JP2002165676A - Cushioning material and wheelchair equipped therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cushioning material capable of imparting comfortableness to a user in use without giving a feeling of floating or bottoming out feeling regardless of the body weight of the user. SOLUTION: This cushioning material 20 has a seating part 21 in a position receiving the body weight of the user most. The seating part 21 is formed by laminating a first cushion body 22, a second cushion body 23 and a third cushion body 24 in order from above, and the cushioning material 20 is housed in a cover 25. The first cushion body 22 is formed harder than the second cushion body 23 and thicker than the second cushion body 23 in the seating part. The third cushion body 24 is formed harder than the second cushion body 23 and thinner than the second cushion body 23 in the seating part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cushion material using a material such as urethane foam and a wheelchair using the cushion material as a seat.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As cushion materials used for chairs and mats, those disclosed in JP-A-2000-37265 are known. This cushioning material, as shown in FIG.
Produce a cushion portion filled with a thermoplastic material having elasticity at normal temperature between the skin material and the back material that are shaped with irregularities, and provide a concave portion in the base material made of urethane foam,
The cushion portion is fitted into the recess.

In the prior art described above, a cushion portion filled with a thermoplastic material is provided in a portion where the weight of the user acts, so that deformation when a load acts is reduced, and a load from one direction is reduced. To provide a comfortable cushion feeling.

[0004] As described above, by stacking cushion materials having different hardnesses, it is possible to obtain a cushion material that can be widely applied to the weight of the user. That is, when a user with a light weight sits, the deflection amount of a soft (low hardness) portion becomes an appropriate value, and when a user with a heavy weight sits, the deflection amount of a hard (high hardness) portion becomes an appropriate value. The range of application expands.

[0005]

However, there is a need for a cushion material that can be applied more widely to the weight of the user. In particular, in a wheelchair, when the thickness of the seat is increased, the armrest becomes relatively lower, which impairs the operability of the wheel. Therefore, the thickness of a cushion material used as a wheelchair seat is limited to about 50 mm. As described above, in a limited thickness range, for example, from a user weighing 40 kg or less to a user weighing more than 80 kg, a sitting comfort without a feeling of lifting (floating) or feeling with bottom (sinking). Providing a good cushioning material has not been achieved conventionally.

[0006] In the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-37265, the cushion portion can be replaced. However, since the cushion portion is simply fitted into the concave portion of the base material, the user is not allowed to replace the cushion portion. The user tends to come off when moving, and the hardness changes abruptly at the boundary between the cushion portion and the base material, so that the user feels uncomfortable.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems,
In the present invention, a part of the cushion material is provided with a seating part for receiving the weight of the user intensively, and as a structure of the seating part,
The first cushion body, the second cushion body, and the third cushion body have a three-layer structure in which the first cushion body is laminated in the thickness direction in order from the top, and the first cushion body has a lower hardness than the second cushion body, The thickness is greater than the thickness of the second cushion body in the seating portion, the hardness of the third cushion body is higher than the thickness of the second cushion body, and the thickness is greater than the thickness of the second cushion body in the seating portion. I made it thin.

[0008] By adopting the above configuration, it is possible to increase the allowable weight range of the user while keeping the overall thickness of the cushion material within a certain range.

The three-layer structure defines a basic structure of the seating portion. For example, the three-layer structure is provided between the first cushion body and the second cushion body or between the second cushion body and the third cushion body. Another layer interposed between the cushion member and the cushion body is also within the scope of the present invention.

The preferred hardness of each of the cushion bodies is as follows. First, the hardness of the second cushion body is 0.3 to 3.0 N / c at 25% compression load.
m ² , the hardness of the first cushion body is 0.05 to 2.5 N / cm ² at a 25% compression load, and the hardness of the third cushion body is 0.5 to 70 N / cm at a 25% compression load. cm
²

The material of each cushion body is such that the second cushion body and the first cushion body are made of urethane foam, and the third cushion body is a plate gel made of polystyrene resin and butyl rubber, or silicon. And olefin-based plate-like gels having viscoelasticity.

Further, a trapezoidal concave portion is formed in the upper surface of the second cushion body in a side view in the direction, and the first cushion member having a trapezoidal shape in a side view is fitted into the concave portion. In this case, the structure can be easily attached and detached, and is hard to be detached even if the user moves back and forth while sitting. In addition, since the thickness of the first cushion body gradually changes at the end of the seating portion by adopting such a shape, the change in hardness becomes continuous, which is felt by a cushion in which a conventional material is combined. No uncomfortable feeling at the boundary of the material.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a wheelchair to which the cushioning material according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cushioning material with a portion cut away, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cushioning material, and FIG. Exploded view of cushion material, FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a use state.

First, a schematic structure of a wheelchair will be described. A frame made of a lightweight aluminum pipe material is disposed substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction and has left and right seat pipes 1 whose front ends extend obliquely downward. Left and right back pipes 2 extending rearward and upward, left and right lower pipes 3 arranged parallel to the seat pipe 2 below the seat pipe 1, and a cross pipe 4 erected between appropriate places between the left and right pipe members. Consists of

An armrest 5 is provided between the seat pipe 1 and the back pipe 2. The armrest 5 is detachable from the seat pipe 1 and gets on and off with the armrest 5 removed.

A small-diameter pipe 6 is inserted into the front end of the seat pipe 1 from below and can be fixed at a predetermined position. A footrest 7 is attached to the small-diameter pipe 6, Is mounted with a small-diameter front wheel 8 having a caster function, and a large-diameter rear wheel 9 is supported at the rear of the lower pipe 3. Outside the rear wheel 9, the user mounts the rear wheel 9 by his / her own force. A wheel 10 for rotating is fixed.

The cushion member 20 of the present invention is placed as a seat on the cross plate 11 provided between the left and right seat pipes 1, 1. Cushion material 20
Is constituted by stacking a first cushion body 22, a second cushion body 23, and a third cushion body 24 in order from the top, where the part receiving the weight of the user is the most. , This cushion material 20 is covered 2
5 inside.

A trapezoidal recess 26 having a trapezoidal shape in a side view is formed on the upper surface of the second cushion body 23 in the width direction, and a first cushion 22 body having a trapezoidal shape in a side view is formed in the concave portion 26. Is detachably attached. Also, the second
A concave portion 27 is also formed on the lower surface of the cushion body 23, and the third cushion body 24 is fitted in the concave portion 27.

As described above, by making the boundary between the first cushion 22 and the second cushion body 23 oblique, the change in hardness of the seating portion becomes continuous, and the sense of discomfort is eliminated. Further, both ends of the concave portion 26 are connected to the second cushion body 23.
The recess 26 can be easily formed, the first cushion body 22 can be easily attached and detached, and furthermore, it is hard to be displaced in the front-rear direction. The recesses 2 of the first cushion 22 and the third cushion body 24
Since no adhesive or adhesive is used for attachment to 6, 27, it is advantageous from the viewpoint of health and environment, but it may be fixed by using an adhesive or adhesive.

The first cushion body 22 and the second cushion body 23 are formed by molding or cutting a soft urethane foam, and the third cushion body 24 is made of a plate-like gel. As the material of the plate-like gel, any material having a viscoelasticity such as a silicone-based or polyurethane-based material may be used in addition to a material mainly composed of polystyrene resin and butyl rubber.

The first cushion body 22 is
The hardness (T1) is lower than the thickness of the second cushion body 23 at the seating portion (T2).
The thickness of the third cushion body 24 is higher than that of the second cushion body 23, and the thickness (T3) is smaller than the thickness (T2) of the second cushion body at the seating portion. I have.

Specifically, the hardness of the first cushion body 22 is 0.05 to 2.5 N / cm ² at a 25% compressive load,
The hardness of the second cushion body 23 is 0.3 to 3.0 N / cm ² at a 25% compression load, and the hardness of the third cushion body 24 is 0.5 to 70 N / cm ² at a 25% compression load. Is preferred.

In the above, the cushion bodies 22, 23,
If the hardness difference between the first and second cushions 24 and 24 is large, the thigh may easily feel uncomfortable when seated. Therefore, the difference in hardness between the first cushion body 22 and the second cushion body 23 should be within 2.0 N / cm ^2. , The second cushion body 23 and the third cushion body 2
It is preferable that the difference in hardness from No. 4 is within 60 N / cm ² .

The thickness (T1) of the seating portion of the first cushion body 22 in the vertical direction is 13 to 55 mm,
The thickness (T2) in the vertical direction of the seating portion of the cushion body 23 is 3 to 30 mm, and the thickness (T3) in the vertical direction of the seating portion of the third cushion body 24 is 1 to 20 mm. In the case of a wheelchair seat, the overall thickness is 40.
６０60 mm is standard.

When the user sits on the cushion material having the above-described structure, the first cushion body 22, the second cushion body 23, and the third cushion body 24 bend within an appropriate range as shown in FIG. Comfortable sitting comfort is obtained.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views showing another embodiment of the first cushion body 22. The first cushion body 22 has a seating surface as shown in FIG. It is convenient to prepare various types according to the user's physique, such as a type with a protruding side or a type with a concave central part as shown in (b).

FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are rear views showing another embodiment of the third cushion body 24. The third cushion body 24 may have the same shape as the first cushion body 22. It is good, but it may be a plurality of strips as shown in (a) or a shape adapted to the acting body pressure distribution as shown in (b). Further, the concave portion 27 may not be provided on the back surface of the second cushion body 23, and the third cushion body 24 may be directly attached to the back surface of the second cushion body 23.

Further, in the illustrated example, a wheelchair is shown as an optimum application example of the cushioning material according to the present invention, but the cushioning material according to the present invention can be applied to a chair other than a wheelchair.

[0029]

As described above, according to the cushioning material of the present invention, the first cushion, the second cushion, and the third cushion are used as the structure of the seat for supporting the weight of the user. Were laminated in the thickness direction in order from the top 3
The first cushion body has a lower hardness than the second cushion body, has a thickness greater than the thickness of the second cushion body at the seating portion, and has a third cushion body having a second cushion body. Since the hardness is higher than the body and the thickness is smaller than the thickness of the second cushion body at the seating part,
Under the condition that the overall thickness of the cushioning material is kept within a certain range, even when the user's body weight increases and decreases, it is possible to give a comfortable feeling without raising the floor or feeling with the bottom.

Further, the first cushion member is moved in the width direction of the second cushion body.
If you form a recess that holds the cushion of
The first cushion body can be easily exchanged according to the user's body shape and preference.

If the shape of the recess is trapezoidal in a side view and both ends are opened to the side surface of the second cushion body, the work of forming the recess is facilitated and the work of attaching and detaching the first cushion body is performed. Will also be easier.

Accordingly, the wheelchair using the cushioning material according to the present invention for a seat can be used widely from light to heavy users, and the thickness of the seat falls within a predetermined thickness. Extremely effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a wheelchair to which a cushioning material according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the cushion material with a part cut away.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cushion material.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the cushion material.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state of use.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views showing another embodiment of the first cushion body.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are rear views showing another embodiment of the third cushion body.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional cushion material.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... seat pipe, 2 ... back pipe, 3 ... lower pipe, 4 ... cross pipe, 5 ... armrest, 6 ... small diameter pipe, 7 ... footrest, 8 ... Front wheel, 9 ... rear wheel, 10 ... wheel, 11 ... cross plate, 20 ...
Cushion material, 21: seating portion, 22: first cushion body, 23: second cushion body, 24: third cushion body, 25: cover, 26, 27 ... Recess.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A cushioning material partially provided with a seating portion for intensively receiving the weight of a user, wherein the seating portion has a thickness of a first cushion body, a second cushion body, and a third cushion body. The first cushion body has a lower hardness than the second cushion body and a thickness greater than the thickness of the second cushion body in the seating portion, and the third cushion body Is a cushion material having a hardness higher than that of the second cushion body and a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second cushion body at the seating portion. 2. The cushion material according to claim 1, wherein the hardness of the second cushion body is 0.3 to 3.0 N / cm ² at a 25% compressive load, and the hardness of the first cushion body is Hardness is 0.05-2.5N at 25% compression load
/ Cm ² , and the hardness of the third cushion body is 2
A cushion material having a compression load of 5 to 70 N / cm ² at a compression load of 5%. 3. The cushion material according to claim 1, wherein the second cushion body and the first cushion body are made of urethane foam, and the third cushion body is made of a plate-like gel. Characterized cushioning material. 4. The cushioning material according to claim 1, wherein a trapezoidal concave portion is formed in an upper surface of the second cushion body in a width direction in a side view. A cushion material, wherein a first cushion body having a trapezoidal shape in a side view is detachably attached to a concave portion. 5. A wheelchair using the cushioning material according to claim 1 as a seat.