JP2007090020A - Self transferring wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a self transferring wheelchair of a simple mechanism having a function enabling user to transfer to a seat of a vehicle, bed or toilet by him-/herself and a function of a reclining chair and a makeshift bed. <P>SOLUTION: With the four link mechanism to which the seat of the wheelchair is linked movably and linked fixed, (1) user transfers vertically bridging the backrest with a grab handle with the object to which the user transfers. A lateral hinge is fixed on the backrest of the wheelchair having height adjusting mechanism for the seat, the armrest and the footrest and they are bridged with a bed for the user to transfer to the side. (2) To prevent the user from falling backward, the seat moves forward when reclining and a stand is formed on the backrest. (3) Reclining is possible by weight shift. (4) User can urinate from the opening of the backrest. (5) The pressure on the buttocks is released by any rest by forming a full flat bed. the unavoidable problems of users of wheelchair, such as transferring and toilet are solved without requiring help from care taker. This wheelchair can achieve its effect in a narrow space between beds in hospital and can reduce labor of a nurse and various expensive and large size transferring facilities. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

Technical field to which the invention belongs

The present invention relates to a wheelchair with a simple mechanism, which has a function that enables a wheelchair consumer to transfer to a vehicle seat, a bed, a toilet bowl, and the like, and a reclining chair and a simple bed function.

  Conventionally, wheelchair users are generally transferred to a bed, toilet seat, etc. by removing one armrest of the wheelchair and standing from the side or holding it from the front. Some require more than one helper. This imposes physical and mental burdens on both caregivers and care recipients as an indispensable task on a daily basis.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, many applications have been filed. For transfer through a backrest similar to the present invention, there is an application of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-11050. However, since the application mainly focuses on the care of severely handicapped persons, the weight support structure using only the front lifting column frame by inserting the rear wheel under the bed and using the toilet under the seat, It is a wheelchair for nursing care with a special structure such as a small-diameter rear wheel, a hollow under the seat, and a left and right bifurcated frame.

  The backrest of the wheelchair is claimed as a backrest in which a belt is wound endlessly on a pair of rollers, and the rollers are closely arranged in parallel. However, in both structures, most of the backrest is on a flexible bed. Therefore, in order not to stop the rotation of the roller, a strong lower entire surface covering cover is required, and this does not conflict with the present invention. This application is not yet implemented.

As another problem, when the backrest of the wheelchair is reclining, the majority of the user's weight is applied to the backrest, so that there is a risk of causing the vehicle to fall backward. In order to solve this, there have been measures such as providing rear auxiliary wheels and support posts, and complicated wheel movement. (Patent Publication No. 10-52459) Further, wheelchairs capable of making a wheelchair into a flat bed have recently been put on the market. However, there are no wheelchair users who can operate them by themselves.

Problems to be solved by the invention

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned various problems with a simple mechanism, thereby reducing the independence of a disabled person or an elderly person and care work. In other words, the wheelchair is a general-purpose wheelchair that allows the user to move by himself / herself, and to use his / her own facility at the destination, and does not fall backwards even when reclining. Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-supporting wheelchair that can eliminate a blood circulation disorder in the buttocks because the bed can be easily rested outdoors.

Means for solving the problem

This is solved by the following means using a four-bar mechanism with a locking device. Longitudinal transfer means for bridging the backrest of the wheelchair to the transfer object is a fixed link between the front and rear struts of the armrest. (Because the seat moves forward, this link mechanism has an advantage that the object to be transferred approaches in addition to preventing the vehicle from falling backward.)
Lateral transfer is performed on the bed, but the backrest, seat, and legrest are fully flat, and the armrest, backrest, and legrest of the seat with a horizontal hinge (hinge) are placed across the bed. . To prevent backward fall, double measures are taken by forming a stand on the back. The structure of a lateral transfer wheelchair is a link mechanism in which a seat is a fixed link and a parallel movement link is arranged under the seat. Moreover, the height with respect to the transfer object is adjusted by a lifting device of the seat. Both the lateral transfer and the backrest stand system are unprecedented means.

If the embodiment of the invention is described in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2,
(1) The left and right external frames 5 and 5 ', to which the rear wheels 15 and 15' and the front wheels 16 and 16 'are respectively attached, are connected in parallel to form a main body.
(2) The leg arms 2 and 2 'and the backrest arms 11 and 11' are suspended from the front and rear support frames of the left and right external frames by shaft bolts 4 and 4 'and 13 and 13'.
(3) Seat arms 6 and 6 'are swingably attached to the leg arm 2.2' and the backrest arms 11 and 11 'with shaft bolts 3 and 3' and 14 and 14 '. The seat 7, the backrest 10 and the legrests 29 and 29 'have a cushion material on a hard material.
(4) If the dimension between each bolt is demonstrated with the main body left side frame 5, the dimension a from the axial bolts 3 to 4 and the dimension c from the axial bolts 13 to 14 are the same. The dimension b from the shaft bolt 4 to the shaft bolt 13 and the dimension d from the shaft bolt 3 to the shaft bolt 14 are slightly increased. A four-bar mechanism that performs parallel motion with four arms (links) having the lengths a, b, c, and d is used.
(5) Now, a procedure for transferring a wheelchair user according to the present invention to a transfer object such as a bed will be described with reference to FIGS.
1) Turn the back of the wheelchair against the bed and apply the brakes (not shown) on both sides.
2) When the lock lever 25 of the horizontal hole type lever retainer 26 beside the seat is pulled forward, the lock arm 29 is engaged with a semicircular ratchet 27 vertically arranged in the center of the backrest with the universal bolt 30 as a fulcrum. Remove bar 28. Since the lock arm is always pressed against the semicircular ratchet by the spring 31, the backrest is automatically fixed when the lock lever is released.
3) Next, if the wheelchair rider pushes the armrest 8, 8 'with both hands and pushes the upper part of the back 10 with the upper body, the back arm 11, 11' rotates and descends to the bed side with bolts 13, 13 'as fulcrum To do. At the same time, the leg arms 2 and 2 'rotate up around the shaft bolts 4 and 4'.
4) At this time, since the seat 7 moves to the front of the vehicle body by the link dimension of the front and rear arms a and c, the wheel chair can be prevented from tipping backward by the forward movement of the load.
5) Further, as the backrest tilts backward and becomes horizontal, the stand 37 is formed by the link of the backrest portion and works to prevent falling, so double safety can be ensured.
6) When the weight of the user is placed on the backrest 10, the top portion 12 to which the non-slip member at the upper end of the backrest is attached reaches the bed, and the bridge by the backrest is completed.
7) From the horizontal seat of the wheelchair, the user uses the armrests 8 and 8 'and the backrest handrails 9 and 9' like a parallel bar for gymnastics, and lifts and lowers the buttocks with the upper arm. You can move to the bed by repeating this operation.
8) For users without arm strength, if the backrest is made of a roller conveyor or a slide type, it is not necessary to lift the buttocks so that the movement is easy. In addition, it can be made into a folding wheelchair by simply splitting a slippery material board into two parts.
A folding method such as a roller conveyor backrest may be performed by providing a hinged middle vertical frame and arranging the sliding elements in two rows.
9) The transfer from the bed to the wheelchair is the reverse of the above, and the body moves forward in a forward direction. When the user's weight reaches the vicinity of the fulcrum shaft bolts 13 and 13 'on the backrest of the wheelchair, pull the lock lever 25 toward you to release the backrest and move your weight gradually toward the seat. For example, the seat is lowered and the seat rests and leg arms of both outer frames are placed in the normal position by the link action, and the wheelchair is ready for running.
10) If the formation operation of the stand 37 is described with the vehicle body left side link structure,
B) When the backrest 10 is erected vertically, there is a distance between the center line of the backrest arm and the center of the shaft bolt 13, and this is referred to as a link e.
(B) A stand arm 38 is welded to the socket short tube 40 that rotates about the shaft bolt 13 as a core, and extends to the shaft bolt 36 of the stand 37. This is a link h.
C) A link is provided from the shaft bolt 36 to the shaft bolt 35 on the center line of the backrest arm 11 in parallel with the same dimension as the link e, and this is defined as a link g.
D) A link f extends from the shaft bolt 35 to the intersection of the lower center line of the backrest arm 11 and the horizontal line of the shaft bolt 13.
E) The above e. f. g. By the four-bar mechanism h, the L-shaped stand 37 becomes vertical when the backrest 10 is tilted and becomes horizontal.
If it is desired to accelerate the vertical state, it can be adjusted by slightly extending the link h from the link f.
F) In order to further adjust the length of the stand 37, an inner pipe having a spring protrusion and an outer pipe having several receiving holes may be joined to each other. A similar link mechanism is also attached to the right back frame and connected at the lower part of the stand covered with non-slip rubber 39.
G) The fall prevention stand 37 is not particular about the link mechanism.
Simply spring-type like a bicycle stand and when the backrest tilts back to the middle, the stopper will automatically come off to form a bridge, or there is a means to remove the stopper at hand using a cable lever, which is practical .
H) Bolt holes are provided at the top and bottom of the shaft bolts 4 and 4 'of the outer frame so that the height of the seat front can be adjusted. By changing the bolt mounting position, it is possible to change the slope angle of the entire seat and backrest when changing.
Re) The height from the seat at the top of the backrest is the height at which the head rides when it is placed on the bed, but it can be folded to the height of the shoulder when driving, or like a pillow on a passenger car seat, The drawer can be adjusted.

3 and 4 show an embodiment of a wheelchair that can be transferred from the backrest with a foldable wheelchair, and this will be described.
(1) The means for reclining the backrest is the same as above. The seat and backrest are folded into a canvas, etc., or divided into two parts and used as a framework with hard materials 45 and 45 'such as a wooden board with a hinge attached at the center. The front folding arms 18 and 18 'and the rear folding arms 19 and 19' are rotatably attached to upper and lower arms 46 and 46 'and lower arms 47 and 47' that can be raised and lowered.
(3) As described above, the means for manufacturing the backrest with a sliding element such as a roller conveyor and folding it vertically may be provided with a hinge or the like at the center of the upper and lower frames of the backrest, and the sliding elements may be mounted in two rows on the left and right.
The stand may be bent with a hinge at the center, or may be a stand that is independent on the left and right.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a vertical / horizontal transfer type wheelchair. Now, I will lay the left side of the wheelchair on the bed and explain the means of transfer in the horizontal direction.
(1) When the back stand lever 50 is pulled, the back stand 51 opens. When the backrest 10 is pushed down and made substantially horizontal, the leg arm 2 is also lifted and becomes horizontal with the seat seat.
(2) In the lower part of the front and rear support pipes of the armrest 8, a long hole is made in the vertical direction, and the shaft bolts 48 and 49 pass therethrough and normally stop at the upper end and stand upright. When this armrest is lifted, it stops at the lower ends of the long holes of both strut pipes. If it is opened to the outside as it is, the armrest will fall to the bed side and become a bridge.
'(3) The back arm 9 is a lock hinge 71, and is attached to the back arm 11 and stands upright.
'(4) Next, the single plate-like backrest 10 connected to the backrest arm 11 by a plurality of hinges 52 is swung around the hinges, and this is brought down to the bed side and bridged.
(5) Similarly, the single plate leg rest 24 is hingedly connected to the leg arm 2, and this is also turned over to the bed.
'(6) The seat height adjustment handle 53 under the seat is lifted, and if it is aligned with the core of the screw shaft 54, it is temporarily fixed concentrically with the spring sheath 58. When the handle is rotated, the moving nut 55 moves and moves the front telescopic struts 56 and 56 'and the rear telescopic struts 57 and 57' to move the wheelchair seat up and down to coincide with the bed height.
'(7) Wheelchair users will move sideways from the inverted backrest, armrest, and legrest for bridging.
'(8) In order to make the transfer easier, providing a lateral sliding member and a smooth material on the upper surface of each bridge will increase the effect further and demonstrate its power for medical use and nursing care.
Furthermore, if it is limited to nursing care, if the front of the back is a vertical transfer conveyor and the back is a horizontal transfer conveyor, an almighty vertical and horizontal transfer wheelchair is completed.
'(9) In addition to flipping the backrest / legrest, there is also a means to pass it to the bed in a pull-out manner.
In addition, the part names specifically mentioned in the above description mean the members that operate the system, and are given for convenience, and can be changed to other parts / devices that function equivalently to the part when manufacturing the product. Is natural.

  FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the backrest is a roller conveyor.

  FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which the wheelchair described in the paragraph [0010] is laid on the bed and the armrest is bridged to the bed. There is a method of rolling and transferring the inside of the armrest (upper surface in the figure) as the sliding member or the same cushioning material as the seat so that transfer is easy.

  FIG. 8 shows the movement of each link of claim 3 of the present invention. If the wheelchair user himself defeats the backrest, the seat moves forward and a stand 37 is formed, so that a fully flat bed without partial load is completed.

  9 is placed in a narrow toilet, etc., and a ratchet joint 42/42 'with a claw release arm is attached so that the leg arm does not rise in conjunction with the inclination of the backrest, or directly attached to the external frame as shown in FIG. It may be fixed.

  When the toilet room is narrow, the defecation opening 17 in the center of the backrest is directly used from this opening without being transferred to the toilet seat. In case of an emergency, a portable toilet or a disposable toilet bag can be set in the opening and added. There is also a method of attaching a hinged door to the opening of the hard backrest 10. For backrests of soft materials such as canvas and vinyl, take measures such as making a chuck-type opening and reinforcing measures such as sewing a vertical band to hold the buttock weight between the upper and lower backrest intermediate gaps. Good.

  FIG. 10 shows the transfer from the wheelchair of the present invention to the car seat. Up to now, there have been transfer by holding, transfer by hydraulic drive of an automobile seat, etc., but according to the present invention, it is possible to easily transfer between each other by bridging the backrest to the seat.

  There are many ways to implement the back tilting means of the present invention with an electric wheelchair, but the simple method is to attach a bolt rotation / nut moving device by motor rotation to the rear wheel axle of the outer frame, and to move the seat with the moving nut. The problem can be solved by moving the lower dynamic link back and forth.

  The backrest locking mechanism may be a powerful disc brake operated by a cable lever or may be used in combination.

The invention's effect

As described above, wheelchair consumers can solve the problems of transfer, excretion, etc. that cannot be avoided in daily life without the assistance of an assistant. If this wheelchair is used in a hospital or the like, it is effective for transferring in a hospital room where the space between the beds is narrow, and it is possible to reduce various burden-dedicated equipment for the burden and large scale of the nurse.
In addition, since the structure is simple, an increase in the weight of the vehicle body is suppressed as much as possible, and the burden on self-running is small. As a result, people with disabilities and elderly people who tend to be confined actively go out on public roads and start independent citizenship. This action will brighten and revitalize the area with the liberation of caregivers and create economic effects in the surrounding area. Expected to increase production of improved wheelchairs, has a ripple effect on wheelchair manufacturing, related industries, transportation services, etc., and can cope with an aging society.

Side view of an embodiment of the wheelchair according to the invention with a stand Front view of the wheelchair embodiment of the present invention with a stand Side view of an embodiment of the wheelchair that can be folded Front view of an embodiment of the wheelchair that can be folded Side view of an embodiment of the wheelchair of the present invention that can be transferred to the bed Side view of an embodiment in which the backrest is a roller conveyor. Front view of the embodiment of bridging the armrest to the bed The side view which shows an example of the link mechanism of this invention Side view of usage example in the toilet Side view of the embodiment when transferring to a passenger car seat

Explanation of symbols

1, 1 'Foot plate 2, 2' Leg arm 3, 3 'Shaft bolt 4, 4' Shaft bolt 5, 5 'External frame 6, 6' Seat arm 7, Seat 8, 8 'Armrest 9, 9' Handrail 10 Backrest 11, 11 'Back arm 12 Top part 13, 13' Shaft bolt 14, 14 'Shaft bolt 15, 15' Rear wheel 16, 16 'Front wheel 17 Open 18.18' Front folding arm 19, 19 'Rear folding arm 20 20 'axle bolt 21 · 21' seat canvas extension arm 22 seat canvas 23 · 23 'backrest canvas 24 · 24' legrest 25 lock lever 26 lever retainer 27 seat canvas 28 lock lever 29 lock arm 30 axle bolt 31 spring 32 Axle frame 33/33 'Seat receiver 34/34' Seat receiver 35/35 ′ Shaft bolt 36, 36 ′ Shaft bolt 37, 37 ′ Stand 38, 38 ′ Stand arm 39, 39 ′ Non-slip rubber 40, 40 ′ Short tube socket 41, 41 ′ Stabilizer 42, 42 ′ Ratchet joint 43 Toilet 44 Automobile Seat 45/45 ′ Hinge 46/46 ′ Upper arm 47/47 ′ Lower arm 48/49 Shaft bolt 50 Stand lever 51 Stand 52 Hinge 53 Height adjustment handle 54 Screw shaft 55 Moving nut 56/56 ′ Front telescopic support post 57 57 'Rear telescopic column 58 Spring sheath 59/60 Bearing 62/63 Free bolt 64/65 Free bolt 66 Height adjustment arm guide 67 Pulley 68 Shaft bolt 69 Height adjustment arm 70 Height adjustment arm 71 Locking hinge 72 Bed 73 Roller 74 Belt 75 Rope 76 Hook 77 Stabilization

Claims (6)

Hand / electric and Wheelchair for care. A backrest of a wheelchair provided with a handrail member for movement on both sides of the backrest of the backrest of the wheelchair that tilts backward, using a roller conveyor, a belt conveyor, a sliding member such as a slide mechanism having both side guides and a smooth material. A leg arm and a back arm are swingably attached to the inside of the front and rear struts of a wheelchair outer frame structure with wheels attached, and a seat arm is suspended on both arms to form a four-bar mechanism (link) And a reclining structure for a wheelchair equipped with a locking device for link movement. And the structure of a chair for care and furniture other than a wheelchair using the same four-bar mechanism. The seat is fixed inside the wheelchair outer frame structure with wheels attached, the leg arm and back arm are suspended swingably on the front and rear of both sides of the seat, and the leg arm and back arm are linked to the lower part of the seat. A reclining structure for a wheelchair comprising a four-bar mechanism and having a link motion locking device. And a structure of a chair for care or furniture other than a wheelchair using the same structure. In a wheelchair where the backrest, seat, and legrest (footrest) can be formed almost horizontally, hinges are attached vertically to the left and right edges of the backrest, armrest attachment, and legrest, and these are turned to the bed side by a swivel bridge. A wheelchair characterized by being able to transfer. And a wheelchair using a sliding member / smoothing material at the bridge in the wheelchair. In a wheelchair and a care chair whose backrest tilts backward, a backrest provided with an opening for defecation in the backrest.

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