JP2002021889A - Brake mechanism and wheelchair using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lengthwise braking type brake mechanism 19 smooth in the movement of an operating lever 25 and excellent in strength. SOLUTION: This brake mechanism 19 is provided with a base 21; a rotating plate 28 rotatably journalled to the base 21 and provided with an upper guide hole 39 and a lower guide hole 41; an operating lever 25 extending from the rotating plate 23; a swing lever 27 rotatably journalled to the base 21 in an opposed position to the rotating plate 23; an abutting part 29 formed continuously with the swing lever 27; and an upper arm 31 and a lower arm 33 rotatably journalled to the swing lever 27 on one end side and protrusively provided with pins 47, 53 on the other end side. The pins 47, 53 of the upper arm 31 are slidably engaged with the upper guide hole 39, and the pins of the lower arm 33 are slidably engaged with the lower guide hole 41.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a brake mechanism mounted on a wheelchair, for example, and a wheelchair provided with the brake mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wheelchair used by a physically handicapped person, an elderly person, and the like is provided with a brake mechanism (parking brake) on a side of a frame for preventing rotation of wheels during parking. In this parking brake, an operation lever and a swing lever are connected by a so-called toggle joint mechanism. In this parking brake, the swing lever is moved by pulling the operation lever backward, and the contact portion formed continuously with the swing lever contacts the wheel. This abutment prevents rotation of the wheels. Conversely, when the operation lever is pushed forward, the contact portion is separated from the wheel, and the wheel can rotate freely. That is, in this parking brake, the brake is applied when the operation lever is pulled backward, and the brake is released when the operation lever is pushed forward (rearward braking). On the contrary, there is also a parking brake in which the brake is applied when the operation lever is pushed forward and the brake is released when the operation lever is pulled backward (forward braking). Such parking brakes that are braked when the operating lever is operated either forward or backward are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-1938, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 59-41417, and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 53-31551. No. 6,009,036.

However, depending on the nature of the obstacle, a physically handicapped person who can push the operating lever forward but cannot pull it backward, or conversely can push the operating lever backward but can push it forward. Some disabled people cannot. Therefore, for each physically handicapped person, it is necessary to select either the rear brake or the forward brake according to the obstacle. In the case of an elderly person with dementia, the braking direction of the parking brake of the wheelchair used by the user may not be recognized.

A so-called front-rear braking brake disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-45705 is an example of a parking brake that solves this problem. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the front-rear braking brake 101. The front-rear braking brake 101 includes a swing lever 107 rotatably supported on a base 105 by a shaft pin 103. In addition, the front-rear braking brake 101 is
A first joint plate 111 is rotatably supported on the base 105 by a shaft pin 109, and a second joint plate 115 is rotatably supported on the swing lever 107 by a shaft pin 113. An operation lever 117 is connected to the first joint plate 111. The first joint plate 111 is provided with a pin-shaped first engagement portion 119 and a second engagement portion 121. The second joint plate 115 is formed with a notched first engaged portion 123 and a second engaged portion 125.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which the operating lever 117 is pushed forward (to the right in this figure). In this state, the second engaging portion 121 and the second engaged portion 125 are engaged. That is, the second joint plate 115 and the swing lever 10
7 is pushed backward (to the left in this figure), and the contact portion 1
27 is in contact with the wheel 129 and the brake is applied.
When the operation lever 117 is moved to a neutral position, that is, a position where the operation lever 117 stands substantially vertically,
The first joint plate 111 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft pin 109, and the second joint plate 111
5 rotates clockwise around the shaft pin 113 as a fulcrum. Then, the first engaging portion 119 and the first engaged portion 123 are engaged. In this state, the contact portion 127 is separated from the wheel 129, and the brake is released. Furthermore, the operation lever 1
When 17 is pulled rearward, the first engagement portion 119 pushes the second joint plate 115 and the swing lever 107 rearward, and the contact portion 127 contacts the wheel 129 to apply the brake.

As described above, the front-rear braking type brake 10
In 1, the brake is applied even when the operation lever 117 is pushed forward or pulled backward, which is convenient. However, in the front-rear braking brake 101, when the operation lever 117 is returned to the neutral position from the state where it is pushed forward, the first engagement portion 119 and the first engaged portion 123 collide. Also, the operation lever 117
The second engaging portion 121 and the second engaged portion 125 collide when the is returned to the neutral position from the state where is pulled backward. Therefore, the first engagement portion 119 and the first engaged portion 12
3. If the second engaging portion 121 and the second engaged portion 125 are not formed with considerably high accuracy, there is a problem that the operation of the operation lever 117 is difficult to be performed smoothly due to a collision impact or the like. Similarly, as a front-rear braking type brake in which it is difficult to smoothly operate the operation lever, there is a brake disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-100027.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-294514 discloses a front-rear braking brake in which a pair of arms are attached to a swing lever instead of a joint plate. In this front / rear braking type brake, the engagement groove formed in the arm slides on the pin to serve as a guide, so that the operation of the operation lever is smooth. However, in this front-rear braking type brake, the strength of the arm is insufficient because the width of the remaining portion of the fitting groove in the arm is small, and the arm may be damaged by repeated operations.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a front-rear braking type brake mechanism in which the operation lever moves smoothly and has excellent strength. Is what you do. Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair equipped with the brake mechanism.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a base, and an upper guide hole and a lower guide hole which are rotatably supported by the base and are rotatable. A rotating plate, an operating lever extending from the rotating plate, a swing lever rotatably supported by the base at a position facing the rotating plate, and a swing lever formed continuously with the swing lever. And an upper arm and a lower arm that are rotatably supported at one end by a swing lever and protrude from the other end with a pin. The pin of the lower arm is slidably engaged with the upper guide hole, the pin of the lower arm is slidably engaged with the lower guide hole, and the operation lever is operated from the neutral position to the front position and the rear position. Rotating plate is upper arm Or press the swing lever through a lower arm, which is configured brake mechanism, as the swing lever to a position where the abutting portion abuts the wheel moves.

In this brake mechanism, even when the operation lever is operated from the neutral position to the forward position,
Even when the operation lever is operated from the neutral position to the rear position, the brake is applied regardless of the moving direction of the operation lever because the rotating plate pushes the swing lever via the upper arm or the lower arm. Further, in this brake mechanism, when the operation lever is operated, the pins of the upper arm and the lower arm slide with the upper guide hole and the lower guide hole, respectively, so that the movement of the operation lever is performed smoothly. Further, since the upper guide hole and the lower guide hole are formed in the rotating plate, there is no member having a narrow width, and the brake mechanism is excellent in strength.

Preferably, the swing lever and the rotating plate are formed integrally. As a result, the number of components of the brake mechanism is reduced, and a means for fixing the swing lever and the rotating plate is not required, and the labor for connecting the two is eliminated, so that the manufacturing cost of the brake mechanism is reduced, and resources are saved. Can also contribute.

The upper guide hole and the lower guide hole may be formed so as to be continuous with each other at an end near the swing lever. This simplifies the configuration of the rotating plate and facilitates the manufacture of the brake mechanism.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a right side view showing a wheelchair 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The wheelchair 1 is provided with a handgrip 3, a back pipe 5, an armrest 7, a frame 9, a large wheel 11, a hand rim 13, a front wheel 15, and a footrest 17, similarly to a known wheelchair. Although not shown, the wheelchair 1 includes a back seat, a seat, a leg rest, a skirt guard, a safety belt, an assistance brake, and the like. Of course, it is not necessary for the wheelchair 1 to include all of these members, and the members may be omitted depending on the use or the like. Further, other members may be added as needed. A brake mechanism 19 is attached to the frame 9 so as to be located slightly forward of the large wheels 11.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the brake mechanism 19, and FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view thereof. In these figures, the substantially right side is the front side of the wheelchair 1, and the substantially left side is the rear side of the wheelchair 1. As is clear from these figures, the brake mechanism 19 includes a base 21 and
It includes a rotation plate 23, an operation lever 25, a swing lever 27, a contact portion 29, an upper arm 31, a lower arm 33, and a spring 35.

The rotating plate 23 is plate-shaped, and is rotatably supported on the base 21 by a shaft pin 37 near one end thereof. The rotary plate 23 is formed with an elongated upper hole 39 and a lower hole 41. The upper guide hole 39 and the lower guide hole 41 are formed by, for example, punching. Rotating plate 23
The portion other than the upper guide hole 39 and the lower guide hole 41 is relatively wide in any portion. Therefore, the rotating plate 23 has excellent strength.

The operating lever 25 extends substantially upward from the rotating plate 23. The operation lever 25 and the rotation plate 23 are integrally formed, for example, by punching a metal plate. Of course, the rotating plate 23 and the operation lever 25 may be formed as separate members and connected to each other, but the number of parts is small, no connecting means is required, the assembling work is omitted, and the strength is reduced. It is preferable that both are integrally formed as in the brake mechanism 19 from the viewpoint of excellent performance.

The swing lever 27 is rotatably supported on the base 21 by a shaft bolt 43 near the upper end thereof. The swing lever 27 is attached to the base 21 near the front end of the rotating plate 23 so as to face the rotating plate 23. The swing lever 27 is
The shape is generally "upside-down."

The contact portion 29 is provided at the lower end of the swing lever 27 so as to be continuous with the swing lever 27. The contact portion 29 stands upright from the swing lever 27. The contact portion 29 is a member that contacts the large wheel 11, as will be described in detail later. The contact part 29 is a swing lever 27
Alternatively, the contact portion 29 and the swing lever 27 are preferably formed integrally for the purpose of reducing the number of components.

The upper arm 31 is rotatably supported by the swing lever 27 by a shaft bolt 45 near its rear end. In the vicinity of the front end of the upper arm 31, a bolt 47 as a pin protrudes. This bolt 47
Is passed through the upper guide hole 39. The outer diameter of the bolt 47 is slightly smaller than the width of the upper guide hole 39, so that the bolt 47 and the upper guide hole 39 can slide. A washer 51 is attached to a tip of the bolt 47 by a nut 49. The outer diameter of the washer 51 is larger than the width of the upper guide hole 39. The washer 51 prevents the bolt 47 from coming out of the upper guide hole 39. Thus, the bolt 47 of the upper arm 31 is slidably engaged with the upper guide hole 39.

The lower arm 33 is rotatably supported by the swing lever 27 near the rear end thereof by the same shaft bolt 45 as the upper arm 31. Lower arm 33
Is almost the same as the upper arm 31. That is,
A bolt 53 as a pin is provided near the front end of the lower arm 33.
The bolt 53 has a nut 5 at its tip.
5, a washer 57 is attached. The bolt 53 is slidably engaged with the lower guide hole 41. In this brake mechanism 19, the upper arm 3
1 and the lower arm 33 are pivotally supported on the swing lever 27 by the same shaft bolt 45, but the upper arm 31
The lower arm 33 may be supported by the swing lever 27 as a separate member.

The spring 35 has a front end fixed to the base 21 and a rear end fixed to the swing lever 27. The spring 35 is a tension spring and urges the swing lever 27 to a forward position. This urging facilitates the operation of the operation lever 25 to the neutral position, which will be described in detail later. In the brake mechanism 19, a tension spring is used as the urging means, but a torsion spring or the like may be used, for example.

FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (c) correspond to FIG. 2 (a).
FIG. 3 is a front view showing the brake mechanism 19 of FIG. 2B together with a part of the large wheel 11. In these figures, the right side is the front side of the wheelchair 1, and the left side is the rear side of the wheelchair 1.

FIG. 3A shows a state in which the operating lever 25 stands upright. In this state,
The contact portion 29 is separated from the large wheel 11 (that is, neutral). As is clear from this figure, the pin 47 of the upper arm 31 is located substantially at the front end of the upper guide hole 39. Further, the pin 53 of the lower arm 33 is also located substantially at the front end of the lower guide hole 41.

FIG. 3B shows a state in which the operation lever 25 is pushed forward. Operation lever 25 from the state shown in FIG. 3 (a) to the state shown in FIG. 3 (b)
By this operation, the rotating plate 23 rotates clockwise about the shaft pin 37. By this rotation, the pin 53 of the lower arm 33 is pushed rearward on the inner peripheral surface of the front end of the lower guide hole 41. Then, the lower arm 33 pushes the swing lever 27 backward, and the swing lever 27 rotates clockwise about the shaft bolt 43. As a result, the contact portion 29 moves rearward and contacts the large wheel 11. Due to this contact, the rotation of the large wheel 11 is prevented, and the brake is applied.

In FIG. 3B, the pin 5 of the lower arm 33 is
3 is smaller than the straight line connecting the shaft pin 37 and the shaft bolt 45,
It is located slightly above. That is, the rotating plate 23
Rotates clockwise until it slightly passes through the dead center (the state in which the shaft pin 37, the pin 53, and the shaft bolt 45 are arranged in a straight line). As a result, the operation lever 25 is prevented from returning to the neutral position, and unexpected release of the brake is prevented.

In FIG. 3B, the pin 47 of the upper arm 31 is used.
Is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the rear end of the upper guide hole 39. This contact prevents further movement of the operation lever 25 forward. That is, the inner peripheral surface of the rear end of the upper guide hole 39 functions as a stopper.

To release the brake, the operating lever 25 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 3B to the state shown in FIG. Since this operation is performed in the urging direction of the spring 35, no significant force is required for a physically handicapped person or the like.

FIG. 3C shows a state where the operation lever 25 is pulled backward. Operation lever 25 from the state shown in FIG. 3 (a) to the state shown in FIG. 3 (c)
, The rotating plate 23 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft pin 37. With this rotation, the pin 47 of the upper arm 31 is pushed rearward on the inner peripheral surface of the front end of the upper guide hole 39. Then, the upper arm 31 pushes the swing lever 27 backward, and the swing lever 27 rotates clockwise about the shaft bolt 43. As a result, the contact portion 29 moves rearward and contacts the large wheel 11. Due to this contact, the rotation of the large wheel 11 is prevented, and the brake is applied.

In FIG. 3C, the pin 4 of the upper arm 31 is
7 is smaller than the straight line connecting the shaft pin 37 and the shaft bolt 45,
It is located slightly below. That is, the rotating plate 23
Rotates counterclockwise until it slightly passes through the dead center (the state where the shaft pin 37, the pin 47, and the shaft bolt 45 are arranged in a straight line). As a result, the operation lever 25 is prevented from returning to the neutral position, and unexpected release of the brake is prevented.

In FIG. 3C, the pin 53 of the lower arm 33 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the rear end of the lower guide hole 41. This abutment prevents further movement of the operation lever 25 backward. That is, the inner peripheral surface of the rear end of the lower guide hole 41 functions as a stopper.

To release the brake, the operating lever 25 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 3 (c) to the state shown in FIG. 3 (a). Since this operation is performed in the urging direction of the spring 35, no significant force is required for a physically handicapped person or the like.

As described above, in the brake mechanism 19,
The brake is applied whether the operation lever 25 is operated forward or backward. Therefore, it is not necessary to select the type of the parking brake mounted on the wheelchair 1 according to the content of the obstacle. It is also convenient for elderly people with dementia who cannot recognize the operation direction. Further, the movement of the swing lever 27 is controlled by the upper guide hole 39 and the lower guide hole 41 and the pin 4.
7 and 53, the operation is smooth because there is no collision between members such as the front-rear braking brake disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-45705.

Although the material of each member of the brake mechanism 19 is not particularly limited, a material having excellent corrosion resistance, such as stainless steel and an aluminum alloy, is preferable. Also,
For example, a synthetic resin may be used for a portion that does not require much strength, such as the grip portion 59 of the operation lever 25 (see FIG. 2A).

FIG. 4 shows that a rotation plate 73 of a brake mechanism 71 according to another embodiment of the present invention is
It is the front view shown with a part of. Although not shown, the brake mechanism 71 also includes the same swing lever 27, upper arm 31, lower arm 33, and the like as the brake mechanism 19 shown in FIGS. The swing lever 27 is located on the left side (that is, behind) of the rotation plate 73.

The rotation plate 73 has an upper guide hole 7
7, a lower guide hole 79 and a communication hole 81 are formed. The communication hole 81 has a substantially “U” shape, and is connected to the left ends of the upper guide hole 77 and the lower guide hole 79. That is, the upper guide hole 77 and the lower guide hole 79 are continuous holes via the communication hole 81.

In this brake mechanism 71, the operation lever 7
5 is pushed forward, the rotating plate 73 rotates clockwise, and the inner peripheral surface of the front end of the lower guide hole 79 pushes the pin 53 (see FIG. 2B) of the lower arm 33 backward. . As a result, the swing lever 27 rotates and the brake is applied. Further, when the operation lever 75 is pulled backward, the rotation plate 73 rotates counterclockwise,
The inner peripheral surface of the front end of the upper guide hole 77 pushes the pin 47 (see FIG. 2B) of the upper arm 31 backward. This also causes the swing lever 27 to rotate, and the brake is applied. That is, the brake mechanism 71 is also a so-called front-back braking type.

In the brake mechanism 71, the upper guide hole 7
Since the upper guide hole 77 and the lower guide hole 79 are continuous, the dimensional accuracy is not so required at the rear ends of the upper guide hole 77 and the lower guide hole 79. Further, the structure of the mold for punching the upper guide hole 77 and the lower guide hole 79 is simplified.
Therefore, the manufacture of the brake mechanism 71 is easy and the cost is low. In this brake mechanism 71, the upper guide hole 7
Since the rear end of the lower guide hole 7 and the lower guide hole 79 cannot function as a stopper, it is necessary to provide a separate stop function.

The brake mechanism of the present invention has been described above by taking as an example the case where the present invention is applied to a normal wheelchair. This brake mechanism is, for example, a six-wheeled wheelchair, a folding wheelchair, It can also be applied to walkers and the like.

[0040]

As described above, the brake mechanism of the present invention can be operated smoothly and is excellent in strength, even though it is a back-and-forth braking type. A wheelchair equipped with this brake mechanism can contribute to improvement of welfare.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

2 (a) is a perspective view showing a brake mechanism mounted on the wheelchair of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 (b) is an exploded perspective view thereof.

3 (a) to 3 (c) are front views showing the brake mechanism of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a rotation plate of a brake mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention, together with a part of an operation lever.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a conventional front-rear braking brake.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wheelchair 19, 71 ... Brake mechanism 21 ... Base 23, 73 ... Rotating plate 25, 75 ... Operation lever 27 ... Swing lever 29 ... Contact part 31 ... Upper arm 33 ... Lower arm 35 ... Spring 39, 77 ... Upper guide hole 41, 79 ... Lower guide hole 81 ... Communication hole

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A base, a rotation plate rotatably supported by the base and having an upper guide hole and a lower guide hole, an operation lever extending from the rotation plate, A swing lever rotatably supported on the base at a position facing the moving plate, a contact portion formed continuously with the swing lever, and a swing lever rotatable at one end of the swing lever. An upper arm and a lower arm that are pivotally supported and have a pin protruding at the other end, wherein the pin of the upper arm is slidably engaged with the upper guide hole, and the lower arm The pin is slidably engaged with the lower guide hole, and when the operating lever is operated from the neutral position to the front position and the rear position, the rotating plate pushes the swing lever via the upper arm or the lower arm. , The contact part is a car It constructed brake mechanism as the swing lever to the position abutting moves. 2. The brake mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the swing lever and the rotation plate are formed integrally. 3. An upper guide hole and a lower guide hole,
The brake mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the brake mechanism is formed so as to be continuous with each other at an end near the swing lever. 4. A wheelchair equipped with the brake mechanism according to claim 1.