Posture control electric wheelchair

Abstract

To provide a posture control electric wheelchair that provides less adverse effect due to posture control of a chair part.SOLUTION: A posture control electric wheelchair 1 is arranged with left and right swing shafts 6a, 6b and a front and rear swing shaft 7. The left and right swing shafts 6a, 6b are arranged between a chair part 2 and a chassis part 3 of the posture control electric wheelchair 1 at a position at a center of a right and left direction of the chair part 2 and along a right and left center line CLr extending in a front and rear direction. The front and rear swing shaft 7 operates integrally with the left and right swing shafts 6a, 6b and is arranged in the vicinity of a position S in conformity with a vertical line suspended from a sacral position of a user M seating on the chair part 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric wheelchair with a posture control function. [Background technology]

[0002] As this type of attitude-controllable electric wheelchair, for example, a seat stabilization type electric wheelchair disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] The seat stabilization type electric wheelchair described in this document aims to provide a seat stabilization type electric wheelchair that can always keep the seat of the electric wheelchair level regardless of the inclination of the road on which it is travelling, and has a chair section for carrying a person and a body section that holds the wheel axles, and the chair section is attached to the body section so that it can rotate forward, backward, left and right using a rotation axis that passes through the front and back of the electric wheelchair and a rotation axis that passes through the left and right, and is also equipped with a left-right tilt detection rotary encoder and a front-back tilt detection rotary encoder that detect the inclination of the body section or the gradient of the road on which it is travelling, and a left-right swing actuator and a front-back swing actuator that adjust the angle between the chair section and the body section in accordance with the output of this rotary encoder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-16308 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The seat stabilization type electric wheelchair of Patent Document 1 has a rotation axis for posture control located between the chair section and the body section, and the rotation axis that passes through the front and back of the electric wheelchair and the rotation axis that passes through the left and right are each located along the center of the corresponding chair section.

[0006] However, since the body of a user sitting on a chair is usually positioned on the backrest side, the body position from the waist up is located behind the center of the chair in the front-to-back direction, and the upper body is positioned in a position offset from the center of the axis.

[0007] When the chair swings back and forth for posture control, it moves around the swing axis in the back and forth direction, so a user positioned away from the swing axis is less affected by the slope of the ground, but the movement of the chair due to the swinging causes the user to move up and down, just like a seesaw.

[0008] If such up-and-down movement continues, the sensory disturbance caused by the semicircular canals can have a negative effect on the user, similar to motion sickness or seasickness, causing discomfort when using the wheelchair for long periods of time.

[0009] The present invention has been made to address such problems, and has as its object to provide a posture-controlled electric wheelchair in which the adverse effects of posture control of the chair portion are minimized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following features.

[0011] (1) A wheelchair has a chair portion on which a user sits, and a chassis portion to which a traveling propulsion body is operably fixed and which is provided with a drive unit for driving the traveling propulsion body, Between the seat section and the chassis section, a left-right swing shaft disposed at a position along a center line extending in the front-rear direction and in the center of the chair part in the left-right direction; and a front-rear swing shaft which operates integrally with the left-right swing shaft and is disposed near a position along a vertical line hanging down from the sacrum of a user seated on the chair part. a left-right driving member and a front-back driving member are disposed corresponding to the left-right swing shaft and the front-back swing shaft, and exert a displacement force on the chair portion for angle adjustment; The chassis section is characterized by having a detector that detects tilt in two axes, front to back, left to right, and a control unit that determines the direction and displacement of the chassis tilt from the detection signal from the detector, and operates the left and right drive members and the front to back drive members in accordance with the direction and displacement so that the chair section displaces in the direction opposite to the direction and displacement of the tilt, thereby maintaining it in a horizontal state (hereinafter referred to as the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the first invention).

[0012] According to the first attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention, the up and down movement associated with attitude control is reduced, making it less likely to cause adverse effects on the user similar to motion sickness, and preventing discomfort when using the wheelchair for long periods of time.

[0013] (2) In the first attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention, the forward / backward rocking axis is located below and 180 to 200 mm forward from the intersection of the flattened seat surface, which is a flattened surface in the chair that comes into contact with the user's thighs and buttocks, and the flattened backrest surface, which is a flattened surface in the chair that comes into contact with the user's back (hereinafter referred to as the second attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention).

[0014] According to the second attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention, the position where the user's sacrum is positioned can be easily identified from the intersection of the flattened seat surface and the flattened backrest surface, making it easy to prevent discomfort when using the wheelchair for long periods of time.

[0015] (3) In the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the first or second invention, the chassis has a crawler with drive wheels, which act as a propulsion body, arranged at the front, and four driven wheels arranged at the rear, with two of the driven wheels always in contact with the ground (hereinafter referred to as the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the third invention).

[0016] According to the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to drive on rough roads, and even in such cases, discomfort can be prevented when using the wheelchair for long periods of time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention is configured as described above. As a result, the up and down movement that accompanies attitude control is reduced, making it less likely to cause adverse effects similar to motion sickness to the user and preventing discomfort when using the wheelchair for long periods of time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of an attitude control electric wheelchair of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a rear view showing an embodiment of an attitude control electric wheelchair of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention with armrests and footrests attached; [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view showing the posture-controlled electric wheelchair of the present invention with the exterior member attached; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an attitude-controlled electric wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0020] 1 and 2 are a side view and a rear view showing the overall configuration of an attitude control electric wheelchair 1 according to this embodiment.

[0021] The attitude-controlled electric wheelchair 1 of this embodiment has a chair section 2 on which the user sits, and a chassis section 3 to which a propulsion body 4 is operably fixed and which is equipped with a drive section 5 that drives the propulsion body 4.

[0022] The chair section 2 is where a wheelchair user sits, and has the same functions as a regular chair. That is, the chair section 2 has a seat section 21, which is the seating surface, and a backrest section 22 attached to the seat section 21 at a predetermined angle.

[0023] Regarding the angle of the backrest 22 relative to the seat 21, if the seat 21 and the backrest 22 are formed in a curved shape, the surface that comes into contact with the user's thighs and buttocks can be considered as a flattened seat surface, and the part that comes into contact with the user's back can be considered as a flattened backrest surface. In this embodiment, the flattened seat surface can be adjusted to an inclination angle such that the backrest side descends in the range of 15° to 30° relative to the horizontal plane.

[0024] In this embodiment, the angle of the flattened backrest surface is preferably adjusted so that the upper part is tilted backward within a range of 15° to 35° with respect to the vertical plane. By making the seat portion 21 slope downward toward the backrest portion 22, the user's buttocks are guided backward, allowing the user to sit in a correct posture with the part of the back corresponding to the lumbar vertebrae in close contact with the abutment surface of the backrest portion 22.

[0025] The size of seat 21 is not particularly limited, as long as it is large enough to accommodate about half of the user's buttocks and thighs. However, according to the data in the Human Body Dimensions Database 1991-92 J1 Sitting Position: Width, Diameter, Front to Back Diameter disclosed on the Artificial Intelligence Research Center website (https: / / www.airc.aist.go.jp / dhrt / 91-92 / data / search10.html), the average hip width of Japanese people in a sitting position is about 320 to 4000 mm for both men and women, so the specific width of seat 21 that can accommodate this is about 400 to 470 mm, and the depth is about the same.

[0026] The size of the backrest 22 may be the same width as the seat 21, as in a typical chair, or may be narrower. Specifically, according to the back width data in the Human Body Dimensions Database 1991-92 G1, the width is approximately 400 to 360 mm for both men and women, so it may be adjusted to a range of 300 to 500 mm.

[0027] According to the data of the Human Body Dimension Database 1991-92 I7, the height of the sternum in the sitting position is about 440 to 650 mm for both men and women, so the height of the backrest 22 may be adjusted within the range of 400 to 800 mm. In this case, only a part of the backrest may be a support member.

[0028] Furthermore, the seat portion 21 and the backrest portion 22 do not need to be separate bodies, but may be integrated as seen in automobile seats, racing seats, etc., and in that case, the shape may include a headrest.

[0029] The seat portion 21 and backrest portion 22 can be formed by placing an appropriate amount of cushioning material such as urethane pads on a skeleton made of metal such as iron or SUS, or resin material, FRP, carbon reinforced plastic, etc., and covering the outside with a resin film or the like.

[0030] The backrest 22 may be provided with a tile-shaped thickness adjustment pad that can be attached to the surface of the backrest 22 in order to adjust the position of the user's sacrum when seated, as described below. In this case, it is recommended to prepare a number of thickness adjustment pads with different thicknesses so that the position of the sacrum can be optimized to suit the user's body type.

[0031] In addition, multiple types of thickness adjustment pads may be attached to fit the user's back so as to conform to the S-shaped curve of the spine.

[0032] A mark indicating the position S of the forward / backward rocking axis 7, which will be described later, may be provided on the seat 21. By adjusting the user's seating position so that the position of the mark roughly coincides with the position of the user's sacrum, the effects of up and down movement accompanying posture control can be minimized.

[0033] Between the chair portion 2 and the chassis portion 3 are a pair of left-right oscillating shafts 6a, 6b arranged at the center of the chair portion 2 in the left-right direction and along the left-right center line CLp extending in the front-to-back direction, and a front-to-back oscillating shaft 7 whose center line CLr is located below the user's sacrum.

[0034] The left and right swing shafts 6a, 6b include a pair of left and right rotating shaft fixing members 311a, 311b fixed on a first support base 31 fixed to the chassis 3, and a pair of left and right bearing fixing members 321a, 321b fixed to the lower part of a second support base 32 above which the seat section 2 (described later) is disposed. A cylindrical left and right rotating shaft is fixed to the left and right rotating shaft fixing members 311a, 311b, and left and right bearings are fixed to the left and right bearing fixing members 321a, 321b, thereby rotatably supporting the left and right rotating shaft.

[0035] This allows the second support base 32 to swing left and right about the left-right center line CLp, that is, in the rolling direction relative to the traveling direction of the wheelchair 1. The swing range is, for example, about 5 to 20°.

[0036] Furthermore, a first actuator 61 is disposed on the first support base 31 as a left-right drive member, with a fixed arm on one end swingably fixed to a first actuator fixing portion of the first support base 31, and a movable arm on the other end swingably fixed to a first actuator fixing portion of the second support base 32. As a result, when the first actuator 61 operates and the movable arm expands or contracts, the second support base 32 swings about the left-right swing axes 6a and 6b.

[0037] Between the chair fixing member 211 to which the chair section 2 is fixed and the second support base 32, there is disposed a front-back rocking shaft 7 whose shaft center line CLr is positioned below the sacrum of the user.

[0038] The front-rear swing shaft 7 includes a front-rear rotating shaft fixing member 322 fixed on the second support base 32, and a front-rear bearing fixing member 212 fixed to the bottom of the chair fixing member 211. A cylindrical front-rear rotating shaft is fixed to the front-rear rotating shaft fixing member 322, and a front-rear bearing is fixed to the front-rear bearing fixing member 212, thereby supporting the front-rear rotating shaft so that it can rotate freely.

[0039] This allows the chair fixing member 211 to swing in the front-rear direction around the center line CLr of the front-rear axis, that is, in the pitching direction relative to the traveling direction of the wheelchair 1. The swing range is, for example, about 10 to 30°.

[0040] Furthermore, a second actuator 71 is disposed on the second support base 32 as a front-rear drive member, with a fixed arm on one end swingably fixed to a second actuator fixing portion of the second support base 32, and a movable arm on the other end swingably fixed to an actuator fixing portion extending downward from the front-rear bearing portion of the front-rear bearing fixing member 212. As a result, when the actuator 71 operates and the movable arm extends or contracts, the chair fixing member 211 swings around the front-rear swing axis 7b.

[0041] The center line CLr of the front-rear rotation shaft, which is the axis center of the front-rear rotation shaft, is located below the sacrum of the user. In other words, the position of the front-rear rotation shaft is set so that when the user is seated in a fixed position on the chair part 2, a vertical line hanging down from the front of the second sacrum intersects with the front-rear axis center line CLr.

[0042] It is difficult to completely intersect the vertical line hanging down from the front of the second sacrum with the center line of the anterior-posterior axis CLr, so it is advisable to imagine a cylinder with a radius of 1 mm centered on the vertical line hanging down from the front of the second sacrum and have this cylinder intersect with the center line of the anterior-posterior axis CLr.

[0043] More specifically, it is advisable to adjust the center line CLr of the front-rear axis to be 180 to 200 mm forward from the intersection of the flattened seat surface and the flattened backrest surface.

[0044] As described above, the front-rear swing shaft 7 operates integrally with the left-right swing shafts 6a and 6b.

[0045] The chassis 3 is equipped with a tilt sensor, a control device, a power control device, and a battery (not shown). The tilt sensor is disposed at the bottom of the chassis 3 and detects the tilt of the chassis 3 in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0046] The detection signal from the tilt sensor is sent to the control device, and the control device outputs drive signals for the first actuator 61 and the second actuator 71 in accordance with the tilt signals in the forward / backward and left / right directions, thereby operating the first actuator 61 and the second actuator 71. These first actuator 61 and second actuator 71 are equipped with encoders that detect their own strokes, and signals indicating the strokes are fed back to the control device.

[0047] In response to signals from an operation switch (described later), the system controls a drive circuit that receives power from a battery via a power control device such as a DC / DC converter to operate a drive unit 5 that drives the propulsion body 4. The drive unit 5 is composed of, for example, a motor, and the rotation speed and direction can be freely set using an inverter in the power control device.

[0048] A pair of propulsion bodies 4 corresponding to the front wheels are fixed to the chassis 3 at the front of the chassis 3 by attachment arms 43, respectively.

[0049] The traveling propulsion body 4 has an upper panel 44a fixed to the mounting arm 43 and side panels 44b hanging down from both sides of the upper panel 44a. A drive unit 5 attached to the inner side panel 44b is disposed behind the side panel 44b, and passes through this side panel 44b to drive a sprocket disposed inside.

[0050] In addition, an idler journaled on a driven shaft fixed between the side panels 44b is rotatably fixed in front of the side panels 44b, and the crawler 41 is stretched between the sprocket and the idler.

[0051] Therefore, when the drive unit 5 operates, the crawler 41 is driven via the sprocket, and the idler is driven by this.

[0052] The left and right traveling propulsion bodies 4 are each provided with an independent drive unit 5. Therefore, by independently controlling the operating (rotational) speed and operating (rotational) direction of the drive unit 5, forward / backward movement and direction changes can be easily performed.

[0053] Rear wheels 42 as driven wheels are rotatably fixed to the rear of the chassis 3 via support posts 45. The support posts 45 have a pair of shaft fixing members 451 fixed to both left and right sides, and axles are fixed to these shaft fixing members 451.

[0054] A pair of large-diameter first rear wheels 42a are rotatably fixed via internal bearings at positions slightly spaced apart on the outside of the pair of shaft fixing members 451. Furthermore, a pair of small-diameter second rear wheels 42b are rotatably fixed via internal bearings at positions slightly spaced apart on the outside of the pair of first rear wheels 42a.

[0055] In other words, the rear wheels 42 are made up of a pair of large-diameter first rear wheels 42a and a pair of small-diameter second rear wheels 42b arranged on the outside, for a total of four wheels. By combining large-diameter wheels and small-diameter wheels in this way, only the first rear wheels 42a come into contact with the ground when traveling on flat roads, reducing rolling resistance, and when traveling on roads that slope in the left-right direction, the first rear wheels 42a and the second rear wheels 42b are in contact with the ground, improving stability.

[0056] The size of the second rear wheel 42b relative to the first rear wheel 42a is preferably set within the range of 90 to 70% of the outer diameter of the first rear wheel 42a.

[0057] Next, the configuration of the armrests 24 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. A pair of frames 23 are arranged on the left and right ends of the chair 2, and the armrests 24 are arranged above them.

[0058] The frames 23 are positioned on both sides of the user, sandwiching the user between them, preventing the user from falling and also functioning to stably hold the user even when the chair 2 swings over steps or rough roads.

[0059] The frame 23 can be made of metal such as iron or SUS, or a resin material, FRP, carbon reinforced plastic, or the like.

[0060] An armrest 24 is formed and disposed on the upper part of the frame 23. The armrest 24 is preferably formed and disposed at the height of the user's elbow when seated, or at a position slightly lower than this.

[0061] The armrest 24 is preferably made of a flexible material that does not cause discomfort to the user, as it is on which the user's elbow, forearm, and fingers rest. Specifically, it may be made of the same material and structure as the seat 21. Its length should correspond to the distance from the user's elbow to the tips of his or her fingers.

[0062] The armrest 24 is provided with an operation and display unit 25 having various switches and indicators for controlling the vehicle body. The operation and display unit 25 is provided with a switch for turning the vehicle body power on and off, a joystick 251 for directional control, etc. It may also have a power lamp and various warning lamps.

[0063] The operation and display unit 25 is usually placed on the right armrest 24, which is the user's dominant hand, but it may be attached to the left armrest 24 instead.

[0064] The operation and display unit 25 is connected to the control device, and when a signal is input from various switches for controlling the vehicle body, such as a joystick 251, it outputs a corresponding output signal to the power control device to drive the drive unit 5. In addition, the speed, the state of the wheelchair, etc. can be displayed on the display device.

[0065] As shown in Fig. 4, the attitude control electric wheelchair 1 of this embodiment has a pair of footrests 9. The footrests 9 have a pair of footrest fixing members 91 fixed to the chassis 3, and a pair of foot receiving members 92 fixed to the lower parts of the footrest fixing members 91.

[0066] The height of the foot receiving member 92 and the angle of inclination in the front, back, left and right directions can be adjusted to suit the physique and posture of the user.

[0067] Next, the control operation of the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0068] Now, when the user M turns on the power supply device of the operation / display unit 25 and tilts the joystick 251 forward, drive power according to the forward tilt angle is supplied to both of the pair of drive units 5. This makes it possible to control the speed when moving forward.

[0069] Similarly, when the joystick 251 is tilted backward, drive power in the opposite direction according to the rearward tilt angle is supplied to both of the pair of drive units 5. This makes it possible to control the speed when moving backward.

[0070] Furthermore, when the joystick 251 is tilted forward while being tilted to either the left or right, the drive power is supplied according to the angle of forward tilt, and when the joystick 251 is tilted to the right, more drive power is supplied to the drive unit 5 on the left side and less drive power is supplied to the drive unit 5 on the right side according to the angle of right tilt.

[0071] As a result, by tilting the joystick 251 to the right, it is possible to perform a right turn according to the right tilt angle. Similarly, to turn left, it is sufficient to tilt the joystick 251 to the left.

[0072] Similarly, when turning while reversing, drive power may be supplied in the opposite direction.

[0073] Furthermore, when the joystick 251 is tilted only to the left or right, for example, when tilted to the right, the left drive unit 5 is given driving power for forward rotation and the left drive unit 5 is given driving power for reverse rotation, causing it to rotate on the spot.

[0074] Next, the attitude control operation will be described.

[0075] For example, when the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair 1 is moving forward and comes to a place where the road surface is inclined to the left, the tilt sensor arranged on the bottom of the chassis 3 outputs a left tilt signal according to the left tilt angle of the road surface.

[0076] When the left tilt signal is input, the control unit outputs a drive signal for the first actuator 61 to cancel the tilt angle determined from the left tilt signal, and operates the first actuator 61 to swing and tilt the chair 2 in the opposite direction to the tilt direction. Also, the opposite operation occurs on a road surface that is tilted to the right.

[0077] Furthermore, when the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair 1 comes to a place where the road surface is tilted backward while moving forward, the tilt sensor arranged on the bottom surface of the chassis 3 outputs a backward tilt signal according to the backward tilt angle of the road surface.

[0078] When the rearward tilt signal is input, the control unit outputs a drive signal for the second actuator 71 to cancel the tilt angle determined from the rearward tilt signal, and operates the second actuator 71 to swing and tilt the chair 2 in the opposite direction to the tilt direction. Also, the opposite operation occurs on a forward-tilting road surface.

[0079] In the above example, the road surface is inclined in the left-right direction or the front-back direction, but in actual road surfaces, these are often combined, so posture control is also performed by combining left-right and front-back control.

[0080] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0081] According to this embodiment, a pair of left-right oscillating axes 6a, 6b are arranged between the chair portion 2 and the chassis portion 3 at positions along the left-right center of the chair portion 2 and the left-right center line CLp extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a front-to-rear oscillating axis 7 whose axis center line CLr is located below the user's sacrum, thereby reducing the up-and-down movement associated with posture control and preventing the user from experiencing discomfort similar to motion sickness.

[0082] Furthermore, since the portion corresponding to the front wheels is made up of crawlers 41, it is possible to travel on rough roads, and even in such cases, discomfort caused by posture control can be prevented.

[0083] [Variations] The attitude-controlled electric wheelchair 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be configured as follows.

[0084] In this embodiment, the attitude control electric wheelchair 1 has been described as having no exterior body 10, but it may also have an exterior body 10, for example, as shown in Fig. 5. The exterior body 10 in the illustrated example has a lower body 11 and a transparent hood 12 that covers the upper front part of the lower body 11. The lower body 11 may also have, for example, direction indicators 13.

[0085] The lower body 11 is made of a lightweight and strong structure that can protect the user M. Examples of materials that can be used to make the lower body 11 include FRP, carbon reinforced resin, aluminum, and duralumin.

[0086] Hood 12 can be folded (multiple members can be slidably stacked) to be stored in lower body 11. Examples of materials that can be used to form hood 12 include transparent resins such as polycarbonate, acrylic, and vinyl chloride, and in some cases, tempered glass can also be used.

[0087] Furthermore, when the exterior body 10 is provided, an air conditioner may also be provided. As the air conditioner, for example, an air conditioner commercially available for electric vehicles can be used.

[0088] Furthermore, safety performance may be improved by disposing an airbag inside the exterior body 10. This airbag may have buoyancy and function to protect the user if the attitude-controlled electric wheelchair falls into an irrigation canal or the like.

[0089] In this embodiment, the crawler 41 is used as the traveling propulsion body 4, but the present invention is not limited to this and normal wheels may be used. Also, a six-wheel structure may be used in which the traveling propulsion body 4 is located in the center and driven wheels are located in front and behind.

[0090] In this embodiment, a four-wheel configuration has been described as the driven wheels 42, but the driven wheels 42 may also be crawlers. Using crawlers as the driven wheels 42 increases running resistance, but provides more stable travelling performance on obstacle-ridden roads.

[0091] In this embodiment, a configuration in which a pair of left and right oscillating shafts 6a, 6b are provided at a distance from each other has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the left and right oscillating shafts 6a, 6b may be combined into one shaft, in which case its position will be the same as that of the front-rear oscillating shaft 7.

[0092] In this embodiment, the joystick 251 has been described as an example of the control switch of the operation / display unit 25, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a wheel, a trackball, or a combination of multiple push buttons may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1. Posture-controlled electric wheelchair 2. Chair 3 Chassis 2b Additional container 4. Propulsion body 5. Drive unit 6a, 6b Left and right swing shaft 7. Front and rear swing shaft 41 Crawler 42 Driven wheels (rear wheels) 61 Left and right drive member (first actuator) 71 Front and rear drive member (second actuator)

Claims

1. The vehicle has a chair section on which a user sits, and a chassis section to which a traveling propulsion body is operably fixed and which is provided with a drive section for driving the traveling propulsion body, Between the seat section and the chassis section, a left-right swing shaft disposed at a position along a center line extending in the front-rear direction and at the center of the chair portion in the left-right direction; and a front-rear swing shaft which operates integrally with the left-right swing shaft and is disposed near a position along a vertical line hanging down from the sacrum of the user seated on the chair portion. a left-right driving member and a front-back driving member are disposed corresponding to the left-right swing shaft and the front-back swing shaft, and exert a displacement force on the chair portion for angle adjustment; An attitude-controlled electric wheelchair characterized by having a detector in the chassis that detects tilt in two axial directions, front-to-back and left-to-right, and a control unit that determines the direction of tilt and displacement of the chassis from the detection signal from the detector, and operates the left-to-right drive member and / or the front-to-back drive member in accordance with the direction of tilt and displacement so that the chair part displaces in the direction opposite to the direction of tilt and displacement, thereby maintaining it in a horizontal state.

2. The attitude-controlled electric wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the forward / backward rocking shaft is located below and 180 to 200 mm forward from the intersection of a flattened seat surface, which is a surface of the chair that comes into contact with the user's thighs and buttocks and a flattened backrest surface, which is a surface that comes into contact with the user's back.

3. 3. An attitude-controlled electric wheelchair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the chassis has a crawler with drive wheels as a propulsion body arranged at the front side, and four driven wheels arranged at the rear side, two of which are in constant contact with the ground.

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