JP2023128689A - wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wheelchair with an assistance mechanism for assisting stand-up movement of a user, which allows the user to perform such things as having a meal at a table and having a wash at a washstand while sitting in a seat.SOLUTION: A wheelchair comprises: a frame; a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on the frame to support the frame; an assistance mechanism, which is mounted on the frame, for assisting stand-up movement by supporting the user; a seat having a seat surface the user sits on, which is mounted on the frame, and on which the assistance mechanism is positioned in front of the user when the seat surface faces the front; and a seat surface direction switching mechanism disposed on the seat, for changing the orientation of the seat surface without changing the position of the seat surface on the frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a wheelchair.

Patent Document 1 discloses a mobility aid device (wheelchair) that includes a mechanism for supporting the knees and arms of a user when the user transitions from a sitting position to a standing position.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-051101

By the way, in daily life, wheelchair users eat at a table, wash their clothes at a sink, etc. while sitting in a wheelchair.

However, in the movement assisting device of Patent Document 1, a mechanism is provided in front of the seat portion on which the user sits to assist the user in transitioning from a sitting position to a standing position. Therefore, when the user sits in a sitting position and eats at the table or washes his or her face at the sink, there is a risk that the mechanism may interfere.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is equipped with an assistance mechanism that assists the user in standing up, while allowing the user to eat at the table, wash the toilet at the sink, etc. while sitting on the seat. The purpose is to provide a wheelchair that can perform

In one aspect of the present invention, the wheelchair includes a frame, a plurality of wheels that are rotatably attached to the frame and support the frame, and an assistant that is attached to the frame and supports the user and assists the user in standing up. a seat that is attached to the frame and has a seat surface on which a user sits, and in which the assistance mechanism is located in front of the user when the seat surface faces forward; and a seat direction switching mechanism that changes the direction of the seat without changing the position of the seat on the frame.

In one aspect of the present invention, the wheelchair includes a seat direction switching mechanism that changes the direction of the seat without changing the position of the seat on the frame. Therefore, the orientation of the seat surface can be changed so that the assistance mechanism is not located in front of the user. Therefore, the assistance mechanism can be prevented from interfering with the user sitting on the seat. Therefore, the user can eat at the table, wash his or her face at the sink, etc. while sitting on the seat, while providing an assistance mechanism for assisting the user in standing up.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the main parts in FIG. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the wheelchair. FIG. 4 is a side view of the wheelchair when the seat is facing forward. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the seat direction switching mechanism. FIG. 6 is a side view of the wheelchair when the seat surface faces in the opposite direction from FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state in which the support column is tilted forward from the reference position and the seat is rotated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A wheelchair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the configuration of the wheelchair 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Hereinafter, the length direction of the wheelchair 1 will be referred to as the "front-back direction," the width direction of the wheelchair 1 will be referred to as the "left-right direction," and the height direction of the wheelchair 1 will be referred to as the "up-down direction."

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wheelchair 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the main parts in FIG. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the wheelchair 1. FIG. 4 is a side view of the wheelchair 1 when the seat surface 41 is facing in the forward direction. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the seat direction switching mechanism 43.

The wheelchair 1 includes a frame 10, a plurality of wheels 20, a drive mechanism 30, a seat 40, a seat movement mechanism 50, an assistance mechanism 60, a control section 70, and an operation section 80 (see FIG. 3). Be prepared. The wheelchair 1 allows a user (not shown) to stand up and get on and off without the need for assistance from an assistant, even if the user (not shown) is unable to stand up on his or her own.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 10 constitutes the main body of the wheelchair 1. The frame 10 is formed into a substantially rectangular ladder shape. Wheels 20 are provided at each of the four corners of the frame 10. The frame 10 is provided with a footrest 11 that supports the user's feet when the orientation of a seating surface 41 (described later) of the seat 40 is changed to the opposite direction. Frame 10 is supported by wheels 20. The frame 10 supports a drive mechanism 30, a seat 40, a seat moving mechanism 50, an assistance mechanism 60, a control section 70, and an operation section 80.

A pair of footrests 11 are provided to support the left and right feet of the user, respectively. The footrests 11 are provided near left and right driven wheels 22 (rear wheels), which will be described later. The footrest 11 can be flipped up left and right along the frame 10 so as not to interfere with the user, except when the seat surface 41 of the seat 40 is facing in the opposite direction.

The wheels 20 are rotatably attached to the frame 10 and support the frame 10. The wheels 20 include a pair of driving wheels 21 and a pair of driven wheels 22.

The drive wheel 21 is a front wheel provided on the front side (front end portion) of the frame 10. The drive wheels 21 are small wheels that are provided in a non-steerable manner toward the front and back directions of the frame 10 . The pair of drive wheels 21 are provided with an interval in the left-right direction. The drive wheel 21 is driven and rotated by a drive motor 31 as a drive unit, which will be described later.

The driven wheel 22 is a rear wheel provided on the rear side (rear end portion) of the drive wheel 21 in the frame 10. The driven wheel 22 is an omnidirectional wheel that is rotatable in the front-rear direction of the frame 10 and slidable in the left-right direction of the frame 10 (see FIG. 4). The pair of driven wheels 22 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction. The driven wheel 22 rotates in the front-rear direction and slides in the left-right direction as the frame 10 moves.

In this way, by setting the front wheels as the driving wheels 21 and the rear wheels as the driven wheels 22, the height of the rear wheels can be suppressed, and the rear wheels can fit into the space below the bed 2 (see FIG. 7), for example. I can do it. In addition, by making the driven wheel 22 an omnidirectional moving wheel, the rear wheel does not swing left and right unlike when a free wheel is used, so the driven wheel 22 can be placed in a narrow space such as a toilet (not shown). You can let them in.

The drive mechanism 30 has a drive motor 31 as a pair of drive parts.

The drive motor 31 is provided so that its rotating shaft is located in the axle direction of the drive wheel 21 . The drive motor 31 is provided on the frame 10 and drives the drive wheels 21 . The drive motor 31 is arranged between the pair of drive wheels 21 in a straight line. The drive motor 31 is supported by the front end of the frame 10 via a support member 31a. The drive motor 31 has a speed reducer 31b that reduces the rotation speed of the motor and transmits the speed to the drive wheels 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive motor 31 is electrically connected to a controller 71, which will be described later, and rotates in accordance with an electric signal input from the controller 71.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat 40 includes a seat surface 41, a linear actuator 42 as a lifting actuator, and a seat direction switching mechanism 43. The seat 40 is attached to a driven sprocket 52 (described later) of the seat moving mechanism 50, and rotates together with the driven sprocket 52. The seat 40 is attached to the frame 10 via a seat moving mechanism 50, and is provided so that the assistance mechanism 60 is located in front of the user when the seat surface 41 faces forward.

The seat surface 41 is for a user to sit on. The seat surface 41 is attached to the frame 10 so as to be movable at least between a seating position where the user is seated (see FIG. 4) and a retracted position where the user can enter and exit from the rear of the frame 10 (see FIG. 7). It will be done. Since the seat surface 41 is provided movably between the seating position and the retracted position, there is no need to divide the seat surface 41 itself, and the strength for the user to sit on can be ensured.

The linear actuator 42 raises and lowers the seat surface 41. By providing the linear actuator 42, the height of the seat surface 41 of the seat 40 can be adjusted, for example, so that the seat surface 41 of the seat 40 is located above the bed 2 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 3, the linear actuator 42 is electrically connected to a controller 71, which will be described later, and expands and contracts in response to electrical signals input from the controller 71. The linear actuator 42 includes, for example, an electric motor and a ball screw mechanism built therein.

The seat direction switching mechanism 43 changes the orientation of the seat 41 without changing the position of the seat 41 on the frame 10. The seat direction switching mechanism 43 has a forward direction in which the assistance mechanism 60 is located in front of the user while the user is seated on the seat surface 41, and a reverse direction in which the assistance mechanism 60 is located in the back of the user. The orientation of the seat surface 41 can be changed.

In this way, the wheelchair 1 includes the seat direction switching mechanism 43 that changes the direction of the seat 41 without changing the position of the seat 41 on the frame 10. Therefore, the orientation of the seat surface 41 can be changed so that the assistance mechanism 60 is not located in front of the user. Therefore, the assistance mechanism 60 can be prevented from interfering with the user sitting on the seat 40. Therefore, while the assistance mechanism 60 is provided to assist the user in standing up, the user can eat at the table, wash his or her face at the sink, etc. while sitting on the seat 40.

As shown in FIG. 5, the seat direction switching mechanism 43 includes a fixed part 44, a rotating part 45, a locking mechanism 46, and a seat position sensor 47 (see FIG. 3) as a detection part.

The fixing portion 44 is provided above the linear actuator 42 and is fixed to the linear actuator 42 . The fixing part 44 is provided so that the upper surface thereof is substantially horizontal.

The rotating part 45 is provided to be rotatable (rotating) about the rotation axis with respect to the fixed part 44 . A seat surface 41 is fixed to the rotating part 45. When the locking mechanism 46 is in the fixed state, the rotating part 45 is fixed to the fixed part 44 in a non-rotatable manner. The rotating part 45 becomes rotatable relative to the fixed part 44 when the locking mechanism 46 is in the released state.

The locking mechanism 46 is provided so as to protrude from the fixing portion 44 toward the rear of the seat 40 . The locking mechanism 46 is operated by the user or an assistant. The locking mechanism 46 is switched between a released state in which the rotating part 45 is rotatable relative to the fixed part 44 and a fixed state in which the rotating part 45 is not rotatable relative to the fixed part 44.

The seat position sensor 47 detects the orientation of the seat 41. The seat position sensor 47 detects at least whether the seat 41 is facing in the forward direction or in the reverse direction. The seat position sensor 47 transmits an electrical signal corresponding to the direction of the seat 41 to the controller 71. The seat position sensor 47 may not be provided within the seat direction switching mechanism 43 but may be provided separately. Switching of the driving mode of the wheelchair 1 using the seat position sensor 47 will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat moving mechanism 50 includes a driving sprocket 51, a driven sprocket 52, a chain 53 as a transmission member, and a rotation motor 54 as a rotation actuator.

The drive sprocket 51 is mounted horizontally on the top of the frame 10. The drive sprocket 51 is attached to the rotation shaft of the rotation motor 54. The drive sprocket 51 is rotationally driven by a rotation motor 54.

A driven sprocket 52 is mounted horizontally at the bottom of the seat 40. The rotation of the drive sprocket 51 is transmitted to the driven sprocket 52 via a chain 53. The driven sprocket 52 is formed to be larger than the driving sprocket 51. As a result, the torque of the rotation motor 54 is amplified and transmitted to the driven sprocket 52.

The driven sprocket 52 is located farther forward than the seat surface 41. That is, the seat surface 41 is located further back than the driven sprocket 52. As a result, when the driven sprocket 52 rotates, the seat surface 41 can be largely rotated laterally with the central axis of the driven sprocket 52 as the rotation axis and the distance from the central axis of the driven sprocket 52 as the rotation radius. can.

The chain 53 is wound between the driving sprocket 51 and the driven sprocket 52. Note that instead of the chain 53, the power of the rotation motor 54 may be transmitted using a belt, a power transmission shaft, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rotation motor 54 is electrically connected to a controller 71, which will be described later, and rotates in response to an electric signal input from the controller 71. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation motor 54 rotates the seat 40. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the rotation motor 54 rotates the seat surface 41 between a seating position behind the assistance mechanism 60 and a retracted position in the left-right direction of the seating position.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the assistance mechanism 60 is attached to the frame 10. The assistance mechanism 60 is provided in front of the seat 40 in the seating position to support the user and assist the user in standing up. The assistance mechanism 60 includes a footrest 61, an arm 62, a pair of support columns 63, a knee rest 64, a pair of electric cylinders 65 as actuators for tilting, and an electric cylinder 66 as an actuator for expansion and contraction. have

The footrest 61 supports the user's feet. The footrest 61 is a substantially semicircular plate. The footrest part 61 is formed larger than the size of the user's foot so that the user can ride on it. When the support column 63 is tilted, the footrest 61 is interlocked and tilted together.

Arm 62 supports the user's arm. Specifically, the arm 62 supports the user's armpits by holding them up from below. The arm 62 is formed into a U-shape and is supported approximately at the center by a support 63. When the support column 63 tilts, the arm 62 interlocks and tilts together.

The strut 63 supports the arm 62 on the frame 10. The pair of support columns 63 are provided in parallel with an interval in the left-right direction. The support column 63 is supported by the upper part of the frame 10 via a bearing 63a so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction. The support column 63 expands and contracts to raise and lower the arm 62. The footrest 61 and the support column 63 are integrally provided so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction of the frame 10. Specifically, the support column 63 is movable between a reference position that is substantially perpendicular to the frame 10 (see FIG. 5) and a forward tilted position that is tilted forward from the reference position (see FIG. 6).

The knee pad 64 is attached to the support column 63. The knee pad 64 is provided at approximately the center in the height direction at the rear of the support column 63. The knee pad 64 supports the user's knee from the front with the arm 62 lifting the user's armpit from below. Since the knee pad 64 is in direct contact with the user's knee, it is formed of a material with high cushioning properties, such as an elastomer such as elastic rubber or resin.

A pair of electric cylinders 65 connects the upper part of the frame 10 and the front part of each support column 63. As shown in FIG. 3, the electric cylinder 65 is electrically connected to a controller 71, which will be described later, and expands and contracts in response to an electric signal input from the controller 71. When the electric cylinder 65 contracts, the column 63 tilts forward with respect to the frame 10. When the electric cylinder 65 extends, the column 63 tilts backward with respect to the frame 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric cylinder 66 connects the upper part of the frame 10 and the lower part of the arm 62. The electric cylinder 66 is provided between the pair of pillars 63 so as to be parallel to the pillars 63. As shown in FIG. 3, the electric cylinder 66 is electrically connected to a controller 71, which will be described later, and expands and contracts in response to an electric signal input from the controller 71. When the electric cylinder 66 extends, the support column 63 extends and the arm 62 rises with respect to the frame 10. When the electric cylinder 66 contracts, the support column 63 contracts and the arm 62 descends relative to the frame 10.

As described above, when the assistance mechanism 60 assists the user in standing up, the footrest 61 supports the user's foot with the support 63 tilted forward, and the arm 62 supports the user's arm. The knee rest part 64 supports the user's knees and supports the user's whole body.

In this state, the user can board the wheelchair 1 by moving the seat 40 from the retracted position to the seating position. On the other hand, in this state, by moving the seat 40 from the sitting position to the retracted position, the user can get off the wheelchair 1 and move to the bed 2 (see FIG. 7) in the rear. In addition, the assistance mechanism 60 can support the user's whole body in a stable posture while keeping the angle of the legs constant, with the footrest 61 supporting the foot and the knee rest 64 supporting the knee. . The specific operation of the assistance mechanism 60 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 7 as well.

Control unit 70 includes a controller 71 and a power storage unit 72.

The controller 71 is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, input/output interface, and the like. The controller 71 performs various processes by causing the CPU to read and execute programs stored in the ROM. The controller 71 can also be configured with a plurality of microcomputers. The controller 71 controls the operation of the drive motor 31, the linear actuator 42, the rotation motor 54, the electric cylinder 65, and the electric cylinder 66 based on signals input from the seat position sensor 47 and the operation unit 80 described later. do.

Power storage unit 72 is housed within casing 70a of control unit 70. The power storage unit 72 supplies power to the drive motor 31 , the linear actuator 42 , the rotation motor 54 , the electric cylinder 65 , the electric cylinder 66 , and the controller 71 . The power storage unit 72 is configured by, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operating section 80 includes a first operating section 81 as a drive operating section and a second operating section 82.

The first operation unit 81 is provided at a position where the user can operate it while riding on the wheelchair 1. The first operation unit 81 operates the movement of the drive mechanism 30. Specifically, the first operating section 81 is operated by the user to instruct the driving direction of the wheelchair 1 by the drive wheels 21. The first operation unit 81 is, for example, a joystick that moves the wheelchair 1 in the direction in which the user wants to move when the stick is tilted.

The second operation unit 82 is provided at a position where the user can operate it both when the user is on the wheelchair 1 and when the user is getting off the wheelchair 1. The second operation unit 82 is connected to the controller 71 via a cable, for example. The second operation unit 82 operates the movement of the seat moving mechanism 50 and the assistance mechanism 60. Note that the second operation unit 82 can also be operated by a helper if a helper is present. The second operation unit 82 includes an arm up button 82a, an arm down button 82b, a forward tilt button 82c, a backward tilt button 82d, a seat rotation button 82e, a reverse seat rotation button 82f, and a seat up button. It has a button 82g, a seat lowering button 82h, a first mode switching button 82i, and a second mode switching button 82j. The first mode switching button 82i and the second mode switching button 82j correspond to a mode switching operation section.

When the arm raise button 82a is pressed, the controller 71 extends the electric cylinder 66, thereby extending the column 63 and raising the arm 62. When the arm lowering button 82b is pressed, the controller 71 contracts the electric cylinder 66 to contract the column 63 and lower the arm 62.

When the forward tilting column button 82c is pressed, the controller 71 causes the footrest 61 and the column 63 to tilt forward by contracting the electric cylinder 65. When the prop rearward tilt button 82d is pressed, the controller 71 extends the electric cylinder 65 to tilt the footrest 61 and the column 63 backward.

When the seat rotation button 82e is pressed, the controller 71 rotates the driven sprocket 52 of the rotation motor 54 via the drive sprocket 51 and chain 53, and rotates the seat surface 41 to either the left or right. . When the seat reverse rotation button 82f is pressed, the controller 71 rotates the driven sprocket 52 of the rotation motor 54 via the drive sprocket 51 and chain 53, and rotates the seat surface 41 in either the left or right direction. let

When the seat raising button 82g is pressed, the controller 71 raises the seat surface 41 by extending the linear actuator 42. When the seat lowering button 82h is pressed, the controller 71 lowers the seat surface 41 by contracting the linear actuator 42.

When the first mode switching button 82i is pressed, the controller 71 drives the drive wheels 21 to move the wheelchair 1 forward when the first operation part 81 is operated to tilt forward, and the first operation When the part 81 is operated to tilt backward, the drive wheels 21 are driven to move the wheelchair 1 backward. When the second mode switching button 82j is pressed, the controller 71 drives the drive wheels 21 to move the wheelchair 1 backward when the first operation part 81 is operated to tilt forward, When the part 81 is operated to tilt backward, the drive wheels 21 are driven to move the wheelchair 1 forward.

Note that when the seat position sensor 47 is provided, it is not necessary to provide the first mode switching button 82i and the second mode switching button 82j on the second operation section 82.

Next, switching of the driving mode of the wheelchair 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the wheelchair 1 when the seat surface 41 is facing in the forward direction. FIG. 6 is a side view of the wheelchair 1 when the seat surface 41 faces in the opposite direction from FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the seat surface 41 is facing in the forward direction, the seat position sensor 47 sends an electric signal to the controller 71 indicating that the seat surface 41 is facing in the forward direction. In this state, the controller 71 drives the drive wheels 21 to move the wheelchair 1 forward when the first operating section 81 is operated to tilt it forward, and the controller 71 drives the wheelchair 1 so that the first operating section 81 is operated to tilt it backwards. When the wheelchair 1 is moved, the drive wheels 21 are driven to move the wheelchair 1 backward. From this state, when the user or the helper releases the locking mechanism 46, rotates the seat surface 41 by 180 degrees, and returns the locking mechanism 46 to the fixed state, the state shown in FIG. 7 is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the seat surface 41 is facing in the opposite direction, the seat position sensor 47 sends an electrical signal to the controller 71 indicating that the seat surface 41 is facing in the opposite direction. In this state, the controller 71 controls the driving wheels 21 to move the wheelchair 1 backward, that is, to move in front of the user seated on the seat surface 41, when the first operation part 81 is operated to tilt forward. When the first operating part 81 is operated to tilt backward, the driving wheels 21 are driven to advance the wheelchair 1, that is, to move toward the back of the user seated on the seat surface 41.

In this way, the controller 71 performs the first operation based on the orientation of the seat 41 detected by the seat position sensor 47, depending on whether the seat 41 is facing in the forward direction or in the opposite direction. The driving direction of the driving wheel 21 by the driving motor 31 is controlled to be reversed with respect to the operating direction of the section 81.

Therefore, the controller 71 controls the drive motor 31 to drive the drive wheels 21 in the operating direction of the first operating section 81 based on the direction of the seat surface 41 detected by the seat position sensor 47 that detects the direction of the seat surface 41. Control to reverse direction. Therefore, there is no need for the user or the caregiver to perform any operation, and simply by changing the orientation of the seat surface 41, the driving direction of the drive wheel 21 by the drive motor 31 can be reversed with respect to the operating direction of the first operating section 81. It can be controlled as follows.

Further, when the seat 40 is not provided with the seat position sensor 47 and the second operation unit 82 is provided with the first mode switching button 82i and the second mode switching button 82j, the controller 71 switches the first mode. The drive direction of the drive wheels 21 by the drive motor 31 is controlled with respect to the operation direction of the first operation section 81 based on the pressed state of the button 82i and the second mode switching button 82j.

The user or the caregiver presses the first mode switching button 82i when the seat surface 41 is in the forward direction, and presses the second mode switching button 82j when the seat surface 41 is in the opposite direction. .

When the first mode switching button 82i is pressed, the controller 71 drives the drive wheels 21 to move the wheelchair 1 forward when the first operation part 81 is operated to tilt forward, and the first operation When the part 81 is operated to tilt backward, the drive wheels 21 are driven to move the wheelchair 1 backward. When the second mode switching button 82j is pressed, the controller 71 controls the drive wheels 21 to move the wheelchair 1 backward, that is, to move the wheelchair 1 toward the seat surface 41 when the first operating section 81 is operated to tilt forward. The wheelchair 1 is driven to move forward in front of the seated user, and when the first operating section 81 is operated to tilt backward, the drive wheels 21 move the wheelchair 1 forward, that is, the user seated on the seat surface 41. Drive forward to the back of the.

In this way, the controller 71 determines the driving direction of the driving wheels 21 by the driving motor 31 relative to the operating direction of the first operating section 81 based on the traveling direction switched by the first mode switching button 82i and the second mode switching button 82j. control so that it is reversed.

Therefore, based on the operation performed by the user or the helper, the driving direction of the drive wheel 21 by the drive motor 31 is controlled to be reversed with respect to the operating direction of the first operation part 81. This can prevent unintended movements of the wheelchair 1.

Note that when the seat surface 41 faces in the opposite direction, the assistance mechanism 60 is not located in front of the user, so that the user's front view is secured and safety is improved. When the seat surface 41 faces in the opposite direction, the assistance mechanism 60 does not obstruct the front of the user, making it easier for the user to communicate with others. When the seat surface 41 faces in the opposite direction, the caregiver can push the arm 62 that supports the arm of the user with the seat surface 41 facing in the forward direction, so the caregiver pushes the wheelchair 1. Operation becomes easier.

Next, referring mainly to FIGS. 4 and 7, the standing up motion of the user using the wheelchair 1 will be described. Here, a case where a user in a wheelchair 1 moves onto a bed 2 at the rear will be described as an example.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state in which the support column 63 is tilted forward from the reference position and the seat 40 is rotated.

What is shown in FIG. 4 is a state in which the user can ride the wheelchair 1 and travel (driving state). At this time, the user is seated on the seat surface 41, and the user's feet are positioned on the footrest 61. The user operates the first operation part 81 to move the wheelchair 1, so that the seat 41 is located above the bed 2 and the driven wheels 22 forming the rear wheels are below the bed 2 (see Fig. 7). If the seat surface 41 interferes with the bed 2, the user operates the seat lift button 82g of the second operation section 82 to extend the linear actuator 42 so that the seat surface 41 is higher than the top surface of the bed 2. Adjust accordingly. Furthermore, if the footrest 11 is to interfere with the bed 2 in the flipped up state, the user or the helper should unfold the footrest 11 in a horizontal state in advance. From this state, the user positions the arm 62 under the armpit, sandwiching the arm 62 between the arm and the body.

Subsequently, the user operates the arm lift button 82a of the second operation section 82 to extend the column 63 and raise the arm 62. This brings the arm 62 into a state where it supports the user's armpit from below.

Next, the user operates the column forward tilt button 82c of the second operating section 82 while grasping the front grip (not shown) of the arm 62, and moves the footrest 61 and the column 63 forward as a unit from the reference position. Tilt it. This results in a state in which the user's feet are supported by the foot rest part 61 and the user's knees are supported by the knee rest part 64 (the state shown in FIG. 7). When the footrest 61 and the support column 63 are further tilted forward, the user's buttocks are separated from the seat surface 41 and the user's entire weight is supported by the assistance mechanism 60.

Next, the user operates one of the seat rotation button 82e and the seat reverse rotation button 82f of the second operating section 82 while grasping the front grip of the arm 62, and moves the seat surface 41 from the seating position to the retracted position. Move to. This results in a state in which the seat surface 41 is not located between the user and the bed 2 (the state shown in FIG. 7). At this time, since the seat surface 41 is not supporting the user, it can be moved to the retracted position without interfering with the user.

Next, the user operates the column rearward tilting button 82d of the second operating section 82 while grasping the front grip of the arm 62, thereby tilting the footrest 61 and the column 63 backward together. That is, the footrest 61 and the support column 63, which were in a forward-leaning state, are returned to their original reference positions. As a result, the user's buttocks come into contact with the upper surface of the bed 2.

Next, the user operates the arm lowering button 82b of the second operating section 82 while grasping the front grip of the arm 62, thereby contracting the support column 63 and lowering the arm 62. As a result, the arm 62 separates the user's armpit from below, and the user's movement onto the bed 2 is completed.

In this way, the seat surface 41 of the seat 40 is movable between the seating position where the user is seated and the retracted position where the user can enter and exit from the rear of the frame 10, and the assistance mechanism 60 is located at the seating position. Since it is provided in front of the seat 40 to support the user and assist the user in standing up, the user can move from the wheelchair 1 to the bed 2. To provide a wheelchair 1 that allows a user to stand up without requiring assistance even when the user cannot stand up on his own.

Note that, when the user moves from the bed 2 and gets on the wheelchair 1, the user may perform the operation opposite to the above-mentioned operation.

The configuration and effects of the present embodiment described above will be collectively described.

(1) The wheelchair 1 includes a frame 10, a plurality of wheels 20 that are rotatably attached to the frame 10 and support the frame 10, and an assistance mechanism that is attached to the frame 10 and supports the user and assists the user in standing up. 60, a seat 40 that is attached to the frame 10 and has a seat surface 41 on which the user sits, and in which the assistance mechanism 60 is located in front of the user when the seat surface 41 faces the front; A seat direction switching mechanism 43 is provided to change the orientation of the seat surface 41 without changing the position of the seat surface 41 on the frame 10.

With this configuration, the wheelchair 1 includes a seat direction switching mechanism 43 that changes the direction of the seat 41 without changing the position of the seat 41 on the frame 10. Therefore, the orientation of the seat surface 41 can be changed so that the assistance mechanism 60 is not located in front of the user. Therefore, the assistance mechanism 60 can be prevented from interfering with the user sitting on the seat 40. Therefore, while the assistance mechanism 60 is provided to assist the user in standing up, the user can eat at the table, wash his or her face at the sink, etc. while sitting on the seat 40.

(2) Preferably, the seat direction switching mechanism 43 is configured such that when the user is seated on the seat 41, the assisting mechanism 60 is located in front of the user, and in the forward direction, and the assisting mechanism 60 is located on the back of the user. The orientation of the seat surface 41 can be changed to the opposite direction.

According to this configuration, the seat direction switching mechanism 43 changes the orientation of the seat surface 41 in the opposite direction in which the assistance mechanism 60 is located on the back of the user, so that the assistance mechanism Since the seat 60 can be prevented from interfering with the seat 40, the user can eat at the table, wash his or her clothes at the sink, etc. while sitting on the seat 40.

(3) Preferably, the wheelchair 1 includes a drive motor 31 that is provided on the frame 10 and drives the drive wheels 21, a first operation section 81 that is operated by the user and instructs the drive direction of the drive wheels 21, and a seat. The controller 71 further includes a seat position sensor 47 that detects the orientation of the surface 41 and a controller 71 that controls the drive of the drive wheel 21 by the drive motor 31. 41, the driving direction of the driving wheel 21 by the driving motor 31 is reversed with respect to the operating direction of the first operating section 81, depending on whether the seat surface 41 faces in the forward direction or in the opposite direction. control so that

According to this configuration, the controller 71 drives the drive motor 31 in the operating direction of the first operating section 81 based on the direction of the seat surface 41 detected by the seat position sensor 47 that detects the direction of the seat surface 41. The driving direction of the wheels 21 is controlled to be reversed. Therefore, there is no need for the user or the helper to perform any operation, and simply by changing the orientation of the seat surface 41, the direction in which the drive motor 31 drives the drive wheels 21 can be reversed with respect to the direction in which the first operation section 81 is operated. It can be controlled as follows.

(4) Preferably, the wheelchair 1 includes a drive motor 31 that is provided on the frame 10 and drives the drive wheels 21, a first operating section 81 that is operated by the user and instructs the drive direction of the drive wheels 21, and a The controller 71 further includes a first mode switching button 82i and a second mode switching button 82j for switching the traveling direction of the first mode switching button 82i and a second mode switching button 82j for switching the traveling direction of the first Based on the traveling direction switched by the mode switching button 82i and the second mode switching button 82j, the driving direction of the driving wheel 21 by the driving motor 31 is controlled to be reversed with respect to the operating direction of the first operating section 81.

According to this configuration, the controller 71 adjusts the driving wheel 21 by the drive motor 31 in the operating direction of the first operating section 81 based on the traveling direction switched by the first mode switching button 82i and the second mode switching button 82j. control to reverse the driving direction. Therefore, based on the operation performed by the user or the helper, the driving direction of the drive wheels 21 by the drive motor 31 is controlled to be reversed with respect to the operating direction of the first operation part 81. This can prevent unintended movements of the wheelchair 1.

(5) Preferably, the seat surface 41 of the seat 40 is movable between at least a seating position where the user is seated and a retracted position where the user can enter and exit from the rear of the frame 10.

According to this configuration, the seat surface 41 of the seat 40 is movable between a seating position where a user is seated and a retracted position where the user can enter and exit from the rear of the frame 10. Further, the assistance mechanism 60 is provided in front of the seat 40 located in the seating position to support the user and assist the user in standing up. Therefore, the user can move from the bed 2 etc. to the wheelchair 1 and from the wheelchair 1 to the bed 2 etc. To provide a wheelchair 1 that allows a user to stand up without requiring assistance even when the user cannot stand up on his own.

(6) Preferably, the seat 40 is provided so that the seating surface 41 can rotate between a seating position behind the assistance mechanism 60 and a retracted position in the left-right direction of the seating position.

According to this configuration, the seat surface 41 of the seat 40 moves to the retracted position in the left-right direction of the seating position where the user is seated, so that the user can get off the wheelchair 1 without the seat 40 getting in the way. The user can move to the rear bed 2 or the like, or move from the bed 2 or the like and board the wheelchair 1.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments are merely examples of application of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is limited to the specific configuration of the above embodiments. isn't it.

For example, in the above embodiment, the seat direction switching mechanism 43 includes a fixed part 44 and a rotating part 45, and supports the seat 41 rotatably (rotation). Instead of this, for example, a mechanism that allows only the position of the backrest to move back and forth without rotating the seat 41 may be provided as the seat direction switching mechanism.

Further, in the above embodiment, the seat direction switching mechanism 43 is manually operated by the user or a caregiver, but instead of this, for example, the direction of the seat surface 41 may be electrically controlled using an actuator. The switching mechanism may be provided as a seat direction switching mechanism.

Further, in the above embodiment, the support column 63 is movable between a reference position that is substantially perpendicular to the frame 10 and a forward tilted position that is tilted forward from the reference position, but the support column 63 is not limited to this. It may also be configured to be movable from the reference position to a rearward tilted position. In this case, when the user in the wheelchair 1 is seated on the bed 2, etc., the support column 63 is tilted to a backward position with respect to the frame 10, so that the user can have a more comfortable posture. It is possible to make it possible to sit on the bed 2 or the like.

1 Wheelchair 10 Frame 20 Wheels 21 Drive wheels 30 Drive mechanism 31 Drive motor (drive unit)
40 Seat 41 Seat 43 Seat direction switching mechanism 47 Seat position sensor (detection unit)
60 Assistance mechanism 70 Control section 71 Controller 80 Operation section 81 First operation section (drive operation section)
82 Second operation section 82i First mode switching button (mode switching operation section)
82j 2nd mode switching button (mode switching operation section)

Claims (6)

In a wheelchair,
frame and
a plurality of wheels rotatably attached to the frame to support the frame;
an assistance mechanism attached to the frame that supports the user and assists the user in standing up;
a seat having a seat surface on which a user sits and is attached to the frame, and the assisting mechanism is located in front of the user when the seat surface faces forward;
a seat direction switching mechanism that is provided on the seat and changes the direction of the seat without changing the position of the seat on the frame;
Equipped with
wheelchair. The wheelchair according to claim 1,
The seat direction switching mechanism is configured to switch between a forward direction in which the assistance mechanism is located in front of the user when the user is seated on the seat, and a reverse direction in which the assistance mechanism is located in the back of the user. The direction of the seat can be changed,
wheelchair. The wheelchair according to claim 2,
a drive unit that is provided on the frame and drives the wheels;
a drive operation unit operated by a user to instruct the drive direction of the wheels;
a detection unit that detects the orientation of the seat surface;
a controller that controls driving of the wheels by the drive unit;
further comprising;
The controller determines the operation direction of the drive operation section based on the orientation of the seat surface detected by the detection section, depending on whether the seat surface is facing the forward direction or when the seat surface is facing the reverse direction. controlling the drive direction of the wheel by the drive unit to be reversed;
wheelchair. The wheelchair according to claim 2,
a drive unit that is provided on the frame and drives the wheels;
a drive operation unit operated by a user to instruct the drive direction of the wheels;
a mode switching operation unit for switching the direction of travel of the wheelchair;
a controller that controls driving of the wheels by the drive unit;
further comprising;
The controller controls the drive direction of the wheels by the drive unit to be reversed with respect to the operation direction of the drive operation unit, based on the traveling direction switched by the mode switching operation unit.
wheelchair. The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the seat, the seat surface is movable between at least a seating position where a user is seated and a retracted position where the user can enter and exit from the rear of the frame.
wheelchair. The wheelchair according to claim 5,
The seat is provided such that the seating surface is rotatable between the seating position behind the assistance mechanism and the retracted position in the left-right direction of the seating position.
wheelchair.

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