JP4860473B2 - Handle connection structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection structure of an operation handle used for a hospital bed transfer device and the like, and more particularly, to an electric transfer device that detects an operation force of a handle and drives an electric motor based on the operation force to supply an assist force. The present invention relates to an effective technique applied to a handle.

  In hospitals, nursing homes, factories, warehouses, etc., a large number of transfer devices powered by motors are used, such as electric beds and stretchers, food carts and cargo carts. In such a transport apparatus, generally, a drive wheel driven by an electric motor is provided on a main body frame to which a caster is attached, and assist force at the time of movement is supplied by the drive wheel. An electric motor, a battery for power supply, a controller for motor control, and the like are attached to the main body frame. On the main body frame, a mat is placed if it is a bed, and a cargo bed is provided if it is a carriage.

  A handle for moving the transport device back and forth and from side to side is also attached to the main body frame. In general, the height and position of this handle can be adjusted according to the physique and posture of the operator, and in many cases, the handle can be appropriately stored when the handle is not used. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-317953 (Patent Document 1) discloses an operation lever for a bed transport apparatus in which the operation height position can be adjusted.

  In Patent Document 1, a pair of operation levers are rotatably provided in the operation unit. When adjusting the operation height position of the operation lever, the lock pin is engaged with the lever shaft by pressing the lock release button. Release the lock away from the hole. Thereafter, the operation lever is rotated to adjust the rotation angle of the gripping portion, and when the height becomes easy to operate, the unlocking button is released. As a result, the locking member moves in the axial direction, the lock pin fits into the locking hole of the lever shaft, and the grip portion of the operating lever is locked at the adjustment position. Such an adjustment operation is also used when the handle is retracted during non-conveyance.

In many cases, the electric transfer device detects the force applied to the handle and controls the assist force. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-171524 (Patent Document 2) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-180500 (Patent Document 3), a swing angle of an operation lever is detected by a potentiometer, and an electric assist force corresponding to the lever operation amount is detected. An operation device for an electric vehicle to be generated is disclosed. In the devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3, the operation lever is held in a neutral position by compression springs attached in the front-rear direction of the lever. The lower end of the operation lever is connected to the rotary shaft of the potentiometer via a drive member. When the operation lever is operated against the urging force of the compression spring, the rotation shaft of the potentiometer rotates and a signal corresponding to the rotation angle is output.
JP-A-8-317953 JP 2001-171524 JP JP 2001-180500 A

  On the other hand, the lever attached to the operation handle of the transport device is generally long, and a very large force acts on the base of the lever. Usually, the lever is coupled to the lever shaft at the base, and a large force is applied to the coupled portion by a moment due to the lever operating force. However, in the position adjustment mechanism as in Patent Document 1, since the lever shaft and the operating lever are pin-coupled, a thick lever shaft and a lock pin are necessary to ensure sufficient strength at the coupling portion. Thus, there is a problem that the mechanism is enlarged.

  Moreover, in the position adjustment mechanism using a pin, there is a possibility that the operating lever rotates by its own weight when the pin is unlocked. For this reason, when storing the operation handle, there is a problem that the lever cannot be stored in a predetermined position. Further, there is a problem that if the lock is not released while pressing the lever, the lever may move suddenly together with the release, and the positioning operation is difficult to perform.

  The objective of this invention provides the handle | steering-wheel connection structure with high intensity | strength of a coupling | bond part, although it can be easily stored by simple operation.

  The handle connection structure according to the present invention includes a lever shaft fixed to a handle base, a shaft fixed to the lever shaft and extending in a rotation center axis direction of the lever shaft, and attached to the shaft so as to be rotatable. The first gear is provided with a gear tooth engageable with a bracket, a first gear formed on the lever shaft, and a second gear formed on the bracket, and moves along the rotation central axis direction. And a connecting member that is disengaged from each other.

  In the present invention, since the lever shaft can be selectively rotated by operating the connecting member, the handle can be stored by rotating around the lever shaft, and the rotation of the handle can be prevented by meshing the gear. As a result, the handle can be fixed with high strength in the storage direction. Further, since the lever shaft and the bracket are integrally connected by the shaft and the connecting member, the connection strength between the lever shaft and the bracket when the handle operating force is transmitted from the lever shaft to the bracket is high, and there is little play. Therefore, the transmission strength of the force in the operation direction is ensured, and the detection accuracy of the operation force is improved.

  In the handle connection structure, a first elastic member that urges the connecting member in the first gear direction along the rotation center axis direction may be further provided. As a result, the connecting member does not easily disengage from the first gear, and the connecting member and the first gear mesh more reliably. Further, the connecting member detached from the first gear can be engaged with the first gear by the biasing force of the first elastic member, and the connecting member released from the engagement with the first gear is automatically brought into the engaged state. It can also be restored. Therefore, when the handle can be rotated by the movement of the connecting member, the connecting member is automatically restored and the rotation is locked.

  In the handle connection structure, a cover member that operates integrally with the connecting member is provided outside the lever shaft, and a display unit that displays a meshing state of the first gear and the connecting member is provided on the cover member. Also good. In this case, since the cover member operates integrally with the connecting member when releasing the meshing state of the first gear and the connecting member, only the cover member is moved in the engaging direction when the connecting member and the cover member are moved in the releasing direction. It will not move. For this reason, the erroneous display of the display part which arises by the mismatch of operation | movement of a cover member and a connection member can be prevented.

  In the handle connection structure, a braking portion may be provided that applies a rotational resistance force when the lever shaft and the bracket are rotated. In this case, the braking portion is attached to the lever shaft, and is attached to the second elastic member that presses the bracket along the rotation central axis direction, and the shaft is restricted from moving in the axial direction, It is good also as a structure which has a braking member pressed by the urging | biasing force of a said 2nd elastic member to the pressing surface formed in the bracket. By providing such a braking portion, it is possible to prevent the handle from being inadvertently rotated by dropping due to its own weight when the engagement of the first gear and the connecting member is released, thereby preventing the handle from being unlocked. Can be prevented.

  In the handle connection structure, the lever shaft, the shaft and the bracket may be formed in a hollow structure, and a hole through which an electric wiring can be inserted is provided in each of the lever shaft, the shaft and the bracket. Thereby, electrical wiring can be wired through the inside of the connection structure portion, and an electrical component such as a switch can be installed on the handle without being bothered by wiring processing. In this case, a seal member to which the electrical wiring is attached in a watertight state may be attached to the hole of the bracket in a watertight state. Thereby, the outflow of the liquid from the inside of the bracket to the outside through the electric wiring is suppressed. For example, when the bracket is attached to the operating force detecting device for the handle, the liquid can be prevented from entering the detecting device.

  In the handle connection structure, the bracket may be provided with a drain hole that opens to an end surface on the lever shaft side of the bracket and communicates with the internal space of the bracket. As a result, even when the handle is washed with water, even if liquid enters the bracket, it does not remain stored but is discharged out of the connection structure through the drain hole.

  In the handle connection structure, the bracket may be attached to an operation force detection device that detects an operation force of the handle. In this case, the handle operation direction and the handle rotation direction can be installed in different directions, and thereby the deviation of the zero point position of the operation force detection device due to the handle rotation can be suppressed.

  In addition, the operating force detection device is rotatably supported by a fixed block disposed in the housing, and a hollow shaft in which one end portion of the bracket is fixed, and is inserted into the hollow shaft, and one end side is connected to the fixed block. It is good also as a structure which has the torsion bar fixed and the other end side being fixed to the said hollow shaft, and the potentiometer connected to the said torsion bar.

  Further, the operating force detection device is provided with a transmission gear fixed to the other end side of the torsion bar, and a driven gear fixed to the input shaft of the potentiometer and meshing with the transmission gear, and the teeth of the driven gear The number may be smaller than the number of teeth of the transmission gear. As a result, the displacement of the handle is directly transmitted to the potentiometer by the gear, and no lever is interposed as in the conventional detection device using a coil spring, so that a decrease in detection accuracy due to rattling of the lever is suppressed. Further, since the torsion bar torsion amount is amplified and transmitted to the potentiometer, the handle operating angle can be detected more accurately.

  In the handle connection structure, the handle may be attached to a power-assisted transfer device to which travel assisting force is applied by drive wheels driven by an electric motor.

  According to the handle connection structure of the present invention, a lever shaft fixed to the handle base, a shaft that is fixed to the lever shaft and extends in the direction of the rotation center axis of the lever shaft, and a bracket that is rotatably attached to the shaft; The gear teeth that can mesh with the first gear formed on the lever shaft and the second gear formed on the bracket are provided and moved along the direction of the rotation center axis, thereby disengaging the first gear. With the structure including the connecting member, the lever shaft can be selectively rotated by operating the connecting member, and the handle can be stored by rotating around the lever shaft. This can be done by meshing the gears, and the handle can be fixed with high strength in the retracted direction. Further, since the lever shaft and the bracket are connected by the shaft and the connecting member, the connection strength between the lever shaft and the bracket when the handle operating force is transmitted from the lever shaft to the bracket is high, and play can be reduced. Therefore, the transmission strength of the force in the steering operation direction is ensured, and the detection accuracy of the operating force is improved.

  Further, by further providing a first elastic member that urges the connecting member in the first gear direction along the rotation center axis direction, the connecting member does not easily disengage from the first gear, and the connecting member and the first It is possible to more reliably mesh with one gear. Further, the connecting member detached from the first gear can be engaged with the first gear by the biasing force of the first elastic member, and the connecting member released from the engagement with the first gear is automatically brought into the engaged state. It can also be restored. Therefore, even if the handle can be turned by moving the connecting member, the connecting member can be automatically returned to lock the turning of the handle.

  Further, by providing a braking portion for applying a rotational resistance force during the rotation operation between the lever shaft and the bracket, the handle may be inadvertently dropped due to the weight of the handle when the first gear and the coupling member are released. Can be prevented from rotating and the handle from being unlocked.

  In addition, the lever shaft, the shaft and the bracket have a hollow structure, and by providing a hole through which the electric wiring can be inserted, the electric wiring can be routed through the inside of the connection structure portion, without being bothered by wiring processing. Electrical parts such as switches can be installed on the handle. In addition, by attaching a sealing member attached in a watertight state to the hole through which the electrical wiring of the bracket is inserted in a watertight state, it is possible to prevent liquid from flowing out of the bracket from the inside through the electrical wiring.

It is a front view which shows the structure of the electric bed for hospitals to which the handle | steering-wheel connection structure which is one Example of this invention is applied. It is a top view which shows the outline | summary of the electric bed of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the drive part of the electric bed of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the connection structure of a drive unit and a raising / lowering actuator. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the handle | steering-wheel attached to the electric bed of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the connection part of a handle | steering-wheel and a sensor apparatus. It is a front view of a handle and a sensor device. It is a side view of a partial cross section of a handle and a sensor device. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a sensor apparatus. (a) is a side view of the lever shaft, and (b) is a front view of the lever shaft. It is a front view of a shaft. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the joint between the lever shaft and the rear bracket, (b) is a front view of a disc spring used in the joint of (a), (c) is a front view of a stainless steel ring, d) is a front view of the resin ring. (a) is a side view of the rear bracket, and (b) is a front view of the rear bracket. (a) is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a braking part, (b) is a front view of the resin ring used for a braking part, (c) is a front view of a stainless steel ring. (a) is a front view of a ring gear, (b) is a sectional view of the ring gear.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drive part 2 Bed part 3 Mat 4 Arm 5 Safety fence 6,6L, 6R Handle 6a Lever part 6b Grip part 7 Sensor apparatus (operation force detection apparatus)
8 control panel 8a power switch 8b emergency stop switch 8c bed lift switch 8d LED display panel 11 frame 11a main frame 11b connecting bar 12 drive unit 13 lift actuator 14 caster 15 cover 16 motor base 17, 17L, 17R DC motor 18, 18L, 18R Deceleration mechanism 19 Rotating shaft 21, 21L, 21R Drive wheel 22 Wheel 23 Rubber tire 24 Tower 24a Base 25 Floor 26 Pivot 27 Arm 28 Long hole 29 Plunger 31 Pin 32 Spring 33 Plunger 34 DC motor 35 Bracket 36 Battery 37 Controller 38 Actuator 40 End Cap 50 Lever Shaft 51 Main Body 51a Large Diameter 51b Small Diameter 52 Handle Attachment 53 First Gear 54a, 54b Cover 55 Wiring Hole 6 axial hole 57 a shaft 58 wiring hole 59 connecting hole 60 notch 61 C-ring groove 62 gear teeth 63 teeth 64 notch 65 concave portion 66 fitting groove 67 disc spring (second elastic member)
68 Stainless steel ring 69 Large diameter portion 70a Convex portion 70b Extension portion 71 Rear bracket 72 Main body portion 73 Second gear portion 74 Shaft fixing portion 75 Shaft hole 76 Bearing material 77 Recess 78 Ring 79 Gear tooth 81 Tooth portion 82 Notch portion 83 Portion 83a Pressing surface 84 Braking portion 85 Resin ring 86 Stainless steel ring 87 Positioning projection 88 C ring 89 Sealing material mounting portion 89a Inner wall 91 Internal sealing material 91a Outer portion 92 Wiring 93 Sealing hole 94 Connector 95 Wiring 96 Operation switch 97 Drainage hole 98 Ring gear (connecting member)
99 Internal teeth (gear teeth)
101 tooth portion 102 engaging protrusion 103 gear tooth 104 sleeve mounting groove 105 sleeve (cover member)
106 Return spring (first elastic member)
107 Spring receiving portion 108 Housing 109 Fixing block 111 Hollow shaft 112 Torsion bar 113 Potentiometer 114 Knurling portion 115 Bracket 116 Serration portion 117 Fixing plate 118 Transmission gear 119 External seal material 121 Confirmation window (display portion)

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of an electric bed for a hospital to which a handle connection structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an outline of the electric bed in FIG. The hospital electric bed shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a drive unit 1 and a bed unit 2. A motor 1 and various actuators are accommodated in the drive unit 1, and a mat 3 is placed on the bed unit 2. The bed portion 2 is supported by an arm 4 attached to the drive unit 1. The arm 4 is driven by the drive unit 1, and the height and posture of the bed unit 2 can be changed by the vertical movement of the arm 4.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the drive unit 1. The drive unit 1 has a configuration in which a drive unit 12, an elevating actuator 13, and the like are provided on a steel frame 11. The steel frame 11 includes a main frame 11a extending in the front-rear direction and a connecting bar 11b provided so as to connect the main frames 11a and extending in the width direction. Casters 14 are attached to the lower surfaces of both ends of the main frame 11a. As shown in FIG. 1, a synthetic resin cover 15 is attached to the frame 11, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the cover 15 is removed.

  The drive unit 12 is placed on the motor base 16. In the drive unit 12, two sets of a DC motor 17 (17L, 17R) and a speed reduction mechanism 18 (18L, 18R) are provided. Two rotating shafts 19 project from the left and right sides of the drive unit 12. The rotation of the motor 17 is decelerated by the speed reduction mechanism 18 and output to the rotary shaft 19. Drive wheels 21 (21L, 21R) are fixed to each rotary shaft 19. The drive wheel 21 includes a wheel 22 and a rubber tire 23 fixed to the rotary shaft 19.

  The drive unit 12 is further provided with a vehicle speed sensor (not shown). The vehicle speed sensor is composed of a multipolar magnetized magnet attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 17 and a magnetic detection element that is disposed in the vicinity of the magnet and outputs a pulse signal when the magnetic pole changes. When the motor 17 rotates, a rotation pulse signal is output from the magnetic detection element according to the motor rotation speed. The rotational speed of the motor 17 and the rotational speed of the drive wheel 21 have a correlation, and the rotational speed of the drive wheel 21, that is, the vehicle speed can be detected by detecting the motor rotational speed with a vehicle speed sensor.

  A tower 24 is erected on the motor base 16. The tower 24 is connected to the lift actuator 13. The drive unit 12 moves up and down by the operation of the lift actuator 13, and the drive wheel 21 comes into contact with or separates from the floor surface (travel surface) 25. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a connection structure between the drive unit 12 and the elevating actuator 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the base 24 a of the tower 24 is rotatably supported on the arm 27 by a pivot 26. The arm 27 is fixed to the connecting bar 11b, and the motor base 16 is supported by the frame 11 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction (X direction in FIG. 4) about the pivot 26.

  A long hole 28 is formed in the upper portion of the tower 24. A pin 31 attached to the plunger 29 is inserted into the long hole 28 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in the figure). The plunger 29 is attached to the upper part of the tower 24 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and is connected to the plunger 33 of the elevating actuator 13 via a spring 32. The elevating actuator 13 is driven by a DC motor 34, and the plunger 33 operates in the Y direction in FIG. 4 as the DC motor 34 rotates. The left end of the lifting actuator 13 in the figure is supported by a bracket 35 fixed to the connecting bar 11b so as to be swingable.

  As described above, the motor base 16 is connected to the lift actuator 13 via the spring 32. When the elevating actuator 13 is actuated and the plunger 33 is extended, the tower 24 is pushed through the spring 32, the plunger 29, and the pin 31, and the motor base 16 is rotated clockwise in FIG. Thereby, the drive wheel 21 moves to the floor surface 25 side and is pressed against the floor surface 25 with a predetermined ground load. On the other hand, when the plunger 33 contracts, the motor base 16 rotates counterclockwise around the pivot 26. As a result, the drive wheel 21 is detached and raised from the floor surface 25 and stored in a position separated from the floor surface 25.

  The frame 11 is further provided with a battery 36 for power supply, a controller 37 for motor control, an actuator 38 for bed posture control, and the like. The battery 36 supplies power to the motors 17 and 34, the controller 37, the actuator 38, and the like. The controller 37 is connected to the control panel 8 (see FIG. 5), and performs drive control of each motor, actuator, etc. according to an input instruction from the operator.

  On the other hand, safety fences 5 are attached to both sides of the bed portion 2. A bed moving handle 6 is attached to the front end side (the user's head side) of the bed portion 2. Here, the front and rear mean the longitudinal direction of the bed, and the side means both ends in the width direction (left and right direction) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 5, one handle 6 is provided on each of the left and right sides (6L, 6R), and is connected to a sensor device 7 (operation force detection device) provided at the front end of the bed 2. The sensor device 7 detects an operation load applied to the handle 6 when the bed moves. A control panel 8 is disposed between the handles 6, and a power switch 8a, an emergency stop switch 8b, a bed lift switch 8c, an LED display panel 8d, and the like are provided.

  6 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a connection portion between the handle 6 and the sensor device 7, FIG. 7 is a front view of the handle 6 and the sensor device 7, and FIG. 8 is a side view of a partial cross section of the handle 6 and the sensor device 7. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the sensor device 7. As shown in FIG. 6, a stainless lever shaft 50 is attached to the base of the handle 6. 10A is a side view of the lever shaft 50, and FIG. 10B is a front view of the lever shaft 50. A lever portion 6 a of the handle 6 is attached to the lever shaft 50. The lever shaft 50 includes a main body 51, a handle mounting portion 52 protruding from the side of the main body 51, and a first gear portion 53 formed on the left end side of the main body 51 in FIG. Has been. The handle attachment portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the end of the lever portion 6a is press-fitted and fixed to the outer periphery thereof. Covers 54 a and 54 b are externally attached to the connection portion between the lever shaft 50 and the handle attachment portion 52. A wiring hole 55 is provided at the center of the handle mounting portion 52.

  A shaft hole 56 is formed at the center of the main body 51. A shaft 57 is press-fitted and fixed in the shaft hole 56. FIG. 11 is a front view of the shaft 57. The shaft 57 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, one end side is fixed to the shaft hole 56, and the other end side protrudes from the shaft hole 56. A synthetic resin end cap 40 is attached to one end of the shaft 57. A wiring hole 58 is formed in the central portion of the shaft 57, and a connection hole 59 communicating with the wiring hole 58 is provided on the side surface on one end side. When the shaft 57 is press-fitted and fixed to the shaft hole 56, the connection hole 59 is positioned so as to communicate with the wiring hole 55 of the handle attachment portion 52. On the other hand, a notch 60 and a C-ring groove 61 are formed on the other end side of the shaft 57.

  A large diameter part 51 a and a small diameter part 51 b are formed on the outer periphery of the main body part 51. The large diameter portion 51a is formed outside the main body portion 51 (right side in FIG. 10A), and the small diameter portion 51b is formed inside the main body portion 51 (left side in FIG. 10A; sensor device 7 side). Two convex portions 70a are formed in the circumferential direction on the inner side of the small diameter portion 51b and the boundary portion with the large diameter portion 51a. Two extending portions 70b extending in the axial direction are formed in the circumferential direction on the small diameter portion 51b side of the large diameter portion 51a.

  The first gear portion 53 includes a tooth portion 63 in which gear teeth 62 project at equal intervals, and a notch portion 64 formed by removing only one gear tooth 62. The notches 64 are equally divided into four portions at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. A circular recess 65 is formed in the center of the end face of the first gear portion 53. A fitting groove 66 is formed on the outer periphery of the recess 65 over a substantially half circumference. As shown in FIG. 12A, a disc spring (second elastic member) 67 and a stainless steel ring 68 are inserted into the recess 65. At this time, the large-diameter portion 69 (see FIG. 12C) of the stainless steel ring 68 is fitted into the fitting groove 66, and the stainless steel ring 68 is prevented from rotating and accommodated in the recess 65.

  A rear bracket 71 of the sensor device 7 is rotatably attached to the other end side of the shaft 57 fixed to the lever shaft 50. FIG. 13 (a) is a side view of the rear bracket 71, and FIG. 13 (b) is a front view thereof. The rear bracket 71 is composed of a main body portion 72 and a second gear portion 73 formed on the right end side of the main body portion 72 in FIG. A shaft fixing portion 74 having a semicircular cross section is recessed in the left end portion of the main body portion 72. The rear bracket 71 is also formed in a hollow shape like the lever shaft 50, and a shaft 57 is rotatably inserted into the shaft hole 75 via a bearing material 76.

  A circular recess 77 is formed in the center of the end face of the second gear portion 73. As shown in FIG. 12A, a resin ring 78 made of synthetic resin (for example, fluororesin) is accommodated in the recess 77. Similarly to the first gear portion 53, the second gear portion 73 is also formed with a tooth portion 81 having gear teeth 79 protruding at equal intervals and a notch portion 82 formed by removing only one gear tooth 79. Has been. The notches 82 are equally divided into four portions at 90 ° intervals in the circumferential direction, but are formed at positions shifted by 20 ° from the vertical and horizontal directions.

  A step portion 83 is formed inside the main body portion 72, and a braking portion 84 is provided there. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the braking portion 84. As shown in FIG. 14 (a), in the braking portion 84, a resin ring 85 made of synthetic resin (for example, fluororesin) and a stainless steel ring 86 are extrapolated at the tip of the shaft 57 protruding from the shaft hole 75. As shown in FIG. 14 (c), the stainless steel ring 86 is formed with positioning protrusions 87 on the inner peripheral side. The stainless steel ring 86 is attached in a state where the positioning protrusion 87 is fitted in the notch 60 of the shaft 57, is prevented from rotating, and is attached to the shaft 57. A C ring 88 is attached to the outside of the stainless steel ring 86. The C ring 88 is attached to the C ring groove 61 of the shaft 57.

  The C ring 88 is attached while pressing the rear bracket 71 toward the lever shaft 50 side. When the rear bracket 71 is pressed in the axial direction, the disc spring 67 accommodated in the recess 65 of the lever shaft 50 is pressed by the resin ring 78 accommodated in the recess 77 of the rear bracket 71. At this time, a gap for inserting the resin ring 85 and the stainless steel ring 86 is formed between the C-ring groove 61 of the shaft 57 and the pressing surface 83a of the step portion 83. In this state, the resin ring 85 and the stainless steel ring 86 are extrapolated to the shaft 57, and the C ring 88 is mounted while resisting the biasing force of the disc spring 67. As a result, the stainless steel ring 68 and the resin ring 78, the stainless steel ring 86 and the resin ring 85 are pressed against each other to generate a rotational resistance, restricting the free rotation of the lever shaft 50, and the handle 6 at the current position. A holding force is generated.

  A seal material attaching portion 89 is further provided inside the main body portion 72, and a rubber internal seal material 91 is attached thereto. A wiring 92 extending from the sensor device 7 side is attached to the internal sealing material 91. The inner sealing material 91 has a bottomed cylindrical shape formed in a step shape, and the outer peripheral portion 91 a is fitted and fixed to the inner wall 89 a of the sealing material mounting portion 89. A seal hole 93 is formed at the center of the inner seal material 91, and the wiring 92 is inserted in a watertight state therein. The wiring 92 is connected to the wiring 95 via the connector 94. The wiring 95 is connected to an operation switch 96 (see FIG. 7) provided on the grip portion 6 a of the handle 6 through the wiring hole 58, the connection hole 59, the wiring hole 55, and the internal space of the handle 6.

  Thus, in the connection structure, the wirings 92 and 95 can be wired inside the connection portion by providing the wiring hole 58, the connection hole 59, the wiring hole 55, and the like. As a result, the operation switch 96 can be disposed on the grip 6b of the handle 6, and the wiring can be wired without being exposed outside the handle. Moreover, since the sealing performance with respect to the sensor device 7 can be secured by the internal sealing material 91, the waterproofness in the sensor device 7 is improved, an expensive corrosion-resistant material is not required, and the device cost is reduced.

  A drain hole 97 is provided in the shaft hole 75 of the main body 72. As shown in FIG. 13 (b), the drain hole 97 opens at the end face of the second gear portion 73 and extends to the step portion 83 along the shaft hole 75. The opening on the step 83 side of the drain hole 97 communicates with the internal space of the shaft 57. Further, the drain hole 97 has a tapered shape inclined downward toward the end face on the second gear portion 73 side. Thereby, the water stored in the shaft 57 or the like is discharged from the opening on the second gear portion 73 side through the drain hole 97.

  The bed is made for hospitals, and the entire bed may be cleaned and sterilized. At that time, there is a possibility that the cleaning water may enter the connecting portion between the handle 6 and the sensor device 7, and if this is left untreated, it may cause rust and malfunction. For this reason, in the bed, the water accumulated in the connection portion by the drain hole 97 is discharged from the end face of the second gear portion 73 to the outside of the apparatus, and the trouble due to the storage of the washing water is prevented.

  A ring gear (connecting member) 98 is attached to the outside of the first gear portion 53 of the lever shaft 50 and the second gear portion 73 of the rear bracket 71. 15 (a) is a front view of the ring gear 98, and FIG. 15 (b) is a cross-sectional view thereof. As shown in FIG. 15, the ring gear 98 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and internal teeth (gear teeth) 99 are formed therein. The internal teeth 99 are provided with tooth portions 101 and engaging projections 102 in a form corresponding to the first gear portion 53 and the second gear portion 73. Gear teeth 103 project from the tooth portion 101 at equal intervals, and are formed so as to be able to mesh with the gear teeth 62 and 79 of the first and second gear portions 53 and 73. The engaging protrusions 102 are formed in a shape in which adjacent gear teeth 103 are continuous, and are formed into four equal parts at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. The engaging protrusion 102 is formed so as to be engageable with the notches 64 and 82 of the first and second gear portions 53 and 73.

  A sleeve mounting groove 104 is formed on the outer periphery of the ring gear 98. A synthetic resin sleeve 105 (cover member) is attached to the sleeve attachment groove 104. The sleeve 105 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a part cut away, is attached to the outer periphery of the main body 51 of the lever shaft 50, and is accommodated in the small diameter portion 51b. A notch (not shown) is formed in the outer end portion of the sleeve 105, and the protruding portion 70a of the small diameter portion 51b and the extending portion 70b of the large diameter portion 51a are engaged with this notch. Thus, the sleeve 105 is disposed outside the lever shaft main body 51 so as to be movable in the axial direction (left-right direction in FIG. 6), and operates integrally with the ring gear 98. Further, since the ring gear 98 is fitted and fixed to the rear bracket 71 with respect to the turning direction, the sleeve 105 operates in conjunction with the lever shaft main body 51 on the sleeve mounting groove 104.

  A return spring 106 (first elastic member) is attached to the left end portion of the ring gear 98. One end of the return spring 106 is in contact with the ring gear 98, and the other end is in contact with a stepped spring receiving portion 107 formed on the outer periphery of the rear bracket 71. The ring spring 98 is urged by the return spring 106 in the direction of the lever shaft 50 (rightward in FIG. 6). As a result, the gear tooth 103 is engaged with the gear teeth 62 and 79, the ring gear 98 is held in a state where the engagement protrusion 102 is engaged with the notches 64 and 82, and the ring gear 98 is easily detached from the first gear portion 53. It is supposed not to.

  The sensor device 7 includes a housing 108 attached to the bed 2, a fixed block 109 disposed in the housing 108, a hollow shaft 111 rotatably supported by the fixed block 109, and a torsion inserted and fixed in the hollow shaft 111. And a bar 112. A rear bracket 71 is fixed to the hollow shaft 111, and the handle 6 is installed so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction of the bed, as shown in FIG. When the handle 6 swings, a torsional displacement is generated in the torsion bar 112 accordingly. In the sensor device 7, this torsional displacement is measured using the potentiometer 113, and the operation force applied to the bed is calculated by the controller 37 based on the measured value.

  Two knurled portions 114 are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the hollow shaft 111. The hollow shaft 111 is coupled to the shaft fixing portion 74 of the rear bracket 71 using the knurled portion 114 while being prevented from rotating. The shaft fixing portion 74 is fixed to the bracket 115 with the hollow shaft 111 interposed therebetween, and the rear bracket 71 is fixed to the hollow shaft 111 by rotating the knurled portion 114 into the inner peripheral surface of the shaft fixing portion 74 or the bracket 115. The

  A torsion bar 112 is disposed inside the hollow shaft 111. Serrations 116 are formed at both ends of the torsion bar 112. One end side (the left end side in FIG. 9) of the torsion bar 112 is fixed to the fixing block 109 via the fixing plate 117. The other end side (the right end side in FIG. 9) of the torsion bar 112 is fixed to the right end of the hollow shaft 111. A serration is also formed on the inner periphery of the right end of the hollow shaft 111, and the serration portion 116 of the torsion bar 112 meshes with the serration and is fixed to the hollow shaft 111. That is, one end side of the torsion bar 112 is fixed to the fixed block 109, and the other end side is fixed to the hollow shaft 111. Therefore, when the handle 6 is swung and the hollow shaft 111 is rotated accordingly, the torsion bar 112 having one end fixed is twisted with the rotation of the hollow shaft 111, and a torsional displacement is generated.

  A transmission gear 118 is further fixed to the right end side of the torsion bar 112. The transmission gear 118 rotates integrally with the torsion bar 112 and amplifies the torsion amount of the torsion bar 112. Transmission gear 118 meshes with a driven gear (not shown). The driven gear is fixed to the input shaft (not shown) of the potentiometer 113. In the sensor device 7, the torsional displacement of the torsion bar 112, that is, the displacement of the handle 6 is directly transmitted to the potentiometer 113 by the gear. For this reason, unlike a detection device using a conventional coil spring, a lever is not interposed therein, so that a decrease in detection accuracy due to rattling of the lever can be suppressed.

  A rubber external seal material 119 is attached to the outside of the housing 108. One end of the external sealing material 119 is fixed to the outside of the opening of the housing 108, and the other end is fixed to the outside of the main body 72 of the rear bracket 71. Thereby, the waterproofness in the housing 108 is ensured while allowing the operation of the rear bracket 71 accompanying the operation of the handle 6.

  In the electric transfer bed having such a configuration, when the bed is moved, the handle 6 is pushed while pushing the operation switch 96 to prevent erroneous operation. As a result, the handle 6 tilts in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. 8 due to the operation load. As the handle 6 moves, the lever shaft 50 coupled to the handle 6 also operates. The lever shaft 50 is coupled to the rear bracket 71 via the ring gear 98 in a state of being prevented from rotating, and the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 operate together with the handle 6.

  At this time, the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 are coupled by meshing of the gears, and high strength is secured against the force acting in the handle turning direction. In addition, the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 are connected to each other in the handle tilting direction by the shaft 57, and the outer circumferences of the first and second gear portions 53 and 73 are fixed by the ring gear 98. The support strength of the handle 6 is greatly improved as compared with the pin connection.

  When the handle 6 tilts in the front-rear direction, the hollow shaft 111 rotates accordingly. When the hollow shaft 111 rotates, a torsional displacement occurs in the torsion bar 112, and the transmission gear 118 rotates by the amount of the displacement. The rotation of the transmission gear 118 is transmitted to the potentiometer 113 through the driven gear. There is a correlation between the operation load applied to the handle 6 and the torsional displacement of the torsion bar 112, and there is also a correlation between the torsional displacement of the torsion bar 112 and the output of the potentiometer 113. That is, the potentiometer 113 outputs a signal corresponding to the operation load of the handle 6. Therefore, by grasping the output change of the potentiometer 113, the operation load of the handle 6 can be detected.

  The output of the potentiometer 113, which is a signal corresponding to the operation load of the handle 6, is sent to the controller 37. In addition, the controller 37 stores in advance a map indicating the relationship between the output value of the potentiometer 113, that is, the operation load on the handle 6 and the optimum driving assist force corresponding thereto, and the motor is referred to by referring to this map. Drive control of 17 etc. is performed.

  Moreover, the traveling direction of the bed can be controlled by comparing the outputs of the left and right sensor devices 7. For example, if it is detected that the force pushing the left handle 6L is large, the operator determines that the bed is about to be bent to the right and raises the output of the motor 17L to turn the bed to the right. On the other hand, when the force to push the right handle 6R is large, the operator determines that the bed is to be bent to the left and raises the output of the motor 17R to turn the bed to the left.

  On the other hand, in the bed, the handle 6 can be stored when the conveyance is finished. In this case, the operator first moves the sleeve 105 in the axial direction (leftward in FIG. 6) against the urging force of the return spring 106, and shows the one-dot chain line from the lock position shown by the solid line in FIG. Move to the release position. As a result, the ring gear 98 is disengaged from the first gear portion 53, and the engagement between the gear teeth 103 and the gear teeth 62 and the engagement between the engagement protrusions 102 and the notches 64 are released. In other words, the coupling state between the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 is released, and the lever shaft 50 becomes rotatable with respect to the rear bracket 71.

  If the lever shaft 50 is rotatable with respect to the rear bracket 71, in the conventional pin coupling configuration, the lever shaft 50 may be in a free state and rotate by its own weight. On the other hand, in the handle 6, since the braking portion 84 is provided at the connection portion between the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71, free rotation of the lever shaft 50 is restricted by the holding force. That is, even if the sleeve 105 is moved, the lever shaft 50 is held at the current position, and the handle is prevented from being accidentally tilted.

  Therefore, when the handle 6 is rotated with the sleeve 105 moved, the lever shaft 50 is rotated with respect to the rear bracket 71, and the notch portion 64 of the lever shaft 50 and the notch portion of the rear bracket 71 are displaced from each other. It becomes a state. At this time, the engagement protrusion 102 cannot be engaged with the notch 64 of the lever shaft 50, and the ring gear 98 is held at the release position. When the handle 6 is further operated and rotated 90 degrees, the notch 82 eventually faces the notch 64 at the next position. Then, the engagement protrusion 102 of the ring gear 98 becomes engageable with the new notch 64, and the ring gear 98 is returned to the locked position by the urging force of the return spring 106.

  Accordingly, when the handle 6 is rotated to the storage position indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 7, the rotation operation is locked there. The sleeve 105 is provided with a confirmation window 121 (display unit). When the ring gear 98 is in the release position, red is displayed, and when the ring gear 98 is in the locked position, green is displayed. The state of the handle 6 can be discriminated at a glance. When the ring gear 98 is in the release position, the handle 6 is in a rotatable state, and the operator can carelessly touch the sleeve 105 or put force into the handle by displaying the confirmation window 121. Attention is given not to rotate 6. Further, as described above, since the sleeve 105 operates integrally with the ring gear 98, only the ring gear 98 does not move to the release position, and the lock and unlock state of the handle 6 can be displayed without error. it can.

  In this way, when the operator moves the sleeve 105 to free the lever shaft 50 and rotates the handle 6 in this state, the sleeve 105 automatically returns at the next engagement position rotated 90 degrees. Then, the handle 6 is again locked. That is, in the connection structure, the handle 6 can be rotated by the movement of the sleeve 105, and the rotation is automatically locked at a predetermined storage position. Therefore, the storing operation of the handle 6 can be performed very easily. At this time, since the handle 6 does not rotate freely by its own weight, the operability is also high.

  Further, the handle 6 can be retracted by rotating around the lever shaft 50, and the lever shaft 50 can also be used as an operating force transmission means during the transport operation. That is, in the connection structure, the handle storage structure and the operating force transmission structure are integrated, and the handle connection portion can be made compact. In addition, since the strength of the connecting part is high and the backlash is small, both the storage direction (rotation direction) is fixed and the transmission of force in the operation direction (tilting direction) is ensured. And the detection accuracy of the operating force is improved.

  Furthermore, in the connection structure, the storing direction of the handle 6 is perpendicular to the handle operating direction during conveyance as shown in FIG. For this reason, the setting of the zero point adjustment performed when detecting the handle operation load is not likely to be wrong. In detecting the operation load, it is usual to adjust the zero point of the handle position and obtain the operation load from the handle tilt angle with reference to the adjustment. However, when the storage direction of the handle and the operation direction match, once the storage operation is performed, the zero point is likely to go wrong. On the other hand, in the handle 6 stored in the direction perpendicular to the operation direction, a large load change does not occur in the operation direction due to the storage operation, so that the handle neutral position is maintained without performing complicated adjustment work again, and the accurate operation is performed. The operation load can be detected.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the handle connection structure of the present invention is applied to a hospital bed is shown. However, the application target is not limited to a bed, and a stretcher, a meal transport cart, a wheelchair, and a cargo handling The present invention can be widely applied to a general conveying apparatus such as an electric carriage regardless of the presence or absence of electricity. Further, the present invention can be applied to a handle in general that needs to be adjusted in addition to the transport device.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the engagement protrusion 102 and the notches 64 and 82 are provided at intervals of 90 degrees has been described. However, the setting pitch is not limited to 90 degrees and can be appropriately set such as an interval of 45 degrees. is there. Furthermore, it is effective as means for adjusting the handle angle in accordance with the physique of the operator by reducing the set pitch of the notches 64 and 82 without providing the engaging projection. In this case, since the ring gear 98 can be finely fitted, it is advantageous in terms of strength over that in which the hole is finely provided on the lever shaft 50 and the storage position is adjusted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the drive unit 12 is arranged on one motor base 16 and the drive wheels 21 are moved up and down by the single lift actuator 13 is shown. Separate drive units 12 may be used, which may be mounted on separate motor bases 16 and individually actuated by two lift actuators 13.

Claims (12)

A lever shaft fixed to the handle base;
A shaft fixed to the lever shaft and extending in the direction of the rotation center axis of the lever shaft;
A bracket rotatably attached to the shaft;
Gear teeth capable of meshing with the first gear formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lever shaft and the second gear formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bracket are provided on the inner peripheral surface, on the outer sides of the first gear and the second gear. is arranged, by moving along the rotational axis direction, the handle connecting structure for conveying device and having a coupling member meshing with said first gear is released. In the handle connecting structure of claim 1, wherein the handle connecting structure for conveying device and providing a first elastic member for biasing said first gear along said coupling member to said rotational axis direction . In the handle connecting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, outside the lever shaft, the handle connecting structure for conveying device according to claim Rukoto a cover member which operates said coupling member integrally. The handle connection structure according to claim 3, wherein the connecting member moves along the rotation center axis direction together with the cover member while maintaining a meshed state with the second gear. Handle connection structure. In the handle connecting structure according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said cover member, a handle connecting structure for conveying device and providing a display unit for displaying a mesh state between the connecting member and the first gear. In the handle connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a braking portion for applying a rotation resistance force is provided in a rotating operation between the lever shaft and the bracket,
The braking portion is attached to the lever shaft,
A second elastic member that presses the bracket along the rotation center axis direction;
Conveying apparatus characterized by having a braking member which is pressed against the biasing force of the shaft is mounted is restricted movement in the axial direction, said the press-contact surface formed on the bracket second elastic member handle connecting structure of use. The handle connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the lever shaft, the shaft, and the bracket are formed in a hollow structure, and the lever shaft, the shaft, and the bracket can each be inserted with electrical wiring. A handle connection structure for a conveying device , characterized in that it has a hole . In the handle connecting structure according to claim 7, in the hole of the bracket, the handle connecting structure for conveying device the electrical wiring is characterized in that the attachment of the sealing member mounted in a watertight state in a watertight state. The handle connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the bracket has a drain hole that opens to an end surface on the lever shaft side of the bracket and communicates with an internal space of the bracket. Handle connection structure for the transport device . The handle connection structure for a transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the bracket is attached to an operation force detection device that detects an operation force of the handle. 11. The handle connection structure according to claim 10 , wherein the operation force detection device is inserted into the hollow shaft, a hollow shaft rotatably supported by a fixed block disposed in the housing and having one end of the bracket fixed thereto. And a potentiometer connected to the torsion bar, and a handle connection structure for a conveying apparatus, the torsion bar having one end fixed to the fixing block and the other end fixed to the hollow shaft. 12. The handle connection structure according to claim 11 , wherein the operating force detection device includes a transmission gear fixed to the other end of the torsion bar, a driven gear fixed to the input shaft of the potentiometer and meshed with the transmission gear. the a, the driven gear wheel connection structure for conveying apparatus characterized by a small number of teeth than the transmission gear.

Images