WO2006025245A1

WO2006025245A1 - Handle connection structure

Info

Publication number: WO2006025245A1
Application number: PCT/JP2005/015396
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nobuyasu Sadakata; Hideki Furuuchi; Hideyuki Minami; Tatsuya Shimada; Takuro Hatsukari; Masato Shimokawa; Hiroki Kazuno; Manabu Sato
Original assignee: Mitsuba Corporation; Paramount Bed Co., Ltd
Priority date: 2004-09-03
Filing date: 2005-08-25
Publication date: 2006-03-09
Also published as: JPWO2006025245A1; CN101010651A; CN100549901C; JP4860473B2

Abstract

A handle connection structure, wherein a lever shaft (50) is fixed to the base part of a handle (6). A shaft (57) is fixed to the lever shaft (50), and a rear bracket (71) is rotatably mounted on the shaft (57). A first gear part (53) is formed on the lever shaft (50) and a second gear part (73) is formed on the rear bracket (71), and a ring gear (98) is fitted onto the outsides of the first and second gear parts (53) and (73). An internal gear (99) meshed with the first and second gear parts (53) and (73) is formed on the inner peripheral side of the ring gear (98). The ring gear (98) is energized to the first gear part (53) side by a return spring (106). When the ring gear (98) is moved to the second gear part (73) side against an energizing force, the meshing of the first gear part (53) with the internal gear (99) is released, the lever shaft (50) becomes rotatable relative to the rear bracket (71), and the handle (6) can be stored.

Description

Specification

Handle connection structure

Technical field

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a connection structure of an operation lever and a handle used in a bed transfer device for a hospital, and in particular, detects an operation force of a handle and drives an electric motor based on the detected operation force. The present invention relates to a technique that is effective when applied to the handle of an electric transfer device that supplies the electric power.

Background art

[0002] In hospitals, nursing homes, factories, warehouses, and the like, a large number of transfer devices powered by motors such as electric beds and stretchers, food carts and cargo carts are used. In such a conveying apparatus, generally, a driving wheel driven by an electric motor is provided on a main body frame to which a caster is attached, and assist force at the time of movement is supplied by the driving wheel. An electric motor, a battery for power supply, a controller for motor control, etc. are attached to the main body frame. On the main body frame, a mat is placed for a bed, and a cargo bed is provided for a cart.

[0003] The main body frame is also provided with a handle for moving the transport device back and forth and left and right. In general, the height and position of this handle can be adjusted according to the physique and posture of the operator, and in many cases, the handle can be stored appropriately when not in use. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-317953 (Patent Document 1) discloses an operation lever for a bed transport apparatus in which the operation height position can be adjusted.

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a pair of operation levers are rotatably provided in the operation unit. When adjusting the operation height position of the operation lever, the lock pin is operated by pressing the lock release button. Release the lock by separating the latch hole force of the lever shaft. After that, the operation lever is rotated to adjust the rotation angle of the gripping part, and when the height becomes easy to operate, the lock release button is released. As a result, the locking member moves in the axial direction, the lock pin fits into the locking hole of the lever shaft, and the grip portion of the operating lever is locked at the adjustment position. Such adjustment is also used when the handle is retracted when not being transported.

[0005] In addition, in the electric conveyance device, the force applied to the handle is detected to control the assist force. There are many things. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-171524 (Patent Document 2) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-180500 (Patent Document 3) describe an electric assist according to the amount of lever operation by detecting the swing angle of the operation lever with a potentiometer. An operating device for an electric vehicle that generates force is disclosed. In the devices of Patent Documents 2 and 3, the operation lever is held in a neutral position by compression springs attached in the longitudinal direction of the lever. The lower end of the operating lever is connected to the rotary shaft of the potentiometer via a driving member. When the operating lever is operated against the biasing force of the compression spring, the rotary shaft of the potentiometer rotates and a signal corresponding to the rotational angle is output.

Patent Document 1: JP-A-8-317953

Patent Document 2: JP 2001-171524 A

Patent Document 3: JP 2001-180500 A

Disclosure of the invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

[0006] On the other hand, the lever attached to the operation handle of the transport apparatus is generally long. A very large force acts on the base of the lever. Normally, the lever is connected to the lever shaft at the base, and a large force is applied to this connecting part by the moment generated by the lever operating force. However, in the position adjusting mechanism as in Patent Document 1, since the lever shaft and the operation lever are pin-coupled, in order to ensure sufficient strength at the coupling portion, a thick lever shaft or lock is used. There was a problem that a pin was required and the mechanism was enlarged.

[0007] In addition, in the position adjusting mechanism using a pin, when the pin is unlocked, the operation lever may rotate by its own weight. For this reason, when storing the operation needle, there is a problem that the lever cannot be stored in a predetermined position. In addition, if the lock is not released while pressing the lever, the lever may move suddenly when the lever is released, which makes it difficult to perform the positioning operation.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a handle connection structure in which the strength of the coupling portion is high V while it can be easily stored by a simple operation.

Means for solving the problem

[0009] The handle connection structure of the present invention includes a lever shaft fixed to a handle base, and the lever A shaft fixed to the shaft and extending in the direction of the central axis of rotation of the lever shaft, a bracket rotatably attached to the shaft, a first gear formed on the lever shaft, and the bracket. And a gear member capable of meshing with the second gear, and having a connecting member that is disengaged from the first gear by moving along the rotational axis direction.

[0010] In the present invention, since the lever shaft can be selectively rotated by operating the connecting member, the handle can be stored by rotating around the lever shaft, and the rotation of the handle can be inhibited. The handle can be fixed with high strength in the retracting direction. Further, since the lever shaft and the bracket are integrally connected by the shaft and the connecting member, the lever shaft and the bracket are strongly connected to each other when the lever operating force is transmitted to the bracket, and the force and backlash are small. Accordingly, the transmission strength of the force in the operation direction is ensured, and the detection accuracy of the operation force is improved.

[0011] The handle connection structure may further include a first elastic member that urges the connecting member in the first gear direction along the rotation center axis direction. As a result, the coupling member and the first gear can be more reliably engaged with each other without causing the coupling member to easily disengage the first gear force. Further, the connecting member in a state where the first gear force is also released can be engaged with the first gear by the biasing force of the first elastic member, and the connecting member released from the engagement with the first gear is automatically brought into the engaged state. It can also be restored. Therefore, when the handle can be rotated by the movement of the connecting member, the connecting member is automatically restored and the rotation is locked.

[0012] In the handle connection structure, a cover member that operates integrally with the connecting member is provided outside the lever shaft, and a display unit that displays a combined state of the first gear and the connecting member on the cover member May be provided. In this case, since the cover member operates integrally with the connecting member when releasing the engagement state of the first gear and the connecting member, only the cover member is moved in the engaging direction when the connecting member and the cover member are moved in the releasing direction. There is no moving to. For this reason, it is possible to prevent erroneous display of the display portion caused by the mismatch of the operation of the cover member and the connecting member.

[0013] In the handle connection structure, a rotation operation between the lever shaft and the bracket At this time, a braking unit for applying a rotational resistance may be provided. In this case, the braking portion is attached to the lever shaft, attached to the second elastic member that presses the bracket along the direction of the rotation center axis, and attached to the shaft so that movement in the axial direction is restricted, It is good also as a structure which has the control member pressed by the urging | biasing force of the said 2nd elastic member to the pressing surface formed in the bracket. By providing such a braking part, it is possible to prevent the handle from rotating inadvertently due to the fall of the handle due to its own weight when the engagement between the first gear and the connecting member is released. Can be prevented.

[0014] In the handle connection structure, the lever shaft, the shaft, and the bracket may be formed in a hollow structure, and a hole through which an electrical wiring can be passed is provided in each of the lever shaft, the shaft, and the bracket. . Thus, electrical wiring can be routed through the inside of the connection structure portion, and electrical parts such as switches can be installed on the handle without being troubled by wiring processing. In this case, a seal member to which the electrical wiring is attached in a watertight state may be attached to the hole of the bracket in a watertight state. This suppresses the outflow of liquid to the outside of the bracket internal force through the electrical wiring. For example, when the bracket is attached to the handle operating force detection device, it is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the detection device side. .

[0015] In addition to the handle connection structure, the bracket may be provided with a drain hole that opens to the end surface on the lever shaft side of the bracket and communicates with the internal space of the bracket. As a result, even when the handle is washed with water, even if liquid enters the bracket, it does not remain stored but is discharged out of the connection structure through the drain hole.

[0016] Depending on the handle connection structure, the bracket may be attached to an operation force detection device that detects an operation force of the handle. In this case, the steering wheel operating direction and the steering wheel rotating direction can be set in different directions, thereby suppressing the deviation of the zero point position of the operating force detecting device due to the steering wheel rotation.

[0017] Further, the operating force detection device is rotatably supported by a fixed block disposed in a housing and is fixed to one end of the bracket, and is inserted into the hollow shaft. The other end is fixed to the hollow shaft. It may be configured to have a fixed torsion bar and a potentiometer connected to the torsion bar.

[0018] Further, the operating force detection device is provided with a transmission gear fixed to the other end side of the torsion bar, and a driven gear fixed to the input shaft of the potentiometer and meshed with the transmission gear. The number of teeth may be smaller than the number of teeth of the transmission gear. As a result, the displacement of the handle is directly transmitted to the potentiometer by the gear, and the lever does not intervene unlike the conventional detection device using the coil panel, and the deterioration of detection accuracy due to rattling of the lever is suppressed. In addition, the torsion amount of the torsion bar is amplified and transmitted to the potentiometer, so that the handle operating angle can be detected more accurately.

[0019] In the handle connection structure, the handle may be attached to a power-assisted transfer device to which traveling assist force is applied by drive wheels driven by an electric motor.

[0020] According to the handle connection structure of the present invention, a lever shaft fixed to the handle base, a shaft fixed to the lever shaft and extending in the direction of the rotation center axis of the lever shaft, and rotatably attached to the shaft. The first gear and the first gear formed on the lever shaft and the second gear formed on the bracket are provided with gear teeth that can be engaged with the first gear. Since the lever has a connecting member that can be released, the lever shaft can be selectively rotated by operating the connecting member, and the handle can be stored by rotating around the lever shaft. The rotation can be prevented by the gear meshing, and the handle can be fixed with high strength in the retracted direction. In addition, since the lever shaft and the bracket are connected by the shaft and the connecting member, it is possible to reduce the backlash that increases the connection strength between the lever shaft and the bracket when the lever operating force is transmitted to the bracket. Therefore, the force transmission strength in the steering direction is ensured, and the detection accuracy of the operating force is improved.

[0021] Further, by further providing a first elastic member that urges the connecting member in the first gear direction along the direction of the rotation center axis, the connecting member does not easily disengage the first gear force. And the first gear can be more reliably engaged. Also, the first gear force is released The connecting member in the engaged state can be engaged with the first gear by the biasing force of the first elastic member, and the connecting member released from the engagement with the first gear can be automatically returned to the engaged state. Become. Therefore, even when the handle can be turned by moving the connecting member, the connecting member can be automatically returned to lock the turning of the handle.

[0022] Furthermore, by providing a braking portion that applies a rotational resistance force during the rotation operation between the lever shaft and the bracket, when the engagement between the first gear and the connecting member is released, the handle is dropped by its own weight. It is possible to prevent the handle from turning carelessly and the needle from being unlocked.

[0023] By making the lever shaft, shaft and bracket hollow, and providing holes through which the electrical wiring can be inserted, electrical wiring can be routed through the inside of the connection structure portion. Electric parts such as switches can be installed in the notebook without any trouble. In addition, the electrical wiring can be attached in a watertight state to the hole through which the electrical wiring of the bracket is inserted. By attaching a sealing member in a watertight state, it is possible to prevent liquid from flowing out from the inside of the bracket through the electrical wiring .

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of a hospital electric bed to which a handle connection structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an outline of the electric bed shown in FIG.

3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a drive unit of the electric bed in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection structure between a drive unit and a lift actuator.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of a node and a dollar attached to the electric bed in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a connection portion between the handle and the sensor device.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the handle and the sensor device.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the handle and the sensor device.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the sensor device.

[FIG. 10] (a) is a side view of the lever shaft, and (b) is a front view of the lever shaft.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the shaft.

[FIG. 12] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the joint between the lever shaft and the rear bracket, and (b) is a joint of (a) (C) is a front view of a stainless steel ring, and (d) is a front view of a resin ring.

[FIG. 13] (a) is a side view of the rear bracket, and (b) is a front view of the rear bracket.

14] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the brake part, (b) is a front view of a resin ring used in the brake part, and (c) is a front view of the stainless steel ring.

FIG. 15 (a) is a front view of the ring gear, and FIG. 15 (b) is a cross-sectional view of the ring gear.

Explanation of symbols

1 Drive unit

2 beds

3 mat

4 arms

5 Safety fence

6,6L, 6R

6a Lever part

6b Grip part

7 Sensor device (Operating force detection device)

8 Controlrono Nenore

8a Power switch

8b Emergency stop switch

8c bed lift switch

8d LED display panel

11 frames

11a mainframe

l ib connecting bar

12 Drive unit

13 Lifting actuator

14 casters

15 power Motor base, 17L, 17R DC motor, 18L, 18R Deceleration mechanism Rotating shaft

, 21L, 21R Drive wheel Wheel

Rubber tire

tower

a base

Floor

Pivot

Arm

Long hole

Plunger pin

Spring

Plunger

DC motor bracket

Battery

Controller Actuator End cap Lever shaft

Body part

a Large diameter part

b Small diameter part

Handle mounting part 1st gear part

a, 54b Kanoichi

Wiring hole

Shaft hole

Shaft

Wiring hole

Connection hole

Notch

C-ring groove Difficult 15

Notch

Recess

Mating groove

Belleville spring (second elastic member) Stainless steel ring Large diameter part

a Convex

b Extension

Rear bracket body

Second gear part

Shaft fixing part Shaft hole

Bearing material

Recess

ring 81 toothpaste

82 Notch

83 steps

83a Pushing surface

84 Braking part

85 Grease ring

86 Stainless steel ring

87 Positioning protrusion

88 C-ring

89 Sealing section

89a inner wall

91 Internal sheathing material

91a Outer periphery

92 Wiring

93 Sinore hole

94 Connector

95 Wiring

96 Operation switch

97 Drain hole

98 Ring gear (connecting member)

99 Internal teeth (gear teeth)

101 teeth

102 Engagement protrusion

103

104 Sleeve mounting groove

105 Sleeve (Cover member)

106 Return spring (first elastic member)

107 Spring receiver 108 housing

109 fixed block

111 hollow shaft

112 Toon Yonbar

113 Potentiometer

114 knurl

115 Bracket

116 Serration

117 Fixed plate

118 Transmission gear

119 External sealing material

121 Confirmation window (display)

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of an electric bed for a hospital to which a handle connection structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an outline of the electric bed in FIG. The electric bed for hospitals in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a drive unit 1 and a bed unit 2. The drive unit 1 houses a motor and various actuators, and the bed unit 2 has a mat 3 mounted thereon. The bed 2 is supported by an arm 4 attached to the drive unit 1. The arm 4 is driven by the drive unit 1 so that the height and posture of the bed unit 2 can be changed by moving the arm 4 up and down.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the drive unit 1. The drive unit 1 has a configuration in which a drive unit 12, a lift actuator 13 and the like are arranged on a steel frame 11. The steel frame 11 is composed of a main frame 11a extending in the front-rear direction and a connecting bar 1 lb extending in the width direction so as to connect between the main frames 11a. Casters 14 are attached to both ends of the main frame 1 la on the lower surface side. A synthetic resin cover 15 is attached to the frame 11 as shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the force bar 15 is removed.

The drive unit 12 is placed on the motor base 16. In the drive unit 12, Two sets of DC motor 17 (17L, 17R) and reduction mechanism 18 (18L, 18R) are installed. Two rotating shafts 19 project from the left and right sides of the drive unit 12. The rotation of the motor 17 is decelerated by the deceleration mechanism 18 and output to the rotary shaft 19. Drive wheels 21 (21L, 21R) are fixed to each rotary shaft 19. The drive wheel 21 is composed of a wheel 22 and a rubber tire 23 fixed to the rotary shaft 19.

[0029] The drive unit 12 is further provided with a vehicle speed sensor (not shown). The vehicle speed sensor is composed of a multipolar magnetized magnet attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 17 and a magnetic detection element that is disposed in the vicinity of the magnet and outputs a pulse signal when the magnetic pole changes. When the motor 17 rotates, a rotation pulse signal is output from the magnetic detection element according to the motor rotation speed. The rotational speed of the motor 17 and the rotational speed of the drive wheel 21 have a correlation, and the rotational speed of the drive wheel 21, that is, the vehicle speed can be detected by detecting the motor rotational speed by the vehicle speed sensor.

A tower 24 is erected on the motor base 16. The tower 24 is connected to the lifting / lowering actuator 13. The drive unit 12 moves up and down by the operation of the elevator actuator 13, and the drive wheel 21 contacts and separates from the floor surface (travel surface) 25. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection structure between the drive unit 12 and the lift actuator 13. As shown in FIG. 4, the base 24 a of the tower 24 is rotatably supported by the arm 27 by a pivot 26. The arm 27 is fixed to the connecting bar l ib, and the motor base 16 is supported by the frame 11 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction (X direction in FIG. 4) around the pivot 26.

A long hole 28 is formed in the upper part of the tower 24. A pin 31 attached to the plunger 29 is inserted into the long hole 28 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in the figure). The blower 29 is attached to the upper part of the tower 24 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, and is connected to the plunger 33 of the lift actuator 13 via the panel 32. The elevator actuator 13 is driven by a DC motor 34. As the DC motor 34 rotates, the plunger 33 moves in the Y direction in FIG. The left end of the lifting / lowering actuator 13 in the figure is supported by a bracket 35 fixed to the connecting bar l ib so as to be swingable.

In this way, the motor base 16 is connected to the lifting / lowering actuator 13 via the panel 32. When the lifting / lowering actuator 13 is activated and the plunger 33 is extended, the panel 32, the plunger 29, The tower 24 is pushed through the pin 31 and the motor base 16 rotates clockwise around the pivot 26 in FIG. As a result, the drive wheel 21 moves to the floor surface 25 and is pressed against the floor surface 25 with a predetermined ground load. On the other hand, when the plunger 33 contracts, the motor base 16 rotates counterclockwise around the pivot 26. As a result, the drive wheel 21 is detached from the floor surface 25 and raised, and stored in a position separated from the floor surface 25.

The frame 11 is further provided with a battery 36 for power supply, a controller 37 for motor control, an actuator 38 for bed attitude control, and the like. The notch 36 supplies power to the motors 17, 34, the controller 37, the actuator 38, and the like. The controller 37 is connected to the control panel 8 (see Fig. 5), and controls the drive of each motor, actuator, etc. in accordance with an operator input instruction.

On the other hand, safety fences 5 are attached to both sides of the bed 2. A handle 6 for moving the bed is attached to the front end side (the user's head side) of the bed portion 2. Here, front and rear mean the longitudinal direction of the bed, and side portions mean both ends in the width direction (left and right direction) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 5, one handle 6 is provided on each of the left and right sides (6L, 6R), and is connected to a sensor device 7 (operation force detection device) provided at the front end of the bed portion 2. . The sensor device 7 detects an operation load applied to the needle 6 when the bed moves. A control panel 8 is disposed between the handles 6 and includes a power switch 8a, an emergency stop switch 8b, a bed lifting switch 8c, an LED display panel 8d, and the like.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a connection portion between the handle 6 and the sensor device 7, FIG. 7 is a front view of the handle 6 and the sensor device 7, and FIG. 8 is a side view of a partial cross section of the handle 6 and the sensor device 7. FIG. 9 and FIG. 9 are sectional views showing the internal structure of the sensor device 7. As shown in FIG. 6, a stainless lever shaft 50 is attached to the base of the handle 6. 10 (a) is a side view of the lever shaft 50, and FIG. 10 (b) is a front view of the lever shaft 50. The lever portion 6a of the handle 6 is attached to the lever shaft 50. FIG. The lever shaft 50 includes a main body 51, a screw projectingly provided on the side of the main body 51, a ring mounting portion 52, and a first gear portion 53 formed on the left end side of the main body 51 in FIG. And force is composed. The handle attachment portion 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the end of the lever portion 6a is press-fitted and fixed to the outer periphery thereof. The connection between the lever shaft 50 and the handle mounting part 52 has a cover 5 4a and 54b are packaged. A wiring hole 55 is provided at the center of the handle attachment portion 52.

A shaft hole 56 is formed at the center of the main body 51. A shaft 57 is press-fitted and fixed in the shaft hole 56. FIG. 11 is a front view of the shaft 57. The shaft 57 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, one end side is fixed to the shaft hole 56, and the other end side protrudes from the shaft hole 56. An end cap 40 made of synthetic resin is attached to one end of the shaft 57. A wiring hole 58 is formed in the central portion of the shaft 57, and a connection hole 59 communicating with the wiring hole 58 is provided on a side surface on one end side thereof. When the shaft 57 is press-fitted and fixed in the shaft hole 56, the connection hole 59 is positioned so as to communicate with the wiring hole 55 of the handle mounting portion 52. On the other hand, a notch 60 and a C-ring groove 61 are formed on the other end side of the shaft 57.

[0037] On the outer periphery of the main body 51, a large diameter part 51a and a small diameter part 51b are formed. The large diameter part 51a is formed outside the main body part 51 (right side in FIG. 10 (a)), and the small diameter part 51b is formed inside the main body part 51 (left side in FIG. 10 (a); sensor device 7 side). Two convex portions 70a are formed in the circumferential direction at the back of the small diameter portion 51b and at the boundary with the large diameter portion 51a. Two extending portions 70b extending in the axial direction are formed in the circumferential direction on the small diameter portion 51b side of the large diameter portion 51a.

[0038] The first gear portion 53 includes a tooth portion 63 having gear teeth 62 protruding at equal intervals, and a notch portion 64 formed by removing only one gear tooth 62. The notches 64 are equally divided into four portions at 90 ° intervals in the circumferential direction. A circular recess 65 is formed at the center of the end face of the first gear portion 53. A fitting groove 66 is formed on the outer periphery of the recess 65 over a substantially half circumference. As shown in FIG. 12A, a disc spring (second elastic member) 67 and a stainless steel ring 68 are inserted into the recess 65. At this time, the large-diameter portion 69 (see FIG. 12 (c)) of the stainless steel ring 68 is fitted into the fitting groove 66, and the stainless steel ring 68 is prevented from rotating and accommodated in the recess 65.

A rear bracket 71 of the sensor device 7 is rotatably attached to the other end side of the shaft 57 fixed to the lever shaft 50. FIG. 13 (a) is a side view of the rear bracket 71, and FIG. 13 (b) is a front view thereof. The rear bracket 71 includes a main body portion 72 and a second gear portion 73 formed on the right end side of the main body portion 72 in FIG. 13 (a). A shaft fixing portion 74 having a semicircular cross section is recessed in the left end portion of the main body 72. The rear bracket 71 is also formed in a hollow shape in the same manner as the lever shaft 50, and the shaft 57 is rotated by a bearing material 76 in the shaft hole 75. Inserted.

A circular recess 77 is formed in the center of the end face of the second gear portion 73. As shown in FIG. 12 (a), in the recess 77, a resin ring 78 made of synthetic resin (for example, fluorine resin) is accommodated. Similarly to the first gear portion 53, the second gear portion 73 is also formed with a tooth portion 81 having gear teeth 79 protruding at equal intervals and a notch portion 82 formed by removing only one gear tooth 79. Has been. The notches 82 are equally divided into four portions at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction, but are formed at positions shifted by 20 degrees from the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0041] A step portion 83 is formed inside the main body portion 72, and a braking portion 84 is provided therein. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the braking portion 84. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14 (a), in the braking portion 84, a synthetic resin (for example, fluorine resin) resin ring 85 and a stainless steel ring 86 are extrapolated to the tip of the shaft 57 protruding from the shaft hole 75. . As shown in FIG. 14 (c), the stainless steel ring 86 is formed with a positioning projection 87 on the inner peripheral side. The stainless steel ring 86 is attached in a state where the positioning protrusion 87 is fitted in the notch 60 of the shaft 57, and is attached to the shaft 57 while being prevented from rotating. A C ring 88 is attached to the outside of the stainless ring 86. The C ring 88 is installed in the C ring groove 61 of the shaft 57.

[0042] The C-ring 88 is attached while pressing the rear bracket 71 toward the lever shaft 50 side. When the rear bracket 71 is pressed in the axial direction, the disc spring 67 accommodated in the recess 65 of the lever shaft 50 is pressed by the grease ring 78 accommodated in the recess 77 of the rear bracket 71. At this time, a gap for inserting the resin ring 85 and the stainless ring 86 is formed between the C-ring groove 61 of the shaft 57 and the pressing surface 83a of the step portion 83. In this state, the resin ring 85 and the stainless steel ring 86 are extrapolated to the shaft 57, and the C ring 88 is mounted while resisting the urging force of the disc spring 67. As a result, the stainless steel ring 68 and the grease ring 78, and the stainless steel ring 86 and the grease ring 85 are pressed against each other to generate a rotational resistance, restricting the free rotation of the lever shaft 50, and A holding force is generated at the current position.

[0043] A seal material mounting portion 89 is further provided inside the main body 72, and an internal seal material 91 made of rubber is attached thereto. A wiring 92 extending from the sensor device 7 side is attached to the inner sealing material 91. The inner sealing material 91 has a bottomed cylindrical shape formed in a step shape, and the outer peripheral portion 91a is fitted and fixed to the inner wall 89a of the sealing material mounting portion 89. internal A seal hole 93 is formed at the center of the seal material 91, and the wiring 92 is inserted in a watertight state. The wiring 92 is connected to the wiring 95 through the connector 94. The wiring 95 is connected to an operation switch 96 (see FIG. 7) provided in the drip portion 6a of the handle 6 through the wiring hole 58, the connection hole 59, the wiring hole 55, and the inner space of the handle 6. The

As described above, in the connection structure, the wirings 92 and 95 can be wired inside the connection part by providing the wiring hole 58, the connection hole 59, the wiring hole 55, and the like. As a result, the operation switch 96 can be disposed on the grip 6b of the handle 6, and the cable can be wired without exposing the wiring to the outside of the handle. In addition, since the sealing with respect to the sensor device 7 can be ensured by the internal sealing material 91, the waterproofness in the sensor device 7 is improved, an expensive corrosion-resistant material is not required, and the device cost can be reduced.

A drain hole 97 is provided in the shaft hole 75 of the main body 72. As shown in FIG. 13 (b), the drain hole 97 opens at the end face of the second gear portion 73 and extends to the step portion 83 along the shaft hole 75. The opening on the step 83 side of the drain hole 97 communicates with the internal space of the shaft 57. Further, the drain hole 97 has a tapered shape inclined downward toward the end face on the second gear portion 73 side. As a result, the water stored in the shaft 57 or the like passes through the drain hole 97 and is discharged from the opening on the second gear portion 73 side.

[0046] The bed is manufactured for a hospital, and the entire bed may be washed and sterilized. At that time, there is a possibility that cleaning water may enter the connection between the handle 6 and the sensor device 7, and if left unattended, it may cause malfunction. For this reason, in the bed, the water accumulated in the connecting portion by the drain hole 97 is also discharged to the outside of the device by the end face force of the second gear portion 73, thereby preventing problems due to the storage of the washing water.

A ring gear (connecting member) 98 is attached to the outside of the first gear portion 53 of the lever shaft 50 and the second gear portion 73 of the rear bracket 71. FIG. 15 (a) is a front view of the ring gear 98, and FIG. 15 (b) is a sectional view thereof. As shown in FIG. 15, the ring gear 98 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and internal teeth (gear teeth) 99 are formed therein. The inner teeth 99 are provided with tooth portions 101 and engaging projections 102 in a form corresponding to the first gear portion 53 and the second gear portion 73. Gear teeth 103 protrude from the tooth portion 101 at equal intervals and are formed so as to be able to be engaged with the gear teeth 62 and 79 of the first and second gear portions 53 and 73. Engagement protrusion 102 is formed by connecting adjacent gear teeth 103. It is divided into four equal parts at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. The engaging protrusion 102 is formed so as to be engageable with the notches 64 and 82 of the first and second gear portions 53 and 73.

A sleeve mounting groove 104 is formed on the outer periphery of the ring gear 98. A sleeve 105 (cover member) made of synthetic resin is attached to the sleeve mounting groove 104. The sleeve 105 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a part cut away, and is attached to the outer periphery of the main body 51 of the lever shaft 50 and accommodated in the small diameter portion 51b. A notch (not shown) is formed at the outer end of the sleeve 105, and the protruding portion 70a of the small diameter portion 51b and the extending portion 70b of the large diameter portion 51a are engaged with this notch. As a result, the sleeve 105 is disposed outside the lever shaft main body 51 so as to be movable in the axial direction (left and right in FIG. 6), and operates integrally with the ring gear 98. Further, since the ring gear 98 is fixedly fitted to the rear bracket 71 with respect to the rotation direction, the sleeve 105 operates in conjunction with the lever shaft main body 51 on the sleeve mounting groove 104.

A return spring 106 (first elastic member) is attached to the left end portion of the ring gear 98. One end side of the return spring 106 is in contact with the ring gear 98, and the other end side is in contact with a stepped spring receiving portion 107 formed on the outer periphery of the rear bracket 71. The return spring 106 biases the ring gear 98 in the direction of the lever shaft 50 (rightward in FIG. 6). As a result, the gear tooth 103 is engaged with the gear teeth 62 and 79, the ring gear 98 is held with the engaging protrusion 102 engaged with the notches 64 and 82, and the ring gear 98 is easily detached from the first gear portion 53. Shina! Become like a niece!

[0050] The sensor device 7 is inserted into a housing 108 attached to the bed 2, a fixed block 109 disposed in the housing 108, a hollow shaft 111 rotatably supported by the fixed block 109, and a hollow shaft 111. With a fixed torsion bar 112! A rear bracket 71 is fixed to the hollow shaft 111, and the handle 6 is installed so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction of the bed, as shown in FIG. When the handle 6 swings, the torsion bar 112 is twisted accordingly. In the sensor device 7, this torsional displacement is measured using the potentiometer 113, and the operation force applied to the bed by the controller 37 is calculated based on the measured value.

[0051] On the outer peripheral portion of the hollow shaft 111, two knurled portions 114 are formed. Hollow The shaft 111 is coupled to the shaft fixing portion 74 of the rear bracket 71 using the knurled portion 114 while being rotated. The shaft fixing portion 74 is fixed to the bracket 115 with the hollow shaft 111 interposed therebetween, and the rear bracket 71 rotates around the hollow shaft 111 by causing the knurled portion 114 to bite into the inner peripheral surface of the shaft fixing portion 74 or the bracket 115. Fixed

A torsion bar 112 is disposed inside the hollow shaft 111. A torsion bar 116 is formed with a selection portion 116 at both ends of the torsion bar 112. One end side (the left end side in FIG. 9) of the torsion bar 112 is fixed to the fixing block 109 via the fixing plate 117. The other end side (the right end side in FIG. 9) of the torsion bar 112 is fixed to the right end of the hollow shaft 111. A selection is also formed on the inner periphery of the right end of the hollow shaft 111, and the selection portion 116 of the torsion bar 112 is fixed to the hollow shaft 111 by mating with the selection. That is, one end side of the torsion bar 112 is fixed to the fixed block 109 and the other end side is fixed to the hollow shaft 111. Therefore, when the handle 6 is swung and the hollow shaft 111 is rotated accordingly, the torsion bar 112 having one end fixed is twisted with the rotation of the hollow shaft 111, and a torsional displacement is generated.

A transmission gear 118 is further fixed to the right end side of the torsion bar 112, and this transmission gear 118 rotates integrally with the torsion bar 112 and amplifies the torsion amount of the torsion bar 112. The transmission gear 118 is meshed with a driven gear (not shown). The driven gear is fixed to the input shaft (not shown) of the potentiometer 113. In the sensor device 7, the torsional displacement of the torsion bar 112, that is, the displacement of the handle 6 is directly transmitted to the potentiometer 113 by the gear. For this reason, unlike a detection device using a conventional coil panel, a lever is not interposed therein, so that a decrease in detection accuracy due to rattling of the lever can be suppressed.

A rubber external seal material 119 is attached to the outside of the housing 108. One end of the outer seal material 119 is fixed to the outside of the opening of the housing 108, and the other end is fixed to the outside of the main body 72 of the rear bracket 71. As a result, the waterproofness in the housing 108 is ensured while allowing the operation of the rear bracket 71 accompanying the operation of the handle 6.

[0055] In the electric transfer bed having such a configuration force, when the bed is moved, erroneous operation is prevented. To stop, press handle 6 while pressing operation switch 96. As a result, the handle 6 tilts in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. 8 due to the operation load. As the handle 6 moves, the lever shaft 50 coupled to the handle 6 also operates. The lever shaft 50 is connected to the rear bracket 71 via the ring gear 98 while being prevented from rotating, and the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 operate together with the handle 6 as a single body.

[0056] At this time, the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 are coupled by the gear meshing, and a high strength is secured against the force acting in the handle turning direction. Also, the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 are connected by the shaft 57 with respect to the handle tilting direction, and the outer periphery of the first and second gear portions 53 and 73 is also fixed by the ring gear 98. Compared with pin connection, the support strength of the handle 6 is greatly improved.

[0057] When the handle 6 tilts in the front-rear direction, the hollow shaft 111 rotates accordingly. When the hollow shaft 111 rotates, a torsional displacement occurs in the torsion bar 112, and the transmission gear 118 rotates only by the displacement. The rotation of the transmission gear 118 is transmitted to the potentiometer 113 through the driven gear. There is a correlation between the operating load applied to the handle 6 and the torsional displacement of the torsion bar 112, and there is also a correlation between the torsional displacement of the torsion bar 112 and the output of the potentiometer 113. That is, the potentiometer 113 outputs a signal corresponding to the operation load of the handle 6. Therefore, by grasping the output change of the potentiometer 113, the operation load of the handle 6 can be detected.

The output of the potentiometer 113, which is a signal corresponding to the operation load of the handle 6, is sent to the controller 37. Further, the controller 37 stores in advance a map indicating the relationship between the output value of the potentiometer 113, that is, the operation load of the handle 6 and the optimum driving assisting force corresponding thereto, and the motor is referred to by referring to this map. Drive control of 17 etc. is performed.

[0059] Further, the traveling direction of the bed can be controlled by comparing the outputs of the left and right sensor devices 7. For example, when it is detected that the pushing force on the left handle 6L is large, the operator determines that the bed is to be bent to the right, increases the output of the motor 17L, and turns the bed to the right. Conversely, when the force pushing the right handle 6R is large, the operator determines that the bed is to be bent to the left and raises the output of the motor 17R to move the bed to the left. Turn in the direction.

[0060] On the other hand, the handle 6 can be stored in the bed when the conveyance is completed.

In this case, the operator first moves the sleeve 105 in the axial direction (leftward in FIG. 6) against the urging force of the return spring 106, and shows the one-dot chain line from the locked position shown by the solid line in FIG. Move to the release position. As a result, the ring gear 98 is disengaged from the first gear portion 53, and the engagement between the gear teeth 103 and the gear teeth 62 and the engagement between the engagement protrusions 102 and the notch portions 64 are released. In other words, the coupling state between the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71 is released, and the lever single shaft 50 becomes rotatable with respect to the rear bracket 71.

If the lever shaft 50 is rotatable with respect to the rear bracket 71, in the conventional pin coupling configuration, the lever shaft 50 may be in a free state and rotate by its own weight. On the other hand, in the handle 6, since the braking portion 84 is provided at the connection portion between the lever shaft 50 and the rear bracket 71, the free rotation of the lever shaft 50 is restricted by the holding force. In other words, even if the sleeve 105 is moved, the lever shaft 50 is held at the current position, and the handle is prevented from being accidentally tilted.

Therefore, when the handle 6 is rotated with the sleeve 105 moved, the lever shaft 50 rotates with respect to the rear bracket 71, and the notch 64 of the lever shaft 50 and the notch of the rear bracket 71 are moved. It will be in the state where it shifted mutually. At this time, the engaging protrusion 102 cannot be engaged with the notch 64 of the lever shaft 50, and the ring gear 98 is held in the release position. When the handle 6 is further operated and rotated 90 degrees, the notch 82 will eventually face the notch 64 at the next position. Then, the engagement protrusion 102 of the ring gear 98 becomes engageable with the new notch 64, and the ring gear 98 is returned to the locked position by the urging force of the return spring 106.

[0063] With this, when the handle 6 is rotated to the storage position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 7, the rotation operation is locked there. The sleeve 105 is provided with a confirmation window 121 (display section). When the ring gear 98 is in the release position, a red display force is displayed. When the ring gear 98 is in the lock position, a green display is displayed. As a result, the state of the Nord 6 can be determined at a glance. When the ring gear 98 is in the release position, the handle 6 is in a rotatable state, and the confirmation window 121 displays that the operator carelessly touches the sleeve 10 5 or puts force into it. To avoid turning the handle 6 ing. Further, as described above, since the sleeve 105 operates integrally with the ring gear 98, only the ring gear 98 can be moved to the unlocked position, and the state of locking and unlocking the handle 6 can be displayed without error. be able to.

[0064] As described above, when the operator moves the sleeve 105 to free the lever shaft 50 and rotates the handle 6 in this state, the sleeve automatically rotates at the next engagement position rotated 90 degrees. 1 05 returns, and handle 6 is locked again. That is, in the connection structure, the handle 6 can be rotated by the movement of the sleeve 105, and the rotation is automatically locked at a predetermined storage position. Therefore, the handle 6 can be retracted very easily. At this time, the handle 6 does not rotate freely due to its own weight, so that the operability is high.

[0065] Further, the handle 6 can be retracted by rotating around the lever shaft 50, and the lever force 50 can also be used as an operating force transmission means during the conveying operation. That is, in the connection structure, the handle storage structure and the operating force transmission structure are integrated, so that the handle connection portion can be made compact. In addition, since the strength of the connecting part is high and the backlash is small, both the storage direction (rotation direction) is fixed and the transmission of force in the operation direction (tilting direction) is ensured. This also improves the detection accuracy of highly maneuverable operating forces.

[0066] Further, in the connection structure, the storing direction of the handle 6 is perpendicular to the handle operating direction during conveyance as shown in FIG. For this reason, it is difficult for the setting of the zero point adjustment that is performed when detecting the handle operating load to be confused. When detecting the operation load, it is usual to adjust the zero point of the handle position and obtain the handle tilt angle force operation load based on that. However, when the storage direction of the handle and the operation direction coincide with each other, the zero point is likely to go wrong when the storage operation is performed. On the other hand, with the handle 6 stored in the direction perpendicular to the operation direction, a large load change does not occur in the operation direction due to the retracting operation! Therefore, the neutral position of the steering wheel can be maintained without performing complicated adjustment work again, and the operation load can be accurately detected.

[0067] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the handle connection structure of the present invention is applied to a hospital bed. Although the application target is not limited to the bed, it can be widely applied to general transport devices regardless of whether or not it is electrically powered, such as stretchers, food carts, wheelchairs, and electric carts for cargo handling. Moreover, the present invention can be applied to a handle in general that needs to be adjusted in addition to the transport device.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the engagement protrusion 102 and the notches 64 and 82 are provided at intervals of 90 degrees has been described. However, the set pitch is not limited to 90 degrees, and a 45 degree interval or the like is appropriately set. It can be set. Furthermore, it is also effective as means for adjusting the handle angle in accordance with the operator's physique by making the setting pitches of the notches 64 and 82 strong without providing an engaging projection. In this case, since it is possible to fit the ring gear 98 with a small force, it is more advantageous in strength than a device in which a hole is formed on the lever shaft 50 to adjust the storage position.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the drive unit 12 is arranged on one motor base 16 and the drive wheel 21 is lifted and lowered by the single lift actuator 13 is shown. A separate drive unit 12 may be used for each 21, and they may be mounted on separate motor bases 16 and individually actuated by the two lift actuators 13.

Claims

The scope of the claims

[1] A lever shaft fixed to the handle base,

A shaft that is fixed to the lever shaft and extends in the direction of the rotation center axis of the lever shaft; a bracket that is rotatably attached to the shaft;

Gear teeth that can be engaged with a first gear formed on the lever shaft and a second gear formed on the bracket, and moving along the direction of the central axis of rotation, A handle connection structure comprising: a coupling member for releasing the engagement.

[2] The handle connection structure according to claim 1, further comprising a first elastic member that urges the coupling member in the first gear direction along the direction of the rotation center axis. Construction.

[3] The handle connection structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cover member that operates integrally with the connecting member is provided outside the lever shaft, and the first gear and the connecting member are connected to the cover member. A handle connection structure characterized in that a display unit for displaying the mating state is provided.

[4] The handle connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a braking portion that provides a rotational resistance force is provided in a rotating operation between the lever shaft and the bracket. Handle connection structure.

[5] The handle connecting structure according to claim 4, wherein the braking portion is attached to the lever shaft and presses the bracket along the rotation center axis direction; A handle connection structure comprising: a braking member that is attached to the shaft so that movement in the axial direction is restricted, and that is pressed against a pressing surface formed on the bracket by a biasing force of the second elastic member.

[6] In the handle connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the lever shaft, the shaft, and the bracket are formed in a hollow structure, and the lever shaft, the shaft, and the bracket are electrically connected to each other. A handle connection structure characterized by having holes through which wiring can pass.

[7] The handle connection structure according to claim 6, wherein a seal member to which the electric wiring is attached in a watertight state is attached to the hole of the bracket in a watertight state. Handle connection structure.

[8] The handle connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the bracket has a drain hole that opens to an end surface on the lever shaft side of the bracket and communicates with an internal space of the bracket. A handle connection structure comprising:

9. The handle connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the bracket is attached to an operation force detection device that detects an operation force of the handle.

[10] The handle connection structure according to claim 9, wherein the operating force detection device is rotatably supported by a fixing block disposed in a housing and has one end of the bracket fixed thereto, and the hollow shaft A handle connection structure comprising: a torsion bar inserted into the fixing block, one end side being fixed to the fixing block, and the other end side being fixed to the hollow shaft; and a potentiometer connected to the torsion bar.

[11] The handle connection structure according to claim 10, wherein the operating force detection device is coupled to the transmission gear fixed to the other end portion of the torsion bar and to the input shaft of the potentiometer. A handle connecting structure, wherein the driven gear has fewer teeth than the transmission gear.

[12] Claim 1 ~: The handle connection structure according to any one of L1, wherein the handle is a power-assist conveyance device to which a travel assist force is applied by a drive wheel driven by an electric motor. A handle connection structure characterized by being attached.