JP5083544B2 - cushion - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cushion that is placed on, for example, a seating surface of a wheelchair and softly supports a seated person's buttocks in order to prevent pressure ulcers generated by the seated person.

In general, this type of cushion includes a plurality of air cells arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, a base member that supports each air cell, an electric air pump and a plurality of solenoid valves attached to the base member, In addition, an electric air pump, each electromagnetic valve, and a connection pipe that connects each air cell to each other are known, and an electric air pump and each electromagnetic valve are used to adjust the amount of air in each air cell (for example, (See Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent No. 4010557

  By the way, in the said cushion, the amount of air in each air cell is adjusted every predetermined time using an electric pump and each electromagnetic valve for the purpose of preventing generation | occurrence | production of pressure sores effectively.

  However, the electric air pump and each solenoid valve are supplied with power from an external power source via a power cord, and the electric pump and each solenoid valve are operated unless the power cord is connected to the external power source. When the cushion is placed on a wheelchair and used, the air volume in each air cell cannot be adjusted if the wheelchair is placed away from the power source. It was. For example, in nursing homes, people often move within the facility for meals, etc., and the position where the wheelchair is placed during meals is often away from the power source. This is undesirable in preventing the occurrence of pressure ulcers.

  Further, since it is necessary to attach and detach the power cord to / from the external power cord every time the wheelchair is moved, there is a problem that it takes time and effort to attach and detach the power cord.

  Here, in order to operate the electric air pump and each solenoid valve, a certain amount of storage capacity is required for the battery, and a large-sized battery is required in accordance with the storage capacity. In addition, it is necessary to secure a sufficient height dimension of each air cell to softly support the occupant's buttocks so that the seating position of the occupant when placed on an existing wheelchair is not unnecessarily high. There are also restrictions on the height of the cushion.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to adjust the amount of air in each air cell even when power is not supplied from an external power source, It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushion capable of softly supporting a seated person's buttocks without unnecessarily raising the seated position of the seated person.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cushion that is placed on a predetermined seating surface and supports a seated person's buttocks, and is arranged so as to be aligned in a substantially horizontal direction with a flat base member, A plurality of air cells supported on the lower end side by the base member and supporting the seated person's buttocks, and an air cell group composed of each air cell are arranged on the front end side of the seating surface, and are composed of a sponge-like member. A front end side support member that supports the vicinity of the thigh of the motor, an electric air pump and at least one electromagnetic valve attached to the base member so as to be disposed below the front end side support member, a front end side support member, and a base and a battery provided between the members, provided with a hollow portion for accommodating the electric air pump and the electromagnetic valve at the front end of the base member, on the hollow portion To place the battery constitute a battery so as to cover the front side support member.

Thus, together with the electric air pump and the electromagnetic valve is provided in the hollow portion of the base member, since the battery is provided between the hollow portion of the front side support member and the base member, with power from an external power supply Even in a state where it is not performed, the amount of air in each air cell can be adjusted. In addition, a sponge-like front end side support member that supports the vicinity of the thigh is provided on the front end side of the seating surface with respect to the air cell group, and the electric air pump and the electromagnetic valve are disposed below the front end side support member. Since the battery is housed in the hollow portion of the base member and the battery is provided between the front end side support member and the hollow portion of the base member, the electric air pump, the electromagnetic valve, and the battery are provided to increase the height of each air cell. The size is not reduced, and the vicinity of the thigh is softly supported by the front end side support member. Furthermore, since the battery is covered with the sponge-like front end side support member, the battery is cooled by contact with the outside air.

According to the present invention, since the amount of air in each air cell can be adjusted even when power is not supplied from an external power source, for example, when the wheelchair is placed on a wheelchair and used, the wheelchair is Even if it is arranged at a distant position, the amount of air in each air cell can be adjusted, which is extremely advantageous in preventing the occurrence of pressure ulcers. In addition, it is not necessary to perform attachment and detachment work with an external power source every time the wheelchair is moved, which is extremely advantageous for easy handling. Furthermore, by providing an electric air pump, a solenoid valve, and a battery, the height of each air cell is not reduced, and the vicinity of the thigh is softly supported by the front end side support member. A seated person's buttocks can be supported softly without making it unnecessarily high. Furthermore, since the battery can be cooled by contact with the outside air, it is advantageous in preventing the battery temperature from rising.

  1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cushion, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view of the cushion with the bottom cover removed. FIG. 4 is a bottom view, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the cushion in a state where a seated person is seated, FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a piping state of the cushion, and FIG. The explanation of directions in the following text is based on the directions shown in FIGS. Further, the left-right direction coincides with the width direction of the seating surface.

  The cushion is provided on each side of the seating surface in the width direction with respect to each first air cell 10 and a plurality of first air cells 10 provided to support the lower surface of the seat buttock H. A plurality of second air cells 20 for supporting both sides in the width direction of the flange portion H, and a front end side support member provided on the front end side of the seating surface with respect to the air cell group including the first air cells 10 and the second air cells 20 30 and base members 40 that respectively support the first air cells 10, the second air cells 20, and the lower end sides of the front end side support members 30. The seating surface is, for example, a seating surface of a wheelchair, and this cushion is used by being placed on the seating surface in order to softly support the seated person's buttocks H.

  Each first air cell 10 is made of a flexible material such as rubber or plastic, and is formed in a bag shape having an open lower end.

  Each second air cell 20 has an air bag 21 whose lower end is open and a bottom member 22 to which an opening edge of the air bag 21 is attached.

  The air bag 21 is made of a flexible material such as rubber or plastic, and can enclose air therein.

  The bottom member 22 is made of rubber or plastic, and a plurality of lower protrusions 22a having a circular cross section are provided on the lower surface of the bottom member 22. The bottom member 22 is provided with a through hole 22b penetrating from the upper surface thereof to the lower surface of the lower protrusion 22a.

  The first air cells 10 and the second air cells 20 are grouped into first to sixth air cell groups G1 to G6 (see FIG. 1).

  The front end side support member 30 is made of a sponge-like member such as urethane foam, and supports the vicinity of the thigh of the seated person.

  The base member 40 is made of rubber or plastic and has a flat plate shape. The base member 40 is formed by bonding an upper base member 40a formed in a flat plate shape and a lower base member 40b formed in a flat plate shape. The upper base member 40a is provided with a plurality of mounting holes 40c that open upward, and the opening edge of the first air cell 10 and the lower protruding portion 22a of the second air cell 20 are fitted into the mounting holes 40, respectively. By doing so, the lower end side of each air cell 10, 20 is supported by the base member 40. A groove 40d is provided at a predetermined position in the lower base member 40b, and a through hole 40e penetrating the upper base member 40a in the vertical direction is provided at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 40c of the upper base member 40a. An air passage is formed in the base member 40 by 40d and each through hole 40e.

  A base front end portion 40f having a thickness dimension larger than that of the other portions is provided on the front end side of the seating surface of the base member 40, and a hollow portion 40g that opens downward is provided in the base front end portion 40f. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, a pair of width direction batteries 41 are detachably attached to the upper surface of the base front end 40f. Each battery 41 is composed of a well-known nickel-cadmium battery, nickel-metal hydride battery, lithium ion battery, zinc battery, alkaline battery, or the like, and can be charged by charging. The battery 41 has a storage capacity of several tens of Wh, for example, and is configured to be able to supply power of 10 W or more. Further, for example, a known surface fastener is provided on the lower surface of each battery 41 and the upper surface of the base front end portion 40f, and each battery 41 is detachably attached to the upper surface of the base front end portion 40f by the surface fastener.

  Further, the front end side support member 30 is detachably mounted on the upper surface of the base front end portion 40f, so that the lower end side of the front end side support member 30 is supported by the base member 40. That is, the hollow portion 40 g of the base front end portion 40 f is arranged below the front end side support member 30. Further, a pair of concave portions 30a in the width direction is formed on the lower surface of the front end side support member 30, and when the front end side support member 30 is attached to the upper surface of the base front end portion 40f, each battery 41 is accommodated in each concave portion 30a. (See FIGS. 2 and 6). Thus, each battery 41 is detachably provided between the front end side support member 30 and the base member 40.

  The hollow portion 40g includes a known electric air pump 50 for supplying air to the air cells 10 and 20, first to seventh electromagnetic valves 61 to 67 having a known structure, and a known microcomputer. A control device 70 and a connector 80 to which a charging cord extending from an external power source is detachably connected are provided. The electric air pump 50 is fixed in a housing 51 that opens downward, and the housing 51 is fitted in the hollow portion 40g. The first to fourth solenoid valves 61 to 67 are fixed in a housing 68 that opens downward, and the housing 68 is fitted in the hollow portion 40g. The control device 70 is fixed in a housing 71 that opens downward, and the housing 71 is fitted in the hollow portion 40g. The connector 80 is provided on the left side of the seating surface in the hollow portion 40g, and a part of the connector 80 is exposed to the outside of the base member 40. The connector 80 is connected to each battery 41 by a connection cord (not shown), and each battery 41 supplies power to the electric air pump 50, each electromagnetic valve 61 to 67, and the control device 70 via the connection cord (not shown). It has become. The opening of the hollow portion 40g is closed by a plate-like bottom cover 42 made of plastic.

  The electric air pump 50, the electromagnetic valves 61 to 67, and the air cell groups G1 to G7 are piped as shown in FIG. That is, the electric air pump 50 is connected to the third air cell group G3 via a communication pipe (not shown), a known check valve 90 and an air passage in the base member 40, and is connected to the first air pipe (not shown) via the first communication pipe. The solenoid valve 61 and the second solenoid valve 62 are also connected. The other piping states are as shown in FIG.

  The control device 70 is connected to the electric air pump 50 and the electromagnetic valves 61 to 67, and controls the electric air pump 50 and the electromagnetic valves 61 to 67 to adjust the amount of air in the air cells 10 and 20. Yes.

  The cushion configured as described above is covered with, for example, a cloth cushion cover 100 and used to softly support the seated person's buttocks H (see FIG. 4).

  Here, since the cushion includes the batteries 41, the amount of air in each of the air cells 10 and 20 can be adjusted even when power is not supplied from an external power source. Further, a sponge-like front end side support member 30 that supports the vicinity of the thigh is provided on the front end side of the seating surface with respect to the air cell group including the air cells 10 and 20, and the electric air pump 50 and each electromagnetic valve 61. ˜67 are attached to the base member 40 so as to be disposed below the front end side support member 30, and each battery 41 is provided between the front end side support member 30 and the base member 40. 50, by providing the solenoid valves 61 to 67 and the batteries 41, the height of the air cells 10 and 20 is not reduced, and the vicinity of the thigh is also softly supported by the front end side support member 30.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the amount of air in each of the air cells 10 and 20 can be adjusted even when power is not supplied from an external power source. In this case, even if the wheelchair is arranged at a position away from the power source, the amount of air in each of the air cells 10 and 20 can be adjusted, which is extremely advantageous in preventing the occurrence of pressure ulcers. In addition, it is not necessary to perform attachment / detachment work with an external power source every time the wheelchair is moved, which is extremely advantageous for easy handling. Furthermore, by providing the electric air pump 50, the electromagnetic valves 61 to 67, and the batteries 41, the height of the air cells 10 and 20 is not reduced, and the vicinity of the thigh is softly supported by the front end side support member. Therefore, the seated person's buttocks can be softly supported without unnecessarily increasing the seated position of the seated person.

  Further, since each battery 41 is placed on the upper surface of the base front end portion 40f of the base member 40, each battery 41 is cooled by the outside air, unlike the case where each battery 41 is disposed in the hollow portion 40g, for example. This is advantageous in preventing temperature rise of each battery 41, electric pump 50, each electromagnetic valve 61-67, and control device 70. Here, since the front end side support member 30 is made of a sponge-like member, even if each battery 41 is covered with the front end side support member 30, each battery 41 can come into contact with the outside air.

  Furthermore, since each battery 41 is provided between the flexible front end side support member 30 and the base member 40, each battery 41 can be enlarged even if each battery 41 is enlarged due to the need to increase the storage capacity. The shape of the front end side support member 30 can be easily changed according to the size of the front end side support member 30. That is, the capacity of each battery 41 can be easily changed according to the application.

  Moreover, since each battery 41 is provided so that attachment or detachment is possible, replacement | exchange work of each battery 41 can be performed easily.

  In the present embodiment, two batteries 41 are provided between the front end side support member 30 and the base member 40. However, only one battery 41 may be provided, and three or more batteries 41 may be provided. A battery 41 can also be provided.

  In the present embodiment, the battery 41 has a dimension in the front-rear direction smaller than the dimension in the front-rear direction of the front end side support member 30. On the other hand, the size in the front-rear direction of each battery 41 can be made equal to the size in the front-rear direction of the front end side support member 30, and even in this case, the same effect as described above can be achieved. .

  In the present embodiment, the electric air pump 50, the electromagnetic valves 61 to 67, and the control device 70 are attached to the lower surface side of the base member 40. On the other hand, the electric air pump 50, the electromagnetic valves 61 to 67, and the control device 70 can be attached to the upper surface side of the base member 40. Even in this case, the electric air pump 50, the electromagnetic valves 61 to 67, and the control device 70 are disposed below the front end side support member 30, and each battery 41 is provided between the front end side support member 30 and the base member 40. If so, it is possible to achieve the same effect as described above.

  Further, in the present embodiment, each battery 41 is configured to be able to store electricity by charging. On the other hand, it is also possible to configure each battery 41 from a dry battery or the like that cannot be charged, and even in this case, the same effect as described above can be achieved.

  In the present embodiment, the front end side support member 30 is a sponge-like member. On the other hand, it is also possible to form the front end side support member 30 by covering the sponge-like member with a cover member such as cloth, rubber, or plastic. Even in this case, the front end side support member 30 is made of a sponge-like member, and can achieve the same operational effects as described above.

The top view of the cushion which shows one Embodiment in this invention AA line sectional view in FIG. Bottom view of cushion with bottom cover removed Cross section of cushion with seated person sitting Schematic showing the piping state of the cushion Diagram showing how to install each battery

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st air cell, 20 ... 2nd air cell, 21 ... Air bag, 22 ... Bottom member, 30 ... Front end side support member, 40 ... Base member, 40a ... Upper base member, 40b ... Lower base member, 40f ... Base Front end portion, 40 g ... hollow portion, 41 ... battery, 42 ... bottom cover, 50 ... electric air pump, 61-67 ... solenoid valve, 70 ... control device, 80 ... connector, 90 ... check valve, 100 ... cushion cover.

Claims (2)

In the cushion that is placed on a predetermined seating surface and supports the buttocks of the seated person,
A flat base member;
A plurality of air cells that are arranged so as to be aligned in a substantially horizontal direction, are supported at the lower ends by the base member, and support the seated person's buttocks,
A front end side support member that is arranged on the front end side of the seating surface with respect to the air cell group composed of each air cell, is composed of a sponge-like member, and supports the vicinity of the thigh of the seated person,
An electric air pump and at least one solenoid valve attached to the base member so as to be disposed below the front end side support member;
A battery provided between the front end side support member and the base member ,
While providing a hollow portion for storing the electric air pump and the electromagnetic valve on the front end side of the base member,
Place the battery above the hollow part,
A cushion characterized in that the battery is covered with a front end side support member . The cushion according to claim 1, wherein the battery is detachably provided between the front end side support member and the hollow portion of the base member.

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