JP2001070358A - Auxiliary power device for wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an auxiliary power device for a wheelchair that can be easily mounted to and dismounted from a normal wheelchair and does not produce a manual travel load even in a case where a battery is dead. SOLUTION: An auxiliary power device A for a wheelchair that is mounted to and dismounted from the body of the wheelchair, having a rod 1 installed astride between the right and left frames 20 before the body, a tire 2 fixed rotatably to the rod 1, a motor 4 to drive the tire 2, a battery and a controller to supply electric current to the motor 4, and a handle 3 to control the direction of the tire 2, and in which the tire 2 and the motor 4 are fixed integrally to the rod 1, and both ends of the rod 1 are fixed to the frames 20 of the body, and by supplying electric current to the motor 4, the wheelchair travels on three wheels, including wheels 10 on both sides of a body seat and the driving tire 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair driven by a motor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional wheelchair is provided with a seat in the center of a vehicle body and manual wheels on both sides. By manually turning an operation ring provided on the outside of the wheel, forward, backward, turning, etc. can be performed. Is being done. Also, an electric wheelchair is commercially available, which has a structure in which a battery and a motor are mounted, and a motor is driven to rotate a driving wheel by operating an operation handle.

[0003]

However, the manual wheelchair has a problem in that the elderly and the physically handicapped require a great deal of labor when going out or on long climbs, and the range of action is naturally limited. there were. In an electric wheelchair, there is no particular problem when there is battery power.However, when the battery power is exhausted, the wheelchair cannot be moved, and there is a problem that traveling becomes more difficult because of the weight. Was. On the other hand, in recent years, foldable wheelchairs have become widespread, and some have been transported in a car trunk or the like, and assembled and used by the other side. It was difficult to wear. The present invention has been made in order to solve such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to easily attach / detach to / from a normal wheelchair and not to cause a manual running load even when a battery is exhausted. An object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair which is attached to and detached from a vehicle body of a wheelchair. A rod spanned between the front left and right frames, a tire rotatably fixed to the rod,
A motor for driving a tire, a battery and a controller for supplying a current to the motor, and a handle for operating the direction of the tire, wherein the tire and the motor are integrally fixed to a rod, and both ends of the rod are connected to a frame of a vehicle body. Fixed to
By supplying a current to the motor, three wheels are driven by wheels on both sides of the vehicle body seat and driving tires.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair according to the first aspect, wherein both ends of the rod are formed of square members. It was configured to be fixed integrally.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair according to the first or second aspect, the handle has a T-shape and is positioned at a height approximately above the knee of the occupant. , And are configured to be detachably mounted.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a three-phase induction motor is used as the motor in the first or second aspect of the present invention.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair according to the first, second, third or fourth aspect, further comprising a switch for a passenger and a switch for a caregiver. It can be operated from both the caregiver and the caregiver.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a wheelchair auxiliary power unit A according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rod 1 that is bridged between frames of a wheelchair, and a rod 1 fixed to the rod and located at the front center of the wheelchair. A tire 2, a handle 3 projecting above the tire 2, a motor 4 installed at the rear of the tire 2, and a sprocket 5 on the tire side.
The main components are a chain 7 wound around a sprocket 6 on the motor side, a battery 8 for supplying a current to the motor 4, and a controller 9. The wheelchair has a foldable structure using a metal frame, and a manual wheel 10 is provided at a rear portion, and small-diameter wheels 11 capable of freely changing directions are provided at a front wheel on both sides. A footrest 12 is provided at a front end of the vehicle body, and a handle 12a is provided at an upper portion of the rear end, so that a caregiver can push the wheelchair. A seat 13a is provided at the center of the vehicle body, and a battery 8 and a controller 9 are mounted together with shelves at a lower rear portion thereof.

The tire 2 is fixed to the vehicle body only at both ends of the rod 1, and includes sprockets 5, 6, a chain 7, a motor 4
The drive units are integrally rotated by operating the handle. Tire 2 has a diameter of 200
When the both ends of the rod 1 are fixed to the vehicle body frame, the small-diameter wheel 11 in the front is lifted by the tire 2, and three wheels are driven by the manual wheel 10 and the tire 2.

The tire 2 has a fork 1 on both sides of a rotating shaft.
3, the upper part of the fork 13 is bent horizontally, and a cylinder 14 is protruded from the horizontal part. A connecting ring 15 of the rod is fitted on the outer periphery of the cylinder part. And the drive unit are rotatably connected. Further, a square handle socket 16 is formed in the horizontal portion, and a square base of the handle 3 is inserted into this socket, so that the tire 2 swings right and left as the handle 3 rotates. The handle 3 is detachably formed, and the T-shaped horizontal bar is located on the lap of the occupant, and can be operated with the hand naturally extended. The handle is removed when getting on and off the wheelchair. It is inserted into the rod 17 and held.

A bracket 18 is fixed to a side surface of the fork 13, a motor 4 and a gear are fixed to a rear end of the bracket extending rearward, and the motor 4 is connected to a battery 8 and a controller 9 at the rear of the vehicle by wiring. . Further, a tire-side sprocket 5 is provided on the side of the tire, and a motor-side sprocket 6 is provided on the side of the motor. A chain 7 is wrapped around the sprockets 5, 6, and the rotation of the motor 4 is applied to the tire 2. It is transmitted. Also,
The controller 9 is composed of an inverter type control device, and converts a direct current from the battery 8 into an alternating current and supplies the alternating current to the motor 4. In addition, the passenger's armrest,
Switches 19 and 19a (variable resistors) are provided on the handle for the caregiver so that both the occupant and the caregiver can change the frequency of the controller 9 and control the speed. Further, the motor 4 is constituted by a three-phase induction motor, and no current flows when there is no load,
Even when the battery is exhausted, manual driving does not become heavy,
On a downhill, the battery is subjected to reductive charging (regenerative braking) using the traveling energy, and is used as a brake.

Next, a structure for attaching the wheelchair auxiliary power unit A to the vehicle body frame will be described. The overall length of the rod 1 is slightly longer than the width between the front wheels of the wheelchair, and both ends of the rod are square. A horizontal frame 20 is provided on the small diameter wheel in front of the vehicle body.
And the rod 1 and the horizontal frame 20 are
Are fixed by metal fittings 21 shown in FIG. The metal fitting 21 has a U-shaped member 22, a knob bolt 23 inserted from one end of the U-shaped member 22, and a semicircular presser fitting 24 at the tip of the knob bolt 23. Square hole 2 for general use
5 are formed. The U-shaped member 22 is fitted into the horizontal frame 20 of the vehicle body frame, the square material of the rod 1 is fitted into the square hole 25, and the semicircular holding member 24 is abutted on the frame 20 with the frame 20 and the rod 1 going straight. Let it. Then, the knob 20 is manually rotated to fasten the frame 20 and the rod 1 together. As described above, since it is attached to the horizontal portion of the frame 20 by the metal fitting 21, it can be attached to a normal wheelchair in a few minutes.

After attaching the rod 1 to the frame 20,
The battery 8 and the controller 9 are mounted on the rear of the seat, and are wired to the motor 4. In the wheelchair auxiliary power unit of the present embodiment, since the rod 1, the tire 2, and the motor 4 are integrally fixed, the drive portion can be mounted by mounting only the rod 1. The battery 8 is provided with a remaining amount indicator so that the capacity can be visually checked. Also,
The controller 9 is equipped with a tilt detection sensor, and automatically becomes an electric vehicle on an uphill, so that it can be easily climbed.

The performance of the wheelchair of the present embodiment is as follows. Driving speed Maximum speed 6km / h Drivable step 6cm or less Upper slope angle 10 ° or less Driving method One front wheel drive (pneumatic rubber tire) Handle Simple detachable braking Electric braking Running time 2 hours or more (when fully charged) Charging time 2.5 hours

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and there are design changes and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the invention. This is also included in the present invention. Although the mounting structure described in the above embodiment is configured to use a metal fitting, the structure of the metal fitting is arbitrary, and the present invention includes a case where no metal fitting is used. Further, as the mounting structure of the battery and the controller, other structures can be adopted.

[0017]

As described above, in the wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to the first aspect of the present invention, since it is detachable from the wheelchair, it can be stored in the trunk of the car and carried on a trip or the like. Since the tire and motor are integrally fixed to the rod, the rod can be easily attached and detached by fixing the rod to the frame of the wheelchair. Furthermore, since the steering wheel is mounted on the front wheels, the direction can be changed smoothly. Also, by switching the switch at hand, the electric car,
It becomes an assist car, and it is inverter controlled, so if you set the speed, it will be a constant speed even on uphill and downhill,
There is no runaway due to inertia.

In the auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair according to the second aspect of the present invention, since both ends of the rod are formed of square members, and the square members are fitted to the fasteners and fixed integrally with the body frame, the mounting brackets are provided. Can be mounted on any kind of wheelchair.

In the wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to the third aspect, since the handle has a T-shape, the operation can be performed smoothly. Moreover, since it is installed detachably, it can be taken off when getting in and out of a wheelchair and can get on and off smoothly.

In the wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to the fourth aspect, a three-phase induction motor is used as the motor.
Even when a load is not generated by the magnet as in a normal DC motor and the battery is exhausted, the manual traveling does not become heavy.
In addition, the electric brake is automatically applied on a downhill, and the battery is recharged (regenerative braking) using running energy on a long downhill. Further, in a DC motor, a shock (gee) due to acceleration occurs at the time of starting, but in a three-phase induction motor controlled by an inverter, acceleration is smoothly performed.

In the auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair according to the fifth aspect, since the switch for the occupant and the switch for the caregiver are provided, both the occupant and the caregiver change the frequency of the controller and change the speed. Can be controlled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a wheelchair equipped with a wheelchair auxiliary power unit.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a wheelchair equipped with a wheelchair auxiliary power unit.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounting portion of a driving unit.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a driving unit.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the driving unit.

FIG. 6 is a left side view of the driving unit.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a fitting.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the fitting.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a fitting.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Wheelchair auxiliary power unit 1 Rod 2 Tire 3 Handle 4 Motor 5 Sprocket 6 Sprocket 7 Chain 8 Battery 9 Controller 10 Handwheel 11 Small diameter wheel 12 Footrest 12a Handle 13 Fork 13a Seat 14 Horizontal part 15 Coupling ring 16 Handle socket 17 Hook Rod 18 Bracket 19 Variable resistance machine 20 Frame 21 Bracket 22 U-shaped member 23 Knob bolt 24 Holding bracket 25 Square hole

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 16, 2000 (2000.5.1)
6)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Full text

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Document Name] Statement

[Title of the Invention] Auxiliary power unit for wheelchair

[Claims]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair driven by a motor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional wheelchair is provided with a seat in the center of a vehicle body and manual wheels on both sides. By manually turning an operation ring provided on the outside of the wheel, forward, backward, turning, etc. can be performed. Is being done. Also, an electric wheelchair is commercially available, which has a structure in which a battery and a motor are mounted, and a motor is driven to rotate a driving wheel by operating an operation handle.

[0003]

However, the manual wheelchair has a problem in that the elderly and the physically handicapped require a great deal of labor when going out or on long climbs, and the range of action is naturally limited. there were. In an electric wheelchair, there is no particular problem when there is battery power.However, when the battery power is exhausted, the wheelchair cannot be moved, and there is a problem that traveling becomes more difficult because of the weight. Was. On the other hand, in recent years, foldable wheelchairs have become widespread, and some have been transported in a car trunk or the like, and assembled and used by the other side. It was difficult to wear. The present invention has been made in order to solve such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to easily attach / detach to / from a normal wheelchair and not to cause a manual running load even when a battery is exhausted. An object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair which is attached to and detached from a vehicle body of a wheelchair. A rod spanned between the front left and right frames, a tire rotatably fixed to the rod,
A motor for driving the tire, a battery and a controller for supplying a current to the motor, a handle for operating the direction of the tire, and a bracket for fixing the rod and the frame,
The tire and the motor are integrally fixed to a rod, and the bracket includes a U-shaped member, a knob bolt inserted from one end of the U-shaped member, and a holding bracket at a tip of the knob bolt, and the U-shaped member is provided. Is formed with a square hole for inserting a square bar.The U-shaped member is fitted into the horizontal frame of the body frame, the square bar of the rod is fitted into the square hole, and the frame and the rod are made to go straight, and the holding bracket is attached to the frame. Then, the knob and the bolt were manually rotated to fasten the frame and the rod, and a current was supplied to the motor, so that three wheels were driven by the wheels on both sides of the vehicle body seat and the driving tires.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair according to the first aspect, wherein the handle has a T-shape, and is located at a height approximately above the knee of the occupant. It was configured to be freely arranged.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the three-phase induction motor is used as the motor.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to the first, second, or third aspect, further comprising a switch for the occupant and a switch for the caregiver. It can be operated from both people.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, a wheelchair auxiliary power unit A according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a rod 1 that is bridged between frames of a wheelchair, and a rod 1 fixed to the rod and located at the front center of the wheelchair. A tire 2, a handle 3 projecting above the tire 2, a motor 4 installed at the rear of the tire 2, and a sprocket 5 on the tire side.
The main components are a chain 7 wound around a sprocket 6 on the motor side, a battery 8 for supplying a current to the motor 4, and a controller 9. The wheelchair has a foldable structure using a metal frame, and a manual wheel 10 is provided at a rear portion, and small-diameter wheels 11 capable of freely changing directions are provided at a front wheel on both sides. A footrest 12 is provided at a front end of the vehicle body, and a handle 12a is provided at an upper portion of the rear end, so that a caregiver can push the wheelchair. A seat 13a is provided at the center of the vehicle body, and a battery 8 and a controller 9 are mounted together with shelves at a lower rear portion thereof.

The tire 2 is fixed to the vehicle body only at both ends of the rod 1, and includes sprockets 5, 6, a chain 7, a motor 4
The drive units are integrally rotated by operating the handle. Tire 2 has a diameter of 200
When the both ends of the rod 1 are fixed to the vehicle body frame, the small-diameter wheel 11 in the front is lifted by the tire 2, and three wheels are driven by the manual wheel 10 and the tire 2.

The tire 2 has a fork 1 on both sides of a rotating shaft.
3, the upper part of the fork 13 is bent horizontally, and a cylinder 14 is protruded from the horizontal part. A connecting ring 15 of the rod is fitted on the outer periphery of the cylinder part. And the drive unit are rotatably connected. Further, a square handle socket 16 is formed in the horizontal portion, and a square base of the handle 3 is inserted into this socket, so that the tire 2 swings right and left as the handle 3 rotates. The handle 3 is detachably formed, and the T-shaped horizontal bar is located on the lap of the occupant, and can be operated with the hand naturally extended. The handle is removed when getting on and off the wheelchair. It is inserted into the rod 17 and held.

A bracket 18 is fixed to a side surface of the fork 13, a motor 4 and a gear are fixed to a rear end of the bracket extending rearward, and the motor 4 is connected to a battery 8 and a controller 9 at the rear of the vehicle by wiring. . Further, a tire-side sprocket 5 is provided on the side of the tire, and a motor-side sprocket 6 is provided on the side of the motor. A chain 7 is wrapped around the sprockets 5, 6, and the rotation of the motor 4 is applied to the tire 2. It is transmitted. Also,
The controller 9 is composed of an inverter type control device, and converts a direct current from the battery 8 into an alternating current and supplies the alternating current to the motor 4. In addition, the passenger's armrest,
Switches 19 and 19a (variable resistors) are provided on the handle for the caregiver so that both the occupant and the caregiver can change the frequency of the controller 9 and control the speed. Further, the motor 4 is constituted by a three-phase induction motor, and no current flows when there is no load,
Even when the battery is exhausted, manual driving does not become heavy,
On a downhill, the battery is subjected to reductive charging (regenerative braking) using the traveling energy, and is used as a brake.

Next, the mounting structure of the wheelchair auxiliary power unit A to the vehicle body frame will be described. The overall length of the rod 1 is slightly longer than the width between the front wheels of the wheelchair, and both ends of the rod are square. A horizontal frame 20 is provided on the small diameter wheel in front of the vehicle body.
And the rod 1 and the horizontal frame 20 are
Are fixed by metal fittings 21 shown in FIG. The metal fitting 21 has a U-shaped member 22, a knob bolt 23 inserted from one end of the U-shaped member 22, and a semicircular presser fitting 24 at the tip of the knob bolt 23. Square hole 2 for general use
5 are formed. The U-shaped member 22 is fitted into the horizontal frame 20 of the vehicle body frame, the square material of the rod 1 is fitted into the square hole 25, and the semicircular holding member 24 is abutted on the frame 20 with the frame 20 and the rod 1 going straight. Let it. Then, the knob 20 is manually rotated to fasten the frame 20 and the rod 1 together. As described above, since it is attached to the horizontal portion of the frame 20 by the metal fitting 21, it can be attached to a normal wheelchair in a few minutes.

After attaching the rod 1 to the frame 20,
The battery 8 and the controller 9 are mounted on the rear of the seat, and are wired to the motor 4. In the wheelchair auxiliary power unit of the present embodiment, since the rod 1, the tire 2, and the motor 4 are integrally fixed, the drive portion can be mounted by mounting only the rod 1. The battery 8 is provided with a remaining amount indicator so that the capacity can be visually checked. Also,
The controller 9 is equipped with a tilt detection sensor, and automatically becomes an electric vehicle on an uphill, so that it can be easily climbed.

The performance of the wheelchair of the present embodiment is as follows. Driving speed Maximum speed 6km / h Drivable step 6cm or less Upper slope angle 10 ° or less Driving method One front wheel drive (pneumatic rubber tire) Handle Simple detachable braking Electric braking Running time 2 hours or more (when fully charged) Charging time 2.5 hours

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and there are design changes and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the invention. This is also included in the present invention. Although the mounting structure described in the above embodiment is configured to use a metal fitting, the structure of the metal fitting is arbitrary, and the present invention includes a case where no metal fitting is used. Further, as the mounting structure of the battery and the controller, other structures can be adopted.

[0016]

As described above, in the wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to the first aspect of the present invention, since it is detachable from the wheelchair, it can be stored in the trunk of the car and carried on a trip or the like. Since the tire and motor are integrally fixed to the rod, the rod can be easily attached and detached by fixing the rod to the frame of the wheelchair. Furthermore, since the steering wheel is mounted on the front wheels, the direction can be changed smoothly. Also, by switching the switch at hand, the electric car,
It becomes an assist car, and it is inverter controlled, so if you set the speed, it will be a constant speed even on uphill and downhill,
There is no runaway due to inertia.

Further, since both ends of the rod are formed of square members, and the square members are fitted to the fastening fittings and are integrally fixed to the vehicle body frame, the rods can be mounted on all kinds of wheelchairs using the mounting fittings. be able to.

In the wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to the second aspect, since the handle has a T-shape, the operation can be performed smoothly. Moreover, since it is installed detachably, it can be taken off when getting in and out of a wheelchair and can get on and off smoothly.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the three-phase induction motor is used as the motor.
Even when a load is not generated by the magnet as in a normal DC motor and the battery is exhausted, the manual traveling does not become heavy.
In addition, the electric brake is automatically applied on a downhill, and the battery is recharged (regenerative braking) using running energy on a long downhill. Further, in a DC motor, a shock (gee) due to acceleration occurs at the time of starting, but in a three-phase induction motor controlled by an inverter, acceleration is smoothly performed.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the switch for the occupant and the switch for the caregiver are provided, both the occupant and the caregiver can change the frequency of the controller and change the speed. Can be controlled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a wheelchair equipped with a wheelchair auxiliary power unit.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a wheelchair equipped with a wheelchair auxiliary power unit.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounting portion of a driving unit.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a driving unit.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the driving unit.

FIG. 6 is a left side view of the driving unit.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a fitting.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the fitting.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a fitting.

[Description of Signs] A Wheelchair auxiliary power unit 1 Rod 2 Tire 3 Handle 4 Motor 5 Sprocket 6 Sprocket 7 Chain 8 Battery 9 Controller 10 Manual wheel 11 Small diameter wheel 12 Footrest 12a Handle 13 Fork 13a Seat 14 Horizontal portion 15 Coupling ring 16 Handle socket 17 Hanging bar 18 Bracket 19 Variable resistance machine 20 Frame 21 Metal fitting 22 U-shaped member 23 Knob bolt 24 Presser fitting 25 Square hole

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An auxiliary power device for a wheelchair detachably mounted on a vehicle body of a wheelchair, a rod bridged between left and right frames in front of the vehicle body, a tire rotatably fixed to the rod, and driving the tire. A motor, a battery and a controller for supplying a current to the motor, and a handle for operating the direction of the tire; the tire and the motor are integrally fixed to a rod, and both ends of the rod are fixed to a frame of a vehicle body; An auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair, characterized in that three wheels are driven by driving wheels and wheels on both sides of a vehicle body seat by supplying a current to a motor. 2. The auxiliary power device for a wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein both ends of the rod are formed of square members, and the square members are fitted to fastening members and fixed integrally with the body frame. 3. The auxiliary power for a wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the handle has a T-shape, is positioned at a height approximately above the knee of the occupant, and is detachably disposed. apparatus. 4. The auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a three-phase induction motor is used as the motor. 5. A switch for a passenger and a switch for a caregiver, wherein the switch is operable from both the passenger and the caregiver. Auxiliary power unit for wheelchairs.