram of the slide mechanism 30 in order to explain the structure and operation of such a slide mechanism 30. As shown, the seat 40 flattened by the reclining mechanism is lifted. It can be raised slightly above the height of the upper surface of the bed by the mechanism 20 and extended over the bed by the use of the slide mechanism 30.

Therefore, in a wheelchair constructed as described above,
The user sitting on the chair or a nurse who cares for the passenger can use the reclining mechanism, the lift mechanism 20, and the slide mechanism 30 described above to transform the wheelchair into a flat bed and flatten it. The raised seating surface can be raised to the bed height, and the seating surface can be slid over the bed. Therefore, since the movement between the wheelchair 1 and the bed can be greatly facilitated, it is possible to provide a wheelchair that reduces the burden on patients and caregivers and enhances the movement function of people with disabilities. it can.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, the seat of the wheelchair is provided with a seating surface, a foot plate pivotally attached to an end of the seating surface, and a swinging plate at the other end of the seating surface. It comprises a back plate movably pivoted, a link mechanism for swinging the foot plate and the back plate, and a driving means for driving the link mechanism. The wheelchair is constructed by swinging the foot plate and the back plate so that the seat surface, the foot plate and the back plate are substantially flush with each other. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wheelchair in which the movement between the bed and the wheelchair is facilitated and the burden on the patient and the caregiver is reduced.

The link mechanism is provided at a lower part of the seat surface, a first arm member extending from the back plate below the seat surface, a second arm member extending from the foot plate below the seat surface. And a lower link member for swingably connecting the first arm member and the second arm member in an interlocked manner, and the driving means moves the back plate pivotally attached to the seat surface around the pivot axis. It is preferable to configure the wheelchair so that the back plate and the foot plate are swung by being driven to rotate. According to such a configuration, the back plate and the foot plate can be swung by a simple link mechanism, and the link mechanism and the drive mechanism are disposed at the lower portion of the seat so as not to obstruct the user. The wheelchair having the above functions can be made compact.

Further, the link mechanism is provided at a lower part of the seat surface, a first arm member extending from the back plate below the seat surface, a second arm member extending below the seat plate below the seat surface. A movable member movable in the front-rear direction of the seat surface, a first link member pivotally connected at both ends to the first arm member and the movable member, a second arm member and the movable member And a second link member pivotally connected at both ends to the first and second ends. The driving means moves the moving member in the lower part of the seat surface in the front-rear direction of the seat surface to thereby form the first and second driving members. The wheelchair is configured to swing the back plate and the foot plate via the link member.
According to such a configuration, since the driving means and the moving member for swinging the back plate and the foot plate can be integrally formed at the lower portion of the seat surface, the seat surface, the foot plate, the back plate, etc. Can be simplified, and a wheelchair with good maintainability can be provided. In addition, since the moving member and the driving means for the back plate and the foot plate are separately provided, the back plate and the foot plate can be independently raised and lowered, so that detailed nursing according to the situation of the user is performed. be able to.

It is preferable that a wheelchair is provided between the base and the seat, with a lifting means for moving the seat up and down with respect to the base. According to such a configuration, even when there is a difference in height between the wheelchair and the object to be moved (such as a chair or a bed), the height can be matched by the lifting / lowering means. Thus, it is possible to provide a wheelchair in which the burden on patients and caregivers is reduced and the mobility function of people with disabilities is enhanced.

When the foot plate and the back plate are swung with respect to the seat surface to make the seat surface, the foot plate and the back plate substantially flush with each other between the base and the seat, It is preferable that the wheelchair is provided with a slide means for moving the wheelchair in the left-right direction with respect to the base. According to such a configuration, when attempting to move between the wheelchair and the bed, the flattened seat can be moved close to the bed or overhanging the bed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wheelchair in which the movement between the wheelchair and the bed is facilitated, the burden on the patient and the caregiver is reduced, and the function of moving the disabled person is enhanced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram (side view) of a wheelchair according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a skeleton diagram for explaining a reclining mechanism of the wheelchair.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing another embodiment of the wheelchair reclining mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a skeleton diagram for explaining the lift mechanism of the wheelchair.

FIG. 5 is a skeleton diagram for explaining a sliding mechanism of the wheelchair.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheelchair 11 Front wheel 12 Rear wheel 20 Lift mechanism (elevation means) 30 Slide mechanism (Slide means) 40, 41, 42 Seat 51 Seat surface 52 Backboard 52a First arm member 53 Foot plate 53a Second arm member 55 Connection Member (lower link member) 56 Arm member (first link member) 57 Arm member (second link member) 60 Reclining drive mechanism (drive means) 70 Reclining drive mechanism (drive means) 102 Connecting shaft (pivot shaft)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A wheelchair comprising a base having a seat that can be seated and wheels mounted on the base so as to be able to run freely, wherein the seat is a seat surface, and the seat surface is A foot plate pivotally attached to the end of the seat, a back plate pivotally attached to the other end of the seat surface, and a link for swinging the foot plate and the back plate. And a drive unit for driving the link mechanism, and actuating the drive unit causes the foot plate and the back plate to swing with respect to the seat surface, and the seat surface and the foot plate A wheelchair, wherein the back plate and the back plate are configured to be substantially flush with each other. 2. The link mechanism includes: a first arm member extending from the back plate below the seating surface; a second arm member extending from the foot plate below the seating surface; A lower link member disposed at a lower portion and connecting the first arm member and the second arm member so as to swing freely in conjunction with each other, wherein the driving means is pivotally attached to the seat surface. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the back plate and the foot plate are swung by rotating the back plate around a pivot axis. 3. The link mechanism includes: a first arm member extending from the back plate below the seating surface; a second arm member extending from the foot plate below the seating surface; A movable member disposed at a lower portion and movable in the front-rear direction of the seating surface; a first link member pivotally pivoted at both ends to the first arm member and the movable member; A second link member pivotally connected at both ends to the second arm member and the moving member so that both ends are swingable, wherein the driving unit moves the moving member at a lower portion of the seating surface in front of and behind the seating surface. 2. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the back plate and the foot plate are swung via the first and second link members by moving in a direction. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elevating means for moving the seat up and down with respect to the base between the base and the seat. A wheelchair according to any one of the preceding claims. 5. Between the base and the seat, the foot plate and the back plate are swung with respect to the seat surface so that the seat surface, the foot plate, and the back plate are substantially separated from each other. The slide means for moving the seat in the left-right direction with respect to the base when provided on the same plane is provided.
A wheelchair according to any one of the preceding claims.