JP2007267855A - Caring lifter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a caring lifter improving the safety when being used by the physically disabled. <P>SOLUTION: This caring lifter has a suspension belt, a motor winding up or unwindingly lowering the suspension belt, and a control part driving the motor based on an input from an operation means and lifts a person to be suspended by winding up the suspension belt. This caring lifter is further provided with a belt suspension device incorporating the motor and suspending the suspension belt, a suspension failure detecting means detecting that the suspension belt is obliquely inclined from a vertically suspended state by the belt suspension device, and a suspension failure determination means determining it abnormal when the suspension failure detecting part detects the inclination of the suspension belt during lifting the person to be suspended. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a care lifter that can be moved to a desired place by one's own operation or the operation of a caregiver, even for a physically handicapped person who has difficulty in one or the lower half of the body. It relates to a care lifter that can be used.

  The most difficult thing for people with physical disabilities who have difficulty with one or the lower body is that it is difficult to move from their bed to a wheelchair or to a portable toilet. .

  Therefore, the care lifter described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed by the present applicant. The care lifter disclosed in Patent Document 1 is operated by a remote control after a suspended person who is a user of the care lifter wears a clothes-type suspension and connects a suspension belt to the thigh and shoulder of the suspension. Thus, the suspension belt is wound up to lift the suspended person, and the suspension belt is moved along the rail in this state, and the suspension belt is wound down and seated at a predetermined place.

  The care lifter of Patent Document 1 generates sufficient tension on the thigh portion of the suspended person by first lifting only the thigh suspension belt coupled to the thigh portion of the clothes-type suspension device when lifting the suspended person. Then, the suspension belt for the thigh and the shoulder suspension belt coupled to the shoulder portion of the clothes-type suspension are wound up to control the suspended person to be raised. According to this device, the suspended person can easily move to a desired location, and thus is very effective in supporting the life of a physically handicapped person.

In addition, the care lifter of Patent Document 1 is configured to detect tension applied to a plurality of suspension belts when lifting the person being suspended, and to monitor the tension balance between the plurality of suspension belts. ing. With this configuration, load abnormality due to detachment or catching of the suspension belt is detected to ensure the safety of the suspended person. ([0039], [0065])
JP 2002-65765 A

  However, although the conventional care lifter disclosed in Patent Document 1 can detect that the suspension belt is detached from the clothes-type suspension based on the tension balance between the plurality of suspension belts, When a hanging belt is misplaced in a clothes-type hanger, this cannot be detected as an abnormality, and it cannot be said that safety is sufficient.

That is, the conventional care lifter is used to determine abnormalities between a plurality of suspension belts when the tension applied to any one of the suspension belts is very small compared to the other. When the tension is balanced, it cannot be determined as abnormal.
For this reason, in the conventional care lifter, the suspension belt is mistakenly coupled, the shoulder suspension belt is coupled to the thigh portion of the clothes-type suspension device, and the thigh suspension belt is coupled to the shoulder portion of the clothing-type suspension device. In such a case, the tension due to the load of the human body is generated in each suspension belt, and it is determined that there is no abnormality.

However, if the shoulder suspension belt is connected to the thigh part of the clothes-type hanger and the thigh suspension belt is connected to the shoulder part of the clothes-type hanger, the posture of hanging the suspended person Control will not be performed properly, which may cause pain for the suspended person. In addition, there is a possibility that problems such as entanglement of the suspension belt may occur during lifting.
For this reason, the conventional care lifter was not sufficient in terms of ensuring safety.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the care lifter which improved safety | security more when a disabled person uses.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a plurality of suspension belts, a motor for winding or unwinding the suspension belt, and a controller for driving the motor based on an input from an operating means. A nursing lifter that winds up the suspended belt and lifts the suspended person upward, and includes a belt suspension device that incorporates the motor and suspends the suspended belt; and the suspended belt is suspended from the belt. Detecting that the suspension belt is inclined from the state of being suspended vertically from the device, and detecting that the suspension belt is tilted by the difference detection unit during lifting of the suspended person Provided is a care lifter provided with a difference determination means for determining that an abnormality occurs.

  Normally, when a suspended person is lifted normally, it does not tilt obliquely from the vertical direction. On the other hand, in a state where the suspended person is not lifted, there is a possibility that the belt is inclined obliquely from a state where the belt is temporarily suspended in the vertical direction due to the handling of the belt. Therefore, in the care lifter according to the present invention, it is detected that the suspension belt is inclined while the suspended person is lifted, and it is determined that a difference in belt suspension has occurred. This prevents the lifter from operating while the suspended person accidentally hooks the belt, and prevents the suspension belt from becoming entangled.

  Preferably, the suspension difference determining means is abnormal when the suspension detection unit detects that the suspension belt is tilted when the control unit drives and controls the motor in the winding direction. Provide a nursing lifter to determine

In addition, preferably, further comprising a load detection unit for detecting a load applied to the suspension belt,
The difference determination unit provides a care lifter that determines that the suspension belt is abnormal when the suspension detection unit detects that the suspension belt is tilted when a load greater than a predetermined value is applied to the suspension belt. To do.

  Further, preferably, the suspension belt includes a lower body suspension belt that suspends the lower body portion of the suspended person, and an upper body suspension belt that suspends the upper body portion of the suspended person, In the belt suspension apparatus, the difference detection unit is located in the vicinity of the lower body suspension belt in the direction of the upper body suspension belt, and the lower body suspension belt with respect to the upper body suspension belt. Provided is a care lifter provided with a misalignment detector that is disposed at a position close to a direction and detects that the suspension belt is tilted when it comes into contact with any suspension belt.

  According to the care lifter according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the lifter from operating while the belt is accidentally hooked. It is also possible to prevent entanglement of the suspension belt. Therefore, it can be detected that the lifting operation is not performed safely, and safety can be improved.

  In addition, in the state where the suspended person is not lifted, it is not abnormal even if the belt is tilted obliquely from the state where it is suspended in the vertical direction. Absent.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. First, the overall configuration of a care lifter to which the apparatus of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view for showing a usage pattern of a care lifter according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the care lifter shown in FIG. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an embodiment of a care lifter installed on a floor surface in a room of a general household, and in particular, withstand load resistance so that the entire weight of a human body can be lifted and moved between different positions. The example formed in the rack structure is shown.

  In both figures, a load-bearing support means 50 is formed by a pair of support posts 1 that can be installed on the floor and rails 2 connected to both ends of the support support 1. A lifter body 3 having a structure to be described later is suspended along the rail 2 so as to be movable in the left-right direction in FIG.

  The lifter body 3 is attached with a belt suspension device 3a having a motor as a drive source for the lifting and lowering movements of the suspension belt 4 in the vertical direction. A suspension belt 4 made of a material such as nylon is suspended in a configuration in which the suspension belt 4 is pulled up with respect to the pulleys 4c, 4d, etc. The belt suspension device 3a includes two motors so that the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b of the suspension belt 4 can be individually wound and fed out, and the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b are provided. The suspension belt 4b is controlled by different motors.

In the suspension belt 4, one belt 4a forms one thigh suspension belt 4a, and the lower part of the one thigh suspension belt 4a is divided into two. The thigh suspension belt 4a bifurcated has a lower end depending on an appropriate position of both thighs of the suspended person M (a position close to both knees where one hand of the suspended person M can reach). The thigh suspension belt 4a acts as a lower body suspension belt that suspends the lower body portion of the suspended person.
The other belt 4b forms a pair of shoulder suspension belts 4b, and hangs down at the upper portions of both shoulders of the suspended person M. The shoulder suspension belt 4b acts as an upper body suspension belt that suspends the upper body portion of the suspended person.

  The suspension belt 4 has an upper end that is fastened to the belt drive pulleys 4c and 4d of the belt suspension device 3a and is wound downwardly after being wound around the pulleys 4c and 4d by an appropriate amount. On the lower end side, there are attached male couplers 6a and 6b composed of a coupler having good operability by the suspended person M, for example, a well-known carabiner. These male couplers 6a and 6b are coupled to corresponding female couplers 7a and 7b provided on both shoulder parts and both thigh parts of the clothes-type hanger 8 worn by the suspended person M. The suspension belt 4 is formed so that the suspended person M can be easily coupled to the clothes-type suspension 8 with one hand.

  1 and 2 show that a suspended person M such as a physically handicapped person who is incapacitated for one half body or the lower half of the body himself or herself from a bed 10 to a portable toilet (hereinafter simply referred to as a toilet) 11a or a wheelchair 11b. It is configured as a device that moves horizontally along the rail 2 of the suspending means 50 so that it can be moved and returned by the user's operation. In the state shown in the figure, the suspension belt 4 is coupled with the bed 10. After that, the operating means (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller) 9 is lifted upward from the upper surface of the bed 10 by the suspended person M himself / herself operating with one hand.

  The remote controller 9 is an infrared remote controller (see FIG. 7) that transmits a signal to the control unit of the apparatus, which will be described later, by infrared rays, for example, an “up” button corresponding to execution of lifting of the suspension belt 4 and execution of suspension. The “down” button corresponding to “,” the “right” button for executing the lateral movement of the lifter body 3 along the rail 2 in the right direction, the “left” button for executing the lateral movement of the left direction, and the emergency call “ There are a total of 5 buttons, “Sen” buttons.

  The remote controller 9 is not limited to the infrared remote controller, but may be configured as a wired remote controller that extends a lead wire from the control unit of the apparatus and transmits a signal through the lead wire. You may comprise as a transmission-type remote control.

  FIG. 3 shows a state where the belt suspension device 3a in the lifter body 3 is viewed from the upper surface side. Two suspension drive motors 22a and 22b (hereinafter referred to as motors 22a and 22b) for driving the belt suspension operation are attached and fixed to the belt suspension device 3a. The former motor 22a is provided for the suspension drive of the thigh suspension belt 4a, and the latter motor 22b is provided for the suspension drive of the shoulder suspension belt 4b.

  These motors 22a and 22b are respectively connected to one drive gear 25a and 25b via speed reducers 23a and 23b and shafts 24a and 24b, respectively, and belt drive gears 26a and 26b meshed with the drive gears 25a and 25b. The belt drive pulleys 4c, 4d, 4d are mounted on the shafts 27a, 27b by transmitting the rotational driving force to the other shafts 27a, 27b disposed in parallel with the shafts 24a, 24b. Is driven to rotate.

  These belt drive pulleys 4c, 4d, and 4d have the upper ends of the above-described suspension belts 4 (thigh suspension belts 4a and shoulder suspension belts 4b and 4b) fixed and fixed on the circumferential surface. After hanging over, it hangs down.

  The gears 25a and 25b fixed on the shafts 24a and 24b are engaged with encoders 34a and 34b serving as rotation detecting means via other small gears 30a and 30b. The rotation amount of each of the shafts 24a and 24b in the positive / negative direction can be detected from 34b, and the rotation amount measurement values of the encoders 34a and 34b are transmitted to a control unit described later.

  Here, it should be noted that the encoders 34a, 34b indirectly detect the amount of rotation of the belt driving pulleys 4c, 4d, 4d through detecting the rotation of the shafts 24a, 24b, and thus the suspension belt. 4 is configured to be able to indirectly detect the amount of winding and the amount of lowering. The rotation amount measurement values by the encoders 34a and 34b are output with the rotation of the suspension belt 4 in the winding direction as positive.

  Instead of the configuration in which the encoders 34a and 34b are provided to detect the rotation amounts of the shafts 24a and 24b, servo motors incorporating encoders in the motors 22a and 22b themselves are used, and the rotation amounts of the motors 22a and 22b are detected. It is good also as a structure which detects the rotation amount of the axis | shafts 24a and 24b.

  The above-described configuration of the belt suspension device 3a controls the operation of the motors 22a and 22b which are the driving sources for the lifting and lowering operations of the suspension belt 4 by moving the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b up and down. Can be easily understood. In addition, the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b are configured to be driven independently, and the lifting amount and the hanging amount can be detected from the encoders 34a and 34b.

  Here, the structure of the clothes-type hanger used in combination with the care lifter according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a view showing an embodiment of a clothes-type hanger worn by a suspended person M, (A) is a front view of the clothes-type hanger, and (B) is a rear view. As shown in FIG. 4, the clothes-type hanger 8 is formed in a structure in which a suspended person M such as a physically handicapped person who cannot normally perform daily activities due to involuntary half-body wears in advance. The upper body and the lower body are integrated into the body of the suspended person M, and have a structure that does not have any unevenness on the back side. It is formed with consideration given to avoiding such problems.

  As described above, on the front side of the body as viewed from the side of the suspended person M of the garment-type lifting device 8, the upper surface portion near the knee of the thigh and the upper portion of both shoulders are dispersed. Female couplers 7a and 7b are fixed. These female couplers 7a and 7b are provided at positions within a range where the suspended person M can perform the coupling operation with the male couplers 6a and 6b on the suspension belt 4 side with one hand, and will be described later. When the body is lifted by the suspension belt 4 from the state where the body is slightly raised on the bed 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the lifting force is distributed over almost the entire area of the suspended person M, The position is selected so that the hanger M does not feel uncomfortable due to the load of the lifting force or does not cause a floor slip.

  That is, since the suspended person M is lifted and supported by the suspended belt 4 via the clothes-type lifting device 8 in a wide range from the entire back surface of the suspended person M to the periphery of the waist and the lower surface of the thigh. The suspended person M is not given any uncomfortable feelings such as a feeling of pressure and tightness. One end of the female coupler 7b is disposed at the top of the shoulder of the clothes-type hanger 8. The other end where the female coupler 7b is coupled to the male coupler 6b is one hand in the chest. Since the male coupling tool 6a, 6b and the clothes-type hanging tool 8 are suspended by the suspended joint M with one hand, the female coupling tool 7a is disposed within the movable range of one hand. It is noted that it can be easily combined using only.

  Further, in FIG. 4, the clothes-type hanging device 8 is further provided with an opening 8a at the front and rear, which can be freely opened when the suspended person M reaches the toilet 11a and uses the toilet. ing. The opening 8a is formed so as to be freely opened by an opening auxiliary tool 39 configured in a winding skirt shape. When the suspended person M excretes, the opening 8a on the front side of the body or the back side is exposed by lifting up the opening assisting tool 39 with one hand operation, and stool becomes possible. Note that the opening 8 a may be formed over the crotch portion of the clothes-type hanger 8.

  The above-described clothes-type hanger 8 shown in FIG. 4 is formed in advance in an appropriate size so as to match the body shape of the person to be suspended M, and the suspension belt 4a, By providing the female couplers 7a and 7b for coupling with the male couplers 6a and 6b of 4b and the opening assisting tool 39 of the opening 8a, the lifter main body 3 and the belt suspension device 3a cooperate. Thus, the suspended person M can be lifted and hung and the movement between desired positions can be smoothly advanced. Note that the clothes-type hanger 8 is formed in advance by determining the sizes S, M, and L, and an appropriate size is selected according to the body shape of the suspended person M.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the function of the care lifter body 3. The lifter body 3 includes a traveling unit 200 for traveling on the rail 2, a current position detection unit 300 for detecting the current position of the lifter body 3 on the rail 2, and a light receiving unit that receives infrared rays from the infrared remote controller 9. 400, a notification unit 500 for notifying the occurrence of an abnormality by a buzzer sound or a light beam when an abnormality occurs, and the suspension belts 4 for the thigh and the shoulder are independently provided by two independent motors 22a and 22b. A belt suspension unit 600 to be controlled, a load detection unit 700 for detecting whether or not the suspended person M is normally lifted from the tension applied to the suspension belt 4, and the feeding of the three suspension belts Whether there is a difference between the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b with respect to the suspension belt feed length detection unit 800 that detects the length and the clothes-type suspension device 8 of the suspended person M. Hang to detect A detection unit 900 have configured to include a control unit 100 for controlling the operation between these parts.

  Here, FIG. 6 shows the traveling unit 200 for horizontally moving along the rail 2 of the suspending means 50, and the traveling unit 200 and the belt suspension device 3a in the lifter body 3 are connected to the side surface side (in FIG. 1). The state seen from the right side (lower side in FIG. 3) is shown. In FIG. 6, the gears 25a, 25b, 26a, 26b, 30a, 30b of the belt suspension device 3a are omitted (indicated by a two-dot chain line) for the sake of explanation.

  The traveling unit 200 includes a moving motor 13 (hereinafter referred to as a motor 13), a speed reducer 14, a shaft 16, a driving wheel 19, and the like. The traveling unit 200 has a function of connecting the drive wheels 19 to the motor 13 via the speed reducer 14 and the shaft 16 and rotating the drive wheels 19 to travel the lifter body 3 along the rails 2. In FIG. 6, guide wheels 21 are provided on the side surface side and the bottom surface side of the rail 2 to prevent a yawing operation and a rolling operation when the lifter body 3 moves on the rail 2.

  The control part 100, the light-receiving part 400, and the alerting | reporting part 500 are each provided in the appropriate place of this care lifter. For example, the control unit 100 may be provided in an electric box mounted on the lifter body 3. The light receiving unit 400 is provided in a place where the light from the infrared remote controller 9 is easily received, for example, on the outer surface of the lifter body 3. The alerting | reporting part 500 may be provided in the appropriate place of the support | pillar 1 so that a helper can cancel | release a buzzer etc. mechanically.

  The current position detection unit 300 is schematically configured from a photo interrupter 3b (see FIG. 6) mounted on the lifter body 3 so as to detect the reflective seal 2a (see FIG. 1) affixed to the rail 2. The reflective seal 2a is affixed on the rail 2 corresponding to a position that the suspended person M may use such as the bed 10, the toilet 11a, and the wheelchair 11b. Is identified. That is, by attaching one reflective tape on the bed 10 and two reflective tapes on the toilet 11a and the wheelchair 11b, the photointerrupter 3b can detect the reflective tape 2a and specify each location.

  By specifying the current position of the lifter body 3 in this way, it is possible to determine whether or not the suspended person M that is lifted and moved is a place where it can be lowered. If there is an input, it is possible to perform control such as notifying the abnormality by the notification unit 500.

  In addition to the above, the current position can be detected by attaching an oscillator that sends a weak radio wave to a desired position instead of the reflective seal, and detecting this. In addition, instead of directly detecting the position, for example, the moving distance from the end of the rail 2 can be measured using an encoder based on the number of rotations of the traveling unit 200, and the integrated value can be used.

  Note that the current position detection unit 300 may not be provided as long as the caregiver lifter is operated by an assistant. This is because the assistant can determine the current position of the lifter body 3 by external observation and move the lifter body 3. Further, in this case, an assistant manually pushes and moves the lifter body 3 and moves the lifter body 3 along the rail 2, thereby driving means (motor 13, speed reducer 14, shaft 16, drive in the traveling unit 200). The wheel 19) can be eliminated, and a care lifter can be provided at a low cost. In this case, the drive wheel 19 is configured as a guide wheel.

  The load detection unit 700 illustrated in FIG. 5 detects the load applied to the suspension belt 4 and the upper and lower limits of the suspension belt 4. FIG. 6 shows a schematic configuration of the load detection unit 700. In FIG. 6, 35a shows the tension detector of the thigh suspension belt 4a, and 35b shows the tension detector of the shoulder suspension belt 4b. These tension detectors 35a and 35b are constituted by limit switches that are turned on when a load about the level of lifting a human body is applied. The present invention is not limited to this example, and the tension applied to the suspension belts 4a and 4b may be directly detected by a so-called tension meter, or the torque of a motor that controls the suspension belts 4a and 4b may be detected. In the present embodiment, the load detection unit 700 includes three tension detectors 35a for the thigh suspension belt 4a and two tension detectors 35b and 35b for the shoulder suspension belt. The tension applied to each belt is detected, and the load applied to each belt is detected.

  A thigh suspension belt upper limit detector 36a detects an upper limit of the thigh suspension belt 4a by a limit switch that detects a thick ground portion 37a provided below the thigh suspension belt 4a. Further, a mechanical stopper 38a is provided below the thick ground portion 37a to physically prevent the belt from exceeding the upper limit. Reference numeral 39a denotes a thigh suspension belt lower limit detector, which is used to detect the lowering of the thigh suspension belt 4a by a limit switch that detects an upper thick portion (not shown) provided above the thigh suspension belt 4a. Detect the lower limit. Similarly, the shoulder suspension belt 4b is also provided with a shoulder suspension belt upper limit detector 36b, a thick portion 37b, a mechanical stopper 38b, and a shoulder suspension belt lower limit detector 39b, and the shoulder suspension belt 4b. Detect the upper and lower limits of.

  The upper and lower limits of the suspension belt 4 may be detected by detecting the upper and lower limits of belt winding by detecting the reflective seals attached below and above the suspension belt 4 with a photo interrupter. Good.

  The difference detection unit 900 shown in FIG. 5 detects the difference between the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b. FIG. 6 shows a schematic configuration of the crossing detection unit 900. Reference numeral 40a denotes a thigh belt crossing detector, which is configured by a limit switch that is turned on when the thigh suspension belt 4a is inclined in the shoulder direction of the suspended person M (right direction in FIG. 6). . Similarly, a shoulder belt crossing detector 40b configured by a limit switch that is turned on when the shoulder suspension belt 4b is inclined in the thigh direction (left direction in FIG. 6) of the suspended person M is provided. It has been.

  Here, the thigh belt crossing detector 40a is disposed below the belt suspension device 3a and in the vicinity of the thigh suspension belt 4a on the shoulder suspension belt 4b side. The shoulder belt crossing detector 40b is disposed below the belt suspension device 3a and in the vicinity of the shoulder suspension belt 4b on the thigh suspension belt 4a side.

  A belt suspension unit 600 shown in FIG. 5 includes the belt suspension device 3a shown in FIG. The belt suspension unit 600 receives the control signal from the control unit 100 and drives the motors 22a and 22b to wind and suspend the suspension belt. The belt suspension unit 600 rotates and drives the motors 22a and 22b to be controlled in the winding direction when the control unit 100 performs the winding control, and the motor 22a to be controlled when the winding control is performed. , 22b is driven to rotate in the lowering direction.

  The suspension belt feed length detector 800 is means for detecting the feed length of the suspension belt 4. Since the suspension belt 4 is fed out by the belt drive pulleys 4 c and 4 d being wound down, the suspension belt feed-out length detection unit 800 detects the amount of winding up the suspension belt 4. It also acts as a detection means. The suspension belt feed length detection unit 800 includes encoders 34a and 34b shown in FIG. 3, and the feed lengths of the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b are detected by these encoders.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the infrared remote controller 9 shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the infrared remote controller 9 sends operation signals corresponding to a total of five instructions: upward movement “up”, downward movement “down”, right movement “right”, left movement “left”, and emergency call “tension”. Operation buttons 91 to 95 to be formed, a light projecting unit 96 for transmitting the operation signal by infrared rays, and a control unit 97 for controlling the light projecting unit 96 so that an optical signal corresponding to the operation signal is formed. Consists of

  These operation buttons are configured such that a signal is transmitted only when the suspended person M is pressing the button, thereby enabling omission of the on and off buttons. As a result, only the necessary minimum five operation buttons are arranged on the control panel (see FIG. 1) of the infrared remote controller 9, and the button selection operation is easy for the suspended person M. .

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing details of the control unit 100 shown in FIG. The control unit 100 includes a current position recognition unit 101, a lifting height determination unit 102, a load determination unit 103, an operation signal processing unit 104, an attitude detection unit 105, a control pattern storage unit 106, and a control pattern selection setting unit. 107, motor abnormality determination means 108, suspension difference determination means 109, travel control means 111, shoulder suspension belt control means 112, thigh suspension belt control means 113, notification control means 114, control And means 120.

  Based on the signal from the current position detector 300, the current position recognition means 101 determines the current position of the lifter body 3 according to the pattern of the reflected light from the reflective sticker 2a attached to the position where it can be lifted and hung on the rail 2. Recognize position.

  The lifting height determination means 102 determines the height of the lower end of the suspension belt 4 from the output signal indicating the extension length of the suspension belt output from the suspension belt supply length detector 800. Further, when lifting the suspended person M, it is determined whether the lifting height is less than a preset height.

  The load determination unit 103 detects whether the tension applied to the suspension belts 4a and 4b is equal to or higher than a predetermined value by the load detection unit 700, so that the load of each part of the human body is applied to each suspension belt 4a and 4b. It is determined whether or not. Further, the load determination means 103 is used when the tension of one or more of the suspension belts 4a and 4b becomes abnormally small as compared with other belts and the balance between the belts is lost, or 1 A load abnormality is determined when a tension higher than that when lifting a human body is applied to a book or a plurality of belts.

  The operation signal processing unit 104 receives an operation signal input from the infrared remote controller 9 via the light receiving unit 400, recognizes which button is pressed, and outputs a control signal to the control unit 120.

  At the time of lifting the suspended person M, the attitude detecting means 105 determines the attitude of the suspended person M from the tension applied to each of the suspension belts 4a and 4b based on the determination result of the load determining means 103 (sleeping position, sitting position). Is detected. For example, when tension is generated in each suspension belt 4, if the height of the lower end of the shoulder suspension belt 4b is higher than the height of the lower end of the thigh suspension belt 4a by a predetermined amount, it is determined as a sitting posture, and the thigh suspension is determined. If the lower end heights of the suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b are approximately the same, the sleeping posture is determined.

The control pattern storage means 106 stores a plurality of control patterns corresponding to the posture of the suspended person M regarding the lifting control of the suspended person M by the lifter body 3.
Based on the result detected by the posture detection unit 105, the control pattern selection setting unit 107 selects and sets a control pattern from the plurality of control patterns according to the control operation and posture such as lifting and hanging. To do.

  The motor abnormality determination means 108 includes control signals for the thigh and shoulder suspension belts 4a and 4b output from the thigh and shoulder suspension belt control means 113 and 112, and a suspension belt feed length detector 800 (encoder). 34a, 34b) is compared with the rotation direction of the belt drive pulleys 4c, 4d, 4d and the rotation amount to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the motors 22a, 22b. If it is detected by the motor abnormality determination means 108 that one or both of the motors 22a and 22b are abnormal, it will not operate even if an "up" button operation signal is input from the remote controller 9 thereafter. Each part of the control part 100 is controlled.

  The thigh and shoulder suspension belt control means 113 and 112 are means for controlling the winding and lowering of the thigh and shoulder suspension belts 4a and 4b, and are set by the control pattern selection setting means 107. According to the pattern, a control signal is output to the belt suspension unit 600 to control the thigh and shoulder suspension belts 4a and 4b. That is, the hoisting control signal is output to the belt suspension unit 600 to control hoisting of the suspension belt 4, and the lowering control signal is output to lower the suspension belt 4.

  The hoisting or lowering control signal output to the belt suspension unit 600 may be continuously output during the hoisting or lowering control, or may be output only at the start of the hoisting or lowering control. .

  The traveling control unit 111 controls the traveling unit 200 to control the traveling traveling on the rail 2. The notification control unit 114 drives the notification unit 500 at the time of abnormality to notify the abnormality by sound or light. The control means 120 controls the overall operation of each means.

  The operation of the care lifter according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be described below.

  First, the initial setting of the care lifter will be described. This care lifter is a dip switch that initially sets various parameters such as the size of the clothes-type lifting device 8 according to the physique of the suspended person M, the ascending / descending speed, the lateral movement speed, and the height at which the lateral movement is possible. (Not shown) is provided for initial setting. This initial setting is normally set by the installer when the apparatus is installed in the user's home, and need not be set by the suspended person M or his / her assistant during daily use.

  Among the above parameters, the ascending / descending speed and the lateral movement speed are set to such a speed that the suspended person M does not feel fear. Moreover, regarding the physique of the suspended person M, a dip switch is set in accordance with the size of the clothes-type hanging tool 8 such as S, M, and L, for example. When the size of the clothes-type hanger 8 is set, control parameters used for lifting and hanging, which will be described later, specifically, various feeding lengths of the suspension belt 4 are changed according to the size of the clothes-type hanger 8. The

  Next, the basic operation of the care lifter body will be described with reference to FIG. When the power source of the care lifter main body 3 is turned on, an initial setting of the hanging belt feeding length is first performed. First, after detecting the tension of the suspension belt 4 in the load detection unit 700 and confirming that the human body is not suspended, the belt suspension unit 600 is operated and the thick portions of the thigh and shoulder suspension belts 4a and 4b. Each belt is wound up until 37a and 37b are detected. The positions where the thick ground portions 37a, 37b are detected by the thigh and shoulder suspension belt upper limit detectors 36a, 36b are detected by the suspension belt feed length detection unit 800, and the value is detected as the feed length origin of the suspension belt 4. And

  The feeding length detection unit 800 uses the lifting length origin of the suspension belt as a reference, the thigh suspension belt lifting height (lower end height), and the shoulder suspension belt lifting height at the time of lifting and suspension described later ( Detect the lower edge height).

  When the initial setting of the hanging belt feeding length is completed, the care lifter body 3 waits for input of the infrared remote controller 9. As described above, the infrared remote controller 9 includes 5 of “up (upward movement)”, “down (downward movement)”, “left (leftward movement)”, “right (rightward movement)”, and “tight (emergency)”. There are two buttons. The care lifter body 3 operates only while any of the operation buttons is pressed. In this way, even if a sudden trouble occurs in the suspended person M, the operation of the care lifter body 3 is stopped when the button is released, thereby preventing secondary damage. it can.

  The care lifter main body 3 stands by with the suspension belt 4 wound up on the bed 10 where the suspended person M normally spends. This is because the suspended person M normally lies on the bed and uses the care lifter when transferring to the toilet or wheelchair. This is because it is possible to respond quickly to requests from

Now, the lifting and hanging operations of the suspended person M from the bed 10 will be described.
The operator of the care lifter may be a suspended person M or a caregiver. In this example, an example in which the suspended person M operates the care lifter will be described. First, the suspended person M presses the “down” button of the infrared remote controller 9 and lowers the suspended belt 4 to a height at which the suspended person M can easily connect to the clothes-type hanging tool 8 worn by the suspended person M. When the suspension belt 4 is lowered to a desired height, the suspended person M is connected to four places on both shoulders and thighs of the clothes-type suspension device 8 wearing the suspension belt 4.

  When the connection between the suspending belt 4 and the clothes-type suspender 8 is finished and the suspended person M presses the “up” button, the control unit 100 starts the lifting control. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the “up” button of the infrared remote controller 9 is continuously pressed by the suspended person M, and the control when the suspended person M is lifted will be described.

  The control unit 100 discriminates the posture of the suspended person M (for example, a lying posture or a sitting posture) based on the tension generated in each of the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b. The winding timing of each suspension belt 4 is controlled accordingly. Specifically, after sufficient tension is generated in the thigh of the suspended person M by the thigh suspension belt 4a, both the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b are wound up and controlled. And lift the suspended person M. As a result, the clothes-type lifting tool 8 is prevented from shifting in the shoulder direction so that a physical burden is not applied to the suspended person M. When the control unit 100 detects that the lifting height of the suspended person M has reached a predetermined height, the control unit 100 ends the lifting control.

  Next, the lateral movement control between the bed 10 of the suspended person M suspended by the care lifter and the toilet 11a or the wheelchair 11b will be described. When the suspended person M presses the “left” or “right” button of the infrared remote controller 9, the control unit 100 reaches a predetermined height, that is, a laterally movable height, of the suspended person M. Whether or not the lifter body 3 is lifted up to the laterally movable height is determined according to the pressed button, and the lifter body 3 is moved to the right side on the rail 2 while being pressed. ”Or“ Left ”.

Next, the suspension control will be described.
When the “down” button of the infrared remote controller 9 is pressed, the control unit 100 starts the suspension control. At this time, it is possible to confirm the current position of the lifter body 3 and confirm that the position is a position where it can be safely suspended, such as on the bed 10 or the toilet 11a or the wheelchair 11b. If the position is not possible, an alarm such as a buzzer is issued to the suspended person M to notify that the suspension cannot be performed. Hereinafter, the suspension control of the suspended person M will be described on the assumption that the “down” button is kept pressed.

  First, it is determined whether or not tension is applied to both the shoulder and thigh belts 4a and 4b, that is, whether or not a load is applied. When both the shoulder and thigh belts are loaded, it is determined that the suspended person M is in a lifted state, and the tensioned belts are unwound until the tension of each suspension belt disappears. The suspended person M is seated. If only one of the suspension belts is tensioned, the tensioned belt is drawn out until the tension of the suspension belt disappears, and the suspended person M is seated. If all the suspension belts 4 are not tensioned, until the “down” button is pressed, or if the “down” button is kept pressed, the lowering lower limit of the suspension belt 4 is reached. Then, the suspension belt 4 is wound down.

  FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are flowcharts showing control for determining the occurrence of an emergency when the apparatus is operating, particularly during lifting control. When it is determined that an emergency has occurred due to these controls, the following safety ensuring control is executed as an interrupt process in the control unit 120 of the control unit 100 in preference to other processes. First, the control shown in FIG. 9 will be described.

  FIG. 9 shows an abnormality determination process for the suspension drive motors 22a and 22b, which is executed by the motor abnormality determination means 108. Here, the abnormality determination process of the thigh suspension belt 4a driving motor 22a will be described as an example, but the same process is also performed for the shoulder suspension belt 4b driving motor 22b using the measurement value of the encoder 34b. Are running in parallel.

  The motor abnormality determination means 108 resets the abnormality determination counters m and n when the care lifter is powered on and the process is started (step ST1). The counter m counts the continuous number of stop determinations of the motor 22a, and the counter n counts the continuous number of reverse operation determinations of the motor 22a. And it is discriminate | determined whether the belt suspension part 600 is instruct | indicated the winding control of the thigh suspension belt 4a by the thigh suspension belt control means 113 (step ST2).

  If the winding control of the thigh suspension belt 4a is instructed (step ST2-Yes), the variation amount of the unwinding length (winding amount) of the thigh suspension belt 4a is acquired from the suspension belt unwinding length detection unit 800. . That is, the measurement value of the encoder 34a that is the rotation amount of the belt drive pulley 4c is acquired (step ST3). As described above, the measured value of the encoder 34a is output with the rotation of the suspension belt in the winding direction (increase in the winding amount) being positive and the rotation in the winding direction (decreasing the winding amount) being negative.

  If the measured value of the encoder 34a (the amount of rotation of the belt drive pulley 4c) acquired in step ST3 is equal to or larger than a preset threshold value X for determining whether to stop the motor (step ST4-Yes), it is normally suspended. It is determined that the lifting control of the hanger is being performed (step ST5), the process is returned to step ST1, and the counters m and n are reset.

  On the other hand, if the measured value of the encoder 34a acquired in step ST3 is less than the threshold value X (step ST4-No), then, the measured value of the encoder 34a is used for determining the motor reversing operation set in advance. It is determined whether or not the threshold value Y is equal to or greater than the threshold value Y (step ST7). Here, the threshold value X for determining the stop and the threshold value Y for determining the reverse operation are threshold value X ≧ 0> threshold value. It is preset as a value that satisfies Y.

  In step ST7, if the measured value of the encoder 34a is equal to or greater than the threshold value Y (step ST7-Yes), 1 is added to the counter m and the counter n is reset (step ST8), and the value of the counter m is set to the threshold value. Compare with the value MTh (step ST9). If it is equal to or greater than threshold value MTh, the process proceeds to step ST10, and if it is less than threshold value Mth, the process returns to step ST2.

Here, in the processing from step ST8 to step ST9, when the belt suspension portion 600 is controlled to be wound up, the measured value of the encoder 34a, that is, the rotation amount of the belt driving pulley 4c, is the threshold for determining the motor stop. This means that it is determined whether or not the determination that it is less than the value X and is equal to or greater than the threshold value Y for determining the motor reversal operation has occurred Mth times continuously.
If Mth occurrences occur continuously, it is determined that an abnormality (motor stop abnormality) in which the motor 22a does not rotate in the winding direction has occurred. (Step ST10).

  On the other hand, if the measured value of the encoder 34a is less than the threshold value Y in step ST7 (step ST7-No), 1 is added to the counter n and the counter m is reset (step ST11). Compare with threshold NTh (step ST12). If it is equal to or greater than threshold value NTh, the process proceeds to step ST13, and if it is less than threshold value Nth, the process returns to step ST2.

Here, in the processing from step ST11 to step ST12, when the belt suspension portion 600 is controlled to be wound up, the measured value of the encoder 34a, that is, the rotation amount of the belt drive pulley 4c is used for determining the motor reversal operation. This means that it is determined whether or not the determination that it is less than the threshold value Y has occurred Nth times continuously.
If Nth occurrences occur continuously, it is determined that an abnormality (motor reverse abnormality) in which the motor 22a rotates in the lowering direction has occurred (step ST13).

  When it is determined that the motor stop abnormality or the motor reversal abnormality is detected, the control unit 120 outputs a control signal for stopping the lifting control of each suspension belt 4 to the belt suspension unit 600, and the notification unit 500 detects the occurrence of the abnormality. To inform.

  Then, the control unit 120 starts “up” operation signal inhibition control. When the “up” operation signal prohibition control is started, the control by the operation signal for pressing the “up” button of the remote controller 9 is prohibited thereafter.

  That is, when it is determined in step ST10 or ST13 in the flowchart of FIG. 9 that the motor has stopped abnormally or the motor reverses abnormally, it is difficult for the motor 22a to lift the suspended person M normally due to factors such as insufficient torque. In this case, the safety of the suspended person M is ensured by prohibiting the control by the ascending input from the remote controller 9. In addition, since a control input by another operation signal from the remote controller 9 is accepted, the suspended person M can be lowered by pressing the “down” button to prevent the suspended state.

  Subsequently, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the abnormality has been recovered. Here, the case where the restoration is determined is a case where a dip switch provided in the lifter body 3 is pressed or a case where the tension applied to each suspension belt 4 is lost. When determining that the abnormality is restored, the control unit 120 ends the “up” operation signal prohibition control and restarts the process of the flowchart of FIG. 9.

  As described above, according to the care lifter of the present embodiment, the suspended suspension M is input even though the lift instruction of the suspended suspension M is input, such as when the motor power is deteriorated due to secular change or the like. Even when the motor torque is lost to the weight of the person M and the motor reverses during the lifting operation, the safety of the suspended person M can be ensured.

  Next, the control shown in FIG. 10 will be described. FIG. 10 shows a difference abnormality determination process for the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b, which is executed by the difference determination unit 109.

  First, when the power is turned on and the process is started, the suspension determination unit 109 instructs the belt suspension unit 600 to control the suspension belt 4 to be wound up from the thigh or shoulder suspension belt control units 113 and 112. It is determined whether or not it has been performed (step ST50). And if winding-up control is instruct | indicated, the detection result of the difference detection part 900 will be acquired. That is, the state of the crossing detectors 40a and 40b is detected (step ST51). If all the crossing detectors 40a and 40b are OFF (step ST51-Yes), it is determined that the normal state is normal, and the process returns to step ST50.

  FIG. 11 shows a side view of the care lifter in a state of being mistaken. In step ST51 in the process of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 11, if all the difference detectors 40a and 40b are ON, or one of the difference detectors 40a and 40b is ON. If it is (step ST51-No), it will progress to step ST52 and will determine with the suspension error of the suspension belt 4 having occurred.

  Here, the processing from step ST50 to step ST52 means that it is determined whether or not the cross difference detectors 40a and 40b are turned on in a situation where the suspension is being performed (a tension is generated in the suspension belt 4). is doing. In other words, in a situation where the suspension belt 4 is not being lifted (no tension is generated in the suspension belt 4), the suspension detector 4 is temporarily contacted by handling when the suspension belt 4 is connected to the clothes-type lifting device 8. 40a and 40b may be turned on, and erroneous processing in such a case is prevented by the processing from step ST50 to step ST52.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the determination is made different depending on whether or not the suspension belt 4 is being wound up in step ST50 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, here, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the suspended person M is being lifted (if the suspension is being lifted, the process proceeds to step ST51, and if not being lifted, the process returns to step ST50). The determination is not limited to whether the winding control is being performed. For example, whether or not the suspended person M is being lifted may be determined from the load applied to the suspension belt 4 determined by the load determination unit 103, or the suspension belt 4 determined by the lifting height determination unit 102. It may be determined from the height of the lower end whether or not the suspended person M is being lifted. Further, whether or not the suspended person M is being lifted may be determined based on the load applied to the suspension belt 4 and the height of the lower end of the suspension belt 4.

  When it is determined that an abnormality occurs in the suspension, the control unit 120 outputs a control signal for stopping the hoisting control of each suspension belt 4 to the belt suspension unit 600, and the notification unit 500 notifies the abnormality occurrence to the outside. Inform.

  Then, the control means 120 outputs a control signal for lowering the thigh and shoulder suspension belts 4a and 4b to the belt suspension portion 600, and starts suspension control. Next, the control means 120 determines whether or not the tension of each suspension belt 4 has been lost, that is, whether or not the descent has been completed. If the descent is completed, the process returns to step ST50.

  As described above, according to the care lifter according to this embodiment, the thigh suspension belt 4a and the shoulder suspension belt 4b are prevented from being lifted while being laid on each other, so that the safety of the suspended person M can be improved. It can be secured.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the descending control is performed after the abnormality is notified when it is determined to be abnormal in the flowchart of FIG. 10 is not limited to this. For example, when the care lifter is operated by an assistant, it may be preferable to take measures against the abnormality by the assistant's judgment rather than automatically lowering the control. It is also possible to perform the processing while stopping the operation without performing the operation.

The front view for showing one form of use of the care lifter concerning the embodiment of the present invention Side view of the care lifter View of the belt suspension device in the lifter body viewed from the top side The figure which shows one Embodiment of the clothes type hanging tool with which the suspended person was dressed Block diagram showing the configuration of the lifter body The side view of the running part and belt suspension in the lifter body Block diagram showing the configuration of the infrared remote control Block diagram showing the configuration of the controller Flowchart showing abnormality determination processing of suspension drive motor Flow chart showing the difference abnormality determination process Side view of the care lifter showing the misplaced state

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support | pillar 2 Rail 2a Reflective seal 3 Care lifter body 3a Belt suspension device 3b Photo interrupter 4 Suspension belt 4a Suspension belt for thigh 4b Suspension belt for shoulder 4c Belt drive pulley for suspension belt for thigh 4d Suspension for shoulder Belt drive pulley for belt 8 Clothes-type hanger 9 Remote control 10 Bed 11a Portable toilet 11b Wheelchair 13 Motor for movement 22a Motor for suspension drive of suspension belt for thigh 22b Motor for suspension drive of suspension belt for shoulder 34a For thigh Suspension belt encoder 34b Shoulder suspension belt encoder 40a Thigh suspension belt misalignment detector 40b Shoulder suspension belt misalignment detector M Suspended person 100 Control unit 108 Motor abnormality determination means 109 Suspension Difference determination means 120 Control means 600 Belt suspension section 700 Load detection section 800 Suspension Suspension belt feed length detection unit 900 Suspension detection unit

Claims (4)

A plurality of suspension belts, a motor for winding or unwinding the suspension belt, and a control unit for driving the motor based on an input from the operating means, A care lifter that lifts
A belt suspension device that incorporates the motor and suspends the suspension belt;
A suspension detection unit that detects that the suspension belt is inclined obliquely from a state in which the suspension belt is suspended vertically from the belt suspension device;
A care lifter comprising: a difference determination unit that determines that the suspension belt is abnormal when the difference detection unit detects that the suspension belt is tilted during lifting of the suspended person.   The suspension determination unit determines that the suspension belt is abnormal when the suspension detection unit detects that the suspension belt is tilted when the control unit drives and controls the motor in the winding direction. The care lifter according to 1. Furthermore, a load detection unit for detecting a load applied to the suspension belt is provided,
The suspension determination unit determines that the suspension is abnormal when the suspension detection unit detects that the suspension belt is tilted when a load greater than a predetermined load is applied to the suspension belt. Care lifter. The suspension belt has a lower body suspension belt that suspends the lower body part of the suspended person, and an upper body suspension belt that suspends the upper body part of the suspended person,
In the belt suspension device, the difference detection unit is located in the vicinity of the lower body suspension belt in the direction of the upper body suspension belt and in the direction of the lower body suspension belt with respect to the upper body suspension belt. The care lifter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a misalignment detector that is disposed in the vicinity and detects that the suspension belt is tilted when it comes into contact with any suspension belt.

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