JP5838471B2 - Wheelchair and outage notification device for wheelchair - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a notification device for notifying a seated person of a stopped state of a wheelchair and a wheelchair including the notification device.

  Generally, a wheelchair is equipped with a brake that is manually operated by a wheelchair user. In this case, when a wheelchair user stands up from the wheelchair or sits down in the wheelchair, a technique for providing an automatic brake mechanism in the wheelchair is known in order to prevent an accident that the wheelchair user forgets to apply the brake and falls (for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  For example, in Patent Document 1, the brake is automatically applied when the wheelchair is released, and the brake is automatically released when the user sits on the wheelchair, and the user manually applies the brake even when sitting on the wheelchair. A wheelchair brake device having a simple configuration that can be used is disclosed.

  Patent Document 2 discloses pressure data detected by each pressure detection device, a seating surface pressure detection device, a back pressure detection device, a left handrail pressure detection device, a right handrail pressure detection device, and a pressure detection device attached to the wheelchair. A pressure data processing device that receives and processes the change pattern, a transmission processing device that transmits the output of the pressure data processing device to a wristwatch-type terminal device, An automatic brake wheelchair is disclosed that includes an automatic brake that is activated when standing or sitting on the wheelchair.

JP 2007-215723 A JP 2009-233206 A

  In a wheelchair equipped with an automatic brake device as described above, when the wheelchair user is not in a seated state, the wheelchair user can stand up from the wheelchair or be seated in the wheelchair by automatically braking the wheelchair. It is possible to prevent accidents that would cause you to forget to apply the brakes and fall.

  However, for example, there is a case where it is not always meaningful for the user in the wheelchair to perform the brake operation automatically on the side of the wheelchair. For example, like a wheelchair user who is rehabilitating after a stroke, it may be effective from the viewpoint of rehabilitation training to operate the brakes on his own. However, in the automatic brake mechanism as described above, it is not necessary for the rehabilitation to proceed because it is not necessary to apply the brake by itself so as not to fall over.

  In particular, stroke patients may have a symptom called unilateral or unilateral spatial neglect. For example, on the left side of the patient, paralysis remains in vision, hearing, touch, etc. Regardless, there may be no awareness of this. When a patient with such a symptom is using a wheelchair, the patient may fall down when standing from the wheelchair due to the symptom. Here, as described above, when the brake is automatically applied, there is a problem that the patient cannot recognize his / her symptoms even though the patient is rehabilitating. However, conventionally, such a problem has not been dealt with on the side of the wheelchair.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is possible to avoid a risk of falling or the like for a rehabilitating wheelchair user by operating the user's own wheelchair. It is providing the stop state notification apparatus for a wheelchair which has the function to notify, or a wheelchair provided with the same.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a wheelchair is supported by a left driving wheel and a right driving wheel, a left driving wheel and a right driving wheel, a seating portion for a seated person to sit on, a left driving wheel and a right driving wheel. A left brake mechanism and a right brake mechanism, which are provided corresponding to the drive wheels and actuate manually by a seated person to brake the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel, respectively, and a left brake mechanism and a right brake mechanism, Of the first sensor for detecting whether the left driving wheel and the right driving wheel are braked, one of the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism is in a braking state, and the other is in a non-braking state. in some cases, a notification means for notifying the stop state to the seated person, within a predetermined period, a condition that notification means performs notification for the left brake mechanism and right brake mechanism A count, and a counting means for outputting a count number.

  Preferably, the occupant further includes a foldable left footrest and a right footrest for placing left and right feet while the wheelchair is moving, and a second sensor for detecting the folded state of the left footrest and the right footrest. The at least one of the left footrest and the right footrest is not in the folded state, and the notifying means notifies the seated person of the folded state.

  Preferably, the counting means further counts the number of times that the notification condition is obtained for the left footrest and the right footrest.

  Preferably, a third sensor for detecting whether or not the seated person is in the seated state is further provided, and the counting unit performs counting when it is detected that the seated person changes from the seated state to the standing state.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a stop state notification device for a wheelchair is provided corresponding to each of the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel of the wheelchair, and is operated by a manual operation of a seated person, and the left drive wheel And a first sensor for detecting whether the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism for braking the right drive wheel are in a state of braking the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel, respectively, and the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism. When one of the brake mechanisms is in a braking state and the other is in a non-braking state, a notification means for notifying the seated person of the stop state, and within a predetermined period, the notification means is connected to the left brake mechanism and the right side. Counting means for counting the number of times that became a condition for notifying the brake mechanism and outputting the number of counts is provided.

  Preferably, the occupant further includes a foldable left footrest and a right footrest for placing left and right feet while the wheelchair is moving, and a second sensor for detecting the folded state of the left footrest and the right footrest. The at least one of the left footrest and the right footrest is not in the folded state, and the notifying means notifies the seated person of the folded state.

  Preferably, the counting means further counts the number of times that the notification condition is obtained for the left footrest and the right footrest.

  Preferably, a third sensor for detecting whether or not the seated person is in the seated state is further provided, and the counting unit performs counting when it is detected that the seated person changes from the seated state to the standing state.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when the user of a wheelchair tries to stand up from a seating state, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair from unexpectedly moving and the user who has lost support from falling.

  In addition, the user is automatically informed that the operation of the wheelchair for standing up safely is not performed, so that the user can be aware that the operation has been forgotten. By repeating the operation according to the notice, there is an effect of rehabilitation training.

  In addition, since it is possible to count the number of times that the above-mentioned notification has been made and read it later as data, doctors etc. will later see the progress of symptom improvement by rehabilitation training. Can be confirmed.

It is a perspective view of the wheelchair 1000 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is the functional block diagram which extracts and shows the part which functions as the notification apparatus 100 of the stop state for a wheelchair. It is the elements on larger scale of the brake device 17a in the wheelchair 1000, and is a figure which shows the state by which the brake is cancelled | released. It is a figure which shows the state which the brake applied to the driving wheel. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of the control device 102 according to the first embodiment. It is a perspective view of wheelchair 1000 'of Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process which detects the state of the left and right footrests 32a and 32b, and notifies a seated person.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the wheelchair and the notification apparatus of a stop state of embodiment of this invention is demonstrated according to a figure. In the following embodiments, components and processing steps given the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent, and the description thereof will not be repeated unless necessary.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheelchair 1000 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The wheelchair 1000 includes a seat 28 on which a wheelchair user (hereinafter referred to as a “seeder”) sits, a grip 10 used when the caregiver pushes the wheelchair 1000 from the back side, and a brake lever 12 for the caregiver. And a back support 14 that serves as a backrest when the seated person is seated, a frame 15 that forms a structural skeleton of the wheelchair 1000 and supports the seat 28 and the back support 14, and the seated person operates with left and right hands, respectively. Manual brake levers 16a and 16b, drive wheels 20 rotatably attached to the left and right sides of the frame 15, and an annular hand rim provided on the outside of each drive wheel 20 for a seated person to steer the wheelchair 1000 by hand 18 and the left and right sides of the frame 15, and the manual brake levers 16a and 16b are operated. In response includes a brake device 17a and 17b for braking the rotation of the drive wheels 20, and casters 22 of the universal type that acts as the front wheels of the wheelchair 1000.

  The wheelchair 1000 further includes an arm support 24 that is an armrest, a side guard 26 for stabilizing the seating position of the seated person at the time of sitting, a leg support 30, and the left and right legs while the seated person is moving in the wheelchair 1000. Footrests 32a and 32b for carrying each are provided. The footrests 32a and 32b are configured to rotate and fold toward the left and right outer sides so that they do not get in the way when the seated person stands.

  The manual brake levers 16a and 16b are provided with sensors for detecting whether the brake devices 17a and 17b are in a braking state or a release state, respectively. Although not particularly limited, for example, in FIG. 1, the magnets 106a and 106b are attached to the intermediate positions of the manual brake levers 16a and 16b, respectively, and the manual brake levers 16a and 16b are rotated. Magnetic sensors 104a and 104b are attached to positions where the magnet 106a and the magnet 106b reach the vicinity when the release position is changed to the braking position, respectively. That is, when the manual brake levers 16a and 16b are in the release position, the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b do not detect magnetism because the distance from the magnets 106a and 106b is long, whereas in the brake position. , Detecting magnetism.

  Note that the configuration for detecting whether the brake devices 17a and 17b are in the braking state or in the released state is not limited to the combination of the magnet and the magnetic sensor as described above. For example, the brake devices 17a and 17b are in the braking position. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the mechanical switch is pressed by the manual brake levers 16a and 16b, or a micro switch or a pressure sensitive switch that can be turned on by contact. Alternatively, as a sensor for detecting whether the brake devices 17a and 17b are in a braking state or in a released state, an infrared sensor for measuring the distance to the object in a non-contact manner can be used. However, the combination of the magnet and the magnetic sensor as described above makes it easy to attach to a general-purpose wheelchair afterwards.

  The electric signal for detecting the braking state detected by the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b is guided to the frame 15, the side guard 26 and the back support 14 and input to the control device 102 provided on the back surface behind the seating surface. . Here, for example, when there is a pocket on the back surface of the back support 14, it is possible to put the control device 102 therein. In addition, the control apparatus 102 performs the notification by the sound for alerting a seated person based on such an electrical signal. The notification method is not limited to such a sound, and it is also possible to use light emission / flashing of a light installed at a position where a seated person can see, vibration of a vibrator worn by the seated person, etc. is there. At this time, the communication between the control device 102 and the sensor or the communication between the control device 102 and the notification device can be wireless.

  Further, a seating detection sensor 21 may be provided on the seating surface of the seat 28 of the wheelchair 1000 in order to detect whether or not a seated person is seated. As the seating detection sensor 21, a pressure-sensitive switch that is provided below the seating surface of the seat 28 and switches between an off state and an on state when pressure on the seating surface acts can be used. However, the seating detection sensor 21 is not limited to such a configuration, but is a piezoelectric element that detects a change in pressure during seating, a microswitch that can be connected by being pressed, or a human being that is a kind of conductor. A capacitive sensor that reacts as the body approaches can also be used. The control device 102 inputs the signals from the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b and the signal from the seating detection sensor 21 and, as will be described later, based on the braking state of the brake devices 17a and 17b, Inform about the braking condition of the brake. In the following description, it is assumed that the seating detection sensor 108 is provided.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an extracted portion of the configuration described in FIG. 1 that functions as a notification device 100 in a stopped state for a wheelchair.

  Referring to FIG. 2, stop state notification device 100 for wheelchair (hereinafter simply referred to as “notification device”) 100 includes magnetic sensors 104 a and 104 b, seating detection sensor 108, and control device 102. . As described above, the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b detect magnetism due to the approach of the corresponding magnets 106a and 106b, respectively.

  The control device 102 stores and controls an input interface (hereinafter referred to as “input I / F”) 110 for inputting signals from the sensors 104a, 104b, and 108, and a program for operating the control device 102. A memory 114 that functions as a working memory when the apparatus 102 operates and an arithmetic processing unit 112 that operates according to a signal from the input I / F 110 based on a program in the memory 114 are included. The arithmetic processing unit 112 compares the signals from the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b, and compares the comparison unit 116 for detecting whether or not the seating state is detected according to the signal from the seating detection sensor 108, and the comparison unit 116 As will be described later, the comparison result between the sound generation unit 118 that generates a sound signal for notification and the comparison unit 116 satisfies the condition to be notified, as will be described later, based on the comparison result. And a counting unit 117 for counting the number of times of being performed.

  The arithmetic processing unit 112 and the memory 114 may be a combination of a CPU and a memory, or may be a microcontroller.

  The audio signal generated by the audio generation unit 118 is reproduced as audio from the speaker 122 via an output interface (hereinafter referred to as “output I / F”) 120. Here, for example, when one of the left (right) brake devices 17a or 17b is not in a braking state by the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b, for example, “Please apply the left (right) brake as well. Can be configured to announce.

  Here, the voice generation unit 118 may convert voice data stored in advance in the memory 114 into a voice signal, or may perform voice synthesis processing.

  The input / output terminal 124 outputs a count result from the count unit 117 and is used for loading a program and data stored in the memory 114.

  FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the brake device 17a in the wheelchair 1000, and shows a state in which the brake is released.

  In a state where the manual brake lever 16a is tilted to the front side of the wheelchair 1000, the pressing portion 41 of the brake device 17a is separated from the driving wheel 20, and the driving wheel 20 is not braked.

  In addition, since the distance between the magnet 106a attached to the shaft of the manual brake lever 16a and the magnetic sensor 104a is large, the magnetic sensor 104a does not detect magnetism. As a result, the brake device 17a is It can be detected that the vehicle is not in a braking state.

  On the other hand, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the brake is applied to the drive wheel 20.

  In the brake device 17a, when the manual brake lever 16a is pulled forward, the pressing portion 41 is in a state of pressing the drive wheel 20, and the drive wheel 20 is braked.

  At this time, since the distance between the magnet 106a attached to the shaft of the manual brake lever 16a and the magnetic sensor 104a is close, the magnetic sensor 104a detects magnetism, and in the control device 102, the brake device 17a is in a braking state. Can be detected.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control apparatus 102 according to the first embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 5, when the process is started (S100), arithmetic processing unit 112 performs an initialization process (S102). In the initialization process, variables and flags are reset. In particular, the value of the variable n1 indicating the count of the count unit 117 is also reset.

  Subsequently, the comparison unit 116 determines whether or not the seated person is in a seated state in accordance with a signal from the seating detection sensor 108 (S104). While not in the seating state, the process is a loop process in step S104. On the other hand, when it is detected that the seating state has been reached, the comparison unit 116 further detects left and right braking states in accordance with signals from the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b (S106). Here, for example, when the comparison unit 116 detects the transition from the released state to the brake state for each of the left and right brakes, the comparing unit 116 sets the corresponding flag.

  Subsequently, the comparison unit 116 determines whether one of the right or left brake device 17a or 17b has changed from the released state to the braked state based on the flag (S108).

  If neither of the brake devices 17a and 17b has transitioned from the released state to the braked state, the process returns to step S106.

  If one of the right or left brake devices 17a or 17b is in the braking state from the released state, the comparing unit 116 then waits for a predetermined time Tm after the determination in step S108. Wait (S110). This is because when a seated person tries to operate both the brake devices 17a and 17b, it takes a certain time from operating one to the other.

  After the elapse of time Tm, the comparison unit 116 detects the left and right brake states again according to the signals from the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b (S112).

  In S108, the comparison unit 116 determines that when either one of the brake devices 17a or 17b has changed from the released state to the braked state, the other of the right or left brake device 17a or 17b is released from the released state. It is determined whether a braking state has been reached (S114).

  If it is determined in step S108 and step S114 that only one of the brake devices 17a or 17b has changed to the braking state (Y in S108, N in S114), the comparison unit 116 determines the determination result. The sound signal transmitted to the sound generation unit 118 and generated by the sound generation unit 118 is reproduced from the speaker 122 as a notification sound to the seated person (S116).

  When the reproduction of the announcement sound to the seated person is finished or it is determined in steps S108 and S114 that both the brake devices 17a or 17b are in the braking state (Y in S108, S114) Y) Subsequently, the comparison unit 116 determines whether it is in a seated state (S118).

  If so, the process returns to step S112.

  When the seating state is lost and the seated person stands up (N in S118), the flag indicating the transition from the release state to the braking state is reset (S120), and if the notification is executed (in S122) Y), the count unit 117 increments the count number n1 by 1 (S124).

  If the end of the process is not instructed by the operation of any user such as a caregiver, a wheelchair user, or a doctor (S126), the process returns to step S104, while if the end of the process is instructed. (S126), the process ends (S128).

  That is, in the above configuration, after the power is turned on, the number of times that the conditions for the notification as described above are satisfied in a period from when the wheelchair user is seated to when the processing is terminated by the user's instruction. Will be counted. The period during which such a count is executed is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, a clock is provided in the control device 102, and the count is performed within a certain time set by the clock. Such a configuration may be used.

  In the above example, the count unit 117 is configured to count when the seated person detects that the seated state changes from the seated state to the standing state. The structure which counts itself may be sufficient. Therefore, in this specification, “the number of times a condition for performing notification” refers to the fact that the notification condition was once satisfied, and the notification was made to the seated person multiple times until the condition was not satisfied. In this case, it means the case of counting once, or the case of counting the number of times each time notification is performed after the notification condition is satisfied. When counting once as a batch, it is possible to focus on the number of times a seated person has forgotten to apply the brake, and when counting the number of notifications individually, notification of forgetting to apply the brake. It is possible to focus and measure the period until the seated person notices it.

  When the wheelchair user tries to stand up from the sitting state by the above processing, if only one of the left and right brake devices 17a or 17b is in the braking state, the control device 102 can The wheelchair user is notified that only the drive wheel 20 is being braked. At this time, although not particularly limited, when one of the left (right) brake devices 17a (or 17b) is not in a braking state, an announcement that “please apply the left (right) brake” may be adopted. Is possible. Therefore, when the user of the wheelchair tries to stand up from the seated state, the wheelchair 1000 can be prevented from unexpectedly moving and the user who has lost support can be prevented from falling.

  In addition, if the user of the wheelchair has the symptom of neglecting the half space as described above, the user himself / herself automatically notifies the user that the brake on one side is not applied. It is possible to realize that the user has forgotten to apply the brake, and according to such notification, by repeating the operation of setting the brake not applied to the braking state, there is an effect of rehabilitation training.

Furthermore, it is possible to count the number of times that the above-mentioned notification is made and read it later as data, so doctors etc. will check the progress of improvement by rehabilitation training later There is also an effect of being able to.
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a wheelchair 1000 ′ according to the second embodiment.

  The configuration of the wheelchair 1000 ′ of the second embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the wheelchair 1000 of the first embodiment, but differs in the following points. In addition to the effects of the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be achieved by the configuration described below of the wheelchair 1000 ′ of the second embodiment or the notification device of the second embodiment. it can.

  First, in the wheelchair 1000 ′ of the second embodiment, in the notification device, in addition to the magnetic sensors 104a and 104b and the seating detection sensor 108, a sensor for detecting the folded state of the footrests 32a and 32b is provided. Is a point.

  Although not particularly limited, as a sensor for detecting such a folded state, similarly to the sensor that detects the braking state of the brake devices 17a and 17b in the first embodiment, the magnets 132a and 132b are respectively connected to the footrests 32a and 32b. The magnetic sensors 130a and 130b are mounted at positions close to the magnets 132a and 132b with the footrests 32a and 32b folded.

  Therefore, also in this case, when only one of the left and right footrests 32a and 32b is in the folded state, the control device 102 notifies the wheelchair user that only one of the footrests is folded. . At this time, although not particularly limited, when one of the left (right) footrests 32a (or 32b) is not in a folded state, it is possible to make an announcement that “please also fold the left (right) footrest”. It is.

  Of course, here, as a sensor for detecting the folded state, it is also possible to use another detection device that can be used for detecting the brake state in the first embodiment, such as a mechanical switch. .

  Further, the counting unit 117 may be configured to count the sum of the number of times that became a condition for making a notification about a brake and the number of times that became a condition for making a notice about a footrest, or a configuration that counts these individually. It may be. Further, as in the first embodiment, the counting unit 117 counts a plurality of notifications as one when the seating detection sensor 108 detects that the seated person changes from the sitting state to the standing state. It is good also as a structure which performs these, and it is good also as a structure which counts the separate frequency | count for every notification. In the following explanation, it was detected that the seated person changed from the seated state to the standing state separately from the number of times that became the condition for notifying the brake and the number of times that became the condition for notifying the footrest. In some cases, it will be described as a one-time counting.

  Secondly, as a sensor for detecting the seating state, in addition to the seating detection sensor 108 provided on the seat 28, for example, a pressure sensor 110 is provided on the back support 14. Here, although not particularly limited, the pressure sensor 110 can measure an in-plane pressure distribution and can detect a change in the pressure distribution when the seated person tries to stand up from the seated state. And In addition, in order to detect the movement of the seated person trying to stand up from the seated state, for example, the left and right arm supports 24 may be provided with pressure sensors. In addition, as a sensor for detecting such a seating state, a sensor as described in the first embodiment, for example, a capacitance sensor can be used.

  Third, there are two speakers 122 provided on the left and right. For example, the speakers 122 a and 122 b are attached to the upper end of the back support 14. Or you may mount | wear to the support | pillar part of the grip 10. FIG.

  First, according to the first different configuration, in the control device 102 of the second embodiment, in addition to notifying the seated person in a state where only one of the manual brakes is applied, In a state where only one of the footrests 32a or 32b is folded, the seated person can be notified.

  That is, when the seated person tries to stand up from the seated state, it is necessary from the viewpoint of preventing the fall to make the footrests 32a and 32b used so far folded. For example, if the left footrest 32a is not folded and an attempt is made to stand up with the foot on it, the back of the wheelchair jumps up, and there is a risk that an unexpected force is applied to the seated person and falls.

  According to the second different configuration, when only one of the left and right footrests 32a and 32b is in a folded state, when it is detected that the seated person is standing, from the control device 102, It can be set as the structure which notifies the user of a wheelchair that only the footrest of one side is folded. Even with the first different configuration alone, it is possible to inform the occupant that only one footrest is folded, but for example when the occupant is trying to fold both footrests, You can prevent the notification from happening when only one of them is folded.

  In addition, the third different configuration makes it possible to reliably transmit the notification voice to the seated person even when there is a symptom of ignoring the left or right half space.

  Since the other configuration of wheelchair 1000 ′ of the second embodiment or the notification device of the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the first embodiment, description thereof will not be repeated.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing for detecting the state of the left and right footrests 32a and 32b and notifying the seated person in the wheelchair 1000 ′ of the second embodiment.

  The processing in the flowchart in FIG. 7 is executed by the arithmetic processing unit 112 in parallel with the notification processing for the brake operation described in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 7, when the process is started (S200), arithmetic processing unit 112 performs an initialization process (S202). In the initialization process, variables and flags are reset, and in particular, the value of the variable n2 indicating the count of the count unit 117 is also reset.

  Subsequently, the comparison unit 116 determines whether or not the seated person is in a seated state in accordance with signals from the seating detection sensor 108 and the pressure sensor 110 (S204). While not in the sitting state, the process is a loop process in step S204. On the other hand, when the seating state is detected, the comparison unit 116 further detects the states of the left and right footrests 32a and 32b according to the signals from the magnetic sensors 130a and 130b (S206). Here, for example, when the comparison unit 116 detects that each of the left and right footrests has transitioned from the unfolded state (hereinafter, opened state) to the folded state, the corresponding flag is set to the set state. To do.

  Subsequently, based on the flag, the comparison unit 116 determines whether one of the right or left footrests 32a and 32b has changed from the open state to the folded state (S208).

  If none of the footrests 32a and 32b has transitioned from the opened state to the folded state, the process returns to step S206.

  On the other hand, when one of the right or left footrests 32a and 32b is changed from the open state to the folded state (S208), the comparison unit 116 determines whether the seated person is on the basis of the outputs of the pressure sensor 110 and the seating detection sensor 108. It is detected whether or not the seated state is to be shifted to the standing state (S212). When the comparison unit 116 determines that it is not going to move, the process returns to step S206. On the other hand, when the comparison unit 116 detects that the seated person is going to move from the sitting state to the standing state, the comparison unit 116 further determines whether the other of the right or left footrests 32a and 32b has been changed from the open state to the folded state. Judgment is made (S214).

  If it is determined in step S208 and step S214 that only one of the footrests 32a and 32b has transitioned to the folded state (Y in S208, N in S214), the comparison unit 116 obtains the determination result as a voice. The sound signal transmitted to the generation unit 118 and generated by the sound generation unit 118 is reproduced from the speaker 122 as a notification sound to the seated person (S216). It should be noted that the playback timings of the brakes and the footrests are not adjusted to overlap.

  When the reproduction of the announcement sound to the seated person is completed or it is determined in steps S208 and S214 that both the footrests 32a and 32b are in the folded state (Y in S208, Y in S214). ), The comparison unit 116 then determines whether or not it is in a seated state (S220).

  If so, the process returns to step S206.

  When the seating state is lost and the seated person stands up (N in S220), the flag indicating the transition from the open state to the folded state is reset (S222), and if the notification is executed (S224). Y), the count unit 117 increments the count number n2 by 1 (S226).

  If the end of the process is not instructed by the operation of any user such as a caregiver, a wheelchair user, or a doctor (S228), the process returns to step S204, while if the end of the process is instructed. (S228), the process ends (S230).

  That is, in the above configuration, after the power is turned on, the condition for notification of the footrest as described above is satisfied in the period from when the wheelchair user is seated to when the processing is terminated by the user's instruction. The number of times will be counted. The period during which such a count is executed is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the control device 102 is provided with a clock, and counts within a certain time set by the clock. Such a configuration may be used.

  Further, in the above description, when only one of the left and right footrests 32a and 32b is in a folded state, when it is detected that the seated person is going to stand, the control device 102 causes the footrest on one side. It is assumed that the wheelchair user is informed that only the door is folded. However, the configuration of the wheelchair 1000 ′ is not limited to such a configuration. For example, when at least one of the left and right footrests 32 a and 32 b is not in a folded state, the seated person is trying to stand up. The wheelchair user may be notified from the control device 102 that the footrest is not properly folded in order for the seated person to stand up. In this case, in addition to the notification as shown in FIG. 7, even when the seated person forgets to fold both footrests and tries to stand up with both feet on the footrest, Can make a notice to call attention.

  In the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, when the comparison unit 116 detects i) that the footrest on one side is folded, and ii) detects that it is going to stand up, iii) i ) And ii) On the condition that the state of ii) has been detected, it is a process of notifying the seated person when it is detected that the other footrest is not folded. However, the notification processing for the footrest can also be configured to notify the seated person by the same processing as in the case of the manual brake shown in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. That is, as in the case of the flowchart of FIG. 5, a) when the footrest on one side is detected, and b) when the passage of a predetermined time is detected, c) a) and b) On the condition that the state is detected, it may be configured to notify the seated person when it is detected that the other footrest is not folded.

  Embodiment disclosed this time is an illustration of the structure for implementing this invention concretely, Comprising: The technical scope of this invention is not restrict | limited. The technical scope of the present invention is shown not by the description of the embodiment but by the scope of the claims, and includes modifications within the wording and equivalent meanings of the scope of the claims. Is intended.

  10 Grip, 12 Brake lever, 14 Back support, 15 Frame, 16a, 16b Manual brake lever, 20 Drive wheel, 18 Hand rim, 17a, 17b Brake device, 22 Casters, 24 Arm support, 26 Side guard, 28 Seat, 30 Leg Support, 32a, 32b Footrest, 102 Control Device, 104a, 104b Magnetic Sensor, 106a, 106b Magnet, 108 Seating Detection Sensor, 110 Input I / F, 112 Arithmetic Processing Device, 114 Memory, 116 Comparison Unit, 117 Count Unit, 118 Audio generating unit, 120 output I / F, 122 speaker, 124 input / output terminal, 1000 wheelchair.

Claims (8)

Left drive wheel and right drive wheel,
A seating portion that is supported by the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel and for a seated person to sit;
A left brake mechanism and a right brake mechanism, which are provided corresponding to the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel, respectively, and actuate by manual operation of the seated person to brake the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel;
A first sensor for detecting whether the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism are in a state of braking the left driving wheel and the right driving wheel, respectively;
When one of the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism is in a braking state and the other is in a non-braking state, notification means for notifying the seated person of a stop state ;
A wheelchair provided with counting means for counting the number of times that the notification means has made a condition for performing the notification for the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism within a predetermined period, and outputting the number of counts . A folding left footrest and a right footrest for the seated person to put his / her left and right feet respectively while moving the wheelchair;
A second sensor for detecting a folded state of the left footrest and the right footrest;
The wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein when the at least one of the left footrest and the right footrest is not in a folded state, the notification means notifies the seated person of the folded state. The wheelchair according to claim 2 , wherein the counting unit further counts the number of times that the notification has been made for the left footrest and the right footrest. A third sensor for detecting whether the seated person is in a sitting state;
The wheelchair according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the counting means performs counting when detecting that the seated person changes from a sitting state to a standing state. A stop notification device for a wheelchair,
A left brake mechanism and a right brake mechanism are provided corresponding to the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel of the wheelchair, respectively, and actuated by manual operation of a seated person to brake the left drive wheel and the right drive wheel. A first sensor for detecting whether the left driving wheel and the right driving wheel are in a braking state;
When one of the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism is in a braking state and the other is in a non-braking state, notification means for notifying the seated person of a stop state;
For a wheelchair, comprising: a count means for counting the number of times that the notification means is a condition for performing the notification for the left brake mechanism and the right brake mechanism within a predetermined period, and outputting the count number Stop state notification device. A folding left footrest and a right footrest for the seated person to put his / her left and right feet respectively while moving the wheelchair;
A second sensor for detecting a folded state of the left footrest and the right footrest;
The said notification means is a stop state notification apparatus for a wheelchair according to claim 5 , wherein when at least one of the left footrest and the right footrest is not in a folded state, the folded state is notified to the seated person. The said notification means is a notification apparatus of the stop state for the wheelchair of Claim 6 which further counts the frequency | count which became the conditions which perform the said notification about the said left footrest and the said right footrest. A third sensor for detecting whether the seated person is in a sitting state;
The said count means is a stop state notification apparatus for a wheelchair according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein when the seat occupant detects that the seated state changes from a seated state to a standing state, the count means performs counting.

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