JP2002065765A - Caring lifter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a caring lifter of a self-operation type which can be utilized safely by a physically handicapped person. SOLUTION: The caring lifter is provided with a belt suspending part for connecting a suspension belt with a human body suspender for raising or lowering a human body, a load detecting part for detecting a load on the suspension belt and a control part for controlling lowering in the case of judging load abnormality in the case of suspending the human body. In occurrence of the load abnormality in the suspension belt, the human body is lowered for safety in order to prevent the human body from being left in a state of a load suspended in air.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nursing lifter that can be worn by one's own operation and moved to a desired place, even for a physically handicapped person having a disability in one or the lower body. The present invention relates to a self-operating nursing lifter that can be easily operated and can be safely suspended and moved.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of the most difficult bottlenecks for a physically handicapped person with a disability in one or the lower body to live independently is to move from one's own bed to a wheelchair or to a portable toilet. It is difficult to say. Usually, such cases require the assistance of a caregiver, which places a significant physical burden on the caregiver. In order to reduce such a burden on a caregiver, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
No. 08654, "Method and Apparatus for Lifting a Human Body" has been proposed. This method and apparatus allow a user wearing a clothes-type hanging device to connect a hanging belt by himself to a predetermined position of the hanging device, and then operate the remote control to wind up the hanging belt and lift the user. , And laterally move along the rail, and the suspension belt is wound down and seated at a predetermined location. This allows the user of the device to:
It can be operated and moved to the desired location without asking the caregiver for assistance. Therefore, the present device is very effective in helping the physically handicapped to become independent.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned apparatus, the posture of the suspended person is likely to fall due to the failure of the connection between the clothes-type suspending device and the suspending belt or the breakage of the belt, and the falling object is likely to fall from the suspending device. In the event of emergency, such as when the entire caregiver lifter stops due to a power outage, equipment abnormality, etc., the suspended person operates the "Tight" button on the remote control to issue an alarm such as a buzzer, etc. It is designed to call out healthy people elsewhere in the city or to notify security companies or external emergency contacts as needed.

[0004] However, if a caregiver is not nearby when such an emergency occurs, there is a problem that the cared person is forced to suspend in an unnatural posture until the caregiver comes. In addition, even if the suspended person cannot operate the remote controller for some reason even when the suspended person is operating normally, for example, the suspended person loses consciousness during the lifting. In such a case, the caregiver cannot know the condition in another room, and there is a problem that the suspended person may be left in a suspended state for a long time.

[0005] In order to avoid such a problem, in the conventional device, even if the device can be operated by the care-receiver himself, the care-giver should be close and watched to cope with the occurrence of an emergency. I had to be. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a nursing care lifter that can systematically secure the care recipient's safety as much as possible even when a caregiver is not present in the event of an emergency.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a belt suspender for connecting a suspension belt to a human body suspender to raise or lower a human body, and a load for detecting a load applied to the suspension belt. Provided is a care lifter including a detection unit and a control unit that performs a descent control when a load abnormality is determined during lifting of a human body.

[0007] In this configuration, if a load abnormality occurs, such as when the suspension belt is detached from the human body hanger while the care receiver is being lifted, or when the balance of the care receiver is lost, the care receiver is immediately lowered. By doing so, safety can be ensured. In particular, by using a plurality of suspension belts, when the load applied to at least one of the suspension belts is equal to or less than a predetermined value, it is determined that the load is abnormal, thereby determining whether the care receiver is suspended in an appropriate posture. , Lowering control becomes possible. The determination as to whether or not the human body is being lifted is made based on the load applied to the suspension belt, the extension length of the suspension belt, and the like.

[0008] Further, there is further provided a traveling section for traveling on the rail, and a current position detecting section for detecting a current position of the suspended human body, and the driving section is driven downward only when the current position detecting section detects a predetermined location on the rail. Provide a care lifter that enables According to such a configuration, since it is possible to descend only in a safe place even when the bed, toilet, wheelchair, etc. descends, it is possible to prevent the care receiver from accidentally descending to a dangerous place.

The current position detecting section uses an optical sensor for detecting a predetermined location based on return light from a reflecting member attached to a predetermined location on the rail. In addition, a belt suspension unit that connects a suspension belt to a human body suspender to raise or lower the human body, a load detection unit that detects a load applied to the suspension belt, and does not detect an operation signal for a predetermined time during lifting of the human body And a control unit for notifying an abnormality.

According to this configuration, even if the care receiver falls into a state in which the care receiver cannot operate the operation means (remote control) by himself / herself despite the normal operation of the device, the care receiver can continue to operate. It can be prevented from being left suspended in the air.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. First, the configuration of a mechanical part of a care lifter to which the device of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a front view and a side view when a care lifter according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. These figures show an embodiment of a care lifter installed on a floor in a room of a general household,
In particular, an example is shown in which a load-bearing frame structure is formed so that the entire weight of a human body can be lifted and moved between different positions.

In both figures, a pair of columns 1 which can be installed on the floor and a rail 2 having both ends connected to the columns 1 form a load-bearing bridge means 50.
A lifter body 3 which is supported by the rail 2 and has a structure to be described later is movably suspended along the rail 2 in a running state in the left-right direction of FIG. A belt suspension device 3a for a suspension belt 4 is attached to the lifter body 3.
A suspension belt 4 made of a synthetic resin material, for example, a nylon material is lifted up from the belt suspension device 3a with respect to the pulleys 4c, 4d and the like, and is hung down in a roll-down manner. I have.

One of the suspension belts 4
a constitutes a pair of thigh suspension belts 4a, and the lower end thereof hangs at an appropriate position on both thighs of the suspended person M (at a position close to both knees where one hand of the suspended person M can reach). The other belt 4b forms a pair of shoulder suspension belts 4b, and hangs on the upper part of both shoulders of the person M to be suspended. As shown in FIG. 2, the suspended belt M is attached to the suspended belt 4a for the thigh during suspension.
In order to suppress swaying, a sway-suppressing fastener 5 is provided to bring the pair of thigh suspension belts 4a connected to both thighs into a united state.

The upper end of the suspension belt 4 is fixed to the pulleys 4c and 4d of the belt suspension device 3a, and is suspended downward by a suitable amount after being wound around the pulleys 4c and 4d. On the lower end side, there are attached couplings having good operability by the suspended person M, for example, male couplings 6a and 6b composed of a well-known carabiner or the like. These male couplers 6a, 6b are clothes-type suspenders 8 on which the suspended person M is dressed.
Are connected to the corresponding female couplings 7a, 7b provided at the both shoulders and the thighs, and the suspension belt 4 is attached to the clothes-type suspension 8
Is formed so that the suspended person M can be easily connected with one hand.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show that a suspended person M, such as a physically handicapped person having a disability in one half or lower body, moves from a bed 10 to a portable toilet 11a or a wheelchair 11b by his / her own operation. It is configured as a device that horizontally moves along the rail 2 of the frame means 50 so that it can return. Remote control)
9 shows a state in which the suspended person M is lifted up from the upper surface of the bed 10 by operating the suspended person M with one hand. The remote controller 9 is, for example, an infrared remote controller that transmits a signal to a control unit of the present apparatus, which will be described later, by infrared rays, and includes an “up” button corresponding to execution of lifting of the suspension belt 4 and a “up” button corresponding to execution of suspension. A "down" button, a "right" button for performing a lateral movement to the right along the rail 2 of the lifter body 3, a "left" button for performing a lateral movement to the left, and a "tight" button for performing an emergency call. , Five buttons in total.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed structure of the lifter main body 3 which can be horizontally moved along the rail 2 of the above-mentioned bridging means 50. The lifter main body 3 and the belt suspension device 3a are connected to each other. A drive motor (hereinafter, referred to as a motor) 13 for moving is fixed and mounted on the upper surface side of the connecting substrate 12 to be connected,
This motor 13 is connected to a shaft 1 via a speed reducer 14 and a shaft coupling 15.
6 are rotatably connected. A gear 17 having an appropriate number of teeth is fixed to the shaft 16, and the reduction gear 1 meshed with the gear 17.
The driving wheels 19 are rotationally driven through 8 to travel along the rails 2 together with the coupling board 12.

A driven wheel 20 is provided at an appropriate distance from the driving wheel 19, and prevents a yawing operation from occurring when the vehicle travels horizontally, and also a guide wheel 21 to prevent a rolling operation from occurring. Are provided in rolling contact with the pair of side surfaces of the rail 2 before and after in the traveling direction of the coupling substrate 12. A reversible servo motor is used as the motor 13 so that the motor 13 can move forward and backward (or move left or right) along the rail 2 and can stop at a desired position. As another embodiment, a drive source may be configured using a known linear motion piston device or the like instead of the motor.

FIG. 4 shows a state where the coupling board 12 is viewed from the lower surface side, and shows a belt suspension device 3a. Two suspension drive motors 22a and 22b (hereinafter, referred to as motors 22a and 22b) for driving the belt suspension operation are attached and fixed to the lower surface side of the coupling board 12. The former motor 22a is provided for driving the suspension of the thigh suspension belt 4a, and the latter motor 22b is provided for driving the suspension of the shoulder suspension belt 4b.

These motors 22a and 22b are respectively connected to shafts 26 of one belt drive pulleys 25a and 25b via reduction gears 23a and 23b and shaft couplings 24a and 24b, respectively.
a, 26b, and is configured to rotationally drive the belt driving pulleys 25a, 25b via the coaxials 26a, 26b. Now, these belt drive pulleys 25
The suspension belts 4 (a thigh suspension belt 4a, 4a, a shoulder suspension belt 4b,
4b) The driven pulleys 31a, 31 attached to the other shafts 32a, 32b provided with the upper ends of the belts 4a, 4b fixed and fixed in parallel with the shafts 26a, 26b.
After hanging over the upper peripheral surface of b, it is hung downward.

On the other hand, a gear 27 is mounted on the shafts 26a and 26b.
a, 27b are mounted, and the gears 27
The other shaft 29a disposed in parallel with the shafts 26a and 26b via gears 28a and 28b meshed with the shafts a and 27b,
The rotation driving force is transmitted to the shafts 29a, 29b.
b, other belt drive pulleys 30a mounted on
30b is rotationally driven. Here, the gears 27a, 27
b and the gears 28a and 28b meshed therewith are connected to the shafts 29a and 29b by selecting the ratio of the number of teeth to 1: 1.
It is configured to be driven to rotate at the same speed and in the opposite direction as 6a and 26b. The other belt drive pulley 30
a and 30b also have another belt 4a,
The upper end of 4b is fixed and fixed, and the lower end is hung downward.

These belt driving pulleys, driven pulleys and the like correspond to the pulleys 4c and 4d shown in FIG. The gear 27 fixed on the shafts 26a and 26b
a and 27b are rotation detecting encoders 34 fixed and arranged on the coupling board 12 via other small gears 33a and 33b.
a, 34b, these encoders 34
The rotation amount of each shaft 26a, 26b can be detected from a, 34b, and the rotation detection values of the encoders 34a, 34b are transmitted to a control unit described later.

Instead of providing the encoders 34a and 34b to detect the rotation amounts of the shafts 26a and 26b, a servo motor in which an encoder is incorporated in the motors 22a and 22b itself is used to detect the rotation amounts of the motors 22a and 22b. The rotation amount of the shafts 26a and 26b may be detected via the. Here, it should be noted that the encoder 34
a, 34b are respectively connected to the three belt driving pulleys 25a, 30a, 3a through detecting the rotation of the shafts 26a, 26b.
The configuration is such that the amounts of rotation of 1a and 25b, 30b, 31b are indirectly detected, and thus the amount of hoisting and lowering of the suspension belt 4 can also be indirectly detected.

From the structure of the above-described belt suspension device 3a, the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b of the suspension belt 4 are provided.
It can be easily understood that the lifting operation and the hanging operation by the vertical movement of the motor can be driven by controlling the operations of the motors 22a and 22b as the driving sources. Moreover, the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b are configured to be driven independently of each other, and the amount of lifting and the amount of suspension can be detected from the encoders 34a and 34b.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a structure of a clothes-type hanging device used in combination with the above-described care lifter according to the embodiment of the present invention. That is,
FIG. 5 shows the clothes-type hanging device 8, which is formed in a structure in which a suspended person M, such as a physically handicapped person, who cannot perform daily activities normally due to half body paralysis or the like is dressed in advance. The upper body and the lower body are formed integrally with each other according to the physique of the suspended person M, and have a structure without any irregularities on the back side. It is formed and considered so as not to cause such problems.

When viewed from the side of the person M to be hung on the clothes-type hanging device 8, an upper surface near the knee of the thigh is provided on the front side of the body.
The above-mentioned female couplers 7a and 7b are fixed to the two places separated from the upper part of both shoulders, and these female couplers 7a and 7b are fixed.
a and 7b are provided at positions within a range in which the suspended person M can perform a coupling operation with the male coupling tools 6a and 6b on the suspension belt 4 side with one hand, and at the same time, the bed 10 (FIG. ,
2) and the suspension belt 4
When lifted, the lifting force acts on almost the entire area of the suspended person M and the lifting force acts on the suspended person M. Selected.

That is, the suspended person M is lifted and supported by the hanging belt 4 via the clothes-type suspending device 8 in a wide range from the entire back of the suspended person M to the periphery of the hip and the lower surface of the thigh. Therefore, no discomfort such as a feeling of oppression or cramping is given to the suspended person M. One end of the female coupler 7b is disposed at the top of the shoulder of the clothes-type suspender 8, but the part where the female coupler 7b is coupled to the male coupler 6b is the movable range of one hand in the chest. Because the male couplings 6a and 6b and the suspended person M can be easily coupled using only one hand together with the female coupling 7a disposed within the movable range of one hand. Attention.

In FIG. 5, an opening 8a (shown by a broken line) that can be freely opened when the suspended person M reaches the position of the portable toilet 11a and uses the clothes is provided in the clothes-type hanging device 8. ) Is drilled before and after each,
The opening 8a is formed so as to be freely opened by an opening assisting tool 39 having a wound skirt shape. When the suspended person M excretes, the opening 8a on the front or back side of the body is exposed by squeezing the opening assisting tool 39 by one-handed operation, so that the toilet can be used.

The clothes-type hanging device 8 shown in FIG.
The suspension belt 4 is formed to have an appropriate size in advance in conformity with the body shape of the suspended person M, and is provided at an appropriate position on both thigh upper surfaces and both shoulder crests.
The lifter main body 3 and the belt suspension device 3a are provided with the female couplers 7a and 7b for coupling with the male couplers 6a and 6b of the a and 4b and the opening assistant 39 of the opening 8a.
In cooperation with the above, the suspended person M can be lifted and lowered, and the movement between the positions can be smoothly advanced. Note that the clothes-type hanging device 8 is formed in a predetermined size S, M, and L, and an appropriate size is selected according to the body shape of the suspended person.

When the suspended person M himself / herself judges the failure of the connection between the clothes-type hanging device 8 and the suspension belt 4, or when the entire lifting device is stopped due to a power failure, equipment abnormality, or the like. In the event of an emergency, such as by operating the "Tight" button on the remote control 9, an alarm such as a buzzer is issued to call out a healthy person elsewhere in the home, or, if necessary, a security company or an external emergency It is designed so that contacts can be notified. For this reason, the safety of the suspended person M can be ensured immediately.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the care lifter main body 3 having the above-described mechanical configuration as viewed from the functional aspect. The lifter main body 3 includes a traveling section 200 for traveling on the rail 2, a current position detecting section 300 for detecting a current position of the lifter main body on the rail 2, and a light receiving section for receiving infrared rays from an infrared remote controller (operation means) 9. Unit 400, a notifying unit 500 for notifying the occurrence of an abnormality by a buzzer sound or a light beam when an abnormality occurs, and two suspension belts for each of the shoulder and thigh are independently driven by two independent sets of motors. A belt suspension unit 600 for controlling, a load detection unit 700 for detecting whether or not the suspended person is normally lifted from the tension applied to the suspension belt, and an extension length of the four suspension belts. It comprises a suspended belt feeding length detecting section 800 for detecting, and a control section 100 for controlling the operation between these sections.

The traveling section 200 includes a motor 13 shown in FIG.
It is composed of a reduction gear 14, a shaft 15, a shaft 16, and the like, and has a function of running the lifter main body 3 along the rail. The control unit 100, the light receiving unit 400, and the notification unit 500 are respectively provided at appropriate locations of the present care lifter. For example, the control unit 1
Reference numeral 00 denotes a lifter body 3 as shown in FIG.
May be provided in an electric box mounted on the electronic device. The light receiving unit 400 is provided in a place where light from the remote controller is easily received, for example, on the outer surface of the electric box. The notification unit 500
The support may be provided at an appropriate place on the support column 1 so that the caregiver can mechanically release the buzzer or the like.

FIG. 7 schematically shows the structure of the current position detecting section 300 of the lifter main body. Current position detector 300
Is basically a reflective seal 2a attached to the traveling rail 2.
(See FIG. 7A) and a photo interrupter 3b (FIG. 7) provided in an electric box 3c mounted on the lifter main body 3.
(B)). The reflective seal 2a is affixed on the rail 2 corresponding to a position that the suspended person may use, such as the bed 10, the portable toilet 11a, and the wheelchair 11b. Identify. That is, each place can be specified by attaching one reflective tape on the bed and two sheets on the toilet and the wheelchair.

Since the toilet and the wheelchair have substantially the same sitting posture, the lifting control of the lifter body is the same. Therefore, in this embodiment, the positions to be detected are classified into two, that is, “on the bed” and “on the toilet or wheelchair”, and one reflective seal is attached on the bed and two reflective seals are attached on the portable toilet or wheelchair. I have. The current position is recognized by detecting the reflected light from these reflective seals using two photo interrupters.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration of the load detecting section 700. In the figure, reference numeral 35a denotes a tension detector of the thigh suspension belt 4a. Each of the tension detectors 35a and 35a 'is constituted by a limit switch that is turned on when a load equivalent to lifting a human body is applied to the suspension belt 4a. In addition, not limited to this example,
The tension applied to the suspension belt 4a is directly measured by a so-called tension meter or by a suspension drive motor 22a,
The detection may be performed with the torque of 2b.

In the present embodiment, the load detector 700 comprises two tension detectors 35 for the thigh suspension belt 4a.
a, 35a 'and 2 (not shown) for the shoulder suspension belt
The tension detectors are configured to detect the tension applied to each of the four belts, and to detect the load applied to each belt. A suspension belt upper end detector 36a is operated by a mechanical stopper 37a provided on the suspension belt 4a, and detects an upper limit of the belt winding. Reference numeral 36a 'denotes a lower end detector of the suspension belt, which detects the lower limit of the lowering of the suspension belt by detecting a reflection seal attached to the suspension belt 4a (not shown) by a photo interrupter. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, reference numeral 38 denotes an overrun detector provided on a side surface of the lifter main body 3, and cooperates with a mechanical stopper 39 provided on a side end of the rail 2 so that the lifter main body 3 is moved. It is prevented from moving unnecessarily toward the end of the rail 2.

FIG. 8 is a view of the lifter main body 3 as viewed from the left side of FIG. 4. Therefore, only the tension detector for the thigh suspension belt 4a and the upper and lower end detectors of the thigh suspension belt are shown. Along with the shoulder suspension belt 4b, their tension detectors and upper and lower suspension belt detectors are located on the opposite side of the lifter body 3. The belt suspension unit 600 shown in FIG. 6 includes the belt suspension device 3a shown in FIG. Further, the suspension belt feeding length detection unit 800 includes an encoder 34a shown in FIG.
34b.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the structure of the infrared remote controller 9. As shown in the figure, the infrared remote control 9
Operation buttons 91 to 95 for forming operation signals corresponding to a total of five instructions of upward movement "up", downward movement "down", left movement "left", right movement "right", and emergency notification "tight", and It comprises a light projecting section 96 for transmitting an operation signal by infrared rays and a control section 97 for controlling the light projecting section 96 so that an optical signal corresponding to the operation signal is formed.

These operation buttons are configured so that a signal is transmitted only when the suspended person is pressing the button, thereby making it possible to omit the ON / OFF button. As a result, only the minimum required five operation buttons are arranged on the control panel of the remote controller 9, so that the button selection operation can be easily performed by the suspended person.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of control unit 100 shown in FIG. The control unit 100 includes a current position recognizing unit 101 that recognizes the current position of the lifter main body 3 based on a signal from the current position detection unit 300, and a suspension belt extension length output from the suspension belt extension length detection unit 800. From the output signal indicating whether the lifting height is less than a preset height, and a lifting height determination unit 102 that determines whether the tension applied to the four suspension belts by the load detection unit 700 is all predetermined. A load abnormality determining means 103 is provided for detecting whether or not the suspension belt is forgotten by detecting whether or not the value is equal to or greater than the value, or for determining whether or not a human body is being lifted.

The control unit 100 further includes an operation signal recognizing means 104 for recognizing which button of the infrared remote controller has been pressed from the output of the light receiving unit 400, and a control storing a plurality of control patterns for the lifting control of the lifter main body. A pattern storage unit 105 and a control pattern selection and setting unit 1 for selecting and setting an appropriate pattern from a plurality of control patterns according to the current position and the size of the clothes-type hanging device of the suspended person.
06 and traveling control means 1 for controlling traveling on a rail
07, shoulder and thigh suspension belt control means 108, 109 for controlling the shoulder and thigh suspension belts 4a, 4b.
And a notification control means 110 for notifying a danger by sound or light when an abnormality occurs. Reference numeral 111 denotes control means for controlling the operation between the means.

Further, the control section 100 has a lifting state judging means 112. This means 112 is a means for determining whether or not the human body is suspended from a bed, a toilet, or a wheelchair. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the human body is in a suspended state from the extension length and the load of each suspension belt detected by the suspension belt extension length detection unit 800 and the load detection unit 700. The determination of the suspended state of the human body is not limited to this example, and the determination may be made based on either the extension length of the suspension belt or the load.

The control pattern storage means 105 is provided in accordance with the position of the lifter main body 3 and the size of the clothes-type hanging device 8,
Further, various control parameters are stored for each of the lifting control and the hanging control, and an appropriate pattern in the control pattern storage means 105 is selected by the control pattern selection setting means 106 based on the result recognized by the current position recognition means. Then, set the stored various parameters.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the control pattern. Pattern 1 sets various parameters when the suspended person whose clothes-type hanging device has the size S is lifted from the bed and when the suspended person is suspended on the bed. Pattern 2 sets various parameters for lifting and suspending a suspended person whose suspension size is S from a toilet or a wheelchair. Patterns 3 to 6 set various parameters corresponding to different sizes of the clothes-type hanging device.

In the control pattern shown in FIG. 11, the size of the clothes-type hanger S, M, and L is initially set on the lifter main body as described later, and the current position of the lifter main body is determined by a reflection sticker attached to the rail and a photo sticker. The current position detecting unit 300 constituted by the interrupter detects the current position, and further controls lifting and hanging of the belt based on whether the “up” button or the “down” button of the remote controller is pressed. Is done.

Therefore, when the suspended person of the clothes type hanging device size S is on the bed and the "up" button of the remote controller is pressed, the control means automatically selects the lifting control parameter of the pattern 1, and The lifting control is started according to the parameters. Also, this suspended person reaches the toilet,
When the user presses the "down" button on the remote controller to drop on the toilet, the control means automatically selects the hanging control parameter of the pattern 2 and starts the hanging control according to this parameter. Hereinafter, the same selection is made for each pattern by the control means.

The operation of the above-described care lifter according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
First, the initial setting of the care lifter will be described. This nursing care lifter includes the physique of the suspended person, the physical size of the bed and toilet, the wheelchair, the suspension speed and the lateral movement speed, and the lateral movement height determined by the height of the toilet and wheelchair (the height at which the person can move laterally). A dip switch (not shown) for initial setting of various parameters such as S) is provided, and the initial setting is performed. This initial setting is usually set by the installer when installing the apparatus at the user's house, and does not need to be set by the suspended person or his caregiver during daily use.

Of the above parameters, the suspension speed and the lateral movement speed are set to such a speed that the suspended person does not feel fear. As for the physique of the suspended person, the dip switch is set in accordance with the size of the clothes-type hanging device such as S, M, and L. When the clothing size is set, the control parameters used for lifting, which will be described later, specifically, the various feeding lengths of the suspension belt are changed according to the size of the clothing-type hanging device.

Next, the basic operation of the present care lifter body will be described with reference to FIG. When the main care lifter main body 3 is powered on, an initial setting of the suspension belt payout length is first performed. First, the tension of the suspension belt is detected by the load detection unit 700, and while the lifting state determination unit 112 confirms that the human body is not suspended, the belt suspension unit 600 is operated to activate the thigh or shoulder suspension belt. Each belt is wound up until the mechanical stopper 37a is detected. This position is detected by the suspension belt feeding length detection unit 800, and the value is set as the feeding length origin of the suspension belt.

The detection of the mechanical stopper 37a of each belt is realized by detecting with a micro switch provided on the lifter body. Note that the detection of various parameters such as the thigh suspension belt lifting height and the shoulder suspension belt lifting height shown in FIG. 11 are all performed by detecting the extension length of the suspension belt. When the initial setting of the suspension belt payout length is completed, the apparatus waits for input from the remote controller. As described above, the infrared remote controller has five “up (upward movement)”, “down (downward movement)”, “left (left movement)”, “right (right movement)”, and “tight (urgent)”. There is a button. The apparatus operates only while any operation button is pressed. As a result, even if a sudden trouble occurs in the suspended person, secondary damage can be prevented by stopping the apparatus when the button is released. After the operation of each button, it is checked whether the power of the remote controller and the lifter body is abnormal.

The body of the care lifter is waiting on the bed where the suspended person usually spends, with the suspension belt wound up. This is because the suspended person is usually lying on the bed, and to use the nursing lifter when transferring to a toilet or a wheelchair, the request from the suspended person is made by waiting the nursing lifter on the bed. This is because it is possible to respond quickly.

Next, the operation of lifting the suspended person from the bed will be described. First, the suspended person (user) wakes up the bed with the electric remote controller attached to the bed and takes a sitting posture on the bed. Next, the "down" button of the infrared remote control attached to the apparatus is pressed, and the suspension belt is lowered to a height at which the suspended person can easily connect to the clothes-type hanging device worn by the suspended person. When the suspension belt is lowered to a desired height, the suspended person connects a total of four suspension belts on both shoulders and thighs to predetermined positions of the attached clothes-type suspenders.

When the connection to the clothes-type hanging device is completed and the suspended person presses the "up" button on the remote controller 9, the control unit 100 confirms that the current position of the care lifter main body 3 is on the bed. , A control pattern at that position is selected, and lifting control is performed based on the control parameters set by the selected pattern. Hereinafter, assuming that the "up" button of the infrared remote controller is continuously pressed by the suspended person, a control at the time of lifting the suspended person will be described with reference to a flowchart.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a flowchart in the case of carrying out lifting control, and FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing a state of a suspended person at a predetermined stage of control. When the "up" button is pressed in step S1 of FIG. 12, the control unit 100 drives the belt suspension unit 600 while determining whether the height of the thigh suspension belt is equal to or more than a predetermined value (step S2). The thigh suspension belt is wound up (step S3). Here, the predetermined value is the knee lifting height a1 shown in FIG. 11, and as shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (e), a height at which the knee bends about 15 to 20 degrees from the state where the knee is extended on the bed. That's it. Bending the knee to this angle prior to lifting prevents the clothes-type lifting device from shifting upward during lifting.

The height a1 varies depending on the size S, M, and L of the clothes-type hanging device of the suspended person as shown in FIG. 11, and the bed is set by a dip switch or the like at the initial setting as described above. The height can be automatically set by setting the height of the seat surface and the size of the clothes-type hanging device. Next, the shoulder suspension belt is wound up until the deflection of the shoulder suspension belt is eliminated, that is, until the tip of the shoulder suspension belt reaches the height b1 (steps S4 and S5). The state of the suspended person at this time is shown in FIG.

Next, both the shoulder suspension belt and the thigh suspension belt are connected to the body lifting height a2 at the end of each belt.
Wind up further until it comes to the position of b2 (step S6,
S7). This height is, for example, a bed fence, portable toilet,
The height is such that it can be safely moved without being disturbed by a wheelchair or the like, and is preset in advance as described above. The state of the suspended person at this time is shown in FIG.

When it is confirmed in step S6 that the body of the person to be suspended has reached the predetermined height, that is, the body lifting heights a2 and b2, then the shoulder suspension belt is moved to the shoulder end. The suspension belt is wound up to the seating posture height b3 (steps S8 and S9), and the seated posture of the suspended person is made suitable for sitting on a toilet or a wheelchair (see FIG. 13D).

In step S8, when it is confirmed that the suspended person has taken the correct sitting posture, the lifting control is stopped (step S10). Here, the suspended person erroneously presses the "up" button. If the tip of the thigh suspension belt exceeds the height a2 or the tip of the shoulder suspension belt exceeds the height b3 so that there is no danger even if the user keeps pushing, In response to this, an alarm such as a buzzer is issued, and the lifting drive motor is automatically stopped.

Next, with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 14, the control of the suspended person when it moves laterally between the bed and the toilet or wheelchair will be described. After the lifting control is completed, when the suspended person presses the "left" or "right" button of the infrared remote controller (step T1), the horizontal movable height initially set at the time of installation of the apparatus, that is, the above-described body lifting height It is determined whether or not the suspended person is being lifted at a2 and b2 based on the length of the suspension belt payout (step T).
2). This processing is performed by releasing the “up” button and “left” even though the suspended person is not lifted to the height a2.
Alternatively, when the "right" button is pressed, a buzzer is sounded (step T3) to warn of danger and to stop the movement control.

In step T2, if the suspended person has been lifted to the height a2, b2 at which it can move laterally, the lifter body 3 is moved to the right or left on the rail according to the button pressed in step T4. (Step T
5). If the “right” or “left” button is not pressed in step T4, the horizontal movement is stopped (step T4).
6).

Next, with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 15, the suspension control of the suspended person on a portable toilet or a wheelchair will be described. Note that, as apparent from the control pattern shown in FIG. 11, this suspension control is performed on the bed except for the difference in height parameter based on the difference between the height of the bed and the height of the seat surface of the toilet or wheelchair. It is the same as the suspension control above. Therefore, it should be noted that the flowchart of FIG. 15 also corresponds to hanging on a bed.

When the "down" button of the infrared remote controller is pressed, the current position of the lifter main body is confirmed, parameters are selected and set, and then the hanging control is started according to the flowchart of FIG. First, it is checked whether the "down" button is pressed (step P1). In step P2, the tip of the thigh suspension belt or the shoulder suspension belt is at a height a5 at which the belt can be detached from the clothes-type hanging device. It is determined whether or not b5 (a4, b4 in the case of hanging on a bed) has been reached. If not, the thigh and shoulder suspension belts are lowered (step P3).

If the height of the thigh or shoulder suspension belt becomes the belt removal height in step P2, it is determined in step P4 whether the height of the thigh or shoulder suspension belt is removable. If not, lower the thigh suspension belt. If the height has reached the removable height of the belt in step P4, it is determined in step P6 whether the height has reached the height at which the shoulder suspension belt can be removed. The belt is wound down (step P7), and when it reaches its height, the suspension control is stopped (step P8).

Similarly, in the case of lifting a suspended person from a toilet or a wheelchair, similarly, first, the thigh and shoulder suspension belts are independently controlled, and the belts are wound up until the respective belts are no longer bent. Roll up the belt together to the body lifting height. In the present embodiment, since the posture in the state of being suspended to the body lifting height is close to the sitting posture on the bed, posture control suitable for sitting on the bed is not performed. However, when finer seating posture control is required, it is also possible to control the height of the shoulder suspension belt seating posture so that the seating posture on the bed is achieved after the body is lifted to the body lifting height.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are flow charts showing control for ensuring safety when an emergency occurs during the operation of the apparatus (lifting, hanging and lateral movement). Note that these controls are executed by the control means of the control unit as interrupt processes prior to other processes. First, the control shown in FIG. 16 will be described. In step Q1, the control means determines whether the suspended person is lifted from a bed, a toilet, a wheelchair, or the like. This determination is made by the lifting height determination means 102 in FIG. 10 based on the belt feeding length detected by the hanging belt feeding length detecting unit 800. That is, the determination is made based on whether or not the extension length of the suspension belt is less than a length that allows the human body to float in the air.

If a negative determination (N) is made in step Q1, it is determined that the suspended person is not at the lifting height, and the subsequent processing is not performed. That is, it is unlikely that an abnormal situation will occur due to the operation of the apparatus in a state in which the hanging belt is extended or the work is being connected to or released from the clothes hanging tool 8 or the like. If the answer is affirmative (Y) in step Q1, the process moves to step Q2 to determine whether or not the belt has a load abnormality. Belt load abnormality means that when there are a plurality of belts, the tension of one or more of the belts becomes abnormally small compared to other belts and the balance between the belts is lost, or one or more belts are out of balance. Means that more load is applied than when the human body is lifted on the belt.
In the former case, if the belt has come off during lifting due to insufficient connection between the human body suspender and the belt,
Or, it simply corresponds to the case where the belt is broken. As an example of the latter, it is assumed that a limb or clothes of the suspended person is caught on a handrail of a bed or something else and a force greater than the suspended person's weight is applied to the entire belt.

If it is determined in step Q2 that the load is abnormal (Y), the control means determines in step Q3 whether or not the current position of the suspended person can be lowered. This determination is made by recognizing the current position of the lifter main body 3 based on the position information from the current position recognition means using a photo interrupter or the like, as described in the description of the lifting and hanging control. It is performed. In this embodiment, when the current position of the lifter is on a bed, a toilet, or a wheelchair, the lifter can safely descend.

If it is determined in step Q3 that the current position of the lifter main body is not a place where the lifter can descend, step Q
At 4, the operation of stopping the operation of the lifter main body and sounding a buzzer to report a danger is performed. Such a state occurs not when the lifter is lifted or hung, but exclusively when the lifter is moved laterally. When it is determined in step Q3 that the current position of the lifter main body is a place where the lifter main body can be lowered, the vertical and horizontal movement of the lifter main body is temporarily stopped in step Q5, and then the lifter main body lowering control is started. next,
In step Q6, it is determined whether or not the suspended person has completely descended. If the result is affirmative (Y), the process returns to the start and repeats the above control.

If it is determined in step Q6 that the suspended person has not completely fallen on the bed, the toilet, or the wheelchair, the processes from step Q3 to step Q6 are completely performed by the suspended person in a safe place. Repeat until lowered. As described above, this device will
The system automatically stops the operation of the lifter main body, confirms that the lifter main body is above the descentable position, and automatically lowers the suspended person based on the confirmation. As a result, the suspended person can descend to a safe place even if the lifter malfunctions and its operation stops, and the suspended person is released from being suspended in an unstable posture and suspended in the air. You.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing control for ensuring safety when an input from an operating device, that is, a remote controller is interrupted for a certain period of time during lifting and suspending operations of the lifter main body. In this device, as described above,
The lifter main body is configured to move up, down, and laterally only when the suspended person presses each of the up, down, and lateral operation buttons of the remote control. Therefore, if the suspended person suddenly loses consciousness during lifting or hanging, the signal from the remote controller is interrupted, and the suspended person is left in a suspended state.

In this apparatus, in order to avoid such a situation, the control shown in FIG. 17 is executed by interrupt processing.
First, in step R1, it is determined whether the suspended person is being lifted. This judgment is made by judging by the hoisting state judging means 112 (see FIG. 10) whether or not the extending length of the suspending belt is less than the predetermined length and whether a load is applied to the suspending belt.

If it is determined in step R1 that the suspended person is not in the lifted state (N), step R is executed again.
Execute 1. If it is determined that it is in the suspended state, it is determined in the next step R2 whether or not an operation signal (a signal from the remote controller 9) has been received. If an operation signal has been received, the timer is reset and started in step R3, and it is determined in the next step R4 whether two minutes have elapsed from that state.

If two minutes have not elapsed in step R4 (N), the flow returns to step R2 to detect whether or not the operation signal has been received again. If the suspended person is operating the remote controller 9 normally, the operation signal is received and the timer is reset, so that the timer does not exceed two minutes, and therefore the process proceeds from the step R4 to the notification / notification step R5. Absent. On the other hand, if no operation signal has been received in step R2,
Step R determines whether or not the period of no reception exceeds 2 minutes.
If it is determined at 4 that the time exceeds 2 minutes, it is determined that an emergency has occurred in the suspended state and the suspended person cannot operate the remote control 9 by himself, and the buzzer is sounded at the next step R5. Ring to call a healthy person elsewhere in the home or, if necessary, call a security company or external emergency contact.

Note that the elapsed time of 2 minutes set here is an example, and it goes without saying that it can be set arbitrarily according to the situation. As described above, in the apparatus of the present invention, the "suspended" (upward movement),
The system automatically recognizes and reports an abnormal situation even if it is no longer possible to operate the "Down (Move Down)", "Left (Move Left)", or "Right (Move Right)" buttons. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the suspended person is left in a suspended state for a long time as in the related art.

[0074]

As described above, according to the nursing care lifter of the present invention, even if any abnormal situation occurs when a human body is lifted and moved in a plurality of places, the state of the state is maintained. The system can automatically take appropriate security measures. As a result, the user can use it with confidence and reliability, which is very effective in promoting the independence of the physically handicapped.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing one mode of use of a care lifter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the lifter, specifically showing a lifting position by a suspension belt including a shoulder suspension belt and a thigh suspension belt.

FIG. 3 shows the lifter main body when the lifter moves between positions along a straight path using the weight of a human body or the like as a load.
FIG. 3 is a top view as viewed from above.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the lifter as viewed from below.

FIG. 5 is a front view and a rear view of an embodiment of a clothes-type hanging device worn by a suspended person.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a care lifter main body.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a current position detection unit.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a load detection unit.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an infrared remote controller.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control pattern.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining lifting control of a care lifter main body.

FIG. 13 is a view for explaining lifting control according to the flowchart of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining lateral movement control of the care lifter main body.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining hanging control of the care lifter main body.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining control for coping with an abnormal situation during use of the care lifter.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating another control for coping with an abnormal situation during use of the care lifter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Rail 2a ... Reflective seal 3 ... Lifter main body 3a ... Belt suspension device 3b ... Photo interrupter 3c ... Electric box 4 ... Suspension belt 4a ... Thigh suspension belt 4b ... Shoulder suspension belt 8 ... Clothes type suspension Tool 9 Remote control 10 Bed 11a Portable toilet 11b Wheelchair 13 Moving drive motor 22a Suspension drive motor 22b Suspension drive motor 34a, 34b Encoder 35a, 35a 'Suspension belt tension detector M: Suspended person 100: Control means 105: Control pattern storage means 200: Running unit 300: Current position detection unit 600: Belt suspension unit 700: Load detection unit 800: Suspended belt extension length detection unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A belt suspension unit that connects a suspension belt to a human body suspender to raise or lower a human body, a load detection unit that detects a load applied to the suspension belt, and a load abnormality during the lifting of the human body. And a control unit that performs a descent control when the determination is made. 2. The nursing care according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of suspension belts, and the control unit determines that the load is abnormal when a load applied to at least one of the plurality of suspension belts is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Lifter. 3. The care lifter according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the human body is in a suspended state based on the extension length of the suspension belt. 4. The vehicle further comprising: a traveling unit that travels on a rail; and a current position detection unit that detects a current position of the suspended human body, wherein the control unit determines that a predetermined position on the rail is determined by the current position detection unit. The care lifter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lowering drive is enabled only when the detection is performed. 5. The current position detection unit has a light irradiating unit and a light receiving unit for receiving reflected light of the light, and determines a predetermined location based on return light from a reflecting member attached to a predetermined location on the rail. The care lifter according to claim 4, which is an optical sensor for detecting. 6. A suspension unit for connecting a suspension belt to a human body suspender to raise or lower a human body, a load detection unit for detecting a load applied to the suspension belt, and a predetermined operation signal during the suspension of the human body. A care lifter comprising: a control unit that notifies an abnormality when a period is not detected.