JP5831052B2 - Small electric vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a small electric vehicle used by an elderly person or a handicapped person, and more particularly to a handle installation structure for lifting the small electric vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, small electric vehicles (for example, electric wheelchairs) for safe and easy movement of elderly people and people with reduced mobility have been developed.

  In such a small electric vehicle, when a wheel fits in a groove on the road side or when changing the direction of the vehicle, an assistant may lift the vehicle temporarily or in an emergency evacuation. It is required by the standard to specify this lifting position (see “JIS T9208”). For this reason, small electric vehicles often have handles (hereinafter referred to as “lifting handles”) for lifting the vehicle at the front and rear of the vehicle.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a front lifting handle (see “Guard member 32” in Patent Document 1) is disposed near the front wheel at the lower end of the vehicle, and the rear lifting handle is disposed near the rear wheel at the lower end of the vehicle (Patent Document 1). 1 (see “Rear Bumper 86”) is disclosed.

JP 2007-131140 A

  However, when the configuration in which the lifting handle is arranged near the wheel at the lower end of the vehicle as described above, when the vehicle is lifted, the assistant must bend to grab the lifting handle, and the burden on the assistant Is big.

  In many conventional small electric vehicles, the front lifting handle is installed at a position lower than the rear lifting handle, and the installation heights of the front and rear lifting handles are different. For this reason, it becomes difficult to stabilize the vehicle posture substantially horizontally when the vehicle is lifted, and the load applied to the assistant holding the front lifting handle and the load applied to the assistant holding the rear lifting handle are uneven. .

  In order to solve such a problem, when the front lifting handle is arranged above the normal position, a large number of movable parts (for example, steering parts, front wheels, steering handles) provided at the front of the small electric vehicle are used. ) And fixed parts (for example, a basket, a front fender, a windshield cover), and there is a problem that it is difficult to secure a part installation position.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a small electric vehicle capable of reducing the burden on an assistant when the vehicle is lifted and improving the support strength of the basket.

The present invention is configured to be steered by a vehicle body frame provided at a lower portion of a vehicle, a steering handle attached to an upper end of a steering shaft, and supported by a front portion of the vehicle body frame, and a rear portion of the vehicle body frame A small electric vehicle comprising: a rear wheel that is pivotally supported by the vehicle; a driver seat that has a seat cushion and is disposed above the rear portion of the body frame; and a basket that is disposed above the front portion of the body frame. Te, fixed to said body frame, a support member for supporting the basket from below, the disposed above the front portion of the vehicle body frame, a front lifting handle fixed to the supporting member at the lower of said basket, said and a side lifting handle after being disposed above the rear portion of the body frame, the rear lifting handle, A pair of straight pipe portions that are arranged on the left and right sides of the seat cushion and extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a curved pipe portion that connects the straight pipe portions to each other behind the seat cushion, and the support member The basket extends above the body frame and has an upper end positioned substantially at the same height as the rear lifting handle, and the basket is disposed above the support member, while the front lifting handle and the rear lifting handle The front lifting handle is fixed to the support member so that the two are positioned at substantially the same height .

Thus, by fixing the front lifting handle to the support member below the basket, the front lifting handle can be arranged at a higher position than before. Therefore, it becomes easy for the assistant to grasp the front lifting handle, and the burden on the assistant when lifting the vehicle can be reduced. Further, by supporting the basket from the lower side by the support member, the support strength of the basket is improved, and it becomes possible to ensure the load resistance against the downward load applied to the basket. In addition, by aligning the height of the front and rear lifting handles in this way, the vehicle posture when the vehicle is lifted can be stabilized substantially horizontally, and a large load on a specific assistant can be prevented. Is possible.

  The support member includes a side portion extending in the vehicle vertical direction, a connection portion that curves from the side portion toward the vehicle front, and an upper side portion that extends from the connection portion toward the vehicle front, The side portion may be fixed to the vehicle body frame, and the basket and the front lifting handle may be fixed to the upper side portion.

  The front lifting handle may extend in the vehicle body width direction, and the entire width of the front lifting handle may be wider than the width of the lower surface of the basket and smaller than the maximum width of the front portion of the vehicle body.

  Thus, by making the full width of the front lifting handle wider than the width of the lower surface of the basket, the front lifting handle can be protruded laterally from the basket. Along with this, the assistant can easily grasp the front lifting handle from the front and the side, and the ease of carrying the vehicle is improved. Further, by making the entire width of the front lifting handle narrower than the maximum width of the front part of the vehicle body, the appearance around the front lifting handle can be improved.

  Further, the support member may be detachably fixed to the body frame.

  By adopting such a configuration, the support member can be detached from the body frame and transported when the small electric vehicle is disassembled and transported. Therefore, the body frame is not bulky, and the portability of the small electric vehicle is improved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the small electric vehicle which can reduce the burden of the assistance person at the time of lifting of a vehicle, and can improve the support strength of a basket.

1 is a left side view of a small electric vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a small electric vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle body frame to which a support member is fixed in a small electric vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the small electric vehicle concerning the 1st Embodiment of the present invention, it is a left view which shows the peripheral part of a basket. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a peripheral portion of a basket in the small electric vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the small electric vehicle concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention, it is a front view which shows the peripheral part of a basket. It is a perspective view showing the state where a plurality of assistants are going to lift the small electric vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the small electric vehicle concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, it is a left view which shows the peripheral part of a basket.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The up / down, left / right, and front / rear directions indicate directions viewed from the driver who rides on the small electric vehicle 1. Unless otherwise specified, “outside” indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction), and “inside” indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) Indicates.

  First, an outline of the configuration of the small electric vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The small electric vehicle 1 is, for example, a handle-type electric wheelchair called “Senior Car” (registered trademark). As shown in FIG. 1, a platform-type body frame 2 is provided at the lower part of the small electric vehicle 1.

  A steering shaft 3 is erected in a backward inclined posture at the front portion of the vehicle body frame 2. An operation box 9 is provided at the upper end of the steering shaft 3, and a steering handle 4 is provided on the left and right sides of the operation box 9. Then, by operating the steering handle 4, a pair of left and right front wheels 5 pivotally supported on the front portion of the vehicle body frame 2 are configured to be steered left and right. A pair of left and right rearview mirrors 6 are erected on the front portion of the operation box 9.

  A drive unit (not shown) that is operated by power from, for example, a fuel cell is mounted on the rear portion of the vehicle body frame 2, and the drive unit is a pair of left and right rear wheels that are pivotally supported on the rear portion of the vehicle body frame 2. 7 is connected. And it is comprised so that the small electric vehicle 1 may drive | work, when the rear wheel 7 rotates with operation | movement of a drive unit.

  As best shown in FIG. 2, the small electric vehicle 1 is entirely covered by a vehicle cover 8. The vehicle cover 8 is provided behind the front cover 10 that covers the outer periphery of the steering shaft 3, the front fender 11 that is connected to the lower end of the front cover 10 and covers the front wheel 5, and the front cover 10 and the front fender 11. And a rear cover 12 that covers the drive unit described above. In FIG. 1, the front cover 10 and the front fender 11 are not shown.

  A basket 13 for loading luggage is provided in front of the upper portion of the front cover 10. The basket 13 is provided above the front portion of the vehicle body frame 2. An auxiliary cover 14 is provided in front of the lower portion of the front cover 10. In FIG. 1, the auxiliary cover 14 is not shown. Between the front fender 11 and the rear cover 12, a low floor-like floor step 15 is provided for the driver to place his / her feet.

  A driver seat 16 is provided above the rear cover 12. The driver's seat 16 includes a seat cushion 17 provided in a substantially horizontal direction, a seat back 18 extending upward from the rear end side of the seat cushion 17 in a slightly tilted posture, and armrests provided on both left and right sides of the seat back 18. 20.

  Next, the peripheral portion of the vehicle body frame 2 will be described in detail mainly using FIGS. An arrow Fr in FIG. 3 indicates the front of the small electric vehicle 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle body frame 2 includes a pair of left and right main frames 21 extending in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of connection frames 22 extending in the left-right direction and connecting the main frames 21.

  The main frame 21 is bent in a V shape near the center in the front-rear direction, and a front frame 23 and a rear frame 24 are formed on the front side and the rear side of the bent part, respectively.

  First, the front frame 23 and the periphery thereof will be described. The front frame 23 is slightly inclined upward toward the front and is inclined inward toward the front. Therefore, the facing interval of the front end portion of the front frame 23 is narrower than the facing interval of the rear end portion of the front frame 23 (that is, the boundary portion with the rear frame 24). A floor plate 25 for constructing the floor step 15 is installed at the rear of the front frame 23.

  At the front end of each front frame 23, a mounting plate 26 is disposed in a backward inclined posture. The mounting plate 26 extends in a tapered shape from the upper part of each front frame 23 upward, and has a substantially triangular shape in side view. A connecting plate 26a for connecting the left and right mounting plates 26 is installed on the upper end of the mounting plate 26 of each front frame 23 (see FIG. 5).

  A support member 27 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is fixed between the mounting plates 26 of each front frame 23 and in front of the connecting plate 26a. The support member 27 has a side part 28 extending in the up-down direction in a backward inclined posture, a connection part 30 that curves forward from the upper end of the side part 28, and extends forward from the front end of the connection part 30. An upper side portion 31 and has a substantially inverted L shape in side view.

  In the side part 28, the rear surface side of the support member 27 is opened. The side part 28 is detachably fixed between the attachment plates 26 of the front frames 23. For example, in the state in which the side portion 28 is inserted between the left and right mounting plates 26, the bolt holes 28 a (see FIG. 5) provided on the left and right side portions of the side portion 28 and the mounting plates 26 are fixed. A bolt 46 (see FIG. 4) is inserted into a bolt hole 26b (see FIG. 5) drilled in the rear end, and a nut 47 (see FIG. 4) is fastened to the bolt 46.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a shaft holder 32 is attached to the connecting plate 26a, and the above-described steering shaft 3 is rotatably supported by the shaft holder 32. The shaft holder 32 is detachably fixed to the rear part of the connecting plate 26a by fastening means 29 such as bolts, for example.

  In the upper side portion 31, the upper surface side of the support member 27 is open. The basket 13 is placed on the upper side portion 31, whereby the basket 13 is supported by the support member 27 from below. As best shown in FIG. 3, a pair of front and rear tongue pieces 33 project from the upper edge portion 31 toward the outside from the upper edges of the left and right side portions. A mounting hole 34 is formed in each tongue piece 33, and the basket 13 is detachably fixed to the support member 27 by mounting bolts (not shown) inserted through the mounting holes 34. A space 35 is formed between the front side 5 and the lower side 31.

  A front lifting handle 37 is fixed to the upper side portion 31 of the support member 27 via a fixing piece 36 below the basket 13.

  The fixed piece 36 is fixed to the front end portion and the rear end portion of the lower surface (bottom surface) of the upper side portion 31. Each fixed piece 36 has a U-shape as viewed from the side by opening the lower surface side. As best shown in FIG. 6, the lower edge portion of each fixed piece 36 is inclined upward toward the outside, and accordingly, the vertical width of the fixed piece 36 gradually decreases toward the outside. Yes. The outer portion of each fixed piece 36 projects outward from the lower surface (bottom surface) of the upper side portion 31.

  The front lifting handle 37 is provided in a pair of left and right, and has a substantially U shape or U shape in plan view. Both end portions of each front lifting handle 37 are inserted and fixed to each fixing piece 36 from the outside. Thereby, each front side lifting handle 37 is supported substantially horizontally.

  Each front lifting handle 37 extends in the vehicle body width direction, and is the entire width of the front lifting handle 37 (in this embodiment, the length from the left end of the left front lifting handle 37 to the right end of the right front lifting handle 37). ) Is wider than the width of the lower surface of the basket 13 and smaller than the maximum width of the front cover 10 (corresponding to the maximum width of the front portion of the vehicle body). Note that the entire width of the front lifting handle 37 is as wide as possible within a range narrower than the maximum width of the front cover 10. Accordingly, the entire width of the front lifting handle 37 is substantially the same as the maximum width of the front cover 10. It has become.

  The outer portion of each front lifting handle 37 projects outward from the auxiliary cover 14 through a pair of front and rear insertion holes 39 (see FIG. 2) formed in the left and right sides of the auxiliary cover 14. At the time of assembling the small electric vehicle 1, for example, the front lifting handles 37 are fixed to the fixing pieces 36 after both end portions of the front lifting handles 37 are inserted into the insertion holes 39.

  Next, the rear frame 24 and its periphery will be described. The rear frame 24 is slightly inclined upward toward the rear. As shown in FIG. 3, a seat pipe 44 protrudes upward at the center in the front-rear direction of each rear frame 24. The upper part of each seat pipe 44 is curved inward and fixed to the seat post 45. The driver's seat 16 is rotatably supported on the seat post 45.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a rear lifting handle 41 is provided above the rear frame 24 (that is, above the rear portion of the vehicle body frame 2) at substantially the same height as the front lifting handle 37. The rear lifting handle 41 is provided on the left and right sides of the seat cushion 17 of the driver seat 16 and connects a pair of left and right straight pipe portions 42 extending in the front-rear direction and the rear ends of the straight pipe portions 42 to the rear. And a curved pipe portion 43 that curves toward the top. The straight pipe portion 42 extends substantially in the horizontal direction, whereas the curved pipe portion 43 is slightly inclined upward toward the rear. The height of the curved pipe part 43 can be changed as appropriate by adjusting the position of the front end part of the curved pipe part 43 (the position of the boundary with the straight pipe part 42) and the degree of inclination of the curved pipe part 43. .

  In the configuration as described above, when one or both of the front wheel 5 and the rear wheel 7 is fitted in a groove on the road side, or when the direction of the small electric vehicle 1 is changed, it is temporarily A helper lifts the small electric vehicle 1 in an evacuation manner. At that time, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a single assistant (indicated by a two-dot chain line A in the figure) holds each front lifting handle 37, and the right and left portions of the rear lifting handle 41 are held. Two assistants (indicated by two-dot chain lines B and C in the figure) hold each.

  At this time, in this embodiment, as described above, the front lifting handle 37 is fixed to the support member 27 below the basket 13, and the front lifting handle 37 is disposed at a higher position than the conventional one. Even if it does not bend, the front lifting handle 37 can be gripped, and the assistant can easily grip the front lifting handle 37. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the caregiver when lifting the small electric vehicle 1.

  Further, since the basket 13 is supported from the lower side by the high-strength support member 27, the support strength of the basket 13 is improved, and the load resistance against the downward load applied to the basket 13 can be ensured. .

  Further, by attaching the front lifting handle 37 to the lower surface (bottom surface) of the upper side portion 31 of the support member 27 having a substantially inverted L shape when viewed from the side, the upper end of the space 35 formed between the upper side portion 31 and the front wheel 5 is attached. A front lifting handle 37 is arranged. By adopting such a layout, it is possible to suppress interference between the front lifting handle 37 and other parts even when the front lifting handle 37 is arranged at a higher position than in the past as in this embodiment. Become. Thus, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the space problem can be solved while improving the support strength of the basket 13.

  Furthermore, by aligning the heights of the front and rear lifting handles 37 and 41, the vehicle posture when the small electric vehicle 1 is lifted can be stabilized substantially horizontally, and a large load is applied to a specific assistant. It becomes possible to prevent. Further, by adopting a configuration in which the basket 13 is supported from the lower side by the support member 27, the support member 27 can be arranged without impairing the usability and design of the basket 13.

  Further, by making the entire width of the front lifting handle 37 wider than the width of the lower surface of the basket 13, the front lifting handle 37 can be protruded laterally from the basket 13. As a result, the assistant can easily grasp the front lifting handle 37 from the front and the side, and the ease of carrying the vehicle is improved. Further, by making the entire width of the front lifting handle 37 smaller than the maximum width of the front cover 10, the appearance around the front lifting handle 37 can be improved.

  Further, the entire width of the front lifting handle 37 is made as wide as possible within a range narrower than the maximum width of the front cover 10, and accordingly, the entire width of the front lifting handle 37 is substantially the same as the maximum width of the front cover 10. It has become. Therefore, the front lifting handle 37 can be protruded to the vicinity of the side surface of the front cover 10, and when the assistant lifts the small electric vehicle 1 from the side, the front lifting handle 37 can be grasped at a position close to the body. The ease of carrying the small electric vehicle 1 is improved.

  Further, since the support member 27 is detachably fixed to the mounting plate 26 of the vehicle body frame 2, the support member 27 can be detached from the vehicle body frame 2 and transported when the small electric vehicle 1 is disassembled and transported. Therefore, the body frame 2 is not bulky, and the portability of the small electric vehicle 1 is improved.

  Further, since the shape of the holding parts of the basket 13 that has been conventionally used is changed and the front lifting handle 37 is fixed as the supporting member 27, the supporting structure of the front lifting handle 37 having sufficient strength can be obtained by using the parts. It becomes possible to manufacture without increasing the score.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the pair of left and right front lifting handles 37 are formed in a U shape or a U shape in plan view has been described. However, in another different embodiment, the front lifting handle 37 is integrated with an annular member. You may form in.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the vehicle body frame 2 and the support member 27 and the support member 27 and the basket 13 are detachably fixed has been described. However, in other different embodiments, the above-described members cannot be detached from each other by welding or the like. It may be fixed to.

  In the present embodiment, the entire support member 27 has a U-shaped cross section (open cross-sectional shape). However, in another different embodiment, a part or all of the support member 27 has a cross-sectional shape (closed cross-sectional shape). Also good. In this case, both the load resistance against the upward load applied when the small electric vehicle 1 is lifted and the load resistance against the downward load applied to the basket 13 can be ensured.

  In this embodiment, the case where the front lifting handle 37 is fixed to the lower surface (bottom surface) of the upper side portion 31 via the fixing piece 36 has been described with respect to the support member 27 having a U-shaped cross section. The front lifting handles 37 may be fixed to the upper edges of both side portions of the upper piece portion 31 via the fixing pieces 36. In this case, a part on the upper surface side of the upper side portion 31 is covered with the fixing piece 36 to form a substantially square closed cross section. Accordingly, similarly to the above case, it is possible to ensure both the load resistance against the upward load applied when the small electric vehicle 1 is lifted and the load resistance against the downward load applied to the basket 13.

<Second Embodiment>
The support member 27 according to the first embodiment includes a side portion 28, a connection portion 30, and an upper side portion 31, and has a substantially L shape in side view. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the support member 27 according to the second embodiment is formed from the side portion 28 in addition to the side portion 28, the connection portion 30, and the upper side portion 31 described above. An extending portion 48 extending upward is provided, and has a generally toroidal shape in side view. The basket 13 is supported from the lower side by the upper side portion 31, and the basket 13 is supported from the rear side by the extending portion 48.

  The upper part of the extension part 48 is slightly inclined backward along the rear surface of the basket 13. The extending portion 48 may be detachably fixed to the rear surface of the basket 13 with a bolt or the like, or may be fixed to the rear surface of the basket 13 so as not to be detachable by welding or the like.

  By supporting the basket 13 not only from the lower side but also from the rear side as described above, the support strength of the basket 13 can be further improved. Such a configuration is particularly suitable when a large basket 13 is used or when a resin basket 13 that is easily deformed is used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Small electric vehicle 2 Body frame 13 Basket 27 Support member 37 Front lifting handle 41 Rear lifting handle

Claims (4)

It is configured to be steered by a body frame provided at the lower part of the vehicle, and a steering handle attached to the upper end of the steering shaft, and is supported by a front wheel pivotally supported at the front part of the body frame and a rear part of the body frame. A small electric vehicle comprising a rear wheel, a driver seat having a seat cushion and disposed above a rear portion of the vehicle body frame, and a basket provided above a front portion of the vehicle body frame,
A support member fixed to the body frame and supporting the basket from below;
A front lifting handle disposed above the front portion of the body frame and fixed to the support member below the basket;
A rear lifting handle disposed above the rear part of the vehicle body frame ,
The rear lifting handle is a pair of straight pipe portions disposed on the left and right sides of the seat cushion and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a curved pipe portion that connects the straight pipe portions to each other behind the seat cushion, With
The support member extends upward from the body frame and has an upper end located at substantially the same height as the rear lifting handle,
The basket is disposed above the support member, and the front lift handle is fixed to the support member so that the front lift handle and the rear lift handle are positioned at substantially the same height. A small electric vehicle. The support member includes a side portion that extends in the vehicle vertical direction, a connection portion that curves from the side portion toward the front of the vehicle, and an upper side portion that extends from the connection portion toward the front of the vehicle,
The side portion is fixed to the body frame,
The small electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the basket and the front lifting handle are fixed to the upper side portion . The front lifting handle extends in the vehicle body width direction,
3. The small electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a total width of the front lifting handle is wider than a width of a lower surface of the basket and narrower than a maximum width of a front portion of the vehicle body.   The small electric vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support member is detachably fixed to the body frame.