JP3084206B2 - Electric wheelchair - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair used by people who have difficulty walking.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wheelchair generally comprises a seat, a frame for supporting the seat, a pair of left and right wheels rotatably supported by the frame, and the like, and further prevents the seat from leaning too far rearward. For this purpose, an auxiliary arm is provided extending rearward so that the rearward inclination angle reaches a certain level and prevents further rearward inclination by grounding. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-74519 discloses a wheelchair whose auxiliary arm is fixed to a frame.

[0003]

In the case of the structure in which the auxiliary arm is fixed to the frame, the position at which the auxiliary frame is fixed must be changed according to the structure, type or size of the frame. Is large, and it is difficult to adjust the contact angle of the auxiliary arm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. It is possible to provide an auxiliary arm accurately regardless of the structure, type, dimensions, etc. of a frame, and to easily set a ground angle of the auxiliary arm. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric wheelchair that can be adjusted to a desired value.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention was made in order to achieve the above object, an electric according to claim 1, wherein
The type wheelchair includes a frame provided with a seat, a pair of left and right axles fixed to the frame, and a pair of left and right wheels rotatably mounted on these axles via a hub.
The hub is a bowl-shaped hub main body fixed to the center of each of the wheels, and is disposed so as to cover an opening of the hub main body, and is integrally fixed to the axle, and the hub main body includes:
A motor configured to rotate the wheels on the cover, the cover comprising a hub body and a cover rotatably connected to the hub body;
When, it is characterized in that an auxiliary arm extending rearwardly of said seat is attached.

Further, the electric wheelchair according to claim 2 is
A fixed position of the lid constituting the hub with respect to the axle is arbitrarily set in a circumferential direction.

[0007]

According to the electric wheelchair according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the auxiliary arm is attached to the lid of the hub fixed to the axle of the wheel, the frame structure is the same if the outer diameter of the wheel is the same. The auxiliary arm can be provided accurately without being affected by the type, size, and the like.

Further, according to the electric wheelchair, the mounting position of the lid of the hub with respect to the axle is arbitrarily set by rotating the hub around the axle. Can be changed, so that the degree of freedom for adjusting the contact angle of the auxiliary arm is increased.

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a left side view showing a state where a user M is riding on an electric wheelchair 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Is a front view of the wheelchair, FIG. 3 is a rear view, and FIG. 4 is a plan view. The wheelchair 1 of the present embodiment includes a folding frame 2 formed by assembling pipes, a seat 3 provided on the frame 2 on which a user M sits, and auxiliary wheels provided as a pair of left and right before and after the frame 2. 4 and a wheel 5 which is a driving wheel, and a driving device 6 arranged at a front portion of the frame 2,
The battery pack 7 is a power source for traveling mounted on one of the wheels 5 (in this case, the right wheel 5).

First, a description will be given of a frame 2 serving as a framework of the wheelchair 1. The frame 2 includes a left frame 10A and a right frame 10B having the same configuration.
A and 10B are connected so as to be foldable in a direction to close right and left. The left and right frames 10A, 10B are formed by assembling an upper pipe 12, a middle pipe 13, a lower pipe 14, and a rear pipe 15.

The upper pipe 12 is a handle frame 1 extending back and forth.
2a and a front vertical frame 12b at the front end thereof. The middle pipe 13 includes an intermediate horizontal frame 13a and a footrest frame 13b at the front end.
And make up. At the tip of the footrest frame 13b, a footrest plate 16 is provided so as to be folded around the footrest frame 13b as an axis. The lower pipe 14 is provided with a lower horizontal frame 14a.
The rear pipe 15 forms a block 15a and a handle portion 15b at the upper end thereof. Both frames 10A, 10B
Are connected by the connecting frame 11 which is crossed in an X-shape between the portion of the middle horizontal frame 13a of the middle pipe 13 and the portion of the lower horizontal frame 14a of the lower pipe 14. A reinforcing frame 11 a is bridged between the upper side of the connection frame 11 and the rear pipe 15.

A sitting seat 17 is stretched between the intermediate horizontal frames 13a of the left and right middle pipes 13, and a backrest seat 17b is stretched between the left and right rear pipes 15. The seats 17a and 17b are used to seat the seats. 3 are configured. Each of the sheets 17a and 17b has flexibility so as not to hinder folding. The connecting frames 11 are pin-connected at the center and are relatively rotatable.
The lower frame 14 and the lower pipe 14 are rotatably pin-connected, and the reinforcing frame 11a is also pin-connected to the connecting frame 11 and the rear pipe 15, and the left and right frames 11A and 11B are brought closer to each other by such a pin-connected state. The connection frame 11 and the reinforcing frame 11a are rotated, and the entire wheelchair 1 is folded. FIG. 5 shows a folded state. When the wheelchair 1 is folded in this way, the inner end faces of the left and right axles 34 come into contact with each other so that the other parts are not damaged by the folded momentum. Have been.

Next, the auxiliary wheels 4 and the wheels 5 will be described. The auxiliary wheels 4 are so-called caster-type wheels, which are mounted on the lower ends of the front vertical frames 12b of the left and right upper pipes 12, respectively, so that the wheelchair 1 can be turned, that is, steered. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the wheel 5 includes a rim 20 and a tire 21 mounted on the rim 20, and is connected to a centrally arranged hub 30 by a number of radially arranged spokes 22. ing.

As shown in FIG. 8, the hub 30 comprises a cylindrical hub body 31 having a shallow bottom and a disc-shaped lid 35 for closing the opening of the hub body 31. A boss 32 is formed at the center of the inside of the hub body 31, and an axle 34 is mounted on the boss 32 via two bearings 33, and the axle 34 is connected to the rear pipe 15 of the frame 2.
The wheel 5 is rotatably supported by the frame 2 by being fitted into a through hole formed in a block 15a welded and fixed to the frame 2 and fixed by a nut 37.
The cover 35 is fitted and fixed to the axle 34 and has a slight gap between the cover 35 and the hub body 31. This gap is formed in a labyrinth shape to prevent intrusion of water or the like. Therefore, the axle 34 and the lid 35 are integrally fixed to the frame 2, and the wheels 5 rotate together with the hub body 31.

A hand ring 36 located outside the wheel 5 is integrally fixed to the hub body 31. The hand ring 36 is used when the user M runs by rotating the wheels 5 manually.

The wheels 5 are drive wheels as described above, and are driven to rotate by a drive mechanism 40 provided on the hub 30. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG.
Is a cylindrical motor 41 bolted to the outer surface of the lid 35 of the hub 30 on the side opposite to the hub main body 31, and a plurality of motors (in this case, 2
) Reduction gears (power transmission means) 43 and 44. The drive shaft 42a of the drive gear 42 and the gear shafts 43a, 44a of the reduction gears 43, 44 are connected via a bearing 46 to a cover 35 and a gear case (transmission case) 45 screwed to the inner surface of the cover 35. The drive gear 42 and the reduction gears 43 and 44 are rotatably supported and housed in a gear case 45. The distal end of the gear shaft 44a of the downstream reduction gear 44 protrudes from the gear case 45, and a pinion gear 47 is provided at the protruding end. The pinion gear 47 is mounted on the inner periphery of the bottom of the hub main body 31 of the hub 30. Internal gear 30a
Is engaged. The gear case 45 is formed in a substantially arc shape so as to surround the axle 34 while being fixed to the lid 35, and the motor 41 is an end of the gear case 45 and is offset with respect to the axle 34. It is arranged in the position where it was.

When the drive shaft 42a of the motor 41 rotates,
The rotation is transmitted through reduction gears 43 and 44 to a pinion gear 47.
To the internal gear 30a so that the wheels 5 rotate. The rotation speed of the drive shaft 42a of the motor 41 is detected by an encoder (rotation speed detection device) 49 provided in the hub 30 and connected to the drive shaft 42a by a timing belt 48. The encoder 49 is brought close to the motor 41 and
And are bolted to the inner surface of the lid 35.

The hub 30 is provided with a brake mechanism 50 for braking the rotation of the wheels 5. The brake mechanism 50 is of a so-called drum brake type, and includes a brake shaft 53 provided with a brake drum (rotating body) 51 at one end and a brake gear 52 at the other end.
And a brake shoe (friction member) 5 housed in the brake case 54.
And 5. The brake case 54 includes a case body 54a and a case cover 54b bolted to the case body 54a. A brake shaft 53 is provided around a shaft 57 through a bearing 57 in a cylindrical portion 56 formed on the case body 54a. It is rotatably inserted into.

The brake mechanism 50 includes a brake case 54
The hub 30 is detachably attached to the outer surface of the lid 35 of the hub 30. For attachment to the cover 35, the cylindrical portion 56 of the case body 54a is inserted into a mounting hole (attachment portion) 35b formed in the cover 35, and the case body 54a is
5 by bolting. When mounted on the outer surface of the hub 30, the brake gear 52 at the tip of the brake shaft 53 is in the hub 30 and meshes with the internal gear 30a,
The brake drum 51 is laid out outside the hub 30. One end of a pair of shoe pieces 55a surrounding the brake drum 51 is hingedly connected to the brake shoe 55, and a brake wire 58 is engaged with their free ends. The brake wire 58 is connected to a brake lever 59 attached to the handle portion 15b. When the brake lever 59 is gripped, the brake shoe 55 tightens the brake drum 51 and the rotation of the brake shaft 53 is braked. Rotation of the hub body 31, ie, the wheels 5
Rotation is braked. The brake lever 59 is detachable from the handle portion 15b. Therefore, the brake system parts including the brake lever 59, the brake wire 58, and the brake mechanism 50 can be easily attached to and detached from the wheelchair 1. I can do it.

The reduction gear 44 is provided with a clutch mechanism 60 for connecting and disconnecting a path for transmitting the driving force of the motor 41 to the hub body 31. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the gear shaft 44a of the reduction gear 44 is
The reduction gear 44 is inserted into the center of the reduction gear 44 so as to be rotatable relative to the reduction gear 44, and is formed separately from the reduction gear 44. A hollow portion 61 is formed on the gear shaft 44a except for the end on the side where the pinion gear 47 is provided. A slit 62 extending in the length direction and communicating with the hollow portion 61 is formed at the center. A clutch rod 64 is slidably inserted into the hollow portion 61 with a clutch spring 63 interposed therebetween. A pin 65 is orthogonally fixed to an inner end (insertion end) of the clutch rod 64 and has a cross shape. A circular recess 66 is formed on the surface of the reduction gear 44 facing the hub body 31 side coaxially with the gear shaft 44a.
A cross groove 67 is formed at the bottom of 6. The clutch rod 64 is connected to the lid 3 by the clutch spring 63.
The pin 65 is always urged in the direction of coming out of the gear shaft 44a, and the state is regulated by the engagement of the pin 65 with the cross groove 67.

When the pin 65 is engaged with the cross groove 67 in this manner, the reduction gear 44 and the gear shaft 44a are integrally connected via the pin 65, and the clutch is connected. When the clutch rod 64 is pushed into the hub 30 against the force of the clutch spring 63 from this clutch connected state, the pin 65 moves in the slit 62 and is located in the recess 66. In this state, since the pin 65 is in the recess 66 and is in a disengaged state with the reduction gear 44, no matter how much the reduction gear 44 rotates, the rotation is not transmitted to the gear shaft 44a. The clutch is disengaged without rotation being transmitted to the motor 41. The clutch mechanism 60 includes the clutch spring 63, the clutch rod 64, the pin 65, the recess 66, and the cross groove 67.

Each gear 4 is provided inside the gear case 45.
A lubricant such as grease for lubricating the operation of the clutch mechanism 60 is filled between the gear case 45 and the inner surface of the lid 35 so that the lubricant does not leak out of the gear case 45. Has a sealing material (not shown) for preventing leakage.

The operation of the clutch mechanism 60 provided on the left and right hubs 30, ie, the pushing operation of the clutch rod 64, is performed by the clutch lever 70 provided on the right wheel 5.
It is to be performed in. This clutch lever 70
As shown in FIG. 6, a front lever 70A operated by a user M of the wheelchair 1 and a rear lever 70A operated by a caregiver.
B is a V-shaped lever integrally formed with a base end portion rotatably mounted on the right axle 34 so as to be rotatable and rotatable along the wheel 5, In the gap between the wheel 5 and the right frame 10B, the front lever 70A extends obliquely upward and forward, and the rear lever 70B extends obliquely upward and backward. The front lever 70A is slightly curved downward. A lever grip portion 71 that is bent inward is formed at the tip of the clutch lever 70. The length of the clutch lever 70 is such that the lever grip portion 71 is located outside the tire 21 of the wheel 5 when viewed from the side. Is set to

The axle 3 is provided at the base end of the clutch lever 70.
A release plate 72 that bends from a portion attached to the release rod 4 is integrally formed, and a pressing piece 73 that presses the clutch rod 64 is formed inside the distal end of the release plate 72, as shown in FIG. On the inner surface of the pressing piece 73, a tapered surface 73a is formed so as to gradually increase in thickness from the tip in the rotating direction. When the release lever 72 is held in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 11 by the support spring 75 mounted on the lid 35 of the hub 30, the clutch mechanism 60 is in the connected state, and the clutch lever 70 is When pressed and rotated in the direction of arrow (a), the pressing piece 73 pushes the clutch rod 64 into the hub 30 and the clutch mechanism 60 is disconnected. As shown in FIG. 12, a pin 76 projects from the side surface of the proximal end of the clutch lever 70, while two engagement recesses 75 a and 75 b are formed in the support spring 75 so as to be separated from each other. The pin 76 elastically engages with the front engagement recess 75a when the clutch is engaged, and with the front engagement recess 75b when the clutch is not engaged. Also, the movement of the clutch lever 70 is restricted and the respective states are maintained.

As described above, the clutch mechanism 60 of the right wheel 5 on which the clutch lever 70 is mounted is directly operated by the clutch lever 70, while the clutch mechanism 60 of the other left wheel 5 is operated by the clutch lever 70. The clutch is operated via a clutch wire 80 connected to the motor. One end of the clutch wire 80 is locked near the base end of the clutch lever 70, and the other end is locked to the tip of a release plate 81 rotatably mounted on the axle 34 of the left wheel 5. I have. When the clutch lever 70 is pushed in the direction of the arrow (a) in FIG. 6 and turned, a tensile force is generated in the clutch wire 80, and the release plate 81 is turned to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Then, the pressing piece 73 pushes the clutch rod 64 into the hub 30, and the clutch is disconnected. Conversely, when the clutch lever 70 is returned, the pulling force of the clutch wire 80 is released, and the pulling force of the return spring 74 rotates the release plate 81 to the solid line position in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the clutch wire 80 is connected to the brake wire 58.
At the same time, it is routed behind the backrest seat 17b of the seat 3.

As described above, the left and right hubs 30 supporting the left and right wheels 5 have the driving mechanism 40 for rotating the wheels 5,
A brake mechanism 50 and a clutch mechanism 60 are provided, and in addition to these, an auxiliary arm 90 is attached. The auxiliary arm 90 prevents the seat 3 from leaning backward excessively. As shown in FIG. 12, a bracket 91 is provided on a flange 35a formed at the rear of the lid 35 of the hub 30 via a bracket 91. Attached. The auxiliary arm 90 includes a fixed arm 92 fixed to a bracket 91.
And a movable arm 94 which is slidably inserted into the fixed arm 92 and has a wheel 93 mounted at the end thereof.
It extends obliquely downward and rearward. The movable arm 94 has a stopper 96 urged by a spring 95 incorporated therein.
Are fixed to the fixed arm 92 by fitting into stopper holes (not shown) formed in the fixed arm 92. A plurality of stopper holes are formed in the length direction of the fixed arm 92, and the movable arm 94 can be moved along the fixed arm 92 in a state where the stopper 96 is pushed to disengage the stopper hole. The auxiliary arm 90 can extend and contract to adjust the length, and the stopper 96 engages with the stopper hole,
The length can be maintained.

The auxiliary arm 90 rotates downward when the seat 3 is tilted backward, and when the seat 3 reaches a certain angle, the wheels 93 contact the ground to prevent the seat 3 from further tilting backward. .

Now, the motor 41 of the drive mechanism 40 described above.
Uses a rectangular parallelepiped battery pack 7 as a power source. The battery pack 7 is a so-called rechargeable battery, and is removably mounted on a battery holder 110 attached to one (right side in this case) hub 30. 12 to 14, the battery holder 110 is bolted together with the motor 41 to the lid 35 of the hub 30 and extends obliquely rearward and upward from a portion where the battery holder 110 is attached to the lid 35. Storage unit 11
1. A battery housing portion 112 is formed on the battery housing portion 112 and opens upward. The controller housing 111 controls the current supplied to the left and right motors 41 and
A main controller 113 for controlling the operation state of the controller is housed. The battery pack 7 includes a plurality of batteries 10
1 are housed in a state where the electrodes are connected to each other.
The battery pack 7 is provided with a handle 102 for convenience in attaching / detaching to / from the battery holder 110 or carrying. In the hub 30, a sub-controller 119 that receives an output signal from the main controller 113 and performs PWM control of electric power so as to output necessary torque to the motor 41 on the same side is covered by a case 119a. It is stored.

At the base end of the battery holder 110, a cylindrical motor cover 107 which is covered by the motor 41 and is rotatable around the motor 41 is integrally formed. But,
It rotates in the front-back direction. A plurality (three in this case) of arc-shaped long holes (attachment position variable means) 108a around the rotation axis of the battery holder 110 are formed on an inner wall portion of the battery holder 110 forming the controller storage portion 111. The battery holder 110 is mounted on a mounting plate 109 provided on the lid 35 by screws 108b passing through the elongated holes 108a. That is, the attachment position of the battery holder 110 to the lid 35 can be adjusted by the length of the elongated hole 108a around the motor 41.

Battery storage section 1 of battery holder 110
The stored state of the battery pack 7 in the battery 12 is held by a lock mechanism 114 provided in the battery holder 110. This locking mechanism 114 is provided in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 16, a lock piece 115 and a lock spring 116 are provided at the upper end of the side wall 110a of the battery holder 110. The lock piece 115 has a lateral hole 117 formed through the side wall 110a.
And is slidably housed in the battery holder 110 by a lock spring 116 interposed between the plug 118 and the plug 118 that closes the horizontal hole 117. An inclined surface 115 a facing the opening side of the battery holder 110 is formed on the tip end side of the lock piece 115. On the other hand, an engagement recess 103 is formed at a predetermined position of the side wall portion 100a of the battery pack 7 facing the lock mechanism 114 when the battery pack 7 is stored in the battery holder 110. A lock release pin 104 is inserted into an upper portion of the side wall 100a where the engagement recess 103 is formed. A push button 105 is attached to the upper end of the lock release pin 104, and the push button 105 is always urged upward by a spring 106.

The lock release pin 104 is connected to the lock mechanism 114
When the battery pack 7 is accommodated in the battery accommodating portion 112 of the battery holder 110 so as to face the lock member 115, the lock piece 115 of the lock mechanism 114 is pushed by the side wall portion 100a of the battery pack 7 and retracts into the lateral hole 117. When the battery pack 7 is further housed and the engagement recess 103 reaches the tip of the lock piece 115, the lock spring 1
The lock piece 115 jumps out and engages with the engagement recess 103 due to 16. The battery pack 7 is caught by the lock piece 115 and is prevented from falling out of the battery holder 110. In this state (the state of FIG. 15), the lock release pin 104
Has its tip abutting against the inclined surface 115 a of the lock piece 115. To remove the battery pack 7 from the battery holder 110, as shown in FIG. 16, the lock piece 115 is disengaged by grasping the handle 102 and pressing the push button 105, and the battery pack 7 is removed from the battery holder 110. When the push button 105 is pressed, the lock release pin 104 is pressed.
Pushes the lock piece 115 into the horizontal hole 117 while sliding on the inclined surface 115a of the lock piece 115.
This is because the lock piece 115 comes off from 3 and the engagement is released.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, a plurality of connection terminals are exposed on the back surface of the battery pack 7. In this case, the connection terminals include a power supply connection terminal 120, a charge connection terminal 121, and a discharge connection terminal 122.
And connection terminals corresponding to these are provided in the battery storage unit 111. FIG. 19 shows the connection terminals 130 and 13 of the battery pack 7 and the battery holder 110.
1, 132 and a circuit diagram of the main controller 113 connected thereto.

The battery pack 7 is inserted into the battery holder 110
The connection terminals of the two are connected to each other by being stored in the battery storage section 112. FIG.
As shown in (a), when the battery pack 7 is inserted to be stored in the battery storage unit 112, that is, when the battery pack insertion is started, the connection terminal 1
20 and 121 are connection terminals 13 on the battery holder 110 side.
0 and 131, and the connection terminal 122 does not yet contact the connection terminal 132. FIG. 18A shows a circuit diagram of the connection state at this time. Then, as shown in FIG. 17B, when the battery pack 7 is completely housed in the battery housing 112, the remaining connection terminals 122 and 132 come into contact with each other and all the connection terminals are in a connected state. . The circuit diagram at this time is shown in FIG.

A current is supplied from the battery pack 7 to the motor 41, and the motor 41 is operated to rotate the hub body 31 of the hub 30. As a result, the wheels 5 rotate. The driving device 6 is used to cause the wheelchair 1 to operate. The driving device 6 includes an upwardly extending stay 140 fixed to the footrest frame 13b of the middle pipe 13 constituting the left frame 10A.
20 to 25, the operation box 141 is provided with an operation lever 142 as shown in FIGS.

The operating lever 142 is made of a plastically deformable material such as mild steel. The operating lever 142 is supported by a free shaft 143 incorporated in the operation box 141, and is movable in the front, rear, right and left directions, or in the entire range therebetween. The operation lever 14 is tiltable in all directions of 360 degrees.
The wheelchair 1 travels in the direction in which the wheelchair 1 is tilted, and the running speed is adjusted according to the tilt angle.

The universal shaft 143 is rotatably supported by the operation box 141, and includes a front-rear rotation shaft 144 and a left-right rotation shaft 145 whose rotation axes are orthogonal to each other. It is penetrated by the driving shaft 144 and is integrally connected to the front-rear rotation shaft 144 by a pin 146. A portion of the driving lever 142 protruding upward from the operation box 141 is an operation portion 142a, and a lower portion thereof is
A lower end portion 142c having a smaller diameter than the operation portion 142a is formed via the step portion 142b.
c is passed through a slit 145 a formed in the left-right rotation shaft 145 along the front-rear direction.
It extends until it passes through one lower opening 141a. The pin 146 is penetrated by the operation part 142a.

When a force is applied to the operating lever 142 to incline the operating lever 142 back and forth from the upright state, the operating shaft 142 rotates, and the lower end 142a of the operating lever 142 moves in the slit 145a. The lever 142 tilts back and forth. When a force for tilting left and right is applied, the driving lever 142 comes into contact with the slit surface 145b forming the slit 145a, whereby the force is transmitted to the left and right rotation shaft 145, and the driving lever 142 tilts left and right. By performing the forward and backward and left and right tilting operations together, it is possible to tilt to a certain angle in all directions as described above. The tilt angle is determined by the operation lever 14
The lower end 142c of the second box 142 is regulated by contacting the opening edge 147a of the lower plate 147 of the operation box 141 forming the lower opening 141a.

At one end of each of the shafts 144 and 145, two types of brush contacts 151 and 152 for energization and resistance are attached via a contact plate 150, respectively. , Fan-shaped terminals 161, 162 that are in contact with the brush contacts 151, 152 and are electrically connected to the main controller 113.
The contact plate 150, the brush contacts 151 and 152, and the terminals 161 and 162 constitute a volume 163. Each terminal 161, 1
62 is a brush contact 15 associated with the tilt of the driving lever 142.
1, 152 are offset to one side so as to widen the rotation range. Further, as shown in FIG. 25, the volume 163 is disposed so as to be housed in a recess 141a provided on the side surface of the operation box 141, so that the entire operation device 6 is made compact. The operation box 141 is provided with a power switch 180 and a speed mode switch 181 for dividing the traveling speed into two levels, high and low, toward the front. Furthermore, the right handle 15
In b, a power switch 190, a speed mode switch 191 and an operation button 192 are provided by an operation box 193 for a caregiver. Run button 192
Is a seesaw-type button that tilts back and forth, and activates the motor 40 so as to move forward when pushed forward and to retract when pushed backward, and to keep the non-operating state at a neutral position when not touched.
The operation box 193 is mounted on the handle portion 15b via a holder 194, and the brake lever 59 is supported by the holder 194. The holder 194 is detachably attached to the handle portion 15b.
The operation box 193 and the brake lever 59 are attached to the holder 1
The entire 94 can be attached and detached, so that it is possible to easily switch to a wheelchair without these equipments.

A resistance value based on the tilt direction and tilt angle of the operation lever 142 is input to the main controller 113, and the main controller 113 converts a current value supplied to the motor 41 according to the input signal. That is, the rotation speeds of the left and right motors 41 change according to the tilting direction of the driving lever 142, thereby causing a difference in the rotation speed of the wheels 5. As a result, steering in the traveling direction of the wheelchair 1 can be performed, and The running speed of the wheelchair 1 is adjusted according to the angle. In particular,
For example, when the driving lever 142 is tilted to the left, the right wheel 5 rotates more than the left wheel 5, and as a result, the wheelchair 1 proceeds to the left. In addition, the more the operating lever 142 is tilted, the higher the rotation speed of the motor 41 and the rotation speed of the wheels 5 are increased, so that the traveling speed of the wheelchair 1 is increased.

A ring-shaped spring seat 170 abutting on the upper surface of the operation box 141 is slidably fitted to an operation portion of the operation lever 142 projecting upward from the operation box 141. Two nuts 171a and 171b are fitted at intervals. A screw portion 172 is formed at the upper end of the operating lever 142, and the two nuts 171a and 171b are fitted in a state where they are fastened to each other. A spring 173 is interposed between the nut 171b and the spring seat 170 in a compressed state. Due to the resiliency of the coil spring 173, the operating lever 142 is always upright in a natural state, and the operating mode is neutral. Is considered. The screw 172 of the operating lever 142 is usually provided with a knob 174 as shown in FIG.
The upper surface of 41 is covered with a bellows-type cover 175.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an electric wire 176 for supplying current from the main controller 113 to the left motor 41 is provided by a clamp 177 together with the brake wire 58 and the clutch wire 80 behind the backrest 17b of the seat 3. Collectively supported.

The above is the configuration of the wheelchair 1 of the present embodiment.
Next, the method of use and operation of the wheelchair 1 will be described. When the user M is seated on the seat 3 and tilts the driving lever 142 in the target traveling direction, steering can be performed due to a difference in rotation speed between the left and right wheels 5, and the driving lever 142 can be tilted. The running speed can be adjusted by the angle. The auxiliary wheel 4 rotates while following the traveling direction and assistingly turning. When the operating lever 142 is released, the spring 173 mounted on the operating lever 142 enters a neutral state, and the rotation of the wheels 5 stops.

When the caregiver needs to brake the wheelchair 1 when the wheelchair 1 is driven by electric power or manually pushed by hand, the caregiver grasps the brake lever 59 so that the brake mechanism 50 operates and the left and right hubs are operated. The rotation of 30 is braked, and thus the wheel 5 is braked. In addition, when the caregiver pushes without the electric running by the motor 41 or when the user M runs manually using the hand ring 36, the clutch lever 70 is rotated to operate the clutch mechanism 60. . As a result, the rotation of the wheel 5 is not transmitted to the motor 41, that is, the edge between the motor 41 and the wheel 5 is cut, and the running resistance is reduced. Further, when the user M applies too much weight to the rear while the vehicle is running or stopped, and the seat 3 leans backward, the wheels 93 of the auxiliary arm 90 contact the ground, and further leaning of the seat 3 is prevented beforehand. It is.

According to the wheelchair 1 of the present embodiment, since the auxiliary arm 90 is attached to the lid 35 of the hub 30 fixed to the axle 34 of the left and right wheels 5, if the outer diameter of the wheels 5 is the same, Thus, the auxiliary arm 90 can be accurately provided without being affected by the structure, type, or size of the frame 2. Also, the axle 3 of the lid 35 of the hub 30
By arbitrarily setting the mounting position of the auxiliary arm 90 around the axle 34, the contact angle of the auxiliary arm 90 can be changed without changing the length of the auxiliary arm 90 itself. Auxiliary arm 90
The degree of freedom to adjust the contact angle of the vehicle is increased. In particular, since the auxiliary arm 90 of the present embodiment can be extended and contracted by changing the length of insertion of the movable arm 94 into the fixed arm 92, the adjustable range of the contact angle is further widened.

The rigidity of the cover 35 is improved by fixing the gear case 45 in the hub 30 to the cover 35,
Power transmission from the motor 41 to the hub main body 31 is reliable and stable. Each reduction gear 43, 44, which is a power transmission means from the motor 41 to the hub body 31, is a gear case 4.
5 and the hub 30 are divided into two sections, so that the soundproofing effect is improved and a quiet operation sound can be realized. The gear case 45
Is formed in an arc shape near the periphery of the axle 34, and in addition, the motor 41 is arranged offset with respect to the axle 34, so that a space other than the gear case 45 is formed in the hub 30. Will be empty and therefore
By arranging other devices (such as the sub-controller 119) in this space, the space can be effectively used. Further, since the hub 30 is provided with the drive mechanism 40, the reduction gears 43 and 44, the brake mechanism 50, and the clutch mechanism 60, the wheelchair is improved to an electric type corresponding to any model having a different frame. It is possible.

The clutch mechanism 60 is connected to the gear case 45.
Because it is arranged in the gear case 45, it is difficult for the contaminants such as dirt and dust to enter the gear case 45, and the dustproof property is improved.
The operability of the clutch mechanism 60 is always kept good, and the operation noise is reduced. The gear case 45 is filled with a lubricant so that each reduction gear 4
Of course, the operability of the clutch mechanism 3 and 44 and the clutch mechanism 60 is improved, and the filled lubricant does not come out of the gear case 45, that is, the inside of the hub 30.
Electric components (such as the sub-controller 119) that are easily affected by the lubricant can be provided in the inside, and in addition, there is no need to worry about soiling the clothes of the user M and the like.

The motor 41 is connected to the hub 30 by the hub body 3
Since it is fixed to the outer surface of the lid 35 on the opposite side from 1,
The heat radiation of the motor 41 is improved, so that the cause of the operation failure is reduced, and the maintenance is excellent. In addition, by providing an encoder 49 in parallel with the motor 41, the timing belt 48 for transmitting the rotation of the motor 41 to the encoder 49 can be shortened. Also, encoder 4
9 can directly detect the rotation of the motor 41 without decelerating, and in addition to its high rotation speed, the detection accuracy is improved. Further, since the encoder 49 is fixed to the lid 35, the rigidity of the lid 35 is further improved. Further, since the brake shaft 53 of the brake mechanism 50 is supported by the lid 35 in proximity to the gear case 45, the supporting force of the brake shaft 53 is improved, and the cause of the malfunction of the brake mechanism 50 is reduced.

As for the brake mechanism 50, the lid 35
The cylinder portion 56 of the brake case 54 is inserted into the mounting hole 35b and is detachably attached to the lid 35, so that only the brake mechanism 50 is attached to the lid 35 later, and maintenance can be easily performed. Further, the wheelchair 1 can be easily switched between a type with the brake mechanism 50 and a type without the brake mechanism 50. Also, the mounting hole 35b of the lid 35
The compactness of the entire hub 30 including the brake mechanism 50 can be achieved by an amount corresponding to the insertion of the cylinder portion 56 of the brake case 54 into the hub 30.

Further, since the brake drum 51 and the brake shoe 55 of the brake mechanism 50 are housed in the brake case 54 and the dustproofness is enhanced, the abrasion resistance and the waterproofness of the sliding contact portion between the two are improved, which is favorable. Operability is maintained. Brake gear 52 of brake shaft 53 and hub body 31
Of the brake shaft 53 is transmitted to the hub main body 31, so that the brake shaft 53 can be decelerated and its shaft torque can be set to a small value. Can be made compact. Further, since the brake gear 52 of the brake shaft 53 in the hub 30 can be made smaller corresponding to the hub 30, the influence on other parts in the hub 30 can be reduced, and the mounting hole 35b is made as small as possible. The rigidity of the body 35 can be prevented from being reduced. On the other hand, since the brake drum 51 is laid out outside the hub 30, the dimensions of the brake drum 51 can be arbitrarily set to some extent, and the degree of freedom in design is increased.

With respect to the battery pack 7, when the battery holder 110 accommodating the battery pack 7 is attached to the lid 35, the motor cover 107 integrated with the battery holder 110 is rotated about the motor 41 and
08a, the battery pack 7 can be mounted at a position that does not interfere with the frame 2 and other parts, and the weight balance of the entire wheelchair 1 can be reduced by the relatively heavy battery pack 7. Can be adjusted to some extent. In addition, since the battery pack 7 is not attached to the frame 2, the battery pack 7 can be easily attached to various types of wheelchairs having different frames.

Further, since the battery storage section 112 is located above the controller storage section 111 of the battery holder 110, the main controller 113 is covered with the battery pack 7 and is not easily affected by rainwater. In addition to reducing the number of wires, the length of the wiring connecting them can be shortened. In addition, since the position adjustment of the battery pack 7 and the main controller 113 with respect to the lid 35 of the hub 30 can be performed integrally and simultaneously by moving the battery holder 110, the weight balance can be more easily adjusted, and the wiring for connecting the two can be achieved. There is no need to stretch or loosen, and handling becomes easy. Further, the gap between the motor 41 and the motor cover 107 can be minimized to achieve compactness, and even if the battery holder 110 is rotated, the motor 41 is always covered by the motor cover 107, Damage is prevented.

Regarding the clutch lever 70 for operating the clutch mechanism 60, the clutch lever 70
The cover 35 is supported by an axle 34.
, The clutch lever 70 is always at a fixed position, so that it does not hinder the operation and can be applied to a wheelchair of a model having a different frame structure. Since the clutch lever 70 is disposed between the frame 2 and the wheels 5, the clutch lever 70 is protected by both of them, so that there is no possibility that the user M or a caregiver or the like at the time of getting on or off may accidentally contact the clutch lever 70. The dead space between the frame 2 and the wheels 5 is effectively used. Further, since the lever holding portion 71 of the clutch lever 70 does not protrude greatly outside in the vicinity of the outer periphery of the wheel 5, it is hard to hit a person or another object.

Further, the clutch mechanism 60 of the left and right wheels 5 can be simultaneously operated by one clutch lever 70, and even if the frame 2 is folded, the clutch wire 80 and the brake wire 58 do not contact other parts. Since it bends flexibly and returns to its original state during use, it is not damaged and does not impair its function. In addition, since the wires 58 and 80 have flexibility, it is possible to cope with models having different intervals between the left and right wheels 5, that is, different vehicle widths.

Since the brake wire 58 and the clutch wire 80 are routed in the dead space behind the seat 3, the space is effectively used.
Since the wires 58 and 80 do not hinder the user M from getting on and off at all, and are less likely to interfere with other parts when the frame 2 is folded, the durability of the wires 58 and 80 is ensured. When the frame 2 is folded, the wires 58 and 80 are gently bent due to their own rigidity. Therefore, the wires 176 connected to the left motor 41 from the main controller 113 supported here do not bend unreasonably. Thus, the possibility of disconnection is avoided.

Regarding the driving device 6, the driving lever 142
If the lower end 142c exerts an excessive force from the state where the lower end 142c abuts the opening edge 147a of the lower plate 147 of the operation box 141 when operating (tilting), the operating lever 142 is bent by the plastic deformation from the step 142b. I do.
When the operating lever 142 is bent and deformed in this manner, when the operating lever 142 is tilted in the bending direction, the lower end 142 c
7a is hit earlier than normal and the speed cannot be increased. That is, a change occurs in the operational feeling and an abnormality is detected, and it is determined that a failure has occurred in the driving lever 142 based on the abnormality. The operating lever 142 is formed with a stepped portion 142b that shifts to a small diameter so as to be easily plastically deformed when an excessive force is applied, and the lower edge 14c below the stepped portion 142b abuts on the opening edge 14b.
With a simple structure such as forming the control box 7a in the operation box 141, it is possible to provide a means for notifying the user M that the operating lever 142 has failed.

[0055]

As described above, according to the electric wheelchair of the present invention, the auxiliary arm is attached to the lid of the hub fixed to the axle of the wheel. If the same, the effect of properly providing the auxiliary arm regardless of the structure or type of the frame is exerted, and the mounting position of the lid with respect to the axle can be arbitrarily set by rotating the axle as a center. Accordingly, the contact angle of the auxiliary arm can be changed accordingly, and the effect that the degree of freedom in adjusting the contact angle of the auxiliary arm is increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a left side view of a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the wheelchair of the embodiment in a folded state.

FIG. 6 is an inside view of the right wheel of the wheelchair according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an inside view of the left wheel.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a view of the inside of the hub (on the side of the lid).

10 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view of a clutch mechanism.

FIG. 12 is an inside view mainly showing the rear part of the right wheel.

FIG. 13 is an inner side view of the battery.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 15 is a side view of a state where the battery pack is stored in the battery holder.

FIG. 16 is a side view showing a state where the lock mechanism is released and the battery pack can be taken out of the battery holder.

FIG. 17 is a front sectional view of (a) a half-inserted state and (b) a fully inserted state of a battery pack in a battery holder.

FIGS. 18A and 18B are circuit diagrams of (a) a half-inserted state and (b) a fully inserted state of a battery pack in a battery holder, respectively.

FIG. 19 is a circuit diagram of a battery pack, a connection terminal of a battery holder, and a main controller connected thereto.

FIG. 20 is a rear sectional view of the operating device.

FIG. 21 is a rear cross-sectional view when the driving lever of the driving device is tilted to the left.

FIG. 22 is a left side sectional view of the driving device.

FIG. 23 is a rear cross-sectional view when the driving lever of the driving device is tilted backward.

FIG. 24 is a rear view of the same.

FIG. 25 is a plan view of the driving device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 wheelchair, 2 frame, 3 seat, 5 wheel, 30
... Hub, 31 ... Hub body, 34 ... Axle, 35 ... Lid, 9
0: auxiliary arm, M: user.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-7-313555 (JP, A) JP-A-8-58397 (JP, A) JP-A-8-117287 (JP, A) JP-A-7-75219 (JP) , A) JP-A-7-255785 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61G 5/02 A61G 5/04

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A frame provided with a seat, a pair of left and right axles fixed to the frame, and a pair of left and right wheels rotatably mounted on these axles via a hub. A bowl-shaped hub body fixed to the center of each of the wheels, and arranged to cover the opening of the hub body, and integrally fixed to the axle, and
Wherein it is composed of a hub body and relatively rotatably linked lid, the lid member, and a motor for rotating the wheels, that the auxiliary arm extending rearwardly of said seat is attached Electric wheelchair. 2. The electric wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein a fixed position of the lid constituting the hub with respect to the axle is set arbitrarily in a circumferential direction. 3. The auxiliary arm is fixed to the lid.
And a fixed arm slidably inserted into the fixed arm.
A movable arm, and the movable arm
By changing the insertion length of the moving arm,
3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
Dynamic wheelchair.