Wheelchair

Abstract

To provide a wheelchair in which an accessibility is improved.SOLUTION: A usage position of a footrest 9 is at a frontward side of a front wheel 5A, and accessing position of the footrest 9 is shifted lower side from the usage position which is a position frontward side from the front wheel 5A. With this configuration, a user can be seated on a wheelchair by seating on a chair part with their legs being placed on the footrest 9. Also, the user can get off the wheelchair by getting off the chair part with their legs being placed on the footrest 9. Therefore, the wheelchair can improve an accessibility to the wheelchair.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wheelchair having a chair portion on which a user can sit and a plurality of wheels. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, the wheelchair described in Patent Document 1 can be switched from a foot-rest position to a dismount position in which the footrest is rotated rearward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-141498 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the wheelchair described in Patent Document 1, the footrest is in a dismounted position when the user sits down. Therefore, when the user sits down and places the footrest in a footrest position, the user must avoid hitting the footrest against his / her legs by, for example, pulling his / her legs upward.

[0005] Therefore, the wheelchair described in Patent Document 1 is not convenient for users with leg disabilities. The present disclosure discloses an example of a wheelchair that takes this into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A wheelchair having a seat portion (3) on which a user can sit and a plurality of wheels (5) desirably has at least one of the following configuration requirements, for example. In other words, the constituent elements are a footrest (9) for supporting the legs of a seated person, a support arm (11) for supporting the footrest (9) so that it can be displaced between a usage position and a boarding / alighting position, the support arm (11) being swingably connected to the frame (7), an operating unit (13) that is operated by an assistant at least when displacing the support arm (11) from the boarding / alighting position to the usage position, and a transmission mechanism (15) for transmitting the operating force of the operating unit (13) to the support arm (11).

[0007] The use position is preferably a position forward of the front wheels (5A), and the boarding and disembarking position is preferably a position shifted downward from the use position and forward of the front wheels (5A).

[0008] As a result, when a user sits in the wheelchair, the user can sit in the chair portion (3) with his / her legs resting on the footrest (9). Also, when the user gets off the chair portion (3), the user can get off the chair portion (3) with his / her legs resting on the footrest (9). Therefore, the wheelchair is more convenient than the wheelchair described in Patent Document 1.

[0009] Incidentally, the symbols in the above parentheses are examples showing the corresponding relationship with the specific configurations etc. described in the embodiments described below, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific configurations etc. shown by the symbols in the above parentheses. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a wheelchair according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 1A is a diagram showing the footrest in the use position, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the footrest in the boarding / disembarking position. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a footrest of the wheelchair according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a frame etc. of a wheelchair according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a frame etc. of the wheelchair according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a displacement mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 2A to 2C are diagrams showing an operation unit and the like according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a displacement mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a displacement mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a displacement mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a displacement mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] A is a diagram showing the wheel lock lever in the locked position, and B is a diagram showing the wheel lock lever in the unlocked position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The following "embodiments of the invention" are examples of embodiments that fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. In other words, the invention-specific matters described in the claims are not limited to the specific configurations and structures shown in the following embodiments.

[0012] In addition, arrows and diagonal lines indicating directions in each figure are provided to facilitate understanding of the relationship between the figures and the shapes of each member or part. Therefore, the invention shown in this disclosure is not limited to the directions indicated in each figure. Diagonal lines do not necessarily indicate cross-sectional views.

[0013] At least one of each of the components or parts described with a reference number is provided, unless otherwise specified by "one". The wheelchair shown in this disclosure includes at least the components or parts described with a reference number, as well as the structural parts shown in the drawings.

[0014] (First embodiment) <1. Wheelchair Overview> As shown in FIG. 1, a wheelchair 1 according to this embodiment is configured to include a seat section 3, a plurality of wheels 5 (four in this embodiment), a frame 7, and the like.

[0015] The chair portion 3 is a portion on which a user can sit. The chair portion 3 has at least a seat portion 3A and a backrest portion 3B. The seat portion 3A is a portion that supports the buttocks of the seated person. The backrest portion 3B is a portion that supports the back of the seated person.

[0016] Each wheel 5 supports the chair part 3 via the frame 7. The four wheels 5 are composed of two wheels 5A (hereinafter referred to as front wheels 5A) arranged on the front side of the frame 7 and two wheels 5B arranged on the rear side of the frame 7.

[0017] Each of the four wheels 5 according to this embodiment is configured as a swivel caster consisting of a pair of wheels, as shown in Fig. 2. A swivel caster is a wheel in which the axle center line Lo and the turning center line L1 are in a twisted position, so that the direction of the axle can be freely turned.

[0018] The frame 7 constitutes the skeleton of the wheelchair 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the seat section 3 and the plurality of wheels 5 are attached to the frame 7. The frame 7 according to this embodiment has a trellis frame structure in which steel pipes such as round pipes are combined.

[0019] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the frame 7 is configured to have two side frames 7A, 7B, and bridge frames 7C to 7G. The side frames 7A, 7B extend in the front-rear direction at positions spaced apart from each other. The bridge frames 7C to 7G extend in the left-right direction of the wheelchair 1 and connect the two side frames 7A, 7B.

[0020] <2. Footrest displacement mechanism, etc.> 1, the wheelchair 1 includes a footrest 9 and a displacement mechanism 10. The footrest 9 is a footrest for supporting the legs of a seated person. The displacement mechanism 10 is a mechanism for displacing the footrest 9.

[0021] Specifically, the displacement mechanism 10 displaces the footrest 9 between a use position and a boarding / disembarking position. The use position is a position forward of the front wheels 5A (see FIG. 3A). The boarding / disembarking position is a position shifted downward from the use position and forward of the front wheels 5A (see FIG. 3B).

[0022] "The footrest 9 is located forward of the front wheel 5A" means that the rear end 9A of the footrest 9 is located forward of the rear end 5C of the front wheel 5A, as shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the rear end 9A of the footrest 9 is located forward of the axle center line Lo.

[0023] <2.1 Details of the displacement mechanism> As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the displacement mechanism 10 is configured to include at least a support arm 11, an operating portion 13, a transmission mechanism 15, a damper 17, and the like.

[0024] <Support arm> The support arm 11 is a member that is swingably connected to the frame 7 and supports the footrest 9 so that the footrest 9 can be displaced between a use position and a boarding / disembarking position (see Figs. 3A and 3B). Note that the support arm 11 according to this embodiment is composed of two support arms 11A and 11B.

[0025] The tip end of support arm 11A and the tip end of support arm 11B are connected by a connecting bar 11C as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, the two support arms 11A and 11B swing and displace integrally.

[0026] Incidentally, the footrest 9 according to this embodiment is provided separately as a left footrest 9 and a right footrest 9. The two footrests 9 are swingably connected to a connecting bar 11C independently of each other.

[0027] <Operation section> The operating unit 13 is a member that is operated by an assistant when the support arm 11 is displaced from the boarding / disembarking position to the use position. That is, as shown in Fig. 6, the operating unit 13 is configured to have at least one (two in this embodiment) swing lever 13A.

[0028] The two rocking levers 13A are rockably connected to the rear end side of the frame 7. One rocking lever 13A is disposed at a position spaced apart from the other rocking lever 13A in the width direction, i.e., in the left-right direction of the wheelchair 1.

[0029] The tip ends of the two rocking levers 13A are connected by a connecting bar 13B. Therefore, the two rocking levers 13A rock integrally with respect to the frame 7. In this embodiment, it is assumed that an assistant operates the connecting bar 13B by stepping on it. The assistant refers to a person other than the person seated in the wheelchair 1.

[0030] <Damper> The damper 17 exerts a resistance force that suppresses an increase in the descent speed of the footrest 9 when the footrest 9 descends from the use position to the boarding / disembarking position. That is, in this embodiment, the damper 17 is disposed at the swing center of each swing lever 13A.

[0031] Each damper 17 is a one-way rotary damper that exerts resistance when the footrest 9 descends from the use position to the boarding / disembarking position, and does not generate resistance when the footrest 9 ascends from the boarding / disembarking position to the use position.

[0032] <Transmission mechanism> 7, the transmission mechanism 15 is a mechanism that transmits the operating force of the operating unit 13 to the support arm 11. Specifically, the transmission mechanism 15 is configured to have the same number of first links 15A and second links 15B as the number of support arms 11, as well as stoppers 15C (see FIG. 12), and the like.

[0033] Each of the first links 15A is a lever-like member that is displaced when it receives an operating force from the operating unit 13. Each of the first links 15A is integrated with the corresponding rocking lever 13A. Therefore, each of the first links 15A rocks in the opposite direction to the rocking lever 13A, centered on the rocking center of the corresponding rocking lever 13A.

[0034] Each first link 15A receives resistance from the damper 17 when the footrest 9 descends from the use position to the boarding / disembarking position, and does not receive resistance from the damper 17 when the footrest 9 ascends from the boarding / disembarking position to the use position.

[0035] Each second link 15B is a rod-shaped member having one end swingably connected to the corresponding first link 15A and the other end swingably connected to the corresponding support arm 11. Therefore, when the operating unit 13 is swung, the swing of each swing lever 13A is reversed by the first link 15A and then transmitted to each second link 15B, causing the support arm 11 to swing.

[0036] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, when the connecting bar 13B is raised above the swing center O1 of the swing lever 13A, the connection point 15D between the first link 15A and the second link 15B is shifted downward from the neutral point.

[0037] As a result, compared to when connection point 15D is located at the neutral point, second link 15B is displaced rearward, so that support arm 11 is pulled rearward and footrest 9 is in the boarding / disembarking position.

[0038] The consideration point refers to the position of connection point 15D when the swing center of first link 15A (in this embodiment, swing center O1 of swing lever 13A), connection point 15D, and connection point O2 between second link 15B and support arm 11 are positioned on a virtual straight line (see Figure 10).

[0039] When the connecting bar 13B is shifted downward from the position shown in Fig. 8, the connecting point 15D coincides with the seating point or is shifted slightly upward from the seating point. In this state, the support arm 11 is pushed forward, so that the footrest 9 is in the use position (see Fig. 11).

[0040] <Stopper> The stopper 15C is a restricting portion that restricts the connection point 15D from moving beyond a predetermined distance from the pivot point, as shown in Fig. 12. The stopper 15C according to the present embodiment is provided on the bridge frame 7E.

[0041] Specifically, the stopper 15C contacts at least one of the first link 15A and the second link 15B when the footrest 9 is in the use position and the connection point 15D is offset from the neutral point, that is, when the connection point 15D is offset upward from the neutral point.

[0042] In addition, the wheelchair 1 according to this embodiment is provided with a contact holder 19 as shown in Fig. 7. The contact holder 19 maintains a contact state between the stopper 15C and a contacted portion (at least one of the first link 15A and the second link 15B in this embodiment) that contacts the stopper 15C.

[0043] Incidentally, the contact holder 19 according to this embodiment is made of a permanent magnet. The contact holder 19 is provided on a connecting bar 15E that connects the two connecting points 15D. <2.2 Other configurations> 8, an operation cable 21 constituting an interlocking lock mechanism is provided in the operation unit 13. The operation cable 21 is connected to each rocking lever 13A and a wheel lock lever 5D (see FIGS. 13A and 13B) built into the wheel 5B.

[0044] When the footrest 9 is in the boarding / disembarking position, the wheel lock lever 5D is in a locked position that restricts the rotation of the wheel 5 (see FIG. 13A). When the footrest 9 is in the use position, the wheel lock lever 5D is in an unlocked position that allows the rotation of the wheel 5 (see FIG. 13B).

[0045] A spring (not shown) is provided inside the wheel 5B to hold the wheel lock lever 5D in the locked position. Therefore, when the operating cable 21 is pulled, the wheel lock lever 5D is in the unlocked position. When the operating cable 21 is released, the wheel lock lever 5D is in the locked position.

[0046] <2.2 Operation of the displacement mechanism> When the footrest 9 is in the use position, the connection point 15D is located at a position slightly shifted upward from the rest point (see FIG. 11). Therefore, when a downward load acts on the footrest 9, the connection point 15D tries to displace upward.

[0047] At this time, the stopper 15C (in this embodiment, the bridge frame 7E) and the contacted portion (in this embodiment, at least one of the first link 15A and the second link 15B) are in contact with each other (see FIG. 12).

[0048] Therefore, even if a downward load acts on the footrest 9 when the footrest 9 is in the use position, the connection point 15D is restricted from being displaced further upward. In other words, when the footrest 9 is in the use position, the footrest 9 is restricted from descending toward the boarding / disembarking position.

[0049] When the footrest 9 is in the use position, the rocking lever 13A of the operating unit 13 is in the lowered state (see FIG. 12). To lower the footrest 9 to the boarding / alighting position, the assistant needs to operate the operating unit 13 slightly upward so that at least the connecting point 15D is lowered to the seating point.

[0050] After the connecting point 15D has descended to the seating point, the footrest 9 descends toward the boarding / disembarking position due to the weight of the footrest 9, the support arm 11, the second link 15B, and the legs of the seated person, etc. At this time, the increase in the descending speed of the footrest 9 is suppressed by the damper 17.

[0051] When the footrest 9 descends toward the boarding / disembarking position, the rocking lever 13A of the operating unit 13 gradually rises (see FIG. 8), and the operating cable 21 is loosened, so that the wheel lock lever 5D is in the locked position.

[0052] When the footrest 9 is in the boarding / disembarking position and the operating unit 13 is lowered (in this embodiment, the assistant steps on the operating unit 13), the operating cable 21 is pulled, causing the wheel lock lever 5D to move to the unlocked position and displacing the footrest 9 upward toward the use position.

[0053] <3. Features of the wheelchair according to this embodiment> In the wheelchair 1 according to this embodiment, the usage position is a position forward of the front wheels 5A, and the boarding and disembarking position is a position shifted downward from the usage position and forward of the front wheels 5A.

[0054] As a result, when a user sits in the wheelchair 1, the user can sit in the chair portion 3 with his / her legs resting on the footrest 9. Also, when the seated person gets off the chair portion 3, the user can get off the chair portion 3 with his / her legs resting on the footrest 9. Therefore, the wheelchair 1 is more convenient than the wheelchair described in Patent Document 1.

[0055] The wheelchair 1 includes a damper 17. This suppresses an increase in the descent speed of the footrest 9 when the footrest 9 descends from the use position to the boarding / disembarking position. In the wheelchair 1, when the footrest 9 is in the boarding / disembarking position, the rotation of the wheels 5B is restricted. This restricts the wheelchair 1 from moving when the user gets on or off the wheelchair 1. This in turn improves the ease of getting on and off the wheelchair 1.

[0056] The wheelchair 1 is provided with a stopper 15C. This prevents the connection point 15D from moving beyond a predetermined distance from the base point when the footrest 9 is in the use position. This prevents the footrest 9 from descending even if a downward load is applied to the footrest 9.

[0057] The wheelchair 1 includes a contact retainer 19. This makes it possible to maintain a contact state between the stopper 15C and the contacted portion that contacts the stopper 15C. As a result, the footrest 9 is prevented from descending unintentionally.

[0058] (Other embodiments) In the above-described embodiment, the one-way rotary damper is included. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the present disclosure may be, for example, a configuration in which the damper is eliminated, or a configuration in which a damper other than the one-way rotary damper is included.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the wheels 5B are automatically locked when the footrest 9 is in the boarding / disembarking position. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the present disclosure may be configured such that the locking operation of the wheels 5B can be performed independently of the state of the footrest 9.

[0060] The stopper 15C according to the above embodiment is configured to contact at least one of the first link 15A and the second link 15B. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the present disclosure may be configured such that the stopper 15C contacts the connecting bar 15E, for example.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, the stopper 15C comes into contact with the first link 15A or the like at a position where the connecting point 15D is slightly beyond the pivot point, thereby restricting the footrest 9 from descending. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0062] In other words, the disclosure may be configured such that, for example, when connection point 15D reaches a pivot point, a regulating mechanism is provided that inserts a lock pin into first link 15A or second link 15B to regulate the displacement of the link.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the contact retainer 19 is made of a permanent magnet. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the present disclosure may be, for example, a configuration in which the contact retainer 19 is made of a hook-and-loop fastener, or a configuration in which the contact retainer 19 is eliminated.

[0064] In the above embodiment, all four wheels have the same configuration. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the present disclosure may be such that, for example, the wheel 5B has a larger diameter than the wheel 5A.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the two footrests 9 are connected to the connecting bar 11C so as to be able to swing independently of each other. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the present disclosure may be configured such that, for example, the two footrests 9 swing in conjunction with each other.

[0066] In the above embodiment, when the footrest 9 is in the boarding / disembarking position, only the wheel 5B is restricted from rotating. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the present disclosure may be configured such that, for example, all the wheels 5 or only the front wheel 5A are restricted from rotating.

[0067] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments as long as it is consistent with the gist of the disclosure described in the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, the present disclosure may be a configuration in which at least two of the above-mentioned embodiments are combined, or a configuration in which any of the components illustrated or the components described with reference numerals in the above-mentioned embodiments are eliminated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1... wheelchair 3... chair 5... wheel 7... frame 9... footrest 10... displacement mechanism 11... support arm 11: Support arm; 13: Operation unit; 13A: Swing lever 13B... Connecting bar 15... Transmission mechanism 15A... First link 15B... Second link 15C... Stopper 17... Damper 19…Contact retainer

Claims

1. A wheelchair having a seat portion on which a user can sit and a plurality of wheels, a footrest for supporting the legs of a seated person; a support arm that supports the footrest so as to be displaceable between a use position and a boarding / disembarking position, the support arm being swingably connected to a frame; an operating unit that is operated by an assistant when displacing at least the support arm from the boarding / disembarking position to the use position; a transmission mechanism that transmits an operating force of the operation unit to the support arm, A wheelchair in which the usage position is a position forward of the front wheels, and the boarding and disembarking position is a position shifted downward from the usage position and forward of the front wheels.

2. 2. The wheelchair according to claim 1, further comprising a damper that suppresses an increase in the descent speed of the footrest when the footrest descends from the use position to the boarding / disembarking position.

3. 3. The wheelchair according to claim 2, further comprising an interlocking lock mechanism that restricts rotation of the wheels when the footrest is in the boarding / disembarking position.

4. The transmission mechanism includes: a first link that is displaced by receiving an operating force from the operating unit; a second link having one end pivotally connected to the first link and the other end pivotally connected to the support arm; and a stopper that restricts the movement of the connection point between the first link and the second link from the intended point beyond a predetermined distance when the footrest is in the use position and the connection point between the first link and the second link is displaced from the intended point; 4. The wheelchair according to claim 3, comprising:

5. 5. The wheelchair according to claim 4, further comprising a contact retainer that maintains a contact state between the stopper and a contacted portion that contacts the stopper.

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