Wheelchair for bathing

Abstract

To provide a separable bathing carrier comprising a carrier part and a seat part, in which the seat part can be tilted and reclined and can be stably lifted from the carrier part without being affected by a change in the center of gravity when the seat part is tilted and reclined.SOLUTION: In a separable bathing carrier comprising a carrier part provided with front wheels and rear wheels and capable of traveling on a floor surface, and a seat part capable of being appropriately separated from and combined with the carrier part, a seat part on which a user can sit and a back support part are pivotally attached to an upper part of a seat base part formed in a parallel cross shape through a tilt mechanism and a reclining mechanism so that while the seat part and the back support part can be appropriately changed in posture between a tilt posture and a reclining posture, a suspension belt for lifting and separating the seat part by a lift or the like is attached to a rear end of the seat base part and a front end of the seat part, and it is not necessary to adjust the length of the suspension belt according to the posture change of the seat part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bathing wheelchair that is primarily used to assist users who have difficulty walking on their own (hereinafter referred to as users) in bathing. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Various bathing devices, such as stretchers and wheelchairs, have been proposed for users who require assistance with bathing due to illness or a decline in physical strength caused by aging. For example, the stretcher can be used to transport the patient to the bathroom in a supine position on the bottom or in a long sitting position by lifting it up, allowing for assistance with bathing, such as showering. However, stretchers have the disadvantage that they must have a certain length at the bottom to support users in a supine or sitting position, meaning that they can only be used in large bathrooms.

[0003] Therefore, a bath wheelchair is proposed that can be used in a small bathroom. Generally, bathing wheelchairs are used by users in a seated position, making them easy to move between the living room and the bathroom, and maneuverable in the bathroom, and are less affected by the bathroom environment, making them easy to use. The applicant has also proposed a separable bathing carrier in which the carrier and seat are separated, allowing the user seated on the seat to be lifted by a lift and moved between the carrier and the bathtub (Patent Publication No. 2008-253426). This detachable bathing carrier not only makes it easier to handle when transporting the patient, but also allows for showering and bathing in the bathtub, broadening the scope of care provided. Furthermore, the carrying section and the seat section can be easily connected, making the caregiver's work less complicated and reducing the physical and mental burden on the caregiver.

[0004] However, there is a concern that users who cannot sit up cannot use detachable carriers because their seated posture is unstable. To solve this problem, various chairs have been proposed, such as chairs in which the backrest tilts backward to assume a reclining position, or chairs in which the seat itself tilts backward to assume a tilt position. However, as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, changing the position to a reclining position or a tilting position takes time and effort, and the belt needs to be refastened. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2008-253426 [Non-Patent Document 1] Morito Co., Ltd. Anraku Carry Type B Instruction Manual (https: / / www.moritoh.co.jp / download / ) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a detachable bathing carrier consisting of a carrier part and a seat part, in which the seat part can be tilted and reclined, and can be stably lifted from the carrier part without being affected by changes in the center of gravity when tilted or reclined. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The detachable bathing wheelchair of this embodiment is a detachable bathing carrier consisting of a carry section that has front and rear wheels and can run on the floor, and a seat section that can be separated and connected to the carry section as needed.The seat section and back support section on which the user can sit are pivotally attached to the top of the seat base section, which is formed in a crisscross shape, via a tilt mechanism and a reclining mechanism, allowing the seat section and back support section to be changed to a tilt position or a reclining position as needed.Furthermore, a lifting belt is attached to the rear end of the seat base section and the front end of the seat section to lift and separate the seat section using a lift or the like, eliminating the need to adjust the length of the lifting belt to match changes in the position of the seat section. The rear ends of the side pipes of the seat base are bent so as to incline upward relative to the floor surface, thereby lifting the seat with the rear belt of the suspension belt attached at a position higher than the waist of a user seated on the seat. Also, a stop bar is attached below the side pipe. Furthermore, the rear end of the seat portion and the front end of the back support portion are pivotally attached to a base fulcrum plate fixed to the rear of the seat base portion, and tilt rollers are pivotally attached to the front of the seat base portion so as to be rollable within notches in a tilt cam plate pivotally attached to the underside of the seat portion, and a tilt cable attached to the tilt cam plate is operated to rotate the tilt cam plate rearward in a side view, thereby engaging and disengaging the tilt rollers with any engagement grooves in the notches, thereby changing the tilt portion to a tilt position; a reclining pin is attached to the tip of a back fulcrum plate fixed to the front of the back support portion so as to be rollable through the notches in the reclining cam plate pivotally attached to the underside of the seat portion and an opening hole in a release plate; and a reclining cable attached to the release plate is operated to move the release plate from the side. When attempting to rotate the release plate backward, the contour of the opening hole in the release plate is made larger than the contour of the notch in the reclining cam plate. This causes the release plate to rotate, but the load received from the back support section generates frictional resistance between the notch and the reclining pin, temporarily making it impossible to rotate. By rotating the back support section forward, the load received from the back support section is removed and the frictional resistance between the notch and the reclining pin is eliminated. This causes the reclining cam plate to follow the rotation direction of the release plate due to the biasing force of an elastic body stretched between the reclining cam plate and the release plate, allowing the reclining pin to escape from the engagement groove. This allows the reclining pin to engage and disengage with any of the engagement grooves, thereby configuring the reclining section to be able to change its position to a reclining position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The detachable bath wheelchair of the present invention has a suspension belt attached to the seat base, so that when it is lifted and used by a lift, it can be changed into a tilt position where the seat angle between the seat and back support remains unchanged and the seat angle changes, a reclining position where the back support tilts backward relative to the seat and changes, or a tilt-reclining position where the tilt and reclining are combined, and the center of gravity of the seat changes.However, since the suspension position is stable, there is no need to adjust the length of the suspension belt for each position, improving the workability of assistance. By attaching the rear belt of the lifting belt to the seat base at a position higher than the waist of the user seated on the seat, even if the user's center of gravity tilts backward as the back support tilts or reclines, the center of gravity of the entire seat is balanced, allowing for safe use without worrying about the seat tipping backward. In other words, since the lifting position is not limited to a sitting position, the seat position can be changed to suit the user's physical condition and it can be used like a conventional detachable bath carrier. Furthermore, when the seat is lowered directly onto the bathtub or bathroom floor, even if the seat tends to tip backward due to buoyancy or the user's body movements, the stop bar can prevent the seat from tipping backward, allowing for safe use. Furthermore, when changing to a tilt position, the back support part is tilted backward while holding the tilt lever, and when changing to a reclining position, the position change means is configured so that the back support part must be tilted forward once while holding the reclining lever, and then tilted backward again before the position can be changed to a reclining position.By tilting the back support part forward once and having the caregiver firmly grip the back support part, the caregiver can take a supporting position to prevent the back support part from falling over forcefully, allowing for safe operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Overall perspective view of the detachable bathing carrier 1 [Figure 2]Overall side view of the separate bathing carrier 1 [Figure 3] A perspective view of the carrying section 2 [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat base portion 31 of a seat portion 3; [Figure 5] Assembly diagram of the tilt mechanism 4 and reclining mechanism 5 of the seat portion 32 of the seat portion 3 [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective explanatory view of a back support portion 33 of the seat portion 3. [Figure 7] Assembly diagram of the seat base 31, seat portion 32, and back support portion 33 of the seat portion 3 [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the tilt mechanism 4 when the seat portion 3 is changed from the normal position to the tilt position. [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram of the operation of the reclining mechanism 5 when the seat portion 3 is changed from the normal position to the reclining position. [Figure 10] Installation diagram of the lifting belt 7 [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram showing the state in which the seat part 3 is suspended by the lift L. [Figure 12] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the suspension posture of the lift L when the seat portion 3 is in the normal posture, tilt posture, and reclining posture. [Figure 13] An explanatory diagram showing the state in which the seat part 3 is lowered into the bathtub DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]

[0010] The separable bath carrier 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The detachable bathing carrier 1 of the present invention is mainly composed of a carrier part 2, a seat part 3, a tilt mechanism 4, a reclining mechanism 5, a locking part 6, and a hanging belt 7. The user's posture when seated in the detachable bathing carrier 1 is shown in the figure with the front, back, left, right, top and bottom determined. In addition, in order to explain each component, some of the illustrations and descriptions of components that support the user's body, such as a leg net 21c, a seat mat 32d, and a back net 33g, which will be described later, and fastening components, such as bolts and nuts, have been omitted.

[0011] First, the carry section 2 will be described. The carrier 2 has a carrier body 2a equipped with front wheels 2b, 2b and rear wheels 2c, 2c, and is configured to be able to move freely on the floor. First, the carrier body 2a is formed in a rectangular lattice shape using a plurality of pipes, and the front wheels 2b, 2b are attached to the front and the rear wheels 2c, 2c are attached to the rear. A pipe is extended from the rear of the carrier body 2a to form tipping portions 2d, 2d. When the caregiver steps on the tipping portions 2d, 2d, the front wheels 2b, 2b can be lifted off the floor, making it easier to overcome steps between the bathroom and the dressing room. Although detailed explanation is omitted, a brake mechanism 2e is pivotally attached to the rear of the carry body 2a, and the rear wheels 2c, 2c can be locked by stepping on the brake lever 21e of the brake mechanism 2e, and the rear wheels 2c, 2c can be unlocked by flipping up the brake lever 21e. Further, detachable foot supports 2f, 2f are attached to both front ends of the carrier body 2a and can be rotated left and right in a plan view.

[0012] In addition, a leg support 21 is provided at the front upper part of the carrying part 2. A detailed description of the leg support 21 will be omitted, but one end of the leg support main body 21a, which is formed by fastening multiple pipes together to form an approximately H-shape in a plan view, is rotatably attached to leg support supports 21b, 21b fixed to the top of the carry main body 2a, and is configured to be able to be held in stages. In addition, the leg support body 21a can be rotated approximately 90 degrees to the top surface of the seat portion 32 of the seat portion 3 described later, so that it can be adjusted appropriately from an edge sitting position to a long sitting position according to the physical condition of the user seated in the detachable bathing carrier 1. Furthermore, a mesh-like leg net 21c is stretched over the leg support body 21a to support the area around the user's calves. Details of the leg net 21c are omitted, but the leg net 21c is configured in a loop using a belt, making it possible to adjust the tension to suit the user's body shape. The configuration of the leg support 21 described in this embodiment is merely an example, and any configuration that can support the calves of the user may be used.

[0013] Next, the seat portion 3, tilt mechanism 4, and reclining mechanism 5 will be described. The seat section 3 is composed of a seat base section 31 that connects to the carry section 2, a seat section 32 that is pivotally attached to the seat base section 31 and supports the area around the user's buttocks, a back support section 33 that supports the area around the back, a tilt mechanism 4 that allows the seat section 32 and the back support section 33 to be integrated together and change the angle, and a reclining mechanism 5 that allows the angle of the back support section 33 to be changed relative to the seat section 32.

[0014] First, the seat base portion 31 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the seat base portion 31 has side pipes 31b, 31b fixed to the rear side of a front pipe 31a extending in the left-right direction, the side pipes 31b, 31b being bent symmetrically on the left and right, and a rear pipe 31c fixed to the rear ends of the side pipes 31b, 31b. The side pipes 31b, 31b are gradually changed from a narrow pitch between the side pipes 31b, 31b to a wide pitch, and are bent so that the rear ends protrude upward from the starting point of the gradual change. Locking members 31d, 31d are fixed to the inside of the side pipes 31b, 31b near their rear ends. Although details are omitted, the locking members 31d, 31d have a shape that allows rear belts 7b, 7b of a suspension belt 7, which will be described later, to be attached and detached, and which has a carabiner structure. Furthermore, stop bars 31e, 31e are attached below the rear ends of the side pipes 31b, 31b. The seat base portion 31 configured in this manner has the side pipes 31b, 31b and the rear pipe 31c in contact with the floor surface.

[0015] Next, the seat portion 32 will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the seating portion 32 has seat support plates 32b, 32b which are bent in an approximately U-shape and fixed to the inside of the seat frame pipe 32a, which is bent to a size that allows a user to sit on it, and which extend in the front-to-back direction and are fixed to the inside of the seat frame pipe 32a. The seat support plates 32b, 32b are pivotally attached to base support plates 31f, 31f fixed to the seat base 31 slightly forward of the gradual change starting point of the side pipes 31b, 31b via boss members 32c, 32c formed in the left-right direction near the rear ends of the seat support plates 32b, 32b. A seat mat 32d is detachably attached to the upper part of the seat frame pipe 32a.

[0016] Next, the back support portion 33 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the back support portion 33 is made up of a pair of left and right main pipes 33a, 33a extending vertically at a fixed distance from each other, and is fixed at the top by a connecting pipe 33b and at the bottom by a substantially V-shaped back support pipe 33c. A back fulcrum shaft 33e is fixed to the back support pipe 33c via a back connection plate 33d. The back support portion 33 configured in this manner has the back fulcrum shaft 33e pivotally attached to the base fulcrum plates 31f, 31f of the seat base portion 31. Although the details are omitted, the main pipes 33a, 33a are fitted with spring-up type tessellations 33f, 33f. A back net 33g formed in a mesh shape is stretched over the main pipes 33a, 33a to support the area from the back of the user's head to the back. The back net 33g, like the leg net 21c, is configured in a loop shape using a belt, so that the tension can be adjusted to suit the user's body shape and physical condition.

[0017] Next, the tilt mechanism 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, a tilt cam plate 4a having a tilt boss 4a fixed to one of the seat fulcrum plates 32b of the seat 32 is pivotally attached by a cam fulcrum pin 4c. Additionally, a torsion coil spring 4d is attached to the outer periphery of the tilt boss 4a, one tip of the torsion coil spring 4d abuts against the seat fulcrum plate 32b, and the other end is hooked into the groove 41b of the tilt cam plate 4b. As shown in FIG. 7, a tilt pin 4f is attached to the tip of base support plates 31g, 31g, one end of which is fixed to the front pipe 31a of the seat base portion 31, so that a tilt roller 4e can roll within the cutout portion 42b of the tilt cam plate 4b. As shown in FIG. 8, the notch 42b is formed so that the left and right sides of the katakana character "K" are reversed in side view, and the lower engaging groove 422b is longer than the upper engaging groove 421b. A tilt cable 4h is attached between the vicinity of the center of the tilt cam plate 4b and a tilt lever 4g pivotally attached to the lower left side of the connecting pipe 33b of the back support portion 33. Although a detailed description of the tilt cable 4h is omitted, the tilt cable 4h is configured so that an inner wire slides inside an outer cable, and when an assistant grasps the connecting pipe 33b and the tilt lever 4g at the same time, the tilt cable 4h acts to rotate the tilt cam plate 4b backward in a side view against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 4d.

[0018] The tilt mechanism 4 configured in this manner can change the posture to a tilt posture in which the seat portion 32 and the back support portion 33 are tilted backward at the same seat angle, as shown in FIG. To explain in more detail below, when the caregiver grasps the tilt lever 4g from the normal position (edge-sitting position) shown in Figure 8(a), the tilt cable 4h acts to rotate the tilt cam plate 4b counterclockwise around the cam fulcrum pin 4c as the center of rotation. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the tilt roller 4e rolls on the upper side 421b of the notch 42b of the tilt cam plate 4b, and the seat portion 32 becomes able to rotate clockwise around the base fulcrum plate 31f as the center of rotation. In this state, when the caregiver rotates the back support portion 33 clockwise, the seat surface 32 and the back support portion 33 can be tilted backward while maintaining the same seat angle. Then, when the caregiver releases the tilt lever 4g in this state, the tilt cable 4h is no longer in operation, and the tilt cam plate 4b rotates clockwise due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 4d, causing the tilt roller 4e to roll on the lower side 422b and stop at the position shown in Figure 8(c). In this state, the back support portion 33 cannot be rotated back and forth and is locked.

[0019] Next, the reclining mechanism 5 will be described. As shown in Figure 5, the reclining mechanism 5 has a reclining cam plate 5b with a cam boss 5a fixed to the seat fulcrum plate 32b on the opposite side of the seat 32 from the tilt mechanism 4, and a release plate 5d which is bent in an approximately L shape and has a release boss 5c fixed to it, which are pivotally attached by a cam support pin 5e. Additionally, a torsion coil spring 5f is attached to the outer periphery of the cam boss 5a, one end of the torsion coil spring 5f abuts against the seat fulcrum plate 32b, and the other end is hooked into the mounting hole 51d of the release plate 5d. A reclining pin 5g is attached to the tip of the back fulcrum plate 33h, 33h, one end of which is fixed to the back fulcrum shaft 33e of the back support portion 33, through the cutout portion 51b of the reclining cam plate 5b and the opening hole 52d of the release plate 5d. The notch 51b of the reclining cam plate 5b has a shape that is a left-right inverted katakana character U when viewed from the side. In addition, the opening hole 52d of the release plate 5d has a rectangular shape with approximately the same outline as the notch 51b of the reclining cam plate 5b, but as shown in Figure 9, the outline of the opening hole 52d is configured to be larger than that of the notch 51b. An elastic body 5h is stretched between the tip of the reclining cam plate 5b and the tip of the release plate 5d. In this embodiment, a tension spring is used as the elastic body 5h, and a force is applied to pull the end 52b of the reclining cam plate 5b into contact with the end 53d of the release plate 5d. The elastic body 5h does not have to be limited to a tension spring, but may be any member that exerts a force pulling the end portion 52b of the reclining cam plate 5b toward the wall portion 53d of the release plate 5d. A reclining cable 5j is attached between the vicinity of the lower end of the release plate 5d and a reclining lever 5i pivotally attached to the lower right of the connecting pipe 33b of the back support portion 33. Like the tilt cable 4h, the reclining cable 5j is configured so that an inner wire slides inside an outer cable, and when a caregiver grasps the connecting pipe 33b and the reclining lever 5i at the same time, the reclining cable 5j acts to rotate the release plate 5d backward in a side view against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 5f. At this time, as described above, the contour of opening hole 52d is larger than notch 51b, so only release plate 5d rotates as shown in Figure 9(b), but reclining cam plate 5b cannot rotate due to frictional resistance generated between notch 51d and reclining pin 5g due to the load from back support portion 33. In other words, at this point, back support portion 33 cannot rotate backward. To resolve this situation, the caregiver rotates the back support portion 33 forward while holding the connecting pipe 33b and the reclining lever 5i. As a result, the reclining pin 5g attempts to escape from the engagement groove 53b against the biasing force of the elastic body 5h, and at the same time, the reclining cam plate 5b follows the rotational direction of the release plate 5d due to the biasing force of the elastic body 5h, causing the reclining pin 5g to come into contact with the wall surface of the opening hole 52d and stop, as shown in Figure 9(c). In other words, the frictional resistance between the notch 51d and the reclining pin 5g is eliminated, allowing the reclining pin 5g to roll within the notch 51d. Therefore, when the caregiver rotates the back support portion 33 rearward, the back support portion 33 tilts rearward around the back fulcrum shaft 33e as the center of rotation, and the reclining pin 5g moves upward. When the reclining lever 5i is released, the release plate 5d rotates forward due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 5f, and the reclining cam plate 5b also rotates forward as it is pushed by the release plate 5d. That is, the reclining pin 5g moves into the other cutout portion 51b, and the reclining is locked. Up to this point, the case of changing the posture from the normal posture to the reclining posture has been described, but the same operation can also be used to change the posture from the reclining posture to the normal posture.

[0020] In the above description, the tilt position and the reclining position have been described separately, but it is also possible to change the position by combining them. For example, the posture can be changed to the tilt posture and then to the reclining posture by changing the posture to the tilt posture. In addition, in this embodiment, two-stage switching is used in both cases, but three-stage or four-stage switching may be used, and any setting may be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reclining section 5 is designed to first move the back support section 33 forward before assuming a reclining position as a safety measure, but this may also be adapted to the tilt mechanism 4 and can be set by the user as appropriate.

[0021] Next, the locking unit 6 will be described. The locking portion 6 is a mechanism for connecting and fixing the carrying portion 2 and the seat portion 3 together. The detailed configuration is substantially the same as the locking section 4 (see

[0014] -

[0015] of Patent Document 1) of the detachable bathing carrier described in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 2008-253426) previously proposed by the present applicant. The difference between this embodiment and Patent Document 1 is that by providing the leg support 21, unlocking levers 6a, 6a are arranged on both sides of the seat base portion 31 so that the lock can be released from either the right or left side of the seat portion 2. In this embodiment, the unlocking levers 6a, 6a are arranged on both sides, which allows the leg support 21 to be flipped up as described above, without affecting the workability of the unlocking operation. The locking unit 6 does not need to be limited to that of this embodiment, and may be configured in any way as long as it allows the carry unit 2 and the seat unit 3 to be switched between being connected and being separated.

[0022] Next, the suspension belt 7 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the suspension belt 7 is made up of front belts 7a, 7a and rear belts 7b, 7b, each of which has a ring shape at both ends. First, the front belts 7a, 7a are used by hanging one end on the locking members 32e, 32e fixed to the front lower part of the seat frame pipe 32a of the seat portion 32 of the seat portion 3, and the other end on the hook F of the hanger H of the lift L. The rear belts 7b, 7b are used by hooking one end to the lock members 31d, 31d of the seat base portion 31 and the other end to the hook F of the hanger H of the lift L, respectively. In this embodiment, a resin belt using polyester fiber is used, but it is sufficient if it can lift the seat part 3. For example, it may be made of metal and have multiple rings combined in a chain style. When the hanging belt 7 is not in use, the tip of the hanging belt 7 can be hung on the belt hooks 51k, 51k connected to the cable covers 5k, 5k as shown in Figure 6, which prevents the belt from getting in the way when storing it, taking a bath, or washing the body, improving workability.

[0023] Next, the posture of the seat portion 3 when it is lifted by the lift L will be described. FIG. 11 shows the suspended posture of the seat portion 3 in the normal posture (not in the tilt posture or reclining posture). In conventional separate bathing carriers, the rear belts 7b, 7b are attached to the back support part 33, so if the angle of the back support part 33 changes (the seat angle changes), the distance from the back support part 33 to the hanger H changes when the user is lifted, which can cause the user to have an unstable lifting posture or feel psychological anxiety, such as fear. To solve this problem and stabilize the hanging posture, it is necessary to adjust the length of the rear belts 7b, 7b in stages, which may make bathing assistance more complicated. In contrast, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, in the detachable bathing carrier 1 in this embodiment, the rear belts 7b, 7b of the hanging belt 7 are hooked near the rear end of the seat base portion 31, so that the distance between the seat portion 3 and the seat base portion 31 and the hanger H does not change regardless of the position, whether it is the standard position, tilt position, reclining position, or tilt-reclining position. In other words, the seat portion 3 can be stably suspended in any position, so that it can be used without adjusting the length of the suspension belt 7. Furthermore, there is a concern that the chair may tip backward when changing to the tilt position, reclining position, or tilt-reclining position. To solve this problem, the rear ends of the side pipes 31b, 31b of the seat base portion 31 mentioned above are bent upward, and the locking members 31d, 31d are positioned close to the waist position of the user seated on the seat portion 3, so that the seat portion 3 will not fall backward even if its position is changed. When the seat section 3 is lifted up by the lift L, the rear pipe 31c is suspended in a position closest to the floor, causing the seat section 3 to rotate forward around the rear pipe 31c stored in the siding plate 2g fixed to the carry section 2 as the rotation center, and the lock pin 31h fixed to the front of the front pipe 31a of the seat base section 31 engages with the lock section 6, thereby locking the carry section 2 and the seat section 3. 13, even when the seat portion 3 is placed directly on the bathtub interior and floor, the rear pipe 31c touches the ground first, followed by the front pipe 31a and the side pipes 31b, 31b. In the unlikely event that the seat portion 3 tilts backward, the stop bars 31e, 31e act to prevent the seat portion 3 from tipping backward. This configuration not only allows users to safely assist in bathing, but also allows them to bathe in a tilted or reclined position, allowing the user's body to sink deeper and improving the bathing effect.

[0024] Next, a bathing assistance method using the detachable bathing carrier 1 in this embodiment will be described. (1) The caregiver carries the user, who is lying in bed, into a wheelchair for indoor mobility and transports them from the room to the changing room. (2) The caregiver carries the user to the changing table in the bathroom and removes the user's clothes. (3) The caregiver carries the user from the changing table to the detachable bathing carrier 1. (4) Adjust the seat 3 to a tilt position, reclining position, or tilt-reclining position as needed to make the user comfortable. (At this time, adjust the leg support 21 as well.) (5) The user is transported from the changing room to the bathroom in a separate bathing carrier 1, and after the user is washed using the shower, the separate bathing carrier 1 is moved near the bathtub. (6) Operate the unlocking levers 6a, 6a to unlock the carry part 2 and the seat part 3. (7) Hang the lifting belt 7 on the hanger H of the lift L. (8) (Drive the lift L) to raise the hanger H and separate the carry section 2 and the seat section 3. (9) The hanger is moved above the bathtub, and then the hanger is lowered to move the sheet portion 3 into the bathtub, allowing the user to take a bath. (10) The hanger is raised to move the seat part 3 above the carrying part 2 waiting above the bathtub. (11) Lower the hanger to dock the carrier unit 2 and the seat unit 3. (At this time, the locking mechanism 6 automatically locks them.) (12) Remove the lifting belt 7 from the hanger H of the lift L. (13) After rinsing the user's body in the shower, move the detachable bathing carrier 1 to the entrance of the bathroom and dry the user's body. (14) The detachable bathing carrier 1 is transported from the bathroom to the changing room, and the assistant carries the user onto the changing table and thoroughly wipes the user’s body. (15) The user is dressed on the changing table, and the assistant carries the user from the changing table to a wheelchair for indoor mobility. (16) The caregiver transports the user from the changing room to the room, and the caregiver carries the user and transfers them to the bed. In the procedure shown here, the caregiver carries the user from the wheelchair for indoor mobility to the changing table, and then from the changing table to the detachable bathing carrier 1. However, the physical burden on the caregiver can be reduced by placing a floor-mounted lift in the changing room and lifting the user, who is wrapped in a sling sheet, and transferring them. Furthermore, when moving between the dressing room and the bathroom in the detachable bathing carrier 1, the cleanliness of the dressing room can be improved by simply wiping off the water. As such, the procedure shown in this embodiment is merely an example, and the procedure may be optimized depending on the circumstances, such as the bathroom environment and facilities.

[0025] In this way, the detachable bathing carrier 1 is equipped with a tilt mechanism 4 and a reclining mechanism 5 in the seat portion 3, and each of these can be operated from behind the back support portion 33, so that it can be used in the same way as a regular wheelchair, except for the unlocking operation of the carrier portion 2 and the seat portion 3. In addition, in order to prevent the back support part 33 from suddenly tilting backward when the reclining mechanism 5 is operated, the back support part 33 can be tilted forward once and then changed to a reclining position, thereby making it safer to use. Furthermore, since the suspension belt 7 is configured to be hung on the seat base portion 31, the length from the hanger H to the suspension position of the seat portion 3 does not change even when the position is changed appropriately to a tilt position, a reclining position, or a tilt-reclining position, so there is no need to adjust the length of the suspension belt 7, and it is safe and easy to assist. Furthermore, by setting the length of the hanging belt 7 so that the rear, i.e., the back support part 33 side (rear pipe 31c) is close to the floor when the seat part 3 is lifted, the user can take a bath under the same conditions as when the carry part 2 and the seat part 3 are docked, so that the user is less likely to feel strange or uncomfortable. Furthermore, by providing the stop bars 31e, 31e at the rear of the seat base 31, the seat 3 will not roll backward due to buoyancy while bathing in the tilted position, reclined position, or tilt-reclined position, allowing for safer bathing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 Separate bath carrier 2 Carry section 21 Leg Support 3 Seat section 31 Seat base 32 Seat area 33 Back support section 4 Tilt mechanism 5 Reclining mechanism 6 Locking section 7 Hanging belt 7a Front belt 7b Rear belt L Lift H Hanger

Claims

1. This detachable bathing carrier consists of a carry section with front and rear wheels that can run on the floor, and a seat section that can be separated and connected to the carry section as needed.The seat section and back support section on which the user can sit are pivotally attached to the top of the seat base section, which is formed in a crisscross shape, via a tilt mechanism and a reclining mechanism, allowing the seat section and back support section to be changed to a tilt position or a reclining position as needed.Furthermore, a lifting belt is attached to the rear end of the seat base section and the front end of the seat section to lift and separate the seat section using a lift or the like, eliminating the need to adjust the length of the lifting belt to match changes in the position of the seat section.

2. The detachable bathing carrier described in claim 1, characterized in that the rear ends of the side pipes of the seat base portion are bent so as to incline toward the rear and upper part of the floor surface, so that the seat portion can be lifted with the rear belt of the hanging belt attached at a position higher than the waist of the user seated on the seat portion.

3. 3. The detachable bathing carrier according to claim 2, wherein a stop bar is attached below said side pipe.

4. The rear end of the seat portion and the front end of the back support portion are pivotally attached to a base fulcrum plate fixed to the rear of the seat base portion, and tilt rollers are pivotally attached to the front of the seat base portion so as to be rollable within notches in a tilt cam plate pivotally attached to the underside of the seat portion, and a tilt cable attached to the tilt cam plate is operated to rotate the tilt cam plate rearward in side view, causing the tilt rollers to engage and disengage with any engagement grooves in the notches, thereby changing the tilt portion to a tilted position; a reclining pin is attached to the tip of a back fulcrum plate fixed to the front of the back support portion so as to be rollable through the notches in the reclining cam plate pivotally attached to the underside of the seat portion and the opening hole in a release plate, and the reclining cable attached to the release plate is operated to rotate the release plate rearward in side view.

4. The detachable bath carrier according to claim 1, wherein the contour of the opening hole of the release plate is made larger than the contour of the notch of the reclining cam plate. This allows the release plate to rotate, but the load received from the back support section generates frictional resistance between the notch and the reclining pin, temporarily making it impossible to rotate. By rotating the back support section forward, the load received from the back support section is removed and the frictional resistance between the notch and the reclining pin is eliminated. This allows the reclining cam plate to follow the rotation direction of the release plate due to the biasing force of an elastic body stretched between the reclining cam plate and the release plate, allowing the reclining pin to escape from the engagement groove. This allows the reclining pin to engage and disengage with any of the engagement grooves, thereby forming a reclining section that can be changed to a reclining position.

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