JP6361257B2 - Transport assist device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveyance auxiliary device used when a carrier conveys an object.

  When a bed having casters used in a hospital or the like is transported, it is transported by two transporters on the front end side and the rear end side of the bed. A transport auxiliary device has been developed that enables a single transporter to transport a bed that must be transported by two transporters. For example, Patent Document 1 includes a traveling carriage attached to the front end portion of the bed and an operating device attached to the rear end portion of the bed, and a pair of gripping members of the operating device is provided by a carrier on the rear end side of the bed. A conveyance auxiliary device that detects the applied left and right forces and controls the traveling carriage based on the left and right forces is disclosed.

JP 2014-8188 A

  In the conveyance assisting device, as described above, the driving unit including the driving wheel is mounted on the front end portion of the bed, and the operation unit is mounted on the rear end portion of the bed. And the driving wheel is steered by detecting the left and right operation amounts input to the operation unit by the carrier. Therefore, the steering direction of the driving wheel located at the lowermost front end cannot be visually recognized from the rear carrier. Therefore, for example, in order to cope with a case where the bed is moved laterally or a case where the bed is turned on the spot, the conveyance assist device has a mode in which the driving wheel is steered to the side and the drive unit is driven to the side. In this case, if the timing of driving with the steering direction of the drive wheel lying sideways is not known, the timing at which the carrier starts to move is shifted accordingly, and the carrier may be bothered.

  Therefore, in the present technical field, there is a demand for a conveyance auxiliary device that enables a carrier to recognize the steering direction of the drive wheel.

  A conveyance auxiliary device according to one aspect of the present invention is a conveyance auxiliary device that is used when a carrier conveys an object, a driving unit that is attached to the object and assists in conveying the object, and an object An operation unit for a carrier to operate the drive unit, a steering direction detection unit for detecting the steering direction of the drive wheel of the drive unit, and a steering direction of the drive wheel detected by the steering direction detection unit. A display unit for displaying information.

  When the transporter operates the operation unit while the transporter is transporting the target object, the transport assisting device assists the transport of the target object by the driving unit according to the operation. Thus, the object can be transported with the assistance of the transporter and the drive unit. The drive unit includes drive wheels, and the drive wheels are driven by being steered in a predetermined direction according to the operation of the carrier. In the conveyance auxiliary device, the steering direction of the drive wheel is detected by the steering direction detection unit, and information on the detected steering direction of the drive wheel is displayed on the display unit. The carrier can recognize the steering direction of the driving wheel by looking at the display on the display unit even when the driving wheel cannot be directly visually recognized. In this way, the conveyance assist device displays information on the steering direction of the drive wheel, so that the conveyer can recognize the steering direction of the drive wheel. Thereby, the carrier can easily operate because the steering direction of the driving wheel is known.

  In addition, a target object is what a person can convey (movable), for example, there exists a bed which has a caster, a loading platform which has a caster, and an apparatus which has a caster. In particular, the object is transported by a plurality of persons when there is no assistance by the transport assist device.

  In the conveyance auxiliary device according to the embodiment, the drive unit is mounted on the front side of the object, the operation unit is mounted on the rear side of the object, and the display unit is in a position that is visible on the rear side of the drive unit. Provided.

  When the drive unit is arranged on the front side and the operation unit is arranged on the rear side, the lowermost drive wheel of the front drive unit cannot be visually recognized from the carrier who operates the operation unit in the rear. . Therefore, in this conveyance auxiliary device, by providing the display unit at a position that can be visually recognized on the rear side of the driving unit, it is easy to see the front display unit from the rear conveyor, and confirming the front while recognizing the steering direction of the driving wheel. The object can be transported. Incidentally, when a display unit is provided in the rear operation unit, the transporter needs to look at the operation unit at hand in order to recognize the steering direction of the drive wheel.

  In the conveyance auxiliary device according to the embodiment, the display unit includes three or more light sources. By having three or more light sources, it is possible to indicate a straight traveling direction, a left direction, a right direction, or the like as the steering direction of the drive wheel. Further, by configuring the display unit with a light source, the apparatus configuration can be simplified.

  In the conveyance auxiliary device according to one embodiment, the display unit displays information other than information on the steering direction of the drive wheels of the conveyance auxiliary device. Thus, the convenience of a display part becomes high by displaying other information on a display part. As information other than the information on the steering direction of the driving wheel, for example, there is information when the driving unit before the information on the steering direction of the driving wheel is required is attached to the object.

  According to the present invention, by displaying information on the steering direction of the drive wheel, the carrier can recognize the steering direction of the drive wheel.

It is a figure which shows typically the state with which the conveyance assistance apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment was mounted | worn with the bed. It is an operation handle of the conveyance auxiliary device of Drawing 1, (a) is a top view and (b) is a perspective view. It is a perspective view which shows the upper part of the drive unit of the conveyance auxiliary | assistance apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of the conveyance auxiliary | assistance apparatus of FIG.

  Hereinafter, a conveyance auxiliary device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the element which is the same or it corresponds in each figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The transport assisting apparatus according to an embodiment is used when a transporter (for example, a nurse) transports a movable bed having casters, and assists the transport of the bed by a single transporter. This transport assisting device is mounted on the bed when transported, and is removed from the bed except when transported. The transporter transports while pushing the bed on the rear end side of the bed and operates the transport assisting device. Therefore, a bed that has conventionally been transported by two transporters can be transported by one transporter on the rear end side, and the transport assisting device plays the role of a conventional transporter on the front end side.

  The longitudinal direction of the bed is the front-rear direction, the carrier side is the rear direction, and the other side is the front direction. The direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction is the left-right direction (lateral direction), the left hand side of the carrier is the left direction, and the right hand side of the carrier is the right direction. The movement of the bed includes forward and backward movements that move the bed in the front-rear direction. Further, there are left lateral movement (moving to the right side in the left direction) and right lateral movement (movement to the right side in the right direction) for moving the bed in the left-right direction. In addition, there are a left turn (turning counterclockwise on the spot) and a right turn (turning clockwise on the spot) for turning the bed.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the conveyance assistance apparatus 1 which concerns on one Embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the conveyance auxiliary device 1 according to an embodiment is mounted on a bed B.

  The conveyance assisting device 1 includes an operation handle 2 and a drive unit 3, and the operation handle 2 is attached to the rear end portion of the bed B, and the drive unit 3 is attached to the front end portion of the bed B. When each operation is input to the operation handle 2 by the transporter P, the transport assisting device 1 performs drive control and steering control on the drive unit 3 in accordance with each operation. In particular, the conveyance auxiliary device 1 displays information on the steering direction of the driving wheel on the driving unit 3 so that the conveyor P can recognize the steering direction of the driving wheel of the driving unit 3. In this embodiment, the operation handle 2 corresponds to the operation unit described in the claims, and the drive unit 3 corresponds to the drive unit described in the claims.

  The bed B will be described. The bed B is provided with a bed height adjusting mechanism Bb on the lower side of the bed main body Ba, and casters Bc are attached to four corners at the bottom of the bed height adjusting mechanism Bb. The bed height adjusting mechanism Bb is a conventional well-known mechanism and can adjust the height position of the bed main body Ba. The caster Bc has a shaft and a wheel. The shaft is attached to be rotatable around a vertical axis, and the wheel is attached to a lower portion of the shaft to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. Boards Bd and Be are attached to the bed main body Ba at the front end and the rear end in the longitudinal direction. A mattress Bf is provided on the upper surface of the bed main body Ba. In order to mount the drive unit 3 on the front end of the bed B, the attachment Bg is attached to the front end of the lower surface of the bed main body Ba.

  The operation handle 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 in addition to FIG. 2A and 2B show the operation handle 2, in which FIG. 2A is a plan view and FIG. 2B is a perspective view. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the conveyance assisting device 1.

  The operation handle 2 is attached to the upper part of the board Be at the rear end of the bed B and is held by the left hand LH and the right hand RH of the carrier P. When the transporter P is transporting the bed B, each operation on the drive unit 3 is input to the operation handle 2 by the left hand LH and the right hand RH. These operations include an operation of pushing and pulling with the left hand LH and the right hand RH, and an ON / OFF operation for each switch.

  The operation handle 2 has a main body 2a and clamp portions 2b and 2b. The main body 2a is substantially plate-shaped and has a predetermined length in consideration of the distance between the left and right hands of a person. The clamp portions 2b and 2b are substantially L-shaped members for clamping the board Be between the main body 2a and are attached to the left and right end portions of the front surface of the main body 2a. The operation handle 2 is attached to the board Be by clamping with the main body 2a and the left and right clamp portions 2b and 2b sandwiched from above the board Be.

  A left operation grip 2c and a right operation grip 2d are provided at left and right end portions (a portion extending over the upper surface of the main body 2a and the upper surfaces of the clamp portions 2b and 2b) on the upper surface of the operation handle 2. The left operation grip 2c is held by the left hand LH of the carrier P, and an operation by the left hand LH is input. The right operation grip 2d is gripped by the right hand RH of the carrier P, and an operation by the right hand RH is input. Each of the operation grips 2c and 2d has a shape and a size that can be easily gripped by a human hand. The surface of each operation grip 2c, 2d has a predetermined strength and flexibility, and is formed of, for example, rubber, resin, or cloth.

  A left operation detection sensor 2e is provided inside the left operation grip 2c. A right operation detection sensor 2f is provided inside the right operation grip 2d. Each operation detection sensor 2e, 2f is a sensor that detects the magnitude of the pushing force and pulling force (operation force in the front-rear direction) applied to each operation grip 2c, 2d by each hand LH, RH of the carrier P, For example, a sensor using a strain gauge. The magnitude of the detected force is indicated by a positive value for the pressing force and a negative value for the pulling force, for example.

  When the carrier P applies the same pressing force to the left operation grip 2c and the right operation grip 2d, the drive unit 3 moves straight forward and applies a larger pressing force to the right operation grip 2d than the left operation grip 2c. In this case, the drive unit 3 moves forward while steering counterclockwise, and when a larger pressing force is applied to the left operation grip 2c than the right operation grip 2d, the drive unit 3 moves forward while steering clockwise. . Further, when the carrier P applies the same pulling force to the left operation grip 2c and the right operation grip 2d, the drive unit 3 moves straight back, and the pulling force is greater on the right operation grip 2d than on the left operation grip 2c. Is applied while the drive unit 3 is retracted while being steered clockwise, and when a greater pulling force is applied to the left operation grip 2c than the right operation grip 2d, the drive unit 3 is steered counterclockwise. fall back.

  A left movement switch 2g is provided on the inner side of the left operation grip 2c. A right movement switch 2h is provided on the inner side of the right operation grip 2d. The movement switches 2g and 2h are arranged at positions where fingers (particularly thumbs) of the hands LH and RH holding the operation grips 2c and 2d can reach. Each of the movement switches 2g and 2h is a switch for moving the drive unit 3 to the right side in the left-right direction, and is a conventional well-known ON / OFF mechanical switch. When the left movement switch 2g is ON, the drive unit 3 moves to the right in the left direction, and when the right movement switch 2h is ON, the drive unit 3 moves to the right in the right direction.

  When the transporter P turns on the left movement switch 2g, the drive unit 3 at the front end moves in the left lateral direction. At this time, when the transporter P at the rear end also moves leftward, the bed B moves leftward and when the transporter P at the rear end moves rightward, the bed B turns left on the spot. When the transporter P turns on the right movement switch 2h, the drive unit 3 at the front end moves in the right lateral direction. At this time, if the transporter P at the rear end also moves to the right, the bed B moves to the right, and if the transporter P at the rear end moves to the left, the bed B turns right on the spot.

  A transmitter (not shown) is provided inside the main body 2a. The transmitter is a transmitter for transmitting each signal to the receiver of the drive unit 3, and may be wireless or wired. Each signal transmitted from the transmitter includes a signal indicating the magnitude of the force detected by the left operation detection sensor 2e, a signal indicating the magnitude of the force detected by the right operation detection sensor 2f, and ON / OFF of the left movement switch 2g. , A signal indicating ON / OFF of the right movement switch 2h, and the like.

  The drive unit 3 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 in addition to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the upper part of the drive unit 3 of the conveyance assisting device 1. In the drive unit 3 depicted in FIG. 3, the lower side of the drawing is the front side of the drive unit 3.

  The drive unit 3 is mounted on the front side of the board Bd at the front end of the bed B. The drive unit 3 is driven and steered according to each operation on the operation handle 2 by the carrier P. The drive unit 3 displays information on the steering direction of the drive wheels.

  The drive unit 3 has a main body 3a. The main body 3a has a predetermined shape, the front side is a curved surface, and the rear side is a flat surface. The main body 3a has a height that is higher than the height of the board Bd and narrower than the width of the board Bd, and has a predetermined thickness that can accommodate each member described below. A mounting arm 3b is provided on the rear surface of the main body 3a. When the drive unit 3 is mounted on the bed B, the mounting arm 3b is disposed perpendicular to the rear surface of the main body 3a, and the mounting arm 3b is placed below the bed main body Ba of the bed B, and is placed on the lower surface of the bed main body Ba. It is attached to the attached attachment Bg. A bumper 3c is attached to the front side of the lower end of the main body 3a.

  A main power switch 3d, a forward switch 3e, a reverse switch 3f, an arm up switch 3g, an arm down switch 3h, and an indicator light 3i are provided on the top of the main body 3a. In the upper part of the main body 3a, there is a recess 3j in the center, and two handles 3k and 3l are provided to bridge the front and back of the upper end of the recess 3j. In this embodiment, the indicator light 3i corresponds to the display unit described in the claims.

  The main power switch 3d is a switch for turning on / off the power of the drive unit 3 and starting the drive unit 3. The main power switch 3d is disposed at the bottom of the recess 3j. The main power switch 3d is turned on when turned on, and turned off when turned off. The forward switch 3e is a switch that moves the drive unit 3 forward. The reverse switch 3f is a switch for moving the drive unit 3 backward. The forward switch 3e and the reverse switch 3f are arranged side by side on the left side of the upper end surface of the main body 3a. The forward switch 3e and the reverse switch 3f are used when positioning the drive unit 3 in the front-rear direction with respect to the bed B when the drive unit 3 is mounted on the bed B. The arm raising switch 3g is a switch for raising the mounting arm 3b. The arm lowering switch 3h is a switch for lowering the mounting arm 3b. The arm up switch 3g and the arm down switch 3h are arranged side by side on the right side of the upper end surface of the main body 3a. The arm raising switch 3g and the arm lowering switch 3h are used for raising and lowering the mounting arm 3b when mounting the mounting arm 3b on the attachment Bg on the lower surface of the bed main body Ba. Each of these switches 3d-3h is a membrane switch, for example.

  The indicator light 3i is a display unit for displaying mainly the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q. The indicator light 3i is disposed on the upper surface of the front handle 3k. The position of the indicator light 3i is a position that is easily visible from the rear transporter P. Inside the indicator light 3i, a central LED 3m, a left LED 3n, and a right LED 3o are arranged in the left-right direction. The LEDs 3m to 3o are light sources composed of semiconductor elements that emit light when a voltage is applied in the forward direction, and the lighting color is a color that is easily visible, such as blue. The LEDs 3m to 3o are turned on, turned off, and blinked under the control of the control device 4. On the surface of the indicator light 3i, there is provided a transparent cover 3p of black or the like in which the internal LEDs 3m to 3o are not visible (or difficult to see), but the light when the LEDs 3m to 3n are lit or blinking can be seen. In this embodiment, the three LEDs 3m to 3o correspond to the light sources described in the claims.

  As a display form of the steering direction of the driving wheel 3q by the indicator light 3i, when the driving unit 3 is moving forward or backward, when the steering direction is the front direction, one lamp of the central LED 3m is lit, and when the steering direction is the left direction, the center is displayed. LED3m and left LED3n are turned on, and in the case of the right direction, center LED3m and right LED3o are turned on. Further, when the left and right movement switches 2g and 2h are turned on, when the steering direction is the left lateral direction, one light of the left LED 3n is lit, and when the steering direction is the right lateral direction, one light of the right LED 3o is lit.

  The indicator light 3i is also used in directions other than the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q. For example, when the mounting arm 3b is mounted on the bed B, it is used for the height position of the mounting arm 3b. When the mounting arm 3b is in the lower end position (initial state), the three LEDs 3m to 3o are all turned off and the upper end In the case of the position, one lamp of the central LED 3m is turned on, and in the case of an intermediate position between the lower end and the upper end (rising or descending), the three LEDs 3m to 3o are all blinking. In addition, it may be used for a decrease in the amount of power stored in the battery, various errors, and the like.

  A drive wheel 3q, a steering motor 3r, a drive motor 3s, a control device 4, a battery (not shown), a receiver (not shown), and the like are housed inside the main body 3a. The drive wheel 3q is disposed at the lowermost part inside the main body 3a so as to be in contact with the floor surface. The drive wheel 3q is attached to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. The battery is a battery for supplying power to the LEDs 3m to 3o, the steering motor 3r, the drive motor 3s, the control device 4, and the like. The receiver is a receiver that receives each signal transmitted from the transmitter of the operation handle 2.

  The steering motor 3r is connected to the drive wheel 3q via a shaft (not shown). The steering motor 3r generates a steering torque for rotating the drive wheel 3q around the vertical axis by the steering control in the control device 4. A steering angle sensor 3t is attached to the steering motor 3r. The steering angle sensor 3t is a sensor for detecting the steering angle of the drive wheel 3q (and consequently the traveling direction of the drive unit 3), and is, for example, a sensor using an encoder. The steering angle sensor 3t outputs the detected steering angle information to the control device 4. In this embodiment, the steering angle sensor 3t corresponds to a steering direction detector described in the claims.

  The drive motor 3s is connected to the drive wheel 3q via a belt (not shown). The drive motor 3s generates drive torque that rotates the drive wheels 3q around the horizontal axis by drive control in the control device 4. A speed sensor 3u is attached to the drive motor 3s. The speed sensor 3u is a sensor for detecting the wheel speed of the drive wheel 3q (and hence the speed of the drive unit 3), and is, for example, a sensor using an encoder. The speed sensor 3 u outputs the detected speed information to the control device 4.

  The control device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 4, each detection sensor 2e, 2f, each switch 2g, 2h and the control device 4 are directly connected, but in actuality, each detection sensor 2e, 2f, each switch 2g, 2h The signal is input to the control device 4 via the transmitter of the operation handle 2 and the receiver of the drive unit 3.

  The control device 4 is an electronic control device for controlling the drive unit 3, and includes a CPU [Central Processing Unit], a ROM [Read Only Memory], a RAM [Random Access Memory], and an input / output circuit. In the control device 4, the steering control unit 4a, the drive control unit 4b, and the LED control unit 4c are configured by loading an application program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing it by the CPU. The control device 4 receives the information indicated by the signals of the detection sensors 2e and 2f of the operation handle 2 and the switches 2g and 2h, and the information of the steering angle sensor 3t and the speed sensor 3u of the drive unit 3. Entered. And in the control apparatus 4, each part 4a-4c is processed using this each input information, and LED3m-3o of the steering motor 3r, the drive motor 3s, and the indicator light 3i is controlled.

  The steering control unit 4a will be described. The steering control unit 4a calculates the difference between the force applied to the left operation grip 2c detected by the left operation detection sensor 2e and the force applied to the right operation grip 2d detected by the right operation detection sensor 2f. The steering control unit 4a determines the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q (the traveling direction of the drive unit 3) based on whether the difference in force is a positive value or a negative value, and determines the target steering angle from the absolute value of the difference in force. The steering motor 3r is controlled so that the target steering angle is obtained in this steering direction. In addition, when the left movement switch 2g is turned on, the steering control unit 4a controls the steering motor 3r so that the drive wheel 3q is 90 ° from the front direction to the left rotation direction (counterclockwise). Further, in the steering control unit 4a, when the right movement switch 2h is turned on, the steering motor 3r is controlled so that the driving wheel 3q becomes 90 ° from the front direction to the right rotation direction (clockwise). In this steering control, feedback control is performed using the actual steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 3t.

  The drive control unit 4b will be described. The drive controller 4b calculates the sum of the force applied to the left operation grip 2c detected by the left operation detection sensor 2e and the force applied to the right operation grip 2d detected by the right operation detection sensor 2f. Then, the drive control unit 4b determines whether the driving wheel 3q (drive unit 3) is moving forward or backward depending on whether the sum of the forces is a positive value or a negative value, and the target speed is determined from the absolute value of the sum of the forces. And the drive motor 3s is controlled so that the target speed is reached in the forward or backward direction. In this drive control, feedback control is performed using the actual speed detected by the speed sensor 3u.

  The LED control unit 4c will be described. The LED control unit 4c determines the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q using the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 3t. When the LED control unit 4c determines that the steering direction is the front direction (straight direction), only the central LED 3m is controlled to be lit. Here, for example, when the steering angle is within about ± several degrees from the front direction (steering angle = 0 °), the front direction is determined. In addition, the LED control unit 4c controls lighting of the center LED 3m and the left LED 3n when the steering direction is determined to be the left rotation direction (left curve direction) from the front direction. Here, for example, when the steering angle is several degrees or more from the front direction to the left rotation direction, it is determined as the left rotation direction. Further, the LED control unit 4c controls lighting of the central LED 3m and the right LED 3o when the steering direction is determined to be the right rotation direction (right curve direction) from the front direction. Here, for example, when the steering angle is several degrees or more from the front direction to the right rotation direction, it is determined as the right rotation direction.

  Further, when the LED control unit 4c determines that the steering direction is the left lateral direction, only the left LED 3n is controlled to be lit. Here, for example, in the case where the steering angle is within ± several degrees around the direction of 90 ° from the front direction to the left rotation direction, it is determined as the left lateral direction. In addition, when the LED control unit 4c determines that the steering direction is the right lateral direction, only the right LED 3o is controlled to be lit. Here, for example, when the steering angle is within ± several degrees around the direction of 90 ° from the front direction to the right rotation direction, it is determined as the right lateral direction. Note that the determination of the left and right lateral direction and the lighting control may be performed when one of the left and right movement switches 2g and 2h is turned on.

  The case where the indicator light 3i is used with respect to the height position of the mounting arm 3b will be described. The LED control unit 4c controls to turn off all three LEDs 3m to 3o when the mounting arm 3b is determined to be at the lower end position, and controls to turn on only the central LED 3m when the mounting arm 3b is determined to be at the upper end position. When the mounting arm 3b determines that the middle position is between the lower end and the upper end, all three LEDs 3m to 3o are controlled to blink. The control of the height position of the mounting arm 3b is performed before the operation of the operation handle 2 by the carrier P is performed. Accordingly, since it is not necessary for the transporter to recognize the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q, the indicator light 3i can be used for displaying the height position of the mounting arm 3b.

  With reference to FIGS. 1-4, the flow of operation | movement (especially control of LED3m-3o of the indicator light 3i) in the conveyance auxiliary | assistance apparatus 1 is demonstrated. The operation handle 2 is mounted on the board Be at the rear end of the bed B by the carrier P. Further, the drive unit 3 is disposed on the front side of the bed B by the carrier P, the main power switch 3d is turned on, and the drive unit 3 is activated. Then, the mounting arm 3b is tilted horizontally from the main body 3a by the carrier P, the drive unit 3 is moved backward, and the mounting arm 3b is placed below the bed main body Ba of the bed B. At this time, since the mounting arm 3b is located at the lower end in the initial state, the three LEDs 3m to 3o of the indicator light 3i are all turned off. The carrier P raises and lowers the mounting arm 3b by the arm raising switch 3g and the arm lowering switch 3h, and the mounting arm 3b is attached to the attachment Bg on the lower surface of the bed main body Ba. At this time, the control device 4 controls blinking of the three LEDs 3m to 3o. With this control, in the indicator light 3i, the three LEDs 3m to 3o all blink.

  When the operation handle 2 and the drive unit 3 are mounted on the bed B, the transporter P grips and operates the left and right operation grips 2c and 2d of the operation handle 2. When the control device 4 controls the left and right operation grips 2c and 2d and the movement switches 2g and 2h, the drive unit 3 is steered and driven at a predetermined speed. Accordingly, the bed B can be transported by the transporter P on the rear end side of the bed B and the drive unit 3 on the front end side.

  The steering angle sensor 3 t detects the steering angle of the drive wheel 3 q and outputs the steering angle to the control device 4. In the control device 4, the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q is determined based on the steering angle.

  When the transporter P is operating the left and right operation grips 2c and 2d to transport the bed B forward (possibly backward) and the steering direction is the front direction (straight forward direction), the control device 4 sets the center LED 3m. Control lighting. With this control, only the central LED 3m is lit in the indicator light 3i. When the steering direction is the left rotation direction (left curve direction), the control device 4 controls lighting of the center LED 3m and the left LED 3n. By this control, in the indicator light 3i, the center LED 3m and the left LED 3n are turned on. When the steering direction is the right rotation direction (right curve direction), the control device 4 controls lighting of the central LED 3m and the right LED 3o. By this control, the central LED 3m and the right LED 3o are lit in the indicator light 3i. Thus, the carrier P behind the bed B can visually recognize the indicator light 3i at the upper end of the drive unit 3 in front of the bed B while confirming the front during the transportation, and the three LEDs 3m to 3o of the indicator light 3i. The steering direction of the drive wheel 3q can be recognized from the lighting position. Therefore, the carrier P can easily perform the operation.

  In addition, when the transporter P turns on one of the left and right movement switches 2g and 2h in order to move sideways or turn on the spot, the drive wheel 3q rotates so as to face right in the one direction. When the steering direction becomes the left lateral direction, the control device 4 controls lighting of the left LED 3n. With this control, only the left LED 3n lights up in the indicator light 3i. Alternatively, when the steering direction becomes the right lateral direction, the control device 4 controls lighting of the right LED 3o. With this control, only the right LED 3o lights up in the indicator light 3i. Thereby, the carrier P behind the bed B can recognize that the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q is right side from the lighting position of the three LEDs 3m to 3o of the indicator light 3i, and the right side direction of the bed B The drive timing can be recognized. Depending on the timing, the carrier P can also start moving leftward or rightward in the right direction.

  According to this conveyance auxiliary device 1, the transporter P can recognize the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q by displaying the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q on the indicator light 3i. This makes it easier for the carrier P to operate. In this conveyance auxiliary device 1, since the indicator light 3i is arranged at the upper end portion of the drive unit 3 on the front side of the bed B, the front indicator light 3i is easy to see from the transporter P on the rear side of the bed B and is driven. The bed B can be conveyed while confirming the front while recognizing the steering direction of the wheel 3q.

  Moreover, according to the conveyance auxiliary | assistant apparatus 1, by comprising the indicator light 3i by three LED3m-3o, as the steering direction of the drive wheel 3q, a straight drive direction, a left direction, a right direction, a left right side direction, and a right right side direction are set. It can be shown, and the apparatus configuration can be simplified. Moreover, according to the conveyance auxiliary device 1, since the height position information of the mounting arm 3b is displayed by the indicator light 3i in addition to the steering direction of the driving wheel 3q, the convenience of the indicator light 3i is enhanced.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, it is implemented in various forms, without being limited to the said embodiment.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a bed having a caster as an object to be transported. However, a loading platform having a caster (for example, one that can load and transport meals, medical instruments, articles, etc.), an apparatus having a caster (for example, Other devices such as medical devices).

  In the above embodiment, the operation handle (operation unit) is arranged at the rear end of the bed and the drive unit (drive unit) is arranged at the front end of the bed. However, depending on the object, the arrangement of the operation unit and the drive unit is appropriately determined. The position may be In any arrangement, when the driving wheel of the driving unit cannot be directly visually recognized from the carrier operated by the operation unit, the steering unit of the driving wheel is indicated on the display unit such as an indicator light, thereby facilitating the operation for the carrier. .

  In the above embodiment, information on the steering direction of the drive wheel is detected by the steering angle sensor, but information on the target steering angle calculated by the steering control unit may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, in order to show the steering direction of a drive wheel, it comprised with 3 LED, However, You may comprise with 4 or more LED. In the above embodiment, one display form of lighting, turning off, and blinking of the three LEDs corresponding to the steering direction of the driving wheel and the height position of the mounting arm is shown. In addition, in the case of four or more LEDs, an appropriate display mode may be used for lighting, extinguishing, and blinking of LEDs according to the number of LEDs.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, it was set as the structure by lighting, extinguishing, and blinking by three LED of an indicator light as a display part which shows the steering direction etc. of a drive wheel, However, Other structures, such as an arrow display in a meter etc., a character display, etc. Moreover, you may use light sources other than LED. In the above embodiment, the drive unit is provided with the indicator light. However, the operation handle may be provided with the indicator light.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Conveyance assistance apparatus, 2 ... Operation handle, 2a ... Main body, 2b ... Clamp part, 2c ... Left operation grip, 2d ... Right operation grip, 2e ... Left operation detection sensor, 2f ... Right operation detection sensor, 2g ... Left movement Switch, 2h ... right movement switch, 3 ... drive unit, 3a ... main body, 3b ... mounting arm, 3c ... bumper, 3d ... main power switch, 3e ... forward switch, 3f ... reverse switch, 3g ... arm lift switch, 3h ... Arm lowering switch, 3i ... indicator light, 3j ... recess, 3k, 3l ... handle, 3m ... center LED, 3n ... left LED, 3o ... right LED, 3p ... transparent cover, 3q ... drive wheel, 3r ... steering motor, 3s ... drive motor, 3t ... steering angle sensor, 3u ... speed sensor, 4 ... control device, 4a ... steering control unit, 4b ... drive control unit, 4c ... LED control unit.

Claims (2)

A transport auxiliary device used when a transporter transports an object,
A drive unit mounted on the object and assisting in conveying the object;
An operation unit that is mounted on the object and for a carrier to perform an operation on the drive unit;
A steering direction detector for detecting the steering direction of the drive wheels of the drive unit;
A display unit for displaying information on the steering direction of the drive wheel detected by the steering direction detection unit;
The drive unit includes a mounting arm for mounting the drive unit to the object,
The mounting arm can be raised and lowered,
The display unit displays information other than information on the steering direction of the drive wheel of the conveyance assist device,
The said display part is a conveyance assistance apparatus which also displays the information of the height position of the said mounting arm. The display unit is disposed on the other side in the lateral direction with respect to the first light source, the second light source disposed on the one side in the lateral direction with respect to the first light source, and the first light source. The third light source has three light sources,
When the mounting arm is at the lower end position, all three light sources are turned off,
When the mounting arm is at the upper end position, the first light source is turned on,
The conveyance auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein all three light sources blink when the mounting arm is at an intermediate position between the lower end and the upper end.

Images