stretcher

Abstract

To provide a stretcher that can be easily transformed from a stored state to a usable state. [Solution] The stretcher comprises a bed section and a base section. The bed section comprises a frame and a bed sheet stretched over the frame. The base section is provided with a bed section fixing member 16 on its upper part, which detachably supports the bed section. The bed section fixing member 16 comprises a first fixing member 16b provided on one end in the width direction, which allows insertion from the inside in the width direction onto a member 41 extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame, and restricts further outward displacement in the width direction from the insertion position and insertion from above; and a second fixing member 16c provided on the other end in the width direction, which allows insertion from above onto a member 41 extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame, and restricts further outward displacement in the width direction from the insertion position. The distance between the inner circumferential surface of the first fixing member 16b and the inner circumferential surface of the second fixing member 16c corresponds to the width direction length of the frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , ,

[0001] This invention relates to a stretcher for transporting people.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, stretchers have been used to transport people such as patients and care recipients while lying horizontally. In recent years, stretchers are not only used in medical facilities such as hospitals but also tend to be used more frequently in elderly care facilities and the like. Especially in elderly care facilities and the like, stretchers are not used on a daily basis, so they need to be stored when not in use. However, a general stretcher has a base portion equipped with casters and a bed portion provided on the base portion, so a very large storage space is required in this state.

[0003] In order to solve such problems, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose stretchers in which the base portion and the bed portion are separable, the height of the base portion is variable, and the bed portion can be folded in the longitudinal direction.

[0004] With these stretchers, when not in use, the height of the base portion can be reduced and the bed portion can be folded in the longitudinal direction, thereby reducing the storage space.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a stretcher that can be easily changed from a stored state to a usable state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a stretcher comprising a bed section for transporting a person to be transported and a base section for supporting the bed section, wherein the bed section comprises a frame and a bed sheet stretched over the frame, and the base section is provided with a bed section fixing member on its upper part for detachably supporting the bed section, the bed section fixing member comprises a first fixing member provided on one end in the width direction which allows insertion from the inside in the width direction onto a member extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame and restricts further displacement outward and upward in the width direction from the insertion position, and a second fixing member provided on the other end in the width direction which allows insertion from above onto a member extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame and restricts further displacement outward in the width direction from the insertion position, and the distance between the inner circumferential surface of the first fixing member and the inner circumferential surface of the second fixing member corresponds to the width direction length of the frame.

[0009] In this configuration, the bed can be fixed to the base by the following procedure. First, one of the longitudinally extending members of the bed frame is inserted into the first fixing member of the bed fixing member from the inside to the outside in the width direction. The longitudinally extending member of the frame that is inserted into the first fixing member is restricted from moving any further outward in the width direction. Then, the frame is rotated around the axis of that member so that the other longitudinally extending member of the frame approaches the bed fixing member. At this time, the frame member can be inserted into the second fixing member of the bed fixing member from above. With the stretcher according to this invention, the bed can be fixed to the base with such easy operation. Naturally, when removing the bed from the base, the reverse operation is performed, making the operation easy.

[0010] In one preferred embodiment of the stretcher according to the present invention, the bed sheet has an exposed portion that exposes the frame at a position corresponding to the positions of the first fixing member and the second fixing member.

[0011] In this configuration, the frame portion exposed by the exposed part can be fitted into the bed fixing member, thus ensuring that the bed is securely fixed. Furthermore, it prevents deterioration and damage to the bed sheet caused by the bed fixing member contacting the bed sheet.

[0012] In one preferred embodiment of the stretcher according to the present invention, the bed fixing members are provided in multiple locations spaced apart in the longitudinal direction.

[0013] To securely fix the bed to the base, the frame of the bed must be fixed to the bed fixing member over a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction. To achieve this, it is conceivable to make the bed fixing member longer in the longitudinal direction. However, in this case, the bed fixing member may come into contact with the bed sheet, accelerating the deterioration of the bed sheet, or the strength of the bed sheet may be reduced due to the large exposed area. On the other hand, by adopting this configuration, the bed can be securely fixed to the base without causing these problems.

[0014] In one preferred embodiment of the stretcher according to the present invention, the frame comprises a pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies extending in the longitudinal direction, a first U-shaped frame provided on one end of the pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies, and a second U-shaped frame provided on the other end of the pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies, wherein the first U-shaped frame is displaceable by rotation between a folded position toward the elongated rod-shaped bodies and an extended position to form the frame, and the second U-shaped frame is displaceable by rotation between a folded position toward the elongated rod-shaped bodies and an extended position to form the frame, and the distance between the two bed fixing members is greater than the length of the elongated rod-shaped bodies.

[0015] In this configuration, the distance between the two bed fixing members is greater than the length of the long rod-shaped body, allowing the extended members of the first and second U-shaped frames to be fitted into the bed fixing members. At this time, the upward displacement of the members fitted into the first fixing members of the first and second U-shaped frames is restricted. This prevents the extended first and second U-shaped frames from being unintentionally displaced to a folded position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a stretcher in a usable condition. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the platform in an elevated position. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the bed section in an extended position. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view of the base part in the lowered position. [Figure 5] (a) It is a view in the width direction of the base part in the lowered position, and (b) it is a view in the width direction of the base part in the raised position. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the bed part in the folded position. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a method of fixing the bed part to the base part.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the stretcher according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The stretcher according to the present invention is used for transporting a patient, a care recipient, etc. (the person to be transported) in a lying position. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the stretcher in a usable state. As shown in the figure, the stretcher includes a base part A and a bed part B on which the person to be transported lies. In this stretcher, the base part A and the bed part B are detachable, and of course, in the usable state, the bed part B is fixed to the upper part of the base part A. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the base part A and the bed part B in a separated state, respectively. As will be described later, in the stretcher according to the present invention, the base part A can be displaced between a raised position and a lowered position, and FIG. 2 shows the base part A in the raised position. Also, the bed part B can be displaced between a folded position and an extended position, and FIG. 3 shows the bed part B in the extended position. When setting it to the usable state, the base part A is set to the raised position and the bed part B is set to the extended position. In the following description, up, down, left, right, back, and front mean the directions shown in FIG. 1 based on the time when the stretcher is in the posture of FIG. 1.

[0018] The base part A includes an upper support 1, a lower support 2, and a link part 3 that connects the upper support 1 and the lower support 2 and raises and lowers the upper support 1.

[0019] The upper support 1 is a part that fixedly supports the bed portion B as described later. The upper support 1 includes a pair of long rod-shaped bodies 11 and a pair of short rod-shaped bodies 12. In the present embodiment, the long rod-shaped body 11 has a prismatic shape and the short rod-shaped body 12 has a cylindrical shape, but other cross-sectional shapes may be used. The upper support 1 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape by the pair of opposed long rod-shaped bodies 11 and the pair of opposed short rod-shaped bodies 12. In the following description, the axial direction of the long rod-shaped body 11 may be referred to as the length direction, and the axial direction of the short rod-shaped body 12 may be referred to as the width direction.

[0020] A guide body 13 is provided at a position slightly to the right on the inner surface of each of the pair of long rod-shaped bodies 11. The guide body 13 is hollow, and a guide groove 13a extending in the length direction is formed on its inner surface. A slide rod-shaped body 14 is provided across the pair of guide bodies 13. The slide rod-shaped body 14 has small-diameter portions formed at predetermined positions from both ends, and the upper and lower inner walls of the guide groove 13a are fitted into these small-diameter portions. Thereby, the slide rod-shaped body 14 can reciprocate in the length direction along the guide groove 13a.

[0021] Also, a support sheet 15 is stretched across the pair of long rod-shaped bodies 11. In the present embodiment, the support sheet 15 is provided from near the center of the long rod-shaped body 11 to the left side, but the portion where the support sheet 15 is stretched and its size can be appropriately changed.

[0022] Furthermore, a bed fixing member 16 is provided across the pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies 11. In this embodiment, two bed fixing members 16 are provided near both ends in the longitudinal direction. The bed fixing member 16 comprises a horizontal member 16a provided across the pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies 11, a first fixing member 16b provided at the rear end of the horizontal member 16a, and a second fixing member 16c provided at the front end of the horizontal member 16a. As shown in Figure 7, in a longitudinal view from right to left, the first fixing member 16b is a plate-like body in the shape of a roughly semicircular arc extending from 270° to 90°, with an opening on the inner side. On the other hand, the second fixing member 16c is a plate-like body in the shape of a quarter-circular arc extending from 180° to 270°, with openings on the inner and upper sides. The inner diameters of the first fixing member 16b and the second fixing member 16c in a longitudinal view are compatible with the outer shape of the elongated rod-shaped body 41 that constitutes the frame 4 of the bed section B, which will be described later.

[0023] The lower support 2 is the part that supports the upper support 1 and the bed section B. The lower support 2 comprises a pair of long rod-shaped bodies 21 and a pair of short rod-shaped bodies 22. In this embodiment, the long rod-shaped bodies 21 and the short rod-shaped bodies 22 are cylindrical, but they may have other cross-sectional shapes such as rectangular prisms. The lower support 2 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape by arranging the pair of long rod-shaped bodies 21 opposite each other, arranging the pair of short rod-shaped bodies 22 opposite each other, and connecting adjacent long rod-shaped bodies 21 and short rod-shaped bodies 22 by connecting blocks 23. Casters 24 are provided on the lower surface of the four connecting blocks 23, so the stretcher can be moved easily.

[0024] Furthermore, a sliding rod-shaped body 25 is provided extending across a pair of long rod-shaped bodies 21. Specifically, cylindrical sliding members 25a are provided at both ends of the sliding rod-shaped body 25, and these sliding members 25a are provided so as to fit over the long rod-shaped bodies 21. Therefore, the sliding rod-shaped body 25 can reciprocate along the length of the long rod-shaped bodies 21 together with the sliding members 25a.

[0025] A link portion 3 is provided spanning the upper support 1 and the lower support 2. As will be described later, by displacing this link portion 3, the upper support 1 can be raised or lowered, and the base portion A can be displaced to an raised position or a lowered position.

[0026] The link section 3 comprises a pair of first link members 31 and a pair of second link members 32, which are provided across the upper support 1 and the lower support 2. The upper end of the first link member 31 is rotatably connected to a short rod-shaped body 12 on the left side of the upper support 1, and the lower end is rotatably connected to a sliding rod-shaped body 25 on the lower support 2. On the other hand, the upper end of the second link member 32 is rotatably connected to a sliding rod-shaped body 14 on the upper support 1, and the lower end is rotatably connected to a short rod-shaped body 22 on the left side of the lower support 2. The first link member 31 and the second link member 32 are fixed more specifically as follows.

[0027] The upper and lower ends of the first link member 31 are provided with cylindrical connecting tubes 31a and 31b, respectively. Connecting tube 31a is fitted onto the short rod-shaped body 12 on the left side of the upper support 1. On the other hand, connecting tube 31b is fitted onto the sliding rod-shaped body 25 of the lower support 2.

[0028] Similarly, the second link member 32 is provided with cylindrical connecting tubes 32a and 32b at its upper and lower ends, respectively. However, connecting tube 32a is fitted onto the sliding rod-shaped body 14 of the upper support 1, and connecting tube 31b is fitted onto the short rod-shaped body 22 on the left side of the lower support 2.

[0029] Furthermore, the adjacent first link member 31 and second link member 32 are rotatably connected to each other at an intermediate position via a support pin 33.

[0030] By arranging the first link member 31 and the second link member 32 in this manner, they are positioned in an X shape. Furthermore, the left ends of the first link member 31 and the second link member 32 are rotatable but not slidable, while the right ends of the first link member 31 and the second link member 32 are rotatable and slidable.

[0031] Furthermore, the lower support 2 is provided with an extendable / retractable mechanism 26 that extends across the left short rod-shaped body 22 and the sliding rod-shaped body 25. The extendable / retractable mechanism 26 comprises an extendable / retractable body 26a consisting of a tubular member and a rod-shaped member inserted into the tubular member, a gear section 26b, and a motor 26c. The left end of the gear section 26b is indirectly fixed to the left short rod-shaped body 22 of the lower support 2. Also, the left end of the rod-shaped member of the extendable / retractable body 26a is connected to the gear section 26b. On the other hand, the right end of the extendable / retractable body 26a is indirectly connected to the sliding rod-shaped body 25.

[0032] Motor 26c is connected to a power supply (not shown) and can drive the gear section 26b in forward / reverse directions. When the gear section 26b is driven by motor 26c, the rod-shaped member of the telescopic body 26a slides in its axial direction, changing the amount of protrusion to the right from the tubular member. This causes a displacement in the length of the telescopic body 26a. In other words, the telescopic body 26a can be displaced between a position in which the rod-shaped member protrudes significantly from the tubular member (hereinafter referred to as the extended position) and a position in which the rod-shaped member protrudes only a small amount (hereinafter referred to as the retracted position). Since the right end of the telescopic body 26a is fixed to the sliding rod-shaped member 25, when the position of the telescopic body 26a is displaced, the sliding rod-shaped member 25 slides accordingly. As will be described in detail later, this causes the link section 3 to actuate and raise / lower the upper support 1.

[0033] Next, bed section B will be explained using Figure 3. As shown in the figure, bed section B comprises a frame 4, a handrail frame 5, and a bed sheet 6.

[0034] The frame 4 comprises a pair of long rod-shaped bodies 41, a roughly U-shaped first U-shaped frame 42 provided at the left end of the long rod-shaped body 41, and a roughly U-shaped second U-shaped frame 43 provided at the right end of the long rod-shaped body 41.

[0035] The elongated rod-shaped body 41 and the first U-shaped frame 42 are connected via a bending portion 42a. The bending portion 42a connects the first U-shaped frame 42 to the first end of the elongated rod-shaped body 41 so that it can rotate between an extended position and a folded position. In other words, the bending portion 42a connects the first U-shaped frame 42 so that it can rotate 180°.

[0036] On the other hand, the second U-shaped frame 43 is connected to the elongated rod-shaped body 41 via a protruding piece 41a. Specifically, a protruding piece 41a that protrudes upward is provided near the right end of the elongated rod-shaped body 41. Through holes are formed near both ends of this protruding piece 41a and the second U-shaped frame 43, and support pins are inserted through these through holes. As a result, the second U-shaped frame 43 can rotate around the axis of these support pins. In addition, a rotation restricting member 41b is provided at the right end of the elongated rod-shaped body 41. When the second U-shaped frame 43 rotates clockwise in the figure from the position shown in Figure 6, it comes into contact with this rotation restricting member 41b, thereby restricting further rotation. In other words, the second U-shaped frame 43 can rotate approximately 180°.

[0037] Each long rod-shaped body 41 is provided with a handrail frame 5. Specifically, the handrail frame 5 comprises a roughly U-shaped U-shaped body 51, a tubular body 52 provided at the left end of the U-shaped body 51, and a tubular body 53 provided at the right end. The tubular bodies 52 and 53 are fitted onto the long rod-shaped body 41 and are capable of rotation and sliding relative to the long rod-shaped body 41. A locking groove 53a is formed in the tubular body 53, and a rotation restricting pin 41c is provided on the long rod-shaped body 41, which is erected radially outward. When the plane formed by the handrail frame 5 is perpendicular to the plane formed by the frame 4 (hereinafter referred to as the upright position), the rotation restricting pin 41c fits into the locking groove 53a of the tubular body 53. This restricts the rotation of the handrail frame 5. At this time, the sliding movement of the handrail frame 5 is restricted by a sliding restricting member (not shown). This allows the handrail frame 5 to maintain its upright position.

[0038] A bed sheet 6 is stretched over the frame 4 constructed in this manner. As shown in the figure, the bed sheet 6 has multiple exposed portions 61 that expose a part of the frame 4.

[0039] Next, a method for displacing the stretcher from its stored state to a usable state will be described. In the stretcher according to this invention, when stored, the base A is in the lowered position shown in Figure 4, and the bed B is in the folded position shown in Figure 6. By stacking these for storage, the storage space can be reduced. Note that in Figure 6, the bed sheet 6 is omitted for clarity of the structure.

[0040] In the lowered position, the platform A has the telescopic body 26a in the extended position, and as shown in Figure 5(a), the sliding rod-shaped body 25 (sliding member 25a) is in the rightmost position. The upper support 1 is also in the lowest position. When using the stretcher, it is necessary to displace the platform A from the lowered position to the raised position. At this time, the motor 26c drives the gear section 26b. Specifically, the motor 26c is operated so that the telescopic body 26a is in the retracted position. As the telescopic body 26a is displaced to the retracted position, the sliding rod-shaped body 25 is displaced to the left. This displacement of the sliding rod-shaped body 25 acts as a force that displaces the upper end of the first link member 31 upward. Furthermore, the displacement of the first link member 31 acts as a force that displaces the upper end of the second link member 32 upward. In addition, the displacement of the second link member 32 acts as a force that displaces the sliding rod-shaped body 14 to the left. In this way, the base A can be displaced to the raised position shown in Figure 5(b).

[0041] On the other hand, when the bed section B is stored, as shown in Figure 6, the first U-shaped frame 42 and the second U-shaped frame 43 are rotated toward the long rod-shaped body 41 and folded from both ends in the length direction. The handrail frame 5 is also rotated toward the inside in the width direction and folded from both ends in the width direction. When folding the handrail frame 5, the handrail frame 5 can be slid slightly to the left to disengage the rotation restricting pin 41c from the locking groove 53a, thereby enabling the handrail frame 5 to rotate.

[0042] To displace the bed section B from this folded position to the extended position, the first U-shaped frame 42 is rotated counterclockwise, and the second U-shaped frame 43 is rotated clockwise. The handrail frame 5 is also rotated outward in the width direction. Then, a rotation restricting pin 41c is inserted into the locking groove 53a of the tubular body 53, and the movement of the handrail frame 5 to the left is restricted by a slide restricting member (not shown).

[0043] Next, we will explain how to fix bed section B to base section A. Note that fixing bed section B to base section A can be done either with bed section B in the extended position or while it is in the folded position.

[0044] Figure 7 is a view of the bed section B's elongated rod-shaped body 41 and the bed section fixing member 16 of the base section A, viewed from right to left along the length. As described above, the bed section fixing member 16 comprises a horizontal member 16a, a first fixing member 16b provided at the rear end (right side in Figure 7) of the horizontal member 16a, and a second fixing member 16c provided at the front end (left side in Figure 7) of the horizontal member 16a. The first fixing member 16b has a substantially semi-circular shape that opens inward when viewed along the length. On the other hand, the second fixing member 16c has a substantially quarter-circular shape when viewed along the length. Therefore, the first fixing member 16b allows the elongated rod-shaped body 41 to be fitted from the inside in the width direction, while restricting further outward and upward movement. On the other hand, the second fixing member 16c allows insertion of the long rod-shaped body 41 from the inside and above in the width direction, while restricting further outward movement in the width direction.

[0045] Furthermore, the radius of the arc of the inner surface of the first fixing member 16b and the second fixing member 16c in a longitudinal view is approximately the same as the outer shape of the elongated rod-shaped body 41. In addition, the distance between the inner surface of the first fixing member 16b and the inner surface of the second fixing member 16c corresponds to the widthwise length of the frame 4. Specifically, the distance between the centers of the arcs of the inner surfaces of the first fixing member 16b and the second fixing member 16c in a longitudinal view is approximately the same as the distance between the centers of the pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies 41 in a longitudinal view.

[0046] First, as shown in Figure 7(a), position the bed section B above the base section A. At this time, position the bed section B slightly forward in the width direction. Next, lower the rear side (right side in Figure 7) of the bed section B so that the rear long rod-shaped body 41 comes into contact with the horizontal member 16a (Figure 7(b)). Then, while maintaining that position, push the bed section B inward so that the rear long rod-shaped body 41 comes into contact with the first fixing member 16b (Figure 7(c)). Finally, lower the front side of the bed section B so that the front long rod-shaped body 41 is fitted into the second fixing member 16c (Figure 7(d)). Note that when removing the bed section B from the base section A, simply reverse the above steps.

[0047] Furthermore, the positions where the first fixing member 16b and the second fixing member 16c of the bed section fixing member 16 are provided coincide with the positions where the exposed portion 61 of the bed sheet 6 is formed. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the portion of the elongated rod-shaped body 41 exposed from the bed sheet 6 can be fitted into the first fixing member 16b and the second fixing member 16c. This ensures that the bed section B is securely fixed to the base section A, and also avoids damage caused by the bed sheet 6 coming into contact with the first fixing member 16b and the second fixing member 16c.

[0048] Thus, in the stretcher according to the present invention, the bed section B can be attached to and detached from the base section A with simple operation.

[0049] [Another embodiment] (1) In the above embodiment, two bed fixing members 16 are arranged in the longitudinal direction, but there may be one or two or more. However, if there is only one bed fixing member 16, it is preferable to increase the length of the first fixing member 16b and the second fixing member 16c in the longitudinal direction.

[0050] (2) In the above embodiment, the distance between the two bed fixing members 16, which are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, was set to be less than the length of the long rod-shaped body 41. However, the distance between them may be greater than the length of the long rod-shaped body 41. In this case, the bed fixing member 16 can fix the first U-shaped frame 42 and the second U-shaped frame 43. When the first U-shaped frame 42 and the second U-shaped frame 43 are fixed in this way, the first fixing member 16b restricts the upward displacement of the fitted member, thereby preventing unintentional rotation of the first U-shaped frame 42 and the second U-shaped frame 43. [Industrial applicability]

[0051] This invention can be used in stretchers for transporting sick or elderly people while they are lying down. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] A: Base 1: Upper support 11: Long rod-shaped body 16: Bed section fixing member 16a: Horizontal member 16b: First fixing member 16c: Second fixing member B: Bed area 4: Frame 41: Long rod-shaped body 42: First U-shaped frame 43: Second U-shaped frame 6: Bed sheet

Claims

1. A stretcher comprising a bed section for laying the person being transported in a lying position, and a base section for supporting the bed section, The bed section comprises a frame and a bed sheet stretched over the frame. The base portion is provided with a bed fixing member on its upper part that detachably supports the bed portion. The aforementioned bed fixing member is A first fixing member is provided on one end in the width direction and allows insertion from the inside in the width direction into a member extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame body, while further restricting displacement outward and upward in the width direction from the insertion position. A second fixing member is provided on the other end in the width direction, allowing insertion from above into a member extending in the longitudinal direction of the frame, and further restricting displacement outward in the width direction from the insertion position. A stretcher in which the distance between the inner surface of the first fixing member and the inner surface of the second fixing member corresponds to the widthwise length of the frame.

2. The stretcher according to claim 1, wherein the bed sheet has an exposed portion that exposes the frame at a position corresponding to the positions of the first fixing member and the second fixing member.

3. The stretcher according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bed fixing members are provided in multiple locations spaced apart in the longitudinal direction.

4. The aforementioned frame body is A pair of long, rod-shaped bodies extending in the longitudinal direction, A first U-shaped frame is provided on one end of the pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies, The pair of elongated rod-shaped bodies are provided with a second U-shaped frame on the other end, The first U-shaped frame can be rotated to be displaced between a position folded toward the long rod-shaped body and a position extended to form the frame body. The second U-shaped frame can be rotated to be displaced between a position folded toward the long rod-shaped body and a position extended to form the frame body. The stretcher according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the two bed fixing members is greater than the length of the long rod-shaped body.

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