JPH0521938U - Electric cart for walking assistance - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide an electric cart that can assist the walking of elderly people and people with disabilities and is easy to operate. A heartbeat cycle detecting means 4 is provided on a handle 3 for holding a driver to detect the heartbeat cycle of the operator, and the speed control means 5 controls the rotation speed of the electric motor 1 in accordance with the detected heartbeat cycle. To adjust the running speed of the electric cart for walking assistance. [Effect] The traveling speed is automatically adjusted according to the health level and fatigue level of the operator, and the operator can maintain an appropriate speed without performing any special operation and walk without danger even for elderly people. Assistance function can be obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 This invention relates to a walking assistance cart that is used by elderly people as a substitute for walking sticks and assists in walking.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Conventionally, when the legs and waist become weak in elderly people, a pushcart such as a baby carriage is used as a cane substitute to assist walking.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 When the above-mentioned handcart is used for the purpose of assisting walking, running resistance is particularly great on gravel roads and slopes, fatigue of the pedestrian who steers is great, and legs and waist are particularly weak. It is not easy for a person who pushes the wheelbarrow. The present invention is intended to provide an electric cart for walking assistance that can be used for such elderly people and is particularly easy to control.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The number of revolutions of the electric motor 1 is based on the traveling device 2 driven by the electric motor 1, the handle 3 for holding the operator, the heartbeat cycle detecting means 4 provided in the operator holding portion of the handle 3, and the detected heartbeat cycle. And a traveling speed control means 5 for adjusting the traveling speed.

[0005]

[Operation and effect of the device]

 When the operator holds the handle 3 of the electric cart, the heartbeat cycle detecting means 4 continuously detects the heartbeat cycle of the operator. When the detected heartbeat cycle changes due to the health condition of the operator, fatigue due to walking, etc., the speed control means 5 changes the rotation speed of the electric motor 1 to adjust the traveling speed. In this way, the running speed is automatically adjusted according to the health level and fatigue level of the operator, so the driver can maintain an appropriate speed without performing any special operation and Even if there is, it is possible to obtain a walking assistance function without danger.

[0006]

【Example】

 In the illustrated example, the vehicle body 6 has a gantry shape in a plan view, and a pedestrian's walking space 7 is provided in the center rear portion. The traveling device 2 is composed of a pair of left and right crawlers and is driven by the electric motor 1. A pair of support frames 8 and 8 are erected from the left and right of the front part of the vehicle body 6, and a pair of left and right handles 3 and 3 are provided at the upper end toward the front and rear. The handle 3 has a front portion which is a holding portion and a rear upper surface which is flat so that an elbow can be placed on this surface to support the body. Reference numeral 9 denotes a connecting member, which connects the front ends of the handles 3 and 3 and is provided with an indicator lamp 10. 11 is a headlight and 12 is a luggage stand.

In the control block diagram shown in FIG. 1, 13 is a maximum speed setting switch, and a command voltage is input to a CPU 14 as a central processing unit by a variable resistor (not shown) to set the maximum speed. I do. Reference numeral 15 is a power switch, 16 is a battery, and 17 is an electromagnetic brake. Reference numeral 18 denotes a speed detection device composed of a tacho-generator or the like, which detects an actual speed and inputs it to the CPU 14, compares it with the commanded speed, and controls so as to hold the commanded speed.

The heartbeat cycle detecting means 4 is installed in the operator holding part on the upper surface of the handle 3, and is composed of one light emitting diode 19 and a plurality of phototransistors 20, 20 around it. The light emitted from the light emitting diode 19 is reflected according to the change in blood volume of the blood vessel of the operator, and this is detected by the phototransistor 20, and the output voltage of the phototransistor 20 is increased or decreased, that is, the heart rate. Is detected and input to the CPU 14. Reference numeral 21 is an amplifier, and 22 is a Schmitt trigger. The heartbeat cycle detection means 4 may be provided in plural on the left and right handles 3 and 3 to increase the degree of freedom of the operator's holding position of the handles 3 and 3.

The speed control means 5 receives the output from the heartbeat cycle detection means 4 and sequentially compares the detected values with a preset reference value. When a difference of a certain value or more occurs between them, the CPU 14 drives the electric motor 1. The rotation speed of the electric motor 1 can be adjusted by changing the drive pulse output to the circuit 23. The operation will be described. First, the power switch 15 is turned on, and then the maximum speed setting switch 13 is adjusted to set the optimum maximum speed for the operator. Subsequently, when the operator holds the holding portion of the handle 3, the light emitted from the light emitting diode 19 of the heartbeat period detecting means 4 corresponds to the change in the blood volume of the blood vessels in the palm of the operator's palm, that is, the heartbeat. The reflected light is detected by the phototransistor 20, the detected voltage signal is amplified by the amplifier 21, shaped by the Schmitt trigger 22 into a pulse signal of the heartbeat cycle, and input to the CPU 14.

When the heartbeat pulse is input to the CPU 14, the drive pulse set by the maximum speed setting switch 13 is sequentially output from the CPU 14 to the drive circuit 23 by the slow start control to rotate the electric motor 1 to run. To do. When the driver fatigues and the heart rate increases due to traveling on a slope or for a long time, the period of the heartbeat pulse detected by the heartbeat period detecting means 4 and input to the CPU 14 becomes short, and this is compared with a reference value. When the difference exceeds a certain level, the drive pulse output to the drive circuit 23 is reduced, the rotation speed of the electric motor 1 is reduced, and the traveling speed is reduced. Therefore, the operator can walk with the help of the electric cart without a heavy load.

When the heartbeat cycle becomes shorter than a certain value all at once due to the driver's feeling of danger, the CPU 14 stops the driving pulse output to the driving circuit 23 to stop the traveling. Good. When the heartbeat cycle detected by this low speed running becomes longer than the reference value for a certain period of time, the drive pulse is increased again to change the rotation speed of the electric motor 1 to adjust it to the set speed. In this acceleration control, the speed may be lower than the maximum speed initially set.

The traveling speed at each time point is detected by the speed detecting device 18 and compared with the commanded speed by the CPU 14, and when the correction is necessary, the drive pulse output from the CPU 14 to the drive circuit 23 is changed. However, it is controlled to always maintain the commanded speed. When the electric cart is stopped, if the operator releases the holding part of the handlebar 3, the heartbeat cycle detecting means 4 loses the detection, the output of the drive pulse from the CPU 14 is gradually reduced, and the traveling is stopped. Operate and fix the electromagnetic brake 17. Further, in the embodiment, the heartbeat cycle is detected and controlled, but the control may be performed by detecting the change in the heartbeat rate within a fixed time. In the embodiment, the heartbeat cycle to be detected is set. Although the change of the heartbeat is judged by comparing it with the reference value, the heartbeat before or at the start of running may be stored in the CPU 14 and compared with the sequentially detected heartbeat.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagram.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric motor 2 Traveling device 3 Handle 4 Heartbeat cycle detecting means 5 Speed control means

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A traveling device (2) driven by an electric motor (1), a handle (3) for holding an operator, and a heartbeat cycle detecting means (4) provided in an operator holding portion of the handle (3).
An electric cart for traveling assistance comprising speed control means (5) for adjusting the traveling speed by changing the rotation speed of the electric motor (1) based on the heartbeat cycle detected as follows.