JPH079340U - Guidance device for people with disabilities - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a guide device having a simple structure that assists a person with a disability to smoothly walk or run. [Structure] A guide 1 provided along a passage 2 and a walking stick 3 or a wheelchair having a wheel 4 rolling along the guide 1 at its lower end. The guide 1 is placed laterally with respect to the passage 2. A guide device including a plurality of tooth-shaped projections 5 arranged at equal intervals, in which the wheels 4 are formed with teeth 10 meshing with the tooth-shaped projections 5 and a collar 9 that comes into contact with the side surface of the guide 1.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a guide device for persons with disabilities such as visually impaired persons and persons with walking disabilities.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Conventionally, visually impaired people walk while sensing the surroundings by holding a white cane in their hands and touching the lower end of the cane with unevenness on the ground or obstacles in the vicinity. A so-called Braille block is also known, which senses the unevenness of the surface of the foot with the sensation of the sole. This Braille block is designed so that the continuity of the passage, the branching state, the intersection, the stairs, etc. can be identified by the uneven pattern on the surface and the direction.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The cane of the visually impaired has a function as an extension of the hand, and is convenient for judging whether a person or an object is touched. However, when following the ground, it is necessary to check whether there are any grooves or protrusions by striking or sweeping the ground step by step or every few steps, which is extremely complicated. On the other hand, Braille blocks that are continuously buried in the sidewalks and passageways inside the station are convenient for people with low vision, but in the case of the blind, they detect uneven patterns on the soles of shoes through shoes, etc. It is easy to make a mistake. Also, when checking the braille block one step ahead while walking with the tip of the cane, it is necessary to check the position of the braille block by swinging the cane left and right.

The present invention solves the problems of the conventional walking aids for the visually impaired and provides a guide device having a simple structure that assists the visually impaired to walk smoothly and walks by a wheelchair. The technical issue is to provide a guide device that is useful for people with disabilities.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The guide device for the visually impaired of the present invention comprises a guide provided along the passage and a wand having wheels at its lower end that roll along the guide. The guide device for a walking handicapped person of the present invention comprises a guide provided along a passage and a wheelchair having wheels that roll along the guide. In such a device, it is preferable that the guide is a protrusion provided laterally to the passage at equal intervals, and the wheel is provided with teeth or lateral grooves that mesh with the protrusion.

Further, the guide may be a protrusion or a groove extending along the passage, and the wheel may have a contour that fits the protrusion or the groove. It is preferable that all of the guides are formed on Braille blocks that are continuously arranged. Furthermore, it is preferable that the guides are raised one step at the portion where the two guides intersect. On the other hand, with regard to the cane, the center axis of the wheel is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the cane, and the grip of the cane is provided with a member for remotely operating the center axis of the wheel up and down. Is preferred. Further, it is preferable that a display device such as a buzzer and a receiver for operating the display device are provided on the cane or wheelchair, and a transmitter for sending a signal to the receiver is provided near the guide. Further, it is preferable that a transmitter is provided on the cane or wheelchair and a switching device for receiving a signal from the transmitter and switching the traffic signal is provided near the intersection.

[0007]

[Action]

 A visually impaired person grasps the upper end of the cane and extends it slightly forward, and walks with the wheels at its lower end following the guide. Then, the wheels roll along the guides, so the tips of the canes do not get caught on the protrusions and are guided smoothly. In addition, visually impaired people can feel the rolling of the wheels through the cane, so they can know in advance whether the passage is straight or curved. When a person with a walking disability walks in a wheelchair, the wheels roll along the guides so that they can move along a safe path. In the case of a powered wheelchair, driving can be automated.

In the guide device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the guide is composed of lateral projections at equal intervals, and since the teeth or the lateral grooves that mesh with the projections are formed on the wheel, the wheel rolls reliably without slipping. . In addition, the rhythmic sensation that the wheels pass over the protrusions in sequence allows the disabled person to run without walking, always confirming that the guide is a dedicated guide. In the guide device according to the fourth aspect, since the protrusion or groove of the guide extending along the passage and the contour of the wheel are fitted to each other, there is an advantage that the wand or the wheelchair does not come off the guide even if a slight lateral force is applied. is there.

Since the guide device of claims 5 and 6 integrates the guide of the present invention on the conventional braille block, the guide can be provided at the same time when the braille block is laid. Therefore, it is easy to lay the guide. In addition, visually impaired persons can be guided by the guidance device of the present invention in addition to the guidance provided by the conventional Braille block, so that they can walk with peace of mind. In the guide device according to claim 7, the wheel can be projected downward in the passage provided with the guide to be guided by the guide, and the wheel can be provided in the passage not provided with the guide or the stairs. You can pull it up and receive the guidance by the original contact of the cane. In the guiding device according to claim 8, when a disabled person comes to a pedestrian crossing or an intersection, a signal of a transmitter installed in the vicinity is received by a receiver of a walking stick or a wheelchair, and a sound of a buzzer built in the walking stick or a wheelchair is displayed. You can check the surrounding situation by the output of the device. Further, in the guiding device according to the ninth aspect, when the vehicle comes to an intersection, the signal of the traffic signal can be switched by the signal from the transmitter of the cane or the wheelchair to help the handicapped person walk.

[0010]

【Example】

 Next, the guide device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the guide device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the guide and wheels in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III of FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the proposed device, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the cane according to the present invention, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are other embodiments of guides according to the present invention. 8A and 8B are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, showing still another embodiment of the guide device according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a guide provided along the passage 2, and 3 is a cane equipped with wheels 4 rolling on the guide 1. The guide 1 and the cane 3 constitute a guide device. The guide 1 is composed of a belt-shaped member in which lateral teeth 5 are arranged at equal intervals. This product can be manufactured by integral molding using synthetic resin or rubber. The width of the guide 1 and the pitch and height of the tooth-like projections 5 are not particularly limited, but the width of the guide 1 is about 10 to 30 mm, the pitch of the tooth-like projections 5 is about 5 to 20 mm, and the height of the teeth is It is preferably about 3 to 10 mm.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cane 3 includes a main body 6 made of a white rod, which is conventionally used by a visually impaired person, a shaft 7 projecting laterally at a lower end of the main body 6, and a shaft 7 around the shaft. The wheel 4 is rotatably provided. The shaft 7 and the main body 6 may be swingably connected to each other within a certain range by a ball socket joint 8 as shown in FIG. The wheel 4 has a collar 9 at one end, and teeth 10 that mesh with the tooth-like projections 5 are formed on the outer peripheral surface. Between the teeth 10 are lateral grooves into which the tooth-like projections 5 are inserted. As shown by an imaginary line 11 in FIG. 3, a collar may be formed on the other end of the wheel 4, and the guide 1 may be sandwiched between the collars 9 and 11 at both ends. The vehicle wheel 4 may be formed of rubber or synthetic resin.

As shown in FIG. 1, the guide device configured as described above holds the cane 3 while the visually impaired person holds the upper end of the cane 3 in his hand and puts the wheel 4 at the lower end on the guide 1. Push forward (in the direction of arrow A) in time with walking. Then, since the teeth 10 of the wheel 4 mesh with the tooth-like protrusions 5 of the guide 1, the wheel 4 rolls in the direction of arrow B. At that time, if the collar 9 is slid while being applied to the side surface of the guide 1, the wheel 4 is unlikely to come off the guide 1. Further, if the flanges 9 and 11 are provided on both ends, it is even more difficult to come off.

When a visually impaired person advances while sticking out the cane 3 forward as described above, he or she can walk while being guided by the guide 1 at all times, and thus can proceed with peace of mind. In addition, it can be confirmed by the rhythmical sound or vibration that the teeth 10 of the wheel and the tooth-shaped projections 5 are engaged with each other. Therefore, it is safe because you cannot accidentally follow other protrusions. Since the guide 1 projects beyond the surface of the passage 2, there is an advantage that dust and the like are hard to collect.

In the guide device shown in FIG. 4, a concave groove 12 is formed on the upper surface of the guide 1, and the wheel 4 has a contour that fits in the groove 12. On the contrary, an annular groove may be formed on the wheel 4 and a ridge that engages with the groove may be formed on the guide 1 side. The guide device shown in FIG. 4 has an advantage that it has a simpler structure and is easier to manufacture than the guide devices shown in FIGS.

The walking stick 3 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a vertically movable block 14 in a cavity 13 at its lower end, and a shaft 7 projects laterally from the block 14. Wheels 4 are rotatably provided around the shaft 7. Further, the block 14 is constantly urged downward by a compression spring 16 whose upper end abuts on the engaging portion 15. An operation cable 17 is passed through the main body 6 of the cane 3, the lower end of which is connected to the block 14 and the upper end of which is engaged with the arm of the operation lever 19 provided on the grip 18 of the cane 3. It has been stopped.

In the passage having the guide (1 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4) described above, the operation lever 19 is rotated upward as indicated by the solid line and the operation cable 17 is loosened to move the block 14 downward. To move. As a result, the wheel 4 projects downward from the tip 20 of the cane, and the above-mentioned walking in which the wheel 4 follows the guide 1 can be performed. Further, in this case, since the wheel 4 is supported by the elasticity of the compression spring 16, the vibration is less likely to be transmitted to the hand holding the cane, which is easy. Further, in a passage or the like where no guide is installed, the operation lever 19 is rotated downward as shown by an imaginary line, and the operation cable 17 is pulled upward. As a result, the block 14 and the wheels 4 are positioned above the imaginary line, and the tip of the cane can follow the ground or the like. A cable winder may be used instead of the operation lever 19, and a rod may be used instead of the operation cable 17.

The guide device of the present invention can be used indoors or outdoors, but when it is installed on a sidewalk or in a station, the guide 1 combined with the Braille block 20 may be used as shown in FIG. it can. In FIG. 6, tooth-shaped protrusions 5 are formed along one end or both ends of each braille block 20, and a large number of braille blocks 20, 20 are arranged to form a linear guide 1. In this construction, the guide 1 can be laid at the same time when the Braille block 20 is laid. At a portion where the braille block 20 intersects in a T-shape or an X-shape, the braille block 21 having the spot-like protrusions 21a indicating the intersection is one step higher than the other braille blocks, for example, about 5 mm higher. Is preferred. Thereby, it can be seen that there is an intersection only by the feel of the cane 3 before confirming the spot-like projection 21a indicating the intersection with the foot. If you want to take a bend on the road, change to Guide 1 in the curved passage and walk while receiving guidance at Guide 1.

FIG. 7 shows a case where the guide 1 is provided on the stairs 22 of a station or the like. In this case, the guides 1 may be formed on the upper surface and the front surface of each step of the steps. This allows the visually impaired to climb and descend while walking along the stairs with a cane. It is also possible to provide an inclined surface 24 having a small width at the lower part of the side wall 23 of the stairs, and to provide the guide 1 thereon. In that case, it is preferable to provide a raised portion 26 for each corner portion 25 of each step. As a result, the cane can be smoothly advanced, and at the same time, the height and depth of each step of the stairs (especially in the case of a landing) can be safely felt while feeling the ridge 26. Depending on the shape of the step, the guide 1 may be formed only on the upper surface of the step. When the inclined surface is provided on an existing staircase, as shown by an imaginary line S, a separately formed plate-shaped inclined plate with a guide may be attached so as to cross over the corners of each step. When the inclined surface 24 is provided, there is an advantage that the guidance when going down the stairs becomes smooth.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in which the aforementioned guide 1 is used as a traveling guide for the wheelchair 31. The wheelchair 31 is provided with a guide wheel 33 that engages with the guide 1 separately from the original wheel 32. This is highly safe because the guide 1 guides the traveling direction when a person with a walking disability travels in the wheelchair 31. When the wheelchair 31 is powered by a motor or the like, or is an electric light vehicle, it can be operated automatically or semi-automatically.

In the guide device of FIG. 9, a display device for sound or vibration such as a buzzer 34 and a receiver 35 are built in the cane 3. A transmitter 37 that sends a specific radio signal to the receiver 35 is provided near the traffic signal 36 at the intersection. In the guide device configured as described above, when a visually impaired person approaches the intersection, the receiver 35 of the cane 3 receives a specific signal from the transmitter 37 and sounds the buzzer 34. Therefore, the visually impaired person can know that the intersection or railroad crossing is near by the sound or vibration. It is also possible to notify the visually impaired person that the traffic signal is one of "blue", "red", and "yellow" through the transmitter 37 by means of high and low buzzer sounds or intermittent sounds.

In some cases, a transmitter is provided on the cane 3 and a receiving device and a signal switching device are provided on the traffic light 36 so that the signal of the traffic light 36 is automatically switched when a visually impaired person approaches. May be. Further, the guide 1 is provided with a transmitter 38 or a mark (particularly a bar code) which emits a specific magnetic force or radio wave, and a receiver 39 or a sensor (bar code reader) provided near the lower end of the cane 3 or on the wheels 4 It may be possible to receive information such as intersections and railroad crossings and the current state of traffic lights, and notify the information with a buzzer or the like. The receiver of the present invention also includes such a sensor or detector. Alternatively, a signal or signal may be emitted from the lower end of the cane 3 to detect the approach of a disabled person by a receiver or sensor embedded in the guide 1, and the signal device 36 may be switched via the switching device.

Further, the transmitters 37, 38 or marks for notifying the surroundings are provided with obstacles for walking for visually impaired persons, such as the entrances and exits of the steps of FIG. 7, landings, and doors of buildings. It may be provided near the stairs, and the required information such as the start and end of the up stairs and the down stairs may be notified to persons with disabilities by a buzzer sound, voice, etc. provided on the cane or by a speaker installed in the vicinity. Good.

In FIG. 10, the wheelchair 31 is provided with a receiver, a sensor, or a transmitter 40, and as with the cane 3, the walking obstacle is informed of the surroundings and the traffic light at the intersection is used to keep the obstacle approaching. It is meant to inform. In the case of a walking-impaired person, a visual display device 41 such as a liquid crystal display device may be used in place of a sound or vibration display device such as a buzzer, and a voice display device and a visual display device are combined. You can also Furthermore, in any of the above cases, a voice synthesizer was installed instead of the buzzer to "approach the intersection", "the traffic light was red", "turned to blue", "the stairs start up", " It is also possible to generate a voice such as "Stairs are finished".

[0025]

[Effect of device]

 In the guide device for the visually impaired according to the present invention, the traveling direction can be confirmed in advance by engaging the wheel provided on the tip of the cane with the guide. Furthermore, since the wheels roll on the id, the tip of the cane does not get caught and you can walk smoothly. Since the guide device for the walking handicapped person of the present invention engages the guide wheel provided on the wheelchair with the guide, the guide device can travel along a safe passage.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a guide device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a guide and wheels in FIG.

3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the guide device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the cane according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the guide according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the guide according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the guide device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the guiding device of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing still another embodiment of the guiding device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Guide 2 Passage 3 Cane 4 Wheel 5 Dental protrusion 9 Collar 11 Collar 12 Groove 20 Braille block 21 Braille block

Claims (9)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A guide device for a visually impaired person, which comprises a guide provided along a passage and a cane having wheels at its lower end that roll along the guide. 2. A guide device for a walking handicapped person comprising a guide provided along a passage and a wheelchair provided with wheels that roll along the guide. 3. The guide device according to claim 1, wherein the guide is a projection that is provided laterally to the passage at equal intervals, and teeth or lateral grooves that mesh with the projection are formed on the wheel. . 4. The guide device according to claim 1, wherein the guide is a protrusion or a groove extending along a passage, and the wheel has a contour that fits the protrusion or the groove. 5. The guide device according to claim 1, wherein the guide is formed on a Braille block which is continuously arranged. 6. A portion where two guides intersect each other,
The guide device according to claim 1, wherein the guide is raised further. 7. The center axis of the wheel is provided so as to be movable up and down with respect to the cane, and the grip of the cane is provided with a member for remotely operating the center axis of the wheel vertically.
Guide device described. 8. The cane or wheelchair is provided with a display device and a receiver for operating the display device, and a transmitter for sending a signal to the receiver is provided near the guide. Guide device described. 9. The guide device according to claim 1, wherein the walking stick or wheelchair is provided with a transmitter, and a switching device for receiving a signal from the transmitter and switching the signal is provided near the intersection. .