JP2002172143A - Wheelchair with motor-driven assisting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To detachably and rotatably fit a motor-driven assisting device to a wheelchair by an inexpensive structure, in the wheelchair provided with the motor-driven assisting device capable of rotatably driving driving wheels by an electric motor in traveling. SOLUTION: The supporting shaft 20 of the motor-driven assisting device 11 is mounted attachably and detachably and a fitting device 21 for supporting the device 11 rotatably with the shaft 20 in a center in the mounting state is provided at the wheelchair 1 to use the fitting device 21 for rotation- supporting and attaching/detaching of the device 11 in common.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric motor used for assisting a caregiver pushing a wheelchair and reducing the labor by applying a rotational driving force to a drive wheel from an electric motor during wheelchair traveling. The present invention relates to a wheelchair equipped with an assist device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional wheelchair is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-2665.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 74, an electric motor is driven by electric power supplied from a battery, and its rotational driving force is applied to driving wheels so that a wheelchair can be used when traveling on a rough road such as an uphill or a gravel road. There is provided an electric assist device for assisting the labor of the caregiver pressing. The electric assist device is integrated by providing a battery, an electric motor, and drive wheels on a frame, and the frame is detachably attached to a pair of left and right attachment devices fixed to a wheelchair. By removing the electric assist device from the mounting device, the wheelchair can be folded compactly. The frame is provided with a support device capable of rotatably supporting the drive wheels. When the electric assist device is mounted on a wheelchair by the support device, the drive wheels are rotated downward and are in contact with the ground. When traveling on a rough road such as that described above, the drive wheels are turned up and down so as to be able to get over the unevenness of the gravel road.

[0003]

However, in the above structure, a mounting device for detachably mounting the electric assist device to a wheelchair and a support device for rotatably supporting a driving wheel are separately provided. Due to the provision, the number of parts is increased, the production cost is increased, and the structure is complicated. Further, when fixing the mounting devices to the wheelchair, it is necessary to adjust the positions of the mounting devices so that the left and right mounting devices are at the same height, and there has been a problem that the assembling work requires time. Therefore, the present invention provides a wheelchair with an electric assist device that solves the above problems.

[0004]

According to claim 1 of the present invention,
In a wheelchair having a vehicle body frame having front wheels and rear wheels, and an electric assist device for driving and driving a driving wheel by an electric motor, a support shaft of the electric assist device is detachably mounted on the vehicle body frame, and is mounted. A pair of left and right mounting devices capable of supporting the electric assist device rotatably about the support shaft in the state are provided.

[0005] As a result, the rotation support and the attachment / detachment of the electric assist device can be shared by the mounting device, so that the number of parts can be reduced, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the structure can be simplified. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wheelchair having a pair of left and right mounting devices capable of mounting an electric assist device for rotating a driving wheel by an electric motor on a vehicle body frame having a front wheel and a rear wheel. It is characterized by being fixed so as to coincide with the center of rotation of the wheel.

Thus, the left and right mounting devices can be easily and easily assembled to the wheelchair without adjusting the position. According to claim 3, the mounting device is adapted to be able to disengage with an engaged member or an engaging member provided above the support shaft in the electric assist device by the upward rotation of the electric assist device. An engaging member or an engaged member is provided, and the electric assist device is held at a storage position away from the ground plane in an engaged state between the engaging member and the engaged member. Things. Thus, the rotation support and the attachment / detachment of the electric assist device can be shared by the mounting device, and the electric assist device can be easily and easily stored by the rotation operation of the electric assist device.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a wheelchair. The wheelchair 1 has a body frame 2 formed by framing a metal pipe;
A small-diameter front wheel 3 that is attached to be steerable by 0 degrees, a large-diameter rear wheel 4 that is rotatably mounted to the right and left rear portions of the vehicle body frame 2 and is non-steerably mounted, The vehicle body frame 2 is provided with a footrest step 6 provided forward and below a front end of the body frame 2, and a pair of left and right handles 7 provided rearward above a rear end of the body frame 2. It can be folded in the width direction.

A bearing 4a is provided at the center of the rear wheel 4 as shown in FIG. 4, and a bolt 8 is inserted through a boss 2c fixed to the bearing 4a and the vertical frame 2a of the vehicle body frame 2. The nut 9 is screwed into the tip of the bolt 8 to secure the body frame 2
The rear wheel 4 is rotatably supported. Outside the rear wheel 4, a handle rim 4 b for use when the occupant of the wheelchair 1 steers the wheelchair 1 by himself is integrally connected,
The rear wheel 4 can be rotated by the passenger gripping the handle rim 4b with his / her hand and forcibly rotating the handle rim 4b.

The handle 7 is used by a caregiver to hold the wheelchair 1 from behind by grasping it by hand. A brake lever 10 for a caregiver who presses the wheelchair 1 is disposed on the vehicle body frame 2 close to the handle 7. A brake (shown in FIG. Can be activated at any time.

The vehicle body frame 2 is provided with an electric motor for reducing the operation labor of the caregiver by bearing a part or all of the traveling power when the wheelchair 1 travels (particularly when traveling on a rough road such as an uphill or a gravel road). The assist device 11 is mounted. The electric assist device 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a single drive wheel 12 and an electric motor 13 which is linked to the drive wheel 12 and drives the drive wheel 12 to rotate.
A unit case 14 containing a battery (not shown) serving as a power source of the electric motor 13 and a control device (not shown) for controlling the driving of the electric motor 13; And an operation switch 15 for remote control by the user.

The drive wheel 12 is rotatably supported via a bracket 17 on a base plate 16 fixed to the bottom of the unit case 14 as shown in FIG. 3, and the electric motor 13 is provided at the front end thereof. With the drive shaft 18 in contact with the drive wheels 12, one side of the bracket 17 (FIG. 2)
(Right side), and the drive wheels 12 are rotationally driven via the drive shaft 18 by the drive of the electric motor 13.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a handle fixed to the upper part of the unit case 14. By holding the handle 19, together with the unit case 14, the electric motor 13 and the driving wheels 1 are provided.
2 can be carried together. The operation switch 15 is detachably provided on the vehicle body frame 2 close to the handlebar 7. The operation switch 15 is connected to the other end of an electric wiring (not shown) having one end connected to the unit case 14. is there.

A support shaft 20 is fixed to the left and right sides of the unit case 14 so as to project laterally, and the support shaft 20 is a pair of right and left mounting devices 21 provided on the vehicle body frame 2.
And is mounted on the body frame 2 so as to be detachable and rotatable.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 11, the mounting device 21 includes a receiving member 22 capable of engaging and disengaging the support shaft 20 and rotatably supporting the support shaft 20 in the engaged state. Regulating member 23 which is provided at the
And a spring 24 that constantly biases the regulating member 23 toward the holding side.

The receiving member 22 is formed in a U-shape in cross section, and has a mounting portion 25 fixed to the vehicle body frame 2 and the support shaft 20.
And a receiving portion 26 for supporting the same. The mounting portion 25 is formed in a substantially L-shape, and has mounting holes 2 at its upper and lower portions.
5a and 25b are respectively formed, and the mounting holes 25a and 25b are provided.
a, the nut 9 is inserted through the bolt 8
And the upper part of the mounting portion 25 is fixed to the vertical frame 2 a of the vehicle body frame 2. U bolt 2 is provided in the mounting hole 25b.
7, the nut 28 is screwed into the U bolt 27, and the lower part of the mounting portion 25 is fixed to the horizontal frame 2b of the vehicle body frame 2.

Thus, since the upper portions of the pair of left and right receiving members 22 respectively coincide with the rotation center X of the rear wheel 4, the receiving members 22 can be easily attached easily without adjusting the position in the up-down and front-rear directions. A horizontal surface 2 is provided on the upper surface of the receiving portion 26.
6a, an inclined surface 26b inclined forward and downward, and a substantially semicircular engagement groove 26c having an opening at the rear are integrally formed. When the electric assist device 11 is mounted, the support shaft 20 is in a horizontal plane 26a.
Is guided and supported by the engagement groove 26c along the inclined surface 26b. The restricting member 23 is formed in a flat plate shape.
6 is provided on the inner surface (the surface facing the mounting portion 25) via a hinge 29 so as to be swingable, and has a restriction hole 23a formed in the base thereof, and is supported by the engagement groove 26c. Axis 20
Is inserted into the restriction hole 23a to restrict the rearward movement of the support shaft 20.

A guide portion 23 is provided above the regulating member 23.
b is bent outward, so that the tip of the support shaft 20 is reliably guided to the receiving portion 26 when the electric motor 13 is mounted. The spring 24 is provided with a rotating shaft 29 of a hinge 29.
a, one end of which is in contact with the fixed portion 29b of the hinge 29 and the other end of which is in contact with the upper surface of the base of the regulating member 23, and constantly biases the regulating member 23 toward the receiving portion 26, that is, the holding side. I have.

A lock pin 30 as a member to be engaged is protruded from an upper inner surface (the left side in FIG. 4) of the mounting portion 25. Away from the lock pin 3, the engagement member 31 provided on the right side surface (the right side in FIG.
0 is engaged. The engagement member 31 includes:
An upper engaging portion 31b and a lower engaging portion 31c integrally formed with a tread portion 31d are provided on an engaging member main body 31a having a U-shaped cross section so as to be swingable. The lower engaging portion 31c is constantly urged clockwise by a spring 31e. When the electric assist device 11 is rotated upward, the tip of the upper engaging portion 31b is pushed by the lock pin 30 and the clock is turned on. 12b, the lower engaging portion 31c is pushed by the tip of the upper engaging portion 31b and swings in the counterclockwise direction against the spring force. In the state where the lock pin 30 is engaged with the upper
The leading end 1b is engaged with and held on the upper surface of the lower engaging portion 31c, and the electric assist device 11 is configured such that the driving wheel 12 is held at a storage position away from the ground contact surface as shown in FIG.

In a place where little care of the caregiver is required, such as on a flat ground, the caregiver pushes the wheelchair 1 without using the electric assist device 11 to run the vehicle. Since the ground resistance of the drive wheel 12 is eliminated by keeping the storage position of the drive wheel 12 away from the ground surface, the labor of the caregiver can be reduced.

When the stepping portion 31d is stepped on with the foot in the retracted position to rotate the lower engaging portion 31c counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 12a, the lower engaging portion 31c and the upper engaging portion are rotated. 31b is released from engagement with the electric assist device 11
Is rotated downward by its own weight, so that the upper engagement portion 31b
The engagement between the power assist device 11 and the lock pin 30 is released, and the electric assist device 11 rotates downward to the traveling position in FIG.

Reference numeral 32 denotes an operating rod fixed to the substrate 16. By lifting the operating rod 32, the electric assist device 11 rotates upward about the support shaft 20. In this embodiment, the mounting device rotatably supports the support shaft. However, the same operation and effect can be obtained even if the support shaft is rotatably provided in the unit case and the support shaft is fixed to the mounting device. It has. Further, although a pair of right and left mounting devices is provided, one of the right and left mounting devices may be constituted only by a flat plate-shaped receiving member in which a hole through which the support shaft is inserted is formed. It has an effect.

Although the support shaft and the engaging member are provided on the unit case, the same operation and effect can be obtained by providing them on the side of the electric assist device such as a substrate. The regulating member is provided on the hinge so as to be swingable and is urged by a spring. However, even if the regulating member is provided on a leaf spring and the swing and the urging force act thereon, the same effect can be obtained. The regulating member has a supporting shaft inserted into the regulating hole to be engaged and held.However, with the supporting shaft engaged with the engaging groove, the regulating rod is protruded manually to close the engaging groove. Even if the support shaft is engaged and held, the same operation and effect can be obtained.

Further, the engaging member is provided on the electric assist device side and the lock pin is provided on the mounting device side. Alternatively, the engaging member may be provided on the mounting device side and the engaged member may be provided on the electric assist device side. It has a similar effect. The operation of the present invention having the above-described configuration will now be described. First, a pair of left and right attachment devices 21 are assembled to the wheelchair 1 so that the electric assist device 11 can be detachably attached to the wheelchair 1. The assembling work of the mounting device 21 is such that after removing the nut 9 screwed to the bolt 8, the tip of the bolt 8 is passed through a mounting hole 25 a formed in the upper part of the mounting portion 25 of the mounting device 21. The outer surface of the mounting portion 25 is brought into contact with the inner surface (the left side in FIG. 5) of the boss 2c. In this state, the nut 9 is screwed into the bolt 8 to fix the upper portion of the mounting portion 25 to the vertical frame 2a of the vehicle body frame 2. Next, the U-bolt 27 is inserted into the mounting hole 25b below the mounting portion 25 so as to sandwich the upper and lower sides of the horizontal frame 2b from the outside of the horizontal frame 2b of the vehicle body frame 2, and the nut 9 is screwed into the U-bolt 27 to form the mounting portion 25. The lower part is fixed to the horizontal frame 2b.

Thus, the mounting device 21 can be mounted on the wheelchair 1. At that time, the left and right mounting devices 21 were fixed so as to coincide with the rotation center X of the rear wheel 4.
Each of the mounting devices 21 can be easily and easily assembled to the wheelchair 1 without adjusting the position in the up-down direction or the front-rear direction.
When the wheelchair 1 is run using the electric assist device 11 on a rough road such as an uphill or a gravel road, the electric assist device 11 is attached to the mounting device 21. The attachment to the attachment device 21 is performed by the left and right support shafts 20 of the unit case 14 as shown in FIG.
Are placed on the horizontal surface 26 a of the receiving portion 26 of the mounting device 21, respectively.
b. The regulating member 23 contacts the inner surface and is held in a state of swinging outward against the urging force of the spring 24. At this time, since the guide portion 23b is inclined outward, the support shaft 20 can be reliably mounted on the horizontal surface 26a along the inclined surface 26b.

When the electric assist device 11 is pushed forward after the support shaft 20 is supported on the horizontal surface 26a, the support shaft 20 pushes the guide portion 23b of the regulating member 23 outward and spreads forward along the inclined surface 26b. 6 and FIG. 7 and is engaged with the engagement groove 26c.
0 is inserted into the regulating hole 23a of the regulating member 23. At this time, since the regulating member 23 is released from the pressing force by the support shaft 20, the regulating member 23 is held in a state of being in contact with the outer surface of the receiving portion 26 by the urging force of the spring 24.

As a result, the rearward movement of the support shaft 20 is restricted by the restricting member 23, and the support shaft 20 is rotatably supported. Therefore, the electric assist device 11 can be rotated up and down around the support shaft 20. It is attached to the wheelchair 1. When the electric assist device 11 is mounted, after the operation switch 15 is fixed to the vehicle body frame 2 close to the handlebar 7, when the caregiver operates the operation switch 15 to drive the electric motor 13, the electric motor 13 is driven via the drive shaft 18. Since the drive wheels 12 are driven to rotate, the labor of the caregiver can be reduced when the wheelchair 1 travels.

When the wheelchair 1 travels on a rough road such as a gravel road, the driving wheel 12 rotates up and down about the support shaft 20, so that the caregiver can surely assist the traveling of the wheelchair 1. . When the electric assist device 11 is temporarily stored, the operating rod 32 is lifted with a foot to rotate the electric assist device 11 upward. Then, the engaging member 3 of the locking device
1 engages with the lock pin 30 as shown in FIG. 12B, so that the electric assist device 11
Is locked in the retracted position away from the ground plane.

When the electric assist device 11 in the retracted position is used, the engagement between the engaging member 31 and the lock pin 30 is released as shown in FIG. Then, the electric assist device 11 is rotated downward as shown in FIG. Thereby, the electric assist device 11 can be used.

When removing the electric assist device 11 from the mounting device 21 of the wheelchair 1, the operation switch 15 is first removed from the vehicle body frame 2. Next, the guide portions 23b of the left and right regulating members 23 are swung outward against the urging force of the spring 24, and the regulating members 23 are lowered until the support shaft 20 comes out of the regulating holes 23a as shown in FIG. When the electric assist device 11 is pulled backward with the handle 19 while holding the handle 19, the support shaft 20 is moved from the engagement groove 26c to the inclined surface 26.
b and moves to the horizontal plane 26a in FIG. At this time, since the support shaft 20 moves rearward, even if the restricting member 23 is released from the fall and hold state in this state and the restricting member 23 returns to the state in which the restricting member 23 is in contact with the outer surface of the receiving portion 26 by the spring 24 force, Since the front end of the support shaft 20 contacts the guide portion 23b,
The support shaft 20 is not inserted into the restriction hole 23a. Thus, when the handle 19 is lifted, the electric assist device 11 can be removed from the mounting device 21 as shown in FIG.
The wheelchair 1 can be compactly folded.

[0029]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the support shaft of the electric assist device is detachably mounted.
Since the wheelchair is provided with a mounting device for rotatably supporting the electric assist device around the support shaft in the mounted state, it is possible to use both the rotation support and the attachment / detachment of the electric assist device with the mounting device. As a result, the number of parts is reduced, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the structure can be simplified. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pair of right and left mounting devices are fixed so as to coincide with the center of rotation of the rear wheel, so that the left and right mounting devices can be easily and easily assembled to the wheelchair without adjusting the position. Can be. In the third aspect, the engaging member or the engaged member capable of detachably engaging the engaged member or the engaging member provided on the electric assist device with the mounting device when the electric assist device is rotated upward. The storage operation of the electric assist device can be performed easily and easily.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a wheelchair.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a wheelchair.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of each component of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an operation state diagram when the electric assist device is mounted.

FIG. 9 is an operation state diagram when the electric assist device is removed.

FIG. 10 is an operation state diagram in which the electric assist device is removed from a wheelchair.

FIG. 11 is an operation state diagram in which the electric assist device is stored.

FIG. 12 is an operation state diagram of an engagement member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 wheelchair 2 body frame 3 front wheel 4 rear wheel 11 electric assist device 12 drive wheel 13 electric motor 20 support shaft 21 mounting device 30 lock pin (engaged member) 31 engaging member

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tatsuyoshi Kamada 6-45, Koshienguchi, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Pref.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A wheelchair having a vehicle body frame having front wheels and rear wheels provided with an electric assist device for rotating drive wheels by an electric motor, wherein a support shaft of the electric assist device is detachably attached to the vehicle body frame. A wheelchair with an electric assist device, comprising a pair of right and left mounting devices that can be mounted and that can support the electric assist device rotatably about a support shaft in the mounted state. 2. A wheelchair comprising a pair of left and right mounting devices capable of mounting an electric assist device for rotating and driving drive wheels by an electric motor on a vehicle body frame having front wheels and rear wheels. A wheelchair with an electric assist device, wherein the wheelchair is fixed so as to coincide with the center of rotation of the wheel. 3. The mounting device is adapted to be capable of engaging and disengaging an engaged member or an engaging member provided above the support shaft in the electric assist device by rotating the electric assist device upward. Having an engaging member or an engaged member,
2. The wheelchair with an electric assist device according to claim 1, wherein the electric assist device is held at a retracted position away from a ground surface in a state where the engaging member and the engaged member are engaged.