JP2003116927A - Armrest attaching structure for wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wheelchair which is compact rather than conventional ones by using an armrest attaching structure for sufficiently supporting the body of a user and not to become an obstacle when getting on and getting off the wheelchair. SOLUTION: In the attaching structure for armrests provided on both the side parts of the seat of the wheelchair, a base member is provided on a backrest part, the armrest is fixed on a turning arm in which a front part is pivotally attached to be freely turnably from side to side with the rear terminal part of the base member as a base terminal, and the interval between left and right armrest tops can be expanded/reduced as needed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an armrest mounted on a wheelchair.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a wheelchair, it is usual to provide an armrest for supporting a user's body from the left and right and placing an elbow on the backrest so that the user can take a comfortable posture.

A conventional armrest is generally one in which a cushion portion is fastened with a screw to an armrest pipe portion standing upright on both left and right sides of a wheelchair seat. The cushion portion is generally a hard core member provided with a soft elastic body on the upper surface thereof, and is configured to softly receive the elbow of the user. This fixed armrest is the widest part of the body when getting in and out, that is, the width where the buttocks enter. Therefore, a gap is formed between the armrest and the body, and the body of the user cannot be sufficiently supported.

In order to make it easier to get in and out of a wheelchair, an armrest provided on the backrest so as to be rotatable upward is also proposed. However, when the armrest is rotated upward, a sufficient armrest interval is required so as not to contact the user's body, and the armrest configuration that cannot support the user's body when the armrest is provided enough for getting on and off. It was. There is also a drawback that the wheelchair cannot be made compact in order to secure a sufficient width for getting on and off.

[0005]

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to make it possible to support the user's body sufficiently, and by using an armrest mounting structure that does not hinder the user when getting on or off the vehicle, the problem is solved more than ever. The purpose is to provide a compact wheelchair.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in an armrest provided on both side portions of a seat of a wheelchair, a base member is provided on a backrest frame, and a rear end portion of the base member is a base end and a front portion is The present invention is characterized in that an armrest is fixed on a rotating arm that is pivotally attached to the left and right, and the distance between the tips of the left and right armrests can be expanded or contracted as required. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the mounting structure for the armrest according to the first aspect, a pin is provided on the base member so as to project upward, and the pin can be engaged with a hole provided on the rotating arm side. It is characterized in that a lock device is provided which can be fixed at an inner position or an outer position of the armrest by engaging with the hole portion. Further, according to the invention of claim 3, the base member is pivotally attached to the backrest frame in a vertically rotatable manner, and is pivoted to a rear end portion of a lock plate having a front end portion pivotably attached to a waist receiving frame so as to be pivotable downward. An upper end portion of a support pipe that is freely pivotally attached is pivotally attached to the base member, and a front end portion of an armrest can be tilted downward by downward rotation of a lock plate.

According to the first aspect of the invention, there is provided a wheelchair having a width such that the left and right armrests can support the user's body.
When getting on and off, the armrest contacts the user's buttocks,
It is possible to widen the distance between the tips of the armrests in order to prevent inability to get on and off. As a result, it is possible to provide an armrest capable of sufficiently holding the user's body and a narrow wheelchair.
Further, according to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to lock in a state where the left and right armrest intervals are wide and narrow, and it is possible to more stably hold the body and assist in getting on and off the vehicle. According to the invention of Item 3, since the tip end of the armrest is tilted downward, the front portion of the seat is further opened, and it is possible to easily get on and off.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 are explanatory views related to a mounting structure of an armrest of a wheelchair according to this embodiment. A mounting structure of an armrest in a wheelchair according to the present invention is a general wheelchair, and more specifically, a seat portion formed by adjusting a seat member on a body frame having a pair of left and right front wheels and a rear wheel, and a rear end of the seat portion. It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a backrest provided so as to stand upright above the portion, and in the present embodiment, the case of attaching to a reclining wheelchair K described below is one embodiment. Will be used as an explanation.

First, FIG. 3 shows a reclining wheelchair K equipped with an armrest mounting structure according to the present invention.
The whole sectional side view is shown. This reclining wheelchair K includes a body frame 1. A pair of left and right rotatable casters 2 and 2 are pivotally attached to the front lower portion of the vehicle body frame 1, and a pair of left and right rollable rear wheels 3 and 3 are attached to the rear lower portion. The body frame 1
A waist support frame 4 is swingably attached to the upper part of the upper part and approximately in the middle part in the front-rear direction. Further, a backrest frame 5 is pivotally attached to the rear end of the waist receiving frame 4 so as to be vertically rotatable. The backrest frame 5 has a lower end pivotally attached to the vehicle body frame 1 and an upper end pivotally attached to an upper end of a link frame 6 configured to be rotatable back and forth. Further, the backrest frame 5 and the waist support frame 4 are provided. The vehicle body frame 1 and the backrest frame 5 are located at a position lower than the pivot portion of the telescopic rod 7.
It is connected with. Further, a leg receiving frame 8 is pivotally attached to the front end portion of the waist receiving frame 4 so as to be vertically rotatable, and a telescopic rod 9 is arranged between the leg receiving frame 8 and the vehicle body frame 1. 10 is a lumbar seat, 11 is a back seat, and 12 is a step.

In the reclining wheelchair K constructed as described above, the telescopic rod 7 is made to be telescopic by operating the lever 13, and when the telescopic rod 7 is contracted, the backrest frame 5 is pivotally attached to the waist support frame 4. Rotate backward around the section. At this time, since the link frame 6 rotates forward, the backrest frame 5 is tilted backward while being pulled forward,
The front part of the waist receiving frame 4 is raised so as to interlock with this, and it is possible to recline in a state in which the user's forward displacement is prevented. It is also possible to make the telescopic rod 9 extend and retract by operating the lever 14 and rotate the leg receiving frame 8 upward to an arbitrary position.

Next, the wheelchair K capable of reclining as described above.
The attachment structure 16 of the armrest 15 provided in the above will be described with reference to the drawings. First, mounting plates 17, 17 are fixed to the lower left and right lower surfaces of the waist receiving frame 4. The plate 17 is provided with holes 17a and 17b at the front and rear. A bolt member 18a fixed to the lock plate 18 is inserted through the hole 17a in the front portion,
The nut 19 is rotatably fastened. A boss 18b is fixed to the lock plate 18, a lock pin 21 is inserted into the boss 18b via a spring 20, and an operating portion 22 is screwed to a screw portion 21b of the lock pin 21 protruding from the boss 18b. There is. The spring 20 urges the lock pin 21 in a direction to engage the hole 17b of the mounting plate 17. A support pipe 23 that supports the armrest 15 is rotatably pivotally attached to the collar 18c fixed to the lock plate 18.

Bearings 5a, 5a for attaching the armrest 15 are fixed to the backrest frame 5 at a substantially middle portion in the vertical direction. A base member 24 is pivotally attached to the bearing 5a so as to be vertically rotatable. A bracket 26 is fixed to a front end portion of a pipe 25 of the base member 24, and a bolt 2 that is inserted into the bearing 5a is attached to an inner surface of a rear end portion of the base member 24.
7 is fixed, and further, a pin 28 is fixed on the upper surface of the rear end portion. The bracket 26 has hole portions 26a and 26b formed on both side surfaces thereof, and a long hole 26c extending in the front-rear direction and a long hole 26d extending in the left-right direction on the upper surface. And
Pins 29 are inserted into the holes 26a, 26a on both sides of the bracket 26, and the upper portion of the support pipe 23 is pivotally attached.

Pins 28, 2 of the base members 24, 24
Rotating arms 30, 30 are rotatably supported on the shaft 8. The rotating arm 30 has the pin 2 at the rear end of the pipe 31.
A boss 32 having a hole portion 32a through which 8 is inserted is fixed, a plate 33 having a hole portion 33a, 33b on the lower surface of the pipe 31 and a bolt 33c fixed in a suspended state is fixed. Then, the bolt 33c is inserted into the elongated hole portion 26d of the base member 24, and is prevented from coming off by a nut 34 from below. In this state, the rotating arm 30
With the pin 28 at the rear end of the base member 24 as the base end, the base member 24 is rotatable within a range in which the bolts 33c contact the left and right side surfaces of the elongated hole 26d. An armrest 15 made of an elastic material is attached on the rotating arm 30.

Further, the mounting structure 16 of the armrest 15 is provided with a lock device 35 for restricting rotation at the inner position and the outer position of the armrest 15. The locking device 35 includes a lever plate 36, a boss 37 and a pin 38.
Is fixed, and is pivotally supported by the pin 39 in the hole portions 26b, 26b of the bracket 26, and the spring 40 is fitted into the pin 38 projecting from the lower surface of the lever plate 36.
Is urged upward. The pin 38 passes through the hole 26c of the bracket 26 and can be engaged with and disengaged from the hole 33a or the hole 33b formed in the plate 33 of the rotating arm 30. That is, the lever plate 36
Is pulled up against the spring 40 to release the engagement between the pin 38 and the hole portion 33a so that the rotating arm 30 is rotatable, and the interval between the arm rests 15 is adjusted appropriately. When the lever plate 36 is released to the left or right and the lever 38 is rotated to the left or right, the pin 38 is automatically moved to the minimum width or the maximum width.
It is in a locked state that engages with b and holds that state.

Next, the operation of the mounting structure 16 for the armrest 15 constructed as described above will be described. As described above, the mounting structure 16 of the armrest 15 uses the four-bar linkage mechanism including the waist support frame 4, the backrest frame 5, the support pipe 23, and the base member 24, and is linked to the reclining of the wheelchair K.
Is also configured to maintain a state in which it is substantially parallel to the waist receiving frame 4 (see FIGS. 4 and 6) so that the elbow can be placed in a comfortable posture. Further, when the operating portion 22 provided on the lock plate 18 is pulled against the spring 20 to release the engagement between the lock pin 21 and the hole portion 17b of the plate 17, as shown in FIG. Can be rotated downward, and the armrest 15 can be rotated downward with the bearing 5a of the backrest frame 5 as a base end, so that it is possible to easily transfer to a bed or the like.

Then, the lock device 3 of the mounting structure 16
When the lever plate 36, which is No. 5, is rotated upward, the pin 3
8 and the hole portion 33a are disengaged, and the rotating arm 30 is rotatable about the pin 28 as a base end within a range in which the bolt 33c moves within the long hole portion 26d of the bracket 26. The space can be narrowed. When the armrest 15 is moved inward, the spring 40 automatically brings the pin 38 and the long hole portion 33b into the engaged state,
The armrests 15, 15 are held in a state where the space between them is small, and it is possible to support the user's body. Conversely, wheelchair K
When getting off, the lever plate 36 is pulled up, the engagement state between the pin 38 and the engagement hole 33b is released, and the turning arm 30 is turned outward. When the armrest 15 is opened to the outside by releasing the hand from the lever plate 36, the pin 38 and the engagement hole 33 are opened with the armrest 15 being opened.
a is engaged and holds this state. In this state, the user's buttocks can get out of the wheelchair K without being caught by the armrests 15, 15. At this time, if the state of FIG. 5 described above is set, loading and unloading can be performed more easily.

Further, a plate 33 fixed to the rotating arm 30 and a bracket 26 fixed to the base member 24.
By setting the position close to the backrest frame 5, it is possible to set a wider rotation range. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the armrests 15, 15 are viewed in a plan view, the brackets 26, 26 and the plates 33, 33 are configured without protruding, which is excellent in design.

[0018]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, a wheelchair having a width capable of supporting the user's body with the left and right armrests is provided, and the armrests contact the buttocks of the user when getting on and off. , It is possible to widen the interval between the tips of the armrests to prevent the inability to get on and off. As a result, it is possible to provide an armrest capable of sufficiently holding the user's body and a narrow wheelchair. Further, according to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to lock in a state where the left and right armrest intervals are wide and narrow, and it is possible to more stably hold the body and assist in getting on and off the vehicle. Item 3
According to the invention, since the tip of the armrest is tilted downward, the front part of the seat is further opened, and the passenger can easily get on and off.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mounting structure of an armrest according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a structure of an armrest mounting structure.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing a state where the left and right armrest intervals are narrowed. FIG. 3B is a plan view showing a state where the left and right armrest intervals are widened.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a state of being attached to a reclining wheelchair.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the armrest is lowered.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state of reclining.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the movement of the armrest.

[Explanation of symbols]

K wheelchair 4 waist frame 5 back frame 15 Armrest 16 Armrest mounting structure 18 lock plate 23 Support pipe 24 Base member 30 rotating arm 33a, 33b holes 35 Lock device 38 pin

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An armrest provided on both sides of a seat of a wheelchair, wherein a base member is provided on a backrest frame, and a front portion is pivotally attached to the left and right with a rear end portion of the base member as a base end. An armrest mounting structure characterized in that the armrests are attached to the moving arms, and the distance between the tips of the left and right armrests can be expanded or contracted as required. 2. The armrest mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the base member is provided with a pin projecting upward,
An armrest provided with a lock device that is engageable with a hole provided on the rotating arm side and that can be fixed at an inner position or an outer position of the armrest by engagement of the pin and the hole. Mounting structure. 3. The base member is pivotally attached to a backrest frame so as to be pivotable up and down, and pivotally pivoted to a rear end portion of a lock plate whose front end portion is pivotally attached to a waist support frame so as to be pivotable downward. 3. The armrest according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the supported pipe is pivotally attached to the base member, and a front end of the armrest can be tilted downward by rotating the lock plate downward. Mounting structure.