JP4936207B2 - Carriage with stair-climbing assist mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

  The present invention relates to a transport vehicle capable of moving up and down steps and stairs.

  Conventional carriages such as strollers and hand carts cannot travel on stairs, so when moving up and down floors of buildings etc., there is no choice but to lift the carriage and move up and down stairs or use an elevator etc. It was.

  However, the act of lifting a stroller carrying an infant may cause a fall accident of the infant, and lifting a hand cart with a heavy load loaded on it will be a heavy burden on the user and may cause a lower back. There is a risk of hurting.

  Furthermore, there are facilities that do not have elevators, and even in facilities where elevators are installed, there are many cases where elevators cannot be used due to periodic inspections.

  In view of this, there is one disclosed in Patent Literature 1 that can be moved up and down the stairs. The step traveling wheelbarrow described in Patent Document 1 is a wheelbarrow in which a wheel is provided at each end of a rotatable cross-shaped support rod, and the length of the telescopic support rod is adjusted to the size of the stairs. When the stairs are moved up and down, the step operation barrow is pulled up and pulled down to rotate the cruciform support rod to move up and down the stairs.

  Another example is disclosed in Patent Document 2. The stair lift device described in Patent Document 2 moves up and down on the staircase by contacting the crawler with the corner of the staircase. Further, by moving the position of the center of gravity of the baggage when ascending and descending the stairs, the burden on the user is reduced in the operations of lifting and lowering the stairs lifting device from the steps.

  Further, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 3. The moving cart described in Patent Document 3 adjusts the length of the extendable leg located on the lower side of the stairs according to the dimensions of the stairs when ascending and descending the stairs, and alternately lifts the front legs and rear legs on the stairs. The stairs are raised and lowered by raising and lowering the level difference one by one. The lifting operation of the front and rear legs uses the lever principle, so the burden on the user is small. Also, due to the nature that the user can operate the moving cart from below the stairs when going up and down the stairs, even if the user releases his hand from the moving cart due to an unexpected accident, the user will receive the moving cart with his body, It can prevent the mobile cart from falling from the stairs.

  JP 2002-019616 A   JP 2004-122898 A   JP 2004-268879 A

Problems to be solved by the invention

  The step-operated handcart described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 must change all the lengths of the eight support rods in the adjustment of the length of the support rods. There was a problem that became difficult. In addition, in the descent of stairs when carrying a heavy load, the weight on the handle increases when going one step back, and the user who can no longer support the stepped wheelbarrow is pulled by the stepped wheelbarrow, and the stairs There was a risk of falling from.

  The stair climbing device described in Patent Document 2 is not as large as Patent Document 1, but in the stair descent when a heavy load is loaded, the weight applied to the handle portion increases one step later, and the stair climbing device There was a risk that a user who could not support the device would be pulled by the stair lift and fall from the stair.

  Further, the step-operated wheelbarrow described in Patent Document 1 or the stair lifting device described in Patent Document 2 has a property that the user moves up and down from the top of the stairs when moving up and down the stairs. When a hand is released from the step-operated wheelbarrow or the stair lifting device, there is a problem that there is no way to prevent the step-operated wheelbarrow or the stair lifting device from falling from the stairs.

  The moving cart described in Patent Document 3 extends the leg located on the lower side of the stairs by one or two steps when the leg located on the lower side of the stairs does not reach the next stage when the stairs are raised or lowered. For this reason, there is a problem that a required range of expansion and contraction of the leg portion is increased. In addition, if the user does not carefully perform the work of lowering the leg part located on the lower side of the stairs one step after the stairs are lowered, the infant or the luggage loaded on the moving cart will be greatly impacted and the infant's brain will be affected. There was a problem that caused damage and collapse.

  The present invention reduces the burden on the user when ascending and descending stairs, increases the safety of infants and luggage to be mounted, and assists the user in raising and lowering the stairs when used as a walking assistance vehicle. The purpose is to provide a transportable vehicle.

Means for solving the problem

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the cart with the stair climbing assist mechanism according to claim 1 is configured such that when the stairs are lifted, the legs located above the stairs are located at the lower ends of the legs located above the stairs and below the stairs. Means that can be expanded and contracted in a direction in which the distance from the lower end of the part can be adjusted to an arbitrary length, and that the operation can be performed near the handle, the extension operation can be locked and unlocked, and the contraction operation is not locked or A means for locking and unlocking the contraction operation and not locking the extension operation was provided.

  The carriage with a stair lift assist mechanism according to claim 2 is the carriage according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary leg that can be expanded and contracted to suppress a rapid contraction behind a leg portion located on the lower side of the stair when the stair is lifted is provided. An auxiliary wheel is provided at the lower end of the leg, and the auxiliary wheel is moved toward the auxiliary wheel in a direction in which the carriage descends the stairs only while the load of the carriage and the load loaded on the carriage is applied to the auxiliary leg when the stairs are lowered. Is provided, and means for preventing the auxiliary wheel from rotating in the direction in which the carriage ascends the stairs is provided.

The invention's effect

  The cart with the stair climbing assist mechanism according to claim 1 is configured such that when the stairs are lifted, the leg located on the upper side of the stairs has an arbitrary distance between the lower end of the leg located on the upper side of the stairs and the lower end of the leg located on the lower side of the stairs. A trolley equipped with a means that can be expanded and contracted in a direction that can be adjusted to the length of the handle, and that can be operated near the steering wheel. In the case where the lower end of the leg portion located on the upper side of the stairs cannot contact the nearest tread surface, the leg portion located on the upper side of the stairs can be adjusted so that the lower end can contact the nearest tread surface. Also, the expansion / contraction range required at this time is about the radius of the wheel attached to the lower end of the leg located on the upper side of the stairs as a horizontal distance, so when using it on a staircase installed in a normal facility etc. Stairs can be raised and lowered even within a range of expansion and contraction that is smaller than the extendable legs of the movable cart described in Patent Document 3. Further, each step is provided with means for locking and unlocking the extension operation of the leg located on the upper side of the staircase, and means for locking the contraction operation or locking and unlocking the contraction operation, and means for locking the extension operation. However, in the stairs having the same dimensions, by fixing the length of the leg portion located above the stairs, it is possible to save the trouble of adjusting the length of the leg portion located above the stairs in each step. Furthermore, it becomes easier to perform the act of fixing the leg portion located on the upper side of the stairs with an arbitrary length than when a means for simply locking the telescopic operation is provided.

  The cart with a stair climbing assist mechanism according to claim 2 is the cart according to claim 1, wherein the retractable auxiliary leg that suppresses rapid contraction to the rear of the leg located on the lower side of the stair when the stair is raised and lowered, and the auxiliary leg By providing an auxiliary wheel at the lower end of the platform, the platform of the cart due to the fall of the lower end of the leg located on the lower side of the stairs due to the user releasing his hand from the cart due to an accident during descending The impact on the can be reduced. Further, even in a normal step-down operation, in the process of lowering the lower end of the leg portion located on the lower side of the stairs to the lower step, by allowing the auxiliary leg to support a part of the weight of the carriage, the user can The weight of the cart to be supported can be reduced, and the lower end of the leg portion located on the lower side of the stairs can be lowered while suppressing the impact to the cargo bed by the gentle contraction of the auxiliary leg. At this time, means for preventing the auxiliary wheel from rotating in the direction in which the carriage moves backward with respect to the auxiliary wheel by applying a load to the auxiliary leg, and preventing the auxiliary wheel from rotating in the direction in which the carriage advances. Can be easily moved from the corner of the staircase to the upper kick-up side so that the lower end of the leg located on the lower side of the staircase does not fall unexpectedly on the descending staircase, and an unexpected accident Even if the lower part of the leg part located on the lower side of the stairs falls to the lower stage due to the above, the backward movement due to the inertia at the time of dropping is suppressed, and the further lower stage is prevented from falling. And when the lower end of the leg part located on the lower side of the stairs is landed and the load applied to the auxiliary leg returns to the carriage, the auxiliary wheel is prevented from rotating in the direction in which the carriage moves backward, and the carriage The means that does not inhibit the auxiliary wheel from rotating in the direction in which the wheel moves forward is released, and the stairs descending operation can be continued.

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

  FIG. 1 is a view showing an overview of a stroller as a cart with a stair lift assist mechanism according to the present embodiment.

  The body frame is provided with a cylinder tube 1 at the front leg portion and a rod 2 slidably housed inside the cylinder tube 1, and a pair of rear leg frames 5 at the rear leg portion. A caster 3 that can be fixed at least in a state of moving in the straight direction by a caster lock 4 is attached to the lower end of the rod 2, and a wheel 6 is attached to the lower end of the rear leg frame 5.

  Above the stroller, there are provided a handle 7 comprising a push rod frame for operating the stroller, a lever 8 for operating the rod 2 via a wire 9 and a slide switch 11 for fixing the lever 8.

  Behind the stroller is a cylinder tube 12 provided with an exhaust port 15, which has a mechanism for reducing impact caused by dropping from the step on the side of the wheel 6 due to an operation error when descending the stairs, and assisting the operation of lowering the wheel 6. And a cylinder piston 13 slidably accommodated in the cylinder tube, and an auxiliary wheel 14 at the lower end of the cylinder piston 13.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the rod 2 is housed in the cylinder tube 1 when traveling on a flat ground, and as shown in FIG. The cylinder tube 1 can be slid so that it can be changed.

  Further, the slide of the rod 2 can be expanded and contracted by an operation from the lever 8 and pushing the caster 3 into the stair lift plate.

  The structure of the cylinder tube 1, the rod 2, and the lever 8 in FIG. 2 (b), which shows the expansion / contraction mechanism part of the front leg part and the mechanism part that operates the extension / contraction of the front leg part, is not limited to a specific mechanism and is well known. Although the mechanism can be applied, examples of the configuration are shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 3 shows the internal structure of the front leg portion. The cylinder tube 1 has a rod 2 and a wire 9 connected to the rod 2, and a compression spring 16 is connected to the cylinder tube 1 so as to push the rod 2 out of the cylinder tube 1. 1 is built in. The front leg portion contracts by pulling the wire 9 or by housing the rod 2 in the cylinder tube 1 by pressing the lower end portion of the rod 2 against a kicking plate or the like. The front leg portion is extended by pushing the rod 2 out of the cylinder tube 1 by the resistance of the compression spring.

  4 (a) and 4 (b) show a mechanism for operating the contraction of the front leg near the handle 7 and fixing it at an arbitrary length. The inside of the handle part frame 17 is constituted by a one-way clutch 19 in which a shaft 18 passing through in the direction of the arrow A ′ is idle, and a slide switch 11 having a wedge that fills a gap between the lower end part of the one-way clutch 19 and the handle part frame 17. Has been. Further, the shaft 18 and the lever 8 are fixed, and the shaft 18 also rotates in accordance with the movement of the lever 8 in the arrow A direction.

  FIG. 4 (a) shows the unlocked state of the extension operation of the front leg portion, and since there is nothing to fix the one-way clutch 19, the lever 8 can be freely operated in the direction of arrow A, and the lever 8 can be operated on the handle frame side. 3 pulls the wire 9 fixed to the lower end of the lever 8 to contract the front leg, and pulls the lever away from the hand to pull the wire 9 to the cylinder tube side by the drag of the compression spring 16 in FIG. The front leg extends.

  FIG. 4B shows a locked state of the extension operation of the front leg portion. By sliding the slide switch 11 in the direction of arrow B, the gap between the lower end portion of the one-way clutch 19 and the handle portion frame 17 is changed to the slide switch 11. And the one-way clutch 19 is fixed. For this reason, the shaft 18 can only rotate in the direction of the arrow A ', and the extension operation of the front leg due to the drag force of the compression spring 16 in FIG. On the contrary, the shaft 18 can rotate in the A ′ direction, so that the front leg can be contracted.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the piston rod 13 is housed in the cylinder tube 12 when traveling on a flat ground. As shown in FIG. 2C, the auxiliary wheel 14 is one step higher than the wheel 6 when descending the stairs. The cylinder tube 12 is configured to be slidable so that it can be grounded to the lower stage.

  Further, like the damper, the piston rod 13 causes friction and resistance at least in the storage direction in the cylinder tube 12.

  The mechanism unit that assists the step-down operation of the staircase is not limited to a specific mechanism, and a well-known mechanism can be applied. An example of the configuration is shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the structure of the inside of the cylinder tube 12 and the periphery of the auxiliary wheel when the auxiliary leg is contracted, and FIG. The upper end of the piston rod 13 has a circular rubber stopper that is smaller than the inner diameter of the cylinder tube 12 and larger than the inner diameter of the rubber plug 20 below the rubber stopper 20 so as to sandwich the rubber stopper 20. The rubber plug 20 has a rubber plug stopper having a portion smaller than the inner diameter of the rubber plug 20, and the rubber plug 20 can slide between the upper and lower rubber stoppers. The auxiliary wheel 14 is supported by a spring 24. When a load is applied to the piston rod 13, the spring 24 contracts and the auxiliary wheel 14 comes into contact with the one-way clutch 22.

  When the auxiliary leg contracts, that is, when a load is applied to the auxiliary leg, the piston rod 13 is pushed up in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5A, and the rubber plug 20 is pressed against the lower rubber plug stopper. At this time, the rubber plug 20 is in close contact with the inside of the cylinder tube 12 and the piston rod 13, and the gas on the upper side of the cylinder tube does not escape to the piston rod 13 side but is exhausted from the exhaust port 15 on the upper side of the cylinder tube 12. Will be. The auxiliary leg at the time of contraction functions as a damper by adjusting the exhaust amount from the exhaust port 15. At this time, the spring 24 contracts when a load is applied to the auxiliary leg, and the auxiliary wheel 14 moves above the piston rod 13 and contacts the one-way clutch 22 that can rotate only in the direction of arrow D. Therefore, the auxiliary wheel 14 can be rotated only in the direction of the arrow E.

  When the auxiliary leg is extended, that is, when no load is applied to the auxiliary leg, the piston rod 13 descends in the direction of arrow B 'in FIG. At this time, the rubber plug 20 is pressed against the rubber plug stopper on the upper side of the piston rod 13, and a part of the rubber plug 20 is deformed and accommodated in a portion smaller than the inner diameter of the rubber plug 20 of the rubber plug stopper. Gas flows into the cylinder tube 12 through a gap formed by the deformation of the rubber stopper 20. The gap generated by the deformation of the rubber plug 20 is very large compared to the exhaust port 15, and the atmospheric pressure in the cylinder tube 12 immediately becomes the same as the outside air, and the deformation of the rubber plug 20 causes the cylinder tube 12 and the rubber plug 20 to Since the contact area is extremely small, the friction is reduced, and the piston rod 13 is quickly extended only by its own weight. At this time, since no load is applied to the spring 24, the spring 24 expands, and the auxiliary wheel 14 is separated from the one-way clutch 22, so that it can rotate in either direction of arrows E and E '.

  Next, a method of ascending the stairs using the stroller configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a), 4 (a), 4 (b), 6 and 7. FIG.

  When traveling on flat ground, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the front leg portion is set to the shortest state, and the auxiliary wheel 14 can be moved away from the ground in the auxiliary leg as well as a conventional baby stroller.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, when the stairs are elevated, the rod 2 is extended to the maximum as shown in FIG. 6B, and the caster 3 fixed in the straight direction is lifted with the wheel 6 as a fulcrum as shown in FIG. 6B. The caster 3 is placed on the second step of the stairs 23 while the stroller is advanced.

  After the caster 3 is placed on the second tread surface of the staircase 23, as shown in FIG. 6C, the wheel 6 is lifted with the caster 3 as a fulcrum to advance the stroller.

  When the wheel 6 is lifted, the wheel 6 may not be placed on the first step surface of the stairs 23 even when the caster 3 is in contact with the third step up plate of the stairs 23 as shown in FIG. is there. In that case, the rod 8 is contracted by pulling the lever 8 as shown in FIG. 6D or the rod 2 is contracted directly by further pushing the stroller until the wheel 6 is placed on the first tread of the stairs 23. Shrink the front leg.

  At this time, if the one-way clutch 19 is fixed with the slide switch 11 as shown in FIG. 4B in advance, there is no need to hold the lever 8 until the extension of the auxiliary leg is locked, and the rod 2 by pushing the stroller. If the lever 8 is pulled together with the contraction, the lever 8 can be pulled with a small gripping force.

  After the wheel 6 is placed on the first step surface of the stairs 23, the caster 3 is lifted with the wheel 6 as a fulcrum while moving forward and placed on the stepped surface one step higher, and the wheel is moved with the caster 3 as a fulcrum while moving forward. Repeat the action of lifting 6 and placing it on the tread on the next step.

  When climbing up the stairs 23 to the uppermost stage, the lever 8 is pulled and the rod 2 is stored, and the front leg is in the shortest state so that it is in a flat ground running state.

  When ascending the stairs while the front leg of the stroller is running on a flat ground, the caster 3 fixed in the straight direction is lifted while moving forward. At this time, even if the wheel 6 comes into contact with the first step up plate of the stairs 23, the caster 3 may not be placed on the second step surface of the stairs 23. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, the caster 3 is placed on the second tread of the stairs 23 by sliding the slide switch 11 backward to unlock the one-way clutch 19 and extending the rod 2. Can do. If the slide switch 11 is brought into the locked state again after the front leg portion is extended, the front leg portion can be easily contracted when it becomes necessary to contract the front leg portion thereafter.

  After the caster 3 is placed on the second step surface of the stairs 23, as shown in FIG. 7 (c), the wheel 6 is lifted with the caster 3 as a fulcrum while the stroller is advanced, and the caster 3 is moved to the first step surface of the stairs 23. Put it on. Thereafter, while moving the stroller, the caster 3 is lifted with the wheel 6 as a fulcrum and placed on the tread of the upper stage, and further, the wheel 6 is lifted with the caster 3 as the fulcrum while the stroller is advanced. Repeat the action on the tread.

  When climbing up the stairs 23 to the uppermost stage, the lever 8 is pulled and the rod 2 is stored, and the front leg is in the shortest state so that it is in a flat ground running state.

  When the dimensions of the stairs change during the ascending of the stairs, the ascending is performed by expanding and contracting the front leg portion of the stroller as needed according to the dimensions of the stairs based on the above ascending method.

  Next, with respect to the method of going down the stairs using the stroller configured as described above, FIG. 2 (a), FIG. 4 (a), (b), (c), FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. I will explain.

  FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C show how to use the auxiliary leg behind the stroller. Immediately before descending the stairs 23, a member for fixing the piston rod 13 (not shown) in a state where the auxiliary wheel 14 is separated from the ground is removed, and the piston rod 13 is extended to extend the auxiliary wheel 14 as shown in FIG. Is grounded and the caster 3 is fixed in a straight traveling state. When the stroller is moved backward from this state, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the auxiliary wheel 14 is separated from the uppermost step of the staircase 23, the piston rod 13 is extended by its own weight, and the auxiliary wheel 14 is placed on the lower tread surface. Ground. When the stroller is further moved backward, as shown in FIG. 8C, the wheel 6 is separated from the uppermost step of the staircase 23 and is brought into contact with the tread of one lower step. At this time, the auxiliary leg receives the weight of the stroller and becomes the state shown in FIG. 5A, plays the role of a damper, and gently lowers the wheel 6. At this time, the auxiliary wheel 14 advances only in the direction in which the stairs 23 is lifted up, that is, in the direction in which the casters 3 are present, and does not advance in the direction in which the stairs are descended, so that it is possible to prevent unintentional advancement to the next stage. As a result, even when the user releases his / her hand from the stroller due to an operational error during stairs climbing, the impact of the fall on the lower part of the rear leg is reduced by the gentle contraction of the auxiliary leg, and the rear leg is It is possible to prevent the stroller from moving backward due to the inertia when falling from the step, and the rear leg portion further falling to the lower step. When the wheel 6 descends and the load on the auxiliary leg moves to the wheel 6, the auxiliary leg is in the state shown in FIG. 5B, and the auxiliary wheel 14 can also move in the direction of going down the stairs.

  FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D show a method of lowering the front wheel of the stroller with the front leg portion of the stroller extended. Immediately before descending the stairs 23, the auxiliary wheel 14 is grounded as described above, the stroller is moved backward with the casters 3 fixed in the straight direction, and the wheel 6 is moved to the end of the stairs 23 as shown in FIG. Take down from the top to the second tread. Further, when the stroller is moved backward and the wheel 6 reaches a position just before the wheel 6 descends to the lower stage as shown in FIG. 9B, the caster 3 may fall during the descending stage of the wheel 6. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9C, the lever 8 is pulled to contract the rod 2, and the caster 3 is separated from the uppermost tread surface of the stairs 23. Then, as shown in FIG. 9 (d), the caster 3 is placed on the tread surface one step down from the uppermost step of the stairs 23. Thereafter, the auxiliary wheels 14, the wheels 6, and the casters 3 are stepped down one by one in order, and the stairs are lowered. At this time, when the caster 3 is lowered so as to always come into contact with the stairs 23, it is easy to descend.

  10 (a), (b), (c), and (d) show a method of lowering the front wheel of the stroller with the front leg portion of the stroller being the shortest. Immediately before descending the stairs 23, the auxiliary wheel 14 is grounded as described above, the stroller is moved backward while the casters 3 are fixed in the straight traveling direction, and the wheel 6 is lowered one step from the uppermost stage of the stairs 23. When the stroller is further retracted and the caster 3 may fall during the descending of the wheel 6 when the wheel 6 reaches the position just before descending as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10B, the lever 8 is unlocked and the rod 2 is extended. Then, as shown in FIG. 10 (c), the stroller is moved backward to lower one wheel 6 to the lower stage, and then the baby stroller is further moved backward to move the caster 3 as shown in FIG. 10 (d). Lower to the bottom. Thereafter, the auxiliary wheels 14, the wheels 6, and the casters 3 are stepped down one by one in order, and the stairs are lowered. At this time, when the caster 3 is lowered so as to always come into contact with the stairs 23, it is easy to descend.

  If the dimensions of the staircase change during the descending of the staircase, the stroller is lowered and extended at any time according to the dimensions of the staircase based on the descending method described above.

  It is a perspective view of the baby stroller of one Example by the present invention.   It is a figure which shows a structure same as the above.   It is a figure which shows the structural example of the expansion-contraction mechanism same as the above.   It is a figure which shows the structural example of the operation part of an expansion-contraction mechanism same as the above.   It is a figure which shows the structural example of a descent | fall guidance mechanism same as the above.   It is a figure explaining the ascending method of the stairs using the baby stroller same as the above.   It is a figure explaining the ascending method of the stairs using the baby stroller same as the above.   It is a figure explaining the descending method of the stairs using the baby stroller same as the above.   It is a figure explaining the descending method of the stairs using the baby stroller same as the above.   It is a figure explaining the descending method of the stairs using the baby stroller same as the above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cylinder tube 2 Rod 3 Caster 4 Caster lock 5 Rear leg frame 6 Wheel 7 Handle 8 Lever 9 Wire 10 Outer 11 Slide switch 12 Cylinder tube 13 Piston rod 14 Auxiliary wheel 15 Exhaust port 16 Compression spring 17 Handle part frame 18 Shaft 19 One way Clutch 20 Rubber stopper 21 Shaft 22 One-way clutch 23 Stairs 24 Means for suppressing backward movement of auxiliary wheel

Claims (2)

Legs located on the upper side of the stairs when the stairs are raised and lowered can lock and unlock the extension operation, and even when the extension operation is locked, the contraction operation can be locked or unlocked, and the contraction operation can be locked. A carriage characterized by comprising means for performing an extension operation even in a state of being pushed. A retractable auxiliary leg that suppresses rapid contraction behind the leg part located below the stairs when descending the stairs, an auxiliary wheel provided at the lower end of the auxiliary leg, and a load of the carriage was added to the auxiliary leg 2. The carriage according to claim 1, further comprising means for suppressing rotation of the auxiliary wheel in a direction in which the carriage moves backward and not suppressing rotation of the auxiliary wheel in a direction in which the carriage moves forward. .

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