JP3226736U - Wheel support mechanism and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheel support mechanism capable of always maintaining the posture of a vehicle body constant regardless of the condition of a road surface. A wheel support mechanism 10 is a wheel support mechanism that supports a pair of left and right wheels 101, and rotatably supports a first support member 11 attached to a base member 110a of a vehicle body and a pair of left and right wheels 101. The second support member 12 is provided, and the second support member 12 is supported by the support shaft 11b so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 11b. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a wheel support mechanism and a vehicle, and more particularly, to a wheel support mechanism in which an axle of a wheel is rotatable with respect to a vehicle body and a vehicle using the wheel support mechanism.

Conventionally, a walking assist vehicle having wheels has a function of supporting a stable walking of a person, such as a mildly handicapped person or an elderly person with a weak leg, who moves along with a person who is unstable during walking.

By the way, such a walking assistance vehicle is usually a three-wheeled vehicle or four-wheeled vehicle structure, that is, a structure including a pair of left and right wheels so that the pedestrian can support the pedestrian even if the pedestrian sways to the left or right. ..

Even if the road surface on which a pedestrian or the like runs is uneven or flat, the road surface may be inclined so that one of the left and right sides is lowered in consideration of drainage. In the conventional walking assistance vehicle, the posture of the vehicle body of the walking assistance vehicle is tilted depending on the road surface condition (bumps or inclination), and accordingly, the posture of the user is also tilted, resulting in an unstable posture.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a wheel support mechanism that can always keep the posture of the vehicle body constant regardless of the condition of the road surface, and a vehicle using such a wheel support mechanism.

The present invention provides the following items.

(Item 1)
A wheel support mechanism for supporting a pair of left and right wheels on a vehicle body,
The wheel support mechanism,
A first support member having a support shaft attached to the base member of the vehicle body;
A second support member that rotatably supports the pair of left and right wheels,
The wheel support mechanism, wherein the second support member is connected to the support shaft so as to be rotatable around the support shaft.

(Item 2)
2. The wheel support mechanism according to item 1, further comprising a biasing unit that biases the wheel support mechanism such that the axle is horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the vehicle body support mechanism.

(Item 3)
Item 3. The wheel support mechanism according to Item 2, wherein the urging means is at least one of a spring member and an elastic member.

(Item 4)
The biasing means is the spring member,
Item 4. The wheel support mechanism according to Item 3, wherein at least one spring member is arranged between the second support member and the base member.

(Claim 5)
Item 5. The wheel support mechanism of item 4, wherein the spring members are arranged on both left and right sides of the second support member.

(Item 6)
The support shaft is a tubular member,
The urging means is the elastic member,
4. The wheel support mechanism according to item 3, wherein the elastic member is filled inside the tubular member so that the second support member is held inside the tubular member.

(Item 7)
A vehicle that has front wheels and rear wheels and is capable of traveling,
The vehicle is
A vehicle body having a base member and a handle,
A front wheel support mechanism for supporting the front wheel with respect to the vehicle body,
A rear wheel support mechanism that supports the rear wheel with respect to the vehicle body,
At least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel is composed of a pair of left and right wheels,
The vehicle that supports the pair of left and right wheels of the front wheel support mechanism and the rear wheel support mechanism includes the wheel support mechanism according to any one of Items 1 to 6.

(Item 8)
Item 8. The vehicle according to Item 7, wherein the vehicle is a bicycle, a scooter, a fitness equipment including wheels, or a walking assistance vehicle.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a wheel support mechanism that can always keep the posture of the vehicle body constant regardless of the condition of the road surface, and a vehicle using such a wheel support mechanism.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining an axle support mechanism 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1A shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 10 is incorporated into a base member 110a of a vehicle body. 1(b) shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 1(a) is separated from the base member 110a of the vehicle body. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the axle support mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 1B, showing the axle support mechanism 10 by disassembling it into parts. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a structure of the wheel support mechanism 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1A as viewed from the direction A, and FIG. 3A shows a method for assembling the wheel support mechanism 10, 3B shows a method of attaching the wheel support mechanism 10 to the base member 110a of the vehicle body, and FIG. 3C shows a state where the wheel support mechanism 10 is attached to the base member 110a of the vehicle body. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a walking assistance vehicle 100 that uses the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment, and shows the appearance of the walking assistance vehicle 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 5A shows a state in which the pair of wheels 101 are traveling on a horizontal road surface R0. (B) shows a state in which a pair of wheels 101 are traveling on an inclined road surface R1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining an axle support mechanism 20 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, showing a state in which the axle support mechanism 20 is incorporated in a vehicle body (base member 110a). 7 is an exploded perspective view of the axle support mechanism 20 shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7A shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 20 is separated from the base member 110b of the vehicle body, and FIG. It shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 20 is disassembled for each part.

The present invention will be described below. It is to be understood that the terms used in the present specification have meanings commonly used in the art, unless otherwise specified. Therefore, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control.

In the present specification, “about” means within ±10% of the number that follows.

In the present specification, the “vehicle body” refers to the body of the vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to obtain a wheel support mechanism that can always keep the posture of the vehicle body constant regardless of the condition of the road surface.
A wheel support mechanism for supporting a pair of left and right wheels on a vehicle body,
The wheel support mechanism is
A first support member having a support shaft attached to a base member of the vehicle body;
A second support member that rotatably supports a pair of left and right wheels,
The second support member solves the above problem by providing a wheel support mechanism that is connected to the support shaft so as to be rotatable about the support shaft.

That is, in the wheel support mechanism of the present invention, the second support member that supports the wheel is rotatably supported by the support shaft of the first support member that is attached to the base member of the vehicle body. The two support members swing about the support shaft of the first support member with respect to the base member. The rocking range can be inclined at any angle depending on the inclination of the road surface. This makes it possible to always keep the posture of the vehicle body constant regardless of the condition of the road surface. That is, since the moving road surface is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the second support member including the axle that supports the wheels is also inclined with respect to the horizontal plane accordingly, but the second support member is with respect to the first support member. Since it is rotatable, the inclination of the second support member is not transmitted to the first support member, and the horizontal position can be maintained. Since the first support member and the base member of the vehicle body are integrally attached, as a result, the vehicle body can maintain a constant posture regardless of the inclination of the road surface. Therefore, the posture of the user who uses the vehicle is always constant, and stable movement (running or walking) is possible.

Therefore, the wheel support mechanism of the present invention includes a first support member attached to a base member of a vehicle body and a second support member that rotatably supports a pair of left and right wheels, and the second support member is the first support member. As long as it is rotatably supported by the support shaft, the specific configurations of the first support member and the second support member, and other configurations of the wheel support mechanism may be arbitrary.

(First support member)
Furthermore, the first support member may have any other configuration as long as it includes a support shaft that rotatably supports the second support member.

For example, the first support member may further include a base portion fixed to the base member, and the support shaft may be attached to the base portion. Alternatively, the first support member may have no base portion and may include only the support shaft. It may be composed of. Further, the support shaft may be a solid columnar member or a hollow tubular member.

When the support shaft is the tubular member as described above, the elastic member may be filled inside the tubular member so that the second support member is held inside the tubular member. In this case, the elastic member functions as a biasing means that biases the second support member inside the tubular member so that the axle is horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the wheel support mechanism. Further, the tubular member may be directly connected to the base member by welding or an adhesive material, but the tubular member may be connected to the base member via the connecting member.

The member forming the first support member may be made of any material. For example, it may be made of a metal material, a carbon material, a plastic material, or a composite material in which various materials are mixed. For example, in consideration of durability and weight reduction, it is preferable to be made of, for example, aluminum or a carbon material, and in consideration of corrosion resistance, it is preferable to be made of metal such as stainless steel.

The first support member may be detachable from the base member of the vehicle body as a separate body, or may be integrally fixed.

(Second support member)
The second support member may include an axle of a pair of left and right wheels and an axle holding member that holds the axle of a pair of left and right wheels, or the second support member does not have an axle holding member, It may be configured with only one axle common to the pair of left and right wheels.

Further, when the second support member includes an axle of a pair of left and right wheels and an axle holding member that holds the axles of a pair of left and right wheels, the axle holding member is rotatably supported by the support shaft of the first support member. Is preferably provided. This is because the axle is usually composed of a round bar member that can be easily male threaded, assuming that a nut will be attached and fixed to the bearing of the wheel. While it is difficult to apply the machining to the axle, a square rod other than the round rod can be used for the axle holding member that holds the axle and is a member different from the axle. This is because processing such as drilling is easy.

The member forming the second support member may be made of any material, like the first support member. For example, it may be made of a metal material, a carbon material, a plastic material, or a composite material in which various materials are mixed. Considering durability and weight reduction, it is preferably made of, for example, aluminum or a carbon material, and considering corrosion resistance, it is preferably made of metal such as stainless steel.

(Biasing means)
For example, the wheel support mechanism may further include a biasing unit that biases the axle so that the axle is horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the wheel support mechanism. By providing the urging means, the second support member is urged with a predetermined force so that the vehicle body always has a constant posture, and therefore, it is possible to prevent the axle from tilting excessively and further It is possible to easily return to a horizontal position.

Here, the biasing means may be at least one of a spring member and an elastic member. Further, when the biasing means is a spring member, the spring member may be arranged between the second supporting member and the base member, or may be arranged between the second supporting member and the first supporting member. May be. The arrangement of the elastic member when the biasing means is an elastic member will be described later. The number of biasing means can be arbitrary. There may be one or a plurality. In a preferred embodiment, the biasing means (spring members) are arranged on the left and right sides of the second support member. By providing it on both the left and right sides, it is possible to accurately follow the inclination and return to the horizontal position regardless of the left or right side of the road surface.

The wheel support mechanism of the present invention may be attached to a vehicle at any position. For example, it may be provided on the front wheels, on the rear wheels, or on the front wheels and the rear wheels.

(Vehicles to which wheel support mechanism is applied)
Further, the wheel support mechanism of the present invention has front wheels and rear wheels, and can be applied to a vehicle that can run.

As described above, the vehicle capable of traveling to which the wheel support mechanism of the present invention can be applied includes a vehicle body having a base member and a handle, a front wheel support mechanism for supporting the front wheels with respect to the vehicle body, and a rear wheel for the vehicle body. Other configurations may be arbitrary as long as it is provided with a rear wheel support mechanism and at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel is composed of a pair of left and right wheels. More specifically, the vehicle is a three-wheeled vehicle or a four-wheeled vehicle, and is, for example, a bicycle, a scooter, a health appliance including wheels, or a walking assistance vehicle. The means for driving the wheels can be any. The driving means may be, for example, a motor, an engine, or human power. In one embodiment, if the vehicle is a bicycle, scooter, etc., the drive means is human powered. Further, in another embodiment, when the vehicle is an electric bicycle, a fitness equipment, or a walking assistance vehicle, the driving means is a motor or an engine. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even in a health appliance or a walking assistance vehicle, the driving means may be human power.

As described above, the wheel support mechanism of the present invention includes the first support member attached to the base member of the vehicle body and the second support member that rotatably supports the pair of left and right wheels, and the second support member is the first support member. One wheel support mechanism is rotatably supported by a support shaft of a support member, but a wheel support mechanism of another device (another device) different from the wheel support mechanism of the present invention described above is shown below.

For example, one separately devised wheel support mechanism is a wheel support mechanism that supports a pair of left and right wheels, and a first support member that is attached to a base member of a vehicle body and a second support member that supports a pair of left and right wheels. And the second support member is one axle common to the pair of left and right wheels, and the first support member is a support column that supports one axle between the pair of left and right wheels at one support point. There is a longitudinal long hole facing each other on both sides of the base member to guide the axle.

Another wheel support mechanism of another invention is a wheel support mechanism that supports a pair of left and right wheels, and a first support member that is attached to a base member of a vehicle body and a second support member that supports a pair of left and right wheels. And the second support member is one axle that is common to the pair of left and right wheels, and the first support member is a coupling member that couples one axle to the base member, and a portion closer to the base member The cross-sectional shape is such that the dimension of the vehicle body in the width direction is narrowed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

However, in the following first and second embodiments, the wheel support mechanism of the present invention, that is, the first support member attached to the base member of the vehicle body, and the second support member that rotatably supports the pair of left and right wheels. And the second support member is rotatably supported by the support shaft of the first support member.

Particularly, in the first embodiment, as an example of the wheel support mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention, the first support member further includes a base portion fixed to the base member, and the support shaft is attached to the base portion. In form 2, as another example of the wheel support mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention, the support shaft is a tubular member, the inside of the tubular member is filled with an elastic member, and the second elastic member is used inside the tubular member. The supporting member is rotatably supported.

Further, in the following description, the walking assist vehicle 100 will be described as a vehicle that uses the wheel support mechanism of the first embodiment or the wheel support mechanism of the second embodiment, but this vehicle is not limited to the walking assist vehicle 100, and may be a bicycle or a scooter. And so on.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining an axle support mechanism 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1A shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 10 is incorporated into a base member 110a of a vehicle body. 1(b) shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 1(a) is separated from the base member 110a of the vehicle body.

The wheel support mechanism 10 supports a pair of left and right wheels 101, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1B, the wheel support mechanism 10 includes a first support member 11 attached to a base member 110a of a vehicle body (not shown) and a second support member rotatably supporting a pair of left and right wheels 101. And a supporting member 12. The first support member 11 has a support shaft 11b, and the second support member 12 is connected to the support shaft 11b so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11.

Hereinafter, the base member 110a, the pair of left and right wheels 101, and the first support member 11 and the second support member 12 configuring the wheel support mechanism 10 will be specifically described.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the axle support mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 1B, showing the axle support mechanism 10 by disassembling it into parts.

(Base member 110a)
The base member 110a of the vehicle body is composed of a square member having a hollow portion in a part thereof, and has a base upper surface portion 1, an opposing base side surface portion 2, and a base bottom surface portion 3. Here, a screw insertion hole 1a for inserting the base fixing screw 14 is formed in the base upper surface portion 1, and the base side surface portion 2 and the base bottom surface portion 3 have constituent members of the second support member 12 ( The notch 2a is formed so as not to interfere with an axle holding member 12a, which will be described later.

It should be noted that the hollow square bar is a metal member such as iron or aluminum, but the material of the hollow square bar may be a metal other than these metals (stainless steel, titanium, etc.), or a hard resin material such as , PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PS (polystyrene), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), or the like.

(A pair of left and right wheels 101)
For example, one wheel 101 of the pair of left and right wheels 101 (the wheel on the right side of the paper surface of FIGS. 1 and 2) is a wheel body 101a installed on the road surface, and a bearing portion 101b incorporated in the central portion of the wheel body 101a. And a wheel fixing nut 101c screwed to the axle 12b. Here, the wheel body 101a is a tire, and this tire may be a hollow rubber tire filled with air, or may be a solid rubber tire.

The other wheel 101 of the pair of left and right wheels 101 (the wheel on the left side of the paper in FIGS. 1 and 2) has the same structure as the right wheel.

(First support member 11)
As shown in FIG. 2, the first support member 11 further includes a base portion 11a fixed to the base member 110a, and the support shaft 11b is attached to the base portion 11a.

Specifically, the base portion 11a is made of a rectangular parallelepiped metal block such as aluminum. The metal block 11a is formed with a screw hole 11c to be screwed into the base fixing screw 14, and the metal block 11a is fixed to the base upper surface portion 1 of the base member 110a by the base fixing screw 14.

A round bar member made of metal such as iron is attached to the metal block 11a as the support shaft 11b, and the tip of the round bar member 11b functions as a bolt. A screw thread is formed to be screwed with 11e.

Although the base portion 11a is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped metal block here, the base portion 11a has a rectangular parallelepiped shape (that is, the cross section perpendicular to the traveling direction of the wheel has a rectangular shape). The shape of the cross section perpendicular to the traveling direction of the wheel may be an inverted trapezoidal shape, or may be a semicircular shape or a semielliptical shape with a curved lower side.

Furthermore, the materials of the metal block (base) 11a and the round bar member (support shaft) 11b of the first support member 11 are not limited to aluminum and iron, and other metal materials such as stainless steel and titanium may be used.

(Second support member 12)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second support member 12 includes an axle 12b of the pair of left and right wheels 101 and an axle retaining member 12a that retains the axles 12b of the pair of left and right wheels 101. Are rotatably supported by the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11 around the support shaft 11b.

Specifically, the axle 12b is made of a round bar member such as stainless steel or iron, and a screw thread that is screwed into the wheel fixing nut 101c is formed at the tip of the round bar member.

Further, the axle holding member 12a is formed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped metal block. Axles 12b are fixed to both longitudinal ends of the axle holding member 12a. A shaft insertion hole 12c into which the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11 is inserted is formed in a central portion of the side surface of the metal block 12a in the longitudinal direction of the axle holding member 12a along a direction orthogonal to the axle 12b. ing. Further, a pair of spring accommodating holes 12d are formed in the central portion of the upper surface of the metal block 12a so as to straddle the center line of the shaft insertion hole 12c.

The axle support member 12a is rotatably supported by the first support member 11 around the support shaft 11b by inserting the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11 into the shaft insertion hole 12c. In this state, the inner washer 11c, the axle holding member 12a, and the outer washer 11d are attached to the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11 in this order, and further, the shaft fixing nut 11e is attached to the tip of the support shaft 11b. It is installed. Further, the biasing spring 13 housed in the spring housing hole 12d on the upper surface of the metal block 12a that is the axle holding member 12a comes into contact with the back surface of the base upper surface portion 1 of the base member 110a, so that the second support member 12 is The axle 12b is biased so as to be horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the wheel support mechanism 10.

Next, a method for assembling the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment and attaching it to the base member 110a of the vehicle body will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a structure of the wheel support mechanism 10 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1A as viewed from the direction A, and FIG. 3A shows a method for assembling the wheel support mechanism 10, 3B shows a method of attaching the wheel support mechanism 10 to the base member 110a of the vehicle body, and FIG. 3C shows a state where the wheel support mechanism 10 is attached to the base member 110a of the vehicle body.

First, the wheel 101 is mounted on the axle 12b by inserting both ends of the axle 12b of the second support member 12 into the bearing portions 101b of the left and right wheels 101, and the wheel fixing nut 101c is attached to the tip of the axle 12b. The wheel 101 is fixed to the axle 12b (see FIGS. 2 and 3(a)).

Next, the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 12c and the washers 11c and 11d of the axle holding member 12a of the second support member 12, and the shaft fixing nut 11e is attached to the tip of the support shaft 11b. The first support member 11 is attached to the second support member 12 so that the second support member 12 is rotatably supported by the first support member 11 around the support shaft 11b (FIGS. 2 and 3B). reference). This completes the assembly of the wheel support mechanism 10. The support shaft 11b and the base 11a are fixed in advance by press fitting or screwing.

Then, the assembled wheel support mechanism 10 is incorporated into the arrangement area Ra of the wheel support mechanism 10 from the lower surface side of the base member 110a of the vehicle body (see FIGS. 2 and 3B). At this time, the wheel support mechanism 10 is positioned with respect to the base member 110a of the vehicle body so that the axle holding member 12a of the second support member 12 is housed in the side surface cutout 2a of the base member 110a (FIG. 3C). reference). With the wheel support mechanism 10 incorporated in the base member 110a, the base fixing screw 14 is attached to the screw fixing hole 11c of the base 11a of the first supporting member 11 through the screw insertion hole 1a of the base upper surface 1 of the base member 110a. Then, the wheel support mechanism 10 is fixed to the base member 110a (see FIG. 3C).

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a walking assistance vehicle 100 to which the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment is applied, and shows an appearance of the walking assistance vehicle 100.

In this walking assistance vehicle 100, the pair of rear wheels 101 allows the axle 12b of the pair of rear wheels 101 to swing relative to the base member 110a of the vehicle body 100a of the walking assistance vehicle 100 by the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment. (See FIG. 1A and FIG. 4).

As shown in FIG. 4, the walking assistance vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 100a having a base member 110a, a handle 120, and a saddle 130. Further, the walking assist vehicle 100 controls driving of front wheels 102, which are driving wheels, a pair of rear wheels 101, a motor that drives the driving wheels 102, a battery 100b that drives the motors, and driving wheels (front wheels) 102. And a drive control unit 100c. The traveling speed of the walking assist vehicle may be any speed as long as it assists the walking of the user. For example, the drive control unit controls the drive wheels so that the vehicle body travels at a speed of about 10 km/hour or less. To do. It is preferably about 5 km/h or less, more preferably about 4 km/h or less. By setting the speed to about 5 km/h or less, the speed becomes almost the same as the walking speed of a person, and thus it is possible to further obtain a feeling of being safe and walking by a user, particularly an elderly person.

The vehicle body 100a has a frame mechanism 110 that receives a load of a user, a handle 120 and a saddle 130 are attached to a base member 110a that is a base portion of the frame mechanism 110, and a front wheel 102 is supported by the handle 120, and The rear wheel 101 is supported by the member 110a by the wheel support mechanism 10. The walking assist vehicle 100 has a foldable configuration for easy carrying and space saving. However, the walking assistance vehicle 100 may not be foldable.

(Frame mechanism 110)
As shown in FIG. 4, the frame mechanism 110 includes a saddle support 112 that supports the saddle 130 and a fixed support 113 that fixes the saddle support 112, in addition to the base member 110a that is the base thereof. .. One end of each of the saddle support body 112 and the fixed support body 113 is rotatably attached to the base member 110a, and the saddle 130 can be folded to the rear wheel side.

(Handle support 111 of frame mechanism 110)
A handle support 111 that rotatably supports the handle 120 is attached to the front end of the base member 110a.

The handle support 111 includes a bearing member 111a that rotatably supports the lower end of the handle 120, and a bearing support member 111b that supports the bearing member 111a with respect to the base member 110a.

(Handle 120)
The handle 120 includes a lower frame 121, an upper frame 122, a connecting mechanism 123, a grip portion 124, and a lock mechanism 126.

The lower frame 121 is rotatably supported by the handle support body 111 of the frame mechanism 110, and the front wheel 102 is attached to the lower frame 121 so that the front wheel 102 can be steered by the rotation of the handle 120. There is.

The upper frame 122 includes a pair of vertical frames 122a that face each other, and a lower horizontal frame 122b that connects lower end side portions of these vertical frames.

(Connecting mechanism 123 of the handle 120)
The connection mechanism 123 is a mechanism that connects the lower frame 121 and the upper frame 122 in a foldable manner, and includes a fixed plate 123a fixed to the lower frame 121 and a pair of left and right frame support members attached to both sides of the fixed plate 123a. 123b. The connecting mechanism 123 rotatably supports the lower horizontal frame 122b by a fixed plate 123a and a pair of frame support members 123b.

(Lock mechanism 126 of handle 120)
The lock mechanism 126 has a use position in which the upper frame 122 is extended with respect to the lower frame 121, and a folding position in which the upper frame 122 is folded toward the rear wheel side with respect to the lower frame 121, with respect to the lower frame 121, respectively. The upper frame 122 is fixed. The lock mechanism 126 has a lock shaft 126a, a guide piece 126c for guiding the lock shaft 126a, and an operation lever 126b.

Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle body 100a includes a bumper member 140 that covers the upper portion of the front wheel 102 in front of the vehicle body with respect to the base member 110a, and a stand 150 that holds the vehicle body 100a in a stable posture. Furthermore, the stand 150 is rotatably attached to the bearing support member 111b, and is biased by the spring member 160 toward either the standing position or the storage position depending on the rotational position. ..

The walking assist vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 4 is the one in which the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment is applied to the rear wheels. However, when the walking assist vehicle 100 has a pair of wheels as the front wheels, The wheel support mechanism 10 may be applied to the front wheels, or if the front wheel and the rear wheel have a pair of wheels, the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment may be applied to both the front wheels and the rear wheels. Good.

Next, the movement of the rear wheel axle swinging with respect to the base member 110a of the vehicle body according to the inclination of the road surface when the walking assist vehicle 100 using the wheel support mechanism 10 travels on the road surface will be described.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 5A shows a state in which the pair of wheels 101 are traveling on a horizontal road surface R0. (B) shows a state in which a pair of wheels 101 are traveling on an inclined road surface R1.

When the user is traveling on a road surface parallel to the horizontal plane and the user turns the height direction of the vehicle body 100a to the vertical direction, the axles 12b of the pair of rear wheels 101 are The state is perpendicular to the vertical direction, that is, the wheel support mechanism 10 is horizontal in the left-right direction.

On the other hand, when traveling on a road surface inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, when the user turns the height direction of the vehicle body 100a to the vertical direction, as shown in FIG. The axle 12b is tilted with respect to the vertical direction, that is, the wheel support mechanism 10 is tilted in the left-right direction.

As described above, in the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment, the second support member 12 that supports the wheel 101 is attached to the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11 attached to the base member 110a of the vehicle body around the support shaft 11b. Since it is rotatably connected to the second support member 12, the second support member 12 that supports the wheel 101 swings with respect to the base member 110a about the support shaft 11b of the first support member 11. As a result, even if the road surface R1 on which the wheel 101 travels is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and the axle 12b is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the vehicle body maintains a constant posture regardless of the inclination of the road surface. It becomes possible. As a result, the posture of the user who uses the vehicle is always constant, which enables stable movement (running or walking).

In addition, in the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment, the axle is held so that the axle 12b is perpendicular to the height direction of the vehicle body, that is, the axle 12b is horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the wheel support mechanism 10. Biasing means (biasing springs) 13 for urging the member 12a are provided on both left and right sides. By doing so, the second support member 12 is biased by a predetermined force so that the vehicle body always has a constant posture. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the axle 12b from inclining excessively, and it is possible to easily return the axle 12b to the horizontal position.

The walking aid 100 of the present invention allows the walking motion to be performed while the user is sitting on the saddle 130. At this time, the walking aid 100 may travel at a normal walking speed of about 3 km/h or about 4 km/h. Since the drive wheels are driven, the walking motion of the user is assisted by the drive wheels of the walking aid 100. Further, since the walking aid 100 does not have a placing portion on which the foot is placed, the user always moves his/her foot so that he/she walks with his/her own foot. Therefore, the walking aid of the present invention can maintain/improve the feeling that the user is walking by his/her own power and the sense of balance between left and right while reducing the propulsive force of the user when walking. You can also get the effect of stretching the muscles of your legs by always moving your legs as if you were walking with your own feet. Therefore, the walking aid 100 of the present invention is not limited to mildly handicapped persons and elderly people with weak legs, but can be used as a health tool that can maintain and improve the sense of balance between the left and right sides of the healthy person and can achieve the effect of stretching the muscles of the legs. It is possible to

In the first embodiment, the support shaft 11b of the first support member is a solid columnar member as the wheel support mechanism, but the wheel support mechanism is a hollow tubular member as the support shaft of the first support member. The wheel support mechanism having such a configuration will be described below as a second embodiment.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining an axle support mechanism 20 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, showing a state in which the axle support mechanism 20 is incorporated in a vehicle body (base member 110b).

As shown in FIG. 6, the wheel support mechanism 20 supports a pair of left and right wheels 101, and includes a first support member 21 attached to a base member 110b of a vehicle body (not shown) and a pair of left and right wheels. And a second support member 22 that rotatably supports 101. The 1st support member 21 is provided with the support shaft 21b which supports the 2nd support member 22 rotatably, and here, the support shaft 21b is comprised by the tubular member.

Hereinafter, the first support member 21 and the second support member 22 that form the wheel support mechanism 20 will be specifically described.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the axle support mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7A shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 20 is separated from the base member 110b of the vehicle body, and FIG. It shows a state in which the axle support mechanism 20 is disassembled for each part.

(Base member 110b, left and right pair of wheels 101)
Similar to the base member 110a described in the first embodiment, the base member 110b of the vehicle body is made of a hollow square bar and has a base upper surface portion 1, a base side surface portion 2 facing the base portion 3, and a base bottom surface portion 3. However, in this base member 110b, a bolt insertion hole 2b for inserting a fixing bolt 25 for fixing the member is formed in the side surface portion 2 of the base.

The base member 110b is not formed with the screw insertion hole 1a in the base upper surface portion 1 of the base member 110a shown in the first embodiment, and the notch 2a in the base side surface portion 2 and the base bottom surface portion 3.

However, the material of the hollow square member forming the base member 110 is the same as that of the base member 110a of the first embodiment, and the pair of left and right wheels 101 is the same as that described in the first embodiment.

(First support member 21)
The first support member 21 includes a connecting member 21a that connects the tubular member 21b to the base member 110b, and the elastic member 23 is filled inside the tubular member 21b. A member insertion hole 23a for inserting the axle holding member 22a of the second support member 22 is formed in the elastic member 23, and the axle holding member 22a inserted into the member insertion hole 23a corresponds to the tubular member 21b. The axle holding member 22a is rotatably supported inside by the elastic member 23, and the axle holding member 22a is attached by the elastic member 23 so that the axle 22b held by the axle holding member 22a is horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the wheel support mechanism 20. It is energized.

Here, the connecting members 21a are arranged so as to face each other with the central axis of the tubular member 21b interposed therebetween, and one end of each connecting member 21a is joined to the tubular member 21b by welding or an adhesive material. A screw hole 21a1 for screwing the fixing bolt 25 is formed at the other end of the connecting member 21a. Further, a connecting member 21c is attached to the other end side of the pair of connecting members 21a facing each other so as to straddle the pair of connecting members 21a, and the connecting member 21c has a component fixing hole 21c1 for fixing a component. Has been formed.

Further, the pair of connecting members 21a has such a height that it can be inserted between the base top surface portion 1 and the base bottom surface portion 3 of the base member 110b. While being inserted between the base top surface portion 1 and the base bottom surface portion 3, it is fixed to the base member 110b by the fixing bolt 25 attached to the screw hole 21a1 through the bolt insertion hole 2b of the base side surface portion 2. ing.

(Second support member 22)
The second support member 22 includes one axle 22b that is common to the pair of left and right wheels 101, and an axle holding member 22a that holds this one axle 22b. The axle holding member 22a is a support shaft for the first support member 21. It is rotatably supported by (tubular member) 21b.

Specifically, the axle holding member 22a has a tubular shaft 22a1 that holds the axle 22b, a solid shaft 22a2 fixed to the tubular shaft 22a1, and a connecting rod 22a3 connected to the solid shaft 22a2. doing. Here, the tubular shaft 22a1 holds the axle 22b by accommodating the axle 22b therein, and one end of the solid shaft 22a2 is joined to the central portion of the tubular shaft 22a1 by welding or an adhesive material. ing. One end of a connecting rod 22a3 is fixed to the other end of the solid shaft 22a2, and the other end of the connecting rod 22a3 is inserted into the component fixing hole 21c1 of the connecting member 21c of the first supporting member 21. There is. A screw portion (not shown) is formed at the other end of the connecting rod 22a3, and the fixing nut 24 is attached to the bolt portion penetrating the component fixing hole 21c1 of the connecting member 21c, whereby the connecting rod 22a3 is attached. Are fixed to the connecting member 21c.

Next, a method of assembling the wheel support mechanism 20 of the second embodiment and attaching it to the base member 110b of the vehicle body will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the wheel 101 is attached to the axle 22b by inserting the axle 22b of the second support member 22 into the tubular shaft 22a1 of the axle holding member 22a, and inserting both ends of the axle 22b into the bearing portions 101b of the left and right wheels 101. Then, the wheel 101 is fixed to the axle 22b by attaching the wheel fixing nut 101c to the tip of the axle 22b (see FIG. 7) (see FIG. 6).

Next, the solid shaft 22a2 of the axle holding member 22a of the second support member 21 is inserted into the member insertion hole 23a of the elastic member 23 of the first support member 21, and the connecting rod 22a3 on the distal end side passes through the member insertion hole 23a. Then, the solid shaft 22a2 is pushed into the elastic member 23 so that the bolt portion formed at the tip of the connecting rod 22a3 passes through the component fixing hole 21c1 of the connecting member 21c.

After that, the connecting rod 22a3 is fixed to the connecting member 21c by mounting the component fixing nut 24 on the bolt portion of the connecting member 21c that has passed through the component fixing hole 21c1.

Thereby, the second support member 22 is attached to the first support member 21 so that the axle holding member 22a of the second support member 22 is rotatably supported by the elastic member 23 in the tubular member 21b of the first support member 21. Then, the assembly of the wheel support mechanism 20 is completed. In this state, the axle member 22a is biased by the elastic member 23 so that the axle 22b is horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the wheel support mechanism 20.

Subsequently, the connection member 21a of the first support member 21 of the assembled wheel support mechanism 20 is inserted into the hollow base member 110b from the rear end side of the base member 110b of the vehicle body, and the screw hole 21a1 of the connection member 21a and the base member are inserted. 110b is aligned with the bolt insertion hole 2b of the base side surface portion 2 and the fixing bolt 25 is attached to the screw hole 21a1 of the connection member 21a through the bolt insertion hole 2b of the base side surface portion 2 to thereby connect the connection member 21a. Is fixed to the base member 110b. Thereby, the wheel support mechanism 20 is attached to the base member 110b.

Even when the wheel support mechanism 20 of the second embodiment having such a configuration is applied to the walking assistance vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 4, walking is performed in the same manner as when the wheel support mechanism 10 of the first embodiment is applied to the walking assistance vehicle 100. When the auxiliary vehicle 100 travels on the road surface, the axle 22b of the rear wheel 101 swings with respect to the base member 110b of the vehicle body 100a (see FIG. 4) according to the inclination of the road surface.

As described above, in the wheel support mechanism 20 of the second embodiment, the wheel 101 is formed by the tubular member (support shaft) 21b of the first support member 21 attached to the base member 110b of the vehicle body and the elastic member 23 filled in the tubular member 21b. Since the second support member 22 that supports the wheel is rotatably supported, the second support member 22 that supports the wheel 101 swings with respect to the base member 110b about the central axis of the tubular member 21b of the first support member 21. It will move. As a result, even if the road surface R1 on which the wheel 101 travels is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane and the axle 12b is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the vehicle body maintains a constant posture regardless of the inclination of the road surface. It becomes possible. As a result, the posture of the user who uses the vehicle is always constant, which enables stable movement (running or walking).

Further, in the wheel support mechanism 20 of the second embodiment, the axle is held so that the axle 22b is vertical to the height direction of the vehicle body, that is, the axle 22b is horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the wheel support mechanism 20. Since the elastic member 23 is provided as the urging means for urging the member 22a, a predetermined force acts on the vehicle body so that the vehicle body always has a constant posture, and it is possible to prevent the axle 22b from being excessively tilted. In addition, the axle 22b can be easily returned to the horizontal position.

Furthermore, in the wheel support mechanism 20 of the second embodiment, the elastic member 23 is interposed between the second support member 22 that supports the wheel 101 and the tubular member 21b that is the support shaft of the first support member 21. Therefore, the vibration transmitted from the wheel 101 to the base member 110b is absorbed by the elastic member 23 interposed between the wheel 101 and the base member 110b, and in the walking assistance vehicle 100 to which the wheel support mechanism 20 is applied. The vibration transmitted from the wheels to the user can be reduced.

As described above, the present invention has been illustrated by using the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited to this embodiment. It is understood that the scope of the present invention should be construed only by the claims for utility model registration. It is understood that those skilled in the art can implement an equivalent range based on the description of the present invention and common general knowledge from the description of the specific preferred embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that the documents cited in the present specification should be incorporated by reference in the same manner as the contents themselves are specifically described in the present specification.

The present invention provides a wheel supporting mechanism and a vehicle using such a wheel supporting mechanism, which makes it possible to always keep the posture of the vehicle body constant regardless of the road surface condition in the field of the wheel supporting mechanism and the vehicle. It is useful as a thing that can.

10, 20 Wheel support mechanism 11, 21 First support member 11a Base 11b Support shaft 12, 22 Second support member 12a, 22a Axle holding member 12b, 22b Axle 21a Connection member 21b Tubular member (support shaft)
23 elastic member 100 walking assist vehicle 100a vehicle body 110a, 110b base member

Claims (8)

A wheel support mechanism for supporting a pair of left and right wheels on a vehicle body,
The wheel support mechanism,
A first support member having a support shaft attached to the base member of the vehicle body;
A second support member that rotatably supports the pair of left and right wheels,
The wheel support mechanism, wherein the second support member is connected to the support shaft so as to be rotatable around the support shaft. The wheel support mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the wheel support mechanism further includes a biasing unit that biases the axle so as to be horizontal with respect to the left-right direction of the vehicle body support mechanism. The wheel support mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the urging means is at least one of a spring member and an elastic member. The biasing means is the spring member,
The wheel support mechanism according to claim 3, wherein at least one spring member is disposed between the second support member and the base member. The wheel support mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the spring members are arranged on both left and right sides of the second support member. The support shaft is a tubular member,
The urging means is the elastic member,
The wheel support mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the elastic member is filled inside the tubular member so that the second support member is held inside the tubular member. A vehicle that has front wheels and rear wheels and is capable of traveling,
The vehicle is
A vehicle body having a base member and a handle,
A front wheel support mechanism for supporting the front wheel with respect to the vehicle body,
A rear wheel support mechanism that supports the rear wheel with respect to the vehicle body,
At least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel is composed of a pair of left and right wheels,
The vehicle which supports the pair of right and left wheels of the front wheel support mechanism and the rear wheel support mechanism includes the wheel support mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle is a bicycle, a scooter, a health appliance including wheels, or a walking assistance vehicle.