JP2981611B1 - Electric wheelchair traveling mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to make a structure simple and lightweight and to simplify control. SOLUTION: A drive wheel 4 provided below a center axis of left and right wheels 2b of a wheelchair 1a, a motor 5 for supplying forward and reverse rotation torque to the drive wheel 4, and control for controlling the motor 5 A brake 6 provided on each of the left and right wheels 2b; and an operation lever 13 connected to the brake 8 and transmitting an operation mode of forward rotation and reverse rotation of the motor 5 to the controller 6. At the time of front running and back running of the wheelchair 1a,
By operating the operating lever 13 in the forward and rearward directions, forward and reverse rotational torques are supplied to the drive wheels 4 via the control unit 6 and the motor 5, so that the vehicle turns left and right in the forward and rearward directions. When the operation lever 13 is tilted forward and backward, the turning brake 8 is actuated, braking is applied to the turning wheel 2b, and the turning is performed by the difference between the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels 2b. I did it.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traveling mechanism for an electric wheelchair.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electric wheelchair has two motors, left and right, for driving left and right wheels, and a control unit for supplying the rotational torque of both motors to the left and right wheels, respectively.
A lever is provided for transmitting the front running, rear running, front and rear left and right turning running of the two wheels to the control unit. By operating this lever, the rotation torque of both motors is changed to the left and right through the control unit. Supply to each of the right wheels and drive in front of the wheelchair,
The vehicle travels backward, turning left and right in the forward and backward directions.

[0003]

However, in this type of electric wheelchair, two motors are required to drive the left and right wheels, so that the structure is complicated and the cost is very high. At the same time, there is a problem that it is inconvenient to carry, such as loading and unloading to and from a car, and the control is complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems of such a conventional electric wheelchair. The object of the present invention is to make the structure simple and lightweight and to simplify the control. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric wheelchair traveling mechanism that is inexpensive and easy to carry.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a traveling mechanism for an electric wheelchair according to the present invention comprises a driving wheel provided below a center axis of left and right wheels of the wheelchair. A motor for supplying forward and reverse rotational torque to the drive wheels, a control unit for controlling the motor,
A brake provided respectively to the right wheel, is connected to the brake and to transmit forward rotation of the motor, the operation mode of the reverse rotation to the control unit, the wheelchair passenger's Ready
And an ability of the operating lever, pre-travel of the wheelchair, during a rear running, the operating lever <br/> the operating lever from a stop located in the vertical direction is the forward direction, to be operated to the rear direction <br/> is, the control unit, the positive direction through the motor, while the rotation torque in the reverse direction is supplied to the drive wheels, the forward and rear direction of the left, at the right cornering, the operating lever Is forward
When the lever is operated to the left or right
Tilt forward, tilt the control lever backward
Operate the control lever to the left or right
The operation of the rear tilting tilting in direction, to actuate said brake pivot sides, in addition to braking the wheels of the pivoting side, and configured to pivot left, the rotation speed difference of the right of the wheel , Further, a hand for an assistant in the wheelchair
The helper swivel lever is provided on the
Is connected to the brake .

Therefore, when the vehicle is traveling forward or backward in a wheelchair,
By operating the operating lever in the forward and backward directions, forward and reverse rotational torques are supplied to the drive wheels via the control unit and the motor. By operating the tilting forward and backward, the brake on the turning side is actuated and braking is applied to the turning side wheel.
Since the vehicle turns based on the difference between the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels, there is no need to drive the left and right wheels with two motors as in the related art, and the structure can be made simple and lightweight. Therefore, the control can be simplified, and it is inexpensive and convenient to carry, such as loading and unloading on a car.

[0007]

In addition, since the assistant's turning lever provided on the assistant's handle of the wheelchair is connected to the brakes provided on the left and right wheels, if the occupant such as a physically handicapped person makes an erroneous operation, the assistant can be operated. The wheelchair can be stopped, and the occupant can get on the wheelchair with a sense of security and safety can be improved.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5A. 1 is a side view, FIG. 2 is a rear view, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing control of a traveling mechanism, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing control of the traveling mechanism, and FIG. 5 (A) is a front view of a part of FIG. It is.

The electric wheelchair 1 includes a wheelchair 1a comprising a frame 2a, wheels 2b, a chair 2c, a front wheel 2d and a footrest 2e mounted on the frame 2a via an axle O;
The power mechanism 1b of the wheelchair 1a and the passenger
, And an assistant operation mechanism 1d for the assistant to operate the wheelchair 1a. The wheel 2b includes an annular rim 2f, a tire 2g mounted on the rim 2f, and a plurality of spokes. The wheel 2b is provided with an annular manual handle 2h.

The power mechanism 1 b includes a power unit main body 3, a drive wheel 4 disposed below the power unit main body 3 so as to contact the road surface G, and a motor 5 for supplying a rotational torque to the drive wheel 4.
And a controller 6 for the motor 5 and a battery 7 for supplying electric power to the motor 5 and the controller 6.

The power unit main body 3 has an open groove 3 at its left and right ends to allow the frame 2a at the lower end of the wheelchair 1a to be fitted.
a, a clamp 3b capable of being tightened with the frame 2a fitted in the opening groove 3a, and a handle 3c for performing a toggle operation of tightening and releasing the clamp 3b. In the rear end portion of the power section main body 3, the wheel 2 of the wheelchair 1a with the power section main body 3 attached to the wheelchair 1a.
On the rear side of b, an auxiliary wheel 3d is provided which is fixed in a state of being lifted off the road surface G.

Therefore, the electric wheelchair 1 to which the power mechanism 1b is attached is constructed so that it does not rise forward by more than the inclination angle α shown by the dashed line in FIG. That is, even if power is applied by the driving wheel 4, the auxiliary wheel 3d
This can prevent the electric wheelchair 1 from falling.

The drive wheel 4 is located directly below the axle O of the wheel 2b in a side view, is urged downward by a compression spring 4a provided on the power unit main body 3, and is pressed against the road surface G. That is, the rotational torque of the drive wheels 4 can be easily transmitted to the road surface G,
This acts as a propulsion force or a braking force, and also prevents the driving wheel 4 from being caught on a step even on a road surface G having a step.

The occupant operation mechanism 1c includes a brake mechanism 9 for operating the brakes 8 provided on both the left and right wheels 2b.
And an operation unit 10 provided on the arm 2f of the chair 2c, and a parking lever 11 provided on both sides of the wheelchair 1a. When the electric wheelchair 1 is parked, the parking lever 11 pulls the parking lever 11 rearward to abut the stoppers 11a against both wheels 2b, and holds both wheels 2b in a stopped state.

The operation mechanism 1d for the assistant includes a rotation lever 100 for the assistant provided on the left and right handles 2j of the chair 2c, and a rotation mechanism 101 for the assistant.

Next, the essential parts of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. First, the operation unit 10 is an operation box 10a having an opening 10b formed on the upper surface.
The both ends of the support 12 are rotatably supported on the side wall of a.
A substantially circular guide portion 12a is formed at the center of the support 12, and semicircular guide holes 12b and 12c are formed at the upper edge and the lower edge of the guide portion 12a. Reference numeral 13 denotes an operation lever provided with a spherical grip portion 13a at an upper end portion, the base portion being inserted into the opening 10b of the operation box 10a and supported by the center of the guide portion 12a of the support 12; Implant rods 13 implanted on the upper and lower sides of the base
b is loosely inserted into both guide holes 12b and 12c. 14
Is a fan-shaped operation piece formed on the lower side of the base of the operation lever 13. When the operation lever 13 is operated in the forward and backward turning directions, the operation piece 14 is moved forward and backward in the lower rear portion of the support 12. Is located near the detection section of the switch 14a for
By operating the operating lever 13 in the retreating direction and the backward turning direction, the operating piece 14 is positioned near the detecting portion of the retreating switch 14b on the lower front portion of the support 12, and both switches 1
4a and 14b are turned on. Note that both switches 14a, 1
Reference numeral 4b denotes a proximity switch, which is connected to the control unit 6 by electric wiring (not shown), and controls the motor 5 via the control unit 6. Reference numeral 14c denotes a tension spring, one end of which is engaged with the bottom plate of the operation box 10a, the other end of which is engaged with a protruding piece of the operation piece 14, and biases the operation lever 13 so as to be always positioned in the vertical direction. . The operation lever 13 is connected to the implantation rod 13b.
In the forward and rearward directions by the movement of the two guide holes 12b, 12c, tilting operations in the forward and rearward left and right turning directions by the rotation of the support 12, and biasing the tension spring 14c in the vertical direction. Stop operations can be respectively performed.
Reference numeral 15 denotes a disc-shaped wire rotating plate fixed at the center to the front end of the support 12, and one end of a lead-out portion of two wires 16 is connected to each side of the rotating plate 15.

Next, the structures of the brake 8 and the brake mechanism 9 will be described. The brake 8 is made of an elastic body in which two curved arms 8a and 8b intersect and sandwich both sides of the rim 2f of the wheel 2b, and come into contact with the rim 2f of the wheel 2b inside the distal ends of both arms 8a and 8b. Braking unit 8
c are provided, bent pieces 8d and 8e are formed at the ends of the bases of both arms 8a and 8b, and a fulcrum 8f where the arms 8a and 8b intersect is supported by a support plate 17 fixed to the frame 2a. Both arms 8a and 8b move inward and outward.

The other side of the wire 16 is connected to the bending piece 8d of one arm 8a.
The other end of the lead-out portion is movably provided through the bent piece 8e of the other arm 8b, and a disc-shaped stopper 18 is provided at the other end of the wire 16 to bend the other arm 8b. The stopper 18 is located near the piece 8e. 19 is L
The base plate is fixed to the wire 16 between the two bent pieces 8d and 8e, the tip part penetrates the bent piece 8e of the other arm 8b, and the guide plate 19 is provided movably. The two ends of the tension spring 20 are engaged with the base of the guide plate 19 and the bent piece 8e of the other arm 8b.
Due to the zero tension, the braking portions 8c of the arms 8a and 8b are positioned on both sides of the rim 2f of the wheel 2b while maintaining a predetermined interval. Although FIG. 3 shows only the left brake mechanism 9, the right brake mechanism 9 has the same mechanism as the left brake mechanism 9. The configuration of the brake mechanism 9 is not limited to the illustrated one, but may be any mechanism that can apply braking to both the left and right wheels 2b.

Next, the assistant turning mechanism 101 will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 102 denotes a connection plate provided below the wire rotating plate 15, and two wires 16 of the brake mechanism 9 are provided inside the connection plate 102.
Are connected, and two wires 10 are connected to both ends of the connection plate 102.
3 is connected, and its lead-out portion penetrates both ends of the connection plate 102. Reference numeral 104 denotes a rotating lever arranged side by side on the left and right between the wire rotating plate 15 and the connecting plate 102. The rotating lever 104 has a central portion supported, and a leading portion on one side of the wire 103 is connected to the outer end of the rotating lever 104. And the inner end recess 10
5, the contact body 16a of the wire 16 of the brake mechanism 9 is in contact. The lead-out portion on the other side of the wire 103 is connected to the assistant's turning lever 100.

Next, the operation method of the occupant will be described first. FIG. 3 shows a stopped state, in which the operation lever 13 is located in the vertical direction, and the braking portions 8c of the left and right brakes 8 are located on both sides of the rim 2f of the wheel 2b while maintaining a predetermined interval. From this stopped state, the electric wheelchair 1
When the operating lever 13 is operated forward, when the operating lever 13 is operated forward, the operating piece 14 of the operating lever 13 rotates clockwise (as viewed from FIG. 3) and moves backward, and the forward switch 14a is moved.
The forward switch 14a is turned on near the detection part of
Then, the drive wheel 4 rotates forward through the control unit 6 and the motor 5,
The electric wheelchair 1 moves forward.

Next, when the electric wheelchair 1 is retracted, the operation lever 13 is operated backward, the operation piece 14 of the operation lever 13 is rotated counterclockwise to move forward, and the detection portion of the retraction switch 14b is detected. Then, the switch 14b is turned on and the drive wheel 4 is rotated in the reverse direction.

Next, when the electric wheelchair 1 is turned rightward, for example, forward, if the operation lever 13 is operated forward and slightly tilted rightward, the wire rotary plate 15 is turned forward through the support 12. The wire 16 rotates and the wire 16 is pulled.
At this time, the guide plate 19 and the tension spring 20 of the brake mechanism 9 are simultaneously pulled together with the wire 16, and the arms 8a and 8b of the right brake 8 move relatively inward, and the braking of the arms 8a and 8b is performed. The portion 8c contacts the turning side, that is, both surfaces of the rim 2f of the right wheel 2b. When the operating lever 13 is further tilted, the stopper 18 comes into contact with the bent piece 8e of one arm 8b , the pulling length of the wire 16 is regulated, and the braking portion 8c of both arms 8a, 8b is moved to the right wheel. 2b is pressed against both surfaces of the rim 2f. On the other hand, while the operation lever 13 is tilted rightward,
For being loosened wire Ya 1 6 of the left wheel 2b of wire and rotating plate 15, not applied braking to the left wheel 2b, to decelerate only the right wheel 2b, electric wheelchair 1 forward Turn right to

When the operating lever 13 is returned from the tilted state to the forward operating state, for example, in the case of forward movement from the turned state, for example, the wire rotating plate 15 rotates in the reverse direction,
The wire 16 is loosened and both arms 8 of the right brake 8 are
The braking portions 8c of the right wheel 2b are released from both sides of the rim 2f of the right wheel 2b, the braking of the right wheel 2b is released, the two wheels 2b rotate at the same speed, and the electric wheelchair 1 moves forward. .

When the electric wheelchair 1 is to be turned to the right, for example, backward, if the operating lever 13 is tilted to the right while the operation lever 13 is being operated to the rear, the wire rotating plate 1 can be moved in the same manner as described above.
5 rotates forward, the wire 16 is pulled, and both arms 8a and 8b of the right brake 8c move relatively inward,
The braking portions 8 of the arms 8a, 8b press against both surfaces of the rim 2f of the right wheel 2b, decelerate only the right wheel 2b, and the electric wheelchair 1 turns rightward in the rearward direction.

In addition, for turning left forward and backward, the operation lever 13 may be tilted leftward while operating forward or backward, and the braking portions 8 of both arms 8a and 8b of the left brake 8c may be turned. Braking is applied to the left wheel 2b.

Next, when stopping the electric wheelchair 1 moving forward, backward and turning, the operating lever 13 is returned to the vertical position from the position where the operating lever 13 is operated forward or backward or tilted by the tension spring 14c. Both switches 1
Either 4a or 14b is turned off, braking is applied in the direction opposite to the direction in which the motor 5 is rotating, and the electric wheelchair 1 is stopped gently.

As described above, in this embodiment, the electric wheelchair 1 is moved forward and backward by the electric means, and left and right turning is performed by the mechanical means.

Next, the stop operation of the assistant will be described. FIG. 5A shows a state where the rider is operating the electric wheelchair 1 to move forward and backward, and the wire 16 of the brake mechanism 9 and the wire 103 of the turning mechanism 101 for the assistant are not pulled. The rotating lever 104 is positioned in the horizontal direction, and the contact body 16a of the wire 16 is in contact with the concave portion 105 of the rotating lever 104. In this state, when the rider erroneously operates the electric wheelchair 1, when the assistant pulls the turning lever 100 for both assistants, the wire 103 is pulled in the direction of the arrow, the two rotating levers 104 rotate, and the recess 105
The contact member 16a of the wire 16 is pushed up through the guide plate 19 and the guide plate 19 of the brake mechanism 9, together with the wire 16.
The tension spring 20 is also pulled at the same time, and both brakes 8c
The brake portions 8c of the arms 8a and 8b are pressed against both surfaces of the rim 2f of both wheels 2b, and the electric wheelchair 1 stops. In addition,
It is a matter of course that the assistant turning mechanism 101 can stop the electric wheelchair 1 manually operated by the rider. In addition, the assistant turning mechanism 101 can be applied to the case of performing left and right turning operations in front and rear.

In the above embodiment, the proximity switches are used for the forward and backward switches 14a and 14b.
A limit switch may be used, and any switch that can detect the position of the operation piece 14 may be used.

The type of the brake 8 provided on both the left and right wheels 2b is not particularly limited.

Further, the assisting turning mechanism 101 includes:
Although the left and right brakes 8 are operated by the two helper turning levers 100, both brakes 8 may be simultaneously operated by one helper turning lever 100. For example, FIG. As shown in (B), an abutting portion 106 extends inward from the inner ends of the two rotating levers 104, and the abutting portion 106 of one of the rotating levers 104 connected to the helper turning lever 100. The contact portion 106 of the other rotating lever 104 that is not connected is brought into contact with the upper surface of the rotating lever 104. In this case, when the assistant's turning lever 100 is pulled, the rotation of one of the rotation levers 104 and the rotation of the other rotation lever 10
4 rotates, the contact portions 16a of both wires 16 of the brake mechanism 9 are pushed up, and both brakes 8 operate simultaneously.

[0033]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
The driving mechanism of the electric wheelchair described in (1), when the wheelchair is running forward or backward, by operating the operation lever in the forward or backward direction, the forward and reverse rotational torques are applied to the drive wheels via the control unit and the motor. When the vehicle is supplied and the vehicle turns left and right in the forward and rearward directions, the turning lever brake mechanism is operated by operating the operating lever forward and backward, and the brake is applied to the turning wheel. , The left and right wheels are turned by the difference in rotational speed, so that there is no need to drive the left and right wheels with two motors as in the prior art.
The structure can be made simple and lightweight, and the control can be simplified, and it is inexpensive and convenient to carry around such as loading and unloading on a car.

Furthermore, since the assistant's turning lever provided on the assistant's handle of the wheelchair is connected to the brakes provided on the left and right wheels, if the occupant such as a physically handicapped person makes an erroneous operation, the assistant can be operated. The wheelchair can be stopped, and the occupant can get on the wheelchair with a sense of security and safety can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view in which a part of FIG. 1 is removed.

5A is a front view of a part of FIG. 3, and FIG.
It is a front view of the modification of.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electric wheelchair, 1a ... Wheelchair, 2b ... Wheel, 2j ... Career handle, 4 ... Drive wheel, 5 ... Motor, 6 ... Control part, 8 ... Brake, 9 ... Brake mechanism part, 13 ... Operation lever, 100 … Swivel lever for caregiver.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-54-24857 (JP, U) Registered utility model 3007797 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A61G5 / 04 502 A61G 5/04 503 A61G 5/04 504 A61G 5/04 505

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A drive wheel provided below a center axis of left and right wheels of a wheelchair, a motor for supplying forward and reverse rotation torque to the drive wheel, a control unit for controlling the motor, A brake provided on each of the left and right wheels, and a wheelchair ride connected to the brake and transmitting an operation mode of forward rotation and reverse rotation of the motor to a control unit.
An operation lever that can be operated by a driver, and when the wheelchair is traveling forward or backward, the operation lever is positioned vertically.
The operating lever from the locked state is operated forward, the backward
The Rukoto, the control unit, while supplying via said motor forward direction, the rotation torque in the reverse direction to the drive wheels,
Left the operating lever in the forward and backward of the left, at the right cornering, the state where the operating lever is operated to the forward direction
Tilt forward to tilt forward or to the right, and push the control lever to the left with the control lever operated backward.
Alternatively, the brake on the turning side is operated by the operation of tilting backward to tilt rightward , braking is applied to the wheel on the turning side, and the wheel is turned by the difference between the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels. The wheelchair.
The assistant's handle is provided with an assistant's turning lever.
A traveling mechanism for an electric wheelchair, wherein a turning lever for a person is connected to the brake .