JP2019126442A - wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wheelchair that has a high traveling capability even on a road surface with snow, and has a small sense of incongruity even if used in a city area.SOLUTION: A wheelchair includes: a chair body (10) for a crew to get thereon with a sitting position; a main power body (20) arranged to both sides of the chair body (10), and advancing a chair body by power supplied from a power source; an auxiliary wheel body (30) arranged to a backward lower part in the chair body (10), and stabilizing the chair body (10); and an operation lever (40) where the crew controls operation of the main power body (20). The main power body (20) includes a caterpillar (21) for forming an endless track to connect a substantially semicircular arc and an end of the circular arc. The auxiliary wheel body (30) includes an auxiliary wheel (auxiliary driving wheel 33) grounded in the rear from the part grounded by the caterpillar (21).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheelchair that is used by people who have difficulty walking, and is suitable for traveling on a snowy road surface or a stepped road surface.

  For wheelchairs and mobile devices suitable for roads with snow or roads with steps, there is a technology that uses caterpillar. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wheelchair with a caterpillar and a walking aid with a caterpillar.

  Patent Document 2 describes a wheelchair-mounted snow engine-driven small vehicle that can carry a wheelchair and fix it, and can travel on a snow surface or a rough road. This technology also uses a caterpillar.

In Patent Document 3, a wheelchair is provided with four wheels, and a small track caterpillar is adopted as a front wheel and a large track caterpillar is adopted as a rear wheel, thereby providing a wheelchair that can easily cope with road surface irregularities. In addition, a comfortable ride is ensured by using a ball caterpillar using an air ball in which a plurality of spheres are filled with gas.

JP-A-8-38554 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-236216 JP, 2009-161160, A

  In reference to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 3, a scooter-type wheelchair (see FIG. 5) including a front wheel to be steered and two rear wheels (both the front and rear wheels do not adopt the caterpillar) supporting the weight of the occupant 2) using the road surface where snow has fallen (1 to 2 centimeters of new snow piled up on sherbet-like snow, 1 to 2 centimeters of new snow piled up somewhere on the road surface where pressed snow and freezing were mixed) 2 I checked the runability at the type). Thus, the following issues were extracted.

  The road surface with snowfall was insufficient in travel ability, and even on a slight slope uphill, it could slip and could not climb. Also, an ice step about 8 centimeters high could not be overcome without a run-in over 2 meters (although it could be about 12 centimeters if it was a snow-free step).

  Furthermore, in the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the following problems are assumed. In other words, the entire vehicle body is large, giving the surrounding people the impression of a vehicle running on a road like a motorcycle. Therefore, when used in a city area, the sense of intimidation against the surrounding people can not be removed.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a wheelchair that has high running performance even on a snowy road surface and that has a little uncomfortable feeling even when used in an urban area.

(First invention)
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a chair body (10) for riding with a passenger sitting down,
A main power body (20) disposed on both sides of the chair body (10) and moving the chair body forward by power supplied from a power source;
An auxiliary wheel body (30) for stabilizing the chair body (10) by being arranged in the lower rear part of the chair body (10),
The present invention relates to a wheelchair including an operation lever (40) for the occupant to control the operation of the main power body (20) (see FIG. 1).
The main power body (20) is a caterpillar (21) forming an endless orbit connecting a substantially semicircular arc and an end of the arc;
A drive wheel (22) for driving the caterpillar (21);
A grounded follower wheel (24) that secures the endless track by placing the caterpillar (21) at both ends of a portion to be grounded;
A floating ring (25) positioned between the ground driven wheels (24) for fitting the caterpillar (21) to the ground contact surface.
The auxiliary wheel body (30) includes an auxiliary wheel (auxiliary driving wheel 33) that contacts the rear side of the portion where the caterpillar (21) contacts.

(Glossary)
The direction of “front, rear, left, right, upper and lower” in the present application is based on the state where the “passenger” has got on.
The `` operating lever (40) '' may be prepared with an operating system such as an operating button method, a joystick method, etc. at the occupant's hand, or it may be able to move the operating lever (40) itself as in the embodiment described later. Good.
The “auxiliary wheel” may be a wheel that does not have a power source, or may include a power source using a caterpillar as in an embodiment described later.

(Function)
The main power body (20) is disposed on both sides of the chair body (10), and the portion of the main power body (20) where the caterpillar (21) contacts is substantially coincident with the portion where the weight of the occupant is applied. Therefore, a large frictional force (so-called grip force) between the ground contact portion of the caterpillar (21) and the road surface can be ensured even on a road surface with snow. Therefore, the runnability is improved.
Moreover, since the caterpillar (21) has an almost semicircular arc and an endless track connecting the ends of the arc, the outer shape is similar to that of a general wheelchair, and a sense of incongruity is small even when used in an urban area.

(Variation 1 of the First Invention)
The first invention may be formed as follows.
That is, the operation lever (40) may have an outer shape that draws on the extension of the arc from the end of the near side of the arc in the endless track drawn by the caterpillar (21). (See Figure 1).

(Function)
Since the control lever (40) is located on the extension of the circular arc in the endless track drawn by the caterpillar (21), the outer shape is similar to that of a general wheelchair. Therefore, as an occupant, it is close to the operability with a wheelchair not equipped with a power source.
Moreover, since the external shape is similar to that of a general wheelchair for people around the occupant (such as pedestrians), there is little discomfort.

(Further variations of Variation 1)
The first variation of the first invention described above is more preferably formed as follows.
That is, the operation lever (40) has a cantilever structure with the chair body (10) side as a fulcrum. Then, the main power body (20) is configured to be controllable so that the wheelchair moves forward by operating the operation lever (40) in the standard position in the direction in which the occupant tilts.

(Function)
When the occupant wants to move the wheelchair forward, the occupant operates in the direction of tilting the operation lever (40) in the standard position. The wheelchair can be advanced by an intuitive operation method similar to the operation of advancing a manual wheelchair. Therefore, the passenger is easy to get used to the operation.

(Variation 2 of the first invention)
The auxiliary wheel body (30) in the first invention comprises a caterpillar (32) for an auxiliary moving body that forms an endless track including a portion that contacts the auxiliary wheel (33).
It is more preferable that the operation lever (40) controls the operation of the auxiliary wheel body (30) (see FIG. 1).

(Function)
Driving is stabilized by the auxiliary wheel body (30) having a driving force separately from the main driving wheel body (20).

(Variation 3 of the first invention)
The first invention is more preferably provided with a caterpillar cover (19) that prevents the caterpillar (21) from being exposed to the occupant at a portion close to the occupant in the caterpillar (21) ( See Figures 1 and 4).

(Function)
The presence of the caterpillar cover (19) can suppress a situation where an occupant sitting on the chair body (10) touches the caterpillar (21). It also contributes to protecting passengers from foreign objects (water, dirt, etc.) that the caterpillar (21) rolls up from the road surface.

According to the first invention, it is possible to provide a wheelchair that has a high running ability even on a snowy road surface and has a small uncomfortable feeling even when used in an urban area.

It is a side view showing the state where the wheelchair concerning the present invention is used. It is a side view which shows the frame type | system | group of the wheelchair which concerns on this invention. It is a side view which shows the internal mechanism of the flame | frame in the wheelchair which concerns on this invention. It is a sectional side view which shows the drive system of the wheelchair which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows a prior art.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings used here are FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 5 is used as a comparative example.
For convenience of explanation, the direction “up / down / left / right / front / rear” may be described in the description using the drawings, but the direction does not limit the scope of the present patent.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wheelchair according to the present embodiment includes a chair main body 10 for getting on with a seated occupant, and a chair which is disposed on both sides of the chair main body 10 and supplied with power from a power source. A main power body 20 for moving the main body 10 forward, an auxiliary wheel body 30 disposed to the lower rear of the chair main body 10 to stabilize the chair main body 10, and operations of the auxiliary moving body 30 and the main power body 20 And an operation lever 40 controlled by the passenger.

Although the illustration of the details of the chair body 10 is omitted, the chair body 10 is provided with a backrest 11 so that an occupant can ride easily.
The power sources of the main power body 20 and the auxiliary moving body 30 are not shown, but are a battery and a motor (for example, a direct motor) driven by the battery.

The main power body 20 is arranged at both ends of a caterpillar 21 that forms a semicircular arc and an endless track connecting the ends of the arc, a drive wheel 22 that drives the caterpillar 21, and a portion where the caterpillar 21 contacts the ground. A grounded driven wheel 24 that secures an endless track, and a floating wheel 25 that is located between the grounded driven wheel 24 and fits the caterpillar 21 to the grounded surface.
The entire wheelchair is formed such that the grounding surface is located almost directly below the seat surface (not shown) of the passenger sitting on the chair body 10. Therefore, it is easy to obtain an important grip force when obtaining the propulsive force of the wheelchair, and it contributes to the passenger getting a sense of unity with the wheelchair.

A caterpillar cover 19 that prevents the caterpillar 21 from being exposed to the occupant is provided at a portion of the caterpillar 21 close to the occupant. The caterpillar cover 19 is fixed to the chair main body 10. The caterpillar cover 19 serves to protect the occupant from water rolling up when traveling on a road surface with snow or ice and foreign matters from the road surface, as well as ensuring safety for the occupant.
For the coloring of the entire wheelchair including the caterpillar cover 19, for example, blue, black, fluorescent color, etc. that stand out in the snow are adopted, but may be changed according to the use environment.

The auxiliary moving body 30 includes an auxiliary wheel 33 that stabilizes the chair body 10 that is unstable in the two-wheel state that the main power body 20 forms, and an auxiliary moving body caterpillar 34 that supplements the propulsive force produced by the main power body 20.
The auxiliary wheel 34 is pivotally supported by an auxiliary wheel frame 31 extended from the chair body 10 to the lower rear. Further, the track of the auxiliary moving body caterpillar 34 is secured by the auxiliary caterpillar frame 32.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the auxiliary moving body 30 is provided with an auxiliary moving body caterpillar 34 which forms a small square endless track in synchronization with the caterpillar 21 of the main power body 20 described above. The auxiliary moving body caterpillar 34 is located above the ground contact surface of the caterpillar 21 of the main driving wheel body 20, and as shown in FIG.

  The control lever 40 has an outer shape that draws the extension of the arc from the end of the near side portion of the arc in the endless track drawn by the caterpillar 21. The position drawn on the extension of the arc is the neutral position of the control lever 40.

  The operation lever 40 is driven so that the wheelchair moves forward when the occupant depresses from the neutral position. The angle that can be pushed down is about 15 degrees. If the angle of depression is large, control is performed so that the forward speed increases steplessly. The maximum speed is 6 kilometers per hour.

Although only the left operation lever 40 can be shown in the figure, the left and right caterpillars 21 can be operated independently by the left and right operation levers 40. For this reason, when it is desired to turn to the left, the wheelchair can be turned to the left by producing a speed difference between the right and left by tilting the right operation lever more than the left operation lever.
When the occupant pushes up from the neutral position, the wheelchair is driven to retract. This backward speed is also stepless.

  In FIG. 2, the frame (frame) of the wheelchair which concerns on this embodiment is shown from the side. The wheelchair main body 10 has the backrest 11 as described above. Further, a caterpillar cover 19 covering a part close to the occupant in the caterpillar 21 shown in FIG. 1 is provided, and a part for propelling a wheelchair is provided with a caterpillar frame 26. The caterpillar frame 26 axially supports driving wheels and driven wheels for securing the track of the caterpillar 21.

  The track for the above-described auxiliary fuselage caterpillar 34 is secured by the drive wheels and the driven wheels axially supported by the auxiliary caterpillar frame 32.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the main power unit 20 has a circular arc having a substantially semicircle and an endless track connecting the ends of the circular arc, and a drive wheel 22 for driving the caterpillar 21. The tracking driven wheels 24 and 24 are disposed at both ends of the portion where the caterpillar 21 contacts the ground to secure the endless track, and the tracking driven wheel 24 is fitted between the grounding driven wheels 24 to fit the track 21 to the ground plane. Floating rings 25, 25.

  The floating wheels 25, 25 are pivotally supported on a support (not shown), and the support is supported via an elastic body on the caterpillar frame 26. Therefore, when the caterpillar 21 comes in contact with a smooth road surface, the state as shown in FIG. 3 is obtained, and when the surface on which the caterpillar 21 is installed is large on a snowy road surface, as shown in FIG. It may be close to a semicircle.

  Although FIG. 3 and FIG. 2 show, the drive wheel 35 and the driven wheel 36 used for the auxiliary moving body caterpillar 32 used for the auxiliary moving body caterpillar 32 are from the drive wheel 22 and the driven wheel 23 used for the caterpillar 21 etc. Too small. The drive wheel 35 of the auxiliary moving body caterpillar 32 is driven by a motor different from the motor for driving the right and left tracks 21 of the main driving wheel body 20. Therefore, control such as movement or stop different from that of the right and left caterpillars 21 is possible.

  The wheelchair according to the present embodiment described above has an outer shape similar to that of a general wheelchair because the control lever 40 is located on the extension of the arc in the endless track drawn by the caterpillar 21. Therefore, as an occupant, it is close to the operability with a wheelchair not equipped with a power source.

  The main power unit 20 is disposed on both sides of the chair main body 10, and the portion of the main power unit 20 on which the caterpillar 21 is grounded is substantially the same as the portion on which the weight of the occupant is applied. Therefore, even on a road surface with snow coverage or a sherbet-shaped road surface where snow has begun to melt, a large frictional force (so-called grip power) can be secured between the contact portion of the caterpillar 21 and the road surface.

Compared with the conventional powered wheelchair shown in FIG. 5, the wheelchair according to the present embodiment assists the propulsive force when the auxiliary moving body 30 gets over the convex portion on the road surface with snow, or adapts to the uneven road surface. To improve driving stability and driving performance. For example, a step of about 10 centimeters could run without the need for a run-in.
This is because the wheelchair shown in FIG. 5 has a structure in which most of the entire load including the occupant is applied to the driven wheel, and therefore, a sufficient grip force cannot be applied to the driving wheel.

  For a person around the occupant, the caterpillar 21 has a semicircular arc and an infinite track connecting the ends of the arc, so that the external shape is similar to a general wheelchair, and the discomfort is small.

The wheelchair which concerns on this embodiment mentioned above is suitable for sports driving | running | working on snow. This is because it is possible to go up and down a slope of about 5 degrees and to travel at a speed of 6 km / h, which is faster than the walking speed. Not only people who have difficulty walking on their own, but also healthy people can enjoy as snow sports.
When the wheelchair according to this embodiment described above is used for snow sports, an engine driven by liquid fuel instead of battery drive may be used. Unlike use in urban areas, exhaust gas is not a problem, but it is easy to obtain a great impetus.

The present invention can be used in a wheelchair manufacturing industry, a maintenance industry, a rental service industry that provides transportation to elderly people who need a wheelchair, a manufacturing industry as snow sports equipment, a tourism industry using snow sports equipment, etc. Have sex.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10; Chair body 11; Backrest 19; Caterpillar cover 20; Main power body 21; Caterpillar 22; Drive wheel 23; Drive wheel 24; Drive wheel (for floating wheel support) 25; Floating wheel 26; Caterpillar frame 30; 31; auxiliary wheel frame 32; auxiliary caterpillar frame 33; auxiliary wheel 34; auxiliary moving body caterpillar 35; drive wheel 36; driven wheel 40;

Claims (5)

A chair body for a passenger to ride in a sitting position;
A main power body that is disposed on both sides of the chair body and advances the chair body with power supplied from a power source;
An auxiliary wheel body disposed at the lower rear of the chair body to stabilize the chair body;
A wheelchair comprising an operation lever for the occupant to control the operation of the main power body,
The main power body is a caterpillar that forms an endless orbit connecting a substantially semicircular arc and an end of the arc;
A driving wheel for driving the caterpillar;
A grounded follower wheel that secures the endless track by placing the caterpillar at both ends of the grounding portion;
A floating wheel located between the grounded follower wheels for fitting the caterpillar to the ground plane;
With
The auxiliary wheel body is a wheelchair including an auxiliary wheel that comes in contact with a rear side of a portion where the caterpillar contacts the ground. 2. The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein the operation lever has an outer shape that draws an extension of the arc from an end portion of the near side of the arc in an endless track drawn by the caterpillar. The above-mentioned control lever has a cantilever structure with the chair body side as a fulcrum,
The wheelchair according to claim 2, wherein the main power body is configured to be controllable so that the wheelchair moves forward by operating the operation lever in the standard position in a direction in which the occupant tilts. The auxiliary wheel body includes a caterpillar for an auxiliary moving body that forms an endless track including a portion that makes contact with the auxiliary wheel.
The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation lever also controls the operation of the auxiliary wheel body. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a caterpillar cover that prevents the caterpillar from being exposed to an occupant at a portion of the caterpillar close to the occupant.

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