JP2002078749A - Wheel for wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheelchair capable of getting over ruggedness with a little force. SOLUTION: The wheel for wheelchair is provided with a large number of radially protruded elastic projections 1A on its outer periphery. This wheel can be used as a tire for a front wheel of the wheelchair and by caching and hooking the elastic projections 1A with an obstacle, the wheelchair can get over the obstacle even with a little force by easily transmitting the force. Besides, the elastic projections 1A absorb a shock caused by ruggedness. Further, these wheels can be located on a wheel bearing arm 3, which is mounted on a main body of wheelchair while being inclined to push up the top end thereof, as well.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wheel used for a wheelchair.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the population is aging and an aging society is imminent. On the other hand, there are increasing calls for realizing a barrier-free society that is friendly to the physically handicapped. Social maintenance has been improved with the aim of creating a society that is friendly not only to healthy people but also to the elderly and the disabled.

[0003]

However, since it is not possible to rapidly improve social infrastructure facilities, there is a need for a wheelchair that is easy to use so that it can be moved with little burden in the current state. I have. Wheelchairs have long been used as movement assisting means, but it is not easy to move on uneven roads due to the structure of rotating wheels for movement.

In particular, traveling on an uneven surface requires a large amount of momentum. If there are even slight depressions or steps on the ground, it will be a great job for a healthy person to get over these in a wheelchair without any problems. In particular, since the front wheel of a wheelchair is small in size, even a slight unevenness is an obstacle. Elderly people with weak muscles will not be able to escape if the front wheel gets into the depression. In order to make it easy to get over the unevenness, it is conceivable to make the wheels larger. However, the size of the front wheel of a wheelchair is determined in consideration of ease of movement, ease of direction change, and the like, and it is difficult to change the size. If the wheels were to be made larger, not only would they become heavier, but the mechanism for rotating the front wheels for turning would be larger, and more space was needed for the front wheels to rotate, further hindering the folding structure. However, there is a disadvantage that handling becomes extremely difficult. Also, the impact when overcoming obstacles increases.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a main object of the present invention to provide an improved wheelchair that can be overcome by a relatively small force even on a road with steps or depressions, which is originally a weak point of a wheelchair.

[0006]

To achieve the above object, a wheelchair wheel according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises:
A large number of radially protruding elastic projections 1A are provided around the wheel.

A wheelchair wheel according to a second aspect of the present invention is a linear elastic projection 1a in which the elastic projection 1A is extended in a string shape.

Further, in the wheelchair wheel according to the third aspect of the present invention, the elastic projection 1A is a flat elastic projection 1b extended in a belt shape.

Further, in a wheelchair wheel according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the wheel is a front wheel 1 of a wheelchair.

Further, in the wheelchair wheel according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the axles of the plurality of wheels are respectively arranged in parallel.

The wheelchair wheel according to claim 6 of the present invention has a large number of elastic projections 1A projecting radially.
And a wheel bearing arm 3 that is rotatably supported on a straight line, and is tilted so as to lift up its tip and mounted on the wheelchair body.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below exemplify wheelchair wheels for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify wheelchair wheels to the following.

Further, in this specification, in order to facilitate understanding of the claims, the numbers corresponding to the members described in the embodiments will be referred to as "columns of the claims" and " In the column of “Means of the above”. However, the members described in the claims are not limited to the members of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a wheelchair provided with the wheelchair wheel of the present invention. The wheelchair shown in the schematic side view includes a wheelchair main body frame 4, a large wheel 2 rotatably mounted on the main body frame 4, a wheel bearing arm 3 fixed to protrude forward of the main body frame 4, and a wheel bearing arm. 3 is provided with a plurality of front wheels 1 rotatably attached.

The wheel bearing arm 3 is not parallel to the ground, but is fixed by being inclined so as to lift forward with respect to a horizontal plane. A plurality of front wheels 1 are rotatably mounted on the wheel bearing arm 3. The wheels are arranged on the same plane so that their rotation axes are parallel to each other and are aligned along the wheel bearing arm 3.

In this figure, three sets of front wheels 1 are provided on the left and right sides so as to be arranged in a line. However, the present invention does not specify the number of wheels as three sets. For example, two or one set can be used, or four or more sets can be used. When the number of front wheels is reduced, the size of the device itself is reduced, the handling is easy, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Conversely, if there are many wheels, a large obstacle can be overcome, but the device becomes large and it becomes difficult to handle. For this reason, the number of front wheels is optimally determined according to the size, application, and purpose of the wheelchair to be used.

The wheel bearing arm 3 is held at the front of the wheelchair with one end fixed to the body frame and the other inclined so as to be positioned upward. The wheel bearing arm 3 that is inclined so as to lift forward can easily get over an obstacle. This is because, when there is an obstacle in the traveling direction, the obstacle can be wrapped under the front wheel 1 so that the obstacle can be hooked and can be passed over the front wheel 1 as a fulcrum.

In particular, by inclining the wheel bearing arm 3, the height at which each front wheel 1 is located is maintained differently for each wheel. In the wheelchair having this structure, an appropriate one of the front wheels 1 can contact and be used as a fulcrum depending on the height of the obstacle, so that it is easy to get over obstacles of different heights.

In addition, by inclining the wheel bearing arm 3, it can be used advantageously on a slope. Because the surface at the beginning of the slope comes in contact with the wheel at the tip and can pass smoothly,
It is also convenient when an assistant pushes a wheelchair. At the same time, even at the end of a downhill, the front of the lifted wheels touches the ground first, which absorbs the shock and has the advantage of being used more safely.

The angle of inclination of the wheel bearing arm 3 is determined according to the total length of the wheel bearing arm 3, the diameter and number of the front wheels 1, and the expected size range of the obstacle to be overcome. For example, 5 ° to 45 °, preferably 10 °
The angle is adjusted in the range of from 40 to 40, more preferably from 15 to 30.

Consider the case where three wheels are used in the wheelchair shown in FIG.
The length of the wheel bearing arm 3 is about 30 cm for two wheels and a margin. If the angle between the wheel bearing arm 3 and the horizontal plane is 30 °, the height of the tip of the wheel bearing arm 3 from the ground is about 15 cm. Assuming that the height of an obstacle over which one wheel can easily pass is about the radius of the wheel, the height of a wheel having a diameter of 10 cm is 5 cm. Therefore, in the embodiment, the calculation is three times as large as that of an obstacle of 15 cm.

The wheel bearing arm 3 shown in the figure has a structure firmly fixed to a wheelchair body frame. The wheel bearing arm 3 can be fixed integrally with the frame,
It can be fixed by welding.

Further, the wheel bearing arm 3 may be detachable so as to be mounted on an existing wheelchair.
The wheelchair wheel having this structure has an advantage that it can be used more conveniently by using the conventional resources by being mounted in front of the front wheel of an existing wheelchair.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the case where the angle formed between the wheel bearing arm 3 and the horizontal plane is fixed, but can be freely changed as needed. The wheel bearing arm 3 having this structure is realized by, for example, providing a rotating shaft at a rear end portion of the wheel bearing arm 3 so as to be rotatable, and fixing the angle to a frame with a screw or a lock mechanism while keeping the angle constant. it can. If necessary, loosen the screw to release the fixing state, adjust the angle, and then tighten the screw again to fix it. Wheelchair wheels with a configuration that can change the angle as needed can be adjusted optimally according to the strength of the user, the situation of the place where it is used, the size of obstacles, etc. is there.

Furthermore, by providing an elastic body such as a spring on a part of the wheel bearing arm 3, the angle formed between the wheel bearing arm 3 and the horizontal plane is not always constant, but varies according to the obstacle. Can also. A wheelchair with this structure
A rotation shaft is provided at the rear end of the wheel bearing arm 3 so as to be rotatable, and is mounted so as to be rotatable with a predetermined force by an elastic body via the rotation shaft. If the angle formed by the wheel bearing arm 3 and the horizontal plane is too large, it becomes rather difficult to use. Therefore, the rotation shaft portion is provided with, for example, a rotation stop mechanism so as not to open beyond a predetermined angle. In the wheel bearing arm 3 having this structure, the elastic body of the rotating shaft portion of the wheel bearing arm 3 is elastically deformed in accordance with the height and size of the obstacle, so that the angle becomes close to the obstacle. The feature that effectively applies force to obstacles and makes it easy to overcome obstacles is realized.

Alternatively, the rotating shaft of the wheel bearing arm 3 can be provided not only at one position but also at a plurality of positions. Furthermore, the wheel bearing arm 3 itself may be elastically deformed by providing elasticity to the wheel bearing arm 3 itself in addition to or without providing the rotating shaft. The elasticity of the rotating shaft and the elasticity of the wheel bearing arm 3 itself are set to optimal values according to the user and the intended use.

Each front wheel 1 is provided with a large number of elastic projections 1A on its outer peripheral surface. The elastic projection 1A has elasticity,
Various types that project radially outward from the front wheel 1 can be used. For example, one having many string-like linear elastic projections 1a as shown in FIG.
And a plate-like elastic projection 1b extended in a band shape as shown in FIG. The linear elastic projection 1a has an advantage that each elastic projection has a high degree of freedom and is easily entangled with an object such as an obstacle. In addition, the flat elastic protrusion 1b has a merit that it can be easily caught by an obstacle to be overcome, and can easily overcome the obstacle with less force because of the structure that easily transmits the received force.

However, the shape of the elastic projection is not limited to these,
For example, cross sections are circular, elliptical, triangular, polygonal, rhombic,
Any shape such as a star, a U-shape, an L-shape, an H-shape, and a hollow shape can be used. These projections are preferably formed integrally with the rubber portion of the front wheel. However, the elastic projection may be bonded and welded to the front wheel as a separate member. Alternatively, a structure in which a flange is provided at one end of the elastic projection, a through hole is formed in the outer periphery of the front wheel, and the elastic projection is inserted from the inside and held so as not to be removed by the flange can also be used.

The elastic projection 1A is made of an elastic material, for example, synthetic rubber. When the front wheel 1 and the elastic projection 1A are integrally formed, the same material as the rubber constituting the tire portion of the front wheel 1 is used. Since the elastic projection 1A is a portion that comes into contact with the ground and receives a load, a material having sufficient strength and resistance in consideration of wear is used.

Front wheel 1 from which a number of elastic projections 1A project
Can absorb the shock due to the unevenness of the ground during traveling by the elasticity of the elastic projections 1A and make the traveling smooth,
Even when it gets over a convex part or a concave part, it can get over with a relatively small force by the action of the elastic projection 1A. Also, the elasticity of the projection itself has the effect of reducing the impact when it comes into contact with an obstacle. Further, since the contact area with the ground is increased, there is also an anti-slip effect. For example, there is an advantage that even when the ground is frozen, it can be used stably.

The above-described example has shown the configuration in which the wheel bearing arm 3 includes the plurality of front wheels 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described example, and may be configured without an arm. In a wheelchair without an arm, a front wheel portion is replaced with a normal tire, and a tire having an elastic projection 1A is used. The wheelchair having this configuration has an advantage that the conventional wheelchair can be improved very easily because it is only necessary to replace the existing front tire with a tire having the elastic projection 1A.

FIGS. 2 to 4 show how the wheelchair wheel of the present invention gets over an obstacle. The obstacles shown in these figures are, for example, square convex steps. Obstacles that project vertically from the ground in such a configuration require the most effort to get over the wheels. In order for the wheel to cross the rectangular ridge, it is necessary to apply a force to lift the wheel, that is, the wheelchair upward, where the contact portion between the wheel and the ridge is always linear and the contact area is extremely small. This is because it is necessary to apply pressure. In addition, since the point of application of the force is not fixed, there is a problem that the applied force is not sufficiently transmitted due to slippage.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the elastic projections 1A extend in a direction radiating from the center of the front wheel 1 to the outside.
Part of the vehicle comes into contact with the obstacle, wrapping around the obstacle, and this part is caught and helps the front wheel 1 to get over the obstacle. As shown in FIG. 2, when the front wheel 1 contacts an obstacle for the first time, the elastic projection 1A that comes into contact with the obstacle is covered from above. Due to the rotational force and centrifugal force of the front wheel 1, the elastic projection 1A winds around the obstacle. In other words, when the wheel normally tries to go over the obstacle, the contact portion between the wheel and the obstacle becomes linear, so that considerable force must be applied, but this is an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2
In FIG. 4, the elastic projections 1 contact with obstacles so as to cover them.
A has a large contact area due to the presence of several A's, and is wrapped around by the overlying elastic projection 1A, so that the point of action is fixed and slip loss is reduced, so that it is easy to overcome even with a small force. Will be able to

Further, if the wheel for a wheelchair of the present invention is used, it is possible to easily get over not only a convex portion but also a concave portion on the ground. Assuming that there is a recess as shown in FIG. 1, it is usually difficult to escape once the wheel fits into the recess. However, in the present invention, when the wheel first falls into the concave portion, the impact is reduced by the elasticity of the protruding elastic projection 1A. Furthermore, it functions in the same manner as the above-mentioned beginning of climbing of the convex portion, and can easily get over. That is,
Since the elastic projection 1A that comes into contact with the wall of the recess becomes entangled and wrapped around, the contact area increases, the point of action is fixed, and slipping and pushing back are reduced. Will be able to

The elastic projections 1A do not need to be perfectly uniform in length and may have some variation. However, if the variation is large, rotation unevenness occurs and the center of gravity becomes unstable. So that The average length of the elastic projection 1A is set to an appropriate length according to the use situation. The longer the elastic projection 1A, the greater the above-mentioned effect of getting over, and the shorter the elastic projection, the closer to a normal wheel. However, if the elastic projection 1A is too long, it tends to be uneven and hinders normal running. Therefore, the average length of the elastic projection 1A is, for example, 20% to 200%, preferably 50% to 150%, more preferably 80% to 1% of the radial length of the front wheel 1.
20%, most preferably 90% to 110%.

The elastic projection 1A extends in a direction radially extending from the center of the front wheel 1 to the outer periphery. In the front wheel 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
It is slightly inclined with respect to the rotation direction. The wheelchair wheel having this structure is easily entangled with an obstacle to be climbed over, so that it is easier to climb over the wheelchair more reliably. On the other hand, the elastic projection 1A may be slightly inclined in a direction opposite to the rotation direction.

The wheelchair of this structure gets over obstacles as follows. (1) As shown in FIG. 2, the front wheel 1 of the wheelchair approaches a convex obstacle. In this example, since the size of the obstacle is small, in a wheelchair having a plurality of front wheels 1 arranged in parallel, the rearmost wheel contacts the obstacle. In other words, for example, in a wheelchair having three rows of front wheels 1 as shown in FIG. 1, only the last row of front wheels 1 is in contact, and the two rows of front wheels 1 provided before this are not in contact. The front wheel 1 provided at the front portion is used when overcoming a larger obstacle. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, it is used when the vehicle gets over a step located on the left side in the figure.

(2) As shown in FIG. 2, when the front wheel 1 comes into contact with the obstacle, the elastic projection 1A that comes into contact with the obstacle is pressed and compressed by the elasticity of the elastic projection 1A itself, and the impact of the collision is reduced. You. Then, the elastic projections 1A located above the compressed elastic projections 1A cover the obstacle as the front wheel 1 rotates.

(3) As shown in FIG. 3, the overlying elastic projections 1A are hooked, and the front wheel 1 is lifted up at this point as a fulcrum. The greatest need to overcome obstacles is for the front wheel 1 to cross over the mountain of obstacles. In particular, considerable effort is required for the front end of the wheel to collide with an obstacle and get over the obstacle, in other words, to raise the front wheel 1. In this embodiment, by providing a large number of elastic projections 1A, the contact area between the front wheel 1 and the obstacle is increased, and the force point is fixed so as to be hooked, so that the applied force is smoothly transmitted.

(4) By making the elastic projection 1A make a catching portion for going over the obstacle, the front wheel 1 can go over the obstacle with a relatively weak force as shown in FIG.
Once the front wheel 1 reaches the top of the convex portion, the front wheel 1 goes down and the front wheel 1 can easily go down the obstacle by its own weight. When the front wheel 1 gets over the convex portion and reaches the flat surface of the ground, the elasticity of the protruding elastic projection 1 </ b> A absorbs the impact when coming into contact with the ground.

(5) Once the front wheel 1 has passed over an uneven obstacle, it is relatively easy for the rear wheel to get over the obstacle. This is because the diameter of the rear wheel is generally larger than that of the front wheel 1. Also, the point of application of the force in contact with the obstacle is below the user. In other words, the applied point is closer to the person applying the force, and the applied force is more easily transmitted.

The present invention can be used in either a powered wheelchair without power, in a motorized type, or in a semi-manual / semi-self-propelled wheelchair.

[0043]

As described above, the wheelchair wheel of the present invention realizes a wheelchair that can overcome obstacles such as unevenness on the ground with a small force. This is because the present invention provides a large number of elastic projections on the wheelchair wheel. Numerous elastic projections provide snagging with obstacles when overcoming obstacles, such as bumps. The formation of the portion that catches on the obstacle provides resistance to the force pushing the wheel back, and reduces the force to get over. That is, the obstacle can be overcome with a weaker force than usual. For this reason, the present invention realizes a feature that an obstacle such as a step, which is a weak point of a wheelchair, can be easily overcome by even a weak person such as an elderly person or a physically handicapped person and used conveniently.

Also, since the elastic projections provided on the tires absorb the shocks themselves, the shocks when the vehicle touches the ground by overcoming the shocks are alleviated, and the shocks to the wheelchair occupants can be reduced, so that the tires can be used safely. is there. Furthermore,
Since the elastic projections absorb irregularities on the ground, there is also an advantage that the impact transmitted to the user is reduced and the vehicle can travel comfortably.

As described above, according to the present invention, a relatively simple structure in which elastic projections are provided on wheels without increasing the size of the conventional wheel for a wheelchair can be used in the form of replacement with the conventional wheel, or the existing wheel. By adding it to the wheels, it realizes the feature that existing wheelchairs can be used more conveniently.

In the wheelchair wheel according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of wheels are mounted on the wheel bearing arm. Since the wheel bearing arm is inclined so as to lift forward, it can easily get over obstacles of various sizes including a larger obstacle. In addition, since the start of climbing a hill can pass smoothly, it is convenient when an assistant pushes a wheelchair. Similarly, even at the end of a downhill, the front of the lifted wheel touches the ground first, absorbing the impact, and has the advantage that it can be used more safely.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a state in which the front wheel shown in FIG. 1 passes over an obstacle.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the front wheel shown in FIG. 1 gets over an obstacle.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the front wheel shown in FIG. 1 gets over an obstacle.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a front wheel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a wheel for a wheelchair according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Front wheel 1A ... Elastic protrusion 1a ... Linear elastic protrusion 1b ... Flat elastic protrusion 2 ... Large wheel 3 ... Wheel bearing arm 4 ... Body frame

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A wheelchair wheel having at least one set of left and right wheels having a plurality of radially protruding elastic projections provided on an outer peripheral surface thereof. 2. The wheelchair for a wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the elastic projection is a linear elastic projection extended in a string shape. 3. The wheelchair wheel according to claim 1, wherein the elastic projection is a flat elastic projection extending in a belt shape. 4. The wheel of claim 1, wherein the wheel is a front wheel of a wheelchair.
A wheel for a wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The wheelchair wheel according to claim 1, wherein the axles of the plurality of wheels are spaced apart in parallel and arranged on the same plane. 6. A front wheel for a wheelchair, wherein a plurality of radially protruding elastic projections are provided around the periphery of the front wheel, and the plurality of wheels are rotatably supported on a straight line so as to lift a tip. A wheelchair wheel including a wheel bearing arm that is mounted on the wheelchair body at an angle.