JP2005306190A - Ultrasonic diagnosing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic diagnosing device capable of simultaneously and more easily switching between the locking mechanisms of a plurality of casters. <P>SOLUTION: A switching mechanism 14 is connected to a rotating shaft 24 as a part of the locking mechanisms of the casters. The switching mechanism 14 comprises a shaft 34 that is connected to the plurality of locking mechanisms and performs a rotation for simultaneously switching between operation states of respective locking mechanisms, two pedals 30 and 32 that are stepping-operated by a user, and two transmission mechanisms 36 and 38 that are disposed correspondingly to two pedals 30 and 32 and rotate the shaft 34 by transmitting the stepping-operation by the user to the shaft 34. Two transmission mechanisms 36 and 38 transmit the stepping-operation to the shaft 34 with mutually different transmission efficiencies. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a plurality of casters.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that performs ultrasonic diagnosis of a living body by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves is widely known. Since the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a considerable weight, a plurality of casters are often provided to facilitate the movement thereof. Each caster is provided with a lock mechanism. After the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is moved to a desired position, the lock mechanism of each caster is operated to prevent the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus from moving.

  At this time, it is complicated for the operator to perform the operation of the lock mechanism for each caster. Therefore, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can easily lock a plurality of casters simultaneously has been proposed. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that simultaneously locks the rotation of wheels of a plurality of casters by stepping on a lock pedal. According to this, a plurality of casters can be locked simultaneously by one stepping operation. However, this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus does not consider the turning lock that locks only the turning of the wheel.

  Thus, in some cases, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has been proposed in which a plurality of casters can be pivotally locked by operating a seesaw type pedal. This is because the seesaw-type pedal is tilted back and forth to switch the operating state of multiple lock mechanisms simultaneously to the turning lock state that locks only the turning of the wheel, or the entire locking state that locks the rotation and turning of the wheel. Can do. Moreover, the operation state of a some locking mechanism can be made into a lock release state by leveling a seesaw type pedal. According to this, it is possible to more easily lock the caster with a higher degree of freedom.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-76411

  However, in the above-described ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, if the operation state of the lock mechanism is desired to be in the turning lock state, the pedal is moved forward, if it is desired to be fully locked, the operation is performed backward, and if it is desired to be unlocked, the pedal is leveled. Different operations are required for each operating state, such as operation. Such a plurality of different operations is not only inconvenient for the operator, but also causes confusion for the operator.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus capable of simultaneously switching a plurality of caster lock mechanisms more easily.

  The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of casters provided with a lock mechanism that can take a plurality of operating states, and a switching mechanism that simultaneously switches the operating states of the plurality of locking mechanisms in the plurality of casters. The mechanism is connected to the plurality of lock mechanisms, and is provided corresponding to a shaft member that simultaneously switches the operating states of the plurality of lock mechanisms by a rotational motion, a plurality of pedals that are stepped on by a user, and a plurality of pedals. A plurality of transmission mechanisms for transmitting a stepping operation by a user to the shaft member to rotate the shaft member, and a plurality of transmission mechanisms for transmitting the stepping operation to the shaft member with different transmission efficiencies. It is characterized by having.

  In a preferred aspect, the transmission mechanism is configured integrally with the pedal, and is operated by a stepping operation of the pedal, and is attached to the shaft member, and receives a motion of the operating body as a rotational motion on the shaft. A passive body for transmission, and the connection relationship between the operating body and the passive body is different for each transmission mechanism.

  In another preferred embodiment, the plurality of transmission mechanisms include a first transmission mechanism that rotates the shaft member in one direction by a stepping operation of a corresponding pedal, and another shaft mechanism that is rotated by a corresponding stepping operation of the pedal. A second transmission mechanism that rotates in a direction. Preferably, the plurality of pedals are a first pedal that is a pedal corresponding to the first transmission mechanism, and a second pedal that is provided side by side with the first pedal and is a pedal corresponding to the second transmission mechanism. , And the first pedal and the second pedal are simultaneously stepped on, whereby the shaft member is rotated to a neutral rotational position that switches the plurality of lock mechanisms to a specific operating state.

  In another preferred aspect, the pedal includes a pedal body portion and a cover body that covers an upper surface of the pedal body portion and receives the stepping operation, and is wider than the pedal body portion.

  According to the present invention, the operation state of the lock mechanism can be made different by a single operation of stepping on the pedal. Thereby, the lock mechanisms of the plurality of casters of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be switched simultaneously more easily.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the front oblique direction and the rear oblique direction. The main body 12 of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 includes a computer for performing an ultrasonic diagnosis, a monitor for displaying an ultrasonic image, and the like, and has a considerable weight as a whole. Therefore, in order to facilitate the movement of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10, a caster 18 for a total of four wheels, two front wheels, two rear wheels, is provided on the bottom surface of the main body 12. Each caster 18 includes a lock mechanism that can take a plurality of operating states, and the operating state can be switched by a front switching mechanism 14 and a rear switching mechanism 16 described later. The operator switches the operating state of the lock mechanism by stepping on the pedals 30, 32, 50, 52 that are part of the switching mechanisms 14, 16. Hereinafter, the front switching mechanism 14 and the rear switching mechanism 16 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing a connection state between the front switching mechanism 14 and the casters 18a and 18b of the front two wheels. The front switching mechanism 14 is connected to the casters 18a and 18b of the front two wheels, and simultaneously switches the operating states of the plurality of lock mechanisms in the two casters 18a and 18b. In the following drawings, the pedals 30, 32, 50, and 52 show only the pedal body, and the pedal cover is omitted.

  Here, the configuration of the caster 18 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. 3A is a perspective view of the caster 18, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the caster 18. As described above, each caster 18 has a lock mechanism 22 that can take a plurality of operating states. The operating state of the lock mechanism 22 includes three states: a turning lock state in which only the turning of the wheel 20 is locked, a full lock state in which the turning and rotation of the wheel 20 are locked, and an unlocked state in which the lock is released. The operating state of the lock mechanism 22 is switched depending on the rotation angle of the rotary shaft 24 protruding outside the caster 18.

  The lock mechanism 22 includes a rotary shaft 24 protruding to the outside of the caster 18, a cam 26 connected thereto, a moving body 28 that moves up and down in accordance with the movement of the cam 26, and the like. The moving body 28 has three heights according to the rotation angle of the cam 26, that is, a first height that is the lowest, a third height that is the highest, and a middle between the first height and the third height. It can be moved to a certain second height. Further, the moving body 28 includes a top 28 a that presses the wheel 20, tooth members 28 b and 28 c that mesh with the turning mechanism 21 of the wheel 20, and the like. The top 28a is provided at the lower end of the moving body 28, and when the moving body 28 moves to the first height (lowermost), the wheel 20 is pressed to lock the rotation of the wheel 20. The tooth members 28b and 28c engage with the turning mechanism 21 of the wheel 20 when the moving body 28 moves to the first height (lowermost) and the third height (upward), and the wheel 20 turns. It is provided at a position where it can be locked.

  Here, the meshing between the tooth members 28b and 28c and the turning mechanism 21 will be briefly described. The turning mechanism 21 includes two plate materials 21a and 21b having different heights. An eccentric circular through hole is provided at the center of the lower plate member 21a. Further, the upper plate member 21b is a substantially semicircular plate member, and the side surface thereof is formed with irregularities. On the other hand, the moving body 28 also has an upper tooth member 28c and a lower tooth member 28b. The side shape of the upper tooth member 28c is uneven so as to correspond to the side surface of the upper plate member 28b. The shape of the lower tooth member 28b is an eccentric circular shape corresponding to the through hole of the lower plate member 28a.

  When the moving body 28 is positioned at the first height (lowermost), the unevenness of the upper tooth member 28c meshes with the unevenness of the upper plate member 21b, so that the turning of the turning mechanism 21 is locked. Further, when the moving body 28 is positioned at the third height (uppermost), the lower tooth member 28b meshes with (inserts into) the through hole of the lower plate member 21a, so that the turning of the turning mechanism 21 is locked. When the moving body is positioned at the second height (intermediate height), the two tooth members 28b and 28c do not mesh with either of the two plate materials 21a and 21b, and thus the turning 21 of the turning mechanism is possible. .

  Therefore, when the moving body 28 moves to the first height (lowermost), the wheel 20 is rotated by the top 28a and the wheel 20 is turned by the tooth member 28c to be fully locked. Further, when the moving body 28 moves to the third height (uppermost), the turning lock state is achieved in which only the turning of the wheel 20 is locked by the tooth member 28b. Further, when the moving body is at the second height (intermediate height), the unlocked state in which the wheels 20 can turn and rotate is brought about.

  The vertical movement of the moving body 28 is caused by the rotation of the cam 26 and, consequently, the rotation shaft 24. In other words, each caster 18 is configured such that the locked state is switched by the rotation of the rotating shaft 24.

  Next, the front switching mechanism 14 connected to such a caster 18 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the front switching mechanism 14. As described above, the front switching mechanism 14 switches the operating states of the two locking mechanisms in the casters 18 of the front two wheels at the same time. The front switching mechanism 14 transmits the shaft 34 connected to the casters of the two front wheels, the two pedals 30 and 32 that are stepped on by the operator, and the movement of the pedals 30 and 32 to the shaft 34 as a rotational motion 2. Two transmission mechanisms 36 and 38.

  The shaft 34 is connected to the rotation shaft 24 of each caster 18. When the shaft 34 rotates, the rotating shaft 24 also rotates, and the operating state of the lock mechanism of each caster 18 is switched. In the present embodiment, each locking mechanism is fully locked when the shaft 34 rotates toward the near side (RA side direction in FIG. 4), and when the shaft 34 rotates toward the back side (RF side direction in FIG. 4). The lock is released.

  The two pedals 30 and 32 are provided adjacent to each other. When the right locking pedal 32 as viewed from the front of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is stepped on, the front two casters 18 are fully locked. Further, when the release pedal 30 on the left side as viewed from the front of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 10 is stepped on, the lock of the casters 18 of the front two wheels is released.

  Each of the pedals 30 and 32 is adapted to receive a stepping operation by an operator and rotate about the pedal shaft 48. Further, after being pressed by a stepping operation, it returns to a horizontal position by a spring (not shown).

  The two transmission mechanisms 36 and 38 are provided corresponding to the pedals 30 and 32. That is, there are a lock transmission mechanism 38 corresponding to the lock pedal 32 and a release transmission mechanism 36 corresponding to the release pedal 30. Each transmission mechanism 36, 38 transmits the movement of the pedals 30, 32 to the shaft 34 as a rotational motion, and the operating bodies 42, 46 configured integrally with the pedals 30, 32, and a passive unit fixed to the shaft 34. And bodies 40 and 44.

  The operating bodies 42 and 46 are configured integrally with the pedals 30 and 32, and rotate around the pedal shaft 48 together with the pedals 30 and 32 when the pedals 30 and 32 are stepped on. At the time of this rotation, the corresponding passive bodies 40 and 44 are pushed. The passive bodies 40 and 44 are block members fixed to the shaft 34, and rotate together with the shaft 34 when pressed by the corresponding operating bodies 42 and 46. Since the two passive bodies 40 and 44 are both fixed to the shaft 34, the two passive bodies 40 and 44 are rotated in conjunction with each other.

  The operating bodies 42 and 46 and the passive bodies 40 and 44 have different shapes for the respective transmission mechanisms 36 and 38 and transmit the stepping operations of the pedals 30 and 32 to the shaft 34 with different transmission efficiencies. This will be described with reference to FIG. 5A is a side view of the lock pedal 32 and the lock transmission mechanism 38, and FIG. 5B is a side view of the release pedal 30 and the release transmission mechanism 36.

  The operating body 46 of the locking transmission mechanism 38 extends greatly to the back side and below the pedal shaft 48, and the passive body 44 has a shape extending to the back side from the shaft 34. When the locking pedal 32 is stepped on, the operating body 46 of the locking transmission mechanism 38 moves upward and pushes up the passive body 44. By this push-up, the passive body 44 rotates together with the shaft 34 in the arrow RA direction (front direction). That is, the movement of the stepping operation of the locking pedal 32 is transmitted to the shaft 34 as a rotational movement in the RA direction by the locking transmission mechanism 38.

  On the other hand, the operating body 42 of the release transmission mechanism 36 has a shape protruding slightly rearward and upward from the pedal shaft 48. Further, the passive body 40 has a shape extending to the near side from the shaft 34 and the operation body 42. Here, when the release pedal 30 is stepped on, the operating body 42 of the release transmission mechanism 36 rotates in the forward direction (RA direction) about the pedal shaft 48. The passive body 40 is pushed by the operation body 42 and rotates together with the shaft 34 in the RF direction, that is, in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the operation body 42. That is, the movement of the stepping operation of the pedal 30 is transmitted to the shaft 34 as a rotational motion in the RF direction by the release transmission mechanism 36. The direction of transmission is opposite to that of the locking transmission mechanism 38.

  As described above, the transmission mechanisms 36 and 38 have the operation bodies 42 and 46 and the passive bodies 40 and 44 having different shapes. In other words, the connection relationship between the operating body and the passive body is different for each transmission mechanism. Thereby, the stepping operation of the pedals 30 and 32 is transmitted to the shaft 34 with different transmission efficiency.

  Next, an operation for simultaneously switching the operating states of the plurality of lock mechanisms with the front switching mechanism 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating simultaneous switching from the unlocked state to the fully locked state, and FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating simultaneous switching from the fully locked state to the unlocked state. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the release pedal 30 and the release transmission mechanism 36 are indicated by broken lines for easy understanding. Further, in order to make the rotation state of the shaft 34 easy to understand, a black circle is added to the vertex position of the shaft 34 in the unlocked state.

  First, the case where the lock mechanism of the front two casters 18 is simultaneously switched from the unlocked state to the fully locked state will be described. In the unlocked state, the operation body 42 and the passive body 40 of the release transmission mechanism 36 are separated from each other, and the operation body 46 and the passive body 44 of the lock transmission mechanism 38 are in contact with each other (FIG. 6A). )reference).

  Here, when the operator depresses the locking pedal 32, the operating body 46 of the locking transmission mechanism 38 that is integral with the locking pedal 32 rotates about the pedal shaft 48 in the forward direction (RA direction). (See FIG. 6B). In response to the rotational movement of the operating body 46, the passive body 44 rotates together with the shaft 34 in the front direction (RA direction). When the shaft 34 rotates, the passive body 40 of the release transmission mechanism 36 fixed to the shaft also rotates.

  When the shaft 34 rotates in the RA direction, the rotation shaft 24 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) in the lock mechanism of each caster 18 connected to the shaft 34 also rotates. As a result of the rotation of the rotary shaft 24, the lock mechanism of each caster 18 is in a fully locked state in which the turning and rotation of the wheels are locked. That is, when the locking pedal 32 is stepped on, the locking mechanism of the front two-wheel casters 18 connected to the shaft 34 is simultaneously switched to the fully locked state.

  When the operator's foot is removed from the locking pedal 32, the locking pedal 32 returns to a horizontal state by the force of a spring (not shown) (see FIG. 6C). On the other hand, the rotation axis of the shaft 34 and each caster 18 is maintained in a rotated state. That is, the entire lock state is maintained.

  Next, the case where the locking mechanism of the casters 18 for the front two wheels is simultaneously switched from the fully locked state to the unlocked state will be described with reference to FIG. In the fully locked state, the operating body 42 and the passive body 40 of the release transmission mechanism 36 are in contact with each other, and the operating body 46 and the passive body 44 of the locking transmission mechanism 38 are separated (FIG. 7 ( A)).

  Here, when the operator steps on the release pedal 30, the operation body 42 of the release transmission mechanism 36 that is integral with the release pedal 30 rotates in the forward direction (RA direction) and pushes the passive body 40 ( (See FIG. 7B). The passive body 40 of the release transmission mechanism 36 rotates together with the shaft 34 in the back direction (RF direction), that is, in the direction opposite to the time when the locking pedal 32 is stepped on.

  The rotation of the shaft 34 also rotates the rotation shaft of the lock mechanism of the front two wheels casters 18 connected to the shaft 34, and the lock is released. That is, when the release pedal 30 is stepped on, the lock mechanism of the casters 18 of the front two wheels is simultaneously brought into the unlocked state.

  When the operator's foot is removed from the release pedal 30, the release pedal 30 returns to a horizontal state by the force of a spring (not shown), while the shaft 34 and the rotation shaft of each caster 18 are maintained in a rotated state. (See FIG. 7C). That is, it is maintained in the unlocked state.

  As described above, when the lock pedal 32 and the release pedal 30 are stepped on, the operating states of the lock mechanisms of the casters 18 for the front two wheels can be switched simultaneously. At this time, the operation performed by the operator is a stepping operation of the pedals 30 and 32 regardless of whether the state is switched to the unlocked state or the fully locked state. That is, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of lock mechanisms can be simultaneously switched to different states with the same operation. Therefore, the operation states of the lock mechanisms in the plurality of casters 18 can be switched at the same time without causing confusion for the operator, and the operability can be further improved.

  Next, the rear switching mechanism 16 that simultaneously switches the locking mechanism in the rear two wheels of the casters 18c and 18d will be described. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the rear switching mechanism 16. Note that the configuration of the rear two-wheel casters is substantially the same as that of the front two-wheel casters, and therefore the description thereof is omitted here.

  The basic configuration of the rear switching mechanism 16 is the same as that of the front switching mechanism 14. However, the rear switching mechanism 16 is different from the front switching mechanism 14 in that the rear switching mechanism 16 can be switched to a turning lock state in which only the turning of the wheel is locked in addition to the fully locked state and the unlocked state. That is, the front switching mechanism 14 can be switched to two states, while the rear switching mechanism 16 can be switched to three states. Hereinafter, the configuration of the rear switching mechanism 16 will be described in detail.

  Similar to the front switching mechanism 14, the rear switching mechanism 16 includes a shaft 68 connected to the two-wheel casters 18, two pedals 50 and 52, and 2 provided corresponding to the two pedals 50 and 52. Two transmission mechanisms 54 and 56.

  In this embodiment, when the all-lock pedal 52 on the right side as viewed from the back is stepped on, the lock mechanism of each caster 18 is switched to the fully-locked state. Further, when the pedal 50 for turning lock on the left side as viewed from the rear is stepped on, each lock mechanism is switched to the turning lock state. Further, when the two pedals 50 and 52 are stepped on at the same time, the lock mechanisms are switched to the unlocked state.

  The two transmission mechanisms 54 and 56 are provided corresponding to the two pedals 50 and 52. Each transmission mechanism 54, 56 has an operating body 62, 66 configured integrally with the pedals 50, 52, and a passive body 60, 64 that transmits the motion of the operating body 62, 66 to the shaft 68 as a rotational motion. doing. The operation bodies 62 and 66 and the passive bodies 60 and 64 have different shapes for the respective transmission mechanisms 54 and 56. In other words, the connection relationship between the operating body and the passive body is different for each transmission mechanism. Therefore, the stepping operation of the pedals 50 and 52 is transmitted to the shaft 68 with different transmission efficiencies.

  The shapes of the two sets of pedals 50 and 52 and the transmission mechanisms 54 and 56 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 9A is a side view of the all-lock pedal 52 and the all-lock transmission mechanism 56, and FIG. 9B is a side view of the turning lock pedal 50 and the turning lock transmission mechanism 54.

  Both the operating body 66 and the passive body 64 of the transmission mechanism 56 for all locks have a shape that extends far behind the pedal shaft 58 and the shaft 68. When the all-lock pedal 52 is stepped on, the operating body 66 of the all-lock transmission mechanism 56 rotates in the forward direction (RA direction) about the pedal shaft 58. Then, when pressed by the operating body 66, the passive body 64 and the shaft 68 also rotate in the RA direction, that is, in the same direction as the operating body 66. In other words, the stepping operation of the all-lock pedal 52 is transmitted to the shaft 68 as a rotational motion in the RA direction by the all-lock transmission mechanism 56.

  On the other hand, the operation body 62 of the turning lock transmission mechanism 54 has a shape protruding upward, and the passive body 60 has a shape that is positioned below and below the operation body 62. Therefore, when the turning lock pedal 50 is stepped on, the passive body 60 and the shaft 68 rotate in the direction opposite to the rotation direction (RA direction) of the operation body 62 (RF direction). That is, the stepping operation of the turning lock pedal 50 is transmitted to the shaft 68 as a rotational movement in the RF direction by the turning lock transmission mechanism 54.

  Next, an operation for simultaneously switching the operation states of the plurality of lock mechanisms with the rear switching mechanism 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining simultaneous switching from the unlocked state to the fully locked state, and FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining simultaneous switching from the unlocked state to the turning locked state. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating simultaneous switching from the fully locked state to the unlocked state. Further, in the following drawings, the turning lock pedal 50 and the turning lock transmission mechanism 54 are indicated by broken lines, and the top position of the shaft in the unlocked state is marked with a black circle.

  First, a case where the locking mechanism of the rear two casters 18 is simultaneously switched from the unlocked state to the fully locked state will be described with reference to FIG. In the unlocked state, all the lock transmission mechanism 56 and the turning lock transmission mechanism 54 are in a state in which the operating bodies 66 and 62 and the passive bodies 64 and 60 are separated from each other (see FIG. 10A).

  Here, when the operator steps on the all-lock pedal 52, the operating body 66 of the all-lock transmission mechanism 56 that is integral with the all-lock pedal 52 rotates in the forward direction and pushes the passive body 64 (see FIG. 10 (B)). The passive body 64 of the all-lock transmission mechanism 56 rotates together with the shaft 68 in the front direction (RA direction).

  When the shaft 68 rotates in the RA direction, the rotating shaft 24 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) in the lock mechanism of each caster 18 connected to the shaft 68 also rotates. And by this rotation of the rotating shaft, the lock mechanism of each caster 18 is in a fully locked state in which the turning and rotation of the wheels are locked. That is, when the all-lock pedal 52 is stepped on, the locking mechanism of the rear two wheels connected to the shaft 68 is simultaneously switched to the fully-locked state.

  When the operator's foot is removed from the all-lock pedal 52, the all-lock pedal 52 returns to a horizontal state by the force of a spring (not shown), while the shaft 68 and the rotation shaft of each caster are maintained in a rotated state. The That is, the entire lock state is maintained (see FIG. 10C).

  Next, a case where the locking mechanism of the rear two wheels casters 18 is simultaneously switched from the unlocked state to the turning locked state will be described with reference to FIG. When the operator depresses the turning lock pedal 50, the operating body 62 of the turning lock transmission mechanism 54 that is integral with the turning lock pedal 50 pushes the passive body 60 while rotating in the forward direction (FIG. 11 ( B)). The passive body 60 receives the movement of the operating body 62 and rotates in the RF direction opposite to the rotating direction of the operating body, that is, in the direction opposite to that when the all-lock pedal 52 is stepped on. When the passive body 60 rotates, the shaft 68 to which the passive body is fixed also rotates.

  When the shaft 68 rotates in the RF direction, the rotation shaft 24 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B) of the lock mechanism of each caster 18 connected to the shaft 68 also rotates, and the lock mechanism of each caster 18 is locked only for turning the wheel. The swivel lock state is reached. That is, when the turning lock pedal 50 is stepped on, the locking mechanism of the rear two casters 18 connected to the shaft 68 is simultaneously switched to the turning lock state.

  Next, the case where the locking mechanism of the rear two casters 18 is simultaneously switched from the turning locked state to the unlocked state will be described with reference to FIG. In the turning lock state, the operating body 66 and the passive body 64 of the all-lock transmission mechanism 56 are in contact with each other, and the operating body 62 and the passive body 60 of the turning lock transmission mechanism 54 are separated (see FIG. 12 (A)).

  Here, when the operator steps on the turning lock pedal 50 and the all-lock pedal 52 at the same time, the operation bodies 62 and 66 of the turning-lock transmission mechanism 54 and the all-lock transmission mechanism 56 rotate in the forward direction. Then, the corresponding passive bodies 60 and 64 are pushed (see FIG. 12B). Thus, the passive body 64 of the all-lock transmission mechanism 56 rotates in the RA direction (the same direction as the operation body 66), and the passive body 60 of the turning lock transmission mechanism 54 rotates in the RF direction (the direction opposite to the operation body 62). Try to exercise. That is, the two passive bodies 60 and 64 try to rotate in opposite directions. Therefore, one transmission mechanism restricts the movement of the other transmission mechanism. Therefore, the shaft 68 rotates to the neutral rotation position (position where the black circles attached in FIG. 12 are apexes) given by the two transmission mechanisms 54 and 56 and stops.

  The rotation to the neutral rotation position of the shaft 68 causes the rotation shaft of the lock mechanism of the rear two wheels caster connected to the shaft 68 to rotate to the neutral rotation position, and the lock is released. That is, when the all-lock pedal 52 and the turning lock pedal 50 are stepped on at the same time, the lock mechanisms of the rear two wheels are simultaneously unlocked.

  This movement is the same when switching from the fully locked state to the unlocked state. That is, when the turning lock pedal 50 and the all lock pedal 52 are simultaneously stepped on in the fully locked state, the shaft 68 rotates to the neutral rotation position, and the plurality of lock mechanisms connected to the shaft 68 are unlocked. .

  Even in the simultaneous stepping operation of the two pedals, the operation performed by the operator is the same stepping operation as when switching to another state. That is, the same operation can be performed when switching to any operating state. Thereby, the operability can be further improved without causing confusion to the operator. Further, by simultaneously pressing the two pedals, the two pedals can be switched to three states. In other words, simultaneous switching is possible with a smaller number of pedals than the number of operating states to be switched. Therefore, an increase in the number of pedals can be prevented, and the operation can be made easier for the operator to remember.

  2 and 4 to 12, only the main body of the pedal is illustrated, but in reality, the main body of each pedal is covered with a cover body (see FIG. 1). The cover body is wider than the main body of each pedal. Therefore, by providing the cover body, the area where the operator performs the stepping operation becomes wide, and the operation becomes easier. In particular, when two pedals are stepped on simultaneously, the two pedals are close to each other by covering them with a cover body, so that it is easier to step on the pedals at the same time.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to switch to different states such as the fully locked state, the unlocked state, and the turning locked state by the same operation of stepping on the pedal. Therefore, the operator does not need to perform different operations for each state, and can always switch the operating state of the lock mechanism with the same operation. Therefore, the lock mechanisms of a plurality of casters can be switched simultaneously more easily.

  Note that the shapes of the operating body and passive body of each transmission mechanism in the above description are merely examples, and other shapes may be used as long as the stepping operation can be transmitted to the shaft as a rotational motion with different transmission efficiency. Further, the movement of the shaft during the stepping operation of each pedal is not limited to the above description. For example, in the present embodiment, the shaft rotates in one direction when one pedal is depressed, and the shaft rotates in the other direction when the other pedal is depressed. However, the shaft may always rotate in the same direction. In this case, the amount of rotation may be different for each pedal.

  In the present embodiment, the number of pedals is two, but the number may be larger. Therefore, for example, three pedals may be provided, and each pedal may correspond to the fully locked state, the turn locked state, and the unlocked state. In the present embodiment, the operating states of the two locking mechanisms are switched by one switching mechanism, but the operating states of a larger number of locking mechanisms may be switched simultaneously. That is, a plurality of lock mechanisms may be simultaneously switched by providing a second shaft that is coupled to a plurality of casters and rotates in conjunction with the shaft of the front switching mechanism.

  Moreover, you may provide the indicator etc. which show the operating state of the present locking mechanism. That is, a lamp that lights up in conjunction with the shaft or the lock mechanism may be provided in the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus so that the state of the lock mechanism of the caster can be visually recognized. By providing such an indicator, operability can be further improved.

(A) is a perspective view from the front oblique direction of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and (B) is a perspective view from the rear oblique direction. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the caster of the front two wheels to the front switching mechanism. It is a perspective view of a caster. It is a cross-sectional perspective view of a caster. It is a perspective view of a front switching mechanism. (A) is a side view of the transmission mechanism for locking, and (B) is a side view of the transmission mechanism for release. It is a figure which shows a motion of the transmission mechanism at the time of switching from a lock release state to a full lock state. It is a figure which shows a motion of the transmission mechanism at the time of switching from an all locked state to a lock release state. It is a perspective view of a rear switching mechanism. (A) is a side view of the transmission mechanism for all locks, and (B) is a side view of the transmission mechanism for turning locks. It is a figure which shows a motion of the transmission mechanism at the time of switching from a lock release state to a full lock state. It is a figure which shows a motion of the transmission mechanism at the time of switching from a lock release state to a rotation lock state. It is a figure which shows a motion of the transmission mechanism at the time of switching from an all locked state to a lock release state.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 14 Front switching mechanism, 16 Rear switching mechanism, 18 Casters, 20 Wheel, 22 Lock mechanism, 24 Rotating shaft, 30 Release pedal, 32 Lock pedal, 34, 68 Shaft, 36 Release transmission mechanism 38, Transmission mechanism for lock, 40, 44, 60, 64 Passive body, 42, 46, 62, 66 Operation body, 48, 58 Pedal shaft, 50 Pedal for turning lock, 52 Pedal for all locking, 54 Transmission for turning lock Mechanism, 56 All-lock transmission mechanism.

Claims (5)

A plurality of casters having a lock mechanism capable of taking a plurality of operating states;
A switching mechanism for simultaneously switching the operating states of the plurality of locking mechanisms in the plurality of casters;
Including
The switching mechanism is
A shaft member connected to the plurality of locking mechanisms and simultaneously switching the operating states of the plurality of locking mechanisms by a rotational motion;
Multiple pedals operated by the user,
A plurality of transmission mechanisms provided corresponding to a plurality of pedals for transmitting a stepping operation by a user to the shaft member to rotate the shaft member, wherein the stepping operation is transmitted to the shaft member with different transmission efficiencies. A plurality of transmission mechanisms for transmitting;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1,
The transmission mechanism is
An operating body configured integrally with the pedal and moving by a stepping operation of the pedal;
A passive body attached to the shaft member, which receives the motion of the operating body and transmits the rotational motion to the shaft;
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is characterized in that the connection relationship between the operating body and the passive body is different for each transmission mechanism. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The plurality of transmission mechanisms are:
A first transmission mechanism for rotating the shaft member in one direction by stepping on a corresponding pedal;
A second transmission mechanism for rotating the shaft member in the other direction by a stepping operation of a corresponding pedal;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3,
The plurality of pedals are:
A first pedal which is a pedal corresponding to the first transmission mechanism;
A second pedal which is provided alongside the first pedal and corresponds to the second transmission mechanism;
Have
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, wherein the shaft member is rotated to a neutral rotational position for switching the plurality of lock mechanisms to a specific operating state by simultaneously stepping on the first pedal and the second pedal. . The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 4,
The pedal is
Pedal body,
A cover body that covers an upper surface of the pedal body portion and receives the stepping operation; a cover body wider than the pedal body portion;
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:

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