Coupling tool for wheelchair and infusion stand

Abstract

EFFECT: To provide a coupling tool for surely coupling an infusion stand and a wheelchair, and preventing as much as possible, falling of the infusion stand.SOLUTION: There is provided a coupling tool 3 for connecting an infusion stand 1 to a rear part of a wheelchair 2. The tool comprises: a coupling member 11 fitted to the infusion stand 1; two grip means 12 each of which is fitted detachably to one / the other of backrest frames 5a provided on left and right sides of the backrest 4a of the wheelchair 2; a support arm 13 for connecting one grip means 12 and the coupling means 11: and an oscillation arm 14 which is provided so as to oscillate freely to the support arm 13, and has on its tip end, the other grip means 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector for connecting a wheelchair to an IV stand, and more particularly to a connector suitable for connecting an IV stand to the rear of a wheelchair. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in hospitals, it is known that patients use an IV stand when walking around with an IV bag attached, and such an IV stand includes a cart with casters, a support pole attached to the cart, and a hook attached to the support pole for hanging the IV bag. On the other hand, a connector for connecting a wheelchair to an IV stand has been proposed in order to administer IV to a patient in a wheelchair. The inventor proposed a connector that can connect an IV stand to the rear of a wheelchair (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6015848 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The connector of Patent Document 1 above is composed of a connecting member that is attached to an IV stand, a swinging arm that is capable of swinging up and down relative to the connecting member, and a grip means that is provided at the tip of the swinging arm and is detachably connected to the left and right handles of the wheelchair. In the case of the connector in Patent Document 1, the handle protrudes approximately horizontally toward the rear of the wheelchair, so that the connector is positioned between the handles and the swinging arm is swung up and down to connect the grip means to the inside of the handle by engaging it. In the above configuration, when the wheelchair is moved forwards or backwards, a load acts on the connector in the axial direction of the handle. However, since the grip means is connected to the handle from the inside, a large load is applied to the connection part between the grip means and the swing arm, which may cause damage. In addition, since the grip means is connected to the handle, the connecting member is connected to the cart of the IV stand at a position spaced upward. For this reason, for example, when a wheelchair goes over a step, if the cart gets caught on the step, the support pole is pulled by the connecting device, causing the IV stand to fall over. For this reason, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it was necessary to provide another connecting device below the seat of the wheelchair. In view of these problems, the present invention provides a connector for connecting a wheelchair to an IV stand that can more reliably connect the wheelchair and the IV stand and prevent the IV stand from tipping over as much as possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] That is, the invention of claim 1 is a connector for connecting a wheelchair and an IV stand, which connects an IV stand with a trolley to the rear of a wheelchair, The device is characterized by comprising a connecting member attached to the support of the IV stand, two grip means each removably connected to a backrest frame provided on either side of the wheelchair backrest, a support arm connecting the connecting member to one of the grip means, and a swinging arm swingably mounted relative to the support arm and having the other grip means attached to its tip. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the connector of the invention of claim 1, by connecting the grip means to the backrest frames provided on both sides of the backrest of the wheelchair, the support arm and oscillating arm can be positioned behind the grip means, and when the wheelchair is moved forwards or backwards, a load can be applied in the axial direction of the support arm and oscillating arm, making it possible to more stably connect the wheelchair and the IV stand. Furthermore, with the above configuration, when the wheelchair and the IV stand are connected, the connecting member can be positioned lower than in the configuration of Patent Document 1, thereby preventing the IV stand from tipping over. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the invention. [Diagram 2] Plan view of Figure 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a connector according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a mode of use of the connector of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a connector according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a main part of FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiment. Figures 1 and 2 show an IV stand 1 and a wheelchair 2 connected by a connector 3 according to the present invention. The connector 3 is characterized in that it connects the IV stand 1 to the rear of the wheelchair 2. The above-mentioned infusion stand 1 can be a conventionally known one, and is equipped with a cart 1a equipped with casters, a support pole 1b erected on the cart 1a, and a hook (not shown) attached to the top of the support pole 1b for hanging an infusion bag or the like. The wheelchair 2 can be a conventionally known wheelchair, and is equipped with a seat 4 on which the patient sits, a frame 5 that supports the seat 4, wheels 6 journalled on the frame 5, and a footrest 7 provided at the front lower part of the seat 4.

[0009] The seat 4 of the wheelchair 2 is made of cloth or resin and is supported on both sides by the frame 5. The frame 5 is provided with armrests 8 and bearings for supporting the wheels 6, and among these, the frame 5 provided in a substantially vertical direction and supporting the backrest 4a of the seat 4 is called the backrest frame 5a. A handle 9 is provided at the upper end of the backrest frame 5a in a substantially horizontal direction facing rearward. A seat frame 5b is provided in a substantially horizontal direction at the substantially center of the backrest frame 5a to support the seat surface 4b of the seat 4. An armrest frame 5c with armrests 8 is provided between the seat frame 5b and the handle 9. A retaining portion 4c surrounding the backrest frame 5a is provided at both ends of the backrest 4a of the seat 4, and a portion where the backrest frame 5a is exposed is formed between the retaining portion 4c and the armrest frame 5c. A foldable crossbar 10 is provided between the frames 5, and when folding the wheelchair 2, the crossbar 10 is folded to bring the frames 5 closer to each other, and the seat 4 is sandwiched between them while being deformed. Since the wheelchair 2 is conventionally known, further detailed description will be omitted. The connector 3 of this embodiment can be used even if it does not have the same configuration as the wheelchair 2 described here, as long as a part of the backrest frame 5a supporting the backrest 4a of the seat 4 is exposed.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 3 is connected to the backrest frame 5a of the wheelchair 2, extends substantially horizontally rearward from the connection position with the backrest frame 5a, and is adapted to be connected to the support pole 1b of the IV stand 1 located at the rear. The connecting device 3 will now be described in detail with reference to Figure 3. The connecting device 3 comprises a connecting member 11 attached to the support 1b of the IV stand 1, two grip means 12 each removably connected to the backrest frame 5a of the wheelchair 2, a support arm 13 connecting the connecting member 11 to one of the grip means 12, and a swinging arm 14 which is swingably mounted relative to the support arm 13 and has the other grip means 12 mounted at its tip.

[0011] The connecting member 11 has a shape of a flat plate bent roughly into a U-shape, and the support pole 1b of the IV stand 1 can be inserted inside the connecting member 11, making it possible to raise and lower the connecting member 11 relative to the support pole 1b. In addition, a fixing screw 11a is provided so as to pass through the connecting member 11, and by clamping the support 1b between the fixing screw 11a and the connecting member 11, the connecting member 11 can be fixed to the support 1b at the required height. In addition, the connecting member 11 may have any other configuration using a conventionally known mechanism as long as it is connectable to the support 1b, and the connector 3 may be permanently connected to the support 1b by the connecting member 11.

[0012] The gripping means 12 has a configuration similar to that of the gripping means 12 described in Patent Document 1, and as shown in FIG. 4, comprises a grip body 21 connected to the tip of the support arm 13 or the oscillating arm 14, an opening / closing lever 23 rotatably mounted on the grip body 21 by a pin 22, and a clamping lever 25 rotatably mounted around a pin 24. The other end of the grip body 21 is formed with a roughly arc-shaped recess 21a that surrounds approximately half of the outer periphery of the backrest frame 5a from the side, and an elastic member 26 made of rubber or the like is attached in an arc-shaped manner to the recess 21a.

[0013] The clamping lever 25 is bent in an L-shape, and its base end is attached to the grip body 21 by the pin 24 so as to be able to swing freely. The tip of the clamping lever 25 faces the recess 21a, and normally, as shown in Figure 4(b), a tension spring 27 stretched between the clamping lever 25 and the grip body 21 holds the tip of the clamping lever 25 in an open position away from the recess 21a. The opening / closing lever 23 rotates the clamping lever 25 counterclockwise in Figure 4(b) against the tension of the spring 27, thereby swinging the tip of the clamping lever 25 toward the recess 21a and abutting it against the outer peripheral surface of the backrest frame 5a. According to the grip means 12 having the above-mentioned configuration, the backrest frame 5a is accommodated in the recess 21a in the state shown in Figure 4(b), and by operating the opening / closing lever 23 in that state, the backrest frame 5a is clamped between the tip of the clamping lever 25 and the elastic member 26 as shown in Figure 4(a), and the grip means 12 can be connected to the backrest frame 5a.

[0014] The support arm 13 has a shape curved into an approximately L-shape and is composed of a long side portion 13a extending in the width direction of the wheelchair 2, and a short side portion 13b provided on the right end side of the long side portion 13a in the figure and extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the wheelchair 2. The connecting member 11 is provided substantially in the center of the long side portion 13a, and the swing arm 14 is swingably connected to the left end in the figure, which is opposite to the short side portion 13b. The gripping means 12 is provided at the tip of the short side portion 13b, and the gripping means 12 is provided rotatably with respect to the short side portion 13b.

[0015] The oscillating arm 14 is arranged to be capable of swinging horizontally relative to the end of the long side portion 13a of the support arm 13, and the gripping means 12 is arranged at its tip, and the gripping means 12 is arranged to be rotatable relative to the oscillating arm 14. When the grip means 12 of the support arm 13 and the grip means 12 of the swing arm 14 are connected to the backrest frame 5a of the wheelchair 2, a substantially U-shaped space is formed by the support arm 13 and the swing arm 14. As shown in FIG. 2, an oxygen cylinder B that can be attached to the back of the wheelchair 2 and the like can be accommodated in the space.

[0016] A method for connecting the wheelchair 2 and the IV stand 1 using the connector 3 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. First, the grip means 12 provided on the short side portion 13b of the support arm 13 is rotated so that the recess 21a faces inward, and in this state, the grip means 12 is connected to the exposed portion between the holding portion 4c of the backrest 4a and the armrest frame 5c in the backrest frame 5a. Next, the swing arm 14 is swung in the opening direction, and the recess 21a of the grip means 12 provided at the tip of the swing arm 14 is faced inward. From this state, the swing arm 14 is swung in the closing direction, and the grip means 12 is connected to the exposed portion between the holding portion 4c of the backrest 4a and the armrest frame 5c in the opposite backrest frame 5a. As a result, the connector 3 is connected to the rear of the wheelchair 2 at a position adjacent and above the armrest 8. Next, the IV stand 1 is moved to the rear of the wheelchair 2, and the connecting member 11 of the connector 3 is connected to the support pole 5 of the IV stand 1, thereby completing the connection between the wheelchair 2 and the IV stand 1.

[0017] According to the connector 3 of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, similar to the connector 3 described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, by connecting the IV stand 1 to the rear of the wheelchair 2, it is possible to move the wheelchair 2 and the IV stand 1 together. In particular, according to the connector 3 of this embodiment, when the grip means 12 is connected to the backrest frame 5a, the short side portion 13b of the support arm 13 and the swing arm 14 are located behind the grip means 12. Therefore, when the wheelchair 2 is moved forward and backward, the load acts in the axial direction of the short side portion 13b and the swing arm 14, making the structure stronger and more stable than the configuration in Patent Document 1. Furthermore, since the connector 3 is connected to the exposed portion on the upper side of the armrest frame 5c on the backrest frame 5a, the connection position with the IV stand 1 can be made lower than when the connector 3 is connected to the handle 9 as in Patent Document 1. As a result, for example, when the wheelchair 2 and IV stand 1 connected by the connector 3 go over a step, the cart 1a of the IV stand 1 stops at the step while the support pole 1b is pulled at the connection point with the connector 3. However, since the connection point is lowered, the point of action is lowered, so the IV stand 1 is prevented from falling over.

[0018] In addition, the connector 3 of this embodiment is able to accommodate variations in the distance between the frames 5 of the wheelchair 2 by providing a swing arm 14 that can swing horizontally relative to the support arm 13. For example, when a patient sits on the seat 4 of the wheelchair 2, the backrest 4a and seat surface 4b of the seat 4 bend due to the patient's weight, narrowing the distance between the frames 5. However, the oscillating arm 14 oscillates horizontally in response to the change in the distance between the frames 5, automatically adjusting the distance between the gripping means 12 and the gripping means 12, thereby preventing damage to the connecting device 3 and the wheelchair 2.

[0019] Furthermore, when the connecting device 3 of this embodiment is not connected to the wheelchair 2 and the IV stand 1, it can be left connected to the wheelchair 2 so as not to interfere with the operation of the wheelchair 2, as shown in FIG. In other words, by detaching the grip means 12 of the oscillating arm 14 from the backrest frame 5a and rotating the support arm 13 relative to the grip means 12 of the short side portion 13b, the grip means 12 of the oscillating arm 14 can be connected to a portion of the backrest frame 5a below the seat surface 4b. As a result, the connector 3 is connected to only one of the frames 5 (in this embodiment, the frame 5 on the right side in Figure 2), so that the support arm 13 and connecting member 12 are not positioned between the handles 9 and 9, and therefore do not interfere with operation by the operator.

[0020] 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating a connector 3 according to a second embodiment. Below, configurations different from the first embodiment will be described. The connector 3 of this embodiment is provided with a second swing arm 31 that is swingable at the right end of the long side portion 13a of the support arm 13 in the drawing, and the connecting member 11 is provided at the tip of the second swing arm 31. The oscillating arm 14 is capable of maintaining the angle between the second oscillating arm 31 and the support arm 13 by an angle maintaining means. For example, when the second oscillating arm 31 is adjacent to the long side portion 13a as shown in FIG. 5, the connecting member 11 is positioned approximately in the center of the long side portion 13a, and as in the first embodiment, the IV stand 1 can be positioned between the handles 9 of the wheelchair 2. In contrast, when the swinging arm 14 is swung, the connecting member 11 provided at the tip of the second swinging arm 31 can be positioned outside the wheelchair 2, as shown in Figure 6, making it possible to position the IV stand 1 to the side of the wheelchair 2. This prevents the IV stand 1 from being positioned between the wheelchair 2 and the operator, allowing the operator to easily operate the wheelchair 2. On the other hand, in a narrow space, the second swing arm 31 can be operated to position the IV stand 1 between the handles 9, as in the first embodiment.

[0021] 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating a connector 3 according to a third embodiment. Below, configurations different from the first embodiment will be described. The connector 3 of this embodiment is characterized in that bending means 41 is provided at approximately the center of the long side portion 13a of the support arm 13 for bending the long side portion 13a into an approximately L-shape. By using the bending means 41, when the wheelchair 2 is folded by bringing the left and right frames 5 closer together as shown in FIG. 7(b) while the connector 3 is connected to the wheelchair 2 as shown in FIG. 7(a), the connector 3 can be bent at the position of the bending means 41. That is, according to this embodiment, the wheelchair 2 can be folded while being held on the frame 5 by the grip means 12 provided on both sides.

[0022] As will be explained in detail below with reference to Figure 8, the long side portion 13a of the support arm 13 is divided at approximately the center into a first long side portion 13aa and a second long side portion 13ab on the left side of the figure, and a cap 42 is provided at each end of these portions. The bending means 41 is composed of a first oscillating piece 41a provided on the first long side portion 13aa, a second oscillating piece 41b provided on the second long side portion 13ab, and a rotating shaft 41c that supports the first oscillating piece and the second oscillating piece so that they can oscillate. The first oscillating piece 41a and the second oscillating piece 41b are provided below the tips of the first long side portion 13aa and the second long side portion 13ab, respectively, and a bracket 11b having a U-shaped cross-section for fixing the connecting member 11 is fixed to the second oscillating piece 41b. The rotating shaft 41c is arranged in the direction of travel of the wheelchair 2, and when the first rocking piece 41a and the second rocking piece 41b are rocked from the state shown in Figure 8(a), the tips of the first long side portion 13aa and the second long side portion 13ab are each bent upward as shown in Figure 8(b). At that time, the grip means 12 holding the frame 5 of the wheelchair 2 rotates relative to the tip of the short side portion 13b and the tip of the swinging arm 12, so as to follow the swinging of the first long side portion 13aa and the second long side portion 13ab. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1 IV stand 1a Trolley 1b Post 2 Wheelchair 3 Connector 4 Seat 4a Backrest 5 Frame 5a Backrest frame 11 Connecting member 12 gripping means 13 support arm 14 Swing arm 31 Second swing arm 31 41 Bending means

Claims

1. A connector for connecting a wheelchair to an intravenous stand, the connector connecting an intravenous stand having a trolley to the rear of a wheelchair, A connector for connecting a wheelchair to an IV stand, comprising: a connecting member attached to the support of the IV stand; two grip means each removably connected to a backrest frame provided on either side of the wheelchair backrest; a support arm connecting the connecting member to one of the grip means; and a swinging arm swingably mounted on the support arm and having the other grip means provided at its tip.

2. The one gripping means and the support arm are rotatably provided, The connector for connecting a wheelchair to an IV stand as described in claim 1, characterized in that, when the wheelchair and the IV stand are not connected, the support arm is rotated while the one grip means is connected to the backrest frame, so that the other grip means is positioned at a portion of the backrest frame below the seat surface.

3. A connector for connecting a wheelchair to an IV stand as described in either claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that when the wheelchair and the IV stand are connected, the support arm and the oscillating arm form a space behind the wheelchair in which a cylinder can be attached.

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