JPS6213369Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair used by a severely disabled person, and particularly to a control device for an electric wheelchair.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a control device for an electric wheelchair, one equipped with an operating lever that can be tilted forward/backward and left/right directions is known. In addition, this type of control device generates an electric signal that controls the traveling speed according to the amount of tilting of the operating lever forward and backward, and controls the traveling direction according to the amount of left and right tilting of the operating lever. It is configured to generate electrical signals.

However, the conventional control device described above has the disadvantage that the polarity of the electrical signal generated by tilting the operating lever forward or backward is reversed, and the processing circuit for the electrical signal is complicated. The rate of change in the electrical signals generated by forward and rearward tilting is the same, resulting in inconveniences such as the reverse speed becoming faster than expected, which makes driving difficult, or the inability to finely adjust the reverse speed.

The present invention was made to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and inconveniences, and by connecting the operating lever and the rotating shaft of the variable resistor that generates the electric signal via a link mechanism,・Generates an electrical signal of the same polarity regardless of the rearward tilting direction, and reduces the rate of change in the electrical signal generated by tilting the control lever backwards, allowing for slow reverse speed and fine adjustment. It is characterized by the following structure.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

In the figure, 1 is a board, and side plates 2 and 3 are fixed to the left and right sides of the board 1. Reference numeral 4 denotes a rotating member whose both ends are rotatably supported by the left and right side plates 2 and 3. A shaft 5 perpendicular to the rotating member is installed approximately in the center of the rotating member 4; A link member 6 arranged parallel to the rotary member 4 is implanted in the rotating member 4 . 7 is a semicircular gear, a cylindrical member 8 is fixed to the gear 7, and the gear 7 and the cylindrical member 8 are rotatably attached to the shaft 5. Reference numeral 9 denotes an operating lever with a knob 10 attached to its upper end, and the lower end of the operating lever 9 is fixed to a gear 7. It can be rotated to the left or right. Reference numeral 11 denotes a torsion coil spring disposed around the link member 6, and both ends 11a, 11b of the torsion coil spring 11 hold the cylindrical member 8 and a pin 12 fixed to the gear 7.
a, 12b. 1
3 is a connecting member arranged parallel to the rotating member 4;
Both ends of the connecting member 13 are fixed to the left and right side plates 2 and 3. Further, a torsion coil spring 14 is arranged around the connecting member 13, and both ends 14a and 14b of the torsion coil spring 14 are connected to the rotating member 4.
and is set so as to sandwich the cylindrical member 15 fixed to the rotating member 4. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating member 4, that is, the forward and backward tilting of the operating lever 9, is elastically restricted by the torsion coil spring 14, and the operating lever 9 is always kept in the neutral position direction with respect to forward and backward tilting. energized. Similarly, the rotation of the gear 7 and the operating lever 9 about the shaft 5 is elastically restricted by the torsion coil spring 11, and the operating lever 9 is always biased toward the neutral position against left and right tilting. has been done.

16 is a variable resistor fixed to the side plate 3, 17 is a gear attached to the variable resistor 16, and 18 is a half rotatably arranged with respect to the left and right side plates 2 and 3 via a shaft 19. It is a circular gear. Gear 17 meshes with gear 18, and gear 18 meshes with link piece 2.
0 and link member 6. That is, the rotation axis of the variable resistor 16 is connected to the link member 6,
It is connected to the rotating member 4 via a link mechanism consisting of a link piece 20 and a gear 18. here,
When the operating lever 9 is neutral with respect to forward and backward tilting, the first fulcrum is the rotation center of the rotating member 4;
The second fulcrum, which is the connection point between the link member 6 and the link piece 20, and the third fulcrum, which is the connection point between the link piece 20 and the gear 18, are located on the same horizontal plane. A fourth fulcrum, which is the center of rotation, is located below the horizontal plane.

21 is a variable resistor fixed to the rotating member 4;
A rotating shaft of the variable resistor 21 is connected via a gear 22 to a gear 7 to which an operating lever 9 is fixed.
23 is a cam fixed to the end of the rotating member 4;
Reference numerals 4 and 25 designate microswitches operated by the cam 23, and are set to detect the neutral state of the operating lever 9 in the forward and backward directions, as well as the tilting direction, etc., based on the outputs of the microswitches 24 and 25. There is. 26 is a box-shaped cover member attached to the board 1. 27 is a guide lever fixed to the lower end of the gear 7, 28 is a guide plate fixed to the left and right side plates 2 and 3, and the guide lever 27 is provided protruding into the window 28a of the guide plate 28. , window 28
The tilting range of the operation lever 9 is set to be mechanically restricted by the guide lever 27 and the guide lever 27.

Therefore, in the control device configured as described above, when the operating lever 9 is tilted in an arbitrary direction,
The rotating member 4 rotates against the elastic force of the torsion coil spring 14, and the gear 7 and the operating lever 9 rotate together about the shaft 5 against the elastic force of the torsion coil spring 11. Then, the rotating member 4
With the rotation of the variable resistor 16, the rotation shaft of the variable resistor 16 is rotated via the link mechanism described above, and the operating lever 9 is rotated.
The variable resistor 16 outputs an electric signal to control the running speed of the electric wheelchair according to the amount of tilting forward and backward. Note that since the rotating member 4 and the rotating shaft of the variable resistor 16 are connected via the link mechanism described above, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the forward and backward tilting directions of the operating lever 9 The rotation axis of the variable resistor 16 always rotates in the same direction regardless of the current. Furthermore,
The amount of rotation of the rotary shaft of the variable resistor 16 that occurs when the operating lever 9 is tilted backward is smaller than the amount of rotation that occurs when the operating lever 9 is tilted forward. In other words, an electric signal of the same polarity is output from the variable resistor 16 regardless of the direction in which the control lever 9 is tilted forward or backward, and an electric signal with a small rate of change is output when the control lever 9 is tilted backward. . Similarly, the rotation of the gear 7 and the operating lever 9 about the shaft 5 rotates the rotating shaft of the variable resistor 21 via the gear 22, and electricity is generated in accordance with the amount of left/right tilting of the operating lever 9. A signal is output from variable resistor 21. Further, the traveling speed of the electric wheelchair is controlled by the electric signal output from the variable resistor 16,
The running direction is controlled by an electric signal output from the variable resistor 21.

As is clear from the above explanation, the control lever and the variable resistor that detects the forward and backward tilting of the control lever and outputs an electric signal are connected via a link mechanism. An electrical signal of the same polarity is output regardless of the direction in which the operating lever is tilted forward or backward, which simplifies the configuration of the processing circuit. The rate of change in is small, the backward speed of the electric wheelchair is slow, and the reverse speed can be easily finely adjusted, which has excellent practical effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view, Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views of main parts, and Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams explaining the operation. . Explanation of symbols, 4... Rotating member, 6... Link member, 7, 17, 18, 22... Gear, 16, 21
...Variable resistor, 20...Link piece.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The operating lever 9 is attached to the rotating member 4 so as to be tiltable left and right, and the operating lever 9 is supported via the rotating member 4 so as to be tiltable forward and backward, and
The rotating member 4 is connected to the rotating shaft of the variable resistor 16 via a link mechanism consisting of a link member 6, a link piece 20, and a gear 18, and when the operating lever 9 is in a neutral state with respect to forward and backward tilting, the link mechanism The first fulcrum is the rotation center of the rotating member 4, the second fulcrum is the connection point between the link member 6 and the link piece 20, and the link piece 20 and the gear 18.
A configuration in which the third fulcrum, which is the connection point with the gear 18, is located on the same plane, and the fourth fulcrum, which is the rotation center of the gear 18, is set on a plane other than the horizontal plane An electric wheelchair control device featuring: