Wheelchair lift

Abstract

To provide a wheelchair lift which is easy to install and has a less physical burden on an installation worker.SOLUTION: In a wheelchair lift configured from a base installed at a low position and a driving unit vertically installed on the base and provided with a lift mechanism for elevating or lowering a wheelchair accessible table, having different directions for entering and exiting the table, and used by changing the direction on the table, the driving unit is formed from a first driving unit and a second driving unit vertically installed independently on the left and right sides of the base, connects a first output shaft arranged on the top of the first driving unit and a second output shaft arranged on the top of the second driving unit, and drives a driving force provided in the first driving unit or the second driving unit, thereby configuring the driving unit into a gate-like shape to interlink with the other lifting mechanism and forming a space allowing at least a step part of the wheelchair and toes of a user to enter between the first driving unit and the second driving unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to a wheelchair lift used for wheelchair users to overcome steps.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, wheelchair lifts for wheelchair users have become widespread. As widely known as a merit of a wheelchair lift, the occupied area for installation of the wheelchair lift is small. That is, it can be installed even if the outdoor area is narrow. Also, as proposed by the applicant in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-081231 (Patent No. 5152951), there is also a wheelchair lift that can be installed by reorganizing the wheelchair lift into a straight-in type or an L-shaped type.

[0003] On the other hand, the following can be cited as demerits of a wheelchair lift. In the wheelchair lift of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-081231 described above, since the base, X-frame, table, drive unit, slope, and bridge are each composed of units, it is possible to reorganize the straight-in type and the L-shaped type, so it is a very convenient lift for users. However, the drive unit has many core components arranged inside, such as a chain, a motor, an inner mast, and an outer mast, and is heavier than other members, making the carrying-in and installation work complicated. Also, as an index in the "Guidelines for Preventing Low Back Pain in the Workplace (Non-Patent Document 1)" shown by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, for the handling of heavy objects, it is recommended that for men, it be 40% or less of body weight and less than 25 kg, and for women, it be 24% or less of body weight and less than 20 kg. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of a wheelchair lift that is easy to install and causes less physical burden on workers including low back pain.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a wheelchair lift that is easy to install and places less physical burden on installers. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0006] The wheelchair lift of this embodiment is composed of a base installed at a low position and a drive unit provided with a lifting mechanism for lifting a table on which a wheelchair can be boarded and erected on the base. In the wheelchair lift where the entry direction and the exit direction to the table are different and it is used by changing direction on the table, the drive unit consists of a first drive unit and a second drive unit independently erected on the left and right of the base, connecting a first output shaft disposed above the first drive unit and a second output shaft disposed above the second drive unit, and driving the driving force provided in either one of the first drive unit and the second drive unit to configure it in a portal shape in which the other lifting mechanism interlocks, and is characterized by including the drive unit capable of forming a space into which at least the step portion of the wheelchair and the toes of the user can enter between the first drive unit and the second drive unit. A lever support composed of a support pipe extending linearly in the horizontal direction, a pair of outer support plates and inner support plates fixed to the support pipe at regular intervals, a lever body pivotally mounted on the lever support so as to be rotatable up and down, and a rod interposed between the lever and a bridge for entering and exiting the table. The lever for operating the standing state and the bridging state of the bridge is configured such that the support pipe is fitted into notches formed in the first drive unit and the second drive unit, and can be fixed to the first drive unit and the second drive unit by the outer support plate and the inner support plate only when the heights of the first drive unit and the second drive unit are substantially the same. Also, the driving force is disposed above either the first driving unit or the second driving unit.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] The wheelchair lift of the present invention is provided with a driving force for raising and lowering the table, and the driving unit configured in a portal shape is divided into two parts, and the first driving unit and the second driving unit can be assembled independently, so that each part can be made lightweight and the physical burden on the installer can be reduced. In addition, compared with the conventional integral driving unit, there is no need to send or replace parts without abnormalities during maintenance or part replacement, so the economic burden can be reduced. And the lever for changing the posture of the bridge that serves as a bridge between the outdoors and indoors between the standing state and the bridging state can be assembled with the first drive unit and the second drive unit only when the first output shaft of the first drive unit and the second output shaft of the second drive unit are substantially on the same axis. Therefore, the table will not tilt due to a phase shift, and it can be assembled and installed in a correct state. Also, by disposing the driving force above either the first driving unit or the second driving unit and using the portal-shaped driving unit, the released space can be utilized, the table area can be reduced while maintaining the turnability on the table of the wheelchair, and it can be configured more compactly than the conventional wheelchair lift.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 7

Figure 8

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Figure 10

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Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Example

[0009] The wheelchair lift 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The wheelchair lift 1 according to the present invention mainly comprises a base 2, a drive unit 3, a table 4, a slope 5, a bridge 6, a lever 7, and a guard 8. As shown in Fig. 1, the direction in which the user boards the wheelchair lift 1 from the outside with the wheelchair W is defined as the front. The right - hand side is set as the right side surface (right - hand side), and the left - hand side is set as the left side surface (left - hand side). The remaining drawings other than Fig. 1 are also illustrated in the figures. Note that the illustration and description of fastening members such as bolts and nuts are partially omitted.

[0010] First, the base 2 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, this base 2 is configured by screwing adjustment bolts 2b, 2b, 2b, 2b that can be adjusted in vertical expansion and contraction to the lower four corners of a base body 2a formed in a substantially rectangular shape by combining a plurality of members in a plan view. By adjusting the expansion and contraction amounts of the adjustment bolts 2b, 2b, 2b, 2b according to the unevenness of the ground, it can be stably installed. Note that although the base body 2a is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in this embodiment, for example, it may be circular or the like, and it is not limited to this embodiment as long as it can support each of the components described later.

[0011] Next, the drive unit 3 will be described. As shown in Figs. 3 to 8, this drive unit 3 is mainly composed of a first drive unit 31, a second drive unit 32, and a cover portion 33 disposed on the outer periphery of the connecting portion between the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32, which is erected on the upper part of the base 2.

[0012] First, the first drive unit 31 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3 and the like, the first drive unit 31 has a shape in which a substantially L - shaped figure is rotated 90 degrees clockwise in a front view. The lower end has an inner mast 31a fixed to the base 2, and an outer mast 31b inserted into the inner mast 31a moves up and down along the inner mast 31a. In more detail with reference to Fig. 4 below, the inner mast 31a is composed of a rectangular pipe 31d with a mounting plate 31c fixed to one end. By fixing the mounting plate 31c to the base body 2a, the inner mast 31a is erected with respect to the base 2. The outer mast 31b is formed by bending a plurality of plates a plurality of times, and a second frame frame 31f is fixed to the upper part of the first frame frame 31e that is open to the front. In a front view, it has a shape obtained by rotating a substantially L shape 90 degrees clockwise. The first frame frame 31e is inserted into the inner mast 31a. A motor 31h is disposed in the second frame frame 31f via a bracket 31g fixed to the second frame frame 31f. A motor sprocket 31i is fixed to the tip of the output shaft 311h of the motor 31h. A first output shaft 31j is inserted through the upper part of the bracket 31g, and a sprocket 31k is supported by the bracket 31g. A motor chain 31l is wound around the motor sprocket 31i and the sprocket 31k in an endless manner. An endless lifting chain 31o is wound around a sprocket 31m supported below the outer mast 31b and a sprocket 31n supported at one end of the first output shaft 31j. A connecting plate 31p attached above the inner mast 31a is connected to the lifting chain 31o. With such a configuration, when the up button or the down button of the remote controller 9 described later is operated, the motor 31h is driven and the output shaft 311h rotates, so that the first output shaft 31j rotates, and the outer mast 31b can move up and down along the inner mast 31a. A guide roller (not shown) is attached between the inner mast 31a and the outer mast 31b, and the outer mast 31b moves up and down along the guide roller to suppress rattling and shaking. A cover 31q formed to match the substantially L-shaped outer frame of the outer mast 31b is attached.

[0013] The power for driving the motor 31h is obtained by a wired connection to a socket (not shown), but it is not necessary to be limited to this embodiment, and any device that can drive the motor 31h may be used. In addition, in this embodiment, a combination of a sprocket and a chain is adopted as the lifting member of the first driving unit 31, but it is not necessary to be limited to this embodiment. For example, a timing belt may be used instead of the chain, or a pulley may be used instead of the sprocket, and a rope may be used instead of the chain to be configured like a pulley. That is, in this embodiment, it is sufficient that the outer mast 31b can move up and down with the inner mast 31a as a guide.

[0014] Next, the second driving unit 32 will be described. In a front view, the second driving unit 32 has a shape in which a substantially L shape is rotated 180 degrees. At the lower end, the inner mast 32a is attached to the base 2, and the outer mast 32b inserted into the inner mast 32a moves up and down along the inner mast 32a. Specifically, referring to FIG. 6 in detail, the inner mast 32a is composed of a rectangular pipe 32d with a mounting plate 32c fixed to one end. By fixing the mounting plate 32c to the base body 2a, the inner mast 32a is erected with respect to the base 2. The outer mast 32b is formed by bending a plurality of plates multiple times, and a second frame frame 32f is fixed to the upper side of the first frame frame 32e that is open in the front. In a front view, it has a shape in which a substantially L shape is rotated 180 degrees clockwise, and the first frame frame 32e is inserted into the inner mast 32a. A second output shaft 32g is supported on the upper part of the first frame frame 32e, and a sprocket 32h is attached inside the first frame frame 32e. An endless lifting chain 32j is wound around a sprocket 32i supported below the inner mast 32a and a sprocket 32h of the second output shaft 32g. A connecting plate 32k attached above the inner mast 32a is connected to the lifting chain 32j. In addition, a connecting member 32l formed by bending a plate into a substantially U shape is attached to one end of the second output shaft 32g on the opposite side where the sprocket 32h is attached. A cover 32m is attached which is formed to match the substantially L-shaped outer frame of the outer mast 32b. Note that, as shown in FIG. 7, the other end of the connecting member 32l is attached to one end of the first output shaft 31j of the first driving unit 31, so that the second output shaft 32g and the first output shaft 31j are synchronized, and by driving the motor 31h, the second output shaft 32g rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first output shaft 31j. That is, by driving the first driving unit 31, the second driving unit 32 operates in conjunction, and the outer mast 32b of the driving unit 3 can move up and down. Also, a space X is provided inside the second frame 32f, and by housing the wiring and the substrate for driving the motor 31h, the design is improved so that unnecessary wiring does not come from the driving unit 3, and at the same time, an effect of preventing accidents such as tripping and falling can be expected.

[0015] Also, the second driving unit 32 may also use a timing belt like the first driving unit 31, or may be a pulley type combined with a pulley and a rope, as long as the outer mast 32b can move up and down with respect to the inner mast 32a. And in this embodiment, the first driving unit 31 and the second driving unit 32 have a substantially left-right symmetric shape. That is, a driving device such as the motor 31h may be arranged in the second driving unit 32, as long as the first driving unit 31 and the second driving unit 32 can operate in conjunction as the driving unit 3.

[0016] Next, the cover portion 33 will be described. The cover portion 33 is used to cover and hide the connecting portion of the first driving unit 32 and the second driving unit 32, that is, the first driving shaft 31j, the second driving shaft 32g, and the connecting member 32l. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, in a side view, the openings of the substantially U-shaped front cover 33a and the rear cover 33b face each other, and it is hung on the cover 31q of the first driving unit 31 and the cover 32m of the second driving unit 32 in a cylindrical state having a hollow portion 3A. Note that a reinforcing plate 33c is installed between the front cover 33a and the rear cover 33b so that the cover portion 33 will not deform even if external pressure is applied thereto. Therefore, the first drive shaft 31j, the second drive shaft 32g, and the connecting member 32l passing through the hollow portion 3A can operate safely without being affected by external pressure.

[0017] Next, the table 4 will be described. This table 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape by combining a plurality of members to have substantially the same size as the upper surface of the base 2 in plan view. A stopper plate 4b is fixed to the mounting side of the drive portion 3 of the table body 4a, and mounting plates 4c, 4c are fixed to both ends of the table body 4a. Then, the mounting plates 4c, 4c are attached to the outer mast 31b of the first drive portion 31 and the outer mast 32b of the second drive portion 32. That is, by attaching the table 4 to the drive portion 3, the table 4 also moves up and down in accordance with the elevation of the drive portion 3. Although details are omitted, the slope 5 and the bridge 6 are respectively hung on any of the frame members 41a, 41a, 41a constituting the table body 4a except for one side on the mounting side of the stopper plate 4b for use. Although illustration is omitted, when the slope 5 and the bridge 6 are hung on the frame members 41a, 41a at a position where they face each other, it is a straight-in boarding type, and as shown in FIG. 1 etc., when the slope 5 and the bridge 6 are hung on the frame members 41a, 41a at a position where they do not face each other, the wheelchair lift 1 in this embodiment is used as an L-shaped boarding type. After the slope 5 and the bridge 6 are hung on the table body 4a in this way, a top plate 4d formed in substantially the same shape as the table body 4a is attached. The top plate 4d functions as a holding component for the mounting components of the slope 5 and the bridge 6 in addition to a function as a boarding surface for the wheelchair to travel.

[0018] Next, the slope 5 will be described. As described above, as shown in FIG. 10, the slope 5 is hung on the table 4. First, support plates 5b, 5b, ··· that extend in the same direction as the frame member 41a of the table 4 facing the drive unit 3 are fixed to a pipe 5a, and a slope plate 5c is attached to the upper surface of the pipe 5a to form a slope passage portion 51. Meanwhile, mounting plates 5d, 5d formed in a substantially U-shape are pivotally mounted between the respective support plates 5b, 5b by shaft members 5e, 5e to form a mounting portion 52. Then, while hanging the mounting plates 5d, 5d on the frame member 41a of the table 4, as described above, they are clamped by the top plate 4d. And a slope guide 53 is constituted by a guide plate 5f attached to a side portion of one of the support plates 5b and a guide roller 5g pivotally attached to the tip of the guide plate 5f. Then, a guide pole 54 is erected near the slope guide 53 of the base 2. The guide pole 54 is composed of a guide plate 5h fixed to the base body 2a and a round pipe 5i fixed to the upper part of the guide plate 5h. By configuring the slope 5 in this way, the tip of the slope guide 53 in contact with the guide pole 54, that is, the guide roller 5g can roll along the guide pole 54, and as the slope guide 53 moves from the guide plate 5f to the round pipe 5i, the slope passage portion 51 connected to the slope guide 53 can rotate upward and change its posture to an upright state.

[0019] Next, the bridge 6 will be described. Similar to the slope 5, as shown in FIG. 10, the bridge 6 is hung on the frame member 41a of the table 4 facing a guard 8 to be described later and is clamped by the top plate 4d. Specifically described below, support plates 6b, 6b, ··· that extend in the same direction as the frame member 41a of the table 4 are fixed to a pipe 6a, and a bridge plate 6c is attached to the upper surface of the pipe 6a to form a bridge passage portion 61. Meanwhile, mounting plates 6d, 6d formed in a substantially U-shape are pivotally mounted between the respective support plates 6b, 6b by shaft members 6e, 6e to form a mounting portion 62. While hanging the mounting plates 6d, 6d on the frame members 41a, 41a of the table 4, they are clamped by the top plate 4d simultaneously with the slope 5 described above. And a support pin 63 for attaching one end of a rod 73 of a lever 7 described later is attached to the support plate 6b on the drive unit 3 side (the second drive unit 32 side in this embodiment). By configuring the bridge 6 in this way, the bridge 6 can appropriately change its posture between the standing state and the bridging state when the lever 7 described later is operated, and a wheelchair can be moved from the table 4 into the room. Note that in the standing state, the tip of the bridge 6 stands up to prevent the wheelchair from falling during lifting and lowering. And in the bridging state, the tip of the bridge 6 is in a state of being grounded at the destination, that is, it is used as a passage through which the wheelchair can enter the room from the table 4.

[0020] There is no content here, so it remains blank. Next, the lever 7 will be described. The lever 7 is for changing the posture of the bridge 6 between the standing state and the bridging state. As described below, the lever 7 includes a support pipe 7a passing through the hollow portion 3A of the cover portion 33, outer support plates 7b, 7b fixed to both ends of the support pipe 7a and hung on the outside of the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32, and inner support plates 7c, 7c fixed inside the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32 to form a lever support 71, lever plates 7d, 7d rotatably shafted on the support plates 7b, 7b of the lever support 71, and a lever pipe 7e connected to the lever plates 7d, 7d to form a lever body 72, and a rod 73 interposed between one of the lever plates 7d of the lever body 72 and the support pin 63 of the bridge 6. The lever 7 is connected to the bridge 6 by the rod 73. When the lever body 72 is rotated upward, the bridge 6 lies down to be in a bridging state to the room, and when the lever body 72 is rotated downward from the state of being rotated upward, the bridge 6 stands up to be in a standing state. Before the table 4 descends or ascends, by rotating the lever 7 downward, the bridge 6 is in an upright state and is used as a fall prevention fence for the wheelchair. Although not shown in the drawings, the drive unit 3 is electrically controlled to be able to move up and down only when the remote control 9 is operated when the lever main body 72 is rotated downward, that is, when the bridge 6 is in an upright state. This is a safety measure for the purpose of preventing the wheelchair from falling during the up and down movement.

[0021] Next, the details of the assembly method of the lever 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. First, the support pipe 7a of the lever support 71 of the lever 7 is fitted into the notch 311f formed behind the side plate of the second frame 31f of the first drive unit 31 and the notch 321f formed behind the side plate of the second frame 32f of the second drive unit 32, and the outer support plates 7b, 7b are hung on the latching plates 31r fixed to the rear side of the second frame 31f and the latching plates 32n fixed to the rear side of the second frame 32f. Then, the inner support plates 7c, 7c are fixed to the side plates of the second frame 31f of the first drive unit 31 and the side plates of the second frame 32f of the second drive unit 32. In this way, the lever support 71 is assembled. However, since it is assembled not only by hanging on the latching plates 31r, 31n but also by fitting the lever support 71 into the notches 311f, 321f, if the heights of the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32 are different, the positions of the respective notches 311f and 321f do not match, and the lever support 71 formed linearly cannot be attached to the drive unit 3. Therefore, the lever support 71 can be attached to the drive unit 3 only when the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32 are at substantially the same height. In other words, the outer mast 31b of the first drive unit 31 and the outer mast 32b of the second drive unit 32 are at the same height, that is, the first output shaft 31j of the first drive unit 31 and the second output shaft 32g of the second drive unit 32 are on substantially the same axis, only then can it be attached to the drive unit 3. By configuring it in this way, when the drive unit 3 is not correctly assembled, the lever 7 cannot be assembled, so the wheelchair lift 1 cannot be used. That is, it is designed to prevent product damage and unexpected accidents, so it is safe. In addition, in this embodiment, the inner support plates 7c, 7c are configured to be fixed to the second frame frames 31f and 32f by screw members. However, a pin member (not shown) or the like may be fixed to the side plates of the second frame frames 31f and 32f so that the inner support plates 7c, 7c are hung like the outer support plates 7b, 7b described above. That is, it may be arbitrarily configured as long as the lever 7 can be attached to the drive unit 3 when the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32 are at substantially the same height.

[0022] Next, the guard 8 will be described. As described in detail below, as shown in FIG. 11, the guard 8 includes a guard body 8a formed by bending a pipe into a substantially U shape in a side view, a guide pipe 8b interposed in the opening of the guard body 8a, and a pair of guard support plates 8c, 8c fixedly separated from each other at a certain interval below the guard body 8a. The guard 8 configured in this way is used as a fence for preventing the wheelchair from falling by attaching the guard support plates 8c, 8c to the frame member 41a of the outer periphery of the table 4 where the drive unit 3, the slope 5, and the bridge 6 are not attached. Then, by externally inserting the guide pipe 8b into the guide pole 54, the guide pipe 8b slides along the guide pole 54 when the table 4 is lifted and lowered.

[0023] Although the components of the wheelchair lift 1 in this embodiment have been described, it is not necessary to be limited to this embodiment. For example, the slope 5 is not an automatic slope and can be manually operated. Further, a sensing member incorporating a limit switch may be disposed on the lower surface of the table 4 so as to sense when a person or foreign object enters between the base 2 and the table 4 and stop the lifting and lowering of the table 4. Further, a height adjustment function may be provided so that the lifting of the table 4 automatically stops when an arbitrary height indoors is reached. Thus, the specifications of the wheelchair lift 1 that can satisfy the functions of the present invention may be arbitrarily set.

[0024] So far, each component in this embodiment has been described, but there are the following advantages. First, since the drive unit 3 is divided into left and right parts, the weight per unit is light, which can reduce the physical burden on the installation worker, especially the effect of preventing low back pain can be expected. Also, since the drive unit 3 is divided into left and right parts, when replacement is required due to a failure of either one of the parts, it is not necessary to replace the parts that were originally in normal use, and it can be provided at low cost. Note that since one end of the connecting member 32l is rotatably attached to the second output shaft 32g, as shown in FIG. 6, there is an advantage that the packaging can be made smaller and the size of the packing box can be reduced. Also, at the time of connection, it is only necessary to attach one end of the connecting member 32l to the first output shaft 31j, and it can be easily assembled. And, if the first drive unit 31 and the second drive unit 32 are not at substantially the same height, the lever support 71 cannot be attached to the locking plates 31r, 32n and the cutout portions 311f, 321f provided respectively. When either the left or right side of the drive unit 3 is replaced or disassembled and then reassembled, for example, in the case of product rental, the wheelchair lift 1 cannot be used when the drive unit 3 is not correctly assembled, so it is safe. Further, by disposing the motor 31h inside the drive unit 3, the size of the wheelchair lift 1 can be minimized as much as possible, while the area of the table 4 can be enlarged as much as possible, and the turning ability of the wheelchair on the table 4 can be improved.

[0025] Next, a method of use when entering indoors from outdoors in an L-shape as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 12 will be described. (1) Enter the wheelchair from the direction facing the slope 5 and board the table 4. (2) Rotate the wheelchair 90 degrees from the boarding direction so as to face the bridge 6. (3) Press the raise switch of the remote control 9 to raise the table 4 until it reaches approximately the same height as the destination height. (Although the explanation is omitted, it is desirable to set it to automatically stop at the destination height.) (4) The user raises the lever 7 (rotates it upward) to ground the bridge 6 on the indoor floor surface. (5) The wheelchair enters the room from the table 4 via the bridge 6. In the case of straight-ahead boarding, step (2) can be omitted and the wheelchair can enter the room from the outdoors without rotating it 90 degrees. Also, when moving from indoors to outdoors, the following procedure is used. Note that the explanation starts from the state where the table 4 is raised and the wheelchair can board. (6) The user raises the lever 7 (rotates it upward) to ground the bridge 6 on the indoor floor surface. (This operation is not necessary if the bridge 6 is already grounded on the indoor floor surface in advance) (7) The wheelchair boards the table 4 via the bridge 6. (8) The user lowers the lever 7 (rotates it downward) to put the bridge 6 in an upright state. (9) Press the lower switch of the remote control 9 to lower the table 4 to the outdoor floor surface. (10) Rotate the wheelchair 90 degrees from the boarding direction so as to face the slope 5. (11) The wheelchair exits the room from the table 4 via the slope 5.

[0026] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the first output shaft 31j of the first drive unit 31 and the second output shaft 32g of the second drive unit 32 are connected using the connecting member 32l, but the connecting member 32l may be replaced with another component or configuration. Here, what is shown in FIG. 13 is a drive unit 3' including a first drive unit 31' and a second drive unit 32'. Fig. 13(a) shows that a boss portion 311j' is formed at the tip of the first output shaft 31j', and the tip of the second output shaft 32g' is inserted into and fixed to the boss portion 311j'. In this method, a boss portion may also be formed on the second output shaft 32g' side. Note that in this method, it is necessary to prepare the first output shaft 31j' and the second output shaft 32g' with different shaft diameters. Also, Fig. 13(b) shows that the tip of the first output shaft 31j'' is end-milled or the like to form a half-cut portion 311j'' on the end face, and a half-cut portion 321j'' is also formed at the tip of the second output shaft 32g''. Then, the half-cut portion 311j'' and the half-cut portion 321g'' are combined and fixed. Although not shown in the figure, a shaft coupling (coupling) may be used for the connection portion between the shafts. That is, the first output shaft 31j and the second output shaft 32g may be directly connected. Thus, if the first output shaft 31j and the second output shaft 32g can be synchronized, the connection method may be arbitrarily set.

[0027] In addition, in this embodiment, a lifting mechanism using a combination of a chain and a sprocket is adopted for the lifting of the first driving unit 31 and the second driving unit 32, but other embodiments are also possible. For example, a telescopic electrical component such as an actuator may be used. In this case, actuators are respectively provided in the first driving unit 31 and the second driving unit 32, and the actuators are driven so that the outer mast slides in the vertical direction with respect to the inner mast. And a control box for performing electrical control is arranged in the electrical equipment section, and when the remote control 9 is operated, it may be controlled so that the telescopic amounts of the mutual actuators are the same. At this time, if the cover 33 or the lever 7 is properly attached, there will be no left-right phase difference as in the above-described embodiment, and it can be used without problems.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0028] 1 Wheelchair lift 2 Base 3 Driving unit 31 First driving unit 32 Second driving unit 33 Cover part 4 Table 5 Slope 51 Slope passage part 52 Mounting part 53 Slope guide 54 Guide pole 6 Bridge 61 Bridge passage part 62 Mounting part 63 Support pin 7 Lever 71 Lever support 72 Lever body 73 Rod 8 Guard 9 Remote control

Claims

1. A wheelchair elevator comprising a base installed at a low position, and a drive unit erected on the base and equipped with a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering a table on which a wheelchair can be mounted, wherein the direction of entry and exit to the table are different and the wheelchair can be used by changing direction on the table, the drive unit comprises a first drive unit and a second drive unit erected independently on the left and right sides of the base, a first output shaft arranged on the top of the first drive unit is connected to a second output shaft arranged on the top of the second drive unit, and by driving the drive force provided in either the first drive unit or the second drive unit, a gate-shaped configuration is formed in which the other lifting mechanism is linked, and the drive unit is capable of forming a space between the first drive unit and the second drive unit that can accommodate at least the step portion of the wheelchair and the user's feet.

2. 2. The wheelchair lift of claim 1, wherein the lever for operating the bridge in an upright position and a bridging position is configured so that the support pipe extends linearly in the horizontal direction, the lever support is composed of a pair of outer and inner support plates fixed to the support pipe at a fixed distance, a lever body pivotally attached to the lever support so as to be freely rotatable up and down, and a rod interposed between the lever and a bridge for entering and exiting the table, and the lever for operating the bridge in an upright position and a bridging position can be secured to the first drive unit and the second drive unit by the outer support plate and the inner support plate while the support pipe is fitted into the notches formed in the first drive unit and the second drive unit only when the heights of the first drive unit and the second drive unit are approximately the same.

3. 3. The wheelchair elevator according to claim 1, wherein the driving force is disposed above one of the first driving section and the second driving section.

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