JP2010017353A - Wheelchair and foot support unit therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the loads of an occupant and a caregiver in the case where foot supports are retracted. <P>SOLUTION: The foot supports (18 and 19) are formed of a plurality of foot support members (18a and 18b as well as 19a and 19b). Width altering mechanism (20, 21 and 22) alter the relative positions of the foot support members (18a and 18b as well as 19a and 19b) to either one of a first state that a plurality of the foot support members (18a and 18b as well as 19a and 19b) are connected in series along the width direction of the chassis 11 of a wheelchair and a second state that the width dimensions of the foot supports (18 and 19) are altered so as to become shorter than the first state to alter the width dimensions of the foot supports (18 and 19) by altering the state of the foot supports (18 and 19) to either state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheelchair provided with a foot support on which a rider can place his / her foot in front of a wheel, and a foot support unit for a wheelchair attached to a wheelchair.

  Generally, a wheelchair is provided with a foot support in front of the wheel. The foot support is provided for a rider on the vehicle body to place his / her foot, but when getting on / off, it may be an obstacle for the rider and his / her assistant. Also, if the passenger accidentally puts weight on the foot support when getting on and off, there is a risk that the wheelchair will be unbalanced and the wheelchair will fall.

  For this reason, in many wheelchairs, the foot support is movable, and is configured to retreat to a position where it is difficult for a passenger or an assistant to get in the way when getting on and off. However, if the occupant or the assistant must directly grip the foot support by hand when retracting the foot support, it is not hygienic. Therefore, a wheelchair in which a passenger or an assistant can retract a foot support by a handle operation or a lever operation has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The wheelchair disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with an elevating mechanism that elevates and lowers the foot support in the vertical direction by a handle operation by a passenger or an assistant. In this wheelchair, the foot support is formed in a plate shape, and is lowered until getting on the ground when getting on and off. For this reason, the foot support is almost the same as a part of the ground for passengers and assistants, and it is difficult to get in the way. At this time, even if the passenger puts weight on the foot support, the balance of the wheelchair will not be lost.

  However, in the case of the wheelchair disclosed in Patent Document 1, the foot support is the same as a part of the ground, but still remains in front of the passenger. For this reason, the wheelchair disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it is difficult for the passenger to move by footing. In recent years, the movement by rowing has attracted attention as effective rehabilitation, and it is considered that the convenience of the wheelchair disclosed in Patent Document 1 is low because this is difficult.

  On the other hand, the wheelchair disclosed in Patent Document 2 is provided with a mechanism (a lifting mechanism) for flipping the foot support from a horizontal state to a vertical state by lever operation. The flip-up mechanism transmits a driving force applied by lever operation to the foot support via a wire to rotate the foot support, and thereby flips the foot support upward. When the foot support is flipped up, there is no obstacle in front of the passenger's feet, so the passenger can perform rehabilitation by rowing.

JP 2005-52601 A Japanese Patent No. 3910624

  However, in the wheelchair disclosed in Patent Document 2, since the foot support is flipped up, the passenger lifts the foot from the foot support and lifts the foot out of the foot support track. There is a need. The act of lifting the foot in this way is extremely harsh for a passenger with a disability. In addition, when an assistant performs a lever operation and flips up the foot support, the assistant needs to perform the lever operation while lifting the passenger's foot, which is severe for the assistant.

  The present invention provides a wheelchair and a wheelchair foot support unit that can solve the above problems and reduce the burden on passengers and assistants when the foot support is retracted.

  A wheelchair according to the first invention for achieving the above object includes a vehicle body, a wheel attached to the vehicle body, and a foot support that is disposed in front of the wheel and on which a passenger on the vehicle body can place a foot. And a width changing mechanism that changes a width dimension that is a dimension of the foot support in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the foot support is a plurality of foot support members that are connected so that their relative positions can be changed. A first state in which the plurality of foot support members are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body by changing the relative positions of the plurality of foot support members; Changing the state of the foot support to any one of the second state and the second state in which the width dimension of the foot support is changed to be shorter than the first state; And changes the width.

  According to this invention, the foot support is configured as a structure in which a plurality of foot support members are connected, and the width position of the foot support is changed by changing the relative position of the plurality of foot support members by the width changing mechanism. Is done. For this reason, the foot support can perform an operation of retracting from the front of the vehicle body because the dimension in the width direction of the vehicle body is shortened without an operation of being flipped upward. Therefore, when retracting the foot support, the passenger or the assistant does not need to lift the passenger's foot, and the burden on the passenger and the assistant can be reduced.

  A wheelchair according to a second invention is the wheelchair according to the first invention, wherein the foot support is configured such that a plurality of the foot support members are rotatably connected to each other on the end sides, and the plurality of the foot support members are in the second state. The foot support member is bent at the connecting position.

  According to the present invention, the plurality of foot support members are rotatably connected to each other, and are changed so that the width dimension of the foot support is shortened by being bent at the connecting position. For this reason, the width dimension of the foot support can be reliably changed with a simple configuration in which the foot support is retracted by bending.

  The wheelchair according to a third aspect is the wheelchair according to the second aspect, wherein the width changing mechanism is one end of the foot support member positioned on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members. By applying a tensile force to the first wire attached to the side and the first wire, the one end side of the first wire is urged to change the state of the foot support from the second state. And a first wire rod drive unit that shifts to the first state.

  According to this invention, the bent foot support in the second state can be extended to the first state by applying a pulling force to the wire attached to the foot support member on the distal end side. Then, by releasing the pulling force on the wire, the foot support can be bent and its width dimension can be shortened. For this reason, the structure which bends a foot support at the time of retraction | saving of a foot support is realizable by the simple mechanism using a wire.

  The wheelchair according to a fourth aspect is the wheelchair according to the second aspect, wherein the width changing mechanism is connected to an electromagnet attached to one of opposing ends of the plurality of foot support members and the other in the first state. An attracted member that is attached to be attracted to the electromagnet, and the attracted member is attracted to the electromagnet when the electromagnet is energized to change the state of the foot support from the second state to the first state. It is characterized by shifting to the state of 1.

  According to the present invention, the width dimension can be changed by bending or extending the foot support by providing the electromagnet and the attracted member at the opposing ends of the foot support member and switching the operation state of the electromagnet. For this reason, the structure which bends a foot support at the time of retraction | saving of a foot support is realizable by the simple mechanism using an electromagnet.

  The wheelchair according to a fifth aspect is the wheelchair according to the second aspect, wherein the width changing mechanism includes the foot support member positioned on a distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members. A rotation drive motor that rotates at the coupling position with respect to the foot support member positioned on the vehicle body side is provided.

  According to the present invention, by operating the rotary drive motor provided at the connecting position of the foot support member, the foot support can be bent or extended to change the width dimension thereof. For this reason, the structure which bends a foot support at the time of retraction | saving of a foot support is realizable by the simple mechanism using a rotational drive motor.

  A wheelchair according to a sixth aspect is the wheelchair according to the first aspect, wherein the foot support is connected so that a plurality of the foot support members can slide along the width direction of the vehicle body and the relative position can be changed. In the state of 2, the plurality of foot support members are arranged in a state of overlapping in the vertical direction.

  According to the present invention, the plurality of foot support members are connected so that the relative positions thereof are changed by sliding, and the foot support members are overlapped in the vertical direction so that the width dimension of the foot support is shortened. For this reason, the width dimension of a foot support can be reliably changed with the simple structure of arrange | positioning so that it may overlap in the up-down direction, and retracting a foot support.

  A wheelchair according to a seventh aspect is the wheelchair according to the sixth aspect, wherein the width changing mechanism includes the foot support member positioned on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members. A spring member that urges the foot support member positioned on the vehicle body side toward the distal end side of the foot support; and a position on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members A second wire rod having one end attached to the foot support member, and applying a tensile force to the second wire rod so that the one end side of the second wire rod is against the spring force of the spring member. And a second wire rod drive unit that urges and shifts the state of the foot support from the first state to the second state.

  According to this invention, by applying a tensile force to the wire attached to the foot support member on the distal end side, the foot support member on the distal end side slides against the spring force of the spring member, and a plurality of foot support members are attached. By overlapping in the vertical direction, the width dimension of the foot support can be shortened. For this reason, the structure which a foot support member overlaps in an up-down direction at the time of retraction | saving of a foot support is realizable by the simple mechanism using a wire and a spring member.

  The wheelchair according to an eighth aspect of the invention is the wheelchair according to the sixth aspect of the invention, wherein the width changing mechanism includes a cylinder part and a fluid supply part that supplies pressure fluid to the cylinder part. When the pressure fluid is supplied to the part, the foot support member positioned on the front end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members is positioned on the vehicle body side. The member is slid and moved.

  According to this invention, by supplying the pressure fluid to the cylinder portion, the foot support member can be slid to change the width dimension of the foot support. For this reason, the structure which a foot support member overlaps in an up-down direction at the time of retraction | saving of a foot support is realizable with the simple mechanism using a cylinder part.

  A wheelchair according to a ninth aspect is the wheelchair according to the sixth aspect, wherein the width changing mechanism includes the foot support member positioned on a distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members. It has a drive motor that drives to slide relative to the foot support member located on the vehicle body side.

  According to the present invention, by operating the drive motor, the foot support member can be slid to change the width dimension of the foot support. For this reason, the structure which a foot support member overlaps in an up-down direction at the time of retraction | saving of a foot support is realizable by the simple mechanism using a drive motor.

  A wheelchair according to a tenth invention is the wheelchair according to any one of the sixth to ninth inventions, wherein the foot support is positioned on a distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members. The foot support member is housed in the second state inside the foot support member located on the vehicle body side.

  According to the present invention, in the second state, the foot support is configured to overlap in the vertical direction by the foot support member on the distal end side being housed in the foot support member on the vehicle body side. For this reason, the foot support can be made compact in the vertical direction in the second state.

  The wheel support unit for a wheelchair according to the eleventh invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is attached to a vehicle body of a wheelchair so as to be disposed in front of the wheel of the wheelchair, so that a passenger on the vehicle body can place a foot And a width changing mechanism that changes a width dimension that is a dimension of the foot support in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the foot support is connected to a plurality of feet that are connected to each other so that their relative positions can be changed. The width changing mechanism is formed of a support member, and the width changing mechanism changes a relative position of the plurality of foot support members, whereby the plurality of foot support members are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body. The state of the foot support is set to any one of a state and a second state in which the width dimension of the foot support is changed to be shorter than the first state. Puff, and changes the width of the foot support.

  According to this invention, the same effect as that of the first invention can be obtained by attaching the wheelchair foot support unit of the present invention to the wheelchair. That is, when the foot support unit for a wheelchair of the present invention is attached to a wheelchair, there is no need for the passenger or the assistant to lift the passenger's foot when retracting the foot support. Can be reduced. And according to this invention, it becomes easy to the wheelchair which can evacuate a foot support even if a passenger or an assistant does not lift a passenger's foot by attaching a foot support unit for a wheelchair to an existing wheelchair. The configuration can be changed.

  A wheelchair foot support unit according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the wheelchair foot support unit according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, wherein the foot support is configured such that a plurality of the foot support members are rotatably connected to each other on the end sides. The state 2 is a state in which the plurality of foot support members are bent at connecting positions.

  According to the present invention, by attaching the wheelchair foot support unit to the wheelchair, the width dimension of the foot support can be reliably changed with a simple configuration of folding and retracting the foot support.

  A wheelchair foot support unit according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the wheelchair foot support unit according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, wherein the foot support has a plurality of foot support members slidably moved along the width direction of the vehicle body so that the relative position is reached. It is connected so that change is possible, and in the 2nd state, a plurality of above-mentioned foot support members are arranged in the state where it overlapped in the up-and-down direction.

  According to the present invention, by attaching a wheelchair foot support unit to a wheelchair, the foot support width dimension can be reliably changed with a simple configuration of retracting the foot support by overlapping the foot support members in the vertical direction. Can do.

  According to the wheelchair and the foot support member for a wheelchair of the present invention, when the foot support is retracted, the burden on the passenger and the assistant can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The wheelchair and the wheelchair foot support unit according to the embodiment of the present invention can be widely applied to a wheelchair in which a foot support on which a rider can place his / her foot is provided in front of the wheel. In the following description, the direction in which the foot support is disposed with respect to the position of the vehicle body and the direction in which the front of the passenger sitting on the seat seat of the vehicle body faces will be described as the front. Further, the description will be made assuming that the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body in the horizontal direction is the vehicle body width direction.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a side surface of a wheelchair 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a front surface of the wheelchair 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheelchair 1 includes a vehicle body 11, wheels (12 to 15), foot support units (wheelchair foot support units) 16 and 17, and the like. In addition, in this embodiment, a passenger | crew (not shown) manually operates manually, or a helper (not shown) performs manual push operation, and a manual type by which a wheel (12-15) is driven. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this example, and the present embodiment can also be applied to an electric wheelchair in which wheels are driven by a motor.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle body 11 includes a main body frame 11a, a seat 11b, a foot support frame 11c, and the like. The main body frame 11a is formed by combining steel pipe members. A seat seat 11b for the passenger to sit on and a handle for the assistant to perform a manual push operation are attached to the main body frame 11a. The foot support frame 11c is provided as a steel pipe member to which the foot supports (18, 19) of the foot support units (16, 17) are attached on the lower end side. The foot support frame 11c is formed such that its upper end is attached to the main body frame 11a and its lower end extends obliquely downward and forward.

  The wheels (12, 13) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively arranged on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 (in FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 11 is indicated by a double-ended arrow A, and FIG. The width direction of the vehicle body 11 is indicated by a double-ended arrow B). The wheels (12, 13) are rotatably attached to the main body frame 11a of the vehicle body 11, and are driven by a manual operation of a passenger seated on the seat seat 11b, thereby generating a propulsive force for the ground 100. It is configured as follows. The wheels (14, 15) are respectively arranged in front of the wheels (12, 13) on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 and are rotatably attached to the vehicle body 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the wheels (14, 15) are provided as auxiliary wheels having a smaller diameter than the wheels (12, 13). The large-diameter wheels (12, 13) may be disposed on the front side, and the small-diameter wheels (14, 15) may be disposed on the rear side.

  The foot support unit (16, 17) is provided as a set of devices constituting a wheel support unit for a wheelchair for retracting the foot support (18, 19) without lifting a passenger's foot. It has been. In this embodiment, the case where the wheelchair 1 is configured by separately attaching the foot support units (16, 17) is described as an example. However, the foot support units (16, 17) are provided from the beginning. It can also be configured as a wheelchair 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the foot support unit 16 includes a foot support 18 and a width changing mechanism, and the width changing mechanism includes a steel wire 20 and an operation lever 21. Has been. The foot support unit 17 includes a foot support 19 and a width changing mechanism. The width changing mechanism includes a steel wire (not shown) and an operation lever 22. The foot support unit 16 and the foot support unit 17 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11.

  The foot supports (18, 19) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are attached to the vehicle body 11 so as to be disposed in front of the wheels (12-15). And the foot support (18, 19) is arrange | positioned in the position where the passenger to the vehicle body 11 can mount | wear a leg | foot. In addition, the foot support 18 is formed of a plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b), and the plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b) are freely rotatable via hinge portions 18c on the respective end sides. It is connected to. In this way, the plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b) are connected so as to be able to change their relative positions by being connected via the hinge portion 18c. Similarly, the foot support 19 is also formed of a plurality of foot support members (19a, 19b) whose end portions are rotatably connected via a hinge portion 19c, and a plurality of foot support members (19a, 19b) are formed. ) Are connected so that their relative positions can be changed. The foot support (18, 19) is attached to the foot support frame 11c of the vehicle body 11 at the foot support member (18a, 19a). The foot support members (18a, 19a) are rotatable with respect to the foot support frame 11c when the engaged state with the foot support frame 11c is released by a manual operation by a passenger or the like.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 16 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 18 (the dimension of the foot support 18 in the width direction of the vehicle body 11). (First wire rod) 20 and an operation lever (first wire rod drive unit) 21 are provided. Also, the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 17 shown in FIG. 2 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 19, similarly to the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 16, and is configured similarly to the wire 20. A wire (first wire) (not shown) and an operation lever (first wire drive unit) 22 configured in the same manner as the operation lever 21 are provided.

  3 and 4 show a state in which the width of the foot support (18, 19) is changed from the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit (16, 17) to be shorter. It is a figure explaining, The side view (FIG. 3) and front view (FIG. 4) of the wheelchair 1 are shown. Hereinafter, the configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 16 will be described, and the description of the configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 17 having the same configuration as the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 16 will be omitted.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 16 changes the relative positions of the plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b), thereby extending the extended state (first state) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS. The state of the foot support 18 is changed to one of the retracted state (second state) shown in FIG. 4, and the width dimension of the foot support 18 is changed. In the extended state, the foot support 18 is in a state where a plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b) are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body 11, and both of the foot support members 18a and 18b are connected. The passenger's feet can be placed (see FIG. 2). On the other hand, in the retracted state, the foot support 18 is bent at a hinge portion 18c that is a connecting position of the plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b). By being bent in this way, the width dimension of the foot support 18 is changed to be shorter in the retracted state than in the extended state. As a result, there is no obstacle in the area in front of the passenger's foot.

  Next, the wire 20 and the operation lever 21 that are specific configurations of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 16 will be described. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the foot support 18 and the vicinity thereof in the front of the wheelchair 1. FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of the foot support 18 in an extended state, and FIG. 5B is a retracted state. Enlarged views of the foot support 18 are shown. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, the foot support 18 is shown as a partially cutaway cross section.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the wire 20 is formed by penetrating the inside of the foot support frame 11 c formed by a hollow pipe member and the inside of the foot support members (18 a, 18 b). It arrange | positions in the state penetrated over the hole 23 for use. The one end side of the wire 20 disposed in the wire hole 23 is fixed to the foot support member 18b positioned on the distal end side of the foot support 18 in the extended state among the plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b). It is attached via a member 24. On the other hand, the other end side of the wire 20 protrudes from the opening end of the foot support frame 11 c and is attached to the lower end portion 21 e of the lever member 21 a of the operation lever 21.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the operation lever 21 includes a lever member 21a provided as a shaft-shaped member, a gripping portion 21b attached to the upper end side of the lever member 21a, and a lock release switch provided on the gripping portion 21b. 21c, and a rotating shaft portion 21d for attaching the lever member 21a to the main body frame 11a to be rotatable. As described above, the other end side of the wire 20 is attached to the lower end portion 21e of the lever member 21a. The operation lever 21 is operated by the passenger gripping the grip portion 21b and moving the grip portion 21b along the front-rear direction so that the lever member 21a swings around the rotation shaft portion 21d. become.

  Further, the operating lever 21 is provided with a lock mechanism (not shown) capable of engaging the lever member 21 and the main body frame 11a to lock the lever member 21 with respect to the main body frame 11a. In the operation lever 21, when the lock release switch 21c is not pressed by the passenger, the lever member 21a and the main body frame 11a are engaged with each other by the lock mechanism, and the lever member 21a is engaged with the main body frame 11a. A locked state is maintained. On the other hand, when the lock release switch 21c is pressed by the passenger, the engagement between the lever member 21a and the main body frame 11a is released (the lock of the lever member 21a to the main body frame 11a is released), and the lever member 21a is released. It is comprised so that can be rock | fluctuated.

  In the extended state shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 (a), the operating lever 21 is in a state where the gripping portion 21 b moves forward and the lever member 21 a is locked to the main body frame 11 a by the locking mechanism. Yes. In this extended state, the pulling force from the operation lever 21 is applied to the wire 20 having the other end attached to the lower end 21e, and one end of the wire 20 is biased. Therefore, the foot support member 18b to which one end side of the wire 20 is attached via the stopper member 24 is urged by the wire 20, and the foot support 18 includes a plurality of foot support members (18a, 18b) arranged in series. The stretched state is maintained.

  On the other hand, when the gripper 21b is moved rearward while the unlocking switch 21c is pressed from the extended state described above, the lever is centered on the rotating shaft 21d so that the upper end side of the lever member 21a is inclined rearward. The member 21a swings and enters the retracted state shown in FIGS. In this retracted state, the tensile force acting on the wire 20 in the extended state is released, and the wire 20 is loosened. For this reason, the foot support member 18b rotatably connected to the foot support member 18a at the hinge portion 18c rotates downward due to gravity, and the foot support 18 is bent. In the foot support unit 16, permanent magnets (25, 26) are respectively attached to the lower surface side of the foot support members (18a, 18b) in the extended state. For this reason, in the retracted state, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), a plurality of feet are attracted by the attractive force between the permanent magnet 25 attached to the foot support member 18a and the permanent magnet 26 attached to the foot support member 18b. The posture of the support member (18a, 18b) is maintained in the folded state. In the retracted state, the foot support member 18a may be manually rotated with respect to the foot support frame 11c, and the folded foot support 18 may be flipped up.

  Further, from the retracted state, when the passenger moves the gripping part 21b forward while pressing the lock release switch 21c, the lever member 21a swings so that the upper end side of the lever member 21a is inclined forward, A pulling force is applied from the operation lever 21 to the wire 20. By this pulling force, one end side of the wire 20 is biased, the permanent magnets 25 and 26 are separated, the foot support member 18b rotates with respect to the foot support member 18a, and the state of the foot support 18 is extended from the retracted state. Will be moved to.

  Next, the operation of the wheelchair 1 described above will be described. In the extended state shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 (a), a passenger on the wheelchair 1 can rest by placing his feet on the foot supports (18, 19). it can. When the passenger gets out of the wheelchair 1, the passenger operates the gripping portion 21 b of the operation lever 21 and the gripping portion of the operation lever 22 to move backward. By this operation, the pulling force acting on the wire 20 of the foot support unit 16 and the wire of the foot support unit 17 from the operation lever (21, 22) is released and loosened, and the foot support (18, 19) as described above. Is in a folded state. Then, the foot support (18, 19) shifts to a retracted state in which the width dimension is changed short. Thereby, even if a passenger does not lift a foot | leg from a foot support (18, 19), it will be in the state in which an obstruction does not exist ahead of a passenger | crew's foot | leg.

  On the other hand, when the foot support (18, 19) in the retracted state is changed to the extended state and the rider wants to place his / her foot on the foot support (18, 19), the rider can It operates so that the holding part of 21b and the operation lever 22 may be moved ahead. By this operation, a pulling force acts on the wire 20 of the foot support unit 16 and the wire of the foot support unit 17 from the operation lever (21, 22), and these wires are tensioned. As described above, the foot support (18, 19 ) Will be extended in series. Thereby, it will be in the expansion | extension state which a passenger can mount a leg | foot on a foot support (18, 19).

  According to the wheelchair 1 described above, the foot support (18, 19) is configured as a structure in which a plurality of foot support members (18a and 18b, 19a and 19b) are connected, and the plurality of foot support members are formed by the width changing mechanism. By changing the relative positions of (18a and 18b, 19a and 19b), the width dimension of the foot support (18, 19) is changed. For this reason, the foot support (18, 19) can perform an operation of retracting from the front of the vehicle body 11 with the dimension in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 being shortened without the operation of being flipped upward. Therefore, when retracting the foot support (18, 19), it is not necessary for the occupant or the assistant to lift the occupant's foot, and the burden on the occupant and the assistant can be reduced.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 1, the plurality of foot support members (18a and 18b, 19a and 19b) are rotatably connected to each other, and the width dimension of the foot support (18, 19) is shortened by being bent at the connecting position. Will be changed as follows. For this reason, the width dimension of the foot support (18, 19) can be reliably changed with a simple configuration in which the foot support (18, 19) is retracted by folding.

  In addition, according to the wheelchair 1, by applying a pulling force to the wire 20 attached to the foot support member 18b on the distal end side and the wire attached to the foot support member 19b, the foot support (18, 19) in the folded retracted state is provided. Can be extended into a stretched state. Then, by releasing the pulling force on the wire, the foot support (18, 19) can be bent and its width dimension can be shortened. For this reason, the structure which bends the foot support (18, 19) when the foot support (18, 19) is retracted can be realized by a simple mechanism using a wire.

  Moreover, according to the foot support unit (16, 17) for wheelchairs, the effect similar to the wheelchair 1 mentioned above can be show | played by attaching with respect to a wheelchair. And according to the foot support unit for wheelchairs (16, 17), the foot support (18, 19) is retracted even if the passenger or the assistant does not lift the passenger's foot by attaching to the existing wheelchair. The configuration can be easily changed to the wheelchair 1 that can be used.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the wheelchair 2 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. In the following description, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described, and description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a side surface of the wheelchair 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the wheelchair 2 includes a vehicle body 11, wheels (12, 14), a foot support unit (foot support unit for a wheelchair) 27, and the like. In FIG. 6, only the wheels (12, 14) are illustrated, but the wheel (13, 15) similar to the first embodiment is also provided in the wheelchair 2. Further, in FIG. 6, only the foot support unit 27 is illustrated, but in the same manner as in the first embodiment, in addition to the foot support unit 27, the foot support unit 27 is disposed symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11. Another foot support unit having the same configuration as the support unit 27 is also provided in the wheelchair 2. The wheelchair 2 is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the foot support unit 27, and the configuration of the foot support unit 27 will be described below (the description of the foot support unit arranged symmetrically with respect to the foot support unit 27). Is omitted). The present embodiment can be applied not only to the manual wheelchair 2 but also to an electric wheelchair.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing the foot support 28 in the front of the wheelchair 2 and the vicinity thereof. In FIG. 7, the foot support 28 is shown as a partially cut cross section. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the foot support unit 27 includes a foot support 28 and a width changing mechanism. The width changing mechanism includes an electromagnet 29, a permanent magnet (attractable member) 30, and An operation panel 31 is provided.

  The foot support 28 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is attached to the vehicle body 11 so as to be disposed in front of the wheels (12, 14), and is disposed at a position where a passenger can place his / her foot. The foot support 28 is formed of a plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b), and the plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b) can be freely rotated via hinge portions 28c on the respective end sides. It is connected. Thereby, the some foot support member (28a, 28b) is connected so that a mutual relative position can be changed. The foot support 28 is attached to the foot support frame 11c of the vehicle body 11 at the foot support member 28a. The foot support member 28a is rotatable with respect to the foot support frame 11c when the engaged state with the foot support frame 11c is released by a manual operation by a passenger or the like.

  The width change mechanism of the foot support unit 27 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 28 (the dimension of the foot support 28 in the width direction of the vehicle body 11). 29, a permanent magnet (attractable member) 30, and an operation panel 31. The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 27 changes the relative positions of the plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b), thereby extending the extended state (first state) shown in FIG. The state of the foot support 28 is changed to one of the retracted state (second state) shown in FIG. In the extended state, the foot support 28 is in a state where a plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b) are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body 11, and both of the foot support members 28a and 28b are connected. The passenger's feet can be placed. On the other hand, in the retracted state, the foot support 28 is bent at the hinge portion 28c, which is a connecting position of the plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b). By being bent in this manner, the width dimension of the foot support 28 is changed so as to be shorter in the retracted state than in the extended state. As a result, there is no obstacle in the area in front of the passenger's foot.

  Next, a specific configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 27 will be described. The electromagnet 29 is attached to an end portion of the foot support member 28a that is opposed to the foot support member 28b in the extended state. The electromagnet 29 is connected to a wiring (not shown) so that a current is supplied from a battery (not shown) provided in the wheelchair 2. The permanent magnet 30 is attached to the end portion of the foot support member 28b that faces the foot support member 28a in the extended state. The permanent magnet 30 is provided as a member to be attracted to the electromagnet 29, and is attached to the end of the foot support member 28b at a position facing the electromagnet 29 in the extended state. The operation panel 31 is attached to a position where the passenger can easily operate the vehicle body 11 and includes switches (31a, 31b) for controlling supply of current from a battery (not shown) to the electromagnet 29. . When the switch 31a of the operation panel 31 is pressed by a passenger, the electromagnet 29 is energized and the energized state is maintained. The electromagnet 29 is energized so as to be excited opposite to the opposing permanent magnet 30 with a different pole. On the other hand, the operation panel 31 is configured such that the energization of the electromagnet 29 is released when the switch 31b is pressed.

  In the extended state shown in FIG. 7A, the switch 31a of the operation panel 31 is pressed and the electromagnet 29 is energized. In this state, the permanent magnet 30 is attracted to the electromagnet 29, and by this attraction force, the foot support member 28b is urged in the opposite direction to the rotational force that tends to rotate downward due to gravity. For this reason, the foot support 28 is maintained in an extended state in which a plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b) are arranged in series.

  On the other hand, when the passenger presses the switch 31b of the operation panel 31 from the extended state described above, the energization to the electromagnet 29 is released. For this reason, the foot support member 28b rotatably connected to the foot support member 28a by the hinge portion 28c rotates downward due to gravity, and the foot support 28 is moved as shown in FIG. Then, it is in a folded retracted state. Since the permanent magnets (25, 26) are attached to the foot support 28 as in the first embodiment, the permanent magnet 25 on the foot support member 28a side and the permanent magnet 26 on the foot support member 28b side are connected. The posture of the plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b) is maintained in the folded state by the attractive force. In the retracted state, the foot support member 28a may be manually rotated with respect to the foot support frame 11c, and the folded foot support 28 may be flipped up.

  When the passenger presses the switch 31a of the operation panel 31 from the retracted state described above, the electromagnet 29 is excited and energized, whereby the permanent magnet 30 is attracted to the electromagnet 29 and the state of the foot support 28 is changed. It will shift from the retracted state to the extended state. The specifications of the electromagnet 29 and each permanent magnet (29, 25, 26) are such that a magnetic force stronger than the magnetic force acting between the permanent magnets 25 and 26 is generated between the electromagnet 29 and the permanent magnet 30. Is set.

  In the wheelchair 2 described above, in the extended state shown in FIG. 7A, the passenger riding on the wheelchair 2 can rest by placing his / her feet on the foot support 28. When the passenger gets off the wheelchair 2, the passenger presses the switch 31 b of the operation panel 31. By this operation, energization to the electromagnet 29 is released, and the foot support 28 is folded as described above. Then, the foot support 28 shifts to a retracted state in which the width dimension is changed short. As a result, even if the passenger does not lift his / her foot from the foot support 28, there is no obstacle in front of the passenger's foot. On the other hand, when the retracted foot support 28 is changed to the extended state and the passenger wants to place his / her foot on the foot support 28, the passenger presses the switch 31 a of the operation panel 31. By this operation, the electromagnet 29 is excited to attract the permanent magnet 30, and the foot support 28 is extended in series as described above. Thereby, it will be in the expansion | extension state in which a passenger can mount a leg | foot on the foot support 28. FIG.

  According to the wheelchair 2 described above, the foot support 28 is configured as a structure in which a plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b) are connected, and the relative position of the plurality of foot support members (28a, 28b) is achieved by the width changing mechanism. Is changed, the width dimension of the foot support 28 is changed. For this reason, the foot support 28 can perform an operation of retracting from the front of the vehicle body 11 because the dimension in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 is shortened without an operation of being flipped upward. Therefore, when the foot support 28 is retracted, the passenger or the assistant does not need to lift the passenger's foot, and the burden on the passenger and the assistant can be reduced.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 2, the electromagnet 29 and the permanent magnet 30 are provided at the opposite ends of the foot support members (28a, 28b) and the operation state of the electromagnet 29 is switched, whereby the foot support 28 is bent or extended. Its width dimension can be changed. Therefore, a configuration in which the foot support 28 is bent when the foot support 28 is retracted can be realized by a simple mechanism using the electromagnet 29.

  Moreover, according to the foot support unit 27 for wheelchairs, the effect similar to the wheelchair 2 mentioned above can be show | played by attaching with respect to a wheelchair. And according to the foot support unit 27 for wheelchairs, by attaching to the existing wheelchair, it becomes easy to the wheelchair 2 which can evacuate the foot support 28 even if a passenger or an assistant does not lift a passenger's foot. The configuration can be changed.

(Third embodiment)
Next, the wheelchair 3 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. In the following description, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described, and description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing the foot support 33 and its vicinity in the front of the wheelchair 3. As shown in FIG. 8, the wheelchair 3 includes a vehicle body 11, wheels (12, 14), a foot support unit (wheelchair foot support unit) 32, and the like. In FIG. 8, only the wheels (12, 14) are illustrated, but the wheel (13, 15) similar to the first embodiment is also provided in the wheelchair 3. Further, in FIG. 8, only the foot support unit 32 is illustrated, but in the same manner as in the first embodiment, in addition to the foot support unit 32, the foot support unit 32 is disposed symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11. Another foot support unit having the same configuration as the support unit 32 is also provided in the wheelchair 3. The wheelchair 3 is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the foot support unit 32, and the configuration of the foot support unit 32 will be described below (the description of the foot support unit arranged symmetrically with respect to the foot support unit 32). Is omitted). The present embodiment can be applied not only to the manual wheelchair 3 but also to an electric wheelchair.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the foot support unit 32 includes a foot support 33 and a width changing mechanism, and the width changing mechanism includes a rotation drive motor 34 and an operation panel (not shown). Yes.

  The foot support 33 shown in FIG. 8 is attached to the vehicle body 11 so as to be disposed in front of the wheels (12, 14), and is disposed at a position where the passenger can place his / her foot. The foot support 33 is formed of a plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b), and the plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b) can be freely rotated via hinge portions 33c on the respective end sides. It is connected. Thereby, the several foot support member (33a, 33b) is connected so that a mutual relative position can be changed. The hinge part 33c is composed of an arcuate recess 33d and a shaft part 33e. The arc-shaped concave portion 33d is formed as a concave portion having an arc-shaped cross section that extends along the edge portion of the end portion of one foot support member 33a. The shaft portion 33e is formed as a portion extending along the edge portion of the end portion of the other foot support member 33b so as to form a part of the outer periphery of the cylinder, and is slidably applied to the arc-shaped recess 33d. It is arranged to touch. When one of the foot support members (33a, 33b) rotates with respect to the other via the hinge portion 33c, the arc-shaped concave portion 33d and the shaft portion 33e come into sliding contact. Further, the foot support 33 is attached to the foot support frame 11c of the vehicle body 11 in the foot support member 33a. The foot support member 33a can be rotated with respect to the foot support frame 11c when the engaged state with the foot support frame 11c is released by a manual operation by a passenger or the like.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 32 shown in FIG. 8 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 33 (the dimension of the foot support 33 in the width direction of the vehicle body 11). And an operation panel (not shown). The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 32 changes the relative positions of the plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b), thereby extending the extended state (first state) shown in FIG. The state of the foot support 33 is changed to one of the retracted state (second state) shown in FIG. In the extended state, the foot support 33 is in a state in which a plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b) are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body 11, and both of the foot support members 33a and 33b are connected. The passenger's feet can be placed. On the other hand, in the retracted state, the foot support 33 is in a state of being bent at a hinge portion 33c that is a connecting position of the plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b). By being bent in this way, the width dimension of the foot support 33 is changed to be shorter in the retracted state than in the extended state. As a result, there is no obstacle in the area in front of the passenger's foot.

  Next, a specific configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 32 will be described. FIG. 9 is a view showing the foot support 33 and the rotary drive motor 34 as seen from the direction of arrow C in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the rotary drive motor 34 is attached to the foot support 33 so as to be disposed coaxially with the shaft portion 33 e of the hinge portion 33 c at the position of the hinge portion 33 c. The motor body 34a of the rotation drive motor 34 is fixed to the foot support member 33a, and the motor shaft 34b of the rotation drive motor 34 is fixed to the shaft portion 33e of the foot support member 33b by fitting. ing. As a result, the rotation drive motor 34 has the foot support member 33b positioned on the distal end side of the foot support 33 in the extended state among the plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b) with respect to the foot support member 33a positioned on the vehicle body side. The foot support members (33a, 33b) are configured to be rotationally driven at the hinge portion 33c, which is the connecting position of the foot support members (33a, 33b). At the end of the hinge portion 33c opposite to the rotation drive motor 34, the end portion of the shaft portion 33e is rotatably held by a holding portion 33f provided on the foot support member 33a.

  The rotation drive motor 34 is connected to a wiring (not shown) and is configured to be supplied with power from a battery (not shown) provided in the wheelchair 3. An operation panel (not shown) in the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 32 is configured in the same manner as the operation panel 31 of the second embodiment, and is a switch for controlling the supply of electric power from the battery to the rotary drive motor 34. It is configured with.

  In the extended state shown in FIG. 8A, when the predetermined switch on the operation panel described above is pressed, the rotation drive motor 34 is rotated so that the motor shaft 34b rotates in a predetermined direction with respect to the motor body 34a. Controlled, the foot support member 33b is biased in the direction opposite to the rotational force that attempts to rotate downward due to gravity (the direction indicated by the arrow D in the figure). For this reason, the foot support 33 is maintained in an extended state in which a plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b) are arranged in series.

  On the other hand, when the occupant presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel from the extended state described above, the motor shaft 34b moves in the opposite direction to the motor main body 34a (the direction indicated by the arrow E in FIG. 8B). The rotation drive motor 34 is controlled to rotate. For this reason, the foot support member 33b rotates in the direction of arrow E in the figure with respect to the foot support member 33a, and the foot support 33 is in a folded retracted state. In the retracted state, the foot support member 33a may be manually rotated with respect to the foot support frame 11c, and the folded foot support 33 may be flipped up.

  In addition, when the occupant presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel from the above-described retracted state, the rotation drive motor 34 so that the motor shaft 34b rotates in the direction of arrow D in FIG. As a result, the state of the foot support 33 shifts from the retracted state to the extended state.

  In the wheelchair 3 described above, in the extended state shown in FIG. 8A, a passenger riding on the wheelchair 3 can rest by placing his / her feet on the foot support 33. When the passenger gets off the wheelchair 3, the passenger presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel. By this operation, the motor shaft 34b of the rotation drive motor 34 rotates in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 8B, and the foot support 33 is folded as described above. Then, the foot support 33 shifts to the retracted state in which the width dimension is changed short. As a result, even if the passenger does not lift his / her foot from the foot support 33, there is no obstacle in front of the passenger's foot. On the other hand, when the foot support 33 in the retracted state is changed to the extended state and the passenger wants to place his / her foot on the foot support 33, the passenger presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel. By this operation, the motor shaft 34b of the rotation drive motor 34 rotates in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 8A, and the foot support 33 is extended in series as described above. Thereby, it will be in the expansion | extension state in which a passenger can mount a leg | foot on the foot support 33. FIG.

  According to the wheelchair 3 described above, the foot support 33 is configured as a structure in which a plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b) are connected, and the relative positions of the plurality of foot support members (33a, 33b) by the width changing mechanism. Is changed, the width dimension of the foot support 33 is changed. For this reason, the foot support 33 can perform an operation of retracting from the front of the vehicle body 11 with the dimension in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 being shortened without an operation of being flipped upward. Therefore, when retracting the foot support 33, it is not necessary for the occupant or the assistant to lift the occupant's foot, and the burden on the occupant and the assistant can be reduced.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 3, by operating the rotation drive motor 34 provided at the connecting position of the foot support members (33a, 33b), the foot support 33 can be bent or extended to change its width dimension. . For this reason, the structure which bends the foot support 33 when the foot support 33 is retracted can be realized by a simple mechanism using the rotary drive motor 34.

  Moreover, according to the foot support unit 32 for wheelchairs, the effect similar to the wheelchair 3 mentioned above can be show | played by attaching with respect to a wheelchair. And according to the foot support unit 32 for wheelchairs, by attaching to the existing wheelchair, it becomes easy to the wheelchair 3 which can evacuate the foot support 33 even if a passenger or an assistant does not lift a passenger's foot. The configuration can be changed.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, the wheelchair 4 which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. In the following description, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described, and description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the front of the wheelchair 4. As shown in FIG. 10, the wheelchair 4 includes a vehicle body 11, wheels (12 to 15), foot support units (wheelchair foot support units) 35 and 36, and the like. The wheelchair 4 is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the foot support units (35, 36). The present embodiment can be applied not only to the manual wheelchair 4 but also to an electric wheelchair.

  FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the foot support 37 in the front of the wheelchair 4 and the vicinity thereof (FIG. 11A), and the foot support 37 viewed from the direction of the arrow F (FIG. 11B). Is shown. In addition, in FIG. 11, about the foot support member 37a in the foot support 37, the cross section is shown. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the foot support unit 35 includes a foot support 37 and a width changing mechanism. The width changing mechanism includes a spring member 39, a steel wire 40, and an operation lever. 21 is comprised. The foot support unit 36 includes a foot support 38 and a width changing mechanism. The width changing mechanism includes a spring member (not shown), a wire (not shown), and an operation lever 22. It is configured. The foot support unit 35 and the foot support unit 36 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11.

  The foot supports (37, 38) shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are attached to the vehicle body 11 so as to be disposed in front of the wheels (12-15). And the foot support (37, 38) is arrange | positioned in the position where the passenger to the vehicle body 11 can mount | wear a leg. The foot support 37 is formed of a plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b), and the plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b) are slid along the width direction of the vehicle body 11 and are relative to each other. It is connected so that the position can be changed. Similarly, the foot support 38 is formed of a plurality of foot support members (38a, 38b) that are slidably moved along the width direction of the vehicle body 11 and connected to each other so that their relative positions can be changed. The foot support (37, 38) is attached to the foot support frame 11c of the vehicle body 11 at the foot support member (37a, 38a). The foot support members (37a, 38a) are rotatable with respect to the foot support frame 11c when the engaged state with the foot support frame 11c is released by a manual operation by a passenger or the like.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 35 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 37 (the dimension of the foot support 37 in the width direction of the vehicle body 11). A member 39, a wire (second wire rod) 40, and an operation lever (second wire rod drive unit) 21 are provided. Also, the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 36 shown in FIG. 10 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 38, similarly to the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 35, and is configured similarly to the spring member 39. A spring member (not shown), a wire (second wire) not shown configured similarly to the wire 40, and an operation lever (second wire drive unit) 22 configured similar to the operation lever 21 are provided. It is configured.

  12 and 13 show a state in which the width of the foot support (37, 38) has been changed from the state shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 by the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit (35, 36). It is a figure explaining. 12 shows a front view of the wheelchair 4, and FIG. 13 shows an enlarged view of the foot support 37 in the front of the wheelchair 4 and its vicinity (FIG. 13 (a)) and its G arrow view. The foot support 37 (FIG. 13B) viewed from the direction is shown. Moreover, in FIG. 13, about the foot support member 37a in the foot support 37, the cross section is shown. Hereinafter, the configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 35 will be described, and the description of the configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 36 having the same configuration as the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 35 will be omitted.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 35 changes the relative positions of the plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b), thereby extending the first state shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, and FIGS. The state of the foot support 37 is changed to any one of the retracted state (second state) shown in FIG. 13, and the width dimension of the foot support 37 is changed. In the extended state, the foot support 37 is in a state in which a plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b) are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body 11, and both of the foot support members 37a and 37b are connected. The passenger's feet can be placed. On the other hand, in the retracted state, the foot support 37 is arranged in a state in which a plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b) overlap in the vertical direction. The foot support member 37a is formed in a hollow rectangular tube shape. As a result, the foot support 37 includes a plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b) in which the foot support member 37b positioned on the distal end side of the foot support 37 in the extended state is hollow from the foot support member 37a positioned on the vehicle body 11 side. It is configured to be housed inside. Thus, the foot support member 37b is accommodated in the foot support member 37a so as to be disposed so as to overlap in the vertical direction, so that the width dimension of the foot support 37 is shorter in the retracted state than in the extended state. Be changed. As a result, there is no obstacle in the area in front of the passenger's foot.

  Next, a specific configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 35 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the spring member 40 is formed as a coil spring, and a plurality (two in the present embodiment) are disposed inside a hollow foot support member 37 a. The spring member 40 has a foot support member 37b positioned on the distal end side of the foot support 37 in the extended state among the plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b) with respect to the foot support member 37a positioned on the vehicle body 11 side. It arrange | positions so that it may bias toward the front end side of the support 37. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the wire 40 is inserted through the inside of the foot support frame 11c formed by the hollow pipe member and the inside of the foot support member 37a formed hollow. Is arranged in. The wire 40 has one end arranged in the foot support member 37a at the end of the foot support member 37b positioned on the distal end side of the foot support 37 in the expanded state among the plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b). It is attached. On the other hand, the other end side of the wire 40 protrudes from the opening end of the foot support frame 11 c and is attached to the lower end portion of the lever member 21 a in the operation lever 21. The operation lever 21 in the foot support unit 35 is configured similarly to the operation lever 21 in the foot support unit 16 of the first embodiment. However, the operation lever 21 in the foot support unit 35 is operated so that the gripping part 21 b moves forward to apply a pulling force to the wire 40, so that one end of the wire 40 is resisted against the spring force of the spring member 39. The side of the foot support 37 is shifted from the extended state to the retracted state by urging the side.

  In the extended state shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the operating lever 21 is in a state where the gripping portion 21b moves rearward and the lever member 21a is locked to the main body frame 11a by the lock mechanism. In this extended state, the wire 40 having the other end attached to the lower end of the lever member 21a is loosened. For this reason, the foot support member 18b is urged by the spring member 39, and the foot support 37 is maintained in an extended state in which a plurality of foot support members (37a, 37b) are arranged in series.

  On the other hand, when the passenger moves the grip portion 21b forward from the above-described extended state while pressing the lock release switch 21c, the lever member 21a swings so that the upper end side of the lever member 21a is inclined forward, The retracted state shown in FIGS. In this retracted state, a pulling force is applied to the wire 40 with the other end attached to the lower end of the lever member 21a, and the foot support member 37b with the one end attached to the wire 40 resists the spring force of the spring member 39. Will be energized. For this reason, the foot support member 37b slidably coupled to the foot support member 37a is disposed so as to be accommodated inside the foot support member 37a. In the retracted state, the foot support member 37a is further rotated manually with respect to the foot support frame 11c, and the foot support 37 with the foot support member 37b stored in the foot support member 37a is flipped up. May be.

  Further, from the retracted state described above, when the passenger moves the grip portion 21b rearward while pressing the lock release switch 21c, the lever member 21a swings so that the upper end side of the lever member 21a is inclined rearward, The pulling force acting on the wire 40 from the operation lever 21 is released, and the wire 40 is loosened. As a result, the foot support member 37b is biased by the spring member 39, and the foot support member 37b expands so as to protrude with respect to the foot support member 37a, and the state of the foot support 37 shifts from the retracted state to the extended state. Will do.

  In the wheelchair 4 described above, in the extended state shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the passenger riding on the wheelchair 4 can rest by placing his feet on the foot supports (37, 38). it can. When the passenger gets off the wheelchair 4, the passenger operates to move the gripping portion 21 b of the operation lever 21 and the gripping portion of the operation lever 22 forward. By this operation, a pulling force acts on the wire 40 of the foot support unit 35 and the wire of the foot support unit 36 from the operation lever (21, 22), and the spring member 39 of the foot support unit 35 and the spring member of the foot support unit 36 are moved. The foot support members (37b, 38b) are biased against the spring force. Then, as described above, the foot supports (37, 38) are overlapped with each other, and the foot supports (37, 38) are shifted to a retracted state in which the width dimension is changed to be short. Thereby, even if the passenger does not lift his / her foot from the foot support (37, 38), there is no obstacle in front of the passenger's foot. On the other hand, when the foot support (37, 38) in the retracted state is changed to the extended state and the rider wants to place his / her foot on the foot support (37, 38), the rider can It operates so that the holding part of 21b and the operation lever 22 may be moved back. By this operation, the pulling force acting on the wire 40 of the foot support unit 35 and the wire of the foot support unit 36 from the operation lever (21, 22) is released and loosened, and the spring member 39 and the foot support of the foot support unit 35 are released. The foot support members (37b, 38b) are biased by the spring force of the spring member of the unit 36, respectively. As described above, the foot support (37, 38) is in a state of being extended in series. Thereby, it will be in the expansion | extension state which a passenger can mount a leg | foot on a foot support (37, 38).

  According to the wheelchair 4 described above, the foot support (37, 38) is configured as a structure in which the plurality of foot support members (37a and 37b, 38a and 38b) are connected, and the plurality of foot support members are formed by the width changing mechanism. By changing the relative positions of (37a and 37b, 38a and 38b), the width dimension of the foot support (37, 38) is changed. For this reason, the foot support (37, 38) can perform an operation of retracting from the front of the vehicle body 11 because the size in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 is shortened without an operation of being flipped upward. Therefore, when retracting the foot support (37, 38), it is not necessary for the occupant or the assistant to lift the occupant's foot, and the burden on the occupant and the assistant can be reduced.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 4, the plurality of foot support members (37a and 37b, 38a and 38b) are connected so that the relative positions are changed by sliding movement, and the foot support members (37a and 37b, 38a and 38b) are connected. It changes so that the width dimension of a foot support (37, 38) may become short by overlapping in an up-down direction. For this reason, the width dimension of the foot support (37, 38) can be reliably changed with a simple configuration in which the foot support (37, 38) is retracted by being arranged so as to be overlapped in the vertical direction.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 4, the spring member 39 and the foot support unit 36 of the foot support unit 35 are provided by applying a pulling force to the wire 40 attached to the foot support member 37b on the distal end side and the wire attached to the foot support member 38b. A plurality of foot support members (37a and 37b, 38a and 38b) are stacked in the vertical direction by sliding the tip side foot support members (37b and 38b) against the spring force of the spring member, and the foot support (37 38) can be shortened. For this reason, the structure in which the foot support members (37a and 37b, 38a and 38b) overlap in the vertical direction when the foot support (37, 38) is retracted can be realized by a simple mechanism using a wire and a spring member.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 4, the foot support members (37b, 38b) in the retracted state are accommodated in the foot support members (37a, 38a) on the vehicle body side in the retracted state. And are configured to overlap in the vertical direction. For this reason, the foot support (37, 38) can be made compact in the vertical direction in the retracted state.

  Moreover, according to the foot support unit (35, 36) for wheelchairs, the effect similar to the wheelchair 4 mentioned above can be show | played by attaching with respect to a wheelchair. Then, according to the foot support unit (35, 36) for the wheelchair, the foot support (37, 38) is retracted without being lifted by the passenger or the assistant by attaching to the existing wheelchair. The configuration can be easily changed to the wheelchair 4 that can be used.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a wheelchair 5 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described, and description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a side surface of the wheelchair 5. As shown in FIG. 14, the wheelchair 5 includes a vehicle body 11, wheels (12, 14), and a foot support unit (wheelchair foot support unit) 41. In FIG. 14, only the wheels (12, 14) are illustrated, but the wheel (13, 15) similar to the first embodiment is also provided in the wheelchair 5. In FIG. 14, only the foot support unit 41 is shown, but in the same manner as in the first embodiment, in addition to the foot support unit 41, the foot support unit 41 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11. Another foot support unit having the same configuration as the support unit 41 is also provided in the wheelchair 5. The wheelchair 5 is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the foot support unit 41, and the configuration of the foot support unit 41 will be described below (the description of the foot support unit symmetrically arranged with respect to the foot support unit 41). Is omitted). The present embodiment can be applied not only to the manual wheelchair 5 but also to an electric wheelchair.

  FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the foot support 42 in the front of the wheelchair 5 and the vicinity thereof (FIG. 15A), and the foot support 42 (FIG. 15B) viewed from the H-arrow direction. Is shown. In addition, in FIG. 15, about the foot support member 42a in the foot support 42, the cross section is shown. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the foot support unit 41 includes a foot support 42 and a width changing mechanism. The width changing mechanism includes a cylinder portion 44 formed inside the foot support member 42a, an air source device 43 that is a fluid supply portion that supplies compressed air that is a pressure fluid to the cylinder portion 44, and an operation panel 50. And is configured.

  The foot support 42 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is attached to the vehicle body 11 so as to be disposed in front of the wheels (12, 14), and is disposed at a position where a passenger can place his / her foot. Further, the foot support 42 is formed by a plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b), and the plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b) are slid along the width direction of the vehicle body 11 and are relative to each other. It is connected so that the position can be changed. The foot support 42 is attached to the foot support frame 11c of the vehicle body 11 at the foot support member 42a. The foot support member 42a is rotatable with respect to the foot support frame 11c when the engaged state with the foot support frame 11c is released by a manual operation by a passenger or the like.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 41 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 42 (the dimension of the foot support 42 in the width direction of the vehicle body 11). A power source device 43, a cylinder portion 44, and an operation panel 50 are provided. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the width of the foot support 42 is changed from the state shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 by the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 41. 16 is an enlarged view showing the foot support 42 in the front of the wheelchair 5 and its vicinity (FIG. 16A), and the foot support 42 seen from the direction of the arrow I (FIG. 16B). ). Moreover, in FIG. 16, about the foot support member 42a in the foot support 42, the cross section is shown.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 41 is shown in FIG. 16 and the extended state (first state) shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 by changing the relative positions of the plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b). The state of the foot support 42 is changed to one of the retracted state (second state), and the width dimension of the foot support 42 is changed. In the extended state, the foot support 42 is in a state where a plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b) are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body 11, and both of the foot support members 42a and 42b are connected. The passenger's feet can be placed. On the other hand, in the retracted state, the foot support 42 is arranged in a state in which a plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b) overlap in the vertical direction. The foot support member 42a is formed in a hollow rectangular tube shape. As a result, the foot support 42 includes a plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b) in a stretched state. It is configured to be housed inside. Thus, the foot support member 42b is accommodated in the foot support member 42a so as to be arranged so as to be overlapped in the vertical direction, so that the width dimension of the foot support 37 is shorter in the retracted state than in the extended state. Be changed. As a result, there is no obstacle in the area in front of the passenger's foot.

  Next, a specific configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 41 will be described. As shown in FIG. 15, the cylinder part 44 is comprised as a part formed so that a hollow area may be divided inside the foot support member 42a. A piston portion 52 that is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the cylinder portion 44 is provided at an end portion of the foot support member 42b. The cylinder portion 44 is partitioned into a first pressure chamber 44a and a second pressure chamber 44b by the piston portion 52. Has been. Further, stopper members (51 a, 51 b) are attached to the inner wall of the cylinder portion 44 so as to contact the piston portion 52 and regulate the range in which the piston portion 52 can slide.

  The air source device 43 shown in FIG. 14 includes a tank, a compressor, a plurality of electromagnetic valves, and the like (not shown). The air source device 43 is connected to the first pressure chamber 44 a and the second pressure chamber 44 b via a hose pipe (not shown) with respect to the cylinder portion 44 so as to supply compressed air to the cylinder portion 44. It is configured. In the air source device 43, first, compressed air is generated by the operation of the compressor, and this compressed air is supplied to the tank and stored. A switching operation (opening / closing operation) of a plurality of solenoid valves is performed based on an operation on an operation panel 50 described later, and supply of compressed air from the tank to the first pressure chamber 44a and the second pressure chamber 44b of the cylinder 44 and The discharge is configured to be controlled.

  An operation panel 50 shown in FIG. 14 is attached to a position at which a passenger can easily operate the vehicle body 11, and switches (50a, 50a, 50b). When the switch 50a of the operation panel 50 is pressed by the passenger, power is supplied to a predetermined electromagnetic valve of the air source device 43, and compressed air is supplied from the air source device 43 to the first pressure chamber 44a. At the same time, the compressed air is discharged from the second pressure chamber 44b. On the other hand, when the switch 50b is pressed, the operation panel 50 energizes a predetermined electromagnetic valve of the air source device 43 and supplies compressed air from the air source device 43 to the second pressure chamber 44b. The compressed air is discharged from the first pressure chamber 44a. As described above, in the foot support unit 41, the compressed air acts on the piston 52 by supplying the compressed air from the air source device 43 to the first pressure chamber 44 a or the second pressure chamber 44 b of the cylinder portion 44. become. Thereby, the foot support unit 41 has the foot support member 42b positioned on the distal end side of the foot support 42 in the extended state among the plurality of foot support members 42a and 42b with respect to the foot support member 42a positioned on the vehicle body 11 side. The foot support 42 is configured to slide toward the front end side or the vehicle body 11 side.

  In the extended state shown in FIG. 15, the switch 50a of the operation panel 50 is pressed to supply compressed air to the first pressure chamber 44a of the cylinder portion 44 and exhaust the compressed air of the second pressure chamber 44b. It is in a state. In this state, the piston portion 52 is urged toward the distal end side of the foot support 42. For this reason, the foot support member 42b slidably connected to the foot support member 42a protrudes from the foot support member 42a, and the foot support 42 extends in a plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b) arranged in series. It is in a state.

  On the other hand, when the passenger presses the switch 50b of the operation panel 50 from the extended state described above, the compressed air is supplied to the second pressure chamber 44b of the cylinder portion 44 and the compressed air of the first compression chamber 44a is discharged. The For this reason, the piston portion 52 is biased toward the vehicle body 11 side of the foot support 42, and the foot support member 42b is overlapped so as to be housed inside the foot support member 42a. In the retracted state, the foot support member 42a is further rotated with respect to the foot support frame 11c by manual operation, and the foot support 42 with the foot support member 42b stored in the foot support member 42a is flipped up. May be.

  In addition, when the occupant presses the switch 50a of the operation panel 50 from the retracted state described above, the compressed air is supplied to the first pressure chamber 44a and the compressed air of the second pressure chamber 44b is discharged. Thereby, the piston part 52 is urged | biased toward the front end side of the foot support 42, the foot support member 42b protrudes, and the state of the foot support 42 will transfer to an expansion | extension state from a retracted state.

  In the wheelchair 5 described above, in the extended state shown in FIG. 15, a passenger on the wheelchair 5 can rest his / her foot on the foot support 42. When the passenger gets off the wheelchair 5, the passenger presses the switch 50 b of the operation panel 50. By this operation, compressed air is supplied to the second pressure chamber 44b of the cylinder portion 44, and the foot support member 42b is urged to the vehicle body 11 side together with the piston portion 52. Then, as described above, the foot support 42 is overlapped, and the foot support 42 shifts to a retracted state in which the width dimension is changed to be short. As a result, even if the passenger does not lift the foot from the foot support 42, there is no obstacle in front of the passenger's foot. On the other hand, when the foot support 42 in the retracted state is changed to the extended state and the passenger wants to place his / her foot on the foot support 42, the passenger presses the switch 50 a of the operation panel 50. By this operation, compressed air is supplied to the first pressure chamber 44 a of the cylinder portion 44, and the foot support member 42 b is urged toward the distal end side of the foot support 42 together with the piston portion 52. As described above, the foot support 42 is extended in series. Thereby, it will be in the expansion | extension state in which a passenger can mount a leg | foot on the foot support 42. FIG.

  According to the wheelchair 5 described above, the foot support 42 is configured as a structure in which the plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b) are connected, and the relative position of the plurality of foot support members (42a, 42b) is achieved by the width changing mechanism. Is changed, the width dimension of the foot support 42 is changed. For this reason, the foot support 42 can perform an operation of retracting from the front of the vehicle body 11 with the dimension in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 being shortened without an operation of being flipped upward. Therefore, when the foot support 42 is retracted, the passenger or the assistant does not need to lift the passenger's foot, and the burden on the passenger and the assistant can be reduced.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 5, by supplying compressed air to the cylinder portion 44, the foot support member 42b can be slid relative to the foot support member 42a to change the width dimension of the foot support 42. Therefore, a configuration in which the foot support members (42a, 42b) overlap in the vertical direction when the foot support 42 is retracted can be realized by a simple mechanism using the cylinder portion 44.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 5, the foot support 42 is configured to overlap in the vertical direction when the foot support member 42b on the distal end side is housed inside the foot support member 42a on the vehicle body 11 side in the retracted state. For this reason, the foot support 42 can be made compact in the vertical direction in the retracted state.

  Moreover, according to the foot support unit 41 for wheelchairs, the effect similar to the wheelchair 5 mentioned above can be show | played by attaching with respect to a wheelchair. And according to the foot support unit 41 for wheelchairs, by attaching to the existing wheelchair, it becomes easy to the wheelchair 5 which can evacuate the foot support 42 even if a passenger or an assistant does not lift a passenger's foot. The configuration can be changed.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a wheelchair 6 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, a configuration different from the first embodiment will be described, and description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as those in the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is an enlarged view showing the foot support 46 and its vicinity in the front of the wheelchair 6. As shown in FIG. 17, the wheelchair 6 includes a vehicle body 11, wheels (12, 14), a foot support unit (wheelchair foot support unit) 45, and the like. In FIG. 17, only the wheels (12, 14) are illustrated, but the wheel (13, 15) similar to the first embodiment is also provided in the wheelchair 6. Further, in FIG. 17, only the foot support unit 45 is illustrated, but in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the foot support unit 45 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 in addition to the foot support unit 45. Another foot support unit having the same configuration as the support unit 45 is also provided in the wheelchair 6. The wheelchair 6 is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the foot support unit 45, and the configuration of the foot support unit 45 will be described below (the description of the foot support unit symmetrically arranged with respect to the foot support unit 45). Is omitted). The present embodiment can be applied not only to the manual wheelchair 6 but also to an electric wheelchair.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the foot support unit 45 includes a foot support 46 and a width changing mechanism. The width changing mechanism includes a rack 47 formed on the foot support member 46b of the foot support 46, a pinion 48 that meshes with the rack 47, a drive motor 49 that rotationally drives the pinion 48, and an operation panel (not shown). It is prepared for.

  The foot support 46 shown in FIG. 17 is attached to the vehicle body 11 so as to be disposed in front of the wheels (12, 14), and is disposed at a position where the passenger can place his / her foot. The foot support 46 is formed by a plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b), and the plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b) are slid along the width direction of the vehicle body 11 and are relative to each other. It is connected so that the position can be changed. The foot support 46 is attached to the foot support frame 11c of the vehicle body 11 at the foot support member 46a. The foot support member 46a can be rotated with respect to the foot support frame 11c when the engaged state with the foot support frame 11c is released by a manual operation by a passenger or the like.

  The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 45 shown in FIG. 17 is provided as a mechanism for changing the width dimension of the foot support 46 (the dimension of the foot support 46 in the width direction of the vehicle body 11), and as described above, the rack 47 and the pinion. 48, a drive motor 49, and an operation panel (not shown). The width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 45 changes the relative position of the plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b), thereby extending the extended state (first state) shown in FIG. 17 (a) and FIG. 17 (b). The state of the foot support 46 is changed to one of the retracted state (second state) shown in FIG. In the extended state, the foot support 46 is in a state in which a plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b) are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body 11, and both of the foot support members 46a and 46b are connected. The passenger's feet can be placed. On the other hand, in the retracted state, the foot support 46 is arranged in a state where a plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b) overlap in the vertical direction. The foot support member 46a is formed in a hollow rectangular tube shape. As a result, the foot support 46 has a hollow foot support member 46a located on the vehicle body 11 side, with the foot support member 46b located on the distal end side of the foot support 46 in the extended state among the plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b). It is configured to be housed inside. Thus, the foot support member 46b is accommodated in the foot support member 46a so as to be disposed so as to be overlapped in the vertical direction, so that the width dimension of the foot support 46 is shorter in the retracted state than in the extended state. Be changed. As a result, there is no obstacle in the area in front of the passenger's foot.

  Next, a specific configuration of the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 45 will be described. As shown in FIG. 17, the rack 47 is formed on the lower surface side of the foot support member 46 b and is provided so that the direction perpendicular to the tooth trace direction extends along the width direction of the vehicle body 11. The pinion 48 is disposed inside the foot support member 46 a and is provided so as to mesh with the rack 47. The drive motor 49 is fixed in the foot support member 46b, and its output shaft is coaxially fixed to the pinion 48, and is configured to rotationally drive the pinion 48. Therefore, when the drive motor 49 is operated and the pinion 48 rotates, the foot support member 46b moves in parallel with the foot support member 46a together with the rack 47 that meshes with the pinion 48. As described above, the drive motor 49 has the foot support member 46b positioned on the distal end side of the foot support 46 in the extended state among the plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b) with respect to the foot support member 46a positioned on the vehicle body 11 side. And is configured to be driven to slide.

  The drive motor 49 is connected to a wiring (not shown) and is configured to be supplied with power from a battery (not shown) provided in the wheelchair 6. An operation panel (not shown) in the width changing mechanism of the foot support unit 45 is configured in the same manner as the operation panel 31 of the second embodiment, and a switch for controlling the power supply from the battery to the drive motor 49 is provided. It is prepared for.

  In the extended state shown in FIG. 17A, the foot support member 46b is located in a state of protruding from the foot support member 46a. When the passenger presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel from this extended state, the drive motor 49 is controlled so that the output shaft of the drive motor 49 rotates in a predetermined direction. As the pinion 48 and the rack 47 are engaged with each other, the foot support member 46b slides toward the vehicle body 11 with respect to the foot support member 46a. As a result, the foot support member 46b is in a retracted state in which the foot support member 46b overlaps with the foot support member 46a. In the retracted state, the foot support member 46a is further rotated with respect to the foot support frame 11c by manual operation, and the foot support 46 in a state where the foot support member 46b is housed in the foot support member 46a is flipped up. May be.

  On the other hand, when the passenger presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel from the above-described retracted state, the drive motor 49 is controlled so that the output shaft of the drive motor 49 rotates in the direction opposite to the above-described direction. As the pinion 48 and the rack 47 are engaged with each other, the foot support member 46b slides toward the distal end side of the foot support 46 with respect to the foot support member 46a. As a result, the state of the foot support 46 shifts from the retracted state to the extended state.

  In the wheelchair 6 described above, in the extended state shown in FIG. 17A, the passenger riding on the wheelchair 6 can rest by placing his / her feet on the foot support 46. When the passenger gets off the wheelchair 6, the passenger presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel. By this operation, the pinion 48 rotates together with the rack 47 together with the output shaft of the drive motor 49. Then, as described above, the foot support 46 is overlapped, and a transition is made to the retracted state in which the width dimension is changed to be short. As a result, even if the passenger does not lift the foot from the foot support 46, there is no obstacle in front of the passenger's foot. On the other hand, when the foot support 46 in the retracted state is changed to the extended state and the passenger wants to place his / her foot on the foot support 46, the passenger presses a predetermined switch on the operation panel. By this operation, the output shaft of the drive motor 49 rotates in the opposite direction, and the foot support 46 extends in series as described above. Thereby, it will be in the expansion | extension state in which a passenger can mount a leg | foot on the foot support 46. FIG.

  According to the wheelchair 6 described above, the foot support 46 is configured as a structure in which a plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b) are connected, and the relative position of the plurality of foot support members (46a, 46b) is achieved by the width changing mechanism. Is changed, the width dimension of the foot support 46 is changed. For this reason, the foot support 46 can perform an operation of retracting from the front of the vehicle body 11 because the dimension in the width direction of the vehicle body 11 is shortened without an operation of being flipped upward. Therefore, when retracting the foot support 46, it is not necessary for the occupant or the assistant to lift the occupant's foot, and the burden on the occupant and the assistant can be reduced.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 6, by operating the drive motor 49, the foot support member 46b can be slid relative to the foot support member 46a, and the width dimension of the foot support 46 can be changed. Therefore, a configuration in which the foot support members (46a, 46b) overlap in the vertical direction when the foot support 46 is retracted can be realized by a simple mechanism using the drive motor 49.

  Further, according to the wheelchair 6, the foot support 46 is configured such that in the retracted state, the foot support member 46b on the distal end side is accommodated inside the foot support member 46a on the vehicle body 11 side so as to overlap in the vertical direction. For this reason, the foot support 46 can be made compact in the vertical direction in the retracted state.

  Moreover, according to the foot support unit 45 for wheelchairs, the effect similar to the wheelchair 6 mentioned above can be show | played by attaching with respect to a wheelchair. And according to the foot support unit 45 for wheelchairs, by attaching to the existing wheelchair, it becomes easy to the wheelchair 6 which can evacuate the foot support 46 even if a passenger or an assistant does not lift a passenger's foot. The configuration can be changed.

(Modification)
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as long as they are described in the claims. For example, the following modifications can be implemented.

(1) In the first to sixth embodiments, the case where the foot support is formed of two foot support members has been described as an example. However, this need not be the case, and three or more foot support members may be mutually connected. These may be connected so that their relative positions can be changed.

(2) In the first to sixth embodiments, an example in which the foot support in the retracted state can be flipped up manually is described as an example, but this need not be the case, and the foot in the retracted state is not necessary. The entire support may be flipped up by electric drive. Further, not only the flip-up operation, but the entire foot support in the retracted state may be flipped down so as to rotate downward.

(3) In the first to third embodiments, the case where the foot support is folded to the folded state at the connection position of the plurality of foot support members has been described as an example. However, this need not be the case. For example, the foot support member located on the distal end side of the foot support in a stretched state among a plurality of foot support members is bent so as to hang downward with respect to the foot support member located on the vehicle body side. May be.

(4) In the first and fourth embodiments, the steel wire is described as an example of the wire. However, this need not be the case, and the wire may be formed of a material other than steel. Further, the wire rod drive unit may not be an operation lever that performs a swinging operation, and may be, for example, an operation handle capable of winding and unwinding a wire rod by a rotating operation.

(5) In the second embodiment, the permanent magnet has been described as an example of the attracted member. However, this need not be the case, and the attracted member may be composed of a magnetic material such as steel or an electromagnet.

(6) In the fourth to sixth embodiments, the foot support member positioned on the distal end side of the foot support in the extended state among the plurality of foot support members is housed in the foot support member positioned on the vehicle body side. In the above description, the plurality of foot support members are arranged in a state where they are overlapped in the vertical direction, but this need not be the case. For example, the foot support member on the front end side may be disposed below the foot support member on the vehicle body side, so that the plurality of foot support members overlap in the vertical direction. In this case, a width changing mechanism configured by including a spring member, a wire rod, and a wire driving portion, a width changing mechanism configured by including a cylinder portion and a fluid supply portion, and a drive motor for sliding movement are provided. The width changing mechanism to be used can be used as appropriate.

(7) In the fifth embodiment, the width changing mechanism configured to slide the foot support member only by the cylinder portion and the fluid supply portion has been described as an example, but this need not be the case. For example, you may comprise the width change mechanism comprised further including a spring element in addition to a cylinder part and a fluid supply part. Moreover, the fluid supply part which supplies fluid other than compressed air to a cylinder part as pressure fluid may be sufficient.

(8) In the sixth embodiment, the drive motor that slides the foot support member is described as an example of driving a mechanism composed of a rack and a pinion. However, this need not be the case. For example, it may be configured with a winch mechanism for winding a wire and a spring mechanism for unwinding the wound wire, or may be configured with a linear motor.

  It should be understood that the embodiment disclosed this time is illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above-mentioned meaning but by the scope of claims for patent, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of claims for patent.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the side surface of the wheelchair which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the front of the wheelchair shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the side surface from which an operation state differs in the wheelchair shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the front from which an operating state differs in the wheelchair shown in FIG. It is a figure which expands and shows the foot support in the front of the wheelchair shown in FIG. 1, and its vicinity. It is a schematic diagram which shows the side surface of the wheelchair which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which expands and shows the foot support in the front of the wheelchair shown in FIG. 6, and its vicinity. It is a figure which expands and shows the foot support in the front of the wheelchair which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention, and its vicinity. It is a figure which shows the foot support and rotation drive motor seen from the arrow C direction in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the front of the wheelchair which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which expands and shows the foot support in the front of the wheelchair shown in FIG. 10, and its vicinity, and the foot support seen from the F line arrow direction. It is a schematic diagram which shows the front from which an operating state differs in the wheelchair shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the foot support in the front of the wheelchair shown in FIG. 12 and the enlarged view which shows the vicinity, and the foot support seen from the G line arrow direction. It is a schematic diagram which shows the side view of the wheelchair which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the foot support in the front of the wheelchair shown in FIG. 14 and the enlarged view, and the foot support seen from the H line arrow direction. It is a figure from which the operation state in the foot support shown in FIG. 15 differs. It is a figure which expands and shows the foot support in the front of the wheelchair which concerns on 6th Embodiment of this invention, and its vicinity.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wheelchair 11 Car body 12, 13, 14, 15 Wheel 18, 19 Foot support 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b Foot support member 20 Wire (1st wire, width change mechanism)
21, 22 Operation lever (first wire driving unit, width changing mechanism)

Claims (13)

A vehicle body, a wheel attached to the vehicle body, a foot support that is disposed in front of the wheel and on which a rider of the vehicle body can place a foot, and dimensions of the foot support in the width direction of the vehicle body A width changing mechanism for changing the width dimension,
The foot support is formed of a plurality of foot support members connected to each other so that their relative positions can be changed.
The width changing mechanism is configured to change a relative position of the plurality of foot support members, whereby the plurality of foot support members are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body, and the foot support. Changing the state of the foot support to any one of the second state changed so that the width dimension of the foot support is shorter than that of the first state, and changing the width dimension of the foot support. Characteristic wheelchair. The wheelchair according to claim 1,
The foot support is a state in which the plurality of foot support members are rotatably connected to each other on the end sides, and in the second state, the foot support members are bent at the connection positions of the plurality of foot support members. Characteristic wheelchair. The wheelchair according to claim 2,
The width changing mechanism is
A first wire having one end attached to the foot support member located on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members;
By applying a pulling force to the first wire rod, the first end of the first wire rod is biased to shift the state of the foot support from the second state to the first state. A wheelchair comprising: a wire rod drive unit. The wheelchair according to claim 2,
The width changing mechanism is
An electromagnet attached to one of opposing ends of the plurality of foot support members in the first state and an attracted member attached to the other and attracted to the electromagnet;
The wheelchair is characterized in that when the electromagnet is energized, the attracted member is attracted to the electromagnet to shift the state of the foot support from the second state to the first state. The wheelchair according to claim 2,
The width changing mechanism is configured to connect the foot support member located on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members to the foot support member located on the vehicle body side. A wheelchair characterized by having a rotation drive motor that rotates at a position. The wheelchair according to claim 1,
The plurality of foot support members are slidably moved along the width direction of the vehicle body so that the relative positions thereof can be changed. In the second state, the plurality of foot support members are arranged in the vertical direction. A wheelchair characterized by being placed in an overlapping state. The wheelchair according to claim 6,
The width changing mechanism is
Of the plurality of foot support members, the foot support member positioned on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state is directed toward the distal end side of the foot support with respect to the foot support member positioned on the vehicle body side. An urging spring member;
A second wire having one end attached to the foot support member located on the tip side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members;
By applying a tensile force to the second wire, the one end side of the second wire is urged against the spring force of the spring member to change the state of the foot support from the first state. A wheelchair characterized by having a second wire rod drive unit for shifting to the second state. The wheelchair according to claim 6,
The width changing mechanism is
A cylinder part, and a fluid supply part for supplying pressure fluid to the cylinder part,
By supplying pressure fluid from the fluid supply unit to the cylinder unit, the foot support member positioned on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members is disposed in the vehicle body. A wheelchair characterized by sliding the foot support member located on the side. The wheelchair according to claim 6,
The width changing mechanism slides the foot support member located on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state among the plurality of foot support members relative to the foot support member located on the vehicle body side. A wheelchair characterized by having a drive motor for driving in such a manner. A wheelchair according to any one of claims 6 to 9,
In the first state, the foot support member located on the distal end side of the foot support in the first state is located inside the foot support member located on the vehicle body side. A wheelchair characterized by being stored in a state. A foot support that is attached to the wheelchair of the wheelchair so as to be placed in front of the wheelchair wheel so that a rider on the vehicle can place a foot, and a width dimension that is a dimension of the foot support in the width direction of the vehicle body A width changing mechanism for changing
The foot support is formed of a plurality of foot support members connected to each other so that their relative positions can be changed.
The width changing mechanism is configured to change a relative position of the plurality of foot support members, whereby the plurality of foot support members are connected in series along the width direction of the vehicle body, and the foot support. Changing the state of the foot support to any one of the second state changed so that the width dimension of the foot support is shorter than that of the first state, and changing the width dimension of the foot support. A featured foot support unit for wheelchairs. The foot support unit for a wheelchair according to claim 11,
The foot support is a state in which the plurality of foot support members are rotatably connected to each other on the end sides, and in the second state, the foot support members are bent at the connection positions of the plurality of foot support members. A featured foot support unit for wheelchairs. The foot support unit for a wheelchair according to claim 11,
The foot support is connected such that a plurality of the foot support members are slidable along the width direction of the vehicle body so that the relative positions can be changed. In the second state, the plurality of foot support members are in the vertical direction. A wheelchair foot support unit characterized by being placed in an overlapping state.

Images