JPH09122184A - Driving and braking aids for wheelchairs - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A propulsion device for a wheelchair is improved so that it can also be used as a braking assist device. A drive and braking assist device (12) is mountable to the frame of the wheelchair (10) and is driveable by the engine and, if necessary, the wheelchair (10).
A drive and braking assistance device (1) for a wheelchair (10) having at least one drive wheel (14) which can be lowered to the ground (24) between both wheels (15) of the vehicle.
0), at least one drive wheel (14) has its center of rotation (D) located at approximately the same distance from the ground (24) as the axis of rotation (18) of the at least one drive wheel (14). Located on a swinging arm (17) or attached to a vertical guide (30).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drive and braking assistance device which is mountable to the frame of a wheelchair and which can be driven by the engine and, if required, is lowered to the ground between both wheels of the wheelchair. A drive and braking assistance device for a wheelchair having at least one drive wheel capable of being driven.

[0002]

Pushing a person sitting in a wheelchair leads to considerable power consumption for the person pushing, especially in sloping terrain. Since often an elderly person also carries another person who is restrained in a wheelchair by a wheelchair, the above-mentioned propulsion assisting devices have already been developed, and these propulsion assisting devices can be attached to the wheelchair if necessary. In climbing terrain, at least one drive wheel of the auxiliary device can be brought into contact with the ground. The drive wheels are pushed to the ground by the weight of the device and the torque generated by the engine can be converted into the forward movement of the wheelchair. For this reason, at least one drive wheel is usually supported by a rocking lever, whose center of rotation is arranged in front of the drive wheel at a relatively large distance from the ground.
In this way, a particularly high pressing force of the wheels can be achieved when traveling uphill. The rocking lever exerts a force component on the drive wheels in a direction below the center of gravity of the wheelchair. However, when traveling downhill, such arrangement of the center of rotation of the rocking lever is ineffective. At this time, the drive wheels tend to be pushed rearward. Therefore, conventional propulsion devices are not suitable for use as braking assistance devices.

[0003]

The object of the present invention is to avoid this drawback.

[0004]

In order to solve this problem, the drive and braking assist device according to the present invention has the following features. That is, at least one drive wheel is attached to a rocking arm whose rotation center is arranged at substantially the same distance as the rotation axis of the at least one drive wheel with respect to the ground, or to a vertical guide. With such an arrangement, a uniform pressing force of the drive wheels is achieved during uphill and downhill travel. Therefore, at this time, the device can also be used as a brake when traveling downhill.
Due to the uniform pressing force of the drive wheels, which is independent of the device's own weight, it is furthermore advantageous to provide a lifting machine for lowering and lifting at least one drive wheel. The hoisting engine can then be connected to the at least one drive wheel via a spring inserted between them. This creates a defined pressure on the ground,
And the unevenness of the ground can be easily compensated by the spring. Moreover, the lifting engine facilitates starting and shutting down of auxiliary equipment. Unlike conventional propulsion systems, which normally require the two drive wheels to be manually disengaged from the locking mechanism and lowered, this task is now undertaken by the lifting engine. In a particularly advantageous configuration of the device according to the invention, the automatic lowering and pressing of at least one drive wheel can already be carried out when the device is energized and the automatic lifting of the device when the device is de-energized. Can be done. The cumbersome release of the locking device, which can be very troublesome especially for the elderly, is not necessary here. To suit the purpose, the power supply of the engine of the device can be carried out via a battery. Another advantage is obtained if at least one drive wheel is driven by a wheel boss engine, which requires little installation space. An arrangement with only one drive wheel, which is arranged centrally between both wheels of the wheelchair, is also advantageous. For a pair of drive wheels, this configuration has the advantage that steering of the wheelchair is not made difficult by the device. For comfortable operation of the device, the device can have an operating device by means of which the different basic speeds of the wheelchair can be continuously selected in advance. As a result, no continuous matching of speed via the "accelerator pedal" is necessary.

[0005]

The preferred construction of the device according to the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a wheelchair 10 on which a propulsion and braking device 12 is arranged on a frame 11 of the wheelchair by means of a mounting part 13 which is apparent from FIG. The mounting device 12 consists of a drive wheel 14, which is arranged between both wheels 15 and 16 of the wheelchair 10.
The drive wheel 14 is supported by a swing arm 17, and the rotation center D of the swing arm is arranged at the same distance from the ground surface 24 as the axis of the drive wheel 14 (FIG. 3). The swing arm 17 is connected to the axis 18 (FIG. 2),
It also has cantilever arms 17 and 1, to which a spring 19 is articulated. The other end of the spring 19 is connected to a spindle 20, which is rotated by a lifting engine 21 and thereby moves the articulation point 22 (FIG. 2) of the spring 19 along the spindle. Moreover, a hinge arm 23 is attached to the joint joint point 22.
Is articulated (Fig. 2) and this hinge arm
After lowering the drive wheel 14 to the ground 24, it occupies a vertical position (FIG. 1). The swing arm 23 is then in the extension of the spring 19. In the raised state of the drive wheel 14 shown in FIG. 2, the hinge 22 is folded between the hinge arm 23 and the spring 19, and thus the wheel 14 is raised with the spring 19 fully extended. The original drive engine for the wheels 14 is a wheel boss engine 25 with a transmission. The wheel boss engine 25 and the lift engine 21 are powered by the battery 26 (FIG. 3).
The drive device 12 is operated via the operation device 27, which is attached to the handle 28 of the wheelchair 10. When the operating device 27 is turned on, the drive wheels 14
Is automatically lowered from the inoperative position shown in FIG. 2 to the operating position shown in FIG. As a result, the lifting engine 21 is activated, which via the spindle 20 is formed by the spring 19 and the hinge arm 23 at the point 22.
Causing the extension of the hinge at the ground and therefore the lowering of the drive wheel 14 and the ground 24 due to the defined pressing pressure.
Consider pressing against. The spring 19 is in the half-compressed state in the position shown in FIG. 1, so that it is possible to compensate for ground irregularities at all times. Drive wheel 1
The rotation center D of the swinging arm 17 on which 4 is supported is
By being at the same distance as the axis 18 of the wheel 14 with respect to 4, on the uphill and on the downhill,
A uniform pressing force of the wheel 14 against the ground 24 is guaranteed. Therefore, the device can be used as a propulsion assistance device when traveling uphill and as a braking device when traveling downhill.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show an alternative construction of a wheelchair 10 'having propulsion and braking aids, in which drive wheels 14' are mounted in a vertical guide 30. FIG. 4 shows the device with the drive wheel 14 ′ lowered and FIG. 5 shows the device with the drive wheel 14 ′ raised. The lifting engine 21 'again acts on the drive wheels 14' via intervening springs 19 'and thus allows for a uniform pressing pressure of the wheels 14' on the ground 24 '. This solution is equally well suited as a propulsion and braking aid, like the solutions shown in FIGS.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a central longitudinal section of a wheelchair with a propulsion and braking device according to the invention with the drive wheels lowered. FIG.

2 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1 of a wheelchair with lifted drive wheels.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the wheelchair according to FIG. 1 with the drive wheels raised.

FIG. 4 is a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of a wheelchair with a second configuration of the advancement and braking device according to the invention with the drive wheels lowered.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4 of a wheelchair with raised drive wheels.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Wheelchair 12 Drive and Braking Device 14 Drive Wheels 15, 16 Wheels 17 Swing Arm 18 Rotation Axis 19 Spring 21 Lifting Engine 24 Ground 25 Wheel Boss Engine 26 Battery 27 Operating Device 30 Vertical Guide

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. At least one drive and braking assist device is mountable to the frame of the wheelchair, is driveable by the engine and can be lowered to the ground between both wheels of the wheelchair if required. In a drive and braking assistance device for a wheelchair having drive wheels,
At least one drive wheel (14) with respect to the ground (24) in the lowered state.
4) is attached to a swing arm (17) in which a rotation center (D) is arranged at substantially the same interval as the rotation axis (18) or to a vertical guide (30),
Driving and braking aids for wheelchairs. 2. A drive and braking assistance device comprising at least one
Driving and braking assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a lifting engine (21) for lowering and lifting one drive wheel (14). 3. Drive and braking according to claim 2, characterized in that the lifting engine (21) is connected to at least one drive wheel (14) via a spring (19) inserted between them. Auxiliary device. 4. Drive and braking assistance device, characterized in that the drive and braking assistance device is powered by a battery (26). 5. The application of power to the device (12) causes an automatic lowering of at least one drive wheel (14), and the interruption of the power supply to the device (12) causes its automatic lifting. The drive and braking assist device according to claim 1. 6. Drive and braking assistance device, characterized in that at least one drive wheel (14) is driven by a wheel boss engine (25). 7. The drive and braking assistance device has only one drive wheel (14), which is arranged centrally between both wheels (15, 16) of the wheelchair (10). A drive and braking assist device, characterized in that 8. The drive and braking assist device is an operating device (2).
Drive and braking assistance device according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it has 7) and that different speeds of the device (12) can be preselected by this operating device.