JP2003190222A - Reclining wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reclining wheelchair capable of automatically and independently controlling a backrest and a leg lifting part, heightening the degree of freedom of patient's posture on the wheelchair, and facilitating caring work for the patient. <P>SOLUTION: A seat 15 and a backrest 19 are mounted on the upper part of a frame 11 having traveling wheels 12 and a steering wheel 13. The backrest 19 is mounted on the upper rear end edge of the frame 11 through a first motor- driven rotating mechanism 16 so that individually the vertical rotating position thereof can be adjusted. The seat 15 is provided with an opening part 15a corresponding to a toilet tool disposed below the seat. The leg lifting part 41 for lifting the leg parts of the human body is mounted on the front end part of the frame 11 so that the vertical rotating position thereof can be individually adjusted by a second motor-driven rotating mechanism. The first motor-driven rotating mechanism 16 is disposed on both right and left side parts of the frame 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reclining wheelchair for patients who need care, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional reclining wheelchair,
The one shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-118122 has been proposed. In this wheelchair, a backrest frame is rotatably connected to a frame in a vertical direction, and a leg lifting portion is also attached to a front end of the frame so as to be vertically rotatable. The backrest frame and the leg lifting portion are linked by a link mechanism so that they can be opened and closed in conjunction with each other.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional wheelchair, since the backrest and the leg lifting portion are interlocked with each other, the operation is restricted and the posture of the patient on the wheelchair can be freely changed. However, there is a problem in that the person who cares for the patient and the patient themselves feel inconvenience because they cannot take care of the patient.

Further, since the leg lifting portion and the backrest must be rotated by manual operation, the caregiver must turn behind the backrest and lift or lower a heavy object with the handle, There is also a problem that the operation requires labor and the operation is troublesome.

The present invention solves the above problems existing in the prior art, and provides a reclining wheelchair capable of easily adjusting the position of the backrest and leg lifting portion without causing inconvenience to the patient or caregiver. To provide.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides traveling wheels and steered wheels at a lower portion of a frame, a seat at an upper portion of the frame, and an upper portion of the frame. The backrest is independently attached to the rear edge via the first electric rotation mechanism so that the vertical rotation position can be adjusted,
An opening is provided in the seat so as to correspond to a toilet arranged below the seat, and a leg lifting portion for lifting a leg of a human body is independently moved up and down by a second electric rotation mechanism at a front end of the frame. The gist is that the first electric rotation mechanism is mounted on both left and right side portions of the frame so that the first rotation mechanism is mounted so that the rotation position in the direction can be adjusted.

A second aspect of the present invention is based on the first aspect, and is characterized in that a concave portion into which a leg of a human body can be inserted is provided at the center of the front end of the leg lifting portion.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, a foot rest portion on which a foot portion of a human body can be placed is provided in a lower front end portion of the frame, in a substantially horizontal use position and a retracted position which is inverted upward. The gist is that it is mounted so that it can be switched between.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, a brake mechanism for traveling wheels provided on both left and right sides of the frame is provided, and the brake mechanism is formed from a plane. The gist of the present invention is that it is composed of a lever-link mechanism installed so as to have a substantially U shape.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the backrest is rotatably supported to a substantially horizontal state, and an assist for stably supporting the horizontal state. The gist is that the support mechanism is provided between the frame and the backrest.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that one or a plurality of divided mats supported by the upper surface of the seat is provided. .

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a reclining wheelchair embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a frame 11 of a wheelchair constructed by combining metal pipes is formed in a horizontal U shape whose right (rear) side is open when seen in a plan view. On the left and right sides of the rear end of the frame 11, traveling wheels 12 are pivotally supported. Steering wheels 13 are attached by casters 14 near the front end of the frame 11 so that the steering direction can be changed. A seat 15 is horizontally supported on the frame 11. A backrest frame 17 is mounted on the upper rear end of the frame 11 by a first electric rotation mechanism 16 so that the vertical rotation position can be adjusted. On the upper part of the frame 17, grips 18 that a caregiver grips are fixed at two places on the left and right. A backrest 1 is provided on the front side of the frame 17 (on the left side in FIG. 1).
9 is attached. Armrests 20 are mounted on both left and right sides of the frame 17 by a connecting shaft 21 so as to be switchable between a horizontal use position shown in FIG. 1 and a retracted position displaced along the backrest 19 (see FIG. 7). Has been done.

Between the lower rear end of the frame 11 and the back surface of the backrest frame 17, the backrest 19 is provided.
Auxiliary support mechanisms 22 for stably maintaining the horizontal position are connected to two left and right positions. The auxiliary support mechanism 22 has a pair of left and right support arms 23 rotatably connected to a lower rear end of the frame 11 about a support shaft of the traveling wheel, and connection pins 24 connected to both support arms 23. And an auxiliary roller 25 connected together. The auxiliary support mechanism 22 also includes a bracket 26 fixed to the back surface of the frame 17 and a connection link 28 connected to the tip of the support arm 23 by a connection pin 27.

Next, the first electric rotating mechanism 16 will be described. This mechanism employs substantially the same structure as an electric rotating mechanism for rotating the backrest of a vehicle seat. A drive mechanism 31 including an electric motor that constitutes the first electric rotation mechanism 16 is provided on both left and right upper portions of the frame 11. The drive mechanism 31 is provided with a speed reducer including a worm, a worm wheel, a harmonic drive, and a gear.
Are connected.

Below the front end of the frame 11, a pair of left and right mounting stays 35 are cantilevered forward and downward. A foot rest 36 is attached between the front ends of the two attachment stays 35 by a connecting pin 37 so as to be vertically rotatable. Then, the stopper 38 attached to the base end portion of the foot rest portion 36 is locked to the attachment stay 35 in a substantially horizontal use position (see a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 7) and approximately 90 ° shown in FIG. It is possible to manually switch between the retracted position rotated upward. A leg lifting portion 41 is provided at the upper front end of the frame 11 and a second electric rotation mechanism 42 is provided.
It is mounted so that the vertical rotation position can be adjusted via the. The second electric rotating mechanism 42 is a drive mechanism 4 respectively.
3 and the rotating portion 44. The drive mechanism 43 is provided only on the left side in the traveling direction of the wheelchair. Since the second electric rotating mechanism 42 has substantially the same structure as the first electric rotating mechanism 16, the description of the structure will be omitted. The drive mechanisms 31 and 43 of the first and second electric rotating mechanisms 16 and 42 are the frame 1
The battery 45 mounted on the No. 1 is used as a power source, and is operated by operating a remote control box that is attachable to and detachable from the frame 17. As shown in FIG. 2, a recess 41a is formed at the front end of the leg lifting portion 41.

The frame 11 is provided with a brake mechanism 51 for braking the traveling wheels 12.
The brake mechanism 51 is composed of a lever-link mechanism mounted so as to have a substantially horizontal U shape with the right (rear) side being opened when seen in a plan view. The frame 11
A plurality of brackets 52 are welded to both left and right sides of the bracket 52, and a pair of rotating operation shafts 53 are supported by the bracket 52 so as to be rotatable in parallel with each other in a front-rear direction and at a predetermined position. An arm 54 is provided at the rear end of both rotary operation shafts 53.
Is supported in a cantilever manner, and a brake element 55 is attached to the tip of this arm 54. An operation lever 56 is cantilevered upward in the middle of the rotation operation shaft 53,
The rotation operation shaft 53, the arm 54, and the brake element 55 are rotated. Both rotation operation shafts 53, 53
The levers 57 and 57 are connected to the tip ends of the levers 57 and 57, respectively, and a connecting link 58 is swingably connected between the tip ends of the levers 57 and 57 via a connecting pin 59. And
When either one of the pair of left and right operation levers 56, 56 is operated, the pair of left and right brakes 55, 55 is moved to the traveling wheel 1.
Braking is performed by being pressed by Nos. 2 and 12.

On the upper surface of the seat 15, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a mat 61 which is divided into two right and left parts is provided. When the mat is used, the two mat pieces 62, 63 are combined so as to be engaged with each other so that the mat is the same as one mat. It can be removed one by one, making it easy to put on and take off.

Next, the operation of the reclining wheelchair constructed as described above will be described. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the backrest 19 is held in an upright state and the leg lifting section 41 is held in a retracted position to function as a wheelchair. In this state, when the drive mechanism 43 of the second electric rotation mechanism 42 is operated, the leg lifting portion 41 is rotated about the rotation portion 44 in the clockwise direction by about 90 degrees, As shown in FIG. 7, the leg lifting portion 41 is held in a horizontal state. On the other hand, when the drive mechanism 31 is operated to drive the rotating portion 32 of the first electric rotating mechanism 16, the backrest 19 is rotated clockwise in FIG. This backrest 19 is almost 9
When it is rotated 0 degrees, it becomes horizontal as shown in FIG.
The both armrests 20 are respectively rotated around the connecting shaft 21 along the side surfaces of the backrest 19 and held at the retracted position. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the wheelchair can be used as a bed (sleeper).

According to the reclining wheelchair of the above embodiment, the following features can be obtained. (1) In the above-described embodiment, the backrest 19 is automatically and independently rotatably operated by the first electric rotation mechanism 16 provided on both left and right sides of the frame 11. Further, the leg lifting portion 41 is independently and automatically rotated by the second electric rotation mechanism 42. Therefore, the backrest 19 can be easily and automatically rotated regardless of the leg lifting portion 41, and the labor is not required for the operation, and the rotation position of the backrest 19 and the leg lifting portion 41 are not required. It is possible to improve the degree of freedom in setting the rotation position of the. Therefore, the posture of the patient on the wheelchair can be freely changed to facilitate the care.

(2) In the above embodiment, since the concave portion 41a is formed so as to be located substantially in the center with respect to the tip of the leg lifting portion 41, when caring for a patient sitting in a wheelchair, a caregiver It is possible to make the feet enter and easily perform the care operation.

(3) In the above embodiment, the frame 1
A foot rest 36 is mounted on the lower part of the front end of the switch 1 so as to be switchable between a substantially horizontal use position and an upside-down retracted position. Therefore, the position of the footrest portion 36 can be switched, and the footrest portion can be compactly stored on the frame 11 side when the footrest portion is unnecessary.

(4) In the above embodiment, the brake mechanism 51 is composed of a lever / link mechanism mounted so as to have a substantially U-shape when seen in a plan view. Therefore, a large internal space of the frame 11 can be secured, and the toilet can be easily accommodated.

(5) In the above embodiment, the backrest 1
9 is rotatably supported to a substantially horizontal state, and an auxiliary support mechanism 22 for supporting the horizontal state on the floor surface is provided between the frame 11 and the backrest frame 17. Therefore, the backrest 19 can be stably held in a horizontal state.

(6) Since one or a plurality of divided mats 61 are provided on the upper surface of the seat 15, the sitting state can be achieved by laying the mat on the seat 15 so as to cover the opening of the seat 15. Can be stabilized. In addition, by using the mat as a split type, when used, the mat is made to be the same as one mat, and when not in use (such as during urination), the patient can pull out one by one while sitting down. It can be easily loaded and unloaded.

The above embodiment may be embodied as follows. The foot rest 36 may be fixed to the mounting stay 35. The auxiliary support mechanism 22 may be omitted.

The mat 61 may be composed of one sheet, and in the case of division or the like, the combination form may be any shape.

[0027]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the rotational positions of the backrest and the leg lifting portion can be automatically adjusted independently and automatically, and the posture of the patient on the wheelchair can be freely adjusted. In addition to being able to increase the degree of care, the work of caring for a patient can be performed easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a right side view of a reclining wheelchair according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a reclining wheelchair.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the reclining wheelchair.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the reclining wheelchair.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the reclining wheelchair seen from the front.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the reclining wheelchair seen from the front.

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the wheelchair showing a state in which the backrest and the leg lifting portion are deployed.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... Frame, 12 ... Traveling wheel, 13 ... Steering wheel, 15
... seat, 16 ... first electric rotating mechanism, 19 ... backrest,
22 ... Auxiliary support mechanism, 31 ... Driving mechanism, 32 ... Rotating part,
36 ... Foot rest part, 41 ... Leg lifting part, 42 ... Second electric rotation mechanism, 43 ... Drive mechanism, 44 ... Rotation part, 51 ... Brake mechanism, 61 ... Mat.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A traveling wheel and a steering wheel are provided in a lower portion of a frame, a seat is provided in an upper portion of the frame, and a backrest is independently movable in a vertical direction at a rear end edge of an upper portion of the frame via a first electric rotating mechanism. The seat is mounted so that its rotational position can be adjusted, and the seat is provided with an opening so as to correspond to the toilet bowl arranged below the seat.
At the front end of the frame, a leg lifting unit that lifts a leg of a human body is attached by a second electric rotating mechanism so that the vertical rotating position can be adjusted independently, and the first electric rotating mechanism is provided. A reclining wheelchair, which is arranged on both left and right sides of the frame. 2. The reclining wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a recessed portion into which a leg of a human body can enter is provided at a center of a front end portion of the leg lifting portion. 3. The footrest portion according to claim 1, wherein a foot portion of a human body can be placed on a lower portion of a front end of the frame between a substantially horizontal use position and a retracted position which is inverted upward. Reclining wheelchair that can be installed. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein
The frame is provided with a brake mechanism for traveling wheels provided on both left and right sides, and this brake mechanism is constituted by a lever-link mechanism mounted so as to have a substantially U-shape when seen in a plan view. Reclining wheelchair. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The backrest is rotatably supported to a substantially horizontal state,
A reclining wheelchair in which an auxiliary support mechanism for stably supporting this horizontal state is provided between the frame and the backrest. 6. The reclining wheelchair according to claim 1, further comprising one or a plurality of divided mats supported on the upper surface of the seat.