JPH052175Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention relates to a wheelchair suitable for being operated by a caregiver.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional wheelchairs are supported by large rear wheels and small front wheels for steering, with the front wheels for steering and the rear wheels for driving. In addition, the wheelchair occupant does not only drive the wheelchair by himself,
In order for the caregiver to operate the wheelchair, a rear handle or the like is provided at the rear of the wheelchair, and the caregiver can also steer the wheelchair via this rear handle.

[The problem that the idea aims to solve]

However, it has not been easy for a caregiver to operate a conventional wheelchair using only the rear handles. That is, since the caster-shaped front wheels that function as steering wheels have a small diameter, there is a large resistance to movement when going over steps or on uneven roads, and the caregiver is forced to put in a lot of effort.

For example, when climbing over a step with a wheelchair, the small-diameter front wheels must first be lifted and moved to the higher side of the step, and then the rear wheels must be moved to the higher side. At this time, in order to lift the front wheels of the wheelchair, the caregiver pushes the rear handle downward and downward to lift the wheelchair, using the axle of the rear wheels (located appropriately behind the center of gravity of the wheelchair) as a fulcrum. It is clear from the fact that the distance between the ``axle of the wheelchair, which is the fulcrum,'' and ``the rear handle, which is the point of action,'' is relatively short, and the ``center of gravity of the wheelchair'' is unevenly located in front of the fulcrum. As such, the amount of work required for a caregiver to move a wheelchair over a step is relatively large.

In addition, when maneuvering on an uneven road surface, the wheelchair not only moves slightly up and down due to the small protrusions, but also the small diameter front wheels are swayed left and right due to the unevenness of the road surface. The rotational resistance of the wheels increases and the direction in which the wheelchair is operated becomes unstable. For this reason, the caregiver must apply greater force to the wheelchair than when maneuvering on a smooth road surface, and may have to forcefully push the right side of the rear handle to correct the steering direction of the wheelchair, or vice versa. This requires more effort than necessary. Moreover, when maneuvering on such an uneven road surface, the burden on the occupant (patient, etc.) in the wheelchair is heavy.

Therefore, it has been desired to develop a wheelchair that allows easy lifting of the front wheels when climbing over steps and allows for stable operation on uneven road surfaces.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a frame 1 of an arbitrary shape with a pair of left and right large diameter rear wheels 2, 2 and a left and right pair of small diameter front wheels 5, 5 in a rotatable state. In addition, a rear handle 1 is provided at the rear of the frame 1 that can be grasped by a caregiver in a standing position.
4, at least wheelchair 13
A pair of left and right gripping members (for example, front arms 7, 7) extending forward from the leg seat portion 4 of the frame 1 are fixed to the frame 1.

[Effect]

By extending the gripping member forward beyond the leg seat of the wheelchair, the front wheel of the wheelchair is raised using the axle of the rear wheel as a fulcrum and the non-fixed side end of the gripping member as the point of action. In this case, the distance from the fulcrum to the point of action becomes longer, and the end of the gripping member can be supported without being obstructed by the feet of a passenger sitting in a wheelchair.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the wheelchair according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the wheelchair 13 is
A pair of left and right large-diameter rear wheels 2, 2 and a left and right pair of small-diameter front wheels 5, 5 are rotatably provided on a frame 1 of any shape. Note that the rear wheels 2, 2 are supported by an axle 3 that is provided substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the wheelchair 13, and the front wheels 5, 5 are supported by an axle 3 that is provided substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the wheelchair 13. By forming it into a caster shape that can be changed freely, it functions as a steering wheel used for changing the direction of the wheelchair 13, etc.

Further, the frame 1 having an arbitrary shape is formed by appropriately combining a plurality of pipes, and the frame 1 is formed by appropriately combining a plurality of pipes.
The frame structure of this embodiment (shown in Figures 1 and 2), which is described in a relatively simplified manner, is sufficient as long as it has a structure that can achieve the basic functions for a passenger to sit on. Although not limited to, in order to achieve its basic functions, in this embodiment, the wheelchair 13
A lumbar frame part 1a that supports a lumbar seat on which a passenger sits, and a leg seat part 4 on which the passenger's feet are placed.
A leg frame 1b is provided to support the. Furthermore, a rear handle 14 is formed at the rear of the frame 1, which can be grasped by a caregiver in a standing position, and allows the caregiver to operate the wheelchair 13 via the rear handle 14. .

Therefore, the wheelchair 13 according to the present invention is provided with front arms 7, 7, which are a pair of left and right gripping members that extend forward from at least the leg seat 4, and one of the front arms 7, 7. The end portions are fixed, for example, at appropriate positions in front of the waist frame portion 1a, and grips 8, 8 are formed at the non-fixed end portions of each front arm 7, 7, respectively. When a caregiver or the like grasps the grips 8, 8 of the front arms 7, 7 and lifts them up, the axle 3 of the wheelchair 13
The front part of the wheelchair 13 can be raised using this as a fulcrum (see Fig. 1).

When lifting the front wheels 5, 5 located at the front of the wheelchair 13 as described above, the axle 3 of the rear wheels 2, 2 becomes the fulcrum, and the grips 8, 8 of each front arm 7, 7 become the points of action. Therefore, the distance from the fulcrum to the point of action becomes longer, making it possible to lift the front part of the wheelchair 13 with a relatively small force. That is, in the rotation moment when rotating the wheelchair 13 using the axle 3 as a fulcrum, by increasing the distance from the fulcrum to the point of application, the applied force can be reduced.

Therefore, unlike conventional wheelchairs that rotate around the axle of the rear wheel using the rear handle 14 as the point of action, a large force is applied to the rear handle 14, which is relatively short from the fulcrum, to rotate the front of the wheelchair. Since there is no need to lift the wheels 5, 5, even if the caretaker is a weak woman or the like, the front wheels 5, 5 can be easily lifted by one person when the wheelchair 13 climbs over a step.

Further, as described above, in the wheelchair 13 according to the present invention, the front part of the wheelchair 13 can be easily lifted using the axle 3 as a fulcrum, so that the wheelchair 13 is located appropriately forward of the axle 3 in normal times.
3 can be easily moved to the vicinity of a virtual vertical plane passing through the axle 3 serving as the fulcrum. By doing so, it becomes possible to approximately equalize the load distributed in the front-rear direction with the axle 3 serving as the fulcrum as a border, and when holding the wheelchair 13 with only the rear wheels 2, 2, the caregiver can move the front The force supporting the grips 8, 8 of the arms 7, 7 can be made as small as possible.

In the typical wheelchair (with a seated passenger) shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as this embodiment, the center of gravity is located on the perpendicular line 1 passing through the center of the rear wheel 2.
2" and "a line passing through the center of gravity 11 and the center of the rear wheel 2"
When the angle between the front arm 7 and the grip 8 is θ, the angle α of the wheelchair 13 at the height H from the road surface 10 to the grip 8 when the caregiver is in an upright position is set to be slightly smaller than the angle θ (see FIG. 1).

By doing this, for the wheelchair 13 with the front arm 7 supported by the caregiver,
Since the urging force that causes the wheelchair 13 to tilt forward using the axle 3 as a fulcrum is maintained, it is possible to effectively prevent the wheelchair 13 from overturning due to the backward urging force. Moreover, since the distance from the axle 3, which is the fulcrum, to the grip 8 of the front arm 7, which is the point of action, is set relatively long, the rear of the wheelchair 13 is The amount of change in the inclination angle α is minute. Therefore, fine adjustment of the rear tilt angle α for moving the center of gravity of the wheelchair 13 can be easily performed.

As described above, one caregiver lifts the front wheels 5, 5 of the wheelchair 13 and maneuvers the wheelchair 13 forward or backward using only the rear wheels 2, 2, thereby traversing a rough road (uneven road surface). can greatly improve performance. That is, by separating the front wheels 5, 5, which are easily affected by even the slightest unevenness, from the road surface 10, the main factor that increases rolling resistance on uneven road surfaces is removed, and stable operation of the wheelchair 13 on uneven road surfaces is achieved. It makes it possible.

Moreover, as mentioned above, the front arms 7, 7
When the caregiver lifts the wheel to an appropriate height H, the center of gravity 11 of the wheelchair 13 moves toward the rear wheels 2 and comes close to the virtual vertical plane passing through the axle 3, which is the fulcrum.
The weight balance between the front and rear parts of the axle 3 is improved, and the load shared by the caregiver when supporting the wheelchair via the grip part 8 is reduced. This makes it easier for the caregiver to hold the grip 8 near the height H, thereby improving running stability on uneven road surfaces.

In addition, in the wheelchair 13 according to the present invention,
Since the front arms 7, 7 are configured to extend further forward than the leg seat 4, when a caregiver holds the grips 8 of the front arms 7, the wheelchair 1
The person will stand at an appropriate distance from the feet of the passenger sitting in No. 3. Therefore, the caregiver can hold the front arm 7 provided at the front of the wheelchair 13 without any problem, and can easily operate the wheelchair 13 in this held state.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, since it is easy to support the front wheels 5, 5 in a floating manner, it is necessary to have at least one caregiver at the front and rear of the wheelchair 13 during operation during an emergency evacuation. Sometimes the rear wheels 2,
It is also possible to float the wheelchair 13 and move it out. In this way, the caregivers do not have to put in a lot of effort, unlike conventional wheelchairs in which one caregiver on each side lifts the vehicle body by lifting both the left and right sides in an unreasonable posture. Therefore, even if it is necessary to go up and down stairs in an emergency such as evacuation, if the wheelchair 13 according to the present invention is supported from the front and back, the burden on the caregiver can be minimized and the wheelchair 13 can be transported smoothly. It can be performed.

Note that the shape of the leg seat 4 is various, and the angle of inclination of the leg frame 1b that supports the leg seat 4 is also set in various ways, so the amount of extension of the front arm 7 cannot be absolutely specified. At least the leg seat 4
If the caregiver supports the front arms 7, 7 with both arms, which are extended further than ). Further, the shape and mounting position of the front arm 7, which is a gripping member, are not limited to those in this embodiment, and may be set so as to be convenient for a caregiver to support the front arm 7.

On the other hand, the height H from the grip 8 of the front arm 7 to the road surface 10 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
A protrusion 18 of the positioning boss 16 formed at one end of the front arm 7, and a notch 19 of the mounting bracket 17 fixed to the frame 1 by welding or other method.
The positioning boss 16 and the mounting bracket 17 are fastened together via the clamp boss 15 formed with the operating lever 9.

That is, by appropriately selecting the relative positions of the protrusions 18, 18 formed on the respective positioning bosses 16, 16 of the front arms 7, 7 and the notches 19, 19 of the respective mounting brackets 17, 17. Then, adjust the positions of the front arms 7, 7 in the set state (indicated by broken lines in FIG. 2) in which the pair of left and right front arms 7, 7 extend forward beyond the leg seats 4, and then 7,7 grips 8,8 to road surface 10
The height H is adjusted. Therefore,
By adjusting the set state of the front arms 7, 7 so that the backward tilt angle α of the wheelchair 13 satisfies a predetermined value with respect to the height H determined according to the caregiver's height and arm length, each The optimal retention state can be ensured for caregivers.

Furthermore, in the wheelchair 13 according to this embodiment,
Positioning bosses 16, 16 for front arms 7, 7
and notches 19, 19 of the mounting brackets 17, 17.
By appropriately setting the relative position with respect to the front arms 7, 7, which are a pair of left and right gripping members, it is possible to convert the front arms 7, 7, which are a pair of left and right gripping members, into a stored state (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2) where they are placed along the leg frame portion 1b, for example. It is as follows. Therefore, during normal travel without tilting the wheelchair 13 backwards, the front arms 7, 7 are housed along the shape of the frame 1 so that they do not interfere with the movements of the occupant or caregiver.

Note that the gripping member and its set and stored states are not limited to the above embodiments. For example, as shown in FIG.
A pair of left and right slide pipes 24, 24 guided by bearings 23, 23 fixed to b, 1b are used as gripping members, and by pulling these slide pipes 24, 24 forward, at least the leg seat portion 4
By creating a set state in which the slide pipes 24, 24 are extended further forward and pushing the slide pipes 24, 24 backward, a stored state in which the slide pipes 24, 24 are placed along the lower part of the waist frame portions 1b, 1b is created. It brings about it. Even with this configuration,
The same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the attachment of the mounting bracket 17a to the frame 1, in which the fixing band 2
5 is tightened and fixed to the frame 1 with screws 27, and can be detached from the frame 1.

Figure 6 shows the case when a conventional wheelchair with a passenger weighing 50 kg is exercised, and the wheelchair according to the present invention.
3 is a comparative example of the tendency of increase in running resistance when going over a step with the case where only the rear wheels 2, 2 are running under the same conditions as above. As is clear from this comparative example, wheelchair 1 according to the present invention
3, the front arm 7, which is a gripping member,
By supporting 7, the wheelchair 13 can be easily maintained in a backward tilted state, and can be stably driven only with the rear wheels 2, 2 in this state, so that it can be easily maintained against an increase in steps on an uneven road surface. This makes it possible to sufficiently suppress running resistance.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the wheelchair according to the present invention, the gripping member is configured to extend forward beyond the leg seat of the wheelchair, so that the gripping member is When the front wheels of the wheelchair are raised using the non-fixed side end as the point of action, the distance from the fulcrum to the point of action becomes long, and the front part of the wheelchair can be lifted with a relatively small force. Therefore, it becomes possible for a single caregiver to very easily move the wheelchair over the step.

In addition, when the wheelchair is tilted backward by the caregiver supporting the gripping member as described above, the center of gravity of the wheelchair shifts to the vicinity of the virtual vertical plane passing through the axle of the rear wheels that serve as the fulcrum. The load is distributed almost evenly between the front and rear sides of the axle, and the caregiver can hold the wheelchair in a backward tilted state with relatively little supporting force.

Moreover, since the gripping member is configured to extend further forward than the leg seat, when the caregiver holds the end of the gripping member, the gripping member can be placed at an appropriate distance from the feet of the passenger sitting in the wheelchair. Therefore, the end of the gripping member can be supported without being obstructed by the passenger's feet.

Therefore, when a caregiver operates a wheelchair on a stepped floor or on an uneven road surface outdoors,
The synergistic effect of making it easier to lift the front wheels of the wheelchair and making it easier to keep the wheelchair tilted backwards makes it possible for a single caregiver to easily move the wheelchair using only the rear wheels. Become.

In other words, by operating the wheelchair while eliminating the rolling resistance of the front wheels, which is the biggest factor in the running resistance of a wheelchair on uneven roads, a single caregiver can operate the wheelchair stably on uneven roads, and the caregiver's It can be made into a wheelchair of extremely practical value that can also reduce the burden.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing the wheelchair in a backward tilted state with the front arm in the set state, Fig. 2 is a schematic side view showing the wheelchair in the normal use state with the front arm in the stowed state, and Fig. 3 is the front arm FIG. 4 is a partially omitted side view of a wheelchair in which the gripping member is a slide pipe, and FIG. 5 is a main part of another embodiment for attaching the mounting bracket to the frame. Longitudinal cross-sectional view, Figure 6
It is a step-difference-travel resistance characteristic curve diagram of a conventional wheelchair with a passenger weighing 50 kg and a wheelchair of the present invention under the same conditions. In the figure, 1 is a frame, 2 is a rear wheel, 4 is a leg seat, 5 is a front wheel, 7 is a front arm, 13 is a wheelchair, and 14 is a rear handle.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A pair of left and right large-diameter rear wheels and a pair of left and right small-diameter front wheels are each rotatably provided on a frame of any shape, and A wheelchair having a rear handle that can be grasped by a caregiver in a standing position is characterized in that a pair of left and right gripping members extending forward at least from the leg seats of the wheelchair are fixed to the frame. wheelchair. (2) Claim 1 in which the pair of left and right gripping members can be freely converted into a set state in which they extend forward beyond the leg seat and a stored state in which the pair of left and right gripping members are aligned with the frame shape. Wheelchairs listed in .