JP2008113886A - Auxiliary power unit for wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an auxiliary power unit for a wheelchair miniaturized, facilitating the attachment/detachment and changed into a storage state when unused. <P>SOLUTION: This auxiliary power unit is connected to the bottom part of a wheelchair having a pair of front wheels in the both sides of the bottom-part front end of a car body frame and is provided with a connecting means, a driving means and a power supply means; the connecting means has a connection seat unit being attached to the car body frame; the driving means has an operation rod unit rotatably inserting the connection seat unit of the connecting means, an electric wheel unit attached to the lower end of the operation rod unit, and a link mechanism connecting the electric wheel unit to the connecting seat unit and movingly changing over the electric wheel unit to an operation position lower than the front wheels relative to the operation rod unit and a storage position in the upper part of the front wheels; and the power supply means has a battery for providing a power to the electric wheel unit, and a controller for controlling the rotation of the electric wheel unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an auxiliary power device for wheelchairs, and more particularly to an auxiliary power device for wheelchairs that can be switched to a retracted state when not in use.

  Wheelchairs are an essential part of life for people who are inconvenient due to physical disabilities. Among them, an electric wheelchair that does not need to be pushed by another person and does not need to turn the wheel by itself is considered more convenient. However, manual wheelchairs also have the advantage of providing the passenger with an opportunity to exercise.

Examples of wheelchairs having both electric and manual advantages include Patent Documents 1 to 5. And in patent document 6, the auxiliary power device attached to a manual wheelchair is proposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,992 U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,573 US Patent No. 2978053 US Pat. No. 5,135,063 US Pat. No. 5,016,720 Taiwan Patent No. 345009

  However, in each wheelchair auxiliary power device disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 6, there is a problem that the volume is large, the mounting to the wheelchair is complicated, and the steering handle cannot be stored, so that it becomes an obstacle when getting on and off. There is a point.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described background art, and is wheelchair assist that can be more compact, easy to install, and can be easily retracted and manually operated when the power function is not required. An object is to provide a power unit.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention can be attached to the bottom portion of a wheelchair having a pair of front wheels on both sides of the bottom front end of the vehicle body frame, and includes an auxiliary power device including a coupling means, a driving means, and a power supply means. The coupling means includes a coupling seat unit that can be attached to the vehicle body frame, and the driving means includes an operation rod unit that rotatably inserts the coupling seat unit of the coupling means, and the operation rod unit. An electric wheel unit attached to a lower end, the electric wheel unit and the coupling seat unit are connected, and the electric wheel unit is operated below the front wheel with respect to the operation rod unit, and the retracted position is higher than the front wheel. A link mechanism that can be moved and switched between, and the power supply means includes a battery that provides power to the motor-driven wheel unit; Providing an auxiliary power unit, characterized in that it comprises a controller for controlling the rotation of the electric wheel unit.
The auxiliary power unit can be further configured as follows. That is, the coupling means further includes two horizontal rod units connected and fixed to the front end and the rear end of the vehicle body frame, respectively, and the coupling seat unit has both the front and rear ends of the horizontal rod unit and the horizontal rod unit respectively. The guide rail is configured to be connected and fixed to the horizontal rod unit at the rear end, and a sliding seat that can slide along the guide rail.
Further, the operating rod unit can be vertically extended through the sliding seat, an upper sleeve whose lower end is pivotally connected to the upper end of the vertical rod, and extendable to the upper end of the upper sleeve. And a steering mechanism disposed in the vehicle.
The electric wheel unit is coupled to a lower end portion of the vertical rod, and is pivotally supported by a fork portion that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the vertical rod, and a tip end of the fork portion, and is rotationally driven by the power supply means. It is set as the structure provided with an electric wheel.
The operation rod unit includes a lower sleeve into which an upper end portion of the fork portion is inserted, and a slide tube that is loosely inserted into the upper end portion of the upper sleeve, and the link mechanism includes a middle stage thereof. A swing link whose portion is pivotally connected to the guide rail, an upper link whose upper and lower ends are pivoted to the slide tube and the upper end of the swing link, respectively, and an upper and lower end thereof. Each of the operation rod units includes a lower sleeve and a lower link pivotally connected to a lower end portion of the swing link.
Further, side rods are provided on the left and right sides of the bottom of the vehicle body frame, respectively, and the front wheels are pivotally supported on the front end portions of the left and right side rods so as to be able to roll, respectively. And further comprising two horizontal rod units for connecting the fixed seat unit to the front end and the rear end of the vehicle body frame and connecting the fixed seat unit to the vehicle body frame while being connected to the combined seat unit. The unit is provided with a pair of brackets arranged on both sides of the coupling seat unit, and each bracket can be extended and contracted at one end of the outer tube fixed to the coupling seat unit and the other end of the outer tube. An inner pipe formed with a receiving port that can accommodate the left or right side rod at an exposed end thereof. A flap that is pivoted immediately above the receiving port of the inner tube and that can surround the left or right side rod accommodated in the receiving port, and the left or right side accommodated in the receiving port. The right side rod is configured to include a thumbscrew that is pivotally connected to the inner tube so as to lock the flap so as not to deviate from the receiving port.

  And the steering mechanism in the operation rod unit comprises a T-shaped tube comprising a vertical tube portion that is extendably arranged in the upper sleeve and a horizontal tube portion that is formed integrally with the upper end portion of the vertical tube portion, Each of the horizontal tube portions is provided with two grip portions that are nested and attached to both ends of the horizontal tube portion.

  Further, the auxiliary power unit can be configured as follows.

  The coupling seat units in the coupling means are arranged so as to face each other with a gap therebetween, and guide slots are formed in the front and rear horizontal directions on one inner surface, and the brackets are formed in the left and right horizontal directions on the outer surface. And a sliding block door slidably disposed along the guide slot between the guide slots of the two mounting seats, and the operation rod unit includes: The sliding block is inserted in the vertical direction so as to be rotatable.

  Further, the operating rod unit in the operating means is slidably movable on a vertical rod that passes through the sliding block so that both upper and lower ends thereof are exposed to the outside of the sliding block, and an upper end portion of the vertical rod. A configuration comprising: an upper sleeve to be inserted; a lower sleeve that is nested in a lower end portion of the vertical rod so as to be horizontally rotatable about an axis; and a steering mechanism that is extendably disposed within the upper end portion of the upper sleeve. Further, the steering mechanism is configured to be pivotably supported with respect to the upper end portion of the upper sleeve.

  The electric wheel unit is coupled to the lower end of the vertical rod and is rotatable by the rotation of the vertical rod, and is pivotally supported by the tip of the fork, and is rotationally driven by the power supply means. It is set as the structure provided with an electric wheel.

  Furthermore, the link mechanism includes a swing link whose middle step is pivotally attached to a sliding block in the coupling seat unit, and upper and lower ends of the upper link and the upper end of the swing link, respectively. And an upper link that is pivotally connected to each other, and a lower link whose upper and lower ends are respectively pivotally connected to a lower sleeve of the operation rod unit and a lower end portion of the swing link.

  Further, the sliding block is formed with stereotactic holes at two locations on the upper and lower sides in the traveling direction on the upper surface, and the coupling seat unit in the coupling means can be advanced to the guide slot side at the tip of the mounting seat. A localization pin that is loosely inserted into the positioning block, and the localization pin engages with any of the positioning holes in the sliding block when advancing to determine the relative position of the sliding block and the mounting seat. An urging means for applying an urging force so as to always extend to the pin is provided.

  The steering mechanism includes a vertical pipe portion that is attached to the upper sleeve so as to be extendable and foldable with respect to the upper sleeve, and a horizontal pipe portion formed integrally with an upper end portion of the vertical pipe portion. The shape pipe is provided with two grip parts that can be folded by being pivoted at both ends of the horizontal pipe part.

  Furthermore, the auxiliary power unit can be configured as follows.

  The coupling seat unit in the coupling means includes a fixed seat to which an outer pipe of a bracket in the horizontal rod unit is fixed, and a coupling pipe that is vertically fixed to a front end portion of the fixed seat and inserted into the operation rod unit. It is set as the structure provided.

  The operation rod unit in the operating means is a vertical rod rotatably inserted into the coupling pipe in the coupling seat unit, and is loosely inserted into the upper end of the coupling pipe so as to be extendable and slidable from the upper end of the vertical rod. The steering mechanism is loosely inserted into the vertical rod, and the lower sleeve is rotatably inserted into the lower end of the vertical rod.

  The electric wheel unit is coupled to the lower end portion of the vertical rod, and rotates with the fork portion rotating according to the rotation of the vertical rod, and the electric wheel rotatably supported by the power source means. It is set as the structure provided with.

  The link mechanism has a lower link whose lower end is pivotally connected to the lower sleeve, a coupling portion whose upper and lower ends are pivotally coupled to the coupling tube and the lower link, respectively, and the coupling portion. An upper link is provided that extends obliquely forward from the lower end and has an operation unit that can operate the link mechanism by manual operation.

  According to the above configuration, the present invention can provide an auxiliary power device for a wheelchair that is more compact, can be easily attached and detached, and can be manually driven in a retracted state when the power function is not used. .

  First, second, and third embodiments of the auxiliary power device for a wheelchair of the present invention will be described as follows with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 6 show the configuration of the first embodiment of the auxiliary power unit of the present invention. First, common features of the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional perspective view showing a state in which the auxiliary power device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is attached to the wheelchair 1. FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional perspective view showing only the auxiliary power device with the wheelchair 1 omitted. FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the left and right sides of the bottom of the body frame 11 of the wheelchair 1 have side rods 111, respectively, and the traveling direction can be changed at the front end of each side rod 111. A pair of front wheels 12 that are pivotally connected to each other is provided.

  Referring also to FIG. 2, the auxiliary power unit of the present invention includes a coupling means 2, an operation means 3, and a power supply means 4, and the coupling means 2 has a coupling seat unit 21 that can be attached to the vehicle body frame 11. The operating means 3 includes an operating rod unit 31 that is rotatably inserted through the coupling seat unit 21, an electric wheel unit 32 that is disposed at the lower end of the operating rod unit 31, and the electric wheel unit 32 and the coupling seat. The power supply means 4 includes a battery 41 that provides power necessary to drive the motorized wheel unit 32, and rotation of the motorized wheel unit 32, that is, forward / backward or stoppage. And a controller 42 for controlling.

  Among them, the link mechanism 33 can control the position of the electric wheel unit 32 by its operation, that is, the electric wheel unit 32 is placed between the operating position below the front wheel 12 and the retracted position above the front wheel. The movement can be switched. When the electric wheel unit 32 is in the operating position, it is disposed below the front wheel 12, so that it touches the ground and the front wheel 12 is lifted from the ground. Further, when the electric wheel unit 32 is switched to the retracted position, it is moved upward from the front wheel 12 to leave the ground, and the front wheel 12 comes into contact with the ground again, thereby providing an opportunity for the passenger to exercise as a normal manual wheelchair. be able to.

  Next, the configuration of the auxiliary power unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the exploded view of FIG.

  The coupling means 2 in this embodiment includes a coupling seat unit 21 and two horizontal rod units 22 attached to front and rear ends of the coupling seat unit 21, and each horizontal rod unit 22 includes a coupling seat unit 21. A pair of brackets 220 extending from both sides to the outside, that is, the left and right horizontal directions are provided. The four brackets 220 in the front and rear are inserted into the outer tube 221 whose one end on the inner side is fixed to the guide rail 211 and the outer end on the outer tube 221 so as to be extensible, and corresponds to the exposed one end. And an inner tube 222 in which a receiving port 225 capable of accommodating the left or right side rod 111 is formed. One end of the inner tube 222 exposed to the outside of the outer tube 221 is pivoted immediately above the receiving port 225 of the inner tube 222, has a recess at the other end, and has a receiving port 225 as a lid. And a flap 223 that can be enclosed in the receiving port 225 and a thumbscrew 224 that is pivotally connected to the exposed end of the inner tube 222. is doing. When the thumbscrew 224 enters a recess in the flap 223 and is tightened so as to contact the flap 223, the side rod 111 accommodated in the receiving port 225 locks the flap 223 so that the side rod 111 does not deviate from the receiving port 225. It is configured to be able to.

  When attaching the auxiliary power unit in the present embodiment to the wheelchair 1, first, the side rods 111 on both sides of the wheelchair 1 have distances between the receiving ports 225 and 225 formed at both ends of the two horizontal rod units 22, respectively. In the four brackets 220, the expansion and contraction of the outer pipes 221 and 222 is adjusted so that the distance between them is equal to the distance between the side rods 111, and the side rods 111 and 111 on both sides have four receptacles 225, The auxiliary power unit is attached to the wheelchair 1 so as to enter into the wheelchair 225, 225, 225, and flaps 223, 223, 223, 223 arranged next to the respective sockets 225, 225, 225, 225 are used as lids. 225, 225 and 225 are covered. Then, the thumb screws 224, 224, 224, 224 are moved into the corresponding recesses formed in the corresponding flaps 223, 223, 223, 223, respectively, and the corresponding flaps 223, 223, 223, 223, respectively. If it is tightened so as to come into contact with the wheelchair, the attachment work of the auxiliary power unit to the wheelchair 1 can be completed.

  Here, the front and rear brackets 220 are provided to accommodate wheelchairs of different sizes, and the inner tube 222 and the inner tube 222 are adjusted and fixed to the outer tube 221 in the inner tubes 222 and 222, respectively. If a positioning means that can be used, such as a pin and a positioning hole, is further provided, it is possible to more reliably handle wheelchairs of different sizes.

  The coupling seat unit 21 according to the present embodiment has a guide rail 211 whose front and rear ends are connected and fixed to the horizontal rod unit 22 at the front end and the horizontal rod unit 22 at the rear end, and slides along the guide rail 211. It has a sliding seat 212 that is arranged so that it can.

  The operation rod unit 31 in this embodiment includes a vertical rod 311 that can be rotated on a horizontal plane through the sliding seat 212, and an upper sleeve 312 whose lower end is pivotally connected to the upper end of the vertical rod 311. A steering mechanism 314 that is extendably disposed at an upper end portion of the upper sleeve 312.

The electric wheel unit 32 in this embodiment is coupled to the lower end of the vertical rod 311 and can rotate on a horizontal plane according to the rotation of the vertical rod 311, and can rotate on a vertical plane with respect to the fork 312. And an electric wheel 322 attached to the motor. The electric wheel 322 is configured to be rotationally driven by the power supply means 4.
Further, the operation rod unit 31 further includes a lower sleeve 313 inserted by the upper end portion of the fork portion 321 in the electric wheel unit 32, and a slide tube 318 nested in the upper sleeve 312. The link mechanism 33 that connects the electric wheel unit 32 and the coupling seat unit 21 includes a swing rod 331 whose middle step is pivotally attached to the guide rail 211, and upper and lower ends of the link rod 33. The upper link 332 pivotally connected to the sliding tube 318 and the upper end of the swing rod 331 in the unit 31, and the upper and lower ends thereof are the lower sleeve 313 and the lower end of the swing rod 331 in the operation rod unit 31, respectively. It consists of a lower link and 333 that are pivotally connected to each other.

  Here, referring also to FIG. 4, which is a longitudinal sectional view of the front of the driving means 3, in this embodiment, between the sliding seats 212 of the vertical rod 311 passing through the sliding seat 212. The two bearings 213 are provided to enable smooth rotation of the vertical rod 311 with respect to the sliding seat 212 on the horizontal plane.

  The steering mechanism 314 in the operation rod unit 31 is a T-shaped tube comprising a vertical tube portion that is extendably arranged in the upper sleeve 312 and a horizontal tube portion that is formed integrally with the upper end portion of the vertical tube portion. 315, and two grip portions 316 that are nested and attached to both ends of the horizontal tube portion, respectively.

  Here, the two right and left grip portions 316 and the horizontal tube portion of the T-shaped tube 315 are connected by elastic yarns 317, and the grip portion 316 removed from the horizontal tube portion of the T-shaped tube 315 is dropped by its own weight. However, since it is suspended by the elastic thread 317, there is no fear that it will disappear, and it will not hinder passengers from getting on and off. Incidentally, the two left and right grip portions 316 can be pivoted so as to be folded on the horizontal tube portion of the T-shaped tube 315.

  Further, as shown in the figure, the controller 42 in the power supply means 4 is attached to one of the grip portions 316 corresponding to the dominant hand of the passenger.

  Next, the operation of the link mechanism 33 in the auxiliary power unit of this embodiment, that is, the link mechanism 33 that switches the electric wheel unit 32 between the operation position and the storage position will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

  FIG. 5 shows a storage state of the auxiliary power unit of this embodiment, that is, a side view when the electric wheel unit 32 is in the storage position. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the operating state, that is, when the electric wheel unit 32 is in the operating position.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the angle between the storage position of the electric wheel unit 32 and the horizontal plane of the upper link 332 and the lower link 333 is small, and the sliding seat 212 is arranged near the rear end of the guide rail 211. Position. When the link mechanism 33 is disposed at the retracted position, the steering mechanism 314 and the electric wheel unit 32 are both disposed near the guide rail 211, so that the electric wheel 322 of the electric wheel unit 32 is also located above the front wheel 12 from the ground. The wheelchair 1 cannot be driven by being lifted. When the steering mechanism 314 is pulled up as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, the link mechanism 33 is arranged at the operating position shown in FIG. As illustrated, the operating position is a position where the angle formed with the horizontal plane of the upper link 332 and the lower link 333 is large and the sliding seat 212 is disposed near the front end of the guide rail 211. When the link mechanism 33 is disposed at this operating position, the steering mechanism 314, the upper sleeve 312 and the vertical rod 311 passing through the sliding seat 212, and the upper end of the fork portion 321 in the electric wheel unit 32 are aligned. The electric wheel 322 of the electric wheel unit 32 is also moved downward from the front wheel 12 and comes into contact with the ground to lift the front wheel 12 from the ground. When the electric wheel unit 32 is moved downward from the front wheel 12, the wheelchair 1 can be driven using the electric power supplied from the power supply means. Then, if the pulled-up steering mechanism 314 is pushed back in the direction of the guide rail 211, the link mechanism 33 can be switched to the retracted position again.

  Incidentally, the vertical tube portion of the T-shaped tube 315 in the steering mechanism 314 is configured to be able to be expanded and contracted by being inserted into the upper sleeve 312, so that when the link mechanism 33 is disposed at the retracted position, the vertical tube portion of the T-shaped tube 315 is arranged. As shown in FIG. 5, when the pipe portion is stored in the upper sleeve 312, the volume of the auxiliary power unit is reduced, and when the link mechanism 33 is disposed in the operating position, the vertical pipe portion is As shown in FIG. 6, it is easier to drive when exposed to the outside of the upper sleeve 312.

  Further, according to the above description, the switching between the retracted position and the operating position of the link mechanism 33 is performed by pulling up or pushing back the steering mechanism 314 by human power, but using driving means such as hydraulic pressure, atmospheric pressure, electricity, or machine. Thus, the sliding along the guide rail 211 of the sliding seat 212 can be driven to switch between the retracted position and the operating position of the link mechanism 33.

  Subsequently, an auxiliary power device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, looking at FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the coupling means 2 in this embodiment has two horizontal rod units 22, 22 in the front and rear, and each horizontal rod unit 22, 22 has a coupling seat unit 23. The pair of brackets 220 extending from both sides to the outside is the same as in the first embodiment, but in this embodiment, the coupling seat unit 23 is the coupling seat unit 21 of the first embodiment. It has a different configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the coupling seat unit 23 according to the present embodiment includes two mounting seats 231 and 231 and a sliding block 232 that are disposed so as to correspond to each other and face each other. A recess extending in the front-rear horizontal direction is formed on the inner surfaces of the two mounting seats 231 and 231 facing each other, and the sliding block 232 is accommodated in the recess by combining the two recesses. Thus, a guide slot 235 that can slide back and forth is configured.

  The operation rod unit 34 according to the present embodiment is slidably movable on a vertical rod 341 that is inserted through the sliding block 232 and whose upper and lower ends are exposed to the outside of the sliding block 232, and an upper end portion of the vertical rod 341. The upper sleeve 342 inserted, the lower sleeve 343 nested in the lower end portion of the vertical rod 341 so as to be rotatable about the axis, and the steering disposed in the upper end portion of the upper sleeve 342 so as to be extendable and contractable. And a mechanism 344.

  Here, the steering mechanism 344 is folded by being pivotally connected to both ends of the T-shaped tube 347 including a vertical tube portion and a horizontal tube portion formed integrally with the upper end portion of the vertical tube portion. It has two possible grips 348. In FIG. 8, the lower end portion of the vertical tube portion of the T-shaped tube 347 is disposed in the upper end portion of the upper sleeve 342 so as to be extendable and retractable, but as shown in FIG. It can also be configured to be supported.

  Further, as shown in the figure, the controller 42 in the power supply means 4 is attached to one of the grip portions 348 corresponding to the dominant hand of the passenger.

  The electric wheel unit 32 in the present embodiment is coupled to the lower end portion of the vertical rod 341 and is attached to the fork portion 321 that can rotate in accordance with the rotation of the vertical rod 341 and to the fork portion 321 so as to be able to roll. The electric wheel 322 is rotationally driven by the means 4.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the link mechanism 33 in the present embodiment has a swing link 331 whose middle step portion is pivotally connected to the sliding block 232 in the coupling seat unit 23, and its upper and lower ends are respectively operated rod units 34. The upper link 332 pivoted to the upper end of the upper sleeve 342 and the swing link 331, and the upper and lower ends thereof are pivoted to the lower sleeve 343 of the operation rod unit 34 and the lower end of the swing link 331, respectively. And a lower link 333.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the present embodiment, the upper surface of the sliding block 232 is formed with localization holes 236 and 236 at two positions in the front and rear in the running direction, and the mounting seat 231 has Is fixed so that the distal end portion thereof is loosely inserted into the guide slot 235 so as to advance toward the guide slot 235 side, and the localization pin 233 always engages with any of the localization holes 236 and 236 in the sliding block 232 when advanced. And an urging means 234 for applying an urging force to extend. Thus, the relative position of the sliding block 232 and the mounting seat 231 can be determined by the selective engagement of the two positioning holes 236, the positioning pin 233 and the biasing means 234, and the link mechanism 33. Can be determined whether it is in the retracted position or in the actuated position.

  Looking at the retracted state of the auxiliary power unit of this embodiment shown in FIG. 11, in the retracted state, the localization pin 233 engages with the localization hole 236 from the front end of the sliding block 232, and the sliding block 232 is a guide. The slot 235 is disposed at a position from the rear side. Since the swing link 331 pivoted on the sliding block 232 is disposed substantially horizontally, the upper sleeve 342 pivoted on the upper link 332 and the lower sleeve 343 pivoted on the lower link 333 are arranged. Are arranged closer to each other, and the electric wheel unit 32 is also lifted above the front wheel 12.

  Next, looking at the operating state shown in FIG. 12, in the operating state, the localization pin 233 engages with the localization hole 236 from the rear end of the sliding block 232, and the sliding block 232 is in the guide slot 235. It is arranged at a position from the front side. Since the swing link 331 pivotally connected to the sliding block 232 is arranged such that the front end is low and the rear end is high, the upper sleeve 342 pivotally connected to the upper link 332, the lower link 333, The lower sleeve 343 that is pivotally connected is disposed at a farther position, and the electric wheel unit 32 is also moved downward from the front wheel 12 thereby to lift the front wheel 12 in contact with the ground.

  Thus, also in the auxiliary power unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the link mechanism 33 can be switched between the operating position and the retracted position as in the first embodiment. Then, the sliding block 232 is driven by the front and rear sliding by using driving means such as hydraulic pressure, atmospheric pressure, electricity, and machine, without relying on human power as in the first embodiment, and the operating position of the link mechanism 33 is determined. Switching between storage positions can be performed.

  Subsequently, an auxiliary power device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a side view of the auxiliary power unit according to this embodiment in the retracted state, and FIG. 14 is a side view of the operating state.

  As in the first and second embodiments, the coupling means 2 in this embodiment has two horizontal rod units 22 and 22 in the front and rear, and each horizontal rod unit 22 and 22 has an outer side from both sides of the coupling seat unit. The pair of brackets 220 are formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but in this embodiment, the coupling seat unit 24 is configured differently from the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the coupling seat unit 24 in the present embodiment is fixed vertically to a fixed seat 241 in which the horizontal rod units 22 and 22 are fixed on both sides thereof, and a front end portion of the fixed seat 241. And a coupling tube 242 into which the operation rod unit 35 is inserted.

  The operating rod unit 35 in the driving means 3 is disposed so as to be freely rotatable in the coupling pipe 242 in the coupling seat unit 24, and in the upper end portion of the coupling pipe 242, and can be extended and contracted, and the vertical rod 351. A steering mechanism 352 that is loosely inserted in the upper end portion of the vertical rod 351, and a lower sleeve 353 that is rotatably inserted in the lower end portion of the vertical rod 351.

  Here, the steering mechanism 352 is disposed in the coupling tube 242 so as to be extendable and retractable, and can be stored in the coupling tube 242 when not in use. However, the steering mechanism 352 may be folded and stored.

  The controller 42 in the power supply means 4 is attached to the steering mechanism 352 corresponding to the dominant hand of the passenger as shown in the figure.

  The electric wheel unit 32 is coupled to the lower end portion of the vertical rod 351 and can be rotated on the horizontal plane according to the rotation of the vertical rod 351. The electric wheel 322 is rotationally driven by the means 4.

  The link mechanism 36 in this embodiment has a lower link 361 whose lower end is pivotally connected to the lower sleeve 353, and upper and lower ends thereof which are pivotally connected to the coupling tube 242 and the lower link 361 in the coupling seat unit 24, respectively. And an upper link 362 having a connecting portion 363. The upper link 362 is also formed with an operation portion 364 that extends obliquely forward from the lower end of the coupling portion 363 and can operate the link mechanism 36 by a manual operation by a user.

  With this configuration, when the operation unit 364 is disposed at the retracted position shown in FIG. 13, the lower sleeve 353 pivotally connected to the lower link 361 is pulled up to a position near the lower end of the coupling pipe 242, and the electric wheel unit 32 is thereby raised above the front wheel 12. Further, as shown by the arrow in the figure, when the operation portion 364 is pushed downward, as shown in FIG. 14, the lower link 361 and the coupling portion 363 in the upper link 362 are arranged in a substantially straight line, and the lower sleeve 353 is The motorized wheel unit 32 is moved away from the lower end of the coupling pipe 242 and thereby moved downward from the front wheel 12 to come into contact with the ground and lift the front wheel 12.

  Through the above description, the present invention has the following advantages.

  First, the auxiliary power device of the present invention is convenient because the position of the electric wheel unit 32 can be changed only by moving the steering mechanisms 314 and 344 or the operation unit 364.

  And since all the steering mechanisms 314, 344, and 352 can be retracted or folded, they do not hinder passengers from getting on and off.

  Furthermore, in all embodiments, the auxiliary power unit of the present invention has a small volume, most of which fits in the bottom of the wheelchair. Moreover, since the attachment to the wheelchair is performed by the receiving port 225, the flap 223, and the thumbscrew 224 at the tip of the horizontal rod unit 22 in the coupling means 2, the attachment and removal are simple and convenient.

  Here, the components in each embodiment will be summarized.

  In the first embodiment, the coupling means 2 includes a coupling seat unit 21 and a horizontal rod unit 22. Here, the coupling seat unit 21 includes a guide rail 211 and a sliding seat 212. Further, the horizontal rod unit 22 includes an outer tube 221, an inner tube 222, a flap 223, a thumbscrew 224, and a receiving port 225. Further, the bracket 220 has an outer tube 221 and an inner tube 222.

  The driving means 3 includes an operation rod unit 31, an electric wheel unit 32, and a link mechanism 33. Here, the operation rod unit 31 includes a vertical rod 311, an upper sleeve 312, a lower sleeve 313, a steering mechanism 314, a T-shaped tube 315, a grip portion 316, an elastic thread 317, and a sliding tube 318. . The electric wheel unit 32 includes a fork portion 321 and an electric wheel 322. The link mechanism 33 includes a swing link 331, an upper link 332, and a lower link 333.

  The power supply unit 4 includes a battery 41 and a controller 42.

  In 2nd Embodiment, it replaces with the coupling seat unit 21 in 1st Embodiment, and the coupling seat unit 23 is provided. Moreover, it replaces with the operation rod unit 31 in 1st Embodiment, and the operation rod unit 34 is provided. The coupling seat unit 23 includes a mounting seat 231, a sliding block 232, a positioning pin 233, an urging means 234, a guide slot 235, and a positioning hole 236. The operation rod unit 34 includes a vertical rod 341, an upper sleeve 342, a lower sleeve 343, a steering mechanism 344, a T-shaped tube 347, and a grip 348.

  In 3rd Embodiment, it replaces with the coupling seat unit 21 in 1st Embodiment, and the coupling seat unit 24 is provided. Further, instead of the operation rod unit 31 in the first embodiment, an operation rod unit 35 is provided. Moreover, it replaces with the link mechanism 33 in 1st Embodiment, and the link mechanism 36 is provided. The coupling seat unit 24 includes a fixed seat 241 and a coupling pipe 242. The operation rod unit 35 includes a vertical rod 351, a steering mechanism 352, and a lower sleeve 353. The link mechanism 36 includes a lower link 361, an upper link 362, a coupling portion 363, and an operation portion 364.

  In the second and third embodiments, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted here. To do.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional perspective view of the auxiliary power device according to the first embodiment of the present invention attached to the wheelchair 1. The solid perspective view which abbreviate | omits the wheelchair 1 and shows only this auxiliary power unit. Exploded view of the first embodiment of the present invention Front longitudinal sectional view of the driving means 3 in this embodiment Side view showing the retracted state of the auxiliary power unit Side view showing the operating state of the auxiliary power unit The three-dimensional perspective view in the state where the auxiliary power unit of the second embodiment of the present invention is attached to the wheelchair 1. An exploded view of the auxiliary power unit Side view showing the link mechanism 33 in this embodiment The principal part enlarged view which shows the other structure method of the steering mechanism 344 in this embodiment. Side view showing the retracted state of the auxiliary power unit Side view showing the operating state of the auxiliary power unit The side view which shows the retracted state of the auxiliary power unit of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention Side view showing the operating state of the auxiliary power unit

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheelchair 11 Body frame 111 Side rod 12 Front wheel 2 Coupling means 21 Coupling seat unit 211 Guide rail 212 Slide seat 22 Horizontal rod unit 220 Bracket 221 Outer tube 222 Inner tube 223 Flap 224 Thumb screw 225 Receiving port 23 Coupling seat unit 231 Mounting seat 232 Sliding block 233 Positioning pin 234 Energizing means 235 Guide slot 236 Positioning hole 24 Coupling seat unit 241 Fixing seat 242 Coupling pipe 3 Driving means 31 Operation rod unit 311 Vertical rod 312 Upper sleeve 313 Lower sleeve 314 Steering mechanism 315 T-shaped pipe 316 Grip part 317 Elastic thread 318 Sliding tube 32 Electric wheel unit 321 Fork part 322 Electric wheel 33 Link mechanism 331 Swing link 332 Upper link 333 Lower link 34 Operation rod unit 3 41 Vertical rod 342 Upper sleeve 343 Lower sleeve 344 Steering mechanism 347 T-shaped tube 348 Grip 35 Operation rod unit 351 Vertical rod 352 Steering mechanism 353 Lower sleeve 36 Link mechanism 361 Lower link 362 Upper link 363 Connection portion 364 Operation portion 4 Power supply means 41 Battery 42 controller

Claims (19)

Auxiliary power unit that can be attached to the bottom of a wheelchair having a pair of front wheels on both sides of the bottom front end of the body frame, and includes a coupling means, a driving means, and a power supply means,
The coupling means includes a coupling seat unit attachable to the vehicle body frame,
The operating means connects the operating rod unit rotatably inserted through the coupling seat unit of the coupling means, the electric wheel unit attached to the lower end of the operating rod unit, and the electric wheel unit and the coupling seat unit. A link mechanism capable of moving and switching the electric wheel unit between an operating position below the front wheel and a retracted position above the front wheel with respect to the operation rod unit,
The auxiliary power unit, wherein the power supply means includes a battery that supplies electric power to the electric wheel unit, and a controller that controls rotation of the electric wheel unit. The coupling means further includes two horizontal rod units connected and fixed to the front end and the rear end of the body frame,
The coupling seat unit has guide rails whose front and rear ends are respectively connected and fixed to the horizontal rod unit at the front end and the horizontal rod unit at the rear end, and a sliding seat capable of sliding along the guide rail. The auxiliary power unit according to claim 1, further comprising: The operation rod unit is
A vertical rod that is rotatably inserted through the sliding seat;
An upper sleeve whose lower end is pivotally connected to the upper end of the vertical rod;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 2, further comprising: a steering mechanism that is extendably disposed at an upper end portion of the upper sleeve. The electric wheel unit is coupled to a lower end portion of the vertical rod,
A fork that rotates according to the rotation of the vertical rod;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 3, further comprising: an electric wheel that is pivotally supported at a front end of the fork portion and is rotationally driven by the power supply unit. The operation rod unit is
A lower sleeve into which the upper end portion of the fork portion is inserted, and a sliding tube that is loosely inserted into the upper end portion of the upper sleeve.
The link mechanism is
A swing link whose middle step is pivotally connected to the guide rail;
Upper and lower ends of the upper link pivotally connected to the sliding tube and the upper end of the swing link, respectively, in the operation rod unit;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 4, wherein the upper and lower ends each include a lower sleeve in the operation rod unit and a lower link pivotally connected to a lower end portion of the swing link. Side rods are provided on the left side and right side of the bottom of the vehicle body frame, respectively, and the front wheels are pivotally supported on the left and right side rods so that they can roll.
The coupling means further includes two horizontal rod units that are attached to the body frame by being connected and fixed to the front end and the rear end of the body frame while being coupled to the coupling seat unit,
Each horizontal rod unit is provided with a pair of brackets arranged on both sides of the coupling seat unit,
Each bracket is
An outer tube whose one end is fixed to the coupling seat unit;
An inner tube which is inserted into the other end of the outer tube in a stretchable manner, and a receiving port which can accommodate the left or right side rod is formed at the exposed end;
A flap that is pivoted immediately above the receptacle of the inner pipe and that can surround the left or right side rod housed in the receptacle within the receptacle;
The said left side or the right side rod accommodated in the said receiving port is provided with the thumbscrew which can be pivotally connected to the said inner tube so that it may not deviate from the said receiving port, and can lock the said flap. The auxiliary power unit according to 1. The steering mechanism in the operation rod unit is:
A T-shaped tube comprising a vertical tube portion that is extendably and contractably disposed in the upper sleeve, and a horizontal tube portion that is formed integrally with an upper end portion of the vertical tube portion;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 3, further comprising two grip parts that are nested and attached to both ends of the horizontal pipe part, respectively. The coupling seat unit in the coupling means is:
Two slots are arranged so as to face each other with a gap between them, a guide slot is formed in the front and rear horizontal direction on one inner surface, and an outer tube in each bracket is fixed in the left and right horizontal direction on the outer surface. A mounting seat;
A sliding block that is slidably disposed along the guide slot between the guide slots of the two mounting seats, and the operating rod unit is rotatably inserted in the sliding block in the vertical direction. The auxiliary power unit according to claim 6. The operation rod unit in the driving means is
A vertical rod that passes through the sliding block such that both upper and lower ends thereof are exposed to the outside of the sliding block;
An upper sleeve slidably inserted into the upper end of the vertical rod;
A lower sleeve which is inserted into a lower end portion of the vertical rod so as to be rotatable about an axis in a nested manner;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 8, further comprising a steering mechanism disposed in an upper end portion of the upper sleeve so as to be extendable and contractible. The operation rod unit in the driving means is
A vertical rod that passes through the sliding block such that both upper and lower ends thereof are exposed to the outside of the sliding block;
An upper sleeve slidably inserted into the upper end of the vertical rod;
A lower sleeve which is inserted into a lower end portion of the vertical rod so as to be rotatable about an axis in a nested manner;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 8, further comprising a steering mechanism that is pivotally supported with respect to an upper end portion of the upper sleeve. The electric wheel unit is coupled to a lower end portion of the vertical rod,
A fork that rotates according to the rotation of the vertical rod;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising an electric wheel that is pivotally supported at a tip of the fork portion and is rotationally driven by the power supply means. The link mechanism is
A swing link whose middle step is pivotally attached to a sliding block in the coupling seat unit;
Upper and lower ends of the upper link pivoted to the upper sleeve of the operating rod unit and the upper end of the swing link, respectively,
11. The auxiliary power unit according to claim 9, wherein upper and lower ends each include a lower sleeve in the operation rod unit and a lower link pivotally connected to a lower end portion of the swing link. The sliding block has a stereotaxic hole formed on the top surface at two locations in the front and rear direction of the running direction,
The coupling seat unit in the coupling means is associated with a localization pin that is loosely inserted into the mounting seat so that a tip portion thereof can advance toward the guide slot, and any of the localization holes in the sliding block when the localization pin is advanced. 9. An urging means for applying an urging force to always extend the positioning pin so that the relative position between the sliding block and the mounting seat can be determined. Auxiliary power unit described in 1. The steering mechanism is
A T-shaped tube comprising a vertical tube portion that is extendably and retractably mounted in the upper sleeve, and a horizontal tube portion formed integrally with an upper end portion of the vertical tube portion;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 9, further comprising two grip parts that are pivotally connected to both ends of the horizontal pipe part and can be folded. The steering mechanism in the operation rod unit is:
A T-shaped tube comprising a vertical tube part foldably attached to the upper sleeve, and a horizontal tube part formed integrally with the upper end of the vertical tube part;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 9, further comprising two grip parts that are pivotally connected to both ends of the horizontal pipe part and can be folded. The coupling seat unit in the coupling means is:
A fixed seat to which the outer pipe of the bracket in the horizontal rod unit is fixed;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 6, further comprising a coupling pipe that is vertically fixed to a front end portion of the fixed seat and is inserted into the operation rod unit. The operating rod unit in the driving means is
A vertical rod rotatably disposed in a coupling pipe in the coupling seat unit;
A steering mechanism that is loosely inserted into the upper end of the coupling pipe and is slidably inserted from the upper end of the vertical rod;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 16, further comprising a lower sleeve rotatably inserted into a lower end portion of the vertical rod. The electric wheel unit is coupled to a lower end portion of the vertical rod,
A fork that rotates according to the rotation of the vertical rod;
The auxiliary power unit according to claim 17, further comprising: an electric wheel that is pivotally supported at a tip of the fork portion and is rotationally driven by the power source unit. The link mechanism is
A lower link whose lower end is pivotally connected to the lower sleeve;
The upper and lower ends of each of the coupling seat units are coupled to the coupling pipe and the lower link, and an operation unit that extends obliquely forward from the lower end of the coupling unit and can operate the link mechanism by manual operation. The auxiliary power unit according to claim 17, further comprising an upper link having the upper link.

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