JPH1156917A - Auxiliary motorized wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an auxiliary motorized wheelchair requiring no specification setting for individual users, preventing an increase of the number of part items, capable of reducing a cost and improving the travel performance in a single-hand rowing operation. SOLUTION: This auxiliary motorized wheelchair is provided with hand rims (human power detecting members) 13 inputted with human power, potentiometers (human power detecting means) 72 judging and detecting the direction and size of the human power applied to the hand rims 13 at a first or second level, motors (auxiliary power sources) 31 feeding the auxiliary power to wheels, and a controller (auxiliary power control means) 100. When the detected human power is at the first level, the motors 31 are controlled so that the auxiliary power becomes the driving power in the forward/reverse direction corresponding to the human power input direction. When the detected human power is at a second level, the motors 31 are controlled so that the auxiliary power becomes the driving power in the turning direction corresponding to the human power input direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auxiliary powered wheelchair capable of moving a vehicle back and forth with one handed operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wheelchair with auxiliary power has been proposed as an intermediate between a manual wheelchair and an electric wheelchair. This wheelchair with auxiliary power detects a human power intermittently applied to the left and right wheels, and applies an auxiliary power corresponding to the detected human power to the left and right wheels, thereby enabling a user who has difficulty walking. The physical burden on the user can be reduced, the user can operate the device as if a manual wheelchair is used, and mental pain is reduced.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned conventional wheelchair with auxiliary power is based on the premise that equal human power is applied to the left and right wheels, so that the user has an unbalanced operation force with both hands or one hand. If you can only operate with
The conventional wheelchair with auxiliary power has a problem that operability is low.

For example, when a conventional wheelchair with auxiliary power is operated with one hand (hereinafter referred to as one-handed rowing operation), it is necessary to regulate the traveling direction by kicking the road surface with a foot so that the wheelchair does not meander. As described above, the conventional wheelchair with auxiliary power has a problem in that it is not easy to use a single-row operation when traveling straight.

[0005] In addition, when turning left or right in a one-handed rowing operation, it is necessary to control the turning direction with one foot. Specifically, when turning to the right, it is necessary to kick the road surface in front of the wheelchair and turn the wheelchair to the right by using the foot as a steering means, as described above, the conventional wheelchair with auxiliary power is one-handed operation There is a problem that usability during turning is poor.

In order to solve these problems, the applicant of the present application has proposed that when human power is applied to one wheel, an auxiliary power set based on the human power is applied to one wheel and the other wheel is applied to the one wheel. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-136218 proposes that an auxiliary power equivalent to the sum of the acting human power and the auxiliary power is applied to the other wheel.

In the above proposed device, when the user applies human power to one wheel with one hand, auxiliary power equivalent to the sum of human power and auxiliary power acting on the one wheel is supplied to the other wheel. Therefore, even in the case of a one-handed rowing operation, the vehicle can easily go straight without meandering, and the straight running control by foot can be unnecessary.

In order to improve the usability at the time of turning in the case of one-handed rowing operation, the applicant of the present application provided a foot switch which functions as turning intention detecting means for detecting a user's turning intention at the right step. There has been proposed a device which designates a supply destination of an auxiliary force by the switch to facilitate turning (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-136219).

[0009]

However, in the above-described conventional foot switch, the destination of the auxiliary force is set and the turning direction is designated. In this case, the mounting position of the foot switch is determined by the user's body. It is necessary to individually set according to the characteristic features, and furthermore, since this switch and a control device for the switch operation are required, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases accordingly.

Further, in a system in which auxiliary power equivalent to the sum of human power and auxiliary power acting on one wheel is supplied to the other wheel, while the human power is being applied to the hand rim, propulsion is generated from both wheels. The propulsive force of both wheels disappears when the hand rim is changed due to the stroke of the vehicle. There is also a problem that a case may occur where the power becomes smaller than the torque required for the uphill turning and the traveling itself becomes impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and can eliminate the need for setting individual specifications for each user, can prevent an increase in the number of parts, and can reduce the cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary power wheelchair capable of improving running performance in operation.

[0012]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a human input member to which human power is input, a human power detecting means for detecting the direction and magnitude of the human input applied to the human input member, and a wheel. And an auxiliary power source for supplying auxiliary power to the auxiliary power source, such that when the detected human power becomes small, the auxiliary power becomes a driving force in the forward / rearward direction corresponding to the input direction of the human power. And an auxiliary power control means for controlling the auxiliary power to be a driving force in a turning direction in accordance with the input direction of the human power when the input human power is large.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect,
Vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the combined value of the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels as a substantial vehicle running speed, and target speed increasing and decreasing means for uniformly increasing and decreasing the target speeds of the left and right wheels when the human power becomes small The auxiliary power control means performs speed feedback control of the auxiliary power source so that the detected speed becomes the target speed when the human power is small, and drives the left and right wheels when the human power is large. It is characterized in that the auxiliary power source is controlled so that a difference occurs in the torque according to the turning direction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the human power input member and the human power detection means are provided corresponding to left and right wheels, and the target speed increasing / decreasing means is provided with the small human power in the same direction. Is applied to the left and right input members, the target speed is increased / decreased at a greater rate than when applied to only one input member. When applied to the input member, the increase or decrease of the target speed is stopped.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the human power input member and the human power detection means are provided corresponding to the left and right wheels, and the auxiliary power control means is provided in the opposite direction. The auxiliary power source is controlled such that the difference between the driving torques of the left and right wheels becomes larger when a certain manpower is applied to the left and right manpower input members than when only one manpower input member is applied. It is characterized by:

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the target speed increasing / decreasing means sets the target speed to zero.
Otherwise, the absolute value of the target speed is set to 0 over time.
It is characterized by gradually decreasing toward.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the human input member is a hand rim attached to a driving wheel so as to transmit human power.

Here, in the present invention, the small human power is, for example, from a first threshold value indicating a so-called dead zone in a human power detection sensor to a second threshold value sufficiently smaller than the human power that the user can exert. Can be set in the range of
The large human power can be set, for example, in a range larger than the second threshold. Therefore, in this case, small human power means human power enough to lightly touch the human input member,
Greater human power means greater human power.

In the detection of human power according to the present invention, it is possible to treat human power as a continuous quantity or to treat human power as a fuzzy quantity without setting a threshold value.

The human input member according to the present invention includes:
In addition to the hand rim of claim 6, an on / off switch operated by a user, a grip held by an assistant, and the like are also included.

[0021]

According to the auxiliary power wheelchair according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the human power input to the human power input member is small, the driving power in the forward and backward direction is supplied as the auxiliary power. For example, when the small human force is applied in the forward direction, the wheelchair advances straight ahead. Further, when the human power input to the input member is large, the driving force in the turning direction is supplied as the auxiliary power, for example, when a large human power is applied, the wheelchair turns if the vehicle is going straight, and the vehicle is stopped. If there is, turn with a small radius.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the combined value of the rotational speeds of the left and right wheels is detected as a substantial vehicle traveling speed,
When the manpower is small, the target speeds of the left and right wheels are uniformly increased and decreased, and the auxiliary power source is speed-feedback controlled so that the detected speed becomes the target speed. The running speed in that direction can be increased or decreased by lightly touching.

When the human power is large, the auxiliary power source is controlled so that the difference between the driving torques of the left and right wheels depends on the turning direction. This makes it possible to arbitrarily correct the course, and thus the course can be changed and the vehicle speed can be arbitrarily adjusted by one-handed operation.

When the manpower is small, the speed feedback control is performed so that the running speed becomes the target speed. Therefore, the target speed is maintained even if an external force due to the road surface condition (hill or the like) acts. It is possible to avoid the problem that the vehicle speed is increased when the vehicle is running downhill.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when a small human force in the same direction is applied to the left and right human input members, the target speed is increased at a higher rate than when only one of the human input members is applied. Is increased or decreased. By operating the left and right human input members lightly in the same direction,
It is possible to increase the speed in the forward and backward directions more quickly, and it is possible to use the vehicle as if it were a normal manual wheelchair.

When a small amount of human power in the opposite direction is applied to the left and right human power input members, the increase or decrease of the speed is stopped, so that the user can avoid a sense of discomfort. That is, when inputting human power in opposite directions to both human power input members, it is considered that the user does not normally desire acceleration / deceleration, so that the increase / decrease of the target speed in such a case is stopped. The user's discomfort can be eliminated.

When the opposite human force is applied to the left and right input members, it is considered that the user does not want to accelerate or decelerate, but rather wants a turning operation. Even if the input is in the opposite direction, even if the input is in the opposite direction, the turning operation may be performed by providing a difference between the driving torques of the left and right wheels even if the input is in the opposite direction, even if the input power is small, which means the auxiliary power in the forward and backward directions. .

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when a large amount of human power in the opposite direction is applied to the left and right human input members, the left and right wheels are applied more than when only one of the human input members is applied. Since the auxiliary power source is controlled so that the difference in driving torque is large, the magnitude of the turning speed can be changed while the vehicle is running, and the stationary turning can be performed while the vehicle is stopped. It can be used as if it were a manual wheelchair.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the target speed is other than 0, the absolute value of the target speed is gradually reduced toward 0 with the lapse of time. Therefore, when no human power is input, the vehicle speed gradually increases. And eventually stops, so that the wheelchair can be prevented from running on its own without any input operation.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the human input member is a hand rim attached to the drive wheel so that human power can be transmitted to the drive wheel, the hand rim is small enough to exceed the dead zone. You can travel forward and backward by touching lightly with human power, you can turn by operating the hand rim with a large second level human power, you can run with the feeling of rowing a normal manual wheelchair with one or both hands with less human power Becomes

[0031]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 18 are views for explaining an auxiliary power wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are side, plan, and rear views of the wheelchair, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state where a cover of a hub portion of a wheel of the wheelchair is removed, and FIG.
6 to 9 are views showing a rotary transformer, FIG.
Is a sectional view in the same direction as FIG. 5 showing a hand rim attached to wheels, FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of the control system of the wheelchair, and FIGS. FIG. 14, FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram of a system showing the control operation of the wheelchair, FIG. 15 is a configuration diagram showing a modification of the human power detection means, and FIG. 16 shows a relationship between human power to the hand rim and a detection signal from the human power detection means. FIG. 17 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the detection signal of the human power to the left wheel and the target speed, and FIG. 18 is map data showing the relationship between the detection signal of the human power direction and the auxiliary power control.

The wheelchair with auxiliary power 1 according to the present embodiment comprises:
The existing folding manual wheelchair has an auxiliary power unit (Power Ass
ist System). The wheelchair 1 is configured such that wheels 2 as driving wheels are detachably attached to left and right sides of a vehicle body, and front and rear portions of a pipe frame-shaped frame 3 are movably supported by a pair of left and right casters 4 and wheels 2. I have.

At the center of the frame 3, a cloth seat 5 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on which an occupant sits is stretched. As shown in FIG. 3, the frame 3 has a pair of front and rear cross members 3a, and the two X-shaped cross members 3a are pivotally connected at their intersections by a shaft 6.

A pair of left and right handle arms 3b is provided upright at the rear of the frame 3.
The upper end of b is bent rearward, and a grip 7 for an assistant is attached to the bent portion. An auxiliary wheel 8 for preventing the wheelchair 1 from falling backward is attached to a lower end of the handle arm 3b.

The handle arm 3b of the frame 3
A pair of left and right arms 3c extending horizontally from the intermediate height to the front of the vehicle body have their front ends bent at substantially right angles and extend vertically downward, and the casters 4 are rotatably supported at their lower ends. A front portion of a pair of left and right arms 3d disposed below the arm 3c extends obliquely downward toward the front of the vehicle body, and has a pair of left and right steps 9 at its extended end (front end). Is attached.

The wheel 2 has a hand rim assembly 70 to which a turning force (manpower) is applied by a user's hand, and an auxiliary power from a motor according to the direction and magnitude of the manpower input from the hand rim assembly 70. And a drive unit 20 for controlling

A boss 11 is screwed into the center of the wheel of the frame 3, and is fixedly fastened by a nut 22a. An axle 22 is removably fitted and inserted into the shaft core of the boss 11. The axle 22 is hollow,
A shaft 23 for attaching and detaching wheels is inserted into the shaft core so as to be movable in the axial direction. Heads 23a and 23b larger in diameter than other parts are fixed to both ends of the shaft 23, respectively. A coil spring 24 is disposed at an inner end of the right head 23a, and urges the shaft 23 to the right with respect to the axle 22. Are accommodated in the axle 22 so that the balls 25,.
Each ball 25 is a large diameter portion 2 of the head 23a of the shaft 23.
3c slightly protrudes from the outer periphery of the axle 22 by being spread by the boss 11a.
From getting out of the way. In addition, by moving the shaft 23 relatively to the left side in FIG. 5 with respect to the axle 22, the small diameter portion 23d of the head 23a moves to the position of the ball 25, and the ball 25 can move inward.
Thereby, the axle 22 can be pulled out from the boss 11 to the left side in FIG. 5, and the entire wheel 2 can be removed from the frame 3.

The axle 22 penetrates the center of a stationary plate 30 having a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom and supports the same.
A detent member (not shown) is attached to the fixing plate 30. The detent member prevents the fixed plate 30 from rotating with respect to the frame 3 by engaging with the frame 3.

The axle 22 rotatably supports a hub 50 as a rotating member having a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom through a bearing 51. An internal gear 52 is fixed to the inner surface of the hub 50. An intermediate gear 36a integrally formed with the intermediate shaft 36 meshes with the internal gear 52, and the intermediate shaft 36 serves as a fixed member. Fixing plate 3
0 is rotatably supported on the bottom surface. The intermediate shaft 36
Is driven by a drive motor (auxiliary power source) 31 attached to the fixed plate 30 via an intermediate pulley 33 fixed to the hub and a belt, and as a result, the hub 50 rotates.

The hand rim assembly 70 is supported by the hub 50 so as to be relatively rotatable by a predetermined angle. The hand rim assembly 70 has a tangential force (manpower: unit kg) applied to the hand rim (manual input member) 13 by the user.
Is transmitted to the hub 50, and the direction and magnitude of the applied human power are detected. Hereinafter, a configuration for detecting human power applied by the user will be described.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, reference numeral 71 denotes a disk constituting a central portion of the hand rim assembly 70. The disk 71 has an inner ring portion 71a and an outer ring portion 71b integrally formed by three spoke portions 71c. Has a structure connected to
The spoke rim 15 is connected to the hand rim 13. The disk 71 is supported by a boss 50a of the hub 50 via a bush 55 so as to be relatively rotatable. Reference numeral 120 denotes a bolt for attaching the spoke pipe 15 to the disk 71.

The spokes 71c, 7 of the disk 71
Between 1c, a potentiometer 72 is arranged, and is attached to the outer surface of the bottom 50b of the hub 50 so that the position in the radial direction can be adjusted. The input shaft 72a of the potentiometer 72 protrudes from the inner surface of the bottom portion 50b, and a lever 73 having a long hole 73a is attached to the protruding portion.
The pin 53 fixed to the disk 71 is inserted into the long hole 73a of the lever 73. With this configuration, when the relative angle between the hub 50 and the hand rim assembly 70 changes from the reference position, the input shaft 72a of the potentiometer 72
Rotates, and its impedance changes according to the rotation angle.

A spring guide 54 is disposed in a rectangular hole 71d formed in the spoke portion 71c.
A coil spring 56 is accommodated and arranged in the spring guide 54. Both ends of the coil spring 56 are in contact with the inner edge of the rectangular hole 71d of the spoke portion 71c via the slider 57. When the hand rim assembly 70 is rotated relative to the wheel 2 with this configuration, the relative rotation angle is detected by a human power detection device described later.

Reference numeral 58 denotes a resin damper member functioning as a play between the hub 50 and the disk 71. The damper member 58 is mounted inside the convex portion 54a formed on the spring guide 54, faces the outer ring portion 71b of the disk 71, and comes into sliding contact with the outer ring portion 71b by tightening a bolt 58a. The play between the disk 50 and the disk 71 is prevented. Reference numeral 71e denotes a cover that covers the potentiometer 72 and the like, and FIG. 4 shows a state where the cover 71e is removed.

Reference numeral 100 denotes a controller, which will be described later, which controls the auxiliary power of the motor 31 in accordance with the direction and the level (level) of the above-mentioned manpower, which is disposed on the inner surface of the bottom 30b of the fixed plate 30. The CPU 126 of the controller 100 functions as auxiliary power control means of the present invention.

Next, the configuration of the human power detection device will be described. Reference numeral 80 denotes a differential rotary transformer, which includes an outer transformer 81 attached to the boss 30a at the center of the fixed plate 30 and a boss 50a at the center of the movable plate 50.
And an inner transformer 82 attached to the main body.

In the outer transformer 81, two winding grooves 83a and 83b are formed in the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical bobbin 83 made of a non-magnetic material and an insulating resin.
The primary coils 84a and 84b are wound around 3b.

In the inner transformer 82, two holding grooves 85a and 85b are formed in the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical core 85 made of a magnetic material (for example, metal such as soft iron), and the holding grooves 85a and 85b are formed. Inside, bobbins 86 and 87 around which secondary coils 89a and 89b are wound are attached to winding grooves 86a and 87a made of resin and formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof.

It should be noted that the bobbins 86, 87b are 86b, 87b.
The slits 90 are terminals and 90 is a terminal.
The ends 89a ', 89b' of the next coils 89a, 89b are drawn out through the slits 86b, 87b,
It is wound around the terminal 90.

Here, since the outer transformer 81 does not have a magnetic core having a function of blocking an external magnetic field, it is desirable to arrange the outer transformer 81 so as to suppress magnetic imbalance due to the influence of the external metal. In the present embodiment, the magnetic distance from the primary coil 84a to the bottom 50b of the hub 50 (the distance when magnetic effects are taken into account),
In order to make the magnetic distance from the primary coil 84b to the bottom 30b of the fixed plate 30 as uniform as possible, the center line D in the width direction of the outer transformer 81 is positioned on the fixed plate 30 side with respect to the center line B in the wheel width direction. It is displaced by the dimension C.

That is, generally, the center D in the width direction of the outer transformer 81 is made to coincide with the center B in the wheel width direction. In this case, the distance from the primary coil 84a to the bottom 50b of the hub 50 is reduced by one. The difference from the distance from the next coil 84b to the bottom 30b of the fixed plate 30 increases.

The left and right potentiometers 72, 72
The human power to the left and right wheels 2, 2 detected by the controller 100 is transmitted via the left and right rotary transformers 80, 80 to the controller 100.
The controller 100 controls the current supplied to the motor 31 so as to obtain the auxiliary power according to the human power according to a predetermined processing procedure.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, human power is applied to the left and right potentiometers 72,
A hand rim 121 for direct drive for directly transmitting to the wheel 2 without being detected by 72 is attached to the wheel 2 via a bolt 122 and a bracket 123. That is, the human power input from the hand rim 13 is detected by the potentiometer 72 and is used as the human power for obtaining the auxiliary power. However, the human power input from the hand rim 121 does not participate in the calculation for obtaining the auxiliary power.

A battery 38 is detachably attached to the right wheel 2 side of the auxiliary power wheelchair 1, and a wire to which power is supplied from the battery 38 is attached to the vehicle body (frame) 3. A harness 43 is provided.

As described above, since the left and right wheels 2 have the same structure, when they are mounted on the vehicle body, they are arranged around the center of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction while maintaining a point-symmetric positional relationship. Become. By arranging the left and right wheels 2 having the same structure in this way, as shown in FIG. 3, the drive motors 31 projecting inwardly of the left and right wheels 2 are arranged with a step in the vertical direction. When the wheelchair 1 is folded, the two drive motors 31 do not interfere with each other, so that the wheelchair 1 can be compactly and easily folded.

After the left and right wheels 2 are attached to the vehicle body in the above-described manner, as shown in FIG. 3, a coupler 37 attached to the fixed plate 30 of each wheel 2 is connected to the wire harness installed on the vehicle body side. When the coupler 43a is connected, the battery 38 arranged on the right wheel 2 is connected.
Power is supplied to the drive motor 31 provided on the left wheel 2 and the controller 100 via the wire harness 43.

The hand rims 13 of the left and right wheels 2, 2
The direction and the magnitude of the human power applied to 13 are detected by left and right potentiometers 72, 72, and the detection signals are input to the controllers 100, 100.

Next, the configuration of the controller 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the left and right controllers 100. Each of the controllers 100 converts the human force information applied to the hand rim 13 and indicating the direction and magnitude of the human force detected by the potentiometer 72 into the rotary transformer 80. , A CPU 126 that calculates a target value (target torque) of auxiliary power based on the input signal and a motor rotation speed described below, and an output and rotation speed of the motor 31. A motor driver 128 for feedback-controlling a current value supplied to the motor 31 so as to attain the calculated target torque;
And a communication I / F 129 connecting the two 126s. Tx is a transmission register for storing transmission data,
Rx indicates a reception register for storing reception data.

The detection of human power by the potentiometer 72 is performed based on a predetermined first threshold value (S1) and a second threshold value (S2). This threshold S1
Is set to a size that indicates the dead band of the human power detection sensor, and S2 is set to a value sufficiently smaller than the maximum operation force of the user. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, when the manpower input direction (hand rim operation direction) is the “forward direction”, if the operation force is less than the first threshold value (S1), the manpower is at the dead zone level. Detection signal "0" indicating
Is greater than or equal to the first threshold (S1) and is equal to or greater than the second threshold (S2)
If less than this, a detection signal "1" indicating that the human power is at the first level is output, and if not less than the second threshold value (S2), a detection signal "2" indicating that the human power is at the second level is output. Is done.

When the manpower input direction (operation direction) is the "backward direction", when the operation force is less than the first threshold value (S1), "0" is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (S1). When the value is smaller than the second threshold value (S2), “−1” is set to the second threshold value (S2).
At this time, "-2" is output. In FIG. 16, the human input direction and the detection signal are positive in the forward direction.

The CPU 126 stores map data indicating the relationship between the detection signal indicating the input direction and the magnitude of the human power and the control target of the auxiliary power shown in FIG. Input direction and size (level)
The control shown in the map data is performed based on the signal.

Further, the left and right communication I / F 1 of this embodiment
29 and 129 are connected to each other by a serial cable 130, and the magnitudes of the left and right human powers and the motor rotational speeds input as described above are transmitted to the left and right controllers 100 and 100 via the communication I / Fs 129 and 129, respectively. It is supposed to be.

The left and right CPUs 126 and 126 calculate a target speed based on the human power detection signal output from the potentiometer 72 and the map data shown in FIG. 18, and output a control signal corresponding to the target speed to the motor driver 128. I do.

Here, as a method of controlling the output of the drive motor 31, there are generally a method of controlling a supplied voltage value and a method of controlling a current value. In the case of the voltage value control method,
The torque τ of the drive motor decreases and increases with the increase and decrease of the rotation speed n as shown in FIG. 12, and in the case of the current value control method, the torque τ of the motor becomes as shown in FIG. There is a characteristic that shows a constant value irrespective of a change in the rotation speed n.

When the left and right drive motors 31, 31 are controlled so that a target torque is generated by a voltage value supplied thereto, for example, when the vehicle turns left or right while traveling on flat ground, Since the rotation speed of the outer wheel increases by Δn from the rotation speed of the inner wheel, the driving force of the outer wheel becomes smaller than the driving force of the inner wheel by Δτ to prevent the turning operation. As a result, there is a concern that turning by the external force cannot be performed. You.

Therefore, in the auxiliary power wheelchair 1 according to the present embodiment, the so-called current value control system for controlling the current value supplied to the drive motor 31 is controlled so as to generate the target torque. Therefore, even when the rotation speed of one of the wheels increases by Δn due to the turning, the motor torque τ can be continuously maintained at the target torque, and the above-described problem of running disability can be avoided.

Next, auxiliary power control of the above embodiment will be described. First, the input direction and the magnitude of the human power input through the hand rim 13 are detected by the potentiometer 72, and the direction detection signals FL and FR are detected.
Is output. As shown in FIG. 16, specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, when the operation force is input in the forward direction, the direction detection signals FL and FR receive +1 and +2 in accordance with the magnitude thereof, and the operation force is input in the reverse direction. In the same manner as above, -1 and -2 are shown, and when no front or rear operation force of a predetermined magnitude is input, 0 is shown. It should be noted that the detection of the input direction of the human power is performed as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a forward direction switch and a reverse direction switch that are turned on when human power is input in the forward direction and the reverse direction may be provided, and the input direction may be detected by an on / off signal from the switch.

Then, a detection signal FL indicating the direction and magnitude (one of the dead zone level, the first level, and the second level) of the human power input to the hand rim 13 of the left wheel is provided on the left side which functions as human power detecting means. Potentiometer 72
Is input to the controller 100 on the left side, and the human power detection signal FR input to the hand rim 13 of the right wheel is input from the controller 100 on the right side via the registers Tx and Rx, and based on the two detection signals FL and FR. The control method is set based on the map data shown in FIG.

By the function of the left and right controllers 100 as the target speed increasing / decreasing means, the detected human power F
The target speed is increased or decreased based on L and FR, and this is set as the target center-of-gravity vehicle speed ω *. When the vehicle speed target value is not 0, the target center-of-gravity vehicle speed ω *
Is set so as to gradually decrease toward 0 with the passage of time, thereby preventing continuous running of the auxiliary power for a long time after the supply of the human power is stopped.

Further, the function of the controller 100 as a vehicle speed detecting means causes the left and right drive motors 3 to operate.
The rotation speed of 1 is detected as the substantial traveling speed of the vehicle based on the electromotive force information of the motor.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the motor current value i and the voltage Em are reduced by a rotation speed detection circuit 100a including a winding resistance R, an LPF (low-pass filter), a 1 / K × τ operation circuit and the like. Based on the left and right motor rotation speeds ωL,
ωR is calculated, and each of the rotation speeds is stored in the registers Tx, R
x to the left and right CPUs 126,
In the right controller 100, (ωL + ωR) / 2
Is the detected center-of-gravity velocity FB.

Then, the set target center-of-gravity vehicle speed ω *
And the forward or reverse direction, and the motor rotation speeds ωL, ωR
The value of the current supplied to the drive motor 31 is set based on the difference from the detected center-of-gravity velocity FB obtained from the above.

That is, a composite value of the current command value and the turning torque command τz * obtained through the current limiter based on the difference between the set target center-of-gravity vehicle speed ω * and the detected center-of-gravity speed FB and the speed gain G. The current command i * is obtained and the motor 3
1 is feedback-controlled so that the supply current i becomes the current command i *.

Here, the relationship between the direction detection signals detected from the left and right wheels and the contents of the auxiliary force control will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the description of the gradual decrease control in which the target center-of-gravity velocity decreases with time when no human power is input is omitted.

I. When neither the left nor the right hand rim is operated (the area in FIG. 18), both the left and right wheel direction detection signals become “0”, and Δv (speed change before and after control) = 0. , Τz (turning torque for turning to the left or right) = 0, and control is performed so as to continue forward and backward movements at the same speed.

II. When the first-level human power is input to only one of the left and right wheels in the forward or reverse direction (area), only the direction detection signal of the input-side wheel is "1" or The other becomes “0” at “−1”, and Δv = p or Δv =
As n, the speed is slightly increased in the forward direction or slightly increased in the reverse direction, and control is performed so that τz = 0 and no turning is performed.

III. When the first-level human power in the same direction is input to both the left and right wheels (area), the direction detection signal of both wheels becomes “1” or “−1”, and Δv = P or Δ
When v = P, the speed is greatly increased in the forward direction or the reverse direction, and τ
Control is performed so as not to turn with z = 0.

IV. When the first level human power in the opposite direction is input to the left and right wheels (area), the direction detection signal becomes "1".
The control is performed such that there is no speed change in the forward and backward directions when Δv = 0, and the vehicle turns right or left with a small torque difference when τz = cw or ccw.

V. When the second level of human power is input in the forward or reverse direction to only one of the left and right wheels and the other is not operated (area), only the direction detection signal of the input-side wheel is output. "2" or "-2", the other "0",
Assuming that Δv = 0, there is no speed change in the forward / reverse direction, and τz = c
Control is performed such that the vehicle turns right or left with a small torque difference as w or ccw.

VI. When the second-level human power is input to one of the left and right wheels and the first-level human power is input to the other in the same direction (area), the direction detection signals are "2" and "2". 1 "or" -2 "," -1 ", and assuming that Δv = p or Δv = n, the speed is slightly increased in the forward and reverse directions, and τz = cw or ccw.
Is controlled to make a right or left turn with a small torque difference

VII. If the second level human power is input to one of the left and right wheels and the first level human power is input to the other in the opposite direction (area), the direction detection signals are "2" and "2". -1 "
Or "-2", "1", slightly increasing speed in the forward and reverse directions by setting Δv = p or Δv = n, and τz = cw or ccw
Is controlled so as to make a right or left turn with a small torque difference, that is, in the same manner as in the region.

VIII. When the second-level human power is input to both the left and right wheels in the same direction (area), the direction detection signal is "2", "2", or "-2", "-". 2 ”and Δ
When v = PP or Δv = NN, control is performed so as to increase the speed greatly in the forward and backward directions and not to turn when τz = 0.

IX. When the second level human power is input to both the left and right wheels in the reverse direction (area), the direction detection signal is “2”, “−2”, or “−2”, “2”. 2 ”and Δv
= 0, no speed change in forward and reverse directions, τz = C
It is controlled so as to turn right or left with a large torque difference as w or CCw.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the input direction and magnitude of the human power input to the hand rims 13 and 13 of the left and right wheels are determined and detected at the first and second levels, and based on the detection signals. Therefore, the following effects can be obtained because the speed is adjusted in the forward and backward directions and the turning operation is performed.

(A) Hand rims 13 and 1 of left and right wheels
When no 3 is operated (region), the speed change and the turning operation in the forward and backward directions are not performed, and the first level human power is input in the forward direction or the marching direction to only one of the left and right wheels ( In the (region), a slight change in the speed in the forward and backward direction is given, and no turning operation is given. Further, when the second level human power is input to only one of the left and right wheels (region), The vehicle is turned left with a small torque without changing the speed of the vehicle, so that the course can be changed by operating only one of the hand rims 13 in a large size, and the forward / backward speed can be adjusted by operating the hand rim 13 lightly. Running in rowing operation can be easily performed.

(B) When the first-level human power is input to both the left and right wheels in the same direction (region), the speed is greatly increased in the forward direction or the reverse direction, and no turning operation is given. , When the second level of human power is input to both of the right wheels in the same direction (area), the speed is greatly increased in the forward direction or the reverse direction and the vehicle is prevented from turning.
By operating both the left and right hand rims lightly or slightly in the same direction, the forward / reverse speed can be adjusted at a large rate.

(C) When the first-level human power is input to the left and right wheels in the opposite direction (region), the vehicle turns right or left with a small torque difference without changing the speed in the forward and reverse directions. When the second level of human power is input to the left and right wheels in the reverse direction (region), the vehicle turns right or left with a large torque difference without changing the speed in the forward or reverse direction. Therefore, the course change or the stationary turning operation can be performed by operating both hand rims in opposite directions.

(D) When the second level manpower is input to one of the left and right wheels and the first level manpower is input to the other in the same direction (area), the speed is slightly increased in the forward direction or the reverse direction. When the human power of the second level is input to one of the left and right wheels and the human power of the first level is input to the other in the reverse direction (region), the vehicle moves forward or backward. The vehicle speed is slightly increased in the direction and the vehicle turns right or left with a small torque difference.By operating both hand rims in the same direction or the opposite direction with different sizes, the gear can be changed and the course can be changed. .

Next, the control when the user supplies human power to the handle rim 13 of the left wheel will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the direction detection signal of human power to the left wheel hand rim 13 and the target center of gravity vehicle speed.

For example, when a relatively small operating force (manpower) shown by a broken line A is applied to the left wheel hand rim 13, a solid line B
Is output, the target center-of-gravity vehicle speed ω * shown by the solid line C is set, and the current supplied to the motor is controlled so that the traveling speed becomes the target center-of-gravity vehicle speed ω *.

More specifically, if the human power (operating force) slightly exceeds the first threshold value S1 of the potentiometer 72 in the forward direction (first level), the direction detection signal Becomes +1 and the target center of gravity vehicle speed increases in proportion to the input time. When the manual power slightly exceeds the threshold value S1 in the reverse direction (first level), the direction detection signal becomes −1, and the target center of gravity vehicle speed decreases in proportion to the input time. If the operation force is not input, the target center of gravity speed gradually decreases.

When a large operating force C1 exceeding the second threshold value S2 (second level) of the potentiometer 72 is input to the left wheel hand rim 13 in the forward direction, the direction detection signal becomes +2, The target speed of the left wheel is D
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle turns rightward, and when a large operating force C2 is input to the hand rim 13 of the left wheel in the reverse direction, the direction detection signal becomes -2, and the target speed of the left wheel is obtained. Is reduced as indicated by D2, and the vehicle turns leftward.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the human power input to one of the hand rims 13 is at the first level, the driving force in the forward / rearward direction is supplied as the auxiliary power, and when the human power is at the second level, the turning direction is supplied. , The wheelchair can be moved straight forward by, for example, the user slightly operating the left hand rim 13 in the forward direction, and the left hand rim 13 can be moved with relatively large human power. By operating in the forward direction, the vehicle can be turned rightward when the wheelchair is traveling straight, and can be turned rightward with a small radius when the vehicle is stopped. As described above, the motor output is supplied to both wheels substantially in response to the input of light human power to the one hand rim 13 and the motor output is supplied so that a torque difference is generated by the input of relatively large human power. Therefore, it is possible to improve the straight running performance in one-handed rowing, and it is possible to improve the feeling of use of a user who has a difference in left and right operation forces.

When the input to the left hand rim 13 is at the first level, the target velocities of the left and right wheels are uniformly increased or decreased, so that the actual running speed of the left and right wheels becomes equal to the target center of gravity speed. Since the auxiliary power source is speed-feedback controlled, it is possible to increase or decrease the traveling speed in that direction by operating the hand rim lightly during traveling, and to easily adjust the traveling speed to an arbitrary traveling speed.

When the human power is at the first level, the speed feedback control is performed so that the running speed becomes the target center of gravity speed. Therefore, the target speed is maintained even when an external force due to the road surface condition (such as a slope) acts. Problems such as excessive deceleration during uphill or excessive acceleration during downhill can be avoided.

The left and right hand rims 13, 13 have the first
When the level operation force is input in the same direction (area)
Is set to Δv = P or N, and the target speed is increased / decreased at a larger rate than when the operating force is applied to only one of the hand rims (area, Δv = p). By lightly touching both of them, the speed in the forward / rearward direction can be increased more quickly, and it becomes possible to use the vehicle with a feeling close to that of a normal manual wheelchair.

In the first level, the human power in the opposite direction is left,
When added to the right hand rim (area), Δv =
0 to stop increasing or decreasing the target speed, and τz = cw
Alternatively, since the turning motion is performed with a small torque difference as ccw, it is possible to avoid the user's discomfort and improve the usability of the wheelchair. That is, when the user inputs opposing operating forces to both hand rims, it is considered that the user does not usually want to accelerate or decelerate, but rather wants a turning motion. In addition to stopping the increase and decrease, the vehicle can be turned with a relatively small difference in torque, so that the user can use the vehicle with a feeling close to that of a normal wheelchair without feeling uncomfortable.

When the operation force of the second level is input to one of the hand rims (region), control is performed so as to perform a turning operation. (Region) is τ
By setting z = CCw, the difference between the driving torques of the left and right wheels is made larger than when the second-level operating force is applied to only one of the hand rims. It is possible to perform stationary turning while the vehicle is stopped, and it can be used as if it were a normal manual wheelchair.

When the target speed is other than 0, the absolute value of the target speed is gradually decreased toward 0 with the lapse of time. Therefore, when no human power is input, the vehicle speed gradually decreases, and finally, Stops, so that it is possible to prevent the problem that the wheelchair continues to run without input operation.

Further, in this embodiment, the hand rim 1
3, the operating force is transmitted to the wheels, so that the hand rim 13 can be moved back and forth by lightly touching the hand rim 13 with the first level of human power beyond the dead zone, and the hand rim 13 is larger than the first level. By operating with the second level of human power, the vehicle can make a turn, and it is possible to travel as if rowing a normal manual wheelchair with one or both hands with less human power.

In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which a threshold value is provided for the input level and the map data in FIG. 18 is described as a discrete value. However, the input is treated as a continuous amount or the input is treated as a fuzzy amount. May be described as a smooth change amount.

FIGS. 19 and 20 are examples in which the map data (speed change amount Δv, turning torque τz) of FIG. 18 is described as a smooth change amount. 19 and 20, only the forward direction is displayed for the left wheel input signal, and each data is point-symmetric with respect to the point where the left and right wheel inputs are both zero.

In the above embodiment, the case where the seated person operates the hand rim 13 to input the human power has been described.
The output of the motor 31 may be controlled so that assist power is obtained based on the human power of the caregiver when the caregiver moves the wheelchair 1 with the grip 7. In this case, the burden on the caregiver As described above, the straight running performance and the turning performance can be improved, and the usability can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, in addition to the structure for driving the wheels 2 by the motor 31, an auxiliary wheel (not shown) other than the wheels 2 and the casters 4 is provided, and an auxiliary force is applied to the auxiliary wheels. The same effects as described above can be realized in such a case.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an auxiliary power wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wheelchair.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the wheelchair.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state where a cover of a hub portion of a wheel of the wheelchair is removed.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a rotary transformer portion of the wheelchair.

FIG. 7 is a sectional side view of a rotary transformer portion of the wheelchair.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a rotary transformer portion of the wheelchair.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a rotary transformer portion of the wheelchair.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a hand rim directly attached to the wheel.

FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of the wheelchair control system.

FIG. 12 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a motor rotation speed and a torque in a voltage value control method.

FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a motor speed and a torque in a current value control method.

FIG. 14 is a system configuration diagram of the wheelchair auxiliary power control device.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the human power detection means.

FIG. 16 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between human power (operating force) and a direction detection signal.

FIG. 17 is a characteristic diagram illustrating a relationship between a detection direction signal and a target vehicle speed for explaining the control operation.

FIG. 18 is a map data diagram showing a relationship between left and right wheel direction detection signals and auxiliary force.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a modified example of map data indicating the relationship between the input detection signals of the left and right wheels and the auxiliary force (the amount of change in the speed in the forward / rearward direction).

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a modified example of map data indicating a relationship between input detection signals of left and right wheels and an auxiliary force (turning torque).

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Auxiliary power wheelchair 2 Wheels 13 Hand rim (manpower input member) 31 Motor (auxiliary power source) 72 Potentiometer (human power detection means) 100 Controller (auxiliary power control means, vehicle speed detection means, target speed increase / decrease means)

Claims (6)

[Claims] A human input member to which human power is input, human power detection means for detecting the direction and magnitude of the human power applied to the human input member, an auxiliary power source for supplying auxiliary power to the wheels, When the detected human power is large, the auxiliary power source is set so that when the detected human power is small, the auxiliary power is a driving force in the forward / reverse direction corresponding to the human power input direction. And an auxiliary power control means for controlling the driving force in the turning direction according to the input direction of the human power. 2. A vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a combined value of rotational speeds of left and right wheels as a substantial vehicle running speed, and a target speed of the left and right wheels when human power becomes small. Target speed increasing / decreasing means for uniformly increasing / decreasing
The auxiliary power control means performs speed feedback control of the auxiliary power source so that the detected speed becomes the target speed when the human power is small, and turns the driving torque of the left and right wheels in the turning direction when the human power is large. An auxiliary power wheelchair, wherein the auxiliary power source is controlled so that a difference corresponding to the difference is generated. 3. The human-power input member and the human-power detecting means according to claim 2, wherein the human-power input member and the human-power detecting means are provided corresponding to the left and right wheels, respectively.
When applied to the right input member, the target speed is increased / decreased at a greater rate than when applied to only one input member, and the small manual input in the opposite direction is applied to the left and right input members. An auxiliary power wheelchair characterized in that when added, the increase or decrease of the target speed is stopped. 4. The human power input member and the human power detection means according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the human power input member and the human power detection means are provided for the left and right wheels, respectively. The auxiliary power source is controlled such that the difference between the driving torques of the left and right wheels is larger when the right input member is applied to the right input member than when only one input member is applied. Auxiliary powered wheelchair. 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the target speed increasing / decreasing means gradually decreases the absolute value of the target speed toward zero with the passage of time when the target speed is other than zero. Auxiliary powered wheelchair. 6. An auxiliary power wheelchair according to claim 1, wherein said human power input member is a hand rim mounted on a drive wheel so as to transmit human power.