JP7402443B2 - self-propelled wheelchair - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a self-propelled wheelchair that moves the wheelchair body by regenerating manual force applied to the wheels by a wheelchair user into driving force for the wheels.

As a self-propelled wheelchair, an electric wheelchair driven by an electric motor has been developed (Patent Document 1). This type of electric wheelchair has a drive wheel supported by a main frame, an electric motor disposed on the main frame that drives the drive wheel, and a power transmission path from the electric motor to the drive wheel in a connected state. Alternatively, the clutch includes a clutch that is switched to a disengaged state and a clutch operating handle that is movable within a predetermined range in the vertical direction, and when the clutch operating handle is stopped at the lowest position of the predetermined range, The clutch is operated to be in one of the connected state and the disconnected state, and when the clutch is stopped at the highest position of the predetermined range, the clutch is operated to be in the other state. It is configured.

JP 2021-194037 Publication

Since the self-propelled wheelchair uses an electric motor as its drive source, it is necessary to equip the wheelchair itself with an electric motor as the drive source and a power battery to drive the electric motor.While this is convenient for the user, the wheelchair itself The weight of the wheelchair increases, which may make it difficult to handle, and the wheelchair becomes expensive, placing a financial burden on the user.

Depending on the state of charge of the power source battery, it may be difficult to move the wheelchair to the destination, so it is necessary to pay attention to the state of charge of the power source battery. Furthermore, if there is no charging facility for the power supply battery within the wheelchair movement area, there is a problem in that long-distance movement is restricted.

An object of the present invention is to provide a self-propelled wheelchair that stores force in a spring based on the driving force manually applied to the wheels by a wheelchair user, and uses the stored force of the spring to drive the wheelchair.

In order to achieve the above object, the self-propelled wheelchair according to the present invention is a self-propelled wheelchair that moves by obtaining manual driving force, and includes a drive shaft that rotates in response to rotation of wheels of the wheelchair body, and a drive shaft that rotates in response to rotation of wheels of the wheelchair body. an output gear train that outputs rotational force from the drive shaft; an input gear train that inputs the rotational force to the drive shaft; and a power storage gear train that stores the rotational force of the drive shaft output by the output gear train in a spring; The power gear train converts the rotational force from the power storage gear train into a driving force of the drive shaft and outputs the driving force to the input gear train.

The self-propelled wheelchair is characterized in that it is equipped with a ratchet that controls the rotation of the output gear train, the input gear train, and the power storage gear train.

The self-propelled wheelchair includes a control unit that controls connection and release of the output gear train and the drive shaft, a control unit that controls connection and release of the input gear train and the drive shaft, and the power storage. It is characterized by having a control unit that releases the spring force of the gear train.

The self-propelled wheelchair is characterized in that the gear train is composed of a combination of a main gear and a driven gear, and the control unit is composed of a sleeve that extends intermittently between the main gear and the driven gear. .

The self-propelled wheelchair is characterized in that a conversion lever for operating the control unit is arranged in an area that can be operated by a user.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the weight of the electric wheelchair is reduced because force is stored in the spring based on the driving force that the wheelchair user manually applies to the wheels, and the stored force of the spring is used for the driving force of the wheelchair. It is possible to eliminate the electric motor and battery that cause the increase in weight, and it is possible to realize weight reduction.

The weight of the wheelchair body can be reduced, and the wheelchair can be driven by the user alone without the assistance of a caregiver.

To realize a system that meets SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) by accumulating force in a spring based on the driving force that a wheelchair user manually applies to the wheels and using the accumulated force of the spring to drive the wheelchair. Can be done. Moreover, since it is powered by the stored power of a spring, there is no need for charging equipment like electric models, and the range of movement using the wheelchair can be expanded.

Since the output gear train and the input gear train are equipped with a ratchet that prevents them from rotating in the opposite direction to the drive shaft, the rotational force of the drive shaft can be effectively transmitted to the spring.

The power storage gear train is pivotally supported on the fixed shaft of the wheelchair body, and by being equipped with a ratchet that prevents the power storage gear train from rotating in the opposite direction to the drive shaft, the rotational force of the drive shaft can be efficiently stored in the spring. I can do it.

Since it has a control unit that releases the connection between the output gear train and the drive shaft, and a control unit that connects the input gear train and the drive shaft, the wheelchair can be freely operated using the stored force of the springs according to the usage state of the user. It can be driven.

Since it has a control unit that controls the rotation of the power storage gear train and outputs the stored power from the spring of the power storage gear train, the power stored in the spring can be easily used as an auxiliary power source based on the user's intention. .

By arranging the control unit and the conversion lever that operates the control unit in an area where the user sitting on the wheelchair can operate it, the stored force of the spring can be easily operated as a mechanical power source when the user needs it. Can be done.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a self-propelled wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a mechanical drive source of a self-propelled wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the operation|movement of the output gear train built into the mechanical drive source of the self-propelled wheelchair based on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the operation of a power storage gear train incorporated in a mechanical drive source of a self-propelled wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a ratchet employed in an output gear train of a self-propelled wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a perspective view showing a power storage gear train of a self-propelled wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a configuration diagram showing a ratchet adopted in the power storage gear train. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an operating state of a mechanical drive source of a self-propelled wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the mechanical drive source of other embodiments applied to the self-propelled wheelchair based on this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wheelchair main body 1 of a self-propelled wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention includes wheels 2 that support the wheelchair main body 1, a seat 3 on which a user is seated, and a backrest on which the user sitting on the seat 3 leans. The wheelchair has at least a support 4 and a push handle 5 operated by a caregiver, and a user seated on the seat 3 manually rotates the wheels 2 in the forward direction to apply driving force (propulsive force) to the wheelchair body 1. It is configured to obtain. Auxiliary wheels 2a are attached to the wheelchair body 1 to assist the wheels 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, the wheels 2 are attached to the left and right sides of the wheelchair body 1, and the user holds the wheels 2 and manually rotates them in the direction of movement. The direction of the wheelchair main body 1 is changed by performing an operation such as rotating the wheel or changing the direction of rotation of the left and right wheels 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the self-propelled wheelchair according to the embodiment of the present invention has left and right wheels 2 mounted on the left and right sides of the wheelchair body 1 with the left and right wheels 2 independent of each other, and the axles 6 of the plurality of wheels 2 are connected to the wheelchair by bearings 7. The main body 1 is rotatably supported by a shaft, and attention is paid to the fact that a plurality of axles 6 rotate independently in conjunction with the wheels 2. In the embodiment of the present invention, the axle 6 is referred to as a drive shaft 6.

The embodiment of the present invention operates the wheels 2 by inputting the rotational energy of the drive shaft 6 linked to the wheels 2 to the mechanical drive source P, and passing the manual force input by the user to the wheels 2 through the mechanical drive source P. By forming a circulation circuit of energy that is regenerated as driving force for rotation, the system is characterized by being able to achieve weight reduction and building a system that meets SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

The self-propelled wheelchair according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. A mechanical drive source P is used to reproduce the driving force (rotational force) on the drive shafts 6 of the plurality of wheels 2.

Since the plurality of mechanical drive sources P incorporated in the drive shafts 6 of the plurality of wheels 2 have the same configuration, the configuration of one mechanical drive source P among the mechanical drive sources P illustrated in FIG. Explain in detail.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the self-propelled wheelchair according to the embodiment of the present invention has a basic configuration that moves by obtaining manual driving force, and the rotation of the wheels 2 of the wheelchair body 1 is controlled by the rotation of the wheels 2 of the wheelchair body 1. A drive shaft 6 that receives and rotates, an output gear train 8 that outputs rotational force from the drive shaft 6, an input gear train 9 that inputs rotational force to the drive shaft 6, and a drive shaft 6 that the output gear train 8 outputs. It has a power storage gear train 10 that stores rotational force in a spring, and a power gear train 11 that converts the rotational force from the power storage gear train 10 into driving force of the drive shaft 6 and outputs it to the input gear train 9. It is characterized by this.

Next, the configuration of each gear train 8, 9, 10, 11 will be explained in detail.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a drive shaft 6 is rotatably supported on the wheelchair body 1 by a bearing 7, and a mechanical drive source P is built into the drive shaft 6, and the rotational energy of the wheels 2 is transferred to the mechanical drive source. It is designed to be imported into P. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the output gear train 8 that outputs rotational force from the drive shaft 6 includes a main drive gear 8a that is integrally attached to the drive shaft 6, and a main drive gear 8a that is integrally attached to the drive shaft 6. It consists of a driven gear 8b which is intermittent with the gear 8a.

As shown in FIG. 2, a control unit 13 is provided to control the coupling and disengagement of the output gear train 8 and the drive shaft 6.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 13 is constituted by a sleeve 13 having internal teeth 13a inside. In the following description, the control unit 13 will be referred to as a sleeve 13.
The sleeve 13 forms internal teeth 13a that straddle and mesh with the external teeth 8c and 8d of the main drive gear 8a and the driven gear 8b of the output gear train 8.
The sleeve 13 performs a function of connecting and disconnecting the main gear 8a and the driven gear 8b by operating the conversion lever 14.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the sleeve 13 of the mechanical drive source P is in an unused state, the internal teeth 13a of the sleeve 13 mesh with the external teeth 8c of the main driving gear 8a, and the internal teeth 13a of the sleeve 13 mesh with the external teeth 8c of the driven gear 8b. Set it in a position away from the external tooth 8d (the state shown on the right side of FIG. 3). In this state, the main gear 8a and the driven gear 8b are cut off, the output gear train 8 is maintained separated from the drive shaft 6, and the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is output from the output gear 8. Never.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sleeve 13 when the mechanical drive source P is in use is shifted and set to a position spanning the main gear 8a and the driven gear 8b (the state shown on the left side of FIG. 3). In this set state, the internal teeth 13a of the sleeve 13 mesh with the external teeth 8c of the main drive gear 8a and the external teeth 8d of the driven gear 8b, and the main drive gear 8a and the driven gear 8b are connected by the sleeve 13, and the output gear 8 is connected to the drive shaft 6, and the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is output from the output gear 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the input gear train 9 that inputs rotational force to the drive shaft 6 includes a main drive gear 9a that is integrally attached to the drive shaft 6, and a main drive gear 9a that is pivotally supported by a bearing 15 on the drive shaft 6 and is intermittently connected to the main drive gear 9a. It consists of a driven gear 9b.

As shown in FIG. 2, a control unit 16 is provided to control the connection and release of the input gear 9 and the drive shaft 6.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 16 is constituted by a sleeve 16 having internal teeth 16a inside. In the following description, the control unit 16 will be referred to as a sleeve 16.
The sleeve 16 forms internal teeth 16a that straddle and mesh with the external teeth 9c and 9d of the main drive gear 9a and driven gear 9b of the input gear train 9.
The sleeve 16 performs a function of connecting or disconnecting the driving gear 9a and the driven gear 9b by operating the conversion lever 17.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, in the unused sleeve 16 of the mechanical drive source P, the internal teeth 16a mesh with the external teeth 9c of the main drive gear 9a and are separated from the external teeth 9d of the driven gear 9b. set in position. This set state is similar to the state (a) shown on the left side of FIG. 3.
In this state, as shown on the left side of FIG. 2 and FIG. The row 9 does not input rotational force to the drive shaft 6.

When the mechanical drive source P is in use, the sleeve 16 is moved and set to a position spanning the main gear 9a and the driven gear 9b, as shown in FIG. This set state is similar to the state (b) shown on the right side of FIG. 3.
In this state, as shown on the right side of FIGS. 2 and 3, the internal teeth 16a of the sleeve 16 mesh with the external teeth 9c of the main drive gear 9a and the external teeth 9d of the driven gear 9b, and the main drive gear 9a and the driven gear 9b are connected by the sleeve 16, the input gear 9 is connected to the drive shaft 6, the input gear train 9 inputs rotational force to the drive shaft 6, and the drive shaft 6 receives input from the input gear train 9. The wheelchair body 1 is rotated by rotational force, and the rotational force is transmitted to the wheels 2 to drive the wheelchair body 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 6, the power storage gear train 10, which stores the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 output by the output gear train 8 in a spring, is rotated by a fixed shaft 18 fixed to the wheelchair body 1 It is pivoted as possible. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 6, the power storage gear train 10 includes a main drive gear 10a that is rotatably supported on a fixed shaft 18 by a bearing 19a, and a main drive gear 10a that is rotatably supported on a fixed shaft 18 by a bearing 19b. It consists of a driven gear 10b which is pivotably supported.

The driven gear 10b is equipped with a block 20. The block 20 is mounted on the fixed shaft 15 and extends in the axial direction of the fixed shaft 18, and the block 20 rotates around the fixed shaft 18 together with the driven gear 10b.
Furthermore, the driven gear 10b has a plurality of springs 21 wound around the fixed shaft 18 (arranged along the fixed shaft 18 as shown in FIGS. 2 to 8) . The plurality of springs 21 have one end fixed to the block 20 and the other end fixed to the fixed shaft 18, and are driven by rotating and twisting the block 20 in synchronization with the rotation of the driven gear 10b. The rotational force of the shaft 6 is stored.

A sprocket (or pulley) 22 is integrally attached to the driven gear 8a of the output gear train 8. Similarly, a sprocket (or pulley) 24 is integrally attached to the main drive gear 10a of the power storage gear train 10.
A chain (or belt) 26 is stretched between the sprocket 22 of the output gear train 8 and the sprocket (or pulley) 24 of the power storage gear train 10, and stores the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 from the output gear train 8. The power is transmitted to a gear train 10.

Furthermore, a control unit 27 is provided which regulates the rotation of the power storage gear train 10 and outputs the stored power from the spring 21 of the power storage gear train 10.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 27 is constituted by a sleeve 27 having internal teeth 27a formed inside. In the following description, the control unit 27 will be referred to as a sleeve 27.
The sleeve 27 has internal teeth 27a formed therein to mesh with the external teeth 10c and 10d of the main drive gear 10a and the driven gear 10b of the power storage gear train 10.
The sleeve 27 performs a function of connecting and disconnecting the main gear 10a and the driven gear 10b by operating the conversion lever 28.

Specifically, the unused sleeve 27 of the mechanical drive source P is set at a position where the internal teeth 27a mesh with the external teeth 10c of the main drive gear 10a and are spaced apart from the external teeth 10d of the driven gear 10b, and The gear 10a and the driven gear 10b are cut off to control the rotation of the power storage gear train 10. As a result, the power storage gear train 10 is separated from the output gear train 8, and the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 from the output gear train 8 is not transmitted to the power storage gear train 10.

When the mechanical drive source P is in use, the sleeve 27 is moved and set to a position straddling the main gear 10a and the driven gear 10b, and the internal teeth 27a of the sleeve 27 are connected to the external teeth 10c of the main gear 10a and the external teeth of the driven gear 10b. 10d, and the driving gear 10a and the driven gear 10b are connected by the sleeve 27. As a result, the power storage gear train 10 cooperates with the output gear train 8, and the rotational force of the drive shaft 9 from the output gear train 8 is transmitted to the power storage gear train 10. Power is stored in the spring 21 of the power storage gear train 10.

Furthermore, when releasing the stored force of the spring 21 of the power storage gear train 10 while the mechanical drive source P is in use, the internal teeth 27a of the sleeve 27 mesh with the external teeth 10c of the main drive gear 10a, and the driven gear 10b When the main gear 10a and the driven gear 10b are moved to a position away from the external teeth 10d, the rotation of the power storage gear train 10 is controlled. As a result, the driven gear train 10b of the power storage gear train 10 becomes free, the spring 21 is released, and the power stored in the spring 21 of the power storage gear train 10 is output from the block 20.

It has a power gear train 11 that converts the rotational force from the power storage gear train 10 into driving force of the drive shaft 6 and inputs it to the input gear train 9.
Specifically, the power gear train 11 includes a main drive gear 11a rotatably supported on a fixed shaft 18 fixed to the wheelchair main body 1 with a bearing 30a, and a main drive gear 11a rotatably supported on a fixed shaft 29 with a bearing 30b. It consists of a driven gear 11b that meshes with the main drive gear 11a and reverses the direction of rotation of the main drive gear 11a.

The driven gear 11b of the power gear train 11 has a sprocket (or pulley) 31, and the sprocket (or pulley) 31 is rotatably supported on the fixed shaft 29 by a bearing 32. The main drive gear 9a of the input gear train 9 has a sprocket (or pulley) 33, and the sprocket (or pulley) 33 is rotatably supported on the drive shaft 6 by a bearing 34.
A chain (or belt) 35 is stretched between the sprocket 31 of the power gear train 11 and the sprocket (or pulley) 33 of the input gear train 9, and the spring force of the power storage gear train 10 from the power gear train 11 is inputted. The power is transmitted to a gear train 9.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a ratchet 36 is provided to prevent the output gear train 8 and the input gear train 9 from rotating in the opposite direction to the drive shaft 6. Since the ratchets 36 of the output gear train 8 and the input gear train 9 have something in common, the ratchet 36 of the output gear train 8 will be explained.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a ratchet gear 37 is mounted on the driven gear 8b, the ratchet gear 37 is integrally connected to the driven gear 8b, and ratchet teeth 37a are formed inside the ratchet gear 37. do. A support piece 38 is attached to the drive shaft 6, and a plurality of ratchet pawls 39 are provided on the support piece 38 in the circumferential direction. A stopper 40 is formed on the ratchet teeth 37a to engage the ratchet pawl 39 with the ratchet teeth 37a and prevent the output gear train 8 from rotating in the opposite direction to the drive shaft 6.

The ratchet of the input gear train 9 has commonality with the ratchet 36 of the output gear train 9, and like the ratchet 36 of the output gear train 8, the driven gear 9b of the input gear train 9 is equipped with a ratchet gear 37. The ratchet gear 37 is integrally connected to the driven gear 9b, and ratchet teeth 37a are formed inside the ratchet gear 37. A support piece 38 is attached to the drive shaft 6, and a plurality of ratchet pawls 39 are provided on the support piece 38 in the circumferential direction. A stopper 40 is formed on the ratchet teeth 37a to engage the ratchet pawl 39 with the ratchet teeth 37a and prevent the input gear train 9 from rotating in the opposite direction to the drive shaft 6.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a ratchet 41 is provided around the fixed shaft 18 to prevent the power storage gear train 10 from rotating in the opposite direction to the drive shaft 6.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a ratchet gear 42 is mounted on the driven gear 10b, the ratchet gear 42 is integrally connected to the driven gear 10b, and ratchet teeth 42a are formed inside the ratchet gear 42. However, a plurality of ratchet pawls 44 are provided in the circumferential direction. A stopper 45 is formed on the ratchet teeth 42a to engage the ratchet pawl 44 with the ratchet teeth 42a and prevent the power storage gear train 10 from rotating in the opposite direction to the drive shaft 6.

As explained above, due to the presence of the ratchets 36 and 41 in the output gear train 8, the input gear train 9, and the power storage gear train 10, these gear trains 8, 9, and 10 rotate in the opposite direction to the drive shaft 6. This allows the gear trains 8, 9, and 10 to receive the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 without loss.

The conversion lever 14 and the conversion lever 17 of the control units 13 and 16 are interlocked, so that the conversion lever 17 follows the operation of the conversion lever 13. The conversion lever 14 of the control unit 13 and the conversion lever 28 for operating the control unit 27 are arranged in an area that can be operated by a user sitting on the wheelchair body 1.
Specifically, the conversion lever 14 (conversion lever 16) of the control unit 13 is arranged adjacent to the wheel 2 on the left side (or right side) of the wheelchair main body 1.

A control unit 27 is arranged adjacent to control unit 16. By adopting this arrangement, by operating the control unit 16, the control unit 27 is operated in a state where the main gear 9a and the driven gear 9b of the input gear train 9 are connected, and the stored force of the spring 21 of the power storage gear train 10 is output. The conversion lever operation of inputting the signal to the input gear train 9 is performed as a series of continuous operations.

The sleeves 12, 16, and 27 are rotatably supported by an arm, and the arm is configured to reciprocate in the axial direction along the drive shaft 6 and the fixed shaft 18 by a combination of a rack and a pinion, and the arm is connected to a conversion lever. The drive shaft 6 and the fixed shaft 18 are shifted in the axial direction by operating the gears 14, 17, and 28, thereby disconnecting the main gear and the driven gear of the gear trains 8, 9, and 10. Since the structures of the arms and rack and pinions that support and shift the sleeves 12, 16, 27 are commonly used, only the gear trains 8, 9, 27, which are the main structure of the present invention, are shown.

Next, the operational state of the self-propelled wheelchair according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on FIG. 7. FIG. 7 illustrates the mechanical drive source P in an unused state.

"Normal operation"
In normal operation, as shown in FIG. 7, a user sitting on the seat 3 of the wheelchair body 1 operates the conversion lever 14 of the control unit 13 to release the connection between the output gear train 8 and the drive shaft 6. Specifically, the conversion lever 14 is operated to set the internal teeth 13a of the sleeve 13 to a position where they mesh with the main drive gear 8a of the output gear train 8 and are separated from the driven gear 8b. By operating this conversion lever 14, the connection between the output gear train 8 and the drive shaft 6 is released. As a result, the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is not output from the output gear train 8.

As shown in FIG. 7, the user operates the conversion lever 17 in conjunction with the operation of the conversion lever 14 to set the sleeve 16 in a position where the connection between the output gear train 8 and the drive shaft 6 is released. The connection between the main drive gear 9a and the driven gear 9b in row 9 is released. Specifically, the conversion lever 17 is operated to set the internal teeth 16a of the sleeve 16 to a position where they mesh with the main drive gear 9a of the input gear train 9 and are separated from the driven gear 9b. By operating the conversion lever 17 in conjunction with the operation of the conversion lever 14, the connection between the input gear train 9 and the drive shaft 6 is released. Thereby, the rotational force of the input gear train 9 is not input to the drive shaft 6.

As described above, by operating the conversion lever 14 and the conversion lever 17 which are in an interlocking relationship, the output gear train 8 and the input gear train 9 are separated from the drive shaft 6 as shown in FIG. 7, so that the drive shaft 6 rotates. No force is output from the output gear train 8, and no rotational force of the input gear train 9 is input to the drive shaft 6.
That is, since the mechanical drive source P built into the wheels 2 attached to the left and right sides of the wheelchair body 1 is held in a stopped state, when the user applies rotational force to the wheels 2, the wheelchair body 1 rotates according to the rotational force. I will have to move.

"Operating status of mechanical drive source P"
As shown in FIG. 7, the operating state of the mechanical drive source P is shifted to a state in which the mechanical drive source P is operated by sliding the conversion lever 14 and the conversion lever 17 in the X, Y, and Z directions indicated by arrows.
When the user rotates the wheel 2 by adding the rotational energy from the mechanical drive source P to the rotational force applied by the user to the wheel 2, or when the user rotates the wheel 2 by giving priority to the rotational energy from the mechanical drive source P. In this case, it is necessary to operate the mechanical drive source P.

That is, the user operates the conversion lever 14 to set the sleeve 16 to the connection position between the output gear train 8 and the drive shaft 6, and operates the conversion lever 17 by operating the conversion lever 14, so that the input gear train 9 is connected to the input gear train 9 by the sleeve 16. The connection between the main drive gear 9a and the driven gear 9b is released. Specifically, by operating the conversion lever 14, the conversion lever 17 is operated to set the internal teeth 16a of the sleeve 16 to a position where they mesh with the main gear 9a and the driven gear 9b of the input gear train 9.
That is, by operating the conversion lever 14 and conversion lever 17 in an interlocking relationship, the output gear train 8 and the drive shaft 6 are connected, the input gear train 9 is connected to the connection shaft 6, and the rotational force of the driving force 6 is The output is output from the output gear train 8, and the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is input from the input gear train 9.

As described above, the output gear train 8 and the drive shaft 6 are connected by operating the conversion lever 14, and the input gear train 9 and the drive shaft 6 are connected by operating the conversion lever 17 in conjunction with the operation of the conversion lever 14. Therefore, the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is output from the output gear train 8, and the rotational force of the input gear train 9 is input to the drive shaft 6.
That is, the mechanical drive source P built into the wheels 2 attached to the left and right sides of the wheelchair body 1 is maintained in an operating state.

When the user shifts the output gear train 8 to a state in which the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is output, the user then operates the conversion lever 28 of the control unit 27 to convert the sleeve 27 so that the internal teeth 27a of the sleeve 27 are connected to the power storage gear. It is set in a position where it meshes with the main drive gear 10a and the driven gear 10b of row 10.
When the setting of the sleeve 27 is completed, the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 output from the output gear train 8 is transferred to the power storage gear train 10 via the sprocket 22 and chain 26 of the output gear train 8 and the sprocket 24 of the power storage gear train 10. The power is transmitted to the main drive gear 10a. Since the driven gear 10b of the power storage gear train 10 is connected to the main gear 10a through the sleeve 13, the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is transmitted to the driven gear 10b, and the driven gear 10b is rotated by the drive shaft 6.

When the driven gear 10b rotates, the spring 21 of the driven gear 10b is twisted, so that the rotational force of the driving force 6 is stored in the spring 21 of the power storage gear train 10.
As the spring 21 is twisted, the repulsive force of the spring 21 increases, and the user feels that the wheelchair body 1 cannot be moved unless more manual force is applied to the wheels 2. That is, the user feels that the rotational force of the drive shaft 6 is stored in the spring 21 of the power storage gear train 10.

When the user experiences rotational energy from the mechanical drive source P, the user operates the conversion lever 28 of the sleeve 27 to perform an operation for separating the driven gear 10b from the main gear 10a of the power storage gear train 10. When this operation is executed, the driven gear 10b of the power storage gear train 10 becomes free, so that the spring 21 of the driven gear 10b is released. When the spring 21 is released, the power stored in the spring 21 is transmitted to the power gear train 11.

The main drive gear 11a of the power gear train 11 rotates with the stored force of the spring 21. Since the driven gear 11b is connected to the driven gear 11a, the rotational force of the driven gear 11a is transmitted to the driven gear 11b. Since the rotation direction of the driven gear 11b is opposite to the rotation direction of the main drive gear 11a, the rotation of the main drive gear 11a is converted into the rotation direction of the drive shaft 6 via the driven gear 11b. When the rotational force of the power storage gear train 11 is input to the input gear train 9, the drive shaft 6 is rotated by the drive of the mechanical drive source P.

In the above description, the two mechanical drive sources P incorporated in the left and right wheels 2 of the wheelchair body 1 are operated to make the wheelchair move by itself, but the invention is not limited to this.
It is also possible to operate one mechanical drive source P to easily change the direction of the wheelchair body 1.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is an improvement of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, and by providing a speed adjustment mechanism 46 between the power storage gear train 10 and the power gear train 11, The speed of the rotational force transmitted to 11 may be adjusted.

As explained above, the self-propelled wheelchair according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the left and right sides of the wheelchair body with the left and right wheels independent of each other, and the axles (drive shafts) of the plurality of wheels are linked to the wheels. Focusing on rotation, the rotational energy of the drive shaft linked to the wheel is input to the mechanical drive source, and the manual force input by the user to the wheel is passed through the mechanical drive source and regenerated as the driving force that rotates the wheel. By forming an energy circulation circuit, it is possible to achieve weight reduction and to construct a system that meets SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) .
Furthermore, in a structure in which the power storage gear train stores the rotational force of the driving force in a spring, a plurality of springs are arranged along the drive shaft, and a structure in which the rotational force of the driving force is stored in the plurality of springs. As a result, the spring force that is output as the driving force is output from one spring, but the period during which that spring force is output is extended in proportion to the number of springs, and the wheelchair This has the effect that the propulsion force can be sustained for a long period of time.

The present invention is a new machine that is a system that stores energy in springs based on the driving force that a wheelchair user manually applies to the wheels, and that circulates and efficiently uses the energy stored in the springs to use the energy that is stored in the springs to drive the wheelchair. The type drive source can be provided as industrial equipment.

1 Wheelchair body 2 Wheels 3 Seat 4 Back rest 5 Handle 6 Drive shaft 8 Output gear train 8a Main drive gear 8b Driven gear 9 Input gear train 9a Main drive gear 9b Driven gear 10 Power storage gear train 10a Main drive gear 10b Driven gear 11 Power gear train 11a Main drive gear 11b Driven gear 13 Control units 14, 17, 28 Conversion lever 16 Control unit 18 Fixed shaft 27 Control unit

Claims (1)

In self-propelled wheelchairs that move using manual driving force,
a drive shaft that rotates in response to the rotation of the wheels of the wheelchair body;
an output gear train that outputs rotational force from the drive shaft;
an input gear train that inputs rotational force to the drive shaft;
a power storage gear train that stores the rotational force of the drive shaft output by the output gear train in a spring;
a power gear train that converts the spring force stored in the power storage gear train into driving force of the drive shaft and outputs it to the input gear train;
Furthermore, a control unit that controls connection and release of the output gear train and the drive shaft, a control unit that controls connection and release of the input gear train and the drive shaft, and release of the spring force of the power storage gear train. has a control unit that
The power gear train reverses the rotation direction of the power storage gear train and converts it into driving force for the drive shaft,
The self-propelled wheelchair is characterized in that the power-assisted gear train has a plurality of springs arranged along the drive shaft, and stores the rotational force of the drive shaft in the plurality of springs .

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