JP2023144660A - wheelchair attachment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wheelchair attachment which can be installed to an existing manual wheelchair afterward to give the wheelchair electrically-driven specifications, thereby aiming at traveling convenience, and expands the kinds of wheelchair that can be installed, to improve versatility.SOLUTION: A wheelchair attachment comprises: a flat plate-like substrate plate having a wheel mounting part mounting a pair of rear wheels of a wheelchair at left and right parts on an upper surface; two spherical wheels rotatably held by front and rear parts on a virtual center line extending in parallel to the wheel mounting part at a central part between a pair of wheel mounting parts; and two auxiliary spherical wheels which are rotatably held on the virtual orthogonal line orthogonal to the virtual center line, disposed outside horizontally of the two spherical wheels, and are smaller than the two spherical wheels.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wheelchair attachment that can be retrofitted onto a manual wheelchair to make the wheelchair electrically powered.

Conventionally, manual wheelchairs can be moved forward, backward, left, or right by the passenger manually rotating the handrims connected to the outside of the left and right rear wheels, or by the caregiver pushing the hand handle. It is configured so that it can be moved.

Such manual wheelchairs limit free movement, for example, when moving up a slope or changing direction, or when the wheelchair user, such as the passenger or caregiver, is incapacitated. There was a problem that the driving convenience was reduced.

To address these problems, a wheelchair attachment has been proposed that is retrofitted to an existing manual wheelchair to make the wheelchair electric, and the wheelchair is moved by the driving force of the drive wheels (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). reference).

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a rectangular box-shaped housing having a wheel rest part for a pair of rear wheels of a wheelchair on the top surface, and a housing having a spherical surface exposed at the bottom of the housing, which is placed at the four corners of the housing. A wheelchair attachment is disclosed that includes four spherical wheels, each of which is rotatably driven in all directions.

Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a wheelchair attachment that includes a substantially flat base plate having a pair of wheel rests on the upper surface, and a pair of left and right drive wheels provided on the left and right outer sides of the base plate. ing.

According to these wheelchair attachments, it is possible to smoothly turn a wheelchair with fixed rear wheels in any direction and to drive the wheelchair with electric power, thereby improving the convenience of running the wheelchair.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-173570 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-87728

However, all of the above conventional wheelchair attachments have problems due to their structure, such as poor workability when attached to a wheelchair, and lack of versatility as they cannot be adapted to wheelchairs of various sizes.

That is, according to the wheelchair attachment of Patent Document 1, due to the structure in which four spherical rings are disposed inside the housing, the height from the ground surface to the top surface of the housing, that is, the height to the wheel rest part is inevitably large. It becomes expensive.

For this reason, when the attachment is installed, it becomes difficult for the rear wheel of the wheelchair to climb onto the wheel rest, which not only worsens the workability of the wheelchair user, but also causes the height of the wheelchair to be carelessly raised after the attachment is installed. This caused problems with the safety of the passengers as it made the driving position unstable.

In addition, basically, manual wheelchairs come in large, medium, and small sizes, depending on the physical characteristics of the occupant, such as body size and degree of disability. That is, there are many wheelchairs of various sizes with different vehicle widths, that is, the distance between the pair of rear wheels.

According to the wheelchair attachment according to Patent Document 2, since the wheel rest is formed at a low position from the ground surface so as to scoop up the rear wheels of the wheelchair, it is possible to easily carry out the work of climbing the wheelchair onto the base plate. The pair of drive wheels provided on the left and right outer sides naturally limits the distance between the pair of inner wheel mounting portions.

In other words, due to the structure in which the pair of drive wheels is provided on the left and right outer sides of the base plate, the type of width of the wheelchair that can be placed is determined by the width of the separation between the pair of drive wheels, and the space of each wheel rest is limited. There is a problem in that the degree of freedom is reduced and the types of wheelchairs that can be fitted are inevitably limited, resulting in a lack of versatility.

If the width of the separation between the pair of drive wheels is increased to form a wheel rest part to match the assumed maximum width of the wheelchair on which the wheelchair is to be placed, the overall width of the device will become larger, and the attachment itself will become larger than the width of the wheelchair. There is a possibility that problems such as interference with the conductor may occur. This principle is particularly noticeable when the driving wheels are spherical wheels that rotate in all directions.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it can be retrofitted onto existing manual wheelchairs to make the same wheelchairs electrically powered, making it more convenient to drive, and it can also be used to accommodate various vehicle widths. To provide a wheelchair attachment with enhanced versatility and compatible with attachment to a wheelchair with.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides: (1) a flat base plate having a wheel rest portion on the left and right sides of the upper surface on which a pair of rear wheels of a wheelchair are placed; In a plan view, two spherical wheels are rotatably held at front and rear portions on a virtual center line extending parallel to each of the wheel rests at a central portion between the pair of wheel rests; two auxiliary spherical rings that are held rotatably on a virtual orthogonal line perpendicular to the virtual center line and are arranged on the left and right outer sides of the two spherical rings, and are smaller than the two spherical rings; A wheelchair attachment characterized in that the spherical centers of the two spherical rings are arranged above the height position of the pair of wheel mounts.

Furthermore, the wheelchair attachment according to the present invention has the following features (2) to (6).
(2) The two spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual orthogonal line, and the two auxiliary spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual center line, and one pair is arranged in the pair of wheel rests. The center of gravity of the weight of the wheelchair applied to the base plate when the rear wheels are placed is located at or near the intersection of the virtual center line and the virtual orthogonal line.
(3) The two auxiliary spherical rings are each held via a suspension.
(4) A retraction stopper is provided that comes into contact with rear side surfaces of the pair of rear wheels placed on the pair of wheel rests to restrict movement.
(5) A forward stopper is provided that comes into contact with the front side surface of the pair of rear wheels and clamps the rear wheels together with the pair of backward stoppers, and the pair of forward stoppers are adjustable in left and right positions on the base plate. Configured to.
(6) The pair of wheel mounting portions on the base plate are formed as inclined surface portions that slope downward from the front to the rear.
(7) Each of the pair of spherical rings is held inside a pair of internally hollow rectangular casings set upright on the base plate, and the rectangular casing is configured to hold the spherical rings inside. A plurality of ball casters are provided to support the spherical ring by contacting a spherical surface, and the height of the protrusion on the base plate is set to a height that does not interfere with the wheelchair.

According to the wheelchair attachment according to the present invention, there is provided a flat base plate having a wheel resting part on the left and right sides of the upper surface on which a pair of rear wheels of the wheelchair are placed; two spherical wheels that are rotatably held at the front and rear portions on an imaginary center line extending parallel to each of the wheel mounts at a central portion between the wheel mounts; two auxiliary spherical rings that are held rotatably on orthogonal lines and are arranged on the left and right outer sides of the two spherical rings, and are smaller than the two spherical rings, and the spherical centers of the two spherical rings; Since the wheel is placed above the height of the pair of wheel rests, it can be retrofitted to an existing manual wheelchair, making the wheelchair electrically powered, and can be driven in all directions in a plan view. This has the effect of improving the convenience of traveling, and increasing versatility by being compatible with wheelchairs of various widths.

In other words, by making effective use of the limited space on the base, the two spherical rings are arranged one behind the other on the base plate, so the wheel rests formed on the left and right sides are formed with as wide a space as possible. It is possible to expand the types of wheelchairs that can be equipped with attachments. Moreover, the attachment itself can be made more compact, and it is possible to prevent the attachment from interfering with the conducting wire as much as possible when the wheelchair is running after being fitted.

In addition, since the two spherical wheels are configured with their respective spherical centers located above the pair of wheel rests, it is possible to achieve stable driving force from the two spherical rings while also allowing the wheel rests to be placed as low as possible. The wheelchair can be held at a low position close to the ground surface, making it easier for the rear wheels of the wheelchair to climb onto the ground.

Furthermore, after the attachment is attached to the wheelchair, the lower part of the wheelchair is supported at four points using a total of four spherical rings (two rotating driving spherical rings and two auxiliary spherical rings) as fulcrums, so the weight of the wheelchair is supported. It is possible to travel in all directions in a plan view while distributing the spherical wheels using each spherical ring as a fulcrum, which has the effect of improving running stability.

Further, according to the invention according to claim 2, the two spherical rings are each arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual orthogonal line, and the two auxiliary spherical rings are each arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual center line, The center of gravity of the weight of the wheelchair applied to the base plate when the pair of rear wheels is placed on the pair of wheel rests is arranged at or near the intersection of the virtual center line and the virtual orthogonal line. As a result, while the posture of the attachment is stabilized by four-point support with each spherical ring on the ground as a fulcrum, the weight load of the wheelchair can be almost evenly distributed to each spherical ring, further improving running stability. There is an effect that can be used.

Further, according to the invention according to claim 3, since the two auxiliary spherical wheels are held by the respective suspensions, even if the ground surface on which the vehicle is traveling is uneven or tilted, the driving rotation The two auxiliary spherical rings and the two auxiliary spherical rings can be kept in constant contact with the ground via the suspension.

Therefore, it is possible to stably realize a four-point support state in which all four spherical wheels are always in contact with the ground, prevent wobbling during running, maintain a stable running posture, and further improve running stability. effective.

Further, according to the invention according to claim 4, since the rear wheels are provided with a backward stopper that comes into contact with the rear side surface portions of the pair of rear wheels placed on the pair of wheel rests and restricts the movement of the wheels, It is possible to apply a brake to the rear wheel placed on the placement part and to brake the rear wheel by fixing it on the base plate, which has the effect of stabilizing the mounting posture of the wheelchair.

Further, according to the invention according to claim 5, there is provided a forward stopper that comes into contact with the front side surface portions of the pair of rear wheels to sandwich the rear wheels together with the pair of backward stoppers, and the pair of forward stoppers are configured to Since the left and right positions on the base plate are adjustable, the rear wheel placed on the wheel rest between the backward stopper and the forward stopper can be more firmly placed and fixed.

In addition, since the contact position of the forward stopper to the rear wheels can be adjusted according to the size of the wheelchair, that is, the width of the vehicle, the rear wheels can be securely placed and fixed according to the width of the wheelchair. It has the effect of

Further, according to the invention according to claim 6, since the pair of wheel rests on the base plate are formed as inclined surface parts that slope downward from the front to the rear, when the wheelchair runs onto the wheel rests, In this case, the rear wheels naturally roll backwards from the front of the wheel rest toward the rear, which has the effect of assisting the work of climbing onto a vehicle.

Furthermore, in the embodiment in which a backward stopper is provided, the rear wheel rotating backward on the wheel rest hits and engages with the backward stopper and is regulated to a stop, making it easy to position the rear wheel on the wheel rest. There is an effect that can be done.

Further, according to the invention according to claim 7, each of the pair of spherical rings is held inside a pair of internally hollow rectangular casings erected on the base plate, and the spherical rings are each held inside a pair of hollow rectangular casings. The body is provided with a plurality of ball casters that support the spherical ring by contacting the spherical surface of the spherical ring inside the body, and the height of the protrusion on the base plate is set to a height that does not interfere with the wheelchair. This has the effect of making it possible to carry out the boarding operation quickly. Furthermore, since the spherical rings are held in their corresponding rectangular casings, the structure can be simplified and component costs can be reduced as much as possible.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wheelchair equipped with a wheelchair attachment according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a top perspective view showing the configuration of a wheelchair attachment according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a wheelchair attachment according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a wheelchair attachment according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a left-right adjustment aspect of the forward movement stopper of the wheelchair attachment according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the relative positional relationship of the spherical ring, the auxiliary spherical ring, and the wheel rest of the wheelchair attachment according to the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing the composition of the spherical ring of the wheelchair attachment concerning the present invention. It is an explanatory view showing the composition of the spherical ring of the wheelchair attachment concerning the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the electrical configuration of the wheelchair attachment according to the present invention.

The gist of the present invention is to provide a flat base plate having wheel rest portions on the left and right portions of the upper surface on which a pair of rear wheels of a wheelchair are placed; Two spherical wheels are rotatably held at the front and rear on an imaginary center line that extends parallel to each of the wheel rests at the center between them, and rotate on an imaginary orthogonal line that is orthogonal to the imaginary center line. and two auxiliary spherical rings which are smaller than the two spherical rings and which are arranged on the left and right outer sides of the two spherical rings, and the spherical centers of the two spherical rings are connected to the spherical centers of the two spherical rings. To provide a wheelchair attachment characterized in that it is arranged above the height position of a wheel rest.

The two spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual orthogonal line, and the two auxiliary spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual center line. The wheelchair is characterized in that the center of gravity of the weight of the wheelchair applied to the base plate when the wheel is placed is located at or near the intersection of the virtual center line and the virtual orthogonal line.

Further, the two auxiliary spherical rings are each held by a suspension.

The vehicle is also characterized in that it includes a backward stopper that comes into contact with rear side surfaces of the pair of rear wheels placed on the pair of wheel rests to restrict movement.

Further, a forward stopper is provided that comes into contact with the front side surface portions of the pair of rear wheels and clamps the rear wheels together with the pair of backward stoppers, and the pair of forward stoppers are adjustable in left and right positions on the base plate. It is characterized by its structure.

Further, the pair of wheel mounting portions of the base plate are characterized in that they are formed as inclined surface portions that slope downward from the front to the rear.

Further, each of the pair of spherical rings is held inside a pair of internally hollow rectangular casings set upright on the base plate, and the rectangular casing has a spherical surface of the spherical ring inside. The wheelchair is characterized in that it includes a plurality of ball casters that support the spherical ring by contacting the base plate, and the height of the protrusion on the base plate is set to a height that does not interfere with the wheelchair.

Examples of the wheelchair attachment according to the present invention will be described below. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the wheelchair with the wheelchair attachment attached, Figure 2 is a top perspective view showing the configuration of the chair attachment, Figure 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the wheelchair attachment, and Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the wheelchair attachment. 5(a) and 5(b) are schematic plan views showing the left and right adjustment mode of the forward stopper of the wheelchair attachment, and FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are the spherical ring of the wheelchair attachment, A schematic plan view showing the relative positional relationship between the auxiliary spherical ring and the wheel rest, FIGS. 7(a) to 8(b) are explanatory diagrams showing the configuration of the spherical ring of the wheelchair attachment, and FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an electrical configuration. In addition, in the following description, the front side (symbol F), the rear side (symbol B), the left side (symbol L), and the right side (symbol R) will be described based on the traveling direction of the wheelchair attachment, unless the direction is specifically defined.

[1. General description of wheelchair attachment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the wheelchair attachment A according to the present embodiment generally has wheel rests 2L and 2R on the left and right parts of the upper surface on which a pair of rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W are mounted. A flat base plate 1, a pair of front and rear spherical wheels 3F, 3B held rotatably at the center between the pair of left and right wheel rests 2L, 2R on the base plate 1, and the base plate 1. It is configured to include a pair of left and right auxiliary spherical wheels 4L, 4R rotatably held on the left and right outer sides of the pair of left and right wheel rests 2L, 2R, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, this attachment A has a drive truck with a convex overall appearance, and as shown in FIG. In addition to forming a power source arrangement area 11 in which power sources are densely arranged, the wheels form wheel rest parts 2L and 2R in which the left and right parts in the width direction of the base plate 1 corresponding to the convex left and right flanges are made as wide as possible. It is configured into loading areas 10L and 10R.

The manual wheelchair W to which this attachment A is attached has a range of motion of the upper body of the passenger, taking into consideration the convenience of the passenger in places where the wheelchair W is used, such as outdoors on roads or indoors in buildings. It is designed to ensure ergonomic dimensions and basic movement dimensions such as forward and backward movement of the wheelchair W and direction change.

Such wheelchairs W are manufactured in accordance with the dimensions specified by standards such as JIS standards (JIS T9201) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 7193, 7176/5), or have dimensions of other special specifications. Including those made with.

In other words, this attachment A is designed to accommodate at least the maximum width of the various widths of the wheelchair W, without sacrificing the inherent convenience for the occupant of the wheelchair W manufactured with these ergonomic dimensions and basic operating dimensions. It is constructed with a width that does not interfere with the conductor wires at each facility after installation.

The wheelchair W equipped with this attachment A has rear wheels W1L and W1R mounted and fixed on the left and right wheel rests 2L and 2R, respectively, while straddling the central power source arrangement area 11, and front wheels W2L and W2R. is grounded on the ground surface, and runs electrically while being supported downward by a pair of front and rear spherical wheels 3F, 3B and a pair of left and right auxiliary spherical wheels 4L, 4R.

Although the details will be described later, the spherical rings 3F and 3B are pressed against the spherical surfaces of the spherical rings 3F and 3B, and are driven by two driving rollers 30 and 31 arranged at right angles with the spherical rings 3F and 3B as the center. Drive rotates.

That is, after attaching the attachment A to the wheelchair W, the wheelchair W is supported at four points from below using the two spherical rings 3F and 3B and the two auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R, a total of four spherical rings as fulcrums. Therefore, while distributing the weight load of the wheelchair W using each of the spherical wheels 3F to 4R as a fulcrum, the wheelchair W can travel in all directions in a plan view, and traveling stability can be achieved.

In this way, the wheelchair attachment A of the present invention not only can be retrofitted to an existing manual wheelchair W to easily change the same wheelchair W to an electric version, but also expands the applicable width of the wheelchair W to accommodate the wheelchair W. This is an epoch-making invention that improves versatility and convenience for wheelchair users, and allows the vehicle to travel in any direction in plan view, that is, in all directions, without having to change direction.

[2. Specific configuration of wheelchair attachment]
The specific configuration of this attachment A will be described below. The base plate 1 has a flat thin plate shape that is rectangular in plan view, and is made of a rigid material such as metal or hard resin. The base plate 1 is formed to have a width at least equal to or larger than the width of the wheelchair W, and its dimensions are, for example, 760 mm to 800 mm in width and 460 to 500 mm in longitudinal length.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of spherical ring arrangement holes are formed at predetermined positions of the base plate 1 so as to rotatably insert and arrange the spherical rings 3F, 3B and auxiliary spherical rings 4L, 4R, respectively. There is. Note that the corners of the base plate 1 are rounded.

In the base plate 1, the left and right widths of the pair of wheel mounting portions 2L and 2R (each width of the wheel loading areas 10L and 10R) are determined by the power at which the pair of spherical wheels 3F and 3B are arranged, as shown in FIG. The horizontal width is approximately the same as or smaller than the horizontal width of the source arrangement area 11.

Thereby, the left and right widths of the respective wheel mounts 2L and 2R on the base plate 1 can be expanded as much as possible to accommodate the width of the wheelchair W as much as possible, and the attachment can be made more compact.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a battery 9 for power supply is provided at the rear of the wheel loading areas 10L and 10R of the base plate 1 in the longitudinal direction, that is, at the rear of the wheel mounting portions 2L and 2R, respectively. A control section 6 that controls the rotational drive of the spherical rings 3F and 3B is provided.

Specifically, in the longitudinal direction of the wheel loading areas 10L and 10R, the wheel loading areas 2L and 2R are formed in approximately 2/3 area from the front side, and the heavy objects are formed in approximately 1/3 area area from the rear side. A control unit 6 and a battery 9 are provided. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 13 is an inverted U-shaped handle for carrying the attachment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of wheel rests 2L and 2R are formed as rectangular regions that extend longitudinally in a symmetrical manner to each other on the upper surface of the base plate 1 in plan view. The front ends of the wheel rests 2L and 2R, that is, the upper corners of the front end of the base plate 1, are chamfered to make it easier for the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W to enter.

Moreover, each wheel mounting part 2L, 2R is formed in the inclined surface part which inclines downward from the front to the rear, as shown in FIG. Of the pair of front and rear spherical rings 3F and 3B held on the base plate 1, by supporting the rear spherical ring 3B at a higher position than the front spherical ring 3F with respect to the base plate 1, the entire base plate 1 can be seen in side view. The wheel mounting portions 2L and 2R are formed on inclined surfaces by slanting them downward.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear spherical ring 3B includes a plate-shaped bulky spacer 12 having a predetermined thickness on the upper surface of the base plate 1, and a rectangular housing 5B on the rear side, which will be described later, and the base plate 1. By being held in the isogonal housing 5B by being interposed between the front spherical ring 3F and the front spherical ring 3F, the spherical center SB is held at a higher position than the spherical center SF of the front spherical ring 3F.

As a result, the supporting portion of the rear spherical ring 3B exposed from the bottom surface of the spherical ring 3F becomes shorter than the supporting portion of the front spherical ring 3F, and the height difference (height from the horizontal ground surface) between the front and rear ends of the base plate 1 As a result, the vehicle height of the entire attachment A becomes lower from the front end to the rear end, and the attitude of the base plate 1 is inclined from the front to the rear.

As shown in FIG. 4, based on the horizontal ground plane, the front end height h1 of the base plate 1 is 9 to 11 mm, the rear end height h2 of the base plate 1 is 6 to 9 mm, and the inclination angle is 0.3 to 0.6. ° (preferably 0.4 to 0.5°). Moreover, such inclinations of the wheel mounting portions 2L and 2R can also be formed in another manner, for example, by mounting and fixing a gradually inclined thin plate on the base plate 1.

As a result, when the wheelchair W runs onto the wheel rests 2L, 2R, the rear wheels W1L, W1R will naturally roll backwards from the front of the wheel rests 2L, 2R toward the rear. It can assist with climbing operations.

As shown in FIG. 3, on the four sides of the wheel rests 2L and 2R, there are rear wheels that restrict the movement of the rear wheels W1L and W1R mounted on the wheel rests 2L and 2R. A ring regulating member is provided.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5(a), and 5(b), the plurality of rear wheel regulating members include a backward stopper 20L that is erected at the rear end of the wheel rest portions 2L and 2R on the base plate 1. , 20R, forward stoppers 21L, 21R that stand up at the front ends of the wheel rests 2L, 2R, and inner and outer guides 22L, 22R, 23L, 23R that stand facing each other at both left and right ends of the wheel rests 2L, 2R. , and form the four side walls of the wheel mounting portions 2L and 2R, respectively.

The backward stoppers 20L and 20R are band-like L-shaped angles, and as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5(b), the L-shaped vertical portions at the rear of the base plate 1 are connected to the wheel rests 2L and 2R. It stands up and extends along the width direction.

This prevents the upper ends of the L-shaped vertical parts of the backward stoppers 20L and 20R from coming into contact with the rear side surfaces of the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W placed on the wheel rests 2L and 2R, thereby preventing the wheelchair W from moving backward. It is possible. Further, when the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W are placed on the wheel rests 2L and 2R, the front-rear center (axle) of the wheelchair W can be aligned with the front-rear center of the wheelchair attachment A.

In addition, the inner and outer guides 22L, 22R, 23L, and 23R are band plate members that are bent in a C-shape when viewed from above, as shown in FIGS. The entrances 2aL, 2aR for the rear wheels W1L, W1R to ride on are extended along the front and back direction of the wheel rests 2L, 2R, respectively, and are arranged on the left and right parts of the base plate 1 so as to expand forward. There is.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5(b), the inner and outer guides 22L, 22R, 23L, and 23R have their long side portions facing each other in a plan view, and their short side portions face each other. The sides are arranged so as to be inclined outward from each other toward the front.

The heights of the outer guides 23L and 23R are set to 20 mm, for example, so as not to interfere with the hand rims attached to the outer sides of the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W placed on the wheel rests 2L and 2R.

As a result, the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W can be easily received from the entrances 2aL and 2aR into the wheel rest parts 2L and 2R, and the rear wheels W1L and W1R mounted on the wheel rest parts 2L and 2R can be easily received inside and outside the rear wheels W1L and W1R. By making the long side portions face each other on the side surfaces, careless movement of the rear wheels W1L and W1R in the left-right direction when the wheelchair attachment A is traveling can be restricted.

Basically, movement of the rear wheels W1L, W1R on the wheel rests 2L, 2R in the left-right direction is restricted only by the pair of left and right inner guides 22L, 22R.

As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the attachment A is attached to the pair of left and right inner guides 22L, 22R so that their proximal surfaces face the inner surfaces of the rear wheels W1L, W1R, respectively. The vertical position on the base plate 1 can be adjusted in accordance with the width of the wheelchair W, that is, the inner width of the rear wheels W1L and W1R. That is, the widths of the wheel rests 2L and 2R are expanded or reduced as the positions of the inner guides 22L and 22R are adjusted to match the inner widths of the rear wheels W1L and W1R.

As a result, when placing the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W on the wheel rests 2L and 2R, the width center of the wheelchair W can be aligned with the left and right center of the wheelchair attachment A, and after being placed, Unintentional displacement of the wheelchair W in the left and right directions can be prevented.

Note that reference numerals 22aL and 22aR indicate a plurality of guide position adjustment holes formed through the upper surface of the base plate 1 at regular intervals in the left-right direction in order to erect and fix the inner guides 22L and 22R via bolts.

The lower ends of these inner guides 22L, 22R are attached with magnetic bodies (magnets) that attract the base plate 1 when inserted into the guide position adjustment holes 22aL, 22aR, and the inner guides 22L, 22R are attached to the base plate 1. 1 so that it can be more stably erected and fixed.

Further, the pair of left and right outer guides 23L and 23R are each provided on the base plate 1 with a distance suitable for a wheelchair whose maximum width is the vehicle width (outer width). The distance between the pair of left and right outer guides 23L and 23R is, for example, 600 mm to 700 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the forward movement stoppers 21L and 21R are provided with pivot shafts 21aL and 21aR that are erected at the front end of the base plate 1, and levers 21bL and 21aR centered on the pivot shafts 21aL and 21aR. The engagement plates 21cL and 21cR have rectangular plate shapes that rotate through the engagement plate 21bR and open and close the entrance ports 2aL and 2aR at the front ends of the wheel rest portions 2L and 2R.

The engagement plates 21cL, 21cR rotate around the pivot shafts 21aL, 21aR by locking the levers 21bL, 21bR, and close the entrance ports 2aL, 2aR at the front ends of the wheel rests 2L, 2R. It becomes parallel to the width direction of 2R.

In this manner, when attaching the wheelchair attachment A to the wheelchair W, the levers 21bL and 21bR are opened and moved around the pivots 21aL and 21aR to open and displace the engagement plates 21cL and 21cR, thereby opening the front ends of the wheel rests 2L and 2R. Open the entrances 2aL and 2aR.

In addition, after the rear wheels W1L and W1R ride on the wheel rests 2L and 2R, the pivots 21aL and 21aR are operated to lock the center levers 21bL and 21bR to close and displace the engagement plates 21cL and 21cR to engage them. The plates 21cL and 21cR close the entry ports 2aL and 2aR at the front ends of the wheel rests 2L and 2R, and the upper ends of the engagement plates 21cL and 21cR are connected to the front surfaces of the rear wheels W1L and W1R in the wheel rests 2L and 2R. Pressingly engages the part.

That is, the rear wheels W1L and W1R placed on the wheel rests 2L and 2R are moved by the forward stoppers 21L and 21R and the backward stopper 20L, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5(a) and 5(b). 20R, the rear side part (the lower rear side part of the rear wheels W1L, W1R) is press-fitted and engaged with the reverse stoppers 20L, 20R, and the front side part (the lower front side part of the rear wheels W1L, W1R) is moved forward. In the state of pressure contact engagement with the stoppers 21L, 21R, it is clamped and fixed from both front and rear sides by both stoppers 21L, 21R, 20L, and 20R.

Thereby, when the wheelchair attachment A travels, the rear wheels W1L and W1R can be restrained from unintentionally moving in the front-rear direction and braked, thereby making it possible to stabilize the attachment wearing posture of the wheelchair W.

Further, the forward stoppers 21L and 21R are configured so that their left and right positions on the base plate 1 can be adjusted similarly to the above-described inner guides 22L and 22R.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the forward stoppers 21L and 21R are engaged in a locked state on the base plate 1 in accordance with the distance between the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W. The standing positions of the pivots 21aL and 21aR are configured to be adjustable in the left-right direction so that the plates 21cL and 21cR are located facing the front side surfaces of the rear wheels W1L and W1R.

In addition, in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), symbols 21dL and 21dR are provided at regular intervals in the left-right direction in order to vertically fix the forward stoppers 21L and 21R via bolts at the front end of the upper surface of the base plate 1. A plurality of stopper position adjustment holes are formed through the stopper.

Here, what is noteworthy about the present invention is that in the base plate 1 which has the wheel mounting portions 2L and 2R formed on the left and right sides as described above, two spherical wheels 3F and 3B that serve as traveling drive sources and two It has a relative positional relationship with two auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R that are smaller than the spherical ring.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in a plan view of the base plate 1, the two spherical rings 3F and 3B pass through the center between the pair of wheel mounts 2L and 2R, and also The two auxiliary spherical wheels 4L, 4R are held rotatably at the front and rear parts on an imaginary center line C1 (indicated by broken line in FIG. 3) extending parallel to the parts 2L, 2R, and the two auxiliary spherical rings 4L, 4R are attached to the imaginary center line C1. It is held rotatably on an orthogonal virtual orthogonal line C2 (indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 3), and is arranged on the left and right outer sides of the two spherical rings 3F and 3B.

In particular, the two spherical rings 3F and 3B are each arranged symmetrically about the virtual orthogonal line C2, and the two auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R are each arranged symmetrically about the imaginary center line C1.

Furthermore, when the rear wheels W1L and W1R are placed on the respective wheel rests 2L and 2R, the center of gravity of the weight of the wheelchair W applied to the base plate 1 is at or near the intersection I of the virtual center line C1 and the virtual orthogonal line C2. will be placed in As shown in FIG. 3, the intersection I between the virtual center line C1 and the virtual orthogonal line C2 is eccentrically arranged toward the front of the center 10C of the base plate 1 in plan view.

In particular, the axles of the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W placed on the wheel rests 2L and 2R are arranged on the virtual orthogonal line C2 or along an axis parallel to the virtual orthogonal line C2. .

In this way, the posture of this attachment A on the ground, on which the wheelchair W is placed and fixed, is stabilized by four-point support with each spherical ring 3F to 4R as a fulcrum, and the weight load of the wheelchair W is reduced to each spherical ring. It is distributed almost evenly from 3F to 4R to improve running stability.

In addition, the distance between the front and rear pair of spherical rings 3F and 3B (the distance between the ball centers SF and SB) and the distance between the left and right pair of auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R (the distance between the ball centers SL and SR) The distance) is not particularly limited as long as it is a distance that allows the wheelchair W mounted and fixed on the base plate 1 to travel stably. For example, the distance between the spherical rings 3F and 3B is preferably 270 to 290 mm, and the distance between the auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R is preferably 710 mm to 730 mm.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the distance d1 between the two spherical rings 3F and 3B arranged along the virtual center line C1 (indicated by the vertical broken line arrow in the figure) and the virtual orthogonal line C2 The relationship between the distance d2 (indicated by the horizontal broken line arrow in the figure) between the two auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R arranged along is d1:d2=1.0:2.0 to 3.0, more preferably d1:d2 By setting =1.0:2.4 to 2.8, the posture of the wheelchair W equipped with the wheelchair attachment A is stabilized.

In addition, the two spherical rings 3F and 3B and the two auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R protrude downward from the bottom surface of the base plate 1 so as to form a virtual plane passing through their respective ground support points with the ground surface. 1 is supported at a constant height from the ground.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the two spherical rings 3F and 3B have their respective spherical centers SF and SB located above the height position (upper surface) of the pair of wheel rests 2L and 2R (base plate 1). are arranged and held on the base plate 1.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the two auxiliary spherical wheels 4L and 4R connect their respective spherical centers SL and SR to a pair of wheel rests 2L and 2R (base plate 1 ) or below.

This allows the wheel rests 2L and 2R to be maintained at a low position as close to the ground surface as possible, while the driving members for realizing stable driving force of the two spherical wheels 3F and 3B are arranged in series. This makes it easier for the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W to climb onto the vehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the spherical rings 3F and 3B are held inside a pair of hollow rectangular casings 5F and 5B that are erected at the front and rear of the base plate 1, respectively. The spherical rings 3F and 3B have the same diameter and size, and are made of true spheres made of resin such as polycarbonate or urethane rubber.

The size of the spherical rings 3F and 3B is set to 100 mm, for example, so that the installation area on the base plate 1 does not become too large when the spherical rings 3F and 3B are attached to the base plate 1, as shown in FIG. The following is an attempt to save space as much as possible.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, around the square housings 5F and 5B, there are holding members that hold the spherical rings 3F and 3B inside the square housings 5F and 5B. The drive members to be driven are arranged closely and closely together.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6(a), each of the rectangular casings 5F and 5B is a substantially cubic box-shaped member, and the spherical rings 3F and 5B are in contact with the spherical surfaces of the spherical rings 3F and 3B in the inner space. , 3B.

Three ball casters 50 are arranged in the spherical rings 3F, 3B at regular intervals in the circumferential direction at the spherical centers SF, SB in a plan view, and in contact with the upper hemispherical surface of the spherical rings 3F, 3B in a side view. The spherical rings 3F, 3B are held in contact with each other inside the rectangular housings 5F, 5B.

As shown in FIGS. 7(a), 7(b), and 8(b), the rectangular casings 5F and 5B are arranged at the four corners of a square in plan view, and are erected on the base plate 1. A book support 51, a square plate-shaped top plate 52 that covers the upper ends of the four support posts 51, and a plurality of ball casters 50 rotatably supported vertically from the bottom of the top plate 52 via brackets 53. It is configured with the following.

The height of the rectangular casings 5F and 5B on the base plate 1 is such that when the rear wheels W1L and W1R are placed on the left and right wheel rests 2L and 2R, they will interfere with the axle of the wheelchair W. Not as high as it should be.

As shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the plurality of brackets 53 are thin plate members bent into an F-shape when viewed from the side, and are attached to the top plate 52 at the base end of the long side of the F-shape. A ball caster 50 is vertically installed and rotatably connected to the tip of the short side of the curve.

That is, the three brackets 53 are fixed at their base ends to the bottom surface of the top plate 52 as shown in FIG. It is located. Note that the ball caster 50 at the tip of each bracket 53 is rotatably held by a rectangular holder member 50a.

As a result, when the spherical wheels 3F, 3B travel on an uneven surface as a ground surface, each bracket 53 functions as a suspension, and each bracket 53 elastically deforms to cope with uneven terrain, and the spherical wheels 3F, 3B It can be kept in contact with the ground at all times. In addition, each bracket 53 may be arranged so as to constantly bias the spherical rings 3F and 3B downward in order to correspond to the concave surface of the ground surface.

Further, the spherical rings 3F and 3B are configured to rotate forward and backward and left and right by two drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B and 31B that press against the spherical surfaces from directions perpendicular to each other toward the spherical centers SF and SB and rotate vertically. are doing.

The drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B are arranged on the virtual center line C1 and parallel to the virtual orthogonal line C2, and the forward and backward drive rollers 30F and 30B press against one of the front and rear sides of the spherical rings 3F and 3B. The spherical rings 3F, 3B are arranged along a horizontal axis and press-contact with one of the right and left sides of the spherical rings 3F, 3B.

As shown in FIGS. 6(a), 6(b), and 8(b), each driving roller 30F, 31F, 30B, 31B is connected to the adjacent support columns 51, 51 in the rectangular housings 5F, 5B. It protrudes inward from between them toward the spherical rings 3F, 3B arranged inside the rectangular casings 5F, 5B.

In addition, in each figure of FIG.2, FIG.3, FIG.6(a) - FIG.7(b), the code|symbol 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B is connected to each drive roller 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B by a rotating shaft, respectively. This is a drive motor that rotates the same roller integrally.

That is, the drive motor includes forward and backward drive motors 34F and 34B that roll forward and backward drive rollers 30F and 30B back and forth, and left and right drive motors 35F and 35B that roll left and right drive rollers 31F and 31B back and forth. are doing.

Each of the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B having such a configuration is driven by a pressure-bonding biasing mechanism 8 to adjust the spherical center of each spherical ring 3F, 3B, as shown in FIGS. The roller surfaces are constantly pressed against the spherical surfaces of the spherical rings 3F and 3B by being constantly pressed and biased toward SF and SB.

As shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 8(b), the crimping biasing mechanism 8 is disposed facing the side surfaces of the rectangular housings 5F, 5B, and the driving rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, A bracket rail 80 that slides the rollers 31B toward the spherical wheels 3F and 3B, and an urging spring 81 that presses and biases the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B on the bracket rail 80 toward the spherical wheels 3F and 3B. It consists of

As shown in FIG. 7(b), the bracket rail 80 is an L-shaped band plate-like member, and drives drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B connected to drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B in a spherical ring. It has a horizontal rail groove part 80a that guides in the directions of 3F and 3B, and a vertical wall part 80b that is formed upright at the base end of the horizontal rail groove part 80a.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 8(b), the biasing spring 81 is attached to the drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B on the horizontal rail groove 80a and the vertical wall 80b in the bracket rail 80. is interposed between.

As a result, the biasing spring 81 constantly directs each drive roller 30F, 31F, 30B, 31B together with the drive motor 34F, 35F, 34B, 35B toward each spherical ring 3F, 3B on the horizontal rail groove 80a of the bracket rail 80. The roller surfaces of the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B are pressed against the spherical surfaces of the spherical rings 3F and 3B at all times.

In addition, at positions facing each of the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B with spherical rings 3F and 3B interposed therebetween, there are shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 8(b), spherical receivers 32F, 33F, 32B, and 33B are provided which contact the spherical rings 3F and 3B and receive rotation of the spherical rings 3F and 3B.

Each of the spherical receivers 32F, 33F, 32B, and 33B is composed of ball casters 32bF, 33bF, 32bB, and 33bB rotatably held by holder members 32aF, 33aF, 32aB, and 33aB, but the spherical ring 3F, There is no particular limitation as long as it can hold and slide the spherical rings 3F and 3B while in contact with 3B.

In addition, each of the spherical receivers 32F, 33F, 32B, and 33B is a belt constructed between adjacent columns 51, 51 of the rectangular casings 5F, 5B, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b). The plates 32cF, 33cF, 32cB, and 33cB protrude and support inside the rectangular casings 5F and 5B.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7(b) and FIG. 8(b), each driving roller 30F, 31F, 30B, 31B and the spherical receiver 32F, 33F, 32B, 33B pass through the spherical centers SF, SB and reach the virtual center. The spherical rings are arranged on the horizontal diameters C3 and C4 (indicated by dotted lines in FIGS. 7(b) and 8(b), respectively) of the spherical rings 3F and 3B parallel to the line C1 and the virtual orthogonal line C2, and the spherical rings are It comes into contact with the spherical parts of 3F and 3B, and holds the spherical rings 3F and 3B between them.

In other words, each spherical ring 3F, 3B has two drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, 31B arranged perpendicularly to the spherical centers SF, SB, as shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 8(b). and two spherical receivers 32F, 33F, 32B, and 33B arranged point-symmetrically with respect to each drive roller 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B with respect to the spherical centers SF and SB, respectively, from all sides in the left-right direction and the front-back direction. It is configured to be supported under pressure with four points of contact.

In this way, as a structure for holding the pair of front and rear spherical rings 3F and 3B on the base plate 1, a building structure consisting of four pillars 51 and a top plate 52 is adopted instead of a housing structure that covers the entire structure. The installation space of the support member on the base plate 1 is saved as much as possible.

As a result, on the base plate 1, drive members such as drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, 31B and drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, 35B are densely arranged in the front and rear direction in the power source arrangement area 11 at the center in the width direction. At the same time, the wheel mounting parts 2L and 2R can be widened, and the entire attachment can be made more compact.

In addition, the pair of left and right auxiliary spherical wheels 4L, 4R are located on the outer side of the wheel rests 2L, 2R on the base plate 1, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5(a) to 6(b). They are located at the left and right ends of the .

As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of left and right auxiliary spherical rings 4L, 4R are rotatably held by internally hollow rectangular holder members 4aL, 4aR, and the spherical rings are rotated downwardly via suspensions 40L, 40R. It is held on the base plate 1 facing toward.

As shown in FIG. 4, the suspensions 40L, 40R have rectangular pedestals 41L, 41R protruding from the base plate 1, base ends fixed to the upper surfaces of the rectangular pedestals 41L, 41R, extending in the horizontal direction, and free tips. It is composed of support plates 42L and 42R in the form of rectangular strips on which auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R are vertically disposed.

That is, the auxiliary spherical rings 4L, 4R, like the front and rear spherical rings 3F, 3B, are cantilevered at the free ends of support plates 42L, 42R whose base ends are fixed to square pedestals 41L, 41R so as to be in contact with the horizontal ground surface. The base plate 1 is supported and exposed below the base plate 1 so that the base plate 1 is supported downwardly.

As a result, it is possible to stably realize a four-point support state in which all four spherical rings are always in contact with the ground, prevent wobbling during running, and maintain a stable running posture.

That is, when the ground surface is not a horizontal surface but an uneven surface, the suspensions 40L and 40R can elastically deform to cope with the unevenness. Note that the suspensions 40L, 40R may be configured to slightly constantly bias the auxiliary spherical wheels 4L, 4R downward in order to accommodate the concave surface, similar to the aforementioned spherical wheels 3F, 3B.

Further, the pair of auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R are configured so that their front and rear positions on the base plate 1 can be adjusted along an axis parallel to the virtual center line C1, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). are doing. Specifically, each of the auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R is arranged on the base plate 1 so that the front and rear positions of each suspension 40L and 40R can be adjusted along an axis parallel to the virtual center line C1. It is configured to displace the front and rear positions of C2.

In addition, the spherical ring arrangement holes 43L and 43R for the auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R formed through the base plate 1 have their longitudinal ends aligned with the virtual center line C1 in plan view, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). The elongated holes are formed to extend in parallel, and the front and rear positions of the auxiliary spherical rings 4L and 4R can be adjusted within the elongated holes.

As a result, the position of the virtual orthogonal line C2 can be changed according to the axle position of the wheelchair W to be attached, that is, the diameter of the rear wheels W1L and W1R, and the posture in which the attachment A is attached to the wheelchair W can be stabilized. can.

[3. Electrical configuration of wheelchair attachment]
Next, the electrical configuration for controlling the traveling movement of the attachment A in the control section 6 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 6 includes drive motors 34F, 34B, 35F for forward and backward drive rollers 30F and 30B and left and right drive rollers 31F and 31B, which drive and rotate a pair of front and rear spherical wheels 3F and 3B, respectively. 35B, a battery 9 for power supply, and an input terminal 7 for inputting driving instruction information necessary for driving such as traveling direction, driving speed, power ON/OFF, etc.

The control unit 6 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

The ROM stores operational control information for adjusting the rotation direction and driving force (torque) of each spherical ring 3F, 3B, and the RAM temporarily stores running instruction information input from the input terminal 7. functions as a storage area.

The CPU refers to the operation control information stored in the ROM and the travel instruction information stored in the RAM, and synchronizes each spherical ring 3F, 3B to move the attachment A in any direction or stop it. Contains programs to do this.

The input terminal 7 may be, for example, a joystick or a smartphone installed with an application dedicated to operation, as long as it can be operated by a passenger of the wheelchair W or a helper. Furthermore, the connection method between the input terminal 7 and the control unit 6 may be a wired method using a cord or the like or a wireless method using radio waves.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 6 controls the forward and backward drive motors 34F and 34B to cause the forward and backward drive rollers 30F and 30B to operate at the same speed, the same amount of rotation, and in synchronization. The spherical rings 3F and 3B are synchronously interlocked at the same speed, the same amount of rotation, and the same front and rear directions.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 6 controls the left and right drive motors 35F and 35B to synchronize and interlock the left and right drive rollers 31F and 31B at the same speed and the same amount of rotation. The spherical rings 3F and 3B are synchronously interlocked at the same speed, the same amount of rotation, and the same left and right directions.

That is, the front and rear spherical rings 3F and 3B are controlled by the control unit 6 to synchronize omnidirectional movements such as left, right, front, back, diagonal, etc.

When the control unit 6 having such a configuration receives running instruction information such as forward/backward movement or direction change from the input terminal 7 operated by the wheelchair user, it controls the rotational direction and direction of the spherical wheels 3F, 3B according to the running instruction information. Calculate the rotation speed.

Next, the control unit 6 selects the drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B in accordance with the calculated rotational direction and controls the rotation of each of the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B. At this time, torque control of the drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B is performed depending on the situation.

Further, the control unit 6 calculates in advance the relationship between the rotation of the spherical rings 3F and 3B and the motion of the wheelchair W and the attachment A, and performs PID control with the movement speed instructed by the wheelchair user as the target value. You can also do this.

[4. Attachment of wheelchair attachment to wheelchair and control of traveling movement]
Next, attachment of the wheelchair attachment to the wheelchair and travel control will be described. First, a wheelchair user, such as a passenger or a caregiver, adjusts the width (inner width) of the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W placed on the wheelchair attachment A, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5. As shown in (b), the left and right positions of the inner guides 22L, 22R and the forward movement stoppers 21L, 21R are adjusted.

Next, the wheelchair attachment A is brought into contact with the ground surface to enter the braking state. This braking state of the wheelchair attachment A is achieved by turning on the power via the input terminal 7 and setting the speed of each spherical ring 3F, 3B to zero using the control unit 6.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 6 controls the rotation of the drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B to stop, and uses electromagnetic force to control the rotation of each of the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B. An electromagnetic brake with a fixed rotating shaft applies a braking friction force to each of the spherical wheels 3F and 3B, thereby realizing a braking state of the wheelchair attachment A.

This eliminates the need to mount a physical brake mechanism such as a brake shoe that slides directly on the spherical wheels 3F and 3B, making it possible to save space on the base plate 1 and make the wheelchair attachment A more compact.

Note that even if the power supply from the battery 9 to each drive motor 34F, 35F, 34B, 35B is stopped and the control is turned off, the spherical wheels 3F, 3B and each drive roller 30F, 31F, 30B, 31B By increasing the gear ratio between the spherical wheels 3F and 3B, it is also possible to increase the rotational load applied to each drive roller 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B for braking.

With the wheelchair attachment A in the braking state via the input terminal 7 in this way, the wheelchair user moves the wheelchair W backwards and moves the rear wheels W1L and W1R from the ground surface to the respective wheel rests on the base plate 1. 2L and 2R, and perform attachment installation work to fix the rear wheels W1L and W1R between the forward stoppers 21L and 21R and the backward stoppers 20L and 20R.

Specifically, while adjusting the left and right positions of the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the wheelchair W using the positions of the inner guides 22L and 22R that have been adjusted left and right as a guide, the rear side of the rear wheels W1L and W1R is aligned with the rear side of the rear wheels W1L and W1R of the backward stoppers 20L and 20R. Move it back until it hits the top edge.

In this state, the axle WS of the wheelchair W is arranged along the virtual orthogonal line C2 or a parallel axis in the vicinity thereof. That is, when the pair of rear wheels W1L and W1R are placed on the pair of wheel rests 2L and 2R, the center of gravity of the wheelchair weight applied to the base plate 1 is at the intersection of the virtual center line C1 and the virtual orthogonal line C2 or placed near it.

In this way, after the rear wheels W1L and W1R are positioned at appropriate positions on the wheel rests 2L and 2R, the brakes are finally applied to the wheelchair W to make the rear wheels W1L and W1R immobile. As shown in FIG. 1, the attachment of the wheelchair attachment A to the wheelchair W is completed, in which the rear wheels W1L and W1R have been placed and fixed on the wheel rests 2L and 2R.

In addition, in order to realize a more stable placement and fixed state, by locking the levers 21bL and 21bR, the forward stoppers 21L and 21R change the entry ports 2aL and 2aR at the front ends of the wheel placement portions 2L and 2R from the open state to the closed state. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 5(b), the rear wheels W1L and W1R may be clamped and fixed from the front and rear sides between the backward stoppers 20L and 20R and the forward stoppers 21L and 21R.

Specifically, the levers 21bL and 21bR are locked and the engagement plates 21cL and 21cR are moved to close around the pivot shafts 21aL and 21aR, thereby closing the entry ports 2aL and 2aR at the front ends of the wheel rests 2L and 2R. The upper ends of the engagement plates 21cL and 21cR are pressed into engagement with the front side surfaces of the rear wheels W1L and W1R.

Next, the wheelchair user uses the input terminal 7 to instruct the desired traveling direction and traveling speed, and the control unit 6 that receives this traveling information drives and rotates the spherical wheels 3F and 3B to rotate the wheelchair W together with the wheelchair attachment. Make A travel in the desired direction and speed.

For example, when moving the wheelchair W forward, in the attachment A, the control unit 6 that has received the forward travel information from the input terminal 7 controls the left and right so that the spherical wheels 3F and 3B are rotated forward in synchronization with each other. The forward driving rollers 31F and 31B are stopped, and the forward and backward driving rollers 30F and 30B are synchronously rotated relatively backward.

In addition, when moving the wheelchair W diagonally backward to the right, in this attachment A, the control unit 6 that has received the right diagonal backward traveling information from the input terminal 7 synchronizes each spherical ring 3F, 3B to move the wheelchair W diagonally to the right. To rotate the roller backward, the left and right drive rollers 31F and 31B are relatively rotated to the left, and the forward and backward drive rollers 30F and 30B are relatively rotated forward.

That is, the spherical rings 3F and 3B are driven and rotated in the direction obtained by adding the driving rotational forces of the driving rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B, which are driven to rotate synchronously, as vectors, respectively.

As a result, the rotation direction of the spherical rings 3F and 3B becomes a direction along the diagonal axis of rotation. Due to such rotation of the spherical rings 3F and 3B, a thrust force is applied to the attachment A in the diagonally right backward direction.

In addition, this attachment A is affected by the frictional force between the front wheels W2L and W2R of the wheelchair W, which are driven wheels, and the ground surface, and this attachment A and the wheelchair W are inadvertently moved around the front wheels W2L and W2R of the wheelchair W. Performs torque control to avoid turning.

That is, by controlling the torque of the drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B that rotationally drive the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B, respectively, and driving and rotating the spherical wheels 3F and 3B, the front wheels W2L and W2R and the ground surface are rotated. This allows attachment A to run by canceling out the frictional force between the two.

In this way, the controller 6 controls the speed of the spherical wheels 3F and 3B according to the moving direction of the wheelchair W, thereby making omnidirectional driving possible. Further, the control unit 6 performs torque control of the drive motors 34F, 35F, 34B, and 35B that rotationally drive the drive rollers 30F, 31F, 30B, and 31B, respectively, depending on the deviation of the orbits. Note that torque control is included in the minor loop of speed control, and torque is automatically adjusted by performing speed control.

In other words, this attachment A includes forward and backward drive rollers 30F and 30B and left and right drive rollers 31F, which press the respective spherical rings 3F and 3B in the right angle direction by the control unit 6 to control the rotational direction and rotational speed of each spherical ring 3F and 3B. , 31B, the moving direction and running speed of the wheelchair W desired by the wheelchair user can be realized.

In this way, the present wheelchair attachment A is attached to the wheelchair W and is driven and controlled by the control unit 6, and can move the wheelchair W in all directions in plan view while stabilizing the posture of the wheelchair W.

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided a flat base plate having a wheel mount portion on the left and right sides of the upper surface for mounting a pair of rear wheels of a wheelchair; Two spherical wheels are rotatably held at the front and rear portions on an imaginary center line extending parallel to each of the wheel mounts at a central portion between the pair of wheel mounts; two auxiliary spherical rings that are held rotatably on orthogonal virtual orthogonal lines and are arranged on the left and right outer sides of the two spherical rings, and are smaller than the two spherical rings; Since the center of the ball is located above the height of the pair of wheel rests, it can be retrofitted to an existing manual wheelchair, making it an electric wheelchair. It is possible to drive the vehicle to improve traveling convenience, and it has the effect of increasing versatility by being compatible with wheelchairs of various widths.

In other words, by making effective use of the limited space on the base, the two spherical rings are arranged one behind the other on the base plate, so the wheel rests formed on the left and right sides are formed with as wide a space as possible. It is possible to expand the types of wheelchairs that can be equipped with attachments. Moreover, the attachment itself can be made more compact, and it is possible to prevent the attachment from interfering with the conducting wire as much as possible when the wheelchair is running after being fitted.

In addition, since the two spherical wheels are configured with their respective spherical centers located above the pair of wheel rests, it is possible to achieve stable driving force from the two spherical rings while also allowing the wheel rests to be placed as low as possible. This has the effect of making it easier for the rear wheels of the wheelchair to climb onto the ground by holding it at a low position close to the ground surface.

Furthermore, after the attachment is attached to the wheelchair, the lower part of the wheelchair is supported at four points using a total of four spherical rings (two rotating driving spherical rings and two auxiliary spherical rings) as fulcrums, so the weight of the wheelchair is supported. It is possible to travel in all directions in a plan view while distributing the spherical wheels using each spherical ring as a fulcrum, which has the effect of improving running stability.

Further, the two spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual orthogonal line, and the two auxiliary spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual center line, and a pair of spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual center line. Since the center of gravity of the weight of the wheelchair applied to the base plate when the rear wheels are placed is located at or near the intersection of the virtual center line and the virtual orthogonal line, each spherical wheel on the ground surface is While stabilizing the posture of the attachment by supporting four points as fulcrums, the weight load of the wheelchair can be distributed approximately equally to each spherical ring, which has the effect of further improving running stability.

In addition, since the two auxiliary spherical wheels are each held through the suspension, even if the ground surface on which the vehicle is traveling is uneven or tilted, the two auxiliary spherical wheels can be held together with the two rotating spherical wheels through the suspension. The two auxiliary spherical rings can be kept in constant contact with the ground.

Therefore, it is possible to stably realize a four-point support state in which all four spherical wheels are always in contact with the ground, prevent wobbling during running, maintain a stable running posture, and further improve running stability. effective.

In addition, since a backward stopper is provided which restricts movement by coming into contact with the rear side surfaces of the pair of rear wheels placed on the pair of wheel rests, the rear wheels placed on the wheel rests are The brake can be applied by fixing it on the base plate, which has the effect of stabilizing the wearing posture of the wheelchair.

Further, a forward stopper is provided that comes into contact with the front side surface portions of the pair of rear wheels and clamps the rear wheels together with the pair of backward stoppers, and the pair of forward stoppers are adjustable in left and right positions on the base plate. Because of this configuration, there is an effect that the rear wheel placed on the wheel placement portion between the backward stopper and the forward stopper can be more firmly placed and fixed.

In addition, since the contact position of the forward stopper to the rear wheels can be adjusted according to the size of the wheelchair, that is, the width of the vehicle, the rear wheels can be securely placed and fixed according to the width of the wheelchair. It has the effect of

Furthermore, since the pair of wheel rests on the base plate are formed with sloped surfaces that slope downward from the front to the rear, when the wheelchair rides onto the wheel rests, the rear wheels will move onto the wheel rests. Since the vehicle naturally rolls backwards from the front to the rear, it has the effect of assisting in the work of climbing aboard.

Furthermore, in the embodiment in which a backward stopper is provided, the rear wheel rotating backward on the wheel rest hits and engages with the backward stopper and is regulated to a stop, making it easy to position the rear wheel on the wheel rest. There is an effect that can be done.

Further, each of the pair of spherical rings is held inside a pair of internally hollow rectangular casings set upright on the base plate, and the rectangular casing has a spherical surface of the spherical ring inside. The wheelchair is provided with a plurality of ball casters that support the spherical ring by contacting the base plate, and the height of the protrusion on the base plate is set to a height that does not interfere with the wheelchair, so that when the wheelchair is installed, the wheelchair can be quickly mounted. effective. Furthermore, since the spherical rings are held in their corresponding rectangular casings, the structure can be simplified and component costs can be reduced as much as possible.

That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to make the wheelchair retrofittable to an existing manual wheelchair so that the same wheelchair can be converted into an electric version for greater driving convenience, as well as to expand the types of wheelchairs to which the wheelchair can be attached, thereby increasing versatility. Elevated wheelchair attachments can be provided.

A wheelchair attachment, C1 virtual center line, C2 virtual orthogonal line, SF (SB) sphere center, SL (SR) sphere center, 1 base plate, 10L (10R) wheel loading area, 11 power source arrangement area, 12 bulky spacer , 2L (2R) Wheel rest, 20L (20R) Reverse stopper, 21L (21R) Forward stopper, 22L (22R) Inner guide, 23L (23R) Outer guide, 3F (3B) Spherical ring, 30F (30B) Front and rear Forward drive roller, 31F (31B) Lateral drive roller, 32F (32B) Ball receiver, 33F (33B) Ball receiver, 34F (34B) Forward and backward drive motor, 35F (35B) Left and right drive motor, 4L (4R) Auxiliary Spherical ring, 40L (40R) Suspension, 41L (41R) Square pedestal, 42L (42R) Support plate, 5F (5B) Square housing, 50 Ball caster, 51 Support column, 52 Top plate, 53 Bracket, 6 Control unit, 7 Input terminal, 8 crimping biasing mechanism, 80 bracket rail, 80a horizontal rail groove, 80b vertical wall, 81 biasing spring, 9 battery

Claims (7)

a flat base plate having a wheel rest on the left and right sides of the upper surface for resting a pair of rear wheels of the wheelchair;
In a plan view of the base plate,
two spherical wheels that are rotatably held at front and rear portions on an imaginary center line extending parallel to each of the wheel mounts at a central portion between the pair of wheel mounts;
two auxiliary spherical rings that are held rotatably on a virtual orthogonal line perpendicular to the virtual center line, are arranged on the left and right sides of the two spherical rings, and are smaller than the two spherical rings;
A wheelchair attachment characterized in that the spherical centers of the two spherical rings are arranged above the height position of the pair of wheel rests. The two spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual orthogonal line, and the two auxiliary spherical rings are arranged in line symmetry with respect to the virtual center line. The wheelchair attachment according to claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of the wheelchair weight applied to the base plate when a wheel is placed is located at or near the intersection of the virtual center line and the virtual orthogonal line. . 3. The wheelchair attachment according to claim 1, wherein the two auxiliary spherical wheels are each held through a suspension. Any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a backward stopper that comes into contact with rear side surfaces of the pair of rear wheels placed on the pair of wheel rests to restrict movement. Wheelchair attachment as described in . A forward stopper is provided that comes into contact with the front side portion of the pair of rear wheels and clamps the rear wheel together with the pair of backward stoppers, and the pair of forward stoppers are configured to be able to adjust the left and right positions on the base plate. The wheelchair attachment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The wheelchair attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pair of wheel rests on the base plate are formed as inclined surface parts that slope downward from the front to the rear. The pair of spherical rings are each held inside a pair of internally hollow rectangular casings that are erected on the base plate,
The rectangular housing is provided with a plurality of ball casters that support the spherical ring by contacting the spherical surface of the spherical ring inside, and the height of the protrusion on the base plate is set to a height that does not interfere with the wheelchair. The wheelchair attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that:

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