WO2025062611A1 - Caregiving device - Google Patents

Abstract

This caregiving device includes: a base on which a care receiver rides; rear casters provided at a riding-direction rear section of the base; front casters provided at a front section of the base and having a larger wheel diameter than the rear casters; and intermediate casters provided between the rear casters and the front casters of the base and having a larger wheel diameter than the rear casters.

Description

Assistive devices

This specification relates to an assistance device that assists the movements of a person being assisted.

As the aging of society progresses, the need for assistance devices is increasing. Many assistance devices assist the person being assisted with various movements by driving a support member that supports a part of the person's body. In some cases, the assistance device is provided with casters for movement, allowing the person being assisted to move around while riding on the assistance device. The introduction of assistance devices reduces the physical burden on both the person being assisted and the caregiver, and also alleviates the shortage of caregivers. One technical example of this type of assistance device is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

The assistance device in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a pair of front casters, a middle caster, and a rear caster provided on the left and right sides of the main frame, with the middle casters positioned outside the smallest trapezoidal area surrounding the pair of front casters and the pair of rear casters. It is also disclosed that the middle casters and the rear casters have the same diameter but are smaller than the front casters, and that the front casters have a locking function. According to this, because the middle casters are positioned on the outside in the left and right direction, it is said that the stability of the assistance device can be improved and interference with beds, etc. can be prevented.

International Publication No. 2021/210077

However, the caster configuration of the assistance device disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not always perform well. For example, on an unideal floor surface with steps or unevenness, the contact state of the multiple casters becomes unstable, reducing the mobility of the assistance device when moving over steps or unevenness. In order to improve mobility, the wheel diameter of the casters can be increased, but this has the disadvantage of causing interference with other devices such as wheelchairs. Furthermore, when considering an unideal floor surface, the pair of locking functions of the front casters may not be able to stabilize the stationary state of the assistance device.

Therefore, the problem to be solved in this specification is to provide an assistance device with a caster configuration that improves maneuverability compared to conventional devices while suppressing interference with other devices.

This specification discloses an assistance device that includes a base on which the person being assisted sits, rear casters provided at the rear of the base in the boarding direction, front casters provided at the front of the base and having a larger wheel diameter than the rear casters, and intermediate casters provided between the rear casters and front casters of the base and having a larger wheel diameter than the rear casters.

This specification also discloses an assistance device that includes a base on which a person being assisted sits, rear casters provided at the rear of the base in the boarding direction, front casters provided at the front of the base, intermediate casters provided between the rear casters and the front casters of the base, and four or more locking mechanisms provided on four or more of a plurality of casters including the rear casters, the front casters, and the intermediate casters, for locking the casters.

In addition, this specification discloses the technical idea of changing "the care device according to claim 1 or 2" in claim 4 as originally filed to "the care device according to any one of claims 1 to 3."

The disclosed assistance device is equipped with intermediate casters with a larger wheel diameter than the rear casters, thereby improving the device's maneuverability over steps and unevenness in the floor surface while minimizing interference with other devices such as wheelchairs. In addition, by providing a locking mechanism for each of the four or more casters, the stationary state of the assistance device can be made more stable than before on non-ideal floor surfaces that have unevenness, etc.

1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of an assistance device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an assistance device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base and the foot rest member of the care assistance device as viewed from below. FIG. 11 is a side view for explaining in detail the configuration and function of the caster. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a modified care device.

1. Overall configuration of the assistance device 1 of the embodiment The overall configuration of the assistance device 1 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. As shown by the arrow in the upper right of Fig. 1, the front, rear, left and right of the assistance device 1 are defined. The front of the assistance device 1 (right side of Fig. 1) is the main traveling direction when the assistance device 1 is traveling, and the rear of the assistance device 1 (left side of Fig. 1) is the rear of the boarding direction when the assisted person boards the assistance device 1. The assistance device 1 is used for transfer between two places in a room, such as transfer between a bed and a wheelchair of an assisted person, or transfer between a wheelchair and a toilet seat. The assistance device 1 is also used for the purpose of the assisted person boarding and moving when the two transfer places are separated. For example, the assistance device 1 is used for the purpose of the assisted person moving from a room to a bathroom, a dining room, a toilet, etc.

The assistance device 1 supports the upper body of the person being assisted and assists in the standing up movement from a sitting position to a standing up position, and the sitting down movement from a standing up position to a sitting position. Here, the standing up position means a position in which the buttocks are raised off the seat and the legs are extended, and includes a standing position and a half-squatting position. In other words, the standing up position includes a standing position in which the upper body is roughly upright, and a half-squatting, forward-leaning position in which the upper body is leaning forward. Furthermore, the assistance device 1 has an improved caster configuration from the conventional technology to improve its maneuverability. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the assistance device 1 is composed of a base 2, a foot rest member 3, an arm member 5, a support member 6, a drive unit 7, and a control unit (not shown).

The base 2 is the part on which the person being assisted sits. The base 2 has the foot rest member 3, the arm member 5, and the drive unit 7 attached to it. The base 2 is formed of a pair of left and right pipe frames 21, a pair of left and right assembly frames 22, a pair of left and right front panel frames 23, and a rear panel frame 24. The pipe frames 21 are formed by bending metal pipes. The middle portions 212 of the pair of left and right pipe frames 21 extend horizontally in the front-to-rear direction at a position slightly higher than the floor surface S, and are arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart. The front portions 211 of the pipe frames 21 are bent upward. A pair of left and right assembly frames 22 in the form of upright plates are provided in front of the front portions 211 of the pair of pipe frames 21.

A swinging support seat 29 is provided on the upper part of each of the pair of mounting frames 22. A pair of left and right front casters 25 are provided below the pair of mounting frames 22. In other words, the front casters 25 are provided at the front of the base 2. A pair of left and right position adjustment parts 281 are provided at the upper ends of the front parts 211 of the pair of pipe frames 21. The position adjustment parts 281 are manual adjustment mechanisms that allow the caregiver to adjust the front-to-rear position of the knee rest member 28 to suit the physique of the person being assisted, etc.

The knee rest member 28 is located above the middle part 212 of the pipe frame 21 and is the part against which the knees of the person being assisted come into contact. The knee rest member 28 determines the position of the knees, thereby stabilizing the standing and sitting movements of the person being assisted. The knee rest member 28 is formed of a base plate 282, a knee rest main body 283, and two connecting rods 284. The base plate 282 is formed from a metal plate material so as to extend in the left-right direction, and is positioned slightly tilted forward from the vertical direction. The knee rest main body 283 is formed from an elastically deformable urethane foam or the like, and is attached to the rear side of the base plate 282. The two connecting rods 284 are formed from metal bars and connect the base plate 282 to the left and right position adjustment parts 281.

As shown in FIG. 3, the middle parts 212 of the pipe frames 21 are connected by auxiliary pipes 214 extending in the left-right direction. The auxiliary pipes 214 are made of the same material as the pipe frames 21 and have the same diameter. A drive unit mounting seat 216 is provided between the left and right middle parts 212, forward of the auxiliary pipe 214. The lower part of the drive unit 7 is attached to the drive unit mounting seat 216. The rear parts 213 of the pair of left and right pipe frames 21 are formed by bending inward. The bent ends of the left and right rear parts 213 are joined together to form a single unit. The joints between the middle parts 212 and auxiliary pipes 214, and the joints between the rear parts 213, are joined by, for example, welding.

The rear plate frame 24 is formed from a metal plate-shaped member that is long in the left-right direction. The rear plate frame 24 is fixed to the upper side of the rear part 213 of the pipe frame 21 by welding. A pair of left and right rear casters 27 are provided on the underside of the rear part of the rear plate frame 24. In other words, the rear casters 27 are provided at the rear of the base 2 in the boarding direction.

The pair of left and right front frame panels 23 are each formed using a metal plate-shaped member. The front frame panels 23 are fixed to the front of the middle section 212 of the pipe frame 21 by welding, and are positioned so that they protrude outward. Caster mounting holes 231 are provided near the outside of the left and right front frame panels 23. A pair of left and right intermediate casters 26 are provided below the left and right caster mounting holes 231. In other words, the intermediate casters 26 are provided between the rear casters 27 and front casters 25 of the base 2.

The foot rest member 3 is a generally thin plate-shaped portion on which the person being assisted places their feet. The underside of the foot rest member 3 is provided with lattice-shaped intersecting protrusions 34 for the purpose of increasing mechanical strength. The front edge of the foot rest member 3 is provided with a pair of U-shaped attachment/detachment grooves 30 on the left and right into which the pipe frame 21 engages. The underside of the foot rest member 3 is also provided with a pair of left and right attachment/detachment parts 35 into which the pipe frame 21 engages. Each of the attachment/detachment parts 35 consists of a pair of gripping claws that can elastically deform so as to increase or decrease the distance between their tips. The caregiver can attach the foot rest member 3 to the base 2 without using tools by lowering the foot rest member 3 and engaging the pipe frame 21 into the attachment/detachment grooves 30 and the attachment/detachment parts 35.

The upper surface of the foot rest member 3 is provided with a number of protrusions 37 arranged in a regular pattern to prevent the feet of the person being assisted from slipping when the person being assisted is seated on the foot rest member 3. The foot rest member 3 has an inclination that decreases from the central portion 31 in the left-right direction toward the left peripheral portion 32 and the right peripheral portion 33, at least when the person being assisted is not placing his/her feet on the foot rest member 3. Therefore, when the assistance device 1 is used in a bathroom or the like, even if water droplets fall on the upper surface of the foot rest member 3, the water droplets flow out of the device along the inclination. In addition, when the person being assisted places his/her feet on the foot rest member 3, the foot rest member 3 elastically deforms so that the inclination becomes gentle. As a result, even when the person being assisted is seated on the foot rest member 3, water droplets on the foot rest member 3 automatically flow out of the device. Furthermore, because the inclination of the foot rest member 3 is gentle, the person being assisted does not experience any discomfort in the soles of their feet.

As shown in FIG. 1, the arm member 5 is formed in a shape that is bent midway when viewed from the side. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the exterior cover of the arm member 5 is omitted. A swing shaft 51 is provided near the lower part of the arm member 5. The swing shaft 51 is swingably supported by the swing support seats 29 of the left and right assembly frames 22. In order to regulate the swing angle range of the arm member 5, a stopper mechanism (not shown) is provided near the swing support seat 29. This allows the arm member 5 to swing in the upward-forward direction and the downward-rearward direction with the swing support seat 29 of the base 2 as the swing center. The arm member 5 swings in the upward-forward direction when the person being assisted stands up (swinging clockwise in FIG. 1). The arm member 5 also swings in the downward-rearward direction when the person being assisted sits down.

A battery and link mechanism (not shown) are housed inside the arm member 5. The battery serves as the power source for the drive unit 7 and the control unit. A swinging member 52 is provided on the rear side of the upper part of the arm member 5. The swinging member 52 swings relative to the arm member 5. However, in the initial state before the person being assisted comes into contact with the support member 6, the swinging member 52 is restricted by the link mechanism and does not swing. The applicant of the present application has disclosed a detailed configuration example of the link mechanism in WO 2018/167856.

The oscillating member 52 has a base plate 53 on the rear side. The base plate 53 is formed into a roughly rectangular shape using a highly rigid plate material made of metal or resin. The base plate 53 has a handle 54 on the front side. The handle 54 is formed into a roughly square frame shape and extends above the arm member 5. The handle 54 is a part that is held by the person being assisted, and is also a part that is held by the caregiver to move the assistance device 1.

The support member 6 is provided on the rear side of the base plate 53. The support member 6 moves relative to the base 2 while supporting part of the body of the person being assisted. The support member 6 is composed of an upper body support section 61 and a pair of left and right side support sections 62. The upper body support section 61 is attached to the rear surface of the base plate 53. The upper body support section 61 is formed by stacking hard and soft cushioning members (not shown). The upper body support section 61 supports the upper body of the person being assisted, mainly from the chest to the abdomen area.

A pair of left and right side support parts 62 are attached to the base plate 53 and are arranged on both the left and right sides of the upper body support part 61. The side support parts 62 are formed in an L-shape that is bent at an obtuse angle. The side support parts 62 are formed by a core member and an outer peripheral member, not shown. The side support parts 62 enter the sides of the person being assisted and support the upper body. The upper body support parts 61 and the side support parts 62 may be covered with a protective cover made of cloth or leather.

The drive unit 7 drives the arm member 5 and the support member 6. A linear actuator having a fixed part 71 and a movable part 72 is used as the drive unit 7. The fixed part 71 is a stepped cylindrical member that is long in the vertical direction and has an opening at the top. The lower end of the fixed part 71 is attached to the drive unit mounting seat 216 of the base 2. The movable part 72 is a thin-diameter round bar-shaped member that is long in the vertical direction. The upper end of the movable part 72 is connected to the link mechanism. The lower part of the movable part 72 engages into the opening of the fixed part 71.

A motor 711 is provided in front of the large diameter portion at the bottom of the fixed part 71. The motor 711 drives the extending and retracting motions of the movable part 72 by switching the direction of current flow controlled by the control unit. This causes the movable part 72 to extend and retract relative to the fixed part 71. In addition, a bellows cover 81 is provided to cover the sliding portion where the fixed part 71 and the movable part 72 slide against each other to prevent water from getting in, improving the water resistance of the assistance device 1. The drive unit 7 performs a first extending motion to extend from the minimum length to a specified intermediate length, and a second extending motion to extend from the intermediate length to the maximum length.

The first extending motion of the drive unit 7 drives the support member 6 via the link mechanism to swing upward and forward. The second extending motion of the drive unit 7 drives the arm member 5 via the link mechanism to swing upward and forward. In this way, the support member 6 moves upward relative to the base 2 while also moving forward. This allows the assistance device 1 to assist the person being assisted in standing up. In addition, the contracting motion of the drive unit 7 causes the arm member 5 to swing downward and backward, and the support member 6 moves downward while also moving backward. This allows the assistance device 1 to assist the person being assisted in sitting down.

The control unit (not shown) is made up of an operating device and a control main unit. The operating device has an up button and a down button that operate the drive unit 7. The operating device is operated by the caregiver. The control main unit is a computer device that has a CPU and runs on software. The control main unit controls the current flowing to the motor of the drive unit 7 according to the operation information of the up button and down button. This controls the operation and stopping of the drive unit 7, as well as switching between extending and retracting operations. As can be seen from the explanation so far, the arm member 5, support member 6, and drive unit 7 make up an assistance execution unit that assists the standing up and sitting down movements of the person being assisted.

2. Wheel diameter of caster Here, the wheel diameter (diameter) of the caster will be described with reference to FIG. 4. In general, the larger the wheel diameter DF of the front caster 25, the better the running performance (traffic performance) of the assistance device 1 when it runs forward. In addition, there is almost no need to consider interference with other devices such as wheelchairs with the front caster 25, so it is preferable that the wheel diameter DF of the front caster 25 is as large as possible. Specifically, the wheel diameter DF is preferably 90 mm or more, and is set to 100 mm in this embodiment. This improves the running performance of the assistance device 1, which can run over steps and unevenness on an unideal floor surface S and run stably on a floor surface S that is wet and slippery.

Next, the smaller the wheel diameter DR of the rear caster 27, the lower the foot rest member 3 can be placed, closer to the floor surface S, and interference with other devices can be suppressed. In addition, by placing the foot rest member 3 low, the boarding movement of the person being assisted can be made easier. The height at which the foot rest member 3 is placed is restricted by the rear caster 27 provided on the lower side, and in the conventional configuration, it is also restricted by the intermediate caster 26. In this embodiment, the front part of the upper surface of the foot rest member 3, where the feet are not placed, is made into a protruding part that protrudes upward, and the intermediate caster 26 is provided below the protruding part. This allows the height of the placement surface on which the feet can be placed on the upper surface of the foot rest member 3 can be lower than the upper end of the intermediate caster 26 without being restricted by the wheel diameter DM of the intermediate caster 26. In other words, the height dimension H of the upper surface of the foot rest member 3 relative to the floor surface S can be made smaller than the wheel diameter DM of the intermediate caster 26.

The wheel diameter DR of the rear caster 27 is preferably 60 mm or less, and in this embodiment is set to 50 mm. Therefore, the height dimension H of the upper surface of the footrest member 3 does not significantly exceed 50 mm. As a result, when the assistance device 1 is brought close to the person being assisted M seated in the wheelchair 9, the footrest member 3 can be inserted underneath the pair of left and right footrests 91 of the wheelchair 9 without interfering with them. As a result, the assistance device 1 can get close enough to the person being assisted M, making it easy for the person being assisted M to board.

Next, the wheel diameter DM of the intermediate caster 26 is set so as to achieve both improved maneuverability and reduced interference with other devices. With regard to improving maneuverability, on a non-ideal floor surface S, the front caster 25 cannot always demonstrate good maneuverability, and there may be cases where the front caster 25 temporarily lifts off the floor surface S due to steps or unevenness. In such cases, the intermediate caster 26 assists the front caster 25 or plays a role in maintaining good maneuverability in place of the front caster 25. Therefore, from the perspective of maneuverability, it is preferable to make the wheel diameter DM of the intermediate caster 26 large, and it may even be set to match the wheel diameter DF of the front caster 25 at most.

On the other hand, to suppress interference with other devices, for example, the foot rest 3 may be inserted deep between the pair of left and right front wheels 92 of the wheelchair 9. In this case, the protruding portion of the foot rest 3 or the intermediate caster 26 may interfere with the wheelchair 9. Therefore, it is preferable to make the wheel diameter DM of the intermediate caster 26 small from the viewpoint of suppressing interference, and it may be small enough to approach the wheel diameter DR of the rear caster 27. However, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, making the wheel diameter DM equal to the wheel diameter DR is not compatible with improving the running performance and cannot be adopted. In addition, making the wheel diameter DM of the intermediate caster 26 small is advantageous in terms of the total weight and manufacturing costs of the assistance device 1. When the above items are taken into consideration comprehensively, it is preferable that the wheel diameter DM of the intermediate caster 26 is smaller than the wheel diameter DF and larger than the wheel diameter DR. In this embodiment, the wheel diameter DM is set to 75 mm.

The three wheel diameters (DF, DR, DM) mentioned above improve the mobility of the assistance device 1 while minimizing interference with other devices. In addition, the pair of front casters 25, the pair of middle casters 26, and the pair of rear casters 27 each have a steering function. Therefore, the assistance device 1 can move not only straight ahead and turn, but also sideways and make pivot turns, allowing it to change direction and move freely even on narrow floor surfaces S such as those in toilets and bathrooms.

3. Locking mechanism of casters Next, the locking mechanism of casters will be described. When considering an unideal floor surface S having steps and unevenness, the locking mechanism of the front casters disclosed in Patent Document 1 is considered to be insufficient in terms of the stability of the stationary state of the care assistance device 1. In other words, depending on the condition of the floor surface S, it is assumed that the pair of left and right front casters may rise from the floor surface S, and one or both of the pair of locking mechanisms may not perform a sufficient locking function. In addition, when the care assistance device 1 is used in a bathroom, the casters become slippery with water. In these cases, the stationary state of the care assistance device 1 becomes unstable, which may cause a hindrance to the movement of the person being assisted. Therefore, an improvement is required to provide locking mechanisms to four or more of the six casters including the front casters 25, the middle casters 26, and the rear casters 27.

In this embodiment, a locking mechanism 251 is provided on each of the pair of left and right front casters 25, and a locking mechanism 261 is provided on each of the pair of left and right middle casters 26. Each of the four locking mechanisms (251, 261) is a foot-operated type that the caregiver steps on with their foot to lock and unlock. Casters equipped with foot-operated locking mechanisms (251, 261) are widely available in various models and are low-priced. Therefore, there is a high degree of freedom in the design of the care assistance device 1, and costs are kept from increasing in this embodiment in which the number of locking mechanisms (251, 261) is increased from the conventional number.

The reason why no locking mechanism is provided on the rear casters 27 is that if the foot rest 3 is close to or interfering with another device such as a wheelchair 9, it would be difficult to lock and unlock the rear casters 27 by stepping on them, even if they were provided with a locking mechanism. Also, even if the floor surface S has steps or unevenness, it is believed that at least two of the front casters 25 and middle casters 26 will come into contact with the floor surface S and the locking function can be achieved by the locking operation. Therefore, the locking mechanism on the rear casters 27 is considered to be unnecessary and excessive, and is preferably omitted from the standpoint of cost performance.

Generally, there are various types, methods, and structures of locking mechanisms. Each of the locking mechanisms (251, 261) used in the embodiment locks the casters against rotation and change in orientation in the locked state after the locking operation. In other words, the locking mechanisms (251, 261) restrict the rotation of the casters around the horizontally extending axles in the locked state, and restrict the rotation of the axles in the horizontal plane, so that the orientation of the casters does not change. This prevents the inconvenience (trouble) of the casters changing orientation after the locking operation, making the unlocking operation difficult. By providing four or more locking mechanisms (251, 261), the assistance device 1 is stable in a stationary state on a floor surface S having steps or unevenness, because at least two of the four locking mechanisms (251, 261) perform the locking function.

The assistance device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with intermediate casters 26 that have a larger wheel diameter than the rear casters 27. This allows the assistance device 1 to overcome steps and unevenness in the floor surface S while suppressing interference with other devices such as the wheelchair 9, and thus improves its maneuverability compared to conventional devices. In addition, by providing a total of four locking mechanisms (251, 261) on the pair of front casters 25 and the pair of intermediate casters 26, the stationary state of the assistance device 1 can be stabilized more than conventional devices on non-ideal floor surfaces S that have unevenness, etc.

4. Modified Form Next, a modified form in which the locking mechanisms (251, 261) are modified will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In the modified form, a locking mechanism 252 is provided on each of the pair of left and right front casters 25, and a locking mechanism 262 is provided on each of the pair of left and right middle casters 26. Each of the four locking mechanisms (252, 262) in total is of a remote-operated type, unlike the foot-operated locking mechanisms (251, 261) of the embodiment. For example, the locking mechanisms (252, 262) can be locked and unlocked remotely using lock wires (253, 263).

More specifically, a lock lever 85 is provided at a suitable position on the upper front side of the arm member 5 that is easy for the caregiver to operate but difficult for the care recipient to reach. The suitable position of the lock lever 85 may be another position. The lock lever 85 has four lock wires (253, 263) drawn out. Two lock wires 253 are operably connected to the lock mechanisms 252 of the pair of front casters 25. Another two lock wires 263 are operably connected to the lock mechanisms 262 of the pair of middle casters 26.

When the caregiver presses the lock lever 85 with his/her hand the first time, all four lock wires (253, 263) are pulled in the direction toward the lock lever 85. This causes the lock wires (253, 263) to be pulled in each of the four lock mechanisms (252, 262) and the locking operation is performed. Even if the caregiver releases his/her hand from the lock lever 85, the locked state after the locking operation of the lock mechanisms (252, 262) is maintained. In other words, an alternate type lever is used for the lock lever 85.

The second lever operation by the caregiver causes all four lock wires (253, 263) to be pulled out in a direction away from the lock lever 85. This causes the lock wires (253, 263) to be returned in each of the four lock mechanisms (252, 262) and the release operation is performed. Even if the caregiver releases the lock lever 85, the release state after the release operation of the lock mechanisms (252, 262) is maintained. Thereafter, each time the lever is operated, the lock operation and release operation of the lock mechanisms (252, 262) are alternately performed remotely. According to the modified form, as in the embodiment, the stationary state of the care device 1 can be stabilized more than in the conventional case. In addition, since the four lock mechanisms (252, 262) can be operated collectively with one lock lever 85, operability is very good.

5. Modifications and Applications of the Embodiments The assistance device 1 of the embodiment is suitable for use in a bathroom or shower room, and has the effect of improving the mobility and stabilizing the stationary state regardless of the place of use. The assistance device 1 has a pair of front casters 25, a pair of middle casters 26, and a pair of rear casters 27, but may have a configuration of five casters, with one caster in the center instead of a pair of left and right casters. In addition, in an assistance device with five casters, a locking mechanism is provided for three casters to stabilize the stationary state. On the other hand, the assistance device may have seven or more casters and four or more locking mechanisms. In addition, in an application form, a remote-controlled locking mechanism may be provided on the rear caster 27 and operated from the lock lever 85. In addition, the embodiment and application form can be modified and applied in various ways.

1: Assistance device 2: Base 21: Pipe frame 25: Front casters 251, 252: Locking mechanism 253: Lock wire 26: Intermediate casters 261, 262: Locking mechanism 263: Lock wire 27: Rear casters 3: Foot rest member 5: Arm member 6: Support member 7: Driving section 71: Fixed section 72: Movable section 81: Bellows cover 85: Lock lever 9: Wheelchair DF, DM, DR: Wheel diameter H: Height dimension M: Person being assisted

Claims (4)

A base on which the person being assisted sits;
A rear caster provided at the rear of the base in the boarding direction;
A front caster provided at a front portion of the base and having a larger wheel diameter than the rear caster;
An intermediate caster provided between the rear caster and the front caster of the base and having a wheel diameter larger than that of the rear caster;
An assistance device comprising: The assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the front caster has a larger wheel diameter than the middle caster. A foot rest member is provided on the base on which the person being assisted places their feet,
The care assist device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a height of an upper surface of the foot rest member is lower than an upper end of the intermediate caster. The care assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear casters, the front casters, and the middle casters are each provided in a pair on the left and right.

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