JP2004181161A - Wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a structurally simple wheelchair having travel level difference getting-over capacity for allowing a main shaft to easily and smoothly get over even a travel floor surface and a road surface having a large level difference. <P>SOLUTION: Eccentric wheels 10 are coaxially journaled with main wheels 3 of the wheelchair 1, rotation of the main wheel 3 can be transmitted to the eccentric wheel 10, and a clutch mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the main wheel 3 is arranged between the main shaft 3 and the eccentric wheel 10. A transmitting member for transmitting the rotation of the main wheel 3 to the eccentric wheel 10 is arranged between the coaxially journaled main wheel 3 and eccentric wheel 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wheelchair for the elderly and the disabled, and more particularly to a wheelchair having a function of climbing over a step.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Wheelchairs are used to move people who are generally referred to as disabled, such as elderly people who have difficulty walking or those who have impaired walking function as a sequela due to an accident. Has become popular and wheelchair mobility has been increasing, but the mobility of wheelchairs has been significantly improved and comfortable, but at the same time, smooth mobility in wheelchairs in urban areas ( Although various barrier-free measures are being promoted to improve driving, it cannot be said that the maintenance has been sufficiently widespread. Particularly, when traveling on roads, roads with irregularities or roads and sidewalks There are many cases that require the assistance of others in order to get over a curb, and the function of a wheelchair cannot be easily demonstrated.
[0003]
That is, since the height over which the wheel of the wheelchair rides is theoretically the radius of the front wheel of the front wheel caster, the front wheel caster of the wheelchair can get over when the height difference in the step portion or the uneven portion is about the radius of the front wheel. Instead, traveling on a floor surface or a road surface having a certain level of height difference in a step portion or an uneven portion is limited.
[0004]
In the past, focusing on such problems, research was conducted on the structure of front wheel casters for wheelchairs so that the wheelchair can run even if there are some steps and uneven surfaces, but in all cases, the structure of the front wheel casters Not only becomes complicated, but also the size of the front wheels and the weight of the entire caster increase.
[Non-patent literature] Patent map series general 20 "Barrier-free technology", Patent distribution support chart machine 1 "Wheelchair"
[0005]
Also, even if the front wheel caster could get over the curb due to the technical improvement described above, the next problem would be that the main wheel would have to get over the step, and even in this case, it would get over the step For this purpose, it is necessary to perform an operation such as jumping over due to inertia due to a recoil while repeating a back-and-forth movement, which is an excessive operation for a wheelchair user.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and even when the vehicle is running on a traveling floor or a road surface having a step having a large height difference, the main wheels can smoothly travel over the road smoothly. An object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair having a capability of climbing over a step and having a simple structure.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A configuration of a wheelchair for solving the above-mentioned problem of the present invention resides in that an eccentric wheel is mounted on a shaft coaxially with a main wheel of the wheelchair, and rotation of the main wheel can be connected to the eccentric wheel.
[0008]
Further, the configuration of the wheelchair according to the second aspect resides in that a clutch mechanism for connecting the rotation of the main wheel is arranged between the main wheel and the eccentric wheel.
[0008]
Furthermore, the configuration of the wheelchair according to the third aspect resides in that a transmission member that transmits the rotation of the main wheel to the eccentric wheel is disposed between the main wheel and the eccentric wheel that are coaxially mounted on the shaft. is there.
[0009]
In addition, the configuration of the wheelchair according to claim 4 enables the eccentric wheel that is shafted coaxially with the main wheel to slide, allows the eccentric wheel and the main wheel to be separated from each other, and controls the rotation of the main wheel. The present invention resides in that the power is transmitted to the eccentric wheel.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings based on examples. This wheelchair is roughly classified into a self-propelled wheelchair and an electric wheelchair, and is applicable to any type of wheelchair. In the illustrated embodiment, a case where the present invention is applied to a rowing wheelchair will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be freely implemented without departing from the technical idea. It is.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an example in which the present invention is applied to a self-propelled wheelchair, specifically a rowing type wheelchair. A main wheel 3 is rotatable about a spindle 4 on both sides of a rear portion of a frame 2 of the wheelchair 1. A front wheel caster 5 is rotatably supported at the front of the frame 2 so as to be freely rotatable.
[0012]
A gear 6 is connected and fixed to the main wheel 3, and the gear 6 fixed integrally to the main wheel 3 is driven by being connected to a sprocket wheel 7 mounted on the frame 2 by a chain 8. The sprocket wheel 7 has a conventionally known structure and transmits rotation in only one direction. That is, the sprocket wheel 7 transmits rotation in the forward direction and idles when rotating in the reverse direction. The main wheel 3 is driven by a reciprocating motion of a lever 9 fixed to the wheel 7 via a chain 8 and a gear 6.
[0013]
An eccentric wheel 10 having an eccentricity E with respect to the main wheel 3 is rotatably mounted on the support shaft 4 that supports the main wheel 3 so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 4. In order to transmit the rotation of the main wheel 3 to the eccentric wheel 10, a connecting means, that is, a so-called clutch mechanism 11 is interposed between the eccentric wheel 10. The eccentric wheel 10 is preferably provided with an uneven surface 10 ′ having a larger bulge than a normal tread surface in order to make the outer surface of the eccentric wheel 10 easy to bite without causing a slip on the step portion. It is desirable that the outer diameter of the main wheel 3 be smaller than the outer diameter of the main wheel 3 so that the wheel 3 runs smoothly and does not disturb the user.
[0014]
The clutch mechanism 11 can adopt a configuration as shown in FIG. 3, that is, in the example of FIG. 3A, the gear 12 is fixed to the main wheel 3, and Similarly, a gear 13 is fixed to the eccentric wheel 10 slidably mounted on the shaft 4, and an internal gear 14 meshing with the two gears 12, 13 is slidably mounted thereon. The tip end is engaged with a lever 15 having a yoke shape, and the two gears 12 and 13 are connected and disconnected by a swinging motion about a fulcrum 16 of the lever 15, thereby rotating the main wheel 3. Is transmitted to the eccentric wheel 10.
[0015]
In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the eccentric wheel 10 is made slidable with respect to the main wheel 3 so that the two wheels 3 and 10 can be disconnected from each other. A gear 12 is fixed to the main wheel 3 in the same manner as in the embodiment, and an internal gear 17 meshing with the gear 12 is fixed to the eccentric wheel 10, and the yoke-shaped lever 15 is attached to the internal gear 17. Engagement causes the eccentric wheel 10 to move forward and backward with respect to the main wheel 3 by swinging motion about the fulcrum 16 of the lever 15, thereby connecting and disconnecting the gear 12 of the main wheel 3 and the internal gear 17 of the eccentric wheel 10. , Whereby the rotation of the main wheel 3 is transmitted to the eccentric wheel 10.
[0016]
Further, in FIG. 3 (c), the main wheel 3 and the eccentric wheel 10 are provided with an electromagnetic clutch 18 interposed therebetween. Is connected or separated, thereby transmitting the rotation of the main wheel 3 to the eccentric wheel 10. In particular, since the electromagnetic clutch 18 is used, it is suitable when applied to an electric wheelchair.
[0017]
In addition, a footrest 20 on which a leg of a user of the wheelchair is placed is fixedly provided at the front of the frame 2 of the wheelchair 1, and a front wheel caster 5 of the wheelchair 1 climbs over a step on the lower surface of the footrest 20. For the sake of simplicity, a clear roller 22 in which a plurality of small-diameter rollers 23 are rotatably arranged in a row is supported by a shaft 24 via a link 21 so as to be tiltable, and a lever 25 connected to the shaft 24 is further provided. Activated by
[0018]
Further, it is desirable to provide a locking member on a side portion of the frame 2 of the wheelchair 1 in order to fix and hold the eccentric wheel 10 when not in use. For example, as shown in FIG. The cover 27 is fixed to the cover 27, and the cover 27 is pivotally supported by a pin 27 'so as to be swingable, and a spring 28 for elastically pressing the rear end of the lock pin 26 is interposed. The inside of the eccentric wheel 10 is held and fixed by the locking pin 26.
[0019]
The operation of the wheelchair according to the present invention having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 5. When running on a normal flat floor or road surface, the locking pin 26 is provided so that the eccentric wheel 10 does not touch the ground. The eccentric wheel 10 is fixed by using, and the vehicle runs by driving the main wheel 3. The reciprocating motion of the lever 9 causes the sprocket wheel 7 to perform forward and reverse reversal rotation, and is connected to the sprocket wheel 7 and the main wheel 3. The main wheels 3 are driven via a chain 8 suspended from the fixed gear 6.
[0020]
Now, a description will be given of an operation of stepping over a step portion D having a large height difference, for example, a curb on a sidewalk, which is arranged on a floor surface or a road surface with the wheelchair 1. First, the lever 25 is operated to set the clear roller 22 provided on the lower surface of the footrest 20 to the forward inclined state as shown by a broken line a in the figure, and the main wheel 3 is driven to cause the clear roller 22 to move. By moving the wheelchair while being supported, the front wheel casters 5 can get over the step D, and in this state, the main wheel 3 is advanced and stopped until it comes into contact with the step D.
[0021]
After that, the eccentric wheel 10 fixed to the frame 2 of the wheelchair 1 is released from the locking pin 26 so as to be freely rotatable, and the eccentric wheel 10 is rotated so that the eccentric wheel 10 is grounded on the sidewalk which is the upper surface of the step D. However, at this time, the unevenness of the outer surface of the eccentric wheel 10 allows the eccentric wheel 10 to securely grip the road surface, and eliminates the fear of the eccentric wheel 10 slipping.
[0022]
Subsequently, when the clutch mechanism 11 is operated, that is, according to the example of the clutch mechanism 11 shown in FIG. 3A, when the lever 15 is swung about the fulcrum 16 of the lever 15, the internal gear 14 is axially moved. By sliding, the gear 12 of the main wheel 3 and the gear 13 fixed to the eccentric wheel 10 are connected by the internal gear 14. In other words, the main wheel 3 and the eccentric wheel 10 are integrated. The rotation of the main wheel 3 can be transmitted to the eccentric wheel 10.
[0023]
When the main wheel 3 is rotated by reciprocating the lever 9 in this state, the eccentric wheel 10 integrated with the main wheel 3 simultaneously starts rotating, and the wheelchair 1 is gradually lifted by the eccentric amount E of the eccentric wheel 10. The main wheel 3 rides over the curb, and the landing on the road surface of the sidewalk is completed because the eccentricity E is reduced by the further forward movement. .
[0024]
The wheelchair 1 is returned to the normal running in a state where the overriding is completed. That is, the connection between the main wheel 3 and the eccentric wheel 10 is released. In this case, on the contrary, the main wheel 3 is swung about the fulcrum 16 of the lever 15 and the internal gear 14 is slid in the axial direction. If the connection between the gear 12 of the third wheel 3 and the gear 13 of the eccentric wheel 10 is released, and the eccentric wheel 10 is fixed to the frame 2 by the locking pin 26 so as not to hinder the running, normal running with the main wheel 3 is achieved. Becomes possible.
[0025]
In addition, when the vehicle descends from the step D, a smooth operation can be performed, that is, the clear roller 22 is set to the rearward inclined posture as shown by the imaginary line b in FIG. 1, the wheelchair is advanced, and the clear roller 22 is moved to the road surface. The eccentric wheel 10 is detached from the locking pin 26 so as to be freely rotatable, the eccentric wheel 10 is rotated to contact the eccentric wheel 10 with the road surface, and the clutch mechanism 11 is operated to activate the main wheel. When the main wheel 3 is rotated by unifying the eccentric wheel 3 and the eccentric wheel 10, the wheelchair 1 moves forward while being lifted by the eccentric amount E of the eccentric wheel 10, moves over the curb, and moves further. With the decrease in the eccentricity E due to the rotation, the vehicle gradually descends and touches the road surface, and the movement from the curb is completed.
[0026]
Although the description of the details of the wheelchair has been omitted in the above-described embodiment, it is natural that a function as a wheelchair can be provided. For example, a band brake 30 for braking the wheelchair is provided and a brake band 31 is shown. However, various devices can be provided, such as operating the brake by restraining the brake drum.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
In the wheelchair according to the present invention, the eccentric wheel is mounted on the same axis as the main wheel of the wheelchair, and the rotation of the main wheel can be connected to the eccentric wheel. It is possible to move forward, and even on a floor or road surface with steps or bumps with height differences, it can smoothly run over bumps and bumps smoothly, and it can fully demonstrate the ability to get over It will be possible to support the social advancement of persons with disabilities further.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a wheelchair according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a wheelchair according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a clutch mechanism. FIG. Explanatory diagram, (II) is an enlarged explanatory diagram of part A. [FIG. 5] Explanatory diagram of the operation of the wheelchair according to the present invention.
1: Wheelchair 2: Frame 3: Main wheel 4: Support shaft 5: Front wheel caster 7: Sprocket wheel 8: Chain 9: Lever 10: Eccentric wheel 11: Clutch mechanism 22: Clear roller 26: Locking pin

Claims (4)

A wheelchair, wherein an eccentric wheel is mounted on a shaft coaxially with a main wheel of the wheelchair, and rotation of the main wheel can be connected to the eccentric wheel. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a clutch mechanism for connecting rotation of the main wheel is arranged between the main wheel and the eccentric wheel. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a transmission member that transmits rotation of the main wheel to the eccentric wheel is disposed between the main wheel and the eccentric wheel that are coaxially mounted on the shaft. The eccentric ring which is coaxially mounted on the main wheel is slidable, and the eccentric wheel and the main wheel can be separated from and separated from each other, and the rotation of the main wheel is transmitted to the eccentric ring. The wheelchair according to 1.

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