RU2304952C1 - Vehicle for moving up and down the stairs - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport engineering; invalid chairs.

SUBSTANCE: invention is designed for moving up and down the stairs with the help of assistant and over even surface. proposed vehicle for invalids has carrying frame with handles on upper end for assistant and with coaxial wheels on lower end of frame. Said vehicle has at least one additional support member in form of piano caster which is brought forward, and mechanism for moving up the stairs with support levers. Support levers project from external circumferences of wheels by working ends to engage with nearest step of stairs free from wheels and are displaced widthwise and installed for turning in planes parallel to planes of rotation of wheels. Proposed vehicle contains additionally device to provide smooth moving down the stairs, means for changing relative arrangement of members, self-contained power supply, steering and control, chair for invalid or appliance for arrangement of useful load. Electric drive of vehicle is coupled with support levers. Support levers are installed for rotation under action of electric drive to move up onto higher step of stairs around axle fixed relative to frame, with displacement upwards and backwards relative to axle of rotation of wheels. Device providing smooth moving down the stairs is made in form of damper with movable and fixed links and additional support lever. Additional support lever is orientated backwards from axle of coaxial wheels. One end of additional support lever is hinge secured on carrying frame and the other is hinge coupled with movable link of damper. Fixed link of damper is secured on carrying frame.

EFFECT: improved service (design) characteristics, provision of compactness, smooth running and stability when moving up and down the stairs.

11 cl, 16 dwg

Description

The invention relates to land vehicles (mainly wheelchairs), designed to move a person or cargo on stairs or a flat surface (stairs with an assistant).

The most significant actual problem on the way of creating mobile technical rehabilitation equipment (TCP) is the problem of moving people with limited physical abilities along stairs and overcoming other specialized obstacles such as a curb.

Wheelchair wheelchairs are known (including electric drive transformable multifunctional wheelchairs of a new generation of the author's design), capable of independently climbing curbs and stairs [1-4].

However, they are relatively complex and expensive ($ 15,000–25,000), far from accessible to all those in need, and accordingly may find limited use so far. In addition, they are, as a rule, not yet brought to mass production.

Among specialized TCPs, mobile stairlifts operated by a healthy person (assistant) are also known - vehicles with a frame, wheels, lifting mechanisms and ensuring smooth descent. From the standpoint of comparison with the claimed object of interest are the device according to patent GB2290757 [5].

But they are also relatively expensive, especially for most Russian potential users (approximately $ 10,000).

Closest to the claimed invention by purpose and combination of structural features (prototype) is a vehicle for moving a person on stairs, containing a supporting frame with handles at the upper end for the transporting person and coaxial wheels at its lower end, at least one forward supporting element like a piano wheel, a staircase climbing mechanism, including support arms spaced apart in width with working ends protruding beyond the outer circumference of the coaxial wheels for interaction with the nearest step-free ladder stairs installed with the possibility of rotation in planes parallel to the planes of rotation of the coaxial wheels [6].

In it, the support arms are mounted to rotate (rotate) from a mechanical drive around an axis that coincides with the axis of rotation of the coaxial wheels.

However, with all its advantages, such a device has its drawbacks: insufficient parameters of smoothness and stability of movement on stairs, increased user energy consumption and insufficiently high compactness (and relative complexity of the device), limiting the ability to meet the needs of numerous people who need such TCP, and inhibiting market saturation .

The task to which the claimed invention is directed is to improve the technical and operational (consumer) characteristics of the vehicle, mainly to move a person along the stairs (mobile stair lift), by increasing the smoothness and stability of movement on the stairs, compactness, reducing energy consumption of the user in the specified mode.

The solution of this problem is achieved by the fact that the vehicle, mainly for moving a person along the stairs, containing a supporting frame with handles at the upper end for the transporting person and coaxial wheels at its lower end, at least one additional supporting element, such as a piano wheel, advanced, a lifting mechanism on the ladder, including support arms spaced in width with working ends protruding beyond the outer circumference of the coaxial wheels for interaction with the nearest coaxial free the forest with a step ladder, mounted for rotation in planes parallel to the planes of rotation of the coaxial wheels, further comprises a device for ensuring smooth descent along the stairs, means for changing the relative positions of the elements, autonomous power supply, control and monitoring, a chair for the transported person, or another device for placing the payload and an electric drive associated with the support arms, while the support arms are mounted to rotate from the drive in the direction the descent to the higher step of the ladder around an axis fixed relative to the supporting frame with upward and backward displacement relative to the axis of rotation of the coaxial wheels, the device for ensuring smooth descent along the stairs is made in the form of a damper with movable and fixed links and an additional support arm oriented backward from the axis of the coaxial wheels, one end of which is pivotally mounted on the supporting frame, and the other is pivotally connected to the movable link of the damper, and the fixed link of the damper is fixed on the supporting frame.

The solution of this problem is also achieved due to additional structural features (with the above main set of features):

- the ends of the supporting arms can be equipped with supporting frictional elements, for example of a cylindrical shape, and the ratio of the diameter of the wheel, the length of the supporting arm, the height of the friction element and the displacement of the axis of rotation of the supporting arm relative to the axis of rotation of the wheel are selected to minimize the height of the wheel above that step which rests the support arm .;

- with the previous set of additional features, the optimal displacement of the axis of rotation of the support arms of the climbing mechanism along the stairs relative to the axis of rotation of the coaxial wheels can be 2-7 cm up and 1-7 cm back relative to the orientation of the chair or other device to accommodate the payload with a wheel diameter of 24-30 cm and the length of the support arm 14-20 cm;

- the damper can be made hydraulic, while its body is fixed on the supporting frame;

- with the previous set of additional features, the damper can be either lever or telescopic; in the latter case, the damper body is pivotally fixed to the supporting frame;

- the damper body can be mounted on the supporting frame on-off with the possibility of selective installation of the additional support arm in the upper idle position or lower working position, which corresponds only to the descent of the vehicle along the stairs or from the curb;

- the device for ensuring smooth descent down the stairs can be equipped with a return spring, lowering the additional support arm down;

- the supporting frame can be made of variable height, for example telescopic;

- the vehicle can be additionally equipped with a manual independent drive of rotation of the wheels, for example, side flywheel wheels connected to the corresponding wheel by flexible connections, mainly chain drives;

- with the previous set of additional features, the chair can be made with armrests that are tilted upward and fixed in position along the supporting frame, and flywheels are located directly under the armrests in their working position.

Among the known devices and methods, no such combination of essential features would coincide with the declared one. At the same time, it is due to the latter that a new technical result is achieved in accordance with the task.

The drawings depict, as examples of the possibility of implementing the invention, options for a specific structural embodiment of the claimed vehicle.

figure 1 shows a General view of the vehicle with a lever damper, side view when the idle position of all support arms;

figure 2 is the same, rear view;

figure 3 is a General view of the vehicle with a lever damper, side view when the idle position of the support arms of the climbing mechanism on the stairs and the working position of the additional support arm;

figure 4 is a General view of a vehicle with a lever damper, side view when the inoperative position of the additional support arm and the working position of the support arms of the staircase climbing mechanism;

figure 5 shows a perspective view of a General view of a vehicle with a telescopic damper;

figure 6 is a General view of a vehicle with a telescopic damper, side view when the operating position of the additional support arm;

Fig.7 is the same, rear view;

on Fig - diagram of the relative position of the support arms of the mechanism for climbing stairs and vehicle wheels, side view;

figure 9 is an enlarged fragment of a hydraulic telescopic damper device for ensuring smooth descent, a longitudinal section;

figure 10 shows a perspective view of a General view of a vehicle with a telescopic damper and additional manual independent drive rotation of the wheels;

figure 11 is the same side view when the operating position of the additional support arm;

Fig.12 is the same, rear view;

on Fig - the device of Fig. 12, an option with up-folding armrests;

on Fig shows in a perspective view the process of descent of a person on a vehicle (with an additional manual drive) up the stairs;

on Fig shows in a perspective view the process of lifting a person on a vehicle (with an additional manual drive) on the stairs;

on Fig (series of "frames") is a diagram of the kinematic diagram of the shoot (rise) of the vehicle on the ladder due to the lifting mechanism with electric drive.

The vehicle, mainly for moving a person along the stairs, comprises a chair 1 (see Figs. 1, 2) for a transported person 2 (see Figs. 14, 15) or another device for placing a payload carrying a frame 3, preferably of variable height , preferably telescopic (with a lock in shortened and elongated positions), with handles 4, 5 at its upper end for the hands of a transporting person (assistant, medical staff, etc.) 6 (see Fig. 14, 15) and coaxial ( common axis 7) wheels 8, 9 at its lower end (on the left and right sides of the conveyor Nogo means), at least one forward imposed additional supporting element type grand piano wheels (in these examples the two pivoting axes relative to vertical wheels 10, 11). The vehicle is equipped with a stair climbing mechanism, which includes an electric drive (usually an electric motor with a gearbox) 12 and associated support arms 13, 14 spaced across the width of the vehicle (i.e., on the left and right sides).

The supporting levers 13, 14 are installed with an offset relative to the axis 7, and their ends (the end, if the lever is not bilateral in FIGS. 1-4, but one-way in FIGS. 5-8, 11-16) protrude (on part of its path) the outer circumferences of the wheels 8, 9 for interaction with the nearest step-free staircase 15 free of wheels 8, 9 (see Figs. 8, 15, 16).

Moreover, the levers 13, 14 are mounted to rotate from the electric drive 12 in the direction of emergence to the higher step of the ladder 15 (see Figs. 8, 15, 16), around an axis 16, fixed relative to the frame 3 with an offset up and back relative to axis 7 (see Fig. 8). Thus, the levers 13, 14 are installed with the possibility of (simultaneous translational motion and rotation) in planes parallel to the planes of rotation of the wheels 8, 9.

At the ends of the levers 13, 14, it is recommended to install supporting friction elements 17 of the lowest possible height. In particular, they can have a cylindrical shape (then by radius we mean radius).

The ratio of the diameter of the wheel 8 (9), the length of the support arm 13 (14), the height of the friction element 17 and the displacement of the axis of rotation 16 of the support arm 13 (14) relative to the axis 7 are selected in order to minimize the height of the wheel 8 (9) above that step of the ladder 15 on which the support lever 13 (14) rests.

According to the theoretical and experimental studies carried out by the authors (on a navigational layout), the displacement of axis 16 relative to axis 7, equal to 2-7 cm up and 1-7 cm back relative to the orientation of chair 1 (i.e., in the direction of the shoot up the stairs), should be considered optimal with the diameter of the wheel 8 (9) 24-30 cm and the length of the lever 13 (14) 14-20 cm (see Fig. 8).

As part of the vehicle there is a device for ensuring smooth descending stairs. It is made in the form of a damper (preferably hydraulic) - lever 18 (more precisely - lever-piston type door closer - see Fig.1-4, or lever-blade) or telescopic 19 (automobile type - see Fig.8, 5- 7, 9-15), and an additional support arm 20. The latter is oriented backward (with respect to the orientation of the seat 1 or other device for placing the payload and, accordingly, along the vehicle down the stairs 15) from the axis 7. One end of the arm 20 is pivotally (hinge 21) is fixed on the frame 3. Its other end, the move it is equipped with support friction elements 22 spaced along the vehicle width (for example, using a closed rubber or rubber-fabric belt) and, in addition, it is pivotally (hinge 23) connected to the movable link of the damper 18/19. In this case, a fixed, relatively movable link, damper link 18/19 is fixed on the frame 3 (pos. 24).

The design provides a return spring (not shown in the drawings) that provides quick extension of the movable link of the damper 18/19 (in other words, lowering the additional support arm down).

The device for ensuring the smoothness of descending stairs can be additionally equipped with a shock absorber (not shown in the illustrations) of a known or new design in parallel with the joint work with the damper 18/19. However, said return spring is formally already such.

The damper housing 18/19 can be mounted on the frame 3 on-off with the possibility of selective installation, for example, by means of a handle 25 with a spring-loaded lock of the additional support lever to the upper idle position or lower working position, which corresponds only to the descent of the vehicle along the stairs or from the curb (see Fig. 1, 3, 4 and Fig. 14, 15).

In the examples described above, wheels 8, 9 are mounted on bearings freely, i.e. are non-powered. As another promising option (with enhanced functionality), a device with an additional independent manual wheel rotation drive 8, 9 is recommended (see Fig. 10-15). Such a drive may include, for example, side-wheel flywheels 26, 27, traditional for wheelchairs, connected to wheels 8, 9, respectively, by flexible links 28, 29, mainly a chain drive (chain drive).

At the same time, in order to increase the compactness of the vehicle and reduce its width, the seat 1 can be made with the armrests 32, 33 that are tilted up (on the hinged mounts 30, 31 - see Fig. 13) and fixed in the position along the frame 3 wheels 26, 27 are located directly under the armrests 32, 33, respectively, in their working position.

The vehicle also includes means for changing the relative position of its elements (including a number of the above), autonomous power supplies (primarily an electric battery 34 or other autonomous power source, such as a capacitor bank), means of controlling the vehicle and controlling its parameters. In particular, the control panel should have an indication of the operating mode and condition of the battery. The vehicle as varieties of TCP should also include mechanical brakes with an independent drive and a seat belt for the transported person 2.

It is very likely that a vehicle with a device 1 for placing a payload (instead of a chair 1), which can be understood as a wheelchair with a person sitting on it 2. In this case, either a wheelchair driven by person 2, drives up to the vehicle - "Stair lift" or vice versa. In both cases, these 6 transport units are connected by person 6 to each other (the wheelchair is mounted on the “stair lift”, after which it is lifted to the profile obstacle or lowered from it).

The described example of a specific design variant does not exclude other possible variants of the device within the framework of the claimed combination of essential structural features (see the claims), in particular, using commercially available products for other purposes, first of all, remodeled (adapted) door hydraulic closers for this.

The inventive device operates as follows.

In the mode of movement on a flat surface (i.e., in the absence of profile obstacles such as stairs and curbs), a vehicle with a transported person 2 is moved by a transporting person 6, as a rule, in forward gear, supported by two wheels 8, 9 or all wheels 8 -eleven. At the same time, a convenient height for the location of the handles 4, 5 is preliminarily set by unlocking and extending the telescopic part of the frame 3 with fixing in a new position. This is the usual mode of movement for wheelchairs and freight trolleys. If there is an additional drive 26-29, user 2 can move independently, bringing the flywheels 26, 27 into rotation with his hands. This is the usual mode of movement of mechanical wheelchairs. For the constructive version of Fig.13, independent movement is carried out with the raised (and fixed in position "along the frame 3") position of the armrests 32, 33 of chair 1.

In the mode of descent from the curb (the second most important mode of operation of the inventive device) from a step or moving down the stairs (hereinafter referred to as staircase 15 - see Fig. 14), person 6, having previously installed levers 13, 14 (by briefly turning on the drive 12) to the inoperative position (of course, if it was not done earlier by him or automatically by means of control and management), the device for ensuring smooth descent along the stairs to the working position (by unlocking and turning the handle 25 to the lower position with its subsequent fixation), convenient from the location of the handles 4, 5 (described above by changing the length of the frame 3), the vehicle pushes in front of itself in forward motion in the position of its support on the wheels 8, 9 and the supporting elements 22 of the lever 20. At the same time, the elements 22 continue to remain on the stage at the descent the steps of the staircase of wheels 8, 9. Under the influence of the already overwhelming part of the gravity of the vehicle with person 2 on the elements 22 (for wheels 8, 9 are hung out), the movable link of the damper 18/19 is slow (due to oil flowing through the throttle hole (see Fig.9) moves upward relative to its fixed link until the wheels 8, 9 fall to the next lower step of the ladder 15 and take on the same, main part of the load. This ensures a smooth ("cautious") descent from the stage. Then, when the vehicle is shifted forward on the wheels 8, 9, the movable link of the damper 18/19 with the elements 22 automatically under the action of the return spring (plus / or gravity of the movable link of the damper and the lever 20) quickly enough returns to the support of the elements 22 to the specified lower stage. At the same time, man 6 controls the speed of the vehicle pushing, making sure that the wheels 8, 9 do not get off this stage before the elements 22 fall on it (otherwise, the vehicle will break from the stage to a certain height before the damper is turned on 18/19 to work). Further descent is carried out under the same actions of man 6 and with the same phenomena. In the process of moving down the stairs, person 6 can quickly change the angle of inclination of the frame 3 in the longitudinal vertical plane, thereby maintaining the overall balance (weight distribution). As the tests of the experimental sample showed, when lowering a vehicle with person 2 on the hands of person 6, the load does not exceed 5-10 kgf. The device provides a maximum descent speed of approximately 1 step in 2 seconds.

Having overcome a profile obstacle such as a ladder or a curb, person 6 puts the device for ensuring smooth descent along the stairs to the inoperative position (by unlocking and turning the handle 25 to the upper position with its subsequent fixation) and a convenient height of the handles 4, 5 (described above by changing the length of the frame 3). Thereby, the vehicle becomes prepared for driving on flat terrain by the previously described method.

In the lifting mode (the first most important mode of operation of the inventive device) to the curb, to the step or moving up the stairs (hereinafter referred to as staircase 15 - see Figs. 8, 15, 16), person 6 first rises and pushes the vehicle behind him in reverse until the wheels 8, 9 approach the edge of the stage, having previously set the levers 13, 14 (by briefly turning on the actuator 12) in the working position, preferably with a positive angle of attack of the levers 13, 14 and the arrangement of the elements 17 above the level of the first stage (of course, if it was not done by him or automatically by means of control and management), convenient height of the position of the handles 4, 5 (described above by changing the length of the frame 3) and turning on the power switch of the drive 12. Then person 6 presses and continues to hold the button "work of the lifting mechanism" ( the toggle switch and button are part of the control system). When this drive 12 drives the levers 13, 14. They run elements 17 on the horizontal surface of the stage, take on the bulk of the gravity of the vehicle with a person 2, and the vehicle with the support of the rollers 17 when the wheels 8, 9 are hung up moves - forward, due to the energy of the accumulator 34. When lowering the wheels 8, 9 to the step directly in front of the edge of the next higher stage, the levers 13, 14 freed from the load continue their movement until a new interaction with this stage. The process continues to overcome the entire flight of stairs. In this case, the role of man 6, as in the descent mode, is reduced to controlling (and correcting, if necessary) the kinematics of movement and maintaining the overall balance (weight distribution) by adjusting the angle of inclination of the frame 3. The lifting mechanism provides a maximum rate of climb of the stairs by about 1 step in 3 seconds .

With the optimal choice of the device geometry, the minimum height of the wheels 8, 9 above the step (i.e., the trajectory is flat) takes place.

The use of the invention allows to improve the technical and operational (consumer) characteristics of the vehicle, mainly for moving a person along the stairs (mobile stair lift), by increasing the smoothness and stability of movement on the stairs, compactness, and reducing the user's energy consumption in the specified mode.

Information sources

1. RU 2043097, A61G 5/04, 09/10/1995.

2. RU 2128035, A61G 5/04, 03/27/1999.

3. RU 2153868, A61G 5/04, 08/10/2000.

4. RU 2217119, A61G 5/06, 11/27/2003.

5. GB 2290757, A61G 7/10, BVB 1/22, A61G 5/00, 7/10, 01/10/1996.

6. SU 1607806 A1, A61G 5/06, 11/23/1990 (prototype).

Claims (11)

1. A vehicle, mainly for moving a person along the stairs, comprising a supporting frame with handles at the upper end for the transporting person and coaxial wheels at its lower end, at least one additional supporting element such as a piano wheel, a forward mechanism for climbing stairs, including spaced apart the width of the support arms with the working ends protruding beyond the outer circumference of the coaxial wheels for interaction with the nearest step of the ladder free of coaxial wheels, installed with rotation in planes parallel to the planes of rotation of the coaxial wheels, characterized in that it further comprises a device for ensuring smooth descent down the stairs, means for changing the relative positions of the elements, autonomous power supply, control and monitoring, a chair for the transported person or another device for accommodating the payload and electric drive associated with the supporting levers, while the supporting levers are mounted to rotate from the electric drive in the direction of shoot to a higher stupa the staircase, around an axis fixed relative to the supporting frame, offset up and back relative to the axis of rotation of the coaxial wheels, the device for ensuring smooth descent along the stairs is made in the form of a damper with movable and fixed links and an additional support arm oriented backward from the axis of the coaxial wheels, one the end of which is pivotally mounted on the supporting frame, and the other is pivotally connected to the movable link of the damper, and the fixed link of the damper is fixed on the supporting frame. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the ends of the support arms are equipped with friction support elements, for example, of cylindrical shape, and the ratio of the wheel diameter, length of the support arm, the height of the friction element and the offset of the axis of rotation of the support arm relative to the axis of rotation of the wheel are selected from calculation of minimizing the height of the wheel above the step of the ladder on which the support arm rests. 3. The vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the optimal displacement of the axis of rotation of the support arms of the stair climbing mechanism relative to the axis of rotation of the coaxial wheels is 2-7 cm up and 1-7 cm back, relative to the orientation of the chair or other device for placing useful load, with a wheel diameter of 24-30 cm and a support arm length of 14-20 cm. 4. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the damper is made hydraulic, while its body is fixed on a supporting frame. 5. The vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the damper is lever. 6. The vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the damper is made telescopic, while the damper body is pivotally fixed to the carrier frame. 7. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the damper body is mounted on the carrier frame on-off, with the possibility of selective installation of the additional support arm in the upper idle position or lower working position, corresponding only to the descent of the vehicle on the stairs or from the curb. 8. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the device for ensuring smooth descent along the stairs is further provided with a return spring lowering the additional support arm down. 9. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the supporting frame is made of variable height, for example telescopic. 10. The vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that it is additionally equipped with a manual independent wheel rotation drive, for example, side flywheel wheels connected to the corresponding wheel by flexible couplings, mainly chain drives. 11. The vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that the chair is made up of armrests that are tilted upward and fixed in position along the supporting frame, and flywheels are located directly under the armrests in their working position.

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