JP2009189599A - Brake system for wheelchair and wheelchair equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a brake system for a wheelchair in which rear wheels are braked by constantly stable braking force when a user arises from sitting, and a wheelchair equipped with the same. <P>SOLUTION: A brake system 39 which acts on the basis of an output-signal from a sitting sensor unit is placed on a position adjacent to the rolling surface 26a of a rear wheel 22 of the wheelchair. The brake system 39 includes an end part which is extended in a nearly forward rolling direction relative to the rolling surface 26a of the rear wheel 22, and an oscillating plate 58 which oscillates between a first stop position and a second stop position around the oscillating base as a center. In the oscillating plate 58, an abutting side corner part on the end part of the oscillating plate 58 comes into contact with the rolling surface 26a at the first stop position. When the abutting part is in a contact state, an angle between a line connecting the contact part with the oscillating base and the rolling surface in a backward rolling direction relative to the abutting part is a narrow angle. In a second position, an end of the oscillating member is placed on a position remote from the rolling surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a brake device for a wheelchair in which a wheel is braked automatically when it is seated and released, and a wheelchair equipped with such a brake device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a wheelchair brake device has been developed for automatically braking a wheel when a user sitting on a wheelchair seat stands up from the wheelchair.
Patent documents 1 and 2 are shown as a wheelchair provided with such a brake device. In the wheelchair of Patent Document 1, when the user stands up from the seating state, the seating portion 27 swings, and the wire 40 is pulled based on the swinging amount, and the brake shoes 36 and 37 brake the rim 22a of the wheel 22. That's it.
JP 2004-16406 A

However, since the brake device of the wheelchair of Patent Document 1 is configured to mechanically transmit the vertical movement of the seating surface when the user changes from the seated state to the standing state, the wire extends due to use over time. As a result, a sufficient braking force cannot be obtained, and the adjustment is troublesome. In addition, since the vertical movement of the seat surface is not so large, there is a possibility that a braking force due to sufficient friction cannot be obtained.
Therefore, there has been a demand for a safe brake device that can obtain a stable braking force and that is simple and inexpensive.
The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems existing in the prior art. The purpose is to provide a wheelchair brake device in which the rear wheel is always braked with a stable braking force when the user changes from a seated state to a standing state, and a wheelchair to which such a brake device is attached. It is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheel composed of a front wheel and a rear wheel attached to a main body frame, a seat for a user to sit on, and the seat Used in a wheelchair equipped with a seating state detection means for detecting a state where the user is seated and a state where the user is not seated, and is disposed at a position adjacent to the rolling surface of the wheel. A brake device operated based on an output signal from the state detection means,
A swing member having a tip extending in a direction substantially along the forward rolling direction of the rolling surface of the wheel and swinging between a first stop position and a second stop position about the swing base; The actuator is operated based on an output signal from the seating state detecting means, and is stopped at the first stop position by pushing or pulling the swinging member directly or indirectly via a drive transmission member. Driving means for displacing the swing member at the second stop position or the swing member stopped at the second stop position to the first stop position, the swing member being the first stop position; The abutting portion on the distal end side of the rocking member abuts on the rolling surface at the stop position, and a straight line and the abutting portion connecting the abutting portion and the rocking base portion in the abutting state of the abutting portion. The angle formed by the rolling surface in the backward rolling direction as a reference is a narrow angle, and the tip of the swinging member is the rolling surface at the second position. As its gist that are al a location spaced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a wheel composed of a front wheel and a rear wheel attached to the main body frame, a seat part for the user to sit on, and a user seated on the seat part. In a wheelchair equipped with a seating state detecting means for detecting a sitting state and a non-sitting state, a position adjacent to the rolling surface of the wheel is based on an output signal from the seating state detecting means. A brake device to be actuated is disposed, and the brake device has a tip extending in a direction substantially along the forward rolling direction of the rolling surface of the wheel, and a first stop position centered on the swing base portion. A swing member that swings between the second stop positions, and an operation based on an output signal from the seating state detection means, and pushes the swing member directly or indirectly via a drive transmission member. Alternatively, the vehicle is stopped at the first stop position by towing. Drive means for displacing the moving member at the second stop position or the swing member stopped at the second stop position to the first stop position, wherein the swing member is the first stop position. The abutting portion on the tip side of the swinging member abuts on the rolling surface at a position, and a straight line connecting the abutting portion and the rocking base in the abutting state of the abutting portion and the abutting portion as a reference The gist of the invention is that the angle formed with the rolling surface in the subsequent rolling direction is a narrow angle, and the tip of the swinging member is positioned away from the rolling surface at the second position.
Further, in the invention according to claim 3, in addition to the structure of the invention according to claim 2, the swinging member is always urged to either the first position side or the second position side by the urging means. The gist of this is to do so.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of the second or third aspect of the invention, the drive transmission member that pushes or pulls the swinging member pushes the swinging member through a buffer member. The gist is to move or tow.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect of the present invention, the brake device includes the swing member regardless of the presence or absence of an output signal from the seating state detecting means. The gist of the present invention is that a holding means for holding at the second position is provided.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a second brake device that is operated by a user to brake the rear wheel. The gist is that it is attached.

When a brake device having such a configuration is used for a wheelchair (or a wheelchair having such a brake device), first, when the user is not seated on the seat (in a standing state) The swing member of the brake device is swung to the first stop position side. At this time, the rocking member whose tip extends in a direction substantially along the rolling direction of the rolling surface of the wheel comes into contact with the rolling surface of the wheel at the abutting portion on the rocking member tip side. The angle formed between the straight line connecting the contact portion and the swing base in the contact state and the rolling surface in the rearward rolling direction with reference to the contact portion is a narrow angle. Note that “the tip is substantially along the rolling direction of the rolling surface of the wheel” means that the extending direction of the swinging member and the rolling direction of the wheel are not completely parallel and may have an angle. is there. In short, it is only necessary that the contact portion on the tip side of the swinging member can be brought into contact with and separated from the rolling surface of the wheel by the swinging action.
In such a manner that the wheel comes into contact with the rolling surface of the swing member, the wheel receives the braking of the swing member by rolling backward, and is not braked by the forward rotation. That is, only the backward movement of the wheelchair when the user stands is restricted, and the forward movement is allowed. This principle will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 13, the center of the wheel is O, the swing base is B, and the contact portion is P. The angle between the straight line connecting the contact part P and the swing base B and the rolling surface in the rearward rolling direction with reference to the contact part is a narrow angle θ.
When the wheel rotates in the backward direction, the rotational force of the wheel is transmitted from the abutting portion P of the oscillating member to the oscillating member by friction between the rolling surface and the abutting portion, and the oscillating member is centered on the oscillating base B. It is rotated (swinged) in the center O direction of the wheel. That is, the swinging member is given a rotational force in a direction approaching the wheel. However, in order to allow the swinging member to rotate, the contact portion P of the swinging member needs to slightly bite into the rolling surface against the elasticity of the rolling surface or the contact portion P itself needs to be deformed. From this point, at least one of the rolling surface or the contact portion P needs to have more or less elasticity. For example, because of the necessity of wheels for wheelchairs, the rolling surface is generally assumed to be made of a material such as rubber that is not slippery and elastic, but the elasticity mentioned here is not necessarily as great as that of this synthetic rubber. It does not require even elasticity. As the swinging member rotates, the contact portion P bites into the rolling surface or the contact portion P itself deforms, and a pressing force is generated in the swinging shaft direction with respect to the swinging member. Since this pressing force includes a component of force (braking force) acting in the opposite direction to the rotational force of the wheel, the wheel is stopped when the rotational force and the braking force are balanced.
On the other hand, when the wheel rotates in the forward rotation direction, the rotational force of the wheel is transmitted from the contact portion P of the swing member to the swing member by friction between the rolling surface and the contact portion P, and the swing member is swung. The moving base B is rotated (swinged) in a direction away from the center O of the wheel. Therefore, in the forward rolling direction, the contact portion P is always swung in a direction away from the rolling surface, and there is no braking on the wheels.

Next, when the user is seated on the seating surface, the swing member of the brake device is swung to the second stop position side. At this time, the contact portion of the swinging member does not contact the rolling surface of the wheel, so braking is not applied to the rolling surface of the wheel, and the wheel is free to move forward or backward. Rotation is allowed.
Here, in order to realize the above action, theoretically, the length between the rocking base B and the abutting part P is from the rocking base B on the straight line connecting the center O of the wheel and the rocking base B. It must be longer than the distance to the rolling surface (referred to as L1) and shorter than the tangential length (referred to as L2) from the swing base B to the rolling surface. The abutting portion P does not have to be at the tip position of the swing member.
The seating state of the user on the seating surface or the non-sitting state is detected by the seating state detecting means. Then, the swinging member stopped at the first stop position is stopped at the second stop position or at the second stop position by the driving means that operates based on the output signal from the seating state detection means. The swing member is displaced to the first stop position.
Such a brake device may be provided on at least one of the rear wheels or the front wheels, and may be provided on both the left and right pair of rear wheels or front wheels or only on one side.

Here, the swinging member is preferably always biased to the first position side or the second position side by the biasing means, and more preferably always biased to the first position side. It is. By being biased toward the first position side, the abutment portion abuts against the rolling surface of the wheel stably regardless of the position of the braking device disposed on the rolling surface of the wheel. This is because it is possible to reliably prevent the wheels from rotating backward in a state where they are not.
Further, the drive transmission member is preferably configured to push or pull the swinging member via the buffer member. When the wheel moves backward without the user sitting, the swinging member brakes against the rolling surface of the wheel as described above and the rolling of the wheel stops, but the wheel is braked and stopped. In some cases, the wheels may turn backwards unexpectedly. In this case, the swinging member that follows the rotation of the wheel may swing significantly and push the drive transmission member toward the drive means side. In other words, an overload may be applied to the drive means and cause a malfunction such as damage or failure.
However, when the buffer member is arranged between the drive transmission member and the swing member in this way, when the overload is applied to the drive transmission member, the buffer member absorbs the overload and the overload is transmitted to the drive transmission member side. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as damage or failure of the members.

The brake device is preferably provided with holding means for holding the swinging member at the second position regardless of the presence or absence of an output signal from the seating state detection means. Such a configuration is inconvenient because it is inconvenient that the brake device works and cannot move backwards when moving and clearing the wheelchair in a state where the user is not seated. It is necessary to make it free.
Further, it is preferable that the wheel is a rear wheel, and the brake device is disposed at a position below the rotation center of the rear wheel and at a position ahead of the rotation center. This position is a region sandwiched between the front wheel and the rear wheel, and is a suitable arrangement position that does not interfere with the sitting of the user and does not interfere with the caregiver standing behind the rear wheel. In addition, it is preferable from the viewpoint of further safety that a second brake device that actively operates the user to brake the rear wheel is also provided.

  In the inventions of the above claims, when the user stands up, the state is detected and the rotation in the reverse direction of the wheel is braked, so that the wheelchair cannot be moved backward. On the other hand, even if the user is not seated, the wheel is allowed to rotate in the forward direction, so that a standing user can advance the wheelchair even if he / she does not retreat or turn around when sitting, and lightly move the wheelchair near the popliteal area. This makes it possible to confirm that the wheelchair is definitely in the sitting position, which is very convenient in actual use. Further, when the user is seated, the state is detected and both the forward and backward rotation directions of the wheel are allowed, so that the wheelchair can be moved by himself or a caregiver. Furthermore, since the braking action is performed simply by the rocking member abutting against the rolling surface during braking, a wheelchair having a simple structure and a stable braking force can be provided.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a wheelchair brake device of the present invention and a wheelchair to which the brake device is attached will be described with reference to the drawings.
Example 1
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheelchair 11 includes a foldable main body frame 12 as a skeleton. The main body frame 12 is composed of left and right vertical frames 13 and a folding frame (not shown) as a connecting member for connecting the same. The vertical frame 13 is a flat frame body constructed by welding an aluminum alloy pipe material. The vertical frame 13 includes front and rear leg frames 14 and 15 erected on the front and rear sides, and a seat frame 16 and a lower frame 17 that intersect the leg frames 14 and 15.
Casters 18 as front wheels are disposed at the lower end positions of the left and right front leg frames 14. A handle portion 19 is formed on the upper part of the left and right rear leg frames 15. A cancel switch 21 as a holding means is provided on either the left or right handle portion 19. A rear wheel 22 is disposed on the outer side near the lower part of the rear leg frames 15. The rear wheel 22 includes a rim 23, a hub 24, spokes 25, a synthetic rubber tire 26, and a tube (not shown). The rear wheel 22 is provided with a hand rim 27 for the user to self-propel.
The upper part of the front leg frame 14 is bent so as to be gradually horizontal and connected to the rear leg frame 15. A horizontal portion connected to the rear leg frame 15 of the front leg frame 14 is referred to as an armrest frame 28. A side plate 29 made of reinforcing aluminum alloy is disposed on the surface surrounded by the armrest frame 28 and the seat frame 16. A flip-up type footrest plate 30 is disposed in front of the seat frame 16 and the lower frame 17.

  A flexible cloth seat surface (not shown) is stretched between the left and right seat frame 16. A flexible fabric backrest (not shown) is stretched between the rear leg frames 15 and between the seat frame 16 and the handle 19. In FIG. 1, a brake lever 31 that is actively operated by a user and a brake mechanism 32 that is driven by the brake lever 31 are provided on the outer side of the seat frame 16 on the front side. The brake mechanism 32 moves the abutting portion 33 firmly into the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 of the rear wheel 22 by the user's active operation of the brake lever 31, thereby causing the rear wheel 22 to move forward and backward. Plays a role in braking rotation. A seating sensor unit 35 serving as a seating state detection unit is disposed inside the side plate 29. The seating sensor unit 35 is arranged so that the optical axes cross each other in plan view, with the infrared projectors arranged facing each other and the photosensors receiving the infrared projectors as one set.

A brake device 39 held by a bracket 38 is disposed between the caster 18 and the rear wheel 22 on the back side of the left and right lower frames 17. The structure of the mechanism part 40 in the storage case 37 of the brake device 39 will be described with reference to FIGS.
On the installation floor 41a of the upper mounting frame 41 of the mechanism section 40, a pair of guide rods 42 having a circular cross section are erected in parallel. A retaining head 42 a is fixed to the upper ends of both guide rods 42. A slider 43 is disposed on the installation floor 41 a of the upper mounting frame 41 so as to intersect with both guide rods 42. The slider 43 includes upper and lower slide plates 44 and 45 inserted through both guide rods 42, and a hollow rod case 46 disposed in parallel with the guide rod 42 is disposed between the slide plates 44 and 45. Yes. A push rod 47 is inserted into the rod case 46 so as to be able to advance and retract in the vertical direction. A coil spring 48 as a buffer member is disposed between the head 47a of the push rod 47 and the upper slide plate 44. The push rod 47 is moved downward (in a direction away from the upper slide plate 44) by the coil spring 48. Always energized towards. A rack 49 is disposed between the upper and lower slide plates 44 and 45 and between the guide rods 42.

A DC motor 51 as a driving means is fixed to the outside of the side wall 41b of the upper mounting frame 41. The front end side of the drive shaft 52 of the DC motor 51 extends through the side wall 41b, and a pinion 53 is fixed to the front end of the drive shaft 52. The pinion 53 is engaged with a rack 49 on the slider 43 side.
A lower mounting frame 55 is fixed to the back side of the installation floor 41a of the upper mounting frame 41. A guide through hole 56 is formed in the advance direction of the push rod 47 of the upper and lower mounting frames 41 and 55, and the push rod 47 is inserted through the through hole 56 and protrudes toward the lower mounting frame 55 side. . The push rod 47 is also inserted into a guide bracket 54 mounted on the back surface of the lower mounting frame 55, so that the push rod 47 can be stably advanced and retracted.
A swing plate 58 as a swing member is swingably mounted via a hinge fitting 57 near the lower end of the lower wall 55a of the lower mounting frame 55. The swinging plate 58 is urged in a direction in which it is always bent inward by a mainspring spring 59 as urging means at the position of the hinge fitting 57. The inner surface of the swing plate 58 is brought into contact with the tip of the push rod 47. The force for urging the swing plate 58 of the mainspring spring 59 is set to be smaller than the force for urging the push rod 47 by the coil spring 48. Therefore, the swing plate 58 does not push the push rod 47 back to the rod case 46 side in a normal use state.

In the mechanism section 40 of the brake device 39 having such a configuration, the rotational force of the drive shaft 52 of the DC motor 51 is converted into a linear motion in the vertical direction in the figure through the pinion 53 and the rack 52, and as a result, the slider 43 is installed. It moves up and down between the floor 41a and the head 42a. 3 is a state in which the push rod 47 in which the slider 43 is in contact with the installation floor 41a has advanced, and FIG. 4 is a state in which the push rod 47 in which the slider 43 is in contact with the head 42a is retracted. is there. When the push rod 47 is advanced, the swing plate 58 is pushed (returned) to the position shown in FIG. 3, and when the push rod 47 is not pushed, the swing plate 58 is bent inward by the urging force of the mainspring spring 59. Swing. 5 shows a state in which the push rod 47 in which the push rod 47 is strongly pushed against the urging force of the coil spring 48 is further retracted from the state in which the push rod 47 in FIG.
The brake device 39 having such a configuration is arranged so that the advancing / retreating direction of the slider 43 is just parallel to the tangent to the rolling surface 26 a of the tire 26 with respect to the bracket 38. 3 is arranged at a position slightly separated from the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 with the push rod 47 of FIG. 3 advanced, and the swing plate 58 of FIG. The contact-side corner portion 58a at the front end slightly contacts the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 obliquely and lightly.
A control box 60 is disposed on the back side of the bracket 38 at the mounting position of the brake device 39. In the control box 60, a storage battery as a power source and a control device are arranged.

Next, an example of the electrical configuration of the brake device 39 according to the first embodiment will be briefly described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that the description of the configuration not directly related to the embodiment of the present invention is omitted.
The control device has a control circuit mainly having a CPU (central processing unit) 65. As shown in FIG. 7, the CPU 65 includes a read only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM) 66, a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) 67, a reference clock 68, and the like. The ROM 66 stores in advance the control program for the DC motor 51 and initial data for executing the program. The RAM temporarily stores the calculation result by the CPU. The CPU 65 performs arithmetic processing based on the program in the ROM 66. The CPU 65 has an external input circuit 70 and an external output circuit 69. A seating sensor unit 35 (photo sensor) and a cancel switch 21 are connected to the CPU 65 via an external input circuit 70, and a DC motor 51 is connected via an external output circuit 69.
When the CPU 65 determines that the user is in the seating state based on the output signal from the photo sensor of the seating sensor unit 35, the CPU 65 controls the DC motor 51 to drive in the positive direction for a predetermined time (for example, 0.2 sec) and then stop. In this embodiment, by driving in the forward direction, the push rod 47 moves forward and acts to push back the swing plate 58 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, if the CPU 65 determines that the user is not in the seated state based on the absence of the output signal from the photosensor, the CPU 65 controls the DC motor 51 to drive in the reverse direction for the same predetermined time and then stop.
If the CPU 65 determines that the cancel switch 21 has been input, the CPU 65 first determines what stop state the DC motor 51 is in. That is, if the DC motor 51 is driven in the forward direction and stopped, the DC motor 51 is not driven and controlled because the brake plate 58 is not braked. On the other hand, if the DC motor 51 is driven in the reverse direction and stopped (the state shown in FIG. 4), the rear wheel 22 is in a braking state by the swing plate 58. The CPU 65 controls and stops the DC motor 51 in the positive direction as described above.

Next, the operation of the wheelchair 11 having such a configuration will be described.
When the user is seated on the wheelchair 11, the seating state is detected by the photo sensor of the seating sensor unit 35, and the brake device 39 has the tip of the swing plate 58 at the front end of the tire 26 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8B. It is separated from the moving surface 26a.
On the other hand, when the user stands up from the wheelchair 11, the non-seated state is detected by the photo sensor of the seating sensor unit 35, and the brake device 39 is in contact with the corner at the tip of the swing plate 58 as shown in FIGS. 58a lightly contacts the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26. In this state, the rear wheel 22 is allowed to rotate in the forward rotation direction and braked in the reverse rotation direction according to the principle described above with reference to FIG.
Further, in a state where the rear wheel 22 is braked and stopped, for example, a standing user may lean on the wheelchair 11 and the rear wheel 22 may be further rotated. That is, as shown in FIG. 8C, the swing plate 58 bites into the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 relatively large. In that case, the push rod 47 is retracted against the biasing force of the coil spring 48 as shown in FIG.
In addition, when the cancel switch 21 is input, the brake device 39 always moves the tip of the swing plate 58 away from the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8B. Even if the user is not seated, the wheelchair 11 can be moved freely.

By configuring as described above, the following effects are achieved in the first embodiment.
(1) Since this type of seating does not require a wire unlike a wheelchair that is automatically braked, adjustment of the wire becomes unnecessary. Further, there is no need for a mechanism for generating a strong braking force for braking, and the operation of merely making the tip of the rocking plate 58 lightly and obliquely abut against the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 is sufficient. It can be realized easily and at low cost.
(2) The brake device 39 has a simple structure in which the swing plate 58 is simply pushed by the push rod 47 and swings, and the push rod 47 is also simply moved forward and backward, so that it is difficult to break down.
(3) The push rod 47 is always biased in the advancing direction by the coil spring 48 in the rod case 46, and is configured to retract when overloaded, so the slider 43 and the guide rod 42 The member in the middle of the drive transmission path is not damaged.

(Example 2)
The second embodiment is a mode in which the structure of the mechanism portion 40 inside the brake device 39 in the first embodiment is changed. In particular, the description will be focused on the changed portion, and the other portions are the same as those in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 9, a bistable latching type electromagnetic solenoid 72 as a driving means is disposed at a position inside the top plate 71a of the mounting frame 71 having a substantially channel shape when viewed from the front. The movable iron core 73 inserted into the electromagnetic solenoid 72 can be moved back and forth in the vertical direction in the figure. A connector 74 is connected to the tip of the movable iron core 73, and a push rod 75 is connected in series via the connector 74. A coil spring 76 as a buffer member is disposed in the connector 74, and the push rod 75 is always urged downward (in a direction away from the electromagnetic solenoid 72) by the coil spring 76. The push rod 75 is inserted into the guide through hole 79 of the bottom plate 71b.
A swing plate 78 is swingably attached to the lower end of the side plate 71c of the mounting frame 71 via a hinge fitting 77. The swing plate 78 is always biased in the direction in which the swing plate 78 is internally folded by a mainspring spring 80 as a biasing means at the position of the hinge fitting 77. The inner surface of the swing plate 78 is brought into contact with the tip of the push rod 75. The force that urges the swing plate 78 of the mainspring spring 80 is set to be smaller than the force that the coil spring 76 urges the push rod 75. Therefore, the swing plate 78 does not push the push rod 75 back to the connector 74 side in a normal use state.

  The brake device 39 having such a configuration is arranged such that the moving direction of the movable iron core 73 is exactly parallel to the tangent to the rolling surface 26 a of the tire 26 with respect to the bracket 38. In the mechanism section 40 of the brake device 39, the movable iron core 73 moves forward and backward by repeating excitation and demagnetization of the electromagnetic solenoid 72, and the push rod 75 connected to the movable iron core 73 via the connector 74 moves forward and backward together. . 9 is arranged at a position slightly separated from the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 with the push rod 75 of FIG. 9 advanced, and the swing plate 78 of FIG. 10 with the push rod 75 retracted. The abutting side corner portion 78a at the front end slightly contacts the rolling surface 26a of the tire 26 obliquely and lightly.

Next, an example of the electrical configuration of the brake device 39 according to the second embodiment will be briefly described with reference to FIG. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that an electromagnetic solenoid 72 is connected via an external output circuit 69.
When the CPU 65 determines that the user is in the seating state based on the output signal from the photosensor of the seating sensor unit 35, the CPU 65 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 72 to be excited. In this embodiment, since the electromagnetic solenoid 72 is a bistable latching type, the movable iron core 73 is driven in the advancing direction and held in the advancing position by demagnetizing the magnet after energizing the built-in first coil side. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 9, the push rod 75 advances together with the movable iron core 73 to push (push back) the swing plate 78.
On the other hand, when the CPU 65 determines that it is not in the seated state due to the absence of an output signal from the photosensor, the movable iron core 73 is driven in the backward direction by energizing the second coil built in the electromagnetic solenoid 72 and then demagnetizing it. Hold in position. At the same time, the push rod 75 also moves backward together with the movable iron core 73 as shown in FIG. When the push rod 75 is no longer pushed, the swing plate 78 swings in the inward folding direction by the urging force of the mainspring spring 80.
Next, the operation of the wheelchair 11 having such a configuration will be described.
The operation in the use state and the standing state in which the user is seated on the wheelchair 11 is the same as in the first embodiment. Further, even when the rear wheel 22 is further rotated from the state in which the rear wheel 22 is braked and stopped, for example, when the standing user leans on the wheelchair 11 and the rear wheel 22 is further rotated, the push rod is the same as in the first embodiment. 75 retreats against the urging force of the coil spring 76 in the connector 74.
Even in the configuration of the second embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment is achieved.

(Example 3)
The third embodiment is a mode in which the structure of the mechanism portion 40 inside the brake device 39 in the second embodiment is further changed. The description will be focused on the changed part, and the other parts are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 12, a bistable latching type electromagnetic solenoid 82 as a driving means is disposed on a top plate 81a of a mounting frame 81 that is substantially L-shaped when viewed from the front. The movable iron core 83 inserted into the electromagnetic solenoid 82 can be moved back and forth in the left-right direction in the figure. A swing plate 85 is swingably attached to the lower end of the side plate 81 b of the mounting frame 81 via a hinge fitting 84. The swing plate 85 is urged in a direction in which it is always bent inward by a mainspring spring 86 as urging means at the position of the hinge fitting 84. A swing handle 87 is connected to the swing plate 85 and extends outward on the hinge fitting 84 side. The tip of the swing handle 87 (that is, the opposite side of the swing metal plate 85 on the contact-side corner 85a) is connected to the tip of the movable core 83 via a coil spring 88 as a buffer member. The swing handle 87 is always urged toward the movable iron core 83 by a coil spring 88. The force that biases the swing plate 85 of the mainspring spring 86 is set to be smaller than the force that the coil spring 88 biases the swing handle 87. The electrical configuration of the third embodiment is omitted because it conforms to the second embodiment.

Next, the operation of the wheelchair 11 having such a configuration will be described.
When the user is seated on the wheelchair 11, the electromagnetic solenoid 82 is driven based on the output signal from the photosensor that has detected this state, and the movable iron core 83 moves backward (moves leftward in the figure). At this time, the tip of the swing handle 87 is in a solid line position in the figure, and the swing plate 85 is also in a solid line state, that is, in the state shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the user stands up from the wheelchair 11, the electromagnetic solenoid 82 is driven and the movable iron core 83 advances in FIG. 12 (moves to the right in the figure). At this time, the tip of the swing handle 87 is in the position of the phantom line in the figure, and the swing plate 85 is also in the state of the phantom line, that is, the state of FIG.
Further, when the rear wheel 22 is braked and stopped, for example, when a standing user leans on the wheelchair 11 and the rear wheel 22 is further rotated (the state shown in FIG. 8C). ), The coil spring 88 extends to prevent the members such as the movable iron core 83 and the swing handle 87 from being damaged.
Even in the configuration of the third embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment is achieved. Further, in the third embodiment, the force point for operating the swing plate 85 via a drive transmission member such as the swing handle 87 is arranged outside the position of the hinge bracket 84 as a fulcrum. The latitude of how to arrange the positions is improved as compared with the first and second embodiments. For example, in the first embodiment, the push rod 47 serving as a power point must be disposed between the tip of the swing plate 58 and the hinge bracket 57, and it is not disposed near the tip of the swing plate 58 that is the action point. Have difficulty. However, in the swing handle 87 as in the third embodiment, there is no such limitation on the position of the power point.
Further, in the third embodiment, the number of parts is reduced as compared with the first and second embodiments, which contributes to cost reduction.

It should be noted that the present invention can be modified and embodied as follows.
-The structure of the brake device 39 and the structure of the wheelchair 11 are examples, Comprising: It is free to implement in another aspect. For example, a brake device operated by a caregiver can be attached to the wheelchair 11.
In the above embodiment, the brake device 39 brakes the left and right rear wheels 22, but only one of them may be arranged on the caster 18 that is the front wheel.
Although the push rods 47 and 75 are pushed to execute the swing of the swing plates 58 and 78, they may be swinged by pulling them in reverse.
The shape of the rocking plates 58 and 78 is not limited to the above. Further, the contact angle of the tire 26 with the rolling surface 26a can be changed as appropriate.
As the seating state detection means, a sensor such as a press sensor or a limit switch may be used in addition to the optical sensor such as the seating sensor unit 35 using the photosensor.
In the above embodiment, the coil springs 48 and 76 are specifically used as the buffer means, but other means such as a leaf spring and a damper device can be used freely.
In the above embodiment, the brake device 39 is disposed at a lower position on the front side of the rear wheel 22, but may be disposed at another position.
-Besides, it is free to implement in a mode that does not depart from the gist of the present invention.

The side view of the wheelchair of the Example of this invention. The principal part enlarged view of the same wheelchair. The front view of the state which the push rod advanced in the mechanism part of the brake device of Example 1 of this invention. The front view of the state which the push rod of the same brake device retracted. The front view of the state which applied the overload to the push rod of the same brake device, and retracted. The side view of the same brake device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining the positional relationship of a rocking | fluctuation plate and a tire, Comprising: (a) is the state which the rocking | fluctuation plate front-end | tip contact | abutted to the rolling surface, (b) is the separated state, (c) is the state which bite in, respectively. . The front view of the state which the push rod advanced in the mechanism part of the brake device of Example 2. FIG. The front view of the state which the push rod of the same brake device retracted. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the first embodiment. Explanatory drawing for demonstrating the outline of the mechanism part of the brake device of Example 3. FIG. Explanatory drawing explaining the principle of braking.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Wheelchair, 12 ... Main body frame, 18 ... Caster as front wheel, 22 ... Rear wheel, 26a ... Rolling surface, 35 ... Seating sensor unit as seating state detection means, 39 ... Brake device, 47, 75 ... Drive transmission Push rod as member 51... DC motor as drive means, 57, 77, 84... Hinge fitting as swing base, 58, 78, 85 .. swing plate as swing member, 72, 82. As an electromagnetic solenoid, 87... A swing handle as a drive transmission member.

Claims (6)

A wheel composed of front and rear wheels mounted on the main body frame, a seat for the user to sit on, a state where the user is seated on the seat and a state where the user is not seated A brake device that is used in a wheelchair provided with a seating state detection means for detecting each of them, is disposed at a position adjacent to a rolling surface of the wheel, and is operated based on an output signal from the seating state detection means. And
A swing member having a tip extending in a direction substantially along the forward rolling direction of the rolling surface of the wheel and swinging between a first stop position and a second stop position about the swing base; ,
It operates based on an output signal from the seating state detection means, and is stopped at the first stop position by pushing or pulling the swinging member directly or indirectly via a drive transmission member. Drive means for displacing the swing member at the second stop position or the swing member stopped at the second stop position to the first stop position;
In the first stop position, the rocking member is brought into contact with the rolling contact surface at the tip of the rocking member, and the contact portion and the rocking base are in contact with each other. An angle formed between the straight line to be connected and the rolling surface in the backward rolling direction with respect to the same contact portion is a narrow angle, and the tip of the swinging member is spaced from the rolling surface at the second position. Brake device characterized by being made. A wheel composed of front and rear wheels mounted on the main body frame, a seat for the user to sit on, a state where the user is seated on the seat and a state where the user is not seated In a wheelchair equipped with a seating state detection means for detecting each,
A brake device that is operated based on an output signal from the seating state detection means is disposed at a position adjacent to the rolling surface of the wheel,
The brake device has a tip extending in a direction substantially along the forward rolling direction of the rolling surface of the wheel, and swings between a first stop position and a second stop position about a swing base. A swinging member that
It operates based on an output signal from the seating state detection means, and is stopped at the first stop position by pushing or pulling the swinging member directly or indirectly via a drive transmission member. Drive means for displacing the swing member at the second stop position or the swing member stopped at the second stop position to the first stop position;
In the first stop position, the rocking member is brought into contact with the rolling contact surface at the tip of the rocking member, and the contact portion and the rocking base are in contact with each other. An angle formed between the straight line to be connected and the rolling surface in the backward rolling direction with respect to the same contact portion is a narrow angle, and the tip of the swinging member is spaced from the rolling surface at the second position. Wheelchair characterized by being made. 3. The wheelchair according to claim 2, wherein the swinging member is constantly biased to either the first position side or the second position side by the biasing means. The wheelchair according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the drive transmission member that pushes or pulls the rocking member pushes or pulls the rocking member via a buffer member. 5. The brake device according to claim 2, further comprising holding means for holding the swinging member at the second position regardless of the presence or absence of an output signal from the seating state detecting means. The wheelchair described in any one. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a second brake device that is actively operated by a user to brake the rear wheel.

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