KR20180085128A - Power Assistive Device for Manual Wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a power assistive device for a manual wheelchair. The power assistive device for a manual wheelchair according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a steering portion including a steering frame which is being a steering shaft connecting a wheel and a handle; a frame portion rotatably connected with the steering portion and connecting the steering portion with a manual wheelchair; and an angle adjusting portion arranged between the steering portion and the frame portion, and adjusting an angle of the manual wheelchair coupled with the frame portion by adjusting an angle of the steering portion in accordance with rotation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a power assistive device,

The present invention relates to a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit, and more particularly, to a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit capable of automatically driving a manual manual wheelchair by engaging a manual manual wheelchair to provide power.

Generally, a wheelchair is a wheelchair that allows people with disabilities, elderly people, and people with limited legs to move from a sitting position to a desired location.

The wheelchair is divided into a manual wheelchair in which the user manually drives the wheel according to the driving method and an electric wheelchair in which the wheel is driven through the electric motor.

The manual wheelchair requires the user to directly drive the wheel by hand, so that it is difficult and inconvenient to operate the vehicle over long distances, and the inclination may be pushed backward due to the load of the user during operation,

That is, since the guardian or the user must operate by directly applying the force, there is a disadvantage that the elderly person having weak power is inconvenient to operate.

Meanwhile, the electric wheelchair has advantages in terms of the convenience of the user by driving the wheels through the electric motor, but there is a problem in that it is used for outdoor use and requires a separate manual wheelchair in the room.

Therefore, in recent years, a separate auxiliary power unit is provided in a passenger wheelchair so that the auxiliary power unit can be detachably attached to the passenger wheelchair, thereby enabling the user to operate the auxiliary power unit.

Generally, a passive wheelchair is provided with a driving wheel which rotates by receiving a driving force of a user manually rolling the handle wheel, and a auxiliary wheel which is positioned forward of the driving wheel and is rotated depending on the rotation of the driving wheel.

When the auxiliary power unit is used to drive the manual wheelchair, the auxiliary power unit with the handle is connected to the front of the manual wheelchair. When the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair touches the ground and the auxiliary power unit is driven, The manual wheelchair swings in the left and right direction, and there is a disadvantage that stable running is impossible.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2011-0074161 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0044653

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is as follows.

First, the present invention intends to provide a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit capable of securing stability of driving by driving the auxiliary wheel away from the ground when the manual wheelchair is driven by the auxiliary power unit.

Secondly, the present invention intends to provide a manual wheelchair auxiliary power device capable of separating the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair from the ground by a simple operation.

Third, the present invention is intended to provide a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit that can be easily combined with and separated from a manual wheelchair.

Fourth, the present invention intends to provide a passive wheelchair auxiliary power device that can be applied to passive wheelchairs of various sizes.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a passive wheelchair auxiliary power unit including a steering unit, a frame unit, and an angle adjusting unit.

The steering portion includes a steering frame that serves as a steering shaft connecting the wheel and the handle.

The frame portion is rotatably connected to the steering portion, and connects the steering portion and the manual wheelchair.

The angle adjusting unit is disposed between the steering unit and the frame unit, and adjusts the angle of the steering unit according to the rotation to adjust the angle of the manual wheelchair coupled to the frame unit.

Here, the angle adjusting unit may adjust the angle of the steering unit in a turnbuckle manner.

Thus, the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair is selectively separated from the ground according to the rotation of the angle adjusting portion.

The angle adjusting unit may include a first nut disposed between the frame unit and the steering unit and connecting the frame unit to the steering unit, a screw connected to the steering unit and having a screw in an opposite direction to the first nut, And a bolt inserted into the first nut and the second nut to adjust the distance between the first nut and the second nut according to the rotation.

The second nut may be rotatably coupled to the other end of the link whose one end is rotatably hinged to the steering portion.

The bolt may be provided with a handle for easy rotation.

The first nut may be rotatably hinged to the steering portion.

Wherein the frame portion includes a first frame coupled to the first nut and a second frame coupled to the manual wheelchair and having one end coupled to the manual wheelchair and the other end hinged to the first frame rotatably, And a pair of second frames whose widths are variable.

In addition, the passive wheelchair auxiliary power unit of the present embodiment may further include a clamping portion for coupling the frame portion and the manual wheelchair.

Wherein the clamping portion includes a connecting bracket coupled to the passenger wheelchair and having an insertion groove formed at one side thereof and a coupling protrusion formed at the other side thereof, a clamp bracket coupled to an end of the second frame and having an insertion protrusion inserted into the insertion groove, And a clamp coupled to the clamp bracket, the clamp being engaged with the coupling protrusion to prevent the clamping bracket from separating from the clamp bracket.

Therefore, when the distance between the first nut and the second nut is reduced as the bolt rotates, the angle between the steering frame and the ground increases, so that the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair can be separated from the ground.

Alternatively, when the distance between the first nut and the second nut is increased according to the rotation of the bolt, the angle between the steering frame and the ground becomes smaller, so that the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair can be brought into contact with the ground.

Meanwhile, the manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit of the present embodiment may further include a support portion that is connected to the steering portion and supports the steering portion on the ground when the angle formed by the steering portion and the ground becomes small, thereby preventing the steering portion from collapsing .

The effects of the present invention will be described below.

First, according to the manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the manual wheelchair is driven by the auxiliary power unit, the auxiliary wheels are separated from the ground to secure the driving stability even in the presence of the bumps, .

Second, according to the manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, the angle adjusting unit for adjusting the angle of the manual wheelchair is provided by adjusting the angle of the steering unit in a turnbuckle manner, so that the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair is separated from the ground .

Third, a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a connecting bracket coupled to a manual wheelchair, a clamp bracket coupled to a second frame and partially inserted into a connecting bracket, a clamp bracket coupled to the clamp bracket, A clamping portion including a clamp for coupling the bracket is provided, which is advantageous in that the coupling and separation with the manual wheelchair can be easily performed.

Fourth, according to the manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, a pair of second frames are rotatably hinged to both sides of the first frame so that the distance between the pair of second frame ends is varied , And a manual wheelchair having various widths.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

The foregoing summary, as well as the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present application set forth below, may be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown preferred embodiments in the figures. It should be understood, however, that this application is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.
1 is a perspective view of a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an enlarged view of a frame portion of a passive wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a view showing a state before coupling of a clamping portion of a passive wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a view showing a combined state of a flapping part of a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is an enlarged view of an angle adjusting portion of a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which a manual wheelchair is coupled to a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, so that the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair is separated from the ground; And
FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which a manual wheelchair is coupled to a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair is brought into contact with the ground.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the appended drawings illustrate the present invention in order to more easily explain the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. You will know.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is to be noted that elements having the same function are denoted by the same names and numerals, but are substantially not identical to elements of the prior art.

Also, the terms used in the present application are used only to describe certain embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

Before describing a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, a general manual wheelchair 20 will be briefly described. Generally, in a manual wheelchair 10, a driving force for manually rolling a knob wheel is directly And a auxiliary wheel 22 which is positioned forward of the driving wheel 24 and rotates depending on the rotation of the driving wheel 24 is provided.

When the manual wheelchair 20 is driven using the auxiliary power unit, the auxiliary power unit with the handle is connected to the front of the manual wheelchair 20. When the auxiliary wheel 22 of the manual wheelchair 20 is in contact with the ground, The manual wheelchair 20 swings in the left-right direction, so that it is impossible to steadily drive the auxiliary wheel 22.

Therefore, the manual wheelchair auxiliary traveling device 10 of this embodiment is capable of separating the auxiliary wheel 22 of the manual wheelchair 20 from the ground so as to ensure the stability of the driving even when there is a bump, an uneven surface, A manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a steering unit 100, a frame unit 200, an angle adjusting unit 300, and a clamping unit 400 .

The steering unit 100 includes a steering frame 110 serving as a steering shaft connecting the wheel 120 and the handle 140. The steering frame 110 may be elongated in one direction so that an angle between the steering frame 110 and the ground surface can be adjusted by an angle adjusting unit 300 described later.

The steering unit 100 may include a frame bracket 160 coupled to the steering frame 110 to connect the steering frame 110 with other components. The frame bracket 160 is coupled to a central portion of the steering frame 110 so that the driving unit 130 and the angle adjusting unit 300 to be described later can be connected to the steering frame 110 by the frame bracket 160.

The steering unit 100 may be provided with a drive unit 130 for supplying driving force to the wheel 120 by the frame bracket 160. The driving device 130 may be a motor for driving the wheel 120. [ However, the driving device 130 is not limited to the motor described above, and can be variously selected as long as it drives the wheel 120. In the above description, the drive unit 130 is a motor for convenience of explanation. Although the driving device 130 is mounted on the steering frame 110 by the frame bracket 160 in the present embodiment, the driving device 130 may be installed anywhere on the auxiliary power device 10 .

The steering unit 100 may be provided with an energy supply unit (not shown) for supplying energy to the driving unit 130. A battery may be applied to the energy supply device (not shown), and an internal combustion engine that generates energy using the fuel may be applied to the energy supply device (not shown). That is, the driving device 130 is driven by the energy supplied from the energy supply device (not shown), and the wheel 120 is rotated to move the manual wheelchair 20.

2 is an enlarged view of a frame portion of a passive wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the frame part 200 is rotatably connected to the steering part 100 by a frame bracket 160 and a first nut 310 to be described later. The frame part 200 includes a steering frame 110, (20). The frame part 200 may have a shape of 'C', for example, a pair of second frames 220 facing each other, a first frame 220 connecting the ends of the pair of second frames 220 to each other, (210).

The first frame 210 is connected to the steering frame 110 by a first nut 310 to be described later and the second frame 220 is connected to the manual wheelchair 20. The first frame 210 and the second frame 220 may be hinged to each other to be rotatable. That is, the pair of second frames 220 may be rotatably hinged to both ends of the first frame 210.

A pair of second frames 220 are connected to both side frames of the manual wheelchair 20 such that the second frame 220 is rotatably coupled to the first frame 210 thereby to reduce the width of the manual wheelchair 20 The distance between the pair of second frames 220 can be varied according to the width of the both side frames of the manual wheelchair 20. [ Thus, it is possible to cope with the manual wheelchair 20 of various sizes.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state before coupling of a clamping portion of a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a view after coupling a flapping portion of a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention Fig.

3 and 4, a clamping unit 400 may be provided for coupling the auxiliary power unit 10 and the manual wheelchair 20 of the present embodiment. The clamping portion 400 may include a connecting bracket 410, a clamp bracket 420, and a clamp 430.

The connecting bracket 410 can be fastened to the manual wheelchair 20. The connecting bracket 410 may be fastened to the manual wheelchair 20 in various ways, but the connecting bracket 410 of the present embodiment may be formed to grip the frame of the manual wheelchair 20 in the form of a nipple. The connecting bracket 410 can be coupled to the manual wheelchair 20 by fastening the gripper gripped by the manual wheelchair 20 by the fastening member 414.

In addition, an insertion groove (not shown) may be formed in the connecting bracket 410. An insertion protrusion 422 of a clamp bracket 420 to be described later can be inserted into the insertion groove (not shown). In addition, the connecting bracket 410 may be provided with a coupling protrusion 412. A clamp 430 to be described later is engaged with the engaging projection 412 to prevent the connecting bracket 410 and the clamp bracket 420 from being separated from each other.

The clamp bracket 420 may be coupled to the distal end of the second frame 220. The clamp bracket 420 may be formed with an insertion protrusion 422 to be inserted into an insertion groove (not shown) of the connecting bracket 410. That is, by inserting the insertion protrusion 422 into the insertion groove (not shown), the auxiliary power unit 10 of the present embodiment can be coupled to the manual wheelchair 20.

The clamp 430 may be coupled to the clamp bracket 420. It is also possible to prevent the connecting bracket 410 and the clamp bracket 420 from being separated from each other by engaging with the engaging projection 412 formed on the connecting bracket 410. That is, separation of the auxiliary power unit 10 and the manual wheelchair 20 can be prevented.

As described above, the clamping unit 400 is advantageous in that the auxiliary power unit 10 and the manual wheelchair 20 can be easily combined and separated.

5 is an enlarged view of an angle adjusting portion of a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5, the angle adjusting unit 300 is disposed between the steering unit 100 and the frame unit 200 to adjust the angle of the steering unit 100 according to the rotation of the frame unit 200, Thereby adjusting the angle of the manual wheelchair 20 associated with the wheelchair. The angle adjusting portion 300 is coupled to the steering frame 110 by the frame bracket 160 and the frame portion 200 is coupled to the first nut 310 Can be combined.

In the present embodiment, the angle adjusting unit 300 can adjust the angle of the steering unit 100 in a turnbuckle manner. For this purpose, the angle adjuster 300 may include a first nut 310, a second nut 320, and a bolt 330.

The first nut 310 may be disposed between the frame unit 200 and the steering unit 100 to connect the frame unit 200 to the steering unit 100. More specifically, the first nut 310 may be coupled to the frame bracket 160 at one side and coupled to the first frame 210 at the other side to connect the frame unit 200 to the steering unit 100. The first nut 310 may be hinged to the frame bracket 160 so as to be rotatable in an upward and downward direction. That is, the first nut 310 may be rotatably coupled to the frame bracket 160 about a rotation axis horizontal to the ground.

The second nut 320 may be connected to the frame bracket 160. The second nut 320 may be coupled to the lower portion of the frame bracket 160 rather than the first nut 310. The second nut 320 may be formed with a screw in a direction opposite to the first nut 310. That is, when a right screw is formed on the first nut 310, a left screw is formed on the second nut 320. When a left screw is formed on the first nut 310, a right screw may be formed on the second nut 320 have. The second nut 320 may be rotatably hinged to the other end of the link 360 whose one end is rotatably hinged to the frame bracket 160. That is, one end of the link 360 is rotatably coupled to the frame bracket 160 and the other end of the link 360 is rotatably coupled to the second nut 320. As a result, the second nut 320 Can be rotatably hinged to the steering frame (110).

The bolts 330 are inserted into the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 at the same time and can adjust the distance between the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 according to the rotation. Since the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 are formed with screws in opposite directions to each other, when the bolt 330 is rotated, the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 are moved along the bolt 330 They can move in opposite directions. That is, when the bolt 330 is rotated to one side, the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 move in the direction of approaching each other. When the bolt 330 is rotated to the opposite side, 2 nuts 320 can move in directions away from each other.

A handle 340 may be provided on the upper portion of the bolt 330 to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bolt 330 to facilitate rotation. A stopper 350 may be provided at a central portion of the bolt 330 to limit the movement distance of the first nut 310 and the second nut 320. The movement of the first nut 310 is limited by the handle 340 when the bolt 330 rotates in a direction in which the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 move away from each other, The rotation of the bolts 330 is stopped and the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 are rotated by the stopper 350 when the bolt 330 rotates in a direction in which the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 are moved closer to each other, The rotation of the bolt 330 can be stopped.

This prevents the bolts 330 from separating from the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 or from being damaged due to abutment between the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 . Since the rotation angle of the steering frame 110 and the manual wheelchair 20 is also limited by limiting the movement distance of the first nut 310 and the second nut 320, the auxiliary wheel 22 of the manual wheelchair 20 So that it is possible to prevent a safety accident due to excessive rotation of the bolt 330. [

The first nut 310 and the second nut 320 are rotatably hinged to the frame bracket 160 so that the angle change of the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 due to the rotation of the bolt 330 .

The distance between the first nut 310 and the second nut 320 is adjusted according to the rotation of the bolt 330. At this time, the relative position of the first nut 310 and the passive wheelchair 20 And the relative distance of the second nut 320 with respect to the first nut 310 is adjusted.

6 is a view illustrating a state in which a manual wheelchair is coupled to a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention so that auxiliary wheels of a manual wheelchair are spaced apart from the ground. When the bolt 330 is rotated to one side after connecting the exemplary auxiliary power unit 10 to the manual wheelchair 20, the second nut 320 moves to the first nut 310 side and the link 360 and the frame bracket The angle formed by the ground surface and the steering frame 110 can be increased. When the angle between the ground and the steering frame 110 is increased, the height of the frame part 200 connected to the passive wheelchair 20 is increased, and the auxiliary wheel 22 of the passive wheelchair 20 can be separated from the ground.

As described above, when the auxiliary power unit 10 is driven in a state where the auxiliary wheels 22 are spaced from the ground, stable running is possible than when the auxiliary wheels 22 run in contact with the ground.

FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which a manual wheelchair is coupled to a manual wheelchair auxiliary power unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair is in contact with the ground.

7, when the bolt 330 is rotated to the other side before the auxiliary power unit 10 and the manual wheelchair 20 are separated from each other after the driving, The angle formed by the steering frame 110 and the lower portion of the steering frame 110 connected by the link 360 and the frame bracket 160 may be reduced. When the angle between the ground and the steering frame 110 is reduced, the height of the frame part 200 connected to the passive wheelchair 20 is lowered so that the auxiliary wheel 22 of the passive wheelchair 20 can come into contact with the ground again. In this state, the auxiliary power unit 10 and the manual wheelchair 20 can be separated.

Meanwhile, the passive wheelchair auxiliary power unit 10 of the present embodiment may further include a support portion 150. The supporting portion 150 is connected to the steering frame 110 to support the steering frame 110 on the ground when the angle formed between the steering frame 110 and the ground surface is small to prevent the auxiliary power unit 10 from collapsing.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It is obvious to them. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are to be considered as illustrative rather than restrictive, and the present invention is not limited to the above description, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

10: auxiliary power unit 20: manual wheelchair
100: Steering section 110: Steering frame
120: wheel 130: drive
140: handle 150: support
160: frame bracket 200: frame part
210: first frame 220: second frame
300: Angle adjusting portion 310: First nut
320: second nut 330: bolt
340: Handle 350: Stopper
360: Link 400: Clamping part
410: connecting bracket 412: engaging projection
414: fastening member 420: clamp bracket
422: insertion protrusion 430: clamp

Claims (11)

A steering portion including a steering frame serving as a steering shaft for connecting the wheel and the handle;
A frame portion rotatably connected to the steering portion, the frame portion connecting the steering portion and the manual wheelchair;
An angle adjusting unit disposed between the steering unit and the frame unit for adjusting an angle of the steering wheel by adjusting the angle of the steering frame in accordance with the rotation;
Wherein the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair is selectively spaced apart from the ground according to the rotation of the angle adjuster. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the angle adjusting unit adjusts the angle of the steering unit in a turnbuckle manner. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the angle-
A first nut disposed between the frame portion and the steering portion and connecting the frame portion to the steering portion;
A second nut connected to the steering portion and having a screw formed in a direction opposite to the first nut;
A bolt inserted into the first nut and the second nut to adjust a distance between the first nut and the second nut in accordance with rotation;
Wherein the wheelchair auxiliary power unit comprises: The method of claim 3,
The second nut
And one end rotatably coupled to the other end of the link rotatably hinged to the steering portion. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the bolt is provided with a handle for easy rotation. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the first nut is hingedly coupled to the steering portion in a rotatable manner. The method of claim 3,
The frame unit includes:
A first frame coupled to the first nut; And
A pair of second frames, one end of which is engaged with the manual wheelchair and the other end of which is rotatably hinged to the first frame to vary the width of the side coupled with the manual wheelchair according to the width of the manual wheelchair;
Wherein the wheelchair auxiliary power unit comprises: 8. The method of claim 7,
A connecting bracket fastened to a passive wheelchair and having an insertion groove formed on one side and a coupling protrusion formed on the other side;
A clamp bracket coupled to an end of the second frame and having an insertion protrusion inserted into the insertion groove; And
A clamp coupled to the clamp bracket, the clamp being engaged with the coupling protrusion to prevent the clamping bracket from separating from the clamp bracket;
Wherein a clamping portion is provided for engaging the frame portion and the manual wheelchair. 9. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 8,
Wherein the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair is spaced from the ground when the distance between the first nut and the second nut is reduced due to the rotation of the bolt, thereby increasing the angle between the steering frame and the ground. 9. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 8,
Wherein when the distance between the first nut and the second nut is increased in accordance with the rotation of the bolt, an angle between the steering frame and the ground becomes smaller and the auxiliary wheel of the manual wheelchair comes into contact with the ground. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a supporting portion connected to the steering portion to support the steering portion on the ground when the angle between the steering portion and the ground surface is reduced to prevent the steering portion from collapsing.

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