JPH0459907B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a folding structure for a wheelchair, and particularly to a folding structure when viewed from the side of the wheelchair.

[Prior Art] Generally, a wheelchair has a pair of side frames placed on both sides of a seat, and one side frame placed outside each side frame.
A pair of main wheels and a wheel located at the lower front end of each side frame.
It is equipped with a pair of auxiliary wheels and a pair of push rods rising upward from the rear end of each side frame.

Such wheelchairs are not needed when a person with a physical disability is seated in a seat in another vehicle such as a passenger car. must be transported by hand. Therefore, it is desirable that the wheelchair can be folded compactly.

In conventional foldable wheelchairs, for example, the seat portion and backrest portion of the seat are made of thick cloth, etc., and the flexibility of such cloth is utilized to
It was only possible to fold the pair of side frames closer to each other in the so-called width direction.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] When looking at the shape of the wheelchair from the side,
First, in order to maintain a stable posture of the wheelchair, the main wheels are positioned as far back as possible, and the wheelbase between them and the auxiliary wheels is kept as long as possible. Therefore, the main wheels protrude relatively largely rearward from the side frames.

The push rod may also serve as a member for holding the backrest of the seat, and may also protrude relatively high upward from the rear end of the side frame to match the position of the hands of the person pushing the wheelchair from behind. It is in a state of

Therefore, as mentioned above, even if folding is performed in the so-called width direction, the positional relationship of the main wheels and push rods with respect to the side frames does not change, and the main wheels and push rods protruding from these side frames, for example, When storing a folded wheelchair in the trunk of a passenger car, it sometimes becomes an obstacle.

Therefore, this invention aims to provide a wheelchair equipped with a folding mechanism that can be made compact in such a side view by focusing on the state of the wheelchair when viewed from the side.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention includes a pair of side frames disposed on both sides of a seat, a pair of main wheels disposed on the outside of each of the side frames, and a pair of main wheels disposed on the outside of each of the side frames. 1 placed at the lower front edge
The above-mentioned technical problem is solved as follows in a wheelchair equipped with a pair of auxiliary wheels and a pair of push bars rising upward from the rear end of each side frame.

First, each of the push rods is connected to each of the side frames.
It is provided so that it can rotate rearward and downward.

Further, a pair of fixing brackets protruding forward are provided at the rear end of each side frame.

A pair of wheel mounting brackets is rotatably connected to the front end of each fixed bracket. The wheel mounting bracket displaces its tip in the front-rear direction in the connected state. Also, the end of the rearward displacement of the tip of the wheel mounting bracket is
It is defined by the wheel mounting bracket coming into contact with the side frame.

The axle of each main wheel is held at the tip of the wheel mounting bracket.

Each push rod and each wheel attachment bracket are connected to each other by an interlocking rod so that when each push rod rotates rearward and downward, each wheel attachment bracket rotates so as to displace its tip forward. and are rotatably connected to each other.

[Function] In the wheelchair according to the present invention, when the wheelchair is to be folded, each push bar is rotated rearward and downward with respect to each side frame. This rotational movement of each push rod is transmitted to each wheel mounting bracket via each interlocking rod. Each wheel mounting bracket is rotated by the action of the interlocking rod as described above so as to displace the tip end thereof forward. Therefore, each main wheel whose axle is held at the tip of each wheel mounting bracket is displaced forward. Simply put, when the push rod is pushed backwards and downwards, the main wheels are displaced forward.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the main wheels, which protrude relatively far rearward with respect to the side frame when the wheelchair is in the open state, extend almost to the side of the side frame when the wheelchair is folded. They are brought into line, and the degree of rearward protrusion relative to the side frame is reduced. Furthermore, the push rod, which protrudes relatively high upward from the rear end of the side frame when the wheelchair is open, is directed downward and substantially along the rear end of the side frame when the wheelchair is folded. . Therefore,
When viewed from the side, the wheelchair after folding does not have any members that protrude significantly from the side frame.
Therefore, a compact folded state can be realized.

It should be noted that the so-called folding mechanism in the width direction provided in the conventional wheelchair is provided independently from the folding mechanism in the form seen from the side direction according to the present invention, and therefore, If widthwise folding is desired, such a widthwise folding mechanism can be easily added to the wheelchair according to the present invention.

Further, according to the present invention, the operation of tilting the push rod rearward and downward and the operation of displacing the main wheel forward are linked by the interlocking rod, so the folding operation is easy. Conversely, when changing from the folded state to the open state, the action of raising the push rod upward and the action of displacing the main wheel rearward are linked to each other, so It is also easy to operate.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a view showing the main components of a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention from the right side. FIG. 1 shows the wheelchair in an open position.

As shown in FIG. 1, this wheelchair first includes a pair of side frames 1 placed on both sides of a seat. Note that detailed illustrations of the seats will be omitted since they are not directly related to the gist of this invention.
Elements related to the illustrated seat are shown with dash-dotted lines. For example, a footrest 2 and a seat 3 are shown.

A pair of main wheels 4 are arranged on the outside of each side frame 1. Regarding the main wheel 4, in order to avoid complication of the drawing, only a part is shown with a solid line, and most of the outline is shown with a dashed line.
The wheelchair is constructed with spoked wheels, similar to a conventional wheelchair.

Moreover, a pair of auxiliary wheels 5 are arranged at the lower front end of each side frame 1. The auxiliary wheels 5 preferably include:
It consists of a turnable caster with a rotating yoke 6.

Further, a pair of push rods 7 are provided rising upward from the rear end of each side frame 1.

The configuration described above is substantially the same as that of a conventional wheelchair.

FIG. 2 shows the wheelchair shown in FIG. 1 in a folded state. Further, FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the connecting portion between the side frame 1 and the push rod 7 shown in FIG. 1, with a portion thereof in cross section.

As you can see by comparing Figures 1 and 2,
Each push rod 7 is provided so as to be rotatable rearward and downward with respect to each side frame 1. That is, in this embodiment, a push rod mounting bracket 9 that projects rearward is fixed to a vertical rod 8 at the rear end of the side frame 1, and the tip of the push rod mounting bracket 9 and the lower end of the push rod 7 are connected to the pin 10. connected by.

Further, a pair of fixed brackets 11 projecting forward are provided on the vertical bar 8 at the rear end of each side frame 1. A wheel mounting bracket 12 is attached to the front end of each fixed bracket 11.
are rotatably connected via a pin 13, for example. The wheel mounting bracket 12 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
As can be seen by comparing the figure, the tip can be rotated so as to be displaced in the front-back direction. Further, a portion for receiving the vertical rod 8 is formed at the tip of the wheel mounting bracket 12, and this portion includes the following:
An abutment surface 14 is formed which can abut the vertical rod 8 .
In FIG. 1, the abutment surface 14 abuts the vertical bar 8, thereby defining the end of the rearward displacement of the tip of the wheel mounting bracket 12.

The axle 15 of each main wheel 4 described above is held at the tip of the wheel mounting bracket 12.

Further, each wheel mounting bracket 12 of each push rod 7 is rotatably connected to each other by an interlocking rod 16. That is, one end of the interlocking rod 16 is rotatably connected to the push rod 7 via the pin 17. The other end of the interlocking rod 16 is rotatably connected via a pin 18 to a connecting piece 19 that extends integrally from the wheel mounting bracket 12. In addition, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the interlocking rod 16 and the connecting piece 19
The push rod 7, the vertical rod 8 and the fixed bracket 11
is located inside the wheelchair from the surface on which it is located. The interlocking rod 16 acts on each wheel mounting bracket 12 so that when the push rod 7 rotates rearward and downward, each wheel mounting bracket 12 is displaced forward at its tip. In addition,
In the illustrated embodiment, the interlocking rod 16 has an L-shaped bent shape as a whole, but this is to avoid interference with other elements within the movement range of the interlocking rod 16. If this is not necessary, it may be composed of a straight rod.

In this embodiment, a reclining adjustment mechanism for the backrest of the seat is provided by utilizing the structure of the push rod 7 that can be rotated rearward and downward as described above. Therefore, a backrest portion (not shown) forming a part of the seat is formed so as to extend between the pair of push rods 7.

Using the vertical bar 8 at the rear end of the side frame 1,
Adjustment fitting 2 that forms part of the reclining adjustment mechanism
0 is attached. The upper end edge of the adjustment fitting 20 extends in an arc shape, and a plurality of, for example, three, recesses 21, 22, and 23 are provided there. On the other hand, push rod 7
A sleeve 24 is provided so as to be slidable in the direction in which the push rod 7 extends. An engagement pin 25 is held in the sleeve 24, and this engagement pin 25 is
It protrudes from the sleeve 24 so as to be able to engage with the aforementioned recesses 21, 22, 23.

The relationship between sleeve 24 and push rod 7 is best shown in FIG. The push rod 7 is composed of a hollow pipe, and a compression spring 26, for example, is disposed inside the push rod 7. Both ends of the compression spring 26 are held by a pair of spring receiving blocks 27 and 28, respectively. One spring receiving block 27
is fixed by a pin 29 passing through the push rod 7 and the spring receiving block 27. The aforementioned engagement pin 25 is held in the other spring receiving block 28 in a penetrating state. And engagement pin 2
5 is received in an elongated hole 30 provided in the push rod 7, whereby the engagement pin 25, spring receiving block 28 and sleeve 24 can be integrally displaced in the direction in which the push rod 7 extends. During such displacement, the compression spring 26 always biases the sleeve 24 and the engagement pin 25 via the spring receiving block 28 so as to displace them downward in FIG. 3.

Next, the folding operation of the wheelchair described in this embodiment will be explained, including the operation of the reclining adjustment mechanism as described above.

First, in the open state shown in FIG. 1, the engagement pin 25 is fitted into the recess 21 located at the frontmost position of the adjustment fitting 20, and the push rod 7 is maintained in the most upright state. In other words, the backrest portion (not shown) is maintained in its most upright position.

If you want to change the inclination angle of the backrest from the above state, first hold the sleeve 24 and slide it upward along the push rod 7.
The engagement pin 25 is now in a state where it has escaped from the recess 21. Then, the push rod 7 is rotated about the pin 10, and its inclination angle is changed. If you want to make the inclination angle of the backrest part the largest, you can release your hand from the sleeve 24 when the engagement pin 25 is aligned with the rearmost recess 23. If you want to make the inclination angle in the middle, you can release the sleeve 24. Recess 2
When the engagement pin 25 is aligned with the sleeve 2
Just let go of 4.

By changing the number and distribution density of recesses provided in the adjustment fitting 20, even more diverse reclining adjustments are possible.

In addition, during this reclining adjustment,
Since the inclination angle of the push rod 7 does not change much, the amount of displacement of the main wheel 4 can be almost ignored.

As shown in FIG. 1, when folding the open wheelchair, the sleeve 24 is pulled up so that the engagement pin 25 does not fit into any of the recesses 21, 22, and 23. Then, the push rod 7 is rotated rearward and downward, so that it faces downward as shown in FIG. Accordingly,
An interlock rod 16 acts to rotate the wheel mounting bracket 12 and the axle 15 held therein.
is displaced forward. The amount of displacement of this axle 15 is
It is indicated by "A" in FIG.

As is clear from FIG. 2 showing the folded state, when the wheelchair is viewed from the side, the main wheels 4
are substantially lined up on the sides of the side frame 1, and are brought into a state in which they do not protrude much toward the rear. The push rod 7 is directed downward while substantially following the vertical rod 8 of the side frame 1, and is housed in the space formed between the pair of main wheels 4.

Although not directly related to the gist of this invention,
In addition to folding in the lateral view as described above, the wheelchair may also be folded in the so-called width direction. This operation is performed completely independently, for example, the footrest 2 is folded in the width direction and the seat part 3 is folded in the width direction. At this time,
As shown in FIG. 2, the footrest 2 can be folded into a more compact state by operating it vertically at the front end of the side frame 1.

To change from the folded state shown in FIG. 2 to the open state shown in FIG. 1, the push rod 7 can be lifted rearward and upward. In response to this, the interlocking rod 16
When the wheel mounting bracket 12 is rotated so as to approach the vertical bar 8 and the push bar 7 is in the upright position, the contact surface 14 of the wheel mounting bracket 12 is rotated.
abuts against the vertical rod 8, defining the end of the rearward displacement of the main wheel 4. Then, when the engagement pin 25 is lifted up through the sleeve 24 and aligned with any one of the recesses 21, 22, and 23 of the adjustment fitting 20, the user may release the sleeve 24. This maintains the open state as shown in FIG. 1, for example.

Although this opening operation is not directly related to the present invention, a so-called folding mechanism in the width direction is operated to widen the distance between the pair of side frames 1. Accordingly, for example, the seat portion 3 is formed as desired, and the footrest 2 is expanded in the width direction. Then, as shown in Figure 1, the footrest 2
is rotated so that it projects forward from the side frame 1.

Although the present invention has been described above in connection with the illustrated embodiments, the reclining adjustment mechanism does not necessarily have to be provided, for example. In addition,
The illustrated reclining adjustment mechanism also functions to more reliably maintain the upright state of the push rod 7, but if you want it to perform only this function, for example, the adjustment fitting 20 may simply be 1
It is sufficient that only one recess, for example, the recess 21, is provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows the main components of a wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the right side.
The wheelchair is shown in the open position. Figure 2 shows
The folded state of the wheelchair shown in FIG. 1 is shown from the right side. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partially cross-sectional view of the attachment portion of the push rod 7 shown in FIG. 1 to the side frame 1. FIG. In the figure, 1 is a side frame, 4 is a main wheel, 5 is an auxiliary wheel, 7 is a push bar, 8 is a vertical bar (rear end of the side frame), 9 is a push bar mounting bracket, 10, 13, 1
7 and 18 are pins, 11 is a fixed bracket, 12 is a wheel mounting bracket, 14 is a contact surface, 15 is an axle, 16 is an interlocking rod, 20 is an adjustment fitting (reclining adjustment mechanism), 21, 22, 23 are recesses, 25
is the engagement pin, and A is the displacement amount.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A pair of side frames disposed on both sides of the seat; a pair of main wheels disposed on the outside of each side frame; 1 disposed at the front lower end of each side frame; A wheelchair comprising: a pair of auxiliary wheels; and a pair of push bars provided upwardly from the rear end of each of the side frames, each of the push bars extending rearward and downward with respect to each of the side frames. It is rotatably provided, and at the rear end of each of the side frames, there is a
A pair of fixed brackets are provided, and a pair of wheel mounting brackets are disposed at the front end of each of the fixed brackets, and a pair of wheel mounting brackets is disposed at the front end thereof to displace it in the front-rear direction, and the end of the rearward displacement is brought into contact with each of the side frames. The axles of each of the main wheels are held at the tips of the respective wheel mounting brackets, and when each of the push rods is rotated rearward and downward, the axles of each of the main wheels are Each of the push rods and each of the wheel mounting brackets are rotatably connected to each other by an interlocking rod so that the wheel mounting bracket rotates to displace its front end forward. Features a wheelchair. 2 A backrest portion forming a part of the seat is formed between the pair of push bars, and during the rotation of each push bar from the upwardly raised state to the rearward and downward direction, each push bar is The wheelchair according to claim 1, further comprising a reclining adjustment mechanism for fixing a plurality of inclination angles.