JP2017164431A - Movement support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a movement support device which can reduce a load applied to a user and in addition reduce a load to a care giver.SOLUTION: A movement support device comprises: a first ball joint BJ1 for supporting a support part 30 to a bogie 20 so that the support part can be oscillated freely; and a pair of linear actuators 40 which are stretchably provided between the bogie 20 and the support part 30, and oscillate the support part 30 to the bogie 20. Therefore, in the movement support device, with the first ball joint BJ1 as a center, the support part 30 can be oscillated in various directions to the bogie 20. Therefore, even in a slope land where a left side in a travel direction is lower, or a slope in which a front side in the travel direction is lower, the support part 30 is oscillated to the bogie 20, for holding the support part 30 in a horizontal state. Therefore, a load applied to the user is reduced, and in addition, a load applied to a care giver is reduced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a movement support apparatus that is used for medical purposes or for nursing care and supports movement of a user.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are movement support devices for transporting or moving a user who is difficult to move by himself / herself in medical equipment, care equipment, and the like. As the movement support device, for example, there is a wheelchair that carries or moves a user while sitting on a seat. The wheelchair has an advantage that the user can move freely by operating the driving wheel when the upper body has no inconvenience and only the lower limb is inconvenient.

  On the other hand, the user who has inconvenience in the upper body cannot support the upper body well because the head is particularly heavy, and the burden on the caregiver who moves the wheelchair is increased. In particular, when the wheelchair is used on an inclined ground or the like, the seat portion is also inclined in accordance with the inclination of the ground. Therefore, it is conceivable to fix the user to the wheelchair using a seat belt or the like, but in this case, there is a possibility that a great stress is applied to the user.

  For example, a wheelchair described in Patent Document 1 is known. Similar to a general-purpose wheelchair, this wheelchair is provided with a pair of casters that change the direction of the wheelchair in addition to the pair of drive wheels operated by the user. These casters are individually moved up and down by an actuator so that the seat can be climbed on the step without being inclined, thereby preventing the user from feeling uneasy.

JP 2004-275240 A

  However, since the wheelchair described in Patent Document 1 described above has a structure in which only a pair of casters move independently up and down, for example, when traveling on an inclined ground where the left side of the wheelchair is lowered, of course, However, since the seat part is also lowered to the left side, the user is inclined to the left side. In addition, a large load is applied to the left arm of the user to support his / her upper body, and the center of gravity of the wheelchair is shifted to the left side, which may cause difficulty in assisting the wheelchair by a caregiver or the like.

  The objective of this invention is providing the movement assistance apparatus which can reduce the burden on a caregiver etc. as well as the burden on a user.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a movement support device for supporting a movement of a user, comprising a carriage provided with a plurality of wheels, a support part for supporting the user, and the carriage and the support part. A ball joint that swingably supports the support with respect to the carriage, and is extendable between the carriage and the support, and swings the support with respect to the carriage. A pair of actuators.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the ball joint is provided at either the front side or the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage, and at the center along the width direction intersecting the traveling direction of the carriage, The pair of actuators is provided on either the front side or the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage and on the left and right sides along the width direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the carriage.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the pair of actuators are arranged with a predetermined relative angle to each other when the cart is viewed from its traveling direction.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the actuator includes a motor unit having a rotation shaft, a reduction mechanism unit that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the rotation shaft, and a feed screw mechanism unit to which the output of the reduction mechanism unit is transmitted. The motor section, the speed reduction mechanism section, and the feed screw mechanism section are arranged coaxially with each other.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the controller includes: a controller that individually controls the length of the pair of actuators; and a tilt sensor that detects the tilt of the support portion in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Based on the input signal from the tilt sensor, the pair of actuators are individually controlled.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the controller causes an alarm sound to be generated from a speaker when an angle indicated by an input signal from the tilt sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the controller activates the wireless transmitter when an angle indicated by an input signal from the tilt sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the controller sets the predetermined value based on the physique information of the user.

  According to the present invention, a ball joint that supports a support unit in a swingable manner with respect to the carriage, and a pair of actuators that are provided between the carriage and the support portion so as to be extendable and contractable, and swing the support portion with respect to the carriage. Therefore, the support portion can be swung in various directions with respect to the carriage with the ball joint as the center. Thus, even on an inclined ground where the left side in the traveling direction is lowered, an inclined ground where the front in the traveling direction is lowered, or the like, the supporting portion can be swung with respect to the carriage, and the supporting portion can be held horizontally. Therefore, not only can the burden on the user be reduced, but also the burden on the caregiver or the like can be reduced.

It is the perspective view which looked at the wheelchair to which this invention was applied from the front side. (A) is the schematic which looked at the wheelchair of FIG. 1 from the side, (b) is the schematic which looked at the wheelchair of FIG. 1 from back. It is a perspective view of the linear actuator provided in the wheelchair of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the longitudinal direction of the linear actuator of FIG. It is a front view of the remote control operated by the user. It is a block diagram explaining the electric system of the wheelchair of FIG. (A), (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the linear actuator in the inclined ground inclined in the front-back direction. (A), (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the linear actuator in the inclined ground inclined in the left-right direction.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  1 is a perspective view of a wheelchair to which the present invention is applied as viewed from the front side, FIG. 2A is a schematic view of the wheelchair of FIG. 1 as viewed from the side, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the linear actuator provided in the wheelchair of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the linear actuator of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a remote controller operated by the user. FIG. 6 is a block diagram for explaining the electrical system of the wheelchair of FIG. 1, FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the linear actuator on an inclined ground inclined in the front-rear direction, and FIG. (A), (b) has each shown operation | movement explanatory drawing of the linear actuator in the inclined ground inclined in the left-right direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a wheelchair 10 as a movement support device supports movement of a user HM (see FIG. 2) that is difficult to move by himself. The wheelchair 10 includes a carriage 20 and a support unit 30. The carriage 20 includes a pair of frame members 21 that are opposed to the left and right sides of the wheelchair 10 and are formed in a substantially V shape. Each of these frame members 21 is formed in a predetermined shape by welding a steel pipe.

  A center frame 22 made of a steel pipe is provided between the pair of frame members 21 at a substantially central portion along the longitudinal direction of the pair of frame members 21. The center frame 22 supports a substantially central portion of the pair of frame members 21 at a predetermined interval, and rotatably supports a pair of drive wheels (wheels) 23 at both longitudinal ends thereof. Here, the pair of drive wheels 23 are integrally provided with a hand rim HR (only one side is shown) operated by the user HM.

  A front frame 24 made of a steel pipe is provided on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the pair of frame members 21 and between the pair of frame members 21. The front frame 24 supports the front side of the pair of frame members 21 at a predetermined interval. Casters (wheels) 25 that change the direction of the wheelchair 10 in the traveling direction are provided on both sides of the front frame 24 in the longitudinal direction and on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the pair of frame members 21.

  A support frame 26 made of a steel pipe and supporting the front side of the seat portion 31 is integrally provided at a substantially central portion along the longitudinal direction of the front frame 24. The support frame 26 extends in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the front frame 24, and a first ball joint BJ1 is provided at a tip portion (upper side in the drawing). Here, 1st ball joint BJ1 comprises the ball joint in this invention, and is arrange | positioned in the approximate center part along the width direction which cross | intersects the advancing direction of the trolley | bogie 20, and the front side along the advancing direction of the trolley | bogie 20. Has been.

  Thereby, the support part 30 (seat part 31) is swingable in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction around the first ball joint BJ1. That is, the first ball joint BJ <b> 1 is provided between the carriage 20 and the support portion 30, and supports the support portion 30 in a swingable manner with respect to the carriage 20.

  A rear frame 27 made of a steel pipe is provided on the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the pair of frame members 21 and between the pair of frame members 21. The rear frame 27 supports the rear sides of the pair of frame members 21 at predetermined intervals, and rotatably supports a pair of auxiliary wheels (wheels) 28 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. Here, the diameter dimension of the pair of auxiliary wheels 28 is substantially the same as the diameter dimension of the pair of casters 25. Thereby, it is suppressed that the running resistance of the wheelchair 10 increases.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of linear actuators (actuators) 40 is provided between the rear frame 27 and the rear side of the seat portion 31 so as to be extendable and contractable. As shown in FIG. 2B, these linear actuators 40 are arranged apart from the rear frame 27 and the portion of the seat portion 31 near the drive wheel 23, one linear actuator 40 is for the left side, and the other The linear actuator 40 is for the right side. That is, the pair of linear actuators 40 are provided on the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage 20 and on the left and right sides along the width direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the carriage 20.

  The piston tube 62 side (upper side in FIG. 2A) along the axial direction of the pair of linear actuators 40 is swingably attached to the seat portion 31 via the second ball joint BJ2. Further, the feed screw mechanism case 61 side (lower side in FIG. 2A) along the axial direction of the pair of linear actuators 40 is swingably attached to the rear frame 27 via the third ball joint BJ3. Yes. Thereby, the support part 30 can be rock | fluctuated with respect to the trolley | bogie 20 by expanding / contracting a pair of linear actuator 40. FIG.

  Here, the pair of linear actuators 40 is not a pull load type but a push load type linear actuator. That is, a linear actuator for pushing a heavy object is employed instead of a linear actuator for pulling a heavy object. Therefore, it is necessary to use the pair of linear actuators 40 so that a pressing load is always applied. Therefore, in the wheelchair 10 of the present embodiment, the front side of the seat portion 31 is supported by one support frame 26, and the rear side of the seat portion 31 is supported by a pair of (two) linear actuators 40. As a result, a pressing load from the user HM is always applied to the pair of linear actuators 40, and the support portion 30 can be stably supported without rattling with respect to the carriage 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the pair of linear actuators 40 are installed such that the piston tube 62 side is always inclined forward with respect to the ground G, and FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of linear actuators 40 are arranged so as not to be parallel to each other, specifically, arranged so as to be substantially C-shaped. The pair of linear actuators 40 are arranged with a predetermined relative angle α ° (about 15 °) when the wheelchair 10 (cart 20) is viewed from its traveling direction. Thereby, even if there is a load movement of the user HM on the seat portion 31, it is difficult for the pair of linear actuators 40 to be subjected to a tensile load. Therefore, sufficient stability is ensured for the wheelchair 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support portion 30 includes a seat portion 31, a backrest portion 32 and a leg support 33, and supports the user HM. The seat portion 31 is formed in a substantially square shape in plan view so that the user HM can sit on the seat portion 31. A substantially central portion along the left-right direction on the front side of the seat portion 31 is swingably supported by the support frame 26 via the first ball joint BJ1. Further, the rear side and the left and right sides of the seat portion 31 are supported by the linear actuator 40 so as to be swingable via the second ball joint BJ2.

  Guards 34 are provided on the left and right sides of the seat portion 31 to prevent the clothes of the user HM from protruding to the drive wheel 23 side. Above the guard 34, armrests 35 on which the left and right arms AM of the user HM can be placed are respectively mounted. Thereby, the user HM sitting on the seat 31 can be stably supported.

  The backrest portion 32 is integrally provided on the rear side of the seat portion 31, and the relative angle with the seat portion 31 is approximately 100 °. As a result, the user HM can easily lean on the backrest portion 32. Moreover, the backrest part 32 is formed in a substantially square shape in a plan view, and a caregiver or the like (not shown) holds the wheelchair 10 on the side opposite to the seat part 31 side to assist the movement of the wheelchair 10. A pair of grips GR is provided. An auxiliary brake lever (not shown) operated by a caregiver or the like is provided in the vicinity of the pair of grips GR.

  The leg support 33 includes two footrests 33a corresponding to the left and right feet FT of the user HM. These footrests 33 a are disposed on the front side of the pair of casters 25. Accordingly, the user HM can easily put the foot FT on the footrest 33a without touching the pair of casters 25. The leg support 33 includes a leg rest 33b. This legrest 33b is arrange | positioned between the footrest 33a and the seat part 31, and prevents the user's HM leg | foot FT sliding down from the footrest 33a. Further, the legrest 33b is configured to support the calf of the user HM.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the linear actuator 40 is formed in a substantially rod shape by coaxially arranging a drive mechanism unit 50 and a feed screw mechanism unit 60 driven by the drive mechanism unit 50. The feed screw mechanism section 60 includes a piston tube 62 that enters and exits the feed screw mechanism case 61, and the piston tube 62 is moved relative to the feed screw mechanism case 61 (advanced / retracted) by driving of the drive mechanism section 50. The

  The drive mechanism 50 is provided with a first fixing part 51, and a third ball joint BJ <b> 3 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the first fixing part 51. On the other hand, the piston tube 62 is provided with a second fixing portion 62a, and a second ball joint BJ2 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the second fixing portion 62a. That is, the drive mechanism 50 of the linear actuator 40 is disposed closer to the carriage 20 (see FIG. 1). As a result, the drive mechanism 50 that generates mechanical noise is moved away from the seat 31 to make it difficult for the user HM to hear the operation sound of the linear actuator 40, thereby improving the quietness.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the drive mechanism unit 50 includes a motor unit 52 and a speed reduction mechanism unit 53. The motor unit 52 includes a cylindrical motor case 52a, and a permanent magnet 52b is fixed on the radially inner side thereof. In addition, in order to make it easy to understand the arrangement relationship of the permanent magnets 52b, the permanent magnets 52b are shaded.

  An armature 52c is rotatably provided inside the permanent magnet 52b in the radial direction. In addition, an armature shaft (rotating shaft) 52d passes through and is fixed to the rotation center of the armature 52c. As described above, the armature 52c and the armature shaft 52d are rotatably accommodated in the motor case 52a. Here, the motor unit 52 is a brushed electric motor including a plurality of brushes 52e.

  The motor unit 52 may be a brushless electric motor that does not include a brush. In this case, since the brush and the commutator (commutator) are not provided, the shaft length of the motor unit can be shortened, and thus the operation stroke of the linear actuator can be lengthened. In addition, since no brush is provided, the generation of electromagnetic noise and the occurrence of brush sliding noise can be eliminated. Further, since no abrasion powder is generated on the brush, it is possible to eliminate a short circuit failure in the electric system and to eliminate maintenance such as brush replacement.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a connector connecting portion 52f to which an external connector (not shown) is connected is provided on the side of the drive mechanism portion 50. From the external connector, a drive current is supplied from the battery 71 (see FIG. 1) fixed to the backrest 32 based on the operation of at least one of the main operation unit 73 and the remote controller 80 (see FIG. 1). Supplied.

  As shown in FIG. 4, one axial end side (left side in the figure) of the armature shaft 52 d extends to the inside of the speed reduction mechanism portion 53. One end side of the armature shaft 52d in the axial direction is connected to the input side (right side in the figure) of the speed reduction mechanism 53a including a two-stage planetary gear speed reducer. Thus, a large reduction ratio can be obtained while suppressing an increase in the size of the speed reduction mechanism 53a in the radial direction. Therefore, the overall shape of the linear actuator 40 can be made into a straight shape having substantially no step. The rotation of the armature shaft 52d is decelerated by the speed reduction mechanism 53a to increase the torque, and is transmitted from the output side (left side in the figure) of the speed reduction mechanism 53a toward the feed screw mechanism section 60.

  The feed screw mechanism section 60 includes a feed screw mechanism case 61 made of a hollow pipe, and the feed screw mechanism case 61 is provided coaxially with the motor case 52a. As shown in FIG. 4, inside the feed screw mechanism case 61, a shaft 63 that is rotated via a speed reduction mechanism 53a by an armature shaft 52d is rotatably accommodated.

  A male screw portion 63a is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the shaft 63, and a screw nut 64 is screwed to the male screw portion 63a. That is, the screw nut 64 moves in the axial direction of the shaft 63 as the shaft 63 rotates. Specifically, when the shaft 63 is rotated forward, the screw nut 64 moves to the right side in the drawing, and the linear actuator 40 is reduced. On the other hand, when the shaft 63 is reversed, the screw nut 64 moves to the left side in the drawing, and the linear actuator 40 is extended. Note that the screw nut 64 is not rotated by the rotation of the shaft 63, and the screw nut 64 moves only in the axial direction of the shaft 63.

  The other end side in the axial direction of the piston tube 62 made of a hollow pipe is fixed to the screw nut 64. The piston tube 62 is disposed between the feed screw mechanism case 61 and the shaft 63, and the piston tube 62 can freely enter and leave the feed screw mechanism case 61. Here, the shaft 63, the screw nut 64, and the piston tube 62 constitute a feed screw mechanism.

  An annular sliding contact member 63 b that is in sliding contact with the inner wall of the piston tube 62 is provided on one axial end side of the shaft 63. The sliding member 63 b rotates inside the piston tube 62 together with the shaft 63. By providing the sliding contact member 63b as described above, the shaft center of the shaft 63 is prevented from being displaced with respect to the shaft center of the piston tube 62, so that the rotational vibration on one end side in the axial direction of the shaft 63 is suppressed.

  Thus, in the linear actuator 40, the motor part 52, the deceleration mechanism part 53, and the feed screw mechanism part 60 are mutually coaxially arrange | positioned. Therefore, the linear actuator 40 is formed in a substantially rod shape, and as a result, the appearance of the wheelchair 10 can be made clear.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the wheelchair 10 includes a controller 70. The controller 70 is accommodated in the control box BX fixed to the backrest portion 32. The controller 70 includes a pair of linear actuators 40, a battery 71 for driving the linear actuators 40, and a gyro sensor (tilt sensor) that detects the tilt of the support portion 30 (seat portion 31) in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. 72 and a joystick-shaped main operation unit 73 operated by a caregiver or the like are electrically connected. Here, the battery 71 and the gyro sensor 72 are also housed inside the control box BX.

  And the controller 70 controls the length of a pair of linear actuator 40 separately based on the input signal from the gyro sensor 72 at the time of automatic driving | operation, and hold | maintains the support part 30 horizontally. On the other hand, during manual operation, the length of the pair of linear actuators 40 is adjusted based on the operation of the main operation unit 73 by a caregiver or the like or the operation of the remote controller 80 by the user HM (see FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 1, a remote control (remote control unit) 80 is electrically connected to a controller 70 via a wiring 81 and can be operated by a user HM. When the remote controller 80 is not used, the remote controller 80 can be stored in a pocket 34 a provided in the guard 34.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the remote controller 80 includes a touch panel 82 operated by the user HM. The touch panel 82 is provided with an inclination display part 82a. By visually observing the inclination display part 82a, the user HM can grasp the inclination of the support part 30, and the support part 30 can be manually leveled. Can be in a state. Here, the display content of the tilt display portion 82 a is controlled by the controller 70 in accordance with an input signal from the gyro sensor 72.

  A manual operation unit 82b that is operated by the user HM during manual operation is provided in the vicinity of the tilt display unit 82a of the touch panel 82. By operating the manual operation portion 82b, the lengths of the pair of linear actuators 40 are adjusted, whereby the support portion 30 can be tilted (oscillated) in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Further, by touching the “switching” portion at the center of the manual operation portion 82b, it is possible to switch to automatic operation by the controller 70 or manual operation by the user HM. When the automatic operation by the controller 70 is switched, the controller 70 automatically controls the lengths of the pair of linear actuators 40 based on the input signal from the gyro sensor 72, and the support unit 30 automatically Holds horizontally.

  Further, the touch panel 82 is provided with a user information display part 82c, and the physique information of the user HM is displayed on the user information display part 82c. Specifically, the name, height, and weight of the user HM are displayed. The physique information is input from an input unit 82d provided in the vicinity of the user information display unit 82c. The controller 70 calculates a tilt angle threshold value (predetermined value) TH of the support unit 30 based on the inputted physique information, and stores the tilt angle threshold value TH in a storage unit 70a made of an EEPROM or the like. Then, the controller 70 performs a comparison process for comparing the current inclination angle (angle) of the support portion 30 indicated by the input signal from the gyro sensor 72 with the inclination angle threshold value TH stored in the storage portion 70a. It has become.

  Here, the physique information of the user HM is used for length adjustment of the pair of linear actuators 40. Specifically, for example, in a user (A) who is tall and heavy, and a user (B) who is short and light in weight, the user (A) is better than the user (B). The center of gravity increases. In other words, the ease of falling of the wheelchair 10 changes depending on the physique of the user HM. For this reason, the controller 70 regulates the length adjustment of the pair of linear actuators 40 according to the physique of the user HM so as not to fall the wheelchair 10.

  More specifically, in the case of a user (A) having a high center of gravity, the inclination angle threshold value TH is set to a small angle so that the support portion 30 is not greatly inclined, and the pair of linear actuators 40 The length adjustment range is narrowed. On the other hand, in the case of the user (B) whose center of gravity is lower than that of the user (A), contrary to the above, the inclination angle threshold value TH is set to a larger angle, and the length of the pair of linear actuators 40 is determined. The adjustment range is widened.

  Thereby, the controller 70 can perform optimal angle adjustment control of the support part 30 according to the user's HM physique at the time of automatic driving | operation. During manual operation, when the current tilt angle of the support 30 indicated by the input signal from the gyro sensor 72 is equal to or greater than the tilt angle threshold TH, the operation of the pair of linear actuators 40 is forcibly stopped by the controller 70, and the support The inclination angle of 30 should not be larger than that.

  The remote controller 80 is provided with a speaker 83. Then, when the current inclination angle of the support portion 30 indicated by the input signal from the gyro sensor 72 is equal to or greater than the inclination angle threshold value TH, the controller 70 sounds an alarm sound from the speaker 83 to the surroundings. Is pronounced. Thereby, the healthy person etc. around the wheelchair 10 can notice the abnormality of the wheelchair 10. Here, the alarm sound may be an electronic sound that sounds intermittently or an announcement made by voice.

  Further, the remote controller 80 is provided with a wireless transmitter 84. The wireless transmitter 84 can communicate with a portable terminal of an administrator (such as a person in charge of a facility such as a nursing home) who manages the wheelchair 10 via wireless communication means such as a wireless LAN. Then, the controller 70 activates the wireless transmitter 84 on the assumption that the wheelchair 10 may fall if the current tilt angle of the support portion 30 indicated by the input signal from the gyro sensor 72 is equal to or greater than the tilt angle threshold value TH. . Thereby, the administrator can know abnormality of the wheelchair 10 via a portable terminal etc.

  Thus, when the wheelchair 10 is about to fall down, the controller 70 sounds an alarm sound to the surroundings and also notifies the administrator, so even if the user HM is using the wheelchair 10 alone, the wheelchair 10 The surrounding healthy people can immediately notice that they are likely to fall. Therefore, the wheelchair 10 can be prevented from falling over and the wheelchair 10 can be brought into a safe state by a healthy person or the like.

  Next, the operation of the wheelchair 10 formed as described above, in particular, the operation of the pair of linear actuators 40 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Front / back direction tilt control]
At the time of automatic driving, as shown in FIG. 7A, the controller 70, when the traveling direction (front side) of the wheelchair 10 is uphill, is based on the inclination detection of the ground G by the gyro sensor 72. 40 is extended in synchronization. As a result, the support portion 30 swings about the first ball joint BJ1 with respect to the carriage 20 and assumes a forward tilt posture, and thus the support portion 30 is in a horizontal state.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the traveling direction (front side) of the wheelchair 10 is a downhill, the controller 70 synchronizes the pair of linear actuators 40 based on the inclination detection of the ground G by the gyro sensor 72. And reduce it. As a result, the support portion 30 swings around the first ball joint BJ1 with respect to the carriage 20 and assumes a backward tilt posture, and thus the support portion 30 is in a horizontal state.

  Accordingly, the user HM can sit on the seat 31 without losing balance and without feeling uneasy.

[Horizontal tilt control]
At the time of automatic driving, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the right side of the wheelchair 10 is lowered, the controller 70, based on the inclination detection of the ground G by the gyro sensor 72, of the pair of linear actuators 40, The right side is expanded and the left side is contracted. As a result, the support portion 30 swings about the first ball joint BJ1 with respect to the carriage 20 and the left side is lowered, and thus the support portion 30 is in a horizontal state.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the left side of the wheelchair 10 is lowered, the controller 70 uses the left side of the pair of linear actuators 40 based on the inclination detection of the ground G by the gyro sensor 72. The expansion operation is performed, and the right-hand operation is contracted. As a result, the support portion 30 swings with respect to the carriage 20 around the first ball joint BJ1 and the right side is lowered, and thus the support portion 30 is in a horizontal state.

  Accordingly, the user HM can sit on the seat 31 without losing balance and without feeling uneasy.

  Note that in the case of the ground G having an inclination in which the inclination in the front-rear direction and the inclination in the left-right direction are combined, for example, the gyro sensor 72 even if the wheelchair 10 has a climbing slope on the right front side in the traveling direction. The lengths of the pair of linear actuators 40 are individually controlled on the basis of the inclination detection of the ground G by the above, and the support portion 30 is thus in a horizontal state.

  As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the first ball joint BJ1 that supports the support unit 30 in a swingable manner with respect to the carriage 20 and the carriage 20 and the support part 30 are extendable and contractible. And a pair of linear actuators 40 that swing the support portion 30 with respect to the carriage 20, so that the support portion 30 swings with respect to the carriage 20 in various directions around the first ball joint BJ1. Can be made. Thereby, the support portion 30 can be held horizontally by swinging the support portion 30 with respect to the carriage 20 even on an inclined ground where the left side in the traveling direction is lowered or an inclined ground where the front in the traveling direction is lowered. Therefore, not only can the burden on the user HM be reduced, but also the burden on the caregiver or the like can be reduced.

  Moreover, according to this Embodiment, 1st ball joint BJ1 is provided in the center part along the width direction which cross | intersects the advancing direction of the trolley | bogie 20, and the front side along the advancing direction of the trolley | bogie 20, and a pair of linear Actuators 40 are respectively provided on the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage 20 and on the left and right sides along the width direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the carriage 20. Thereby, it is possible to always apply a pressing load from the user HM to the pair of linear actuators 40, and it becomes possible to employ a relatively inexpensive pressing load type linear actuator.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the pair of linear actuators 40 are arranged with a predetermined relative angle with each other when the carriage 20 is viewed from its traveling direction, so that it is used on the seat portion 31. Even if there is a load movement of the person HM, it is difficult to apply a tensile load to the pair of linear actuators 40. Therefore, the stability of the wheelchair 10 can be improved while adopting a relatively inexpensive push-load type linear actuator.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the linear actuator 40 transmits the motor part 52 having the armature shaft 52d, the speed reduction mechanism part 53 that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the armature shaft 52d, and the output of the speed reduction mechanism part 53. The motor unit 52, the speed reduction mechanism unit 53, and the feed screw mechanism unit 60 are arranged coaxially with each other. Thereby, the linear actuator 40 can be formed in a substantially rod shape, and as a result, the appearance of the wheelchair 10 can be made clear.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the controller 70 that individually controls the length of the pair of linear actuators 40, and the gyro sensor 72 that detects the inclination of the support portion 30 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction are provided. The controller 70 individually controls the pair of linear actuators 40 based on the input signal from the gyro sensor 72. Therefore, even when the wheelchair 10 travels on various inclined grounds G, the support unit 30 is automatically held horizontally. Therefore, the user HM does not feel uneasy.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the angle indicated by the input signal from the gyro sensor 72 is equal to or greater than the tilt angle threshold value TH, the controller 70 generates an alarm sound from the speaker 83 or turns the wireless transmitter 84 on. To the administrator. Thereby, even if the user HM is using the wheelchair 10 alone, the surrounding healthy person etc. can immediately notice that the wheelchair 10 is likely to fall down. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair 10 from overturning and to improve safety.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the controller 70 sets the inclination angle threshold value TH based on the physique information of the user HM, so that it is possible to cope with various users HM having different physiques.

  It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the first ball joint BJ1 is provided on the front side along the traveling direction of the carriage 20 and at the center along the width direction intersecting the traveling direction of the carriage 20, and the pair of linear actuators 40 is provided. Although provided on the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage 20 and on the left and right sides along the width direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the carriage 20, the present invention is not limited to this. Contrary to the above embodiment, the first ball joint BJ1 is provided on the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage 20 and at the center along the width direction intersecting the traveling direction of the carriage 20, and a pair of linear actuators 40 is provided. Can be provided on the front side along the traveling direction of the carriage 20 and on the left and right sides along the width direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the carriage 20.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although what was the wheelchair 10 was shown as a movement assistance apparatus, this invention is not limited to this, It is applied also to the stretcher provided with the some caster (wheel) as a movement assistance apparatus. can do.

  Furthermore, by controlling the pair of linear actuators 40 and actively lifting the rear side of the seat portion 31 of the wheelchair 10, the user HM can be in a forward leaning posture. For this reason, the seat portion 31 is not limited to be held horizontally as in the above-described embodiment. For example, when the user HM works on a desk or the like, the pair of linear actuators 40 is controlled to move the user HM forward. By adopting the tilted posture, the user HM can be brought closer to the desk. Therefore, the user HM can easily perform work (meals, writings, etc.) at the desk. Further, if the rear side of the seat portion 31 is further lifted, the wheelchair 10 can assist the user HM to stand up.

  In addition, the material, shape, dimension, number, installation location, and the like of each component in the above embodiment are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited to the above embodiment.

10 Wheelchair (movement support device)
20 cart 21 frame member 22 center frame 23 driving wheel (wheel)
24 Front frame 25 Caster (wheel)
26 Support frame 27 Rear frame 28 Auxiliary wheel (wheel)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Support part 31 Seat part 32 Backrest part 33 Leg support 33a Footrest 33b Legrest 34 Guard 34a Pocket 35 Armrest 40 Linear actuator (actuator)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 Drive mechanism part 51 1st fixing | fixed part 52 Motor part 52a Motor case 52b Permanent magnet 52c Armature 52d Armature shaft (rotating shaft)
52e Brush 52f Connector connection portion 53 Deceleration mechanism portion 53a Deceleration mechanism 60 Feed screw mechanism portion 61 Feed screw mechanism case 62 Piston tube 62a Second fixing portion 63 Shaft 63a Male thread portion 63b Sliding contact member 64 Screw nut 70 Controller 70a Storage portion 71 Battery 72 Gyro sensor (tilt sensor)
73 Main operation unit 80 Remote control 81 Wiring 82 Touch panel 82a Tilt display unit 82b Manual operation unit 82c User information display unit 82d Input unit 83 Speaker 84 Wireless transmitter AM Arm BJ1 First ball joint (ball joint)
BJ2 2nd ball joint BJ3 3rd ball joint BX Control box FT Foot G Ground GR grip HM User HR Hand rim TH Tilt angle threshold

Claims (8)

A movement support device for supporting the movement of a user,
A carriage with multiple wheels;
A support part for supporting the user;
A ball joint which is provided between the carriage and the support part and supports the support part in a swingable manner with respect to the carriage;
A pair of actuators provided between the carriage and the support portion so as to be extendable and contractable to swing the support portion with respect to the carriage;
A movement support apparatus. The movement support apparatus according to claim 1,
The ball joint is provided at either the front side or the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage, and at the center along the width direction intersecting the traveling direction of the carriage,
The pair of actuators is provided on either the front side or the rear side along the traveling direction of the carriage, and on the left and right sides along the width direction intersecting with the traveling direction of the carriage,
Mobility support device. In the movement assistance apparatus of Claim 1 or 2,
The pair of actuators are arranged with a predetermined relative angle to each other when the cart is viewed from its traveling direction.
Mobility support device. In the movement assistance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3,
The actuator is
A motor unit having a rotating shaft;
A speed reduction mechanism that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the rotary shaft;
A feed screw mechanism that transmits the output of the speed reduction mechanism;
With
The motor part, the speed reduction mechanism part and the feed screw mechanism part are arranged coaxially with each other,
Mobility support device. In the movement assistance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-4,
A controller for individually controlling the length of the pair of actuators;
A tilt sensor for detecting the tilt of the support portion in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction;
With
The controller individually controls the pair of actuators based on an input signal from the tilt sensor.
Mobility support device. The movement support apparatus according to claim 5,
When the angle indicated by the input signal from the tilt sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the controller sounds an alarm sound from a speaker.
Mobility support device. In the movement assistance apparatus of Claim 5 or 6,
The controller activates a wireless transmitter when an angle indicated by an input signal from the tilt sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
Mobility support device. The movement support apparatus according to claim 6 or 7,
The controller sets the predetermined value based on the physique information of the user,
Mobility support device.

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