JPH01171547A - Auxiliary truck for wheelchair - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make unnecessary a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic power unit to control a handle to a suitable angle and to attain lightening by providing a handle lock mechanism to fix right and left handles to a constant angle set beforehand. CONSTITUTION:A crawler device 8 and front/rear wheels 9 and 10 are respectively provided at a truck stand frame 2 of a truck main body 1. The lower edge part of the upper part front edge inclined side frame part is pivoted, a pair of right and left handles 50 is vertically provided approximately obliquely in the front direction while it is mutually unified and an auxiliary handle is vertically provided at the opposite rear edge side. A lock mechanism 55 to lock right and left handles 50 is provided at a constant front inclination angle A set beforehand so that a wheelchair user can be a little the upper direction posture even on a maximum inclination angle 30 deg. of steps and an escalator.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a wheelchair auxiliary trolley that is mainly used by wheelchair users to go up and down stairs or escalators, and particularly relates to a wheelchair auxiliary trolley that is used by wheelchair users to go up and down stairs or escalators. This invention relates to a wheelchair auxiliary trolley equipped with a wheelchair.

(Prior Art) Generally, when a wheelchair user uses stairs or an escalator, an attendant is essential to help the wheelchair user, and it is difficult for the wheelchair user to do so alone. For this reason, recently, a wheelchair auxiliary trolley has been proposed which is equipped with a wheelchair so that the wheelchair user can go up and down stairs and escalators even with an attendant.

The general structure and operating state of the conventional wheelchair auxiliary trolley will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11. First, FIG. 6 is a side view of the wheelchair auxiliary trolley, and FIG. 7 is a line taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. FIG. In FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, 1 in the figure is a truck body, which is a truck frame 2, a motor 3,
A battery 4 that serves as a power source, a drive wheel 5 driven by the motor 3, a guide wheel 6, and a guide (a frame that also serves as the bogie frame 2) that is hung on these drive wheels 5 and guide wheels 6. The crawler device 8 is equipped with an endless body 7 such as a belt made of an elastic body having a high coefficient of friction and which rotates forward and backward in a closed loop.

Further, two sets of front and rear wheels 9, 10 are respectively disposed on both outer sides of the front and rear ends of the ground contact portions of the left and right endless bodies 7 of the crawler device 8 of this truck body 1.

These two left and right front and rear wheels 9, 10 are respectively attached to the front and rear ends of a swinging arm 12 which is pivotally connected to a central shaft 11 protruding from both side frames of the bogie underframe 2. The front and rear wheels 9 and 10 are both in contact with the running surface while the left and right endless bodies 7 of the vehicle 8 are slightly floating above the running surface.

Further, a pair of left and right handles 13 are attached to a frame portion near the upper front end of the bogie frame 2 of the bogie body 1 so as to stand up diagonally forward with their base ends supported by the bogie frame 2. The left and right handles 13 are integrally connected to each other, and are provided with fixtures 14 and 15 for fixing a wheelchair 25 (shown in FIGS. 8 and later) mounted on the trolley body 1. In addition, the handle 13 is attached to the trolley frame 2 so that the wheelchair 25 can be stably maintained in a constant and correct posture so that the wheelchair user 26 can ride with peace of mind whether traveling on flat ground or climbing up and down stairs or escalators. On the other hand, the rising angle is automatically adjustable.

That is, the handle 13 is pivotably attached at its base end to the upper frame portion of the truck frame 2, and the piston rod 1-6a is connected to the handle 13 to rotate the handle 13 in the up/down direction. A hydraulic cylinder 16 to be operated is attached to the front end side of the bogie frame 2, and a hydraulic power unit 17 for driving the hydraulic cylinder 16 and a battery 18 serving as its power source are provided at the center of the bogie frame 2. Furthermore, an inclination angle sensor 19 is attached to the bogie frame 2 to detect the inclination angle of the bogie frame 2 and output an output corresponding to the inclination, and a tilt angle sensor 19 is attached to the bogie frame 2 to detect the rotational position of the handle 13 with respect to the bogie frame 2. A handle position detector 20 is provided for detecting the handle position, and a control unit is installed at the lower part of the tip side of the handle 13 to drive and control the hydraulic power unit 17 based on output signals from the tilt angle sensor 19 and the handle position detector 20. A container 21 is provided. This controller 21 receives an output signal of a magnitude corresponding to the inclination of the truck main body outputted from the inclination angle sensor 19, and performs drive control for controlling the hydraulic power unit 17 by comparing it with a predetermined set value. section, and its hydraulic power unit 1
When the handle position detector 20 detects that the hydraulic cylinder 16 is operated by the drive of the hydraulic power unit 7 and the handle 13 is rotated to a predetermined position, the hydraulic power unit 1
The control circuit includes a control circuit for a stop control unit that stops the drive of the drive unit 7.

Furthermore, the rear end frame portion 2 of the bogie frame 2 of the bogie body 1
2, the center shaft 11 of the swinging arm 12 of the rear wheel 10, which is assembled on the left and right sides as described above, is provided protrudingly. It is removably installed in a tilted standing position.

However, when going up and down stairs, the wheelchair auxiliary trolley is used as shown in Figure 8, and when going up an escalator, it is provided with an auxiliary handle 23, and when going up and down, it is used as shown in Figure 9. In this case, use the condition shown in Figure 10. When moving on flat ground, it is used in the state shown in Figure 11.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, in the above-mentioned wheelchair auxiliary trolley, when traveling on stairs, the crawler device 8 is operated, and at the end of climbing or descending the stairs, the attendant continues the operation. You should switch to driving on flat ground. In addition, when an escalator is operating downward, when the person gets on the escalator from the upper floor and finishes descending to the lower floor, the attendant can easily get off the escalator to the floor by lightly pushing the handle and continue on.

However, in recent years, electric wheelchairs have become more popular than general push wheelchairs, and more and more people use electric wheelchairs, especially when going out.Since electric wheelchairs are quite heavy, various problems have arisen. It's here. In other words, in the case of an electric wheelchair, the chair itself weighs more than 60 Ky, and if an adult were to sit on it, it would be quite heavy.
The wheelchair auxiliary trolley that mounts and supports this requires strengthening not only the frame of the trolley frame 2, crawler device 8, front and rear wheels 9, 10, etc., but also the left and right handles 13 and fixing devices 14 and 15. In particular, it is necessary to increase the size of control equipment such as the hydraulic cylinder 16, hydraulic power unit 17, and its power source battery 18, which automatically drive and control the handle 13 to an appropriate angle.

As a result, the entire trolley body 1 becomes larger, leading to an increase in weight.
Problems have arisen that include deterioration in operability, difficulty in getting on and off the escalator, and furthermore, difficulty in getting the wheelchair on and off the auxiliary trolley. For this reason, four adults still have to lift and carry the wheelchair, or transfer the wheelchair to a regular hand-held wheelchair and load it onto an auxiliary trolley for transportation, while the electric wheelchair has to be transported separately. Ta.

The present invention was developed in view of the above circumstances, and is a wheelchair aid with excellent operability and safety that allows even a heavy electric wheelchair to be easily mounted on a trolley with the user on it and safely transported up and down stairs or escalators. The purpose is to provide trolleys.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for solving the problem) In order to achieve the above object, the wheelchair auxiliary trolley of the present invention has the following features:
First of all, there is a trolley body with a crawler device installed on the trolley frame, wheels attached to the front, rear, left, and right sides of the trolley body via swinging arms. An auxiliary wheelchair trolley capable of traveling on level ground and climbing and descending stairs or escalators, which is equipped with a handle that also serves as a wheelchair fixing device and has a fixing device for fixing a wheelchair installed in a vertically rotatable manner. A deck for supporting the mff1 of the wheelchair on which the wheels of the wheelchair to be mounted are mounted is provided so as to be rotatable together with the left and right handles, and a bridge is provided on the deck for allowing the wheelchair to run on its wheels from the floor and to ride on the deck. 1112, and without providing an automatic angle drive control device for the left and right handles, locking and releasing the left and right handles to lock the left and right handles at a preset angle so that the loaded wheelchair is in a supine position. It is characterized by being configured with an operable handle lock mechanism.

Second, in addition to the configuration of the first wheelchair auxiliary trolley, a first link arm is rotatably provided at a position that does not interfere with the crawler device at the front end of the trolley frame; A second link arm that rotates in motion with the first link arm is provided, and a non-slip body having an elastic plate with a high coefficient of friction on the lower surface is provided at the tip of the second link arm, and the second link arm is always rotated. A return spring is provided that rotates upward to pull and hold the non-slip body at a high position, and the first link arm is rotated to move the second arm so that the non-slip body at the tip of the second arm touches the step surface of the escalator. It is characterized in that it is configured with a number of levers that can be rotated to a press-contact state.

(Function) With the above configuration, first, a simple handle locking mechanism is provided that fixes the left and right handles at a preset constant angle, and a hydraulic cylinder or By eliminating the need for control equipment such as a hydraulic power unit and its power supply battery, the weight of the trolley itself can be significantly reduced, and even when a heavy electric wheelchair is mounted, operability does not deteriorate, making it easier for wheelchair users to use. It will be possible to transport it up stairs and escalators. In addition, the wheelchair is wheeled from the floor via an inclined bridge and placed on a deck on the trolley body, and the wheelchair is fixed to the fixtures on the left and right handles with the deck supporting the weight of the wheelchair. By rotating the left and right handles and fixing them at a preset angle using the handle lock mechanism, the wheelchair can be mounted in a supine position, making it easier to load the wheelchair onto the auxiliary trolley. Not only can this be carried out easily, but also the wheelchair user can be safely transported up stairs or on an escalator without feeling uneasy.

On the other hand, when getting off the escalator, if the operating lever is operated to rotate the first link arm, the second arm that moves in response to this will rotate, and the anti-slip body at the tip will It comes into pressure contact with the escalator step surface through a highly elastic plate.

This creates a large frictional force between the anti-slip body and the steps, and the propulsive force generated by the forward motion of the escalator ensures that the trolley itself can overcome the comb at the entrance, which is raised one step higher, and the attendant strongly supports it. This makes it possible to get off the escalator safely and easily.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Components in the figure that overlap with those shown in FIGS. 6 to 11 described above are given the same reference numerals to simplify the explanation.

First, in FIGS. 1 and 2, a crawler device 8 and front and rear wheels 9, 10 are provided on the bogie frame 2 of the bogie body 1, as in the conventional case, and two pairs of front and rear wheels 9, 10 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear end of the mower. . Note that the rear-side front axle 9 of each pair of front wheels 9 is arranged inside the endless body 7 of the crawler device 8. In addition, a pair of left and right handles 50 are integrally erected slightly diagonally forward with their lower ends pivoted to the upper front end side frame portion of the bogie frame 2 of the bogie main body 1.
An auxiliary handle 23 is provided upright on the opposite rear end side, and an attendant can operate these handles 5o or 23 to allow the vehicle to travel on level ground and to climb up and down stairs or escalators. The left and right handles 50 are wheelchair fixing handles having a fixture 51 for fixing the loaded wheelchair, and are provided so as to be rotatable in the front and rear directions via a fulcrum 50a. Up to this point, the process is almost the same as the conventional process.

Here, a pair of left and right decks 52 are attached so as to integrally extend rearward from the lower end side of the left and right handles 50 and to form an abbreviated shape as a whole when viewed from the side together with the handle 5o. These left and right decks 52 are each a pair of elongated strip-shaped deck members 52a, 5 connected in the front and rear.
2b, each of which has a leg member 52c at its lower rear end.
are installed respectively. Then, when the left and right handles 50 are raised from the forward tilted state (not shown at A) to the vertical state shown at B, the left and right decks 52 rotate together with this, changing from the backward tilted state shown at C to D. The wheelchair falls into a substantially horizontal state shown by , and the left and right wheels of the wheelchair are rolled onto it to support the weight of the wheelchair, and the wheelchair is supported at a high position where it does not interfere with the crawler device 8. There is.

In addition, in order to easily move the wheelchair onto the left and right decks 52 by running the wheels from the floor 53, they are connected by (see FIG. 2) to form a slope with a gentle slope as shown by E in the figure. ing. The left and right bridges 54 can be individually attached to and detached from the rear end of the deck member 52b, and can be removed from the E position constituting the sleeve. As shown, at the outer positions of the left and right decks 52, the engaging pieces 54b are hooked to the hooks 52d there, and the trolley body 1 is
It is designed so that it can be stored so that it does not get in the way of driving.

Further, the rising angle of the left and right handles 50 is not automatically adjusted appropriately as in the conventional case. That is, automatic angle drive control equipment (hydraulic cylinder 16, hydraulic power unit 17, its power source battery 18, etc.), which causes an increase in size and weight, is not provided. Instead, Detsuki 5
2, so that the wheelchair mounted on top of the wheelchair lies on its back, that is, the wheelchair user is in a slightly upward position even on the maximum inclination angle of 30 degrees of stairs or escalators. A handle lock mechanism 55 is provided to lock the left and right handles. This handle lock mechanism 55 is configured such that when the handle 50 is tilted forward from position 8 and rotated to position A, a notch automatically fits into a lock hole (not shown) in the frame of the handle 50 and locks. However, it has a very simple structure in that when you step on the pedal, the notch moves back and unlocks.

Next, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part G in FIG. A first link arm 61 is provided at a position that does not interfere with the first link arm 61 so as to be rotatable in the front and rear direction with the bin 60 as a fulcrum. The second link arm 63 slides into the bin 64 while moving.
It is provided so that it can be rotated in the front and rear directions using the fulcrum as a fulcrum. This second link arm 63 is bent into an abbreviated shape,
An anti-slip body 66 is attached to the tip of this body via a pin 65 so as to be able to swing back and forth in the front-rear direction, and has an elastic plate 66a made of rubber or the like having a high coefficient of friction and fixed to its lower surface. Further, a return spring 67, which is a tension coil spring, is provided with both ends hooked to the bogie underframe 2 and the middle part of the second link arm 63, which urges the second link arm to rotate upward during normal times.・ Pull up and hold the anti-slip body 66 in a high position.
The second link arm 63
A spring 68 is provided at both ends of the spring 68 and the anti-slip body 66 to maintain the posture of the anti-slip body.

On the other hand, the upper end of the first link arm 61 is connected to the end of an operating wire 69 made of Bowden wire. Note that 70 in the figure is a screw for adjusting the extension of the operating wire 69. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the operating wire 69 is conducted along the handle 50 to a handle portion at the tip of the handle, and is connected to an operating lever 71 provided there. When the operating lever 71 is operated, the first link arm 61 rotates via the operating wire 69, and the second arm link 63 rotates downward against the spring 67. The structure is such that the anti-slip body 66 at the tip is rotated so as to come into pressure contact with the step surface 72 of the escalator. Note that the first link accompanying the operation of the operating lever 71
The operating angle of the farm 61 and the second link arm 63 is as shown in FIG. It is set so that it is within the friction angle of

Therefore, in the wheelchair auxiliary trolley having the above-mentioned configuration, first of all,
A simple handle lock gate mechanism 55 is provided to fix the left and right handles 50 at a preset fixed angle, and hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic power units and hydraulic power units that automatically drive and control the left and right handles at appropriate angles as in the past are provided. By eliminating the need for control equipment such as a power source battery, the weight of the trolley body 1 can be significantly reduced, and even when the heavy electric wheelchair 25A shown in FIG. The user 26 can now be transported up the stairs or escalator.

In addition, when loading the electric wheelchair 25A with the user still in it on the auxiliary trolley, the attendant must first unlock the handle 50 and move it from position A to the upright position shown at 8 as shown in FIG. Rotate. The left and right decks 52 move together with this and fall from the C position to the D horizontal position. Further, the right and left bridges 54 are removed and the hooks are engaged with the rear end side to form a slope indicated by F. In this state, the attendant pushes the wheelchair 25A from the floor 53 and runs the wheelchair 25A on the left and right decks 52 via the left and right bridges 54. This prevents the wheelchair 25A from interfering with the crawler device 8 and the like even if the wheelchair 25A is a low-height electric wheelchair with a battery mounted at the bottom.

In addition, the loaded wheelchair 25A has a fulcrum 5 of the handle 50.
The wheelchair 25A is guided directly above the wheelchair 25A, and the rear part of the wheelchair 25A is fixed to the fixture 51 of the handle 50, and the left and right bridges 54 are removed and engaged and held on the outside of the left and right decks 52. In this state, the attendant turns forward and rotates the handle 50 together with the left and right decks 52 so as to tilt it forward. As a result, the handle 50 is fixed at a preset forward tilt angle indicated by A by the locking mechanism 5'5, and the left and right decks 5
The wheelchair 25A mounted on the wheelchair 25A is placed in a supine position as shown in FIG. 5. This makes it possible to easily mount and set the electric wheelchair 25A with the wheelchair user 26 on it on the auxiliary trolley with less effort.

In this state, the trolley body 1 is driven by itself and travels on flat ground or up and down stairs, or is manually pushed onto an escalator for transportation. At this time, the lock angle of the left and right handles 5o is at position A, so the loaded wheelchair user 26 is on his back on level ground, and the maximum inclination angle is 30131.
Since the patient can maintain a slightly upward posture even on the F stairs or escalator, the patient can be safely transported up the stairs or escalator without feeling anxious.

Furthermore, when driving down an escalator, when riding from the upper floor and descending to the lower floor, conventionally the wheelchair was held horizontally by automatic control and the load was distributed almost equally between the front and rear wheels 9 and 10 of the trolley body 1. In the auxiliary trolley of the present invention, the handle 50 is fixed in a forward tilted state as shown in FIG. 5, so the load is largely distributed to the front wheels 9. There is a risk that the front wheel 9 will not be able to ride on the comb plate 72. For this reason, when going down the escalator, the attendant must pull the operating lever 71 on the handle part of the handle 50 with his/her finger, and
As shown in the drawings and FIG. 4, the first link arm 61 is rotated via the operating wire 69, and the second arm link 63 is rotated in response to the operation wire 69, so that the anti-slip body 66 at the tip thereof is rotated on the lower surface. The elastic plate 66a having a high coefficient of friction is brought into pressure contact with the step surface 72 of the escalator. As a result, a large frictional force is obtained between the anti-slip body 66 and the step surface 72,
The bogie body 1 surely climbs over the comb 73 of the entrance/exit which is raised one step higher by the propulsive force accompanying the forward movement of the escalator, and the person can safely and easily get off the escalator without having to be strongly backed by an attendant. In addition, at that time, the front wheel 9 is connected to the com 72.
Even if a force is generated that blocks the movement of the second link arm 63 and pushes it back, the angle θ of the second link arm 63 is within the friction angle of the elastic plate 66a of the anti-slip body 66 against the step surface 72. In addition, the nuclear force is converted into a force that presses the elastic plate 66a even more strongly against the step surface 72, so that the operating lever 71
There is no need to hold the elastic plate 66a with all your strength,
You will be able to go down the escalator smoothly just by applying enough force to make contact with the object.

If the operating lever 71 is released when the front wheel 9 of the truck body 1 has climbed over the comb 72, the anti-slip body 66 will move over the comb 72.
The second link arm 63 and the second link arm 63 can be flipped upward by the return spring 67 without interfering with the second link arm 63. In the unlikely event that the attendant forgets to release the operating lever 71, the anti-slip body 66
3, the attendant is pushing the auxiliary trolley and trying to get off the escalator, so the force does not push the anti-slip body 66 downward, but the force is in the opposite direction to the friction angle, so You will be able to get off the escalator without any resistance.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention has been made as described above, it is a wheelchair with excellent operability and safety that allows even a heavy electric wheelchair to be easily mounted on a trolley with the user in it and safely transported up and down stairs or escalators. It becomes an auxiliary trolley.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing one embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an enlarged view of part G in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in the figure. Schematic diagram, FIG. 6 is a side view showing a conventional auxiliary cart, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the conventional auxiliary trolley in the escalator ascending state, Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the conventional auxiliary trolley in the escalator descending state, and Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the conventional auxiliary trolley in the flat ground running state. It is. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Trolley body, 2... Bogie frame, 8... Crawler device, 9.10... Front and rear wheels, 12... Swinging arm, 25A... Wheelchair, 2-6...・Wheelchair users,
50... Wheelchair fixing handle, 51... Fixture, 52... T-piece, 54... Bridge, 55...
Handle lock device, 61...first link arm, 6
3... Second ring arm, 66... Anti-slip body, 6
6a...Elastic plate, 67...Return spring, 69...Wire, 71...Operation lever Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A bogie body with a crawler device installed on the bogie frame, two sets of wheels attached via swinging arms to the front, rear, left and right sides of the bogie body, and two wheels attached to the front end of the bogie body in the front and back direction. A wheelchair auxiliary trolley that is equipped with a wheel chair fixing handle that is rotatably erected and has a fixing device for fixing the loaded wheelchair, and is capable of traveling on level ground and climbing and descending stairs or escalators. A deck that supports the weight of the wheelchair by placing the wheels thereon is provided so as to be rotatable together with the left and right handles, and a bridge is removably provided on the deck for allowing the wheelchair to run on its wheels from the floor and land on it. Moreover, without providing an automatic angle drive control device for the left and right handles, a handle locking mechanism is provided that can be operated to lock and release the left and right handles to lock the left and right handles at a preset angle when the wheelchair is placed on its back. An auxiliary trolley for a wheelchair characterized by the following configuration. (2) A bogie body with a crawler device installed on the bogie frame, two sets of wheels attached via swinging arms to the front, rear, left and right sides of the bogie body; A wheelchair auxiliary trolley that is equipped with a wheel chair fixing handle that is rotatably erected and has a fixing device for fixing the loaded wheelchair, and is capable of traveling on level ground and climbing and descending stairs or escalators. A deck that supports the weight of the wheelchair by placing the wheels thereon is provided so as to be rotatable together with the left and right handles, and a bridge is removably provided on the deck for allowing the wheelchair to run on its wheels from the floor and land on it. In addition, without providing an automatic angle drive control device for the left and right handles, a handle locking mechanism is provided that can be operated to lock and release the left and right handles to lock the left and right handles at a preset angle when the wheelchair is placed on its back. Further, a first link arm is rotatably provided at a position that does not interfere with the crawler device at the front end of the bogie underframe, and a second link arm that rotates in motion with the first link arm is provided. A non-slip body having an elastic plate with a high coefficient of friction on the lower surface is provided at the tip of the second link arm, and the second link arm is rotated upward during normal times to raise and hold the non-slip body at a high position. A return spring is provided, and an operating lever is provided for rotating the first link arm so that the second arm is brought into pressure contact with the step surface of the escalator, with the non-slip body at the end of the second link arm being in pressure contact with the step surface of the escalator. An auxiliary trolley for wheelchairs. (3) When the anti-slip body is in contact with the horizontal tread, the second
The wheelchair according to claim 2, wherein the operating angles of the first and second link arms are set so that the angle between the link arms and the vertical line is within the friction angle of the anti-slip body. Auxiliary trolley for use.