Medical treatment apparatus

Abstract

To easily regulate the rotation of a rotary shaft even when adopting a constitution for arranging a clearance between an opposed surface opposed to an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft and this rotary shaft.SOLUTION: A rotary shaft 101 interlocked with a patient support part for supporting a part of the body of a patient is provided. Further, a facing surface 101G, which is a surface located at a position facing the outer peripheral surface 114A of the rotation shaft 101, is provided. A gap 123 is provided between the rotation shaft 101 and the 114A of the facing surface. Further, an advancing portion 101G is provided which advances from a position away from the 101G of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 101 toward the 102C of the outer peripheral surface. In the gap 123, a support member 117 for supporting a rotary shaft 101 receiving a load from the 102C of the advancing part is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a medical chair for use in clinics or hospitals such as ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and dental clinics, which is equipped with a seating section, a backrest that supports the user's back, a headrest that supports the user's head, an apron that supports the user's legs, and armrests that support the user's arms. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-124795 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In medical treatment devices used for treating patients, a rotation axis that is linked to a patient support part that supports a part of the patient's body is provided, and the rotation of this rotation axis is sometimes restricted to fix the patient support part. Here, if a gap is provided between the rotating shaft and the opposing surface that faces the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft, the load on the rotating shaft is reduced, making it easier for the rotating shaft to rotate. In this case, it becomes easier to move the patient support unit. On the other hand, if a gap is provided, it becomes more difficult for the load on the rotating shaft to act on the rotating shaft, making it more difficult to restrict the rotation of the rotating shaft. The object of the present invention is to make it easier to regulate the rotation of a rotating shaft even when a configuration is adopted in which a gap is provided between the rotating shaft and an opposing surface that faces the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The medical device to which the present invention is applicable is a medical device comprising: a rotating shaft that is linked to a patient support part that supports a part of a patient's body, the rotating shaft being positioned away from an opposing surface that is a surface located at an opposing point on the outer surface of the rotating shaft, with a gap between the opposing surface; an advancing portion that is positioned on the opposite side of the rotating shaft from the installation side of the opposing surface, and that advancing from a point away from the outer surface of the rotating shaft toward the outer surface; and a support member that is positioned in the gap between the rotating shaft and the opposing surface, and supports the rotating shaft, receiving the load from the advancing portion.

[0006] Here, the size of the gap in the radial direction of the rotary shaft may be smaller than the size of the gap in the radial direction of the rotary shaft. Furthermore, a plurality of the support members may be provided, and the support members may be provided at different positions in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft. Furthermore, when the rotating shaft receives the load from the protruding portion, the support member is pressed by the rotating shaft and the opposing surface, and the support member is fixed to the rotating shaft and the opposing surface, and the fixed support member may restrict the movement of a member, part of which is positioned within the gap. In addition, a cylindrical body may be further provided that is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and outside the rotation axis, with a portion of the cylindrical body located within the gap and rotating circumferentially in response to movement of the patient support section, and the fixed support member may regulate the circumferential rotation of the cylindrical body with a portion located within the gap. The thickness of the portion of the cylindrical body may be smaller than the size of the gap in the radial direction of the rotary shaft. In addition, the support member receives force from the cylindrical body as the cylindrical body rotates and moves in the rotational direction of the cylindrical body, and multiple support members may be provided and arranged so that they are positioned differently from each other in the rotational direction of the cylindrical body. Furthermore, a first support part that supports the rotating shaft and a second support part that supports the rotating shaft and is positioned differently in the axial direction of the rotating shaft from the first support part may be further provided, the gap and the support member may be located between the first support part and the second support part in the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the length in the axial direction of the contact area where the first support part and the rotating shaft contact is smaller than the length in the axial direction of the contact area where the support member and the rotating shaft contact, and the length in the axial direction of the contact area where the second support part and the rotating shaft contact is smaller than the length in the axial direction of the contact area where the support member and the rotating shaft contact. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, even when a configuration is adopted in which a gap is provided between the rotating shaft and an opposing surface that faces the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft, it is possible to make it easier to regulate the rotation of the rotating shaft. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a medical chair. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a support mechanism. [Figure 3] 3 is a view of the support mechanism as viewed from the direction indicated by arrow III in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support mechanism as viewed from above. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the support mechanism in a state where the illustration of the restricting member is omitted. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure around the rotation shaft. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure around the rotating shaft, in which a cylindrical body is installed. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the cylindrical body. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the support mechanism taken along line IX-IX in FIG. [Figure 10]10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the state of each part when the restricting member moves toward the rotation shaft. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the support mechanism taken along line XI-XI in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support mechanism, in which each of the components constituting the support mechanism is individually displayed. [Figure 13] This is a view of the head support, support mechanism, etc. as seen from the back side of the medical chair. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a comparative example of a support mechanism. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the support mechanism. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the support mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a medical chair 1. The medical chair 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a medical chair used for otorhinolaryngology. This medical chair 1, which is an example of a medical device, is provided with a buttocks support part 10 that supports the buttocks of a patient sitting on this medical chair 1 from below, and a back support part 20 that supports the back of a patient sitting on this medical chair 1. The buttocks support portion 10 is provided so as to extend in the lateral direction, and the back support portion 20 is provided so as to extend along the vertical direction.

[0010] The medical chair 1 is further provided with a head support section 30 as an example of a patient support section. The head support 30 supports the head of a patient sitting on the examination chair 1. The head support 30 supports the head, which is part of the patient's body, from the back side of the patient. In other words, the head support 30 supports the head, which is part of the patient's body, from the occipital side. The head support section 30 is supported by the back support section 20 via a support mechanism 100 .

[0011] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the support mechanism 100. Fig. 2 shows the support mechanism 100 as viewed from below and from the rear side of the medical chair 1. As described above, the medical chair 1 of this embodiment is provided with the support mechanism 100 that supports the head support part 30. The head support part 30 is supported by the back support part 20 via this support mechanism 100. The support mechanism 100 is provided with a rotation shaft 101 that rotates in conjunction with the movement of the head support part 30. The rotation shaft 101 is a solid shaft. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the rotation shaft 101 may also be a hollow shaft. In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 101 rotates in response to the movement of the head support part 30. The rotation shaft 101 is provided so as to extend along the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the support mechanism 100 is provided with a restricting member 102 that applies a brake to the rotating shaft 101 to restrict the rotation of the rotating shaft 101 .

[0012] The restricting member 102 has one end 102A and the other end 102B. One end 102A is provided on the side closer to the back support 20, and the other end 102B is provided on the side farther from the back support 20. The restricting member 102 is provided so that one end 102A located on the side closer to the back support part 20 moves up and down. In this embodiment, as one end 102A of the regulating member 102 moves upward, a load from the regulating member 102 acts on the rotation shaft 101 located above the regulating member 102. This brakes the rotating shaft 101, restricting the rotation of the rotating shaft 101. When the rotation of the rotating shaft 101 is restricted, the movement of the head support part 30 is restricted, and the head support part 30 is fixed.

[0013] The support mechanism 100 is further provided with a movement mechanism 103 that moves one end 102A of the regulating member 102. The movement mechanism 103 moves one end 102A of the regulating member 102 upward and downward. The moving mechanism 103 is provided with a rotating member 104 that is rotatable around one end 104A. Furthermore, the moving mechanism 103 is provided with a connecting member 105 that is provided along the vertical direction and connected to the other end 104B of the rotating member 104, and a biasing member 106 that biases the connecting member 105 upward. In this embodiment, the connecting member 105 is urged upward by the urging member 106. Then, the other end 104B of the rotating member 104 is urged upward by the connecting member 105 that is urged upward.

[0014] One end 102A of the restricting member 102 is connected to a portion of the rotating member 104 that is located between one end 104A and the other end 104B. When the other end 104B of the rotation member 104 is urged upward by the connecting member 105, one end 102A of the restriction member 102 is pushed upward by the rotation member 104. As a result, one end 102A of the regulating member 102 moves upward. In response to this, a load acts on the rotary shaft 101 from the regulating member 102. When a load is applied from the restricting member 102 to the rotating shaft 101, the rotating shaft 101 is braked and the rotation of the rotating shaft 101 is restricted.

[0015] Furthermore, the moving mechanism 103 is provided with a driving source 107 for moving the connecting member 105 downward. In this embodiment, the driving source 107 is actuated in response to an instruction from an operator such as a doctor, and the connecting member 105 moves downward. There are no particular limitations on the driving source 107, and any known driving source may be used. Examples of the driving source 107 include a motor and a cylinder. An operator such as a doctor operates an operated unit such as a foot switch to give the above-mentioned instruction to move the connecting member 105 downward. In response to this instruction, a control unit (not shown) outputs a control signal, and in response to this, the driving source 107 operates.

[0016] When the driving source 107 is actuated and the connecting member 105 moves downward, the rotating member 104 rotates counterclockwise around one end 104A of the rotating member 104. When the rotating member 104 moves counterclockwise, one end 102A of the regulating member 102 moves downward. As a result, the restricting member 102 is retracted from the rotary shaft 101 . When the restricting member 102 is retracted from the rotary shaft 101, the rotary shaft 101 becomes rotatable, and accordingly, the head support part 30 can be moved.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a view of the support mechanism 100 as viewed from the direction indicated by arrow III in FIG. The support mechanism 100 of this embodiment is provided with a base side rotating member 108 and a tip side rotating member 109. The base side rotating member 108 and the tip side rotating member 109 are used to support the head support part 30. The base side rotating member 108 as an example of a first swinging member is provided closer to the rotating shaft 101 than the tip side rotating member 109 . The base rotating member 108 has one end 108C and the other end 108D.

[0018] One end 108C of the base side rotating member 108 is provided with a through hole 108A through which the rotating shaft 101 passes, and in this embodiment, the rotating shaft 101 passes through this through hole 108A of the base side rotating member 108. The base side rotating member 108 is movable around the rotating shaft 101 and can rotate in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 101. The base side rotation member 108 is provided so as to rotate around one end 108C and swing around the other end 108D.

[0019] The tip side rotating member 109, which is an example of a second swinging member, is provided between the head support part 30 and the base side rotating member 108. The tip side rotating member 109 rotates around a connecting rotating shaft 110. The distal end rotating member 109 has one end 109C and the other end 109D. The connecting rotary shaft 110 has the function of connecting the tip side rotary member 109 and the base side rotary member 108 together.

[0020] In this embodiment, one end 109C of the tip side rotating member 109 is connected to the base side rotating member 108. In addition, in this embodiment, the other end 109D of the tip side rotating member 109 is connected to the head support part 30. The tip-side rotating member 109 is provided to rotate around one end 109C and swing at the other end 109D. More specifically, the tip-side rotating member 109 is provided to rotate around a connecting rotating shaft 110 provided on the one end 109C and swing at the other end 109D. When the tip side rotating member 109 rotates around the connecting rotating shaft 110 , the tip side rotating member 109 rotates relative to the base side rotating member 108 .

[0021] When the base side rotation member 108 moves around the rotation axis 101, the head support part 30 moves in the front-rear direction. In other words, when the base side rotation member 108 swings, the head support part 30 moves in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, when the tip side rotating member 109 moves around the connecting rotating shaft 110 and rotates relative to the base side rotating member 108, the head support part 30 moves in the up and down direction. In other words, when the distal end side rotating member 109 swings, the head support part 30 moves in the up and down direction.

[0022] A gripping portion 31 that is gripped by an operator is provided on the head support portion 30. When moving the head support portion 30, the operator grips the gripping portion 31 and moves the head support portion 30. When the operator performs an operation on the grip portion 31 to move the base side rotation member 108 around the rotation axis 101, the head support portion 30 moves in the front-rear direction.

[0023] Furthermore, when the operator performs an operation on the grip portion 31 to rotate the tip side rotating member 109 relative to the base side rotating member 108, the head support portion 30 moves in the vertical direction. There are provided a plurality of gripping portions 31. Specifically, there are provided two gripping portions 31. The plurality of gripping portions 31 are provided at mutually different positions in the width direction of the head support portion 30.

[0024] Furthermore, a connecting member 111 is provided to connect the tip side rotating member 109 and the rotating shaft 101. The connecting member 111 is provided to restrict the rotation of the tip side rotating member 109 relative to the base side rotating member . The connecting member 111 has one end 112A and another end 112B. One end 112A of the connecting member 111 is fixed to the rotary shaft 101. The other end 112B of the connecting member 111 is fixed to the distal end side rotary member 109.

[0025] In this embodiment, when the rotation of the rotating shaft 101 is restricted, the movement of the connecting member 111 is restricted. Accordingly, the rotation of the tip side rotating member 109 is restricted, and the rotation of the tip side rotating member 109 relative to the base side rotating member 108 is restricted. In other words, in this case, the swinging of the tip side rotating member 109 is restricted. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the rotation of the rotating shaft 101 is restricted, the rotation of the base side rotating member 108 around the rotating shaft 101 is restricted. In other words, in this case, the swinging of the base side rotating member 108 is restricted. The restriction on the rotation of the base side rotating member 108 will be described in detail later.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the support mechanism 100 as viewed from above. In the support mechanism 100, a load receiving member 114 is provided on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 101 from the side on which the regulating member 102 is provided, and the load receiving member 114 receives the load acting from the regulating member 102 via the rotation shaft 101. In FIG. 4 , the load receiving member 114 is provided above the regulating member 102. The load receiving member 114 is supported by an apparatus frame 115 that is provided as part of the back support 20. The load receiving member 114 is provided in a manner that protrudes in a direction away from the back support 20.

[0027] In this embodiment, a rotation shaft 101 is provided between the load receiving member 114 and the regulating member 102 . When the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted, the restricting member 102 advances toward the rotary shaft 101 , and the rotary shaft 101 is sandwiched between the load receiving member 114 and the restricting member 102 . When the rotary shaft 101 is sandwiched between the load receiving member 114 and the restricting member 102, the rotary shaft 101 is braked and the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted. When the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted, the movement of the connecting member 111 is restricted, whereby the rotation of the tip side rotary member 109 relative to the base side rotary member 108 is restricted. Furthermore, when the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted, the rotation of the base side rotary member 108 around the rotary shaft 101 is restricted. The restriction on the rotation of the base side rotary member 108 around the rotary shaft 101 will be described in detail later.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the support mechanism 100 in a state where the restriction member 102 is not shown. The support mechanism 100 is provided with a support shaft 116 that extends along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 101 (not shown in FIG. 5). The other end 102B of the restriction member 102 (see FIG. 4) is supported by this support shaft 116. The restricting member 102 is rotatable around the support shaft 116 as the center of rotation. When the one end 102A (see FIG. 2) of the regulating member 102 moves up and down, the regulating member 102 rotates around the support shaft 116 (see FIG. 5) as the center of rotation. The support shaft 116 is supported by the load receiving member 114. In this embodiment, the restriction member 102 is supported by the support shaft 116 supported by the load receiving member 114.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the structure around the rotating shaft 101. 6, the load receiving member 114, the restricting member 102, etc. shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are omitted. Also, a cylindrical body, which will be described later, is not shown in Fig. 6. In this embodiment, a cylindrical body is provided around the rotation shaft 101, but this cylindrical body is not shown in Fig. 6. As described above and as shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the rotary shaft 101 is passed through a through-hole 108A provided in the base side rotary member 108. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of support members 117 are provided around the rotation shaft 101. Specifically, four support members 117, namely, a first support member 117A to a fourth support member 117D, are provided.

[0030] The plurality of support members 117 are provided at mutually different positions in the circumferential direction of the rotary shaft 101 . Each of the support members 117 includes a base 118 and a plurality of protrusions 119 protruding from the base 118 . The base portion 118 extends along the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 101 and is disposed opposite to the outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101. The protrusion 119 protrudes from the base portion 118 and protrudes in a direction away from the rotating shaft 101. Each of the support members 117 is provided with two protrusions 119. The number of protrusions 119 is not limited to two, and the number of protrusions 119 may be other than two.

[0031] When the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted, the rotary shaft 101 receives a load from a restricting member 102 (see FIG. 2) located below the rotary shaft 101. In this embodiment, a part of the regulating member 102 becomes an advancing portion, and this advancing portion moves in the direction indicated by arrow 6A in Figure 6 and advances toward the rotating shaft 101. The rotating shaft 101 receives a load from this advancing portion of the regulating member 102.

[0032] When the rotary shaft 101 receives a load from the protruding portion, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B of the four support members 117 support the rotary shaft 101 from the side opposite to the side where the protruding portion is located. In other words, when the rotating shaft 101 receives a load from the protruding portion, the first supporting member 117A and the second supporting member 117B of the four supporting members 117 support the rotating shaft 101 from the side where the load-receiving member 114 (see Figure 4) is provided.

[0033] A load receiving member 114 (see FIG. 4) is provided on the opposite side to the side where the rotary shaft 101 is installed, with the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B sandwiched therebetween. The first support member 117A and the second support member 117B that support the rotating shaft 101 have opposite side portions 120 located on the opposite side to the side on which the rotating shaft 101 is located, which are in contact with the load-receiving member 114 and are supported by this load-receiving member 114.

[0034] In this embodiment, the rotary shaft 101 and the load receiving member 114 press the first supporting member 117A and the second supporting member 117B from both sides. The first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are supported by the load receiving member 114 from behind and support the rotating shaft 101 advancing toward them. The first support member 117A and the second support member 117B support the rotating shaft 101 from the side where the load receiving member 114 is provided.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure around the rotating shaft 101, showing a state in which the cylindrical body 121 is installed. In this embodiment, a cylindrical body 121 is disposed around the rotation axis 101 . This cylinder 121, which is an example of a cylindrical body, is arranged coaxially with the rotation shaft 101 and is arranged outward of the rotation shaft 101. The cylinder 121 is arranged outward of the rotation shaft 101 in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 101. The cylinder 121 is provided in a state in which it can rotate in its circumferential direction. Furthermore, the cylindrical body 121 is provided apart from the rotary shaft 101. A gap 216 is provided between an outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotary shaft 101 and an inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121.

[0036] The cylindrical body 121 is fixed to the base side rotation member 108, and the cylindrical body 121 rotates in conjunction with the base side rotation member 108. In this embodiment, the cylindrical body 121 rotates in response to the swinging of the base side rotation member 108. When the base side rotating member 108 rotates in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 101, the cylindrical body 121 also rotates in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 101. In this embodiment, when the base side rotating member 108 oscillates, the cylindrical body 121 rotates in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 101. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 is restricted, thereby restricting the rotation of the base side rotation member 108.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotary shaft 101 (see FIG. 7) rotates in response to the swinging of the distal end side rotary member 109 (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, when the distal end side rotating member 109 (see FIG. 3) swings, the connecting member 111 (see FIG. 7) moves, and the rotating shaft 101 rotates in response.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cylindrical body 121 rotates in response to the swinging of the base side rotating member 108. Also, in this embodiment, the rotating shaft 101 rotates in response to the swinging of the tip side rotating member 109. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration may be adopted in which the rotary shaft 101 rotates in response to the swinging of the base side rotary member 108, and the cylindrical body 121 rotates in response to the swinging of the tip side rotary member 109.

[0039] 7 is provided with a through hole 121A that connects the inside and outside of the cylinder 121. The through hole 121A connects the inner circumferential surface 121N side and the outer circumferential surface 121G side of the cylinder 121. In this embodiment, the protrusions 119 provided on each of the support members 117 are located inside the through hole 121A. A plurality of through holes 121A are provided in the cylindrical body 121. The plurality of through holes 121A are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 121.

[0040] In this embodiment, protrusions 119 provided on the support member 117 are inserted into the plurality of through holes 121A from the inner circumferential surface 121N side of the cylindrical body 121. The support member 117 extends from the inner circumferential surface 121N side of the cylindrical body 121 to the outer circumferential surface 121G side of the cylindrical body 121 through the through hole 121A. In the radial direction of the cylindrical body 121, a part 117X of the support member 117 is located outside an outer circumferential surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121. More specifically, tip 119A of protrusion 119 provided on support member 117 in the protruding direction is positioned outside outer circumferential surface 121G of cylindrical body 121.

[0041] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the case where a through hole 121A is provided in the cylindrical body 121. Alternatively, for example, as shown in FIG. 8 (a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the cylindrical body), a protrusion 119 may be provided within a notch 122 provided in the cylindrical body 121. 8, a notch 122 having an opening 122A is provided. The opening 122A is provided on one end 121X side of the cylindrical body 121. The notch 122 is provided so as to extend from the location where the open portion 122A is located toward the other end 121B side of the cylindrical body 121. The notch 122 is provided so as to extend from one end 121X toward the other end 121Y side in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 121.

[0042] Furthermore, there are provided a plurality of notches 122. In this configuration example, the plurality of notches 122 are arranged in a line in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 121 at predetermined regular intervals. In this configuration example, protrusions 119 provided on support member 117 are arranged inside each of cutouts 122. In this configuration example shown in Fig. 8 as well, support member 117 extends from the inner circumferential surface 121N side of cylindrical body 121 through cutouts 122 to the outer circumferential surface 121G side of cylindrical body 121. 8, a portion 117X of the support member 117 is located outside the outer circumferential surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121 in the radial direction of the cylindrical body 121. Specifically, tip 119A of protrusion 119 provided on support member 117 in the protruding direction is positioned outside outer circumferential surface 121G of cylindrical body 121.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the support mechanism 100 taken along line IX-IX in FIG. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the restricting member 102 is retracted from the rotary shaft 101. In this embodiment, an opposing surface 114A, which is a surface located at an opposing location to the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101, is provided on the side opposite to the side where the protruding portion 102C (described in detail later) is located across the rotating shaft 101. This opposing surface 114A is formed by the inner surface of the load receiving member 114. The load receiving member 114 has a U-shaped portion 114B whose cross section in a plane (not shown) perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 101 is U-shaped.

[0044] In this embodiment, the inner surface located inside the U-shaped portion 114B constitutes the opposing surface 114A. The rotation shaft 101 is disposed inside the U-shaped portion 114B. The rotating shaft 101 is disposed away from the opposing surface 114A, with a gap 123 formed between the rotating shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A. In this embodiment, a gap 123 exists between the rotary shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A.

[0045] On the opposite side of the opposing surface 114A from the installation side across the rotating shaft 101, there is provided an advancing portion 102C that advances toward the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101. The advancing portion 102C is disposed outside the cylindrical body 121 in the radial direction of the cylindrical body 121. The advancing portion 102C is formed by a part of the restricting member 102. The advancing portion 102C moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 9A in the drawing and in the direction indicated by the arrow 9B in the drawing. When the rotation of the rotating shaft 101 is restricted, the advancing portion 102C moves in the direction indicated by the arrow 9A. Opposing surface 114A is provided on the opposite side to the side where advancing portion 102C is located across rotation shaft 101. Opposing surface 114A is also provided on the outer side of cylindrical body 121 in the radial direction of cylindrical body 121. The facing surface 114A can also be regarded as a facing surface that is located at a position facing the outer peripheral surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121.

[0046] When the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted, the advancing portion 102C advances from a position away from the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotary shaft 101 toward this outer circumferential surface 101G. When the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted, the one end 102A of the restricting member 102 moves upward as described above. Accordingly, the advancing portion 102C advances toward the rotation axis 101.

[0047] In this embodiment, the rotation shaft 101 is located between the load receiving member 114 and the regulating member 102 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support member 117 is disposed in a gap 123 located between the rotary shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A. Specifically, of the four support members 117, a first support member 117A and a second support member 117B are disposed in a gap 123 located between the rotating shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A.

[0048] The first support member 117A and the second support member 117B support the rotating shaft 101, which receives the load from the protruding portion 102C, from the side opposite to the side where the protruding portion 102C is provided. In other words, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B support the rotating shaft 101 from the side where the load receiving member 114 is provided. In this embodiment, when the extending portion 102C extends, the first supporting member 117A and the second supporting member 117B are positioned between the rotation shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 101 is supported from the opposing surface 114A side by the first supporting member 117A and the second supporting member 117B.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support member 117 is also provided between the restricting member 102 and the rotary shaft 101. In other words, the support member 117 is also provided between the advancing portion 102C and the rotary shaft 101. Specifically, of the four support members 117 provided, a third support member 117C and a fourth support member 117D are provided between the restricting member 102 and the rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, support members 117 are disposed both between the rotary shaft 101 and the load receiving member 114 and between the rotary shaft 101 and the regulating member 102.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, when the protruding portion 102C is retracted from the rotating shaft 101, the dimension L1 of the support member 117 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 101 is smaller than the size W of the gap 123 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 101. In other words, the thickness D1 of the support member 117 in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 101 is smaller than the size W of the gap 123 in this radial direction. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the protruding portion 102C is retracted from the rotating shaft 101, and in this state, the dimension L1 of the support member 117 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 101 is smaller than the size W of the gap 123 in this radial direction.

[0051] As a result, in this embodiment, when the protruding portion 102C is retracted from the rotating shaft 101, the first supporting member 117A and the second supporting member 117B are not pressed against the rotating shaft 101. As a result, in this embodiment, it is less likely that the rotating shaft 101 will become difficult to rotate. If the dimension L1 of the support member 117 is larger than the size W of the gap 123, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are pressed against the rotation shaft 101 even when the protruding portion 102C is retracted from the rotation shaft 101.

[0052] In this case, the rotation shaft 101 becomes difficult to rotate, and the operating load required when the operator moves the head support part 30 increases. In contrast to this, in this embodiment, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are prevented from being pressed against the rotating shaft 101, making it easier for the rotating shaft 101 to rotate. In this case, the operating load required when the operator moves the head support section 30 is reduced.

[0053] 10 is a diagram illustrating the state of each part when the restricting member 102 moves toward the rotation shaft 101. In other words, FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state of each part when the advancing portion 102C advances toward the rotation shaft 101. When the protruding portion 102C advances toward the rotating shaft 101, the rotating shaft 101 receives a load from the protruding portion 102C. As a result, the rotating shaft 101 is braked. In response to this, in this embodiment, the swing of the distal end side rotating member 109 (see FIG. 3), which is one of the swing members, is restricted. In this embodiment, the load from the protruding portion 102C is transmitted to the rotating shaft 101 by the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the protruding portion 102C advances toward the rotating shaft 101, the rotating shaft 101 is pressed against the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B, which are located closer to the opposing surface 114A than the rotating shaft 101, and braking of the rotating shaft 101 is also performed from the opposing surface 114A side.

[0054] Here, it is assumed that the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are not provided on the opposing surface 114A side of the rotating shaft 101. In this case, the load for braking the rotating shaft 101 is less likely to act on the rotating shaft 101, making it more difficult to restrict the rotation of the rotating shaft 101. If first support member 117A and second support member 117B are not provided closer to opposing surface 114A than rotating shaft 101, the load acting on rotating shaft 101 from protruding portion 102C is likely to escape due to bending of rotating shaft 101. In this case, braking of rotating shaft 101 becomes difficult.

[0055] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, as described above, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are provided closer to the opposing surface 114A than the rotary shaft 101. In this case, it is possible to suppress the bending of the rotating shaft 101. Furthermore, in this case, a load for braking the rotating shaft 101 acts on the rotating shaft 101 from the side where the opposing surface 114A is located. As a result, in this embodiment, braking of the rotating shaft 101 can be performed more reliably compared to a configuration in which the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are not provided.

[0056] On the side of the rotary shaft 101 closer to the advancing portion 102C, the load from the advancing portion 102C acts on the rotary shaft 101 via the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D. The third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D function as a transmission member. The third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D, which are an example of a transmission member, transmit the load from the protruding portion 102C to the rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, as described above, the part 117X of the support member 117 is located outside the outer circumferential surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121 in the radial direction of the cylindrical body 121. In this embodiment, as shown in the enlarged view indicated by the symbol 10C, for each of the support members 117, another part 117Y of the support member 117 is located closer to the outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101 than the inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121.

[0057] When the advancing portion 102C advances toward the rotation shaft 101, the advancing portion 102C presses the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D. In this embodiment, the portions 117X of the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D that are positioned outside the outer circumferential surface 121G are pressed by the advancing portion 102C that advances toward the rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D are pressed against the rotation shaft 101 by the protruding portion 102C.

[0058] As a result, a load acts on the rotating shaft 101 from the side where the protruding portion 102C is located, and braking of the rotating shaft 101 is performed from the side where the protruding portion 102C is located. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the above-mentioned portions 117X of the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D are pressed by the protruding portion 102C. In this embodiment, in this state, the outer circumferential surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121 and the advancing portion 102C are not in contact with each other.

[0059] When the extending portion 102C extends toward the rotary shaft 101, the first to fourth support members 117A to 117D are fixed, and movement of the first to fourth support members 117A to 117D in the circumferential direction of the rotary shaft 101 is restricted. When the protruding portion 102C advances toward the rotating shaft 101, the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D are sandwiched between the protruding portion 102C and the rotating shaft 101, and the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D are fixed to both the protruding portion 102C and the rotating shaft 101. As a result, movement of the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 101 is restricted.

[0060] Furthermore, when the protruding portion 102C advances toward the rotating shaft 101, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are sandwiched between the rotating shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A, and the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are fixed to both the rotating shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A. As a result, movement of the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 101 is restricted.

[0061] In this embodiment, when the advancing portion 102C advances toward the rotation shaft 101 in this manner, the movement of each of the support members 117 is restricted and fixed. When the extending portions 102C extend toward the rotating shaft 101, the support members 117 are pressed against the rotating shaft 101. This restricts the rotation of the rotating shaft 101. Furthermore, in this case, the support members 117 are fixed to the rotating shaft 101. In this embodiment, the fixed support member 117 restricts movement of the cylindrical body 121, which is a member other than the rotary shaft 101. In other words, the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 in the circumferential direction is restricted.

[0062] In this embodiment, the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 121 is restricted by the support member 117 that is pressed against and fixed to the rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, even if the cylindrical body 121 tries to rotate in the circumferential direction, this rotation is restricted by the support member 117 which is in a fixed state. When the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 is restricted, the swing of the base side rotation member 108 (see FIG. 3) is restricted.

[0063] In this embodiment, a portion 121E (see FIG. 10) of the cylindrical body 121 is arranged in a gap 123 between the rotary shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A. In this embodiment, the movement of the cylindrical body 121, with a portion 121E disposed within the gap 123, is restricted by the fixed first support member 117A and second support member 117B. In this embodiment, as described above, when the extending portion 102C extends toward the rotation shaft 101, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B positioned within the gap 123 are fixed. In this embodiment, the fixed first support member 117A and second support member 117B restrict the rotation of cylindrical body 121, part 121E of which is disposed within gap 123, in the circumferential direction. Even if the cylindrical body 121 tries to rotate in the circumferential direction, this rotation is restricted by the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B, which are in a fixed state.

[0064] In this embodiment, another part 121F of the cylindrical body 121 is located between the advancing part 102C and the rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, the movement of the other part 121F is restricted by the fixed third support member 117C and fourth support member 117D, which also restricts the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 in the circumferential direction.

[0065] In this embodiment, when the extending portion 102C extends toward the rotation shaft 101, the third support member 117C and the fourth support member 117D located between the extending portion 102C and the rotation shaft 101 are fixed. In this embodiment, the fixed third support member 117C and fourth support member 117D restrict movement of the other part 121F located between the advancing portion 102C and the rotation shaft 101. Accordingly, rotation of the cylindrical body 121 in the circumferential direction is restricted.

[0066] Even if the cylindrical body 121 tries to rotate in the circumferential direction, in this embodiment, this rotation is restricted by the first to fourth support members 117A to 117D, which are in a fixed state. When the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 is restricted, the rotation of the base side rotation member 108 (see FIG. 3) is restricted, and the movement of the head support part 30 caused by the rotation of the base side rotation member 108 is restricted. When the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 is restricted, the rotation of the rotary shaft 101 is also restricted. In this case, the rotation of the distal end side rotary member 109 (see FIG. 3) is also restricted, and the movement of the head support part 30 caused by the rotation of the distal end side rotary member 109 is also restricted. In this embodiment, when the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 is restricted, the head support part 30 is in a fixed state.

[0067] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, when the protruding portion 102C is retracted from the rotary shaft 101, the wall thickness D2 of the cylindrical body 121 is smaller than the size W of the gap 123 in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 101. In this case, when the advancing portion 102C is retracted from the rotary shaft 101, the cylindrical body 121 is not pressed against the rotary shaft 101.

[0068] When the thickness D2 of the cylindrical body 121 is larger than the size W of the gap 123, the cylindrical body 121 is pressed against the rotation shaft 101. In this case, the rotation shaft 101 becomes difficult to rotate, and the operating load required by the operator to move the head support part 30 increases. In contrast to this, when the wall thickness D2 of the cylindrical body 121 is smaller than the size W of the gap 123 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the cylindrical body 121 from being pressed against the rotation shaft 101. In this case, the operating load required when the operator moves the head support unit 30 is prevented from increasing.

[0069] Here, the state of the support member 117 when the cylindrical body 121 is rotated will be described. In this embodiment, the cylindrical body 121 (see FIG. 9) rotates in the circumferential direction in accordance with the rotation of the base side rotating member 108 (see FIG. 3). When the gripping portion 31 (see FIG. 3) is operated to rotate the base side rotating member 108, the cylindrical body 121 rotates in the circumferential direction. When the cylindrical body 121 rotates in the circumferential direction, each of the first support member 117A to the fourth support member 117D, whose protrusion 119 is positioned within the through hole 121A of the cylindrical body 121, receives force from the cylindrical body 121 and moves downstream in the rotation direction of the cylindrical body 121.

[0070] In this embodiment, a plurality of support members 117 are provided, and are provided at different positions in the rotation direction of the cylindrical body 121. In other words, the plurality of support members 117 are provided with their positions in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 121 shifted from one another. As a result, in this embodiment, even if the support members 117 move in accordance with the rotation of the cylindrical body 121, any one of the multiple support members 117 provided will be positioned between the opposing surface 114A (see FIG. 9) and the rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, the support member 117 moves in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 121 in conjunction with the rotation of the cylindrical body 121. In this embodiment, even if the support member 117 moves in accordance with the rotation of the cylindrical body 121, the support member 117 remains positioned between the opposing surface 114A and the rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, one of the plurality of support members 117 is positioned between the opposing surface 114A and the rotation shaft 101. As a result, regardless of the phase of the cylindrical body 121, braking of the rotating shaft 101 can be performed from the side where the opposing surface 114A is provided.

[0071] In addition, in this embodiment, even if the support members 117 move in accordance with the rotation of the cylindrical body 121, any one of the multiple support members 117 provided will be positioned between the advancing portion 102C (see FIG. 9) and the rotation shaft 101. As a result, regardless of the phase of the cylindrical body 121, braking of the rotating shaft 101 can be performed from the side where the advancing portion 102C is provided. In this embodiment, regardless of the phase of the cylindrical body 121, braking of the rotating shaft 101 can be performed from both the side where the protruding portion 102C is provided and the side where the opposing surface 114A is provided. In this case, the head support part 30 (see FIG. 1) can be fixed regardless of the phase of the cylindrical body 121.

[0072] Here, for example, it is assumed that only one support member 117 out of four support members 117, first support member 117A to fourth support member 117D, is provided. In this case, depending on the phase of the cylindrical body 121, this one support member 117 may be positioned, for example, at a location that is out of the gap between the rotating shaft 101 (see Figure 9) and the opposing surface 114A, or at a location that is out of the gap between the protruding portion 102C and the rotating shaft 101. In this case, braking of the rotating shaft 101 becomes difficult.

[0073] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, there are provided a plurality of support members 117. In this embodiment, the plurality of support members 117 are provided in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body 121 at predetermined regular intervals. In this case, regardless of the phase of the cylindrical body 121, as described above, the support member 117 is located between the opposing surface 114A and the rotating shaft 101, and the support member 117 is also located between the protruding portion 102C and the rotating shaft 101. In this case, as described above, the head support part 30 can be fixed regardless of the phase of the cylindrical body 121.

[0074] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the support mechanism 100 taken along line XI-XI in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the support mechanism 100, in which each of the components constituting the support mechanism 100 is individually shown. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, a first support portion 201 that supports the rotating shaft 101 and a second support portion 202 that supports the rotating shaft 101 are provided. The first support portion 201 supports one end portion 101B of the rotating shaft 101 in the axial direction, and the second support portion 202 supports the other end portion 101C of the rotating shaft 101 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 101, the position of the first support portion 201 and the position of the second support portion 202 in this axial direction are different from each other.

[0075] In this embodiment, the support member 117 and the gap 123 (see FIG. 9) are located between the first support portion 201 and the second support portion 202 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 101. The first support portion 201 is formed by the inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121. The first support portion 201 formed by the inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 supports an annular protrusion 101D provided on the outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101. In this embodiment, the annular protrusion 101D and the inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 come into contact with each other. In this case, the contact area between the cylindrical body 121 and the rotating shaft 101 is smaller than in a configuration in which the entire outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101 and the entire inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 are in contact with each other.

[0076] The second support portion 202 is configured by a first annular member 203 . More specifically, the second support portion 202 is configured by the inner circumferential surface 203N of the first annular member 203. The first annular member 203 is disposed between the inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 and the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotary shaft 101. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the first annular member 203 is formed in a circular ring shape. The first annular member 203 is made of a resin material. The resin material is not particularly limited, but one example is POM (Polyoxymethylene).

[0077] When the first annular member 203 is made of a resin material as in this embodiment, the frictional force generated between the first annular member 203 and the rotating shaft 101 is smaller than when the first annular member 203 is made of a metal material. Furthermore, when the second support portion 202 is formed by the first annular member 203, the contact area between the cylindrical body 121 and the rotating shaft 101 is smaller than in a configuration in which the entire outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101 contacts the entire inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121.

[0078] In this embodiment, the length L12 of the contact area S12 where the first support portion 201 and the rotating shaft 101 contact each other is smaller than the length L13 of the contact area S13 where the support member 117 and the rotating shaft 101 contact each other. When comparing the lengths in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 101, the length L12 in this axial direction of the contact area S12 where the first support part 201 and the rotating shaft 101 contact is smaller than the length L13 in this axial direction of the contact area S13 where the support member 117 and the rotating shaft 101 contact. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the axial length L14 of the contact area S14 where the second support portion 202 and the rotating shaft 101 contact is smaller than the axial length L13 of the contact area S13 where the support member 117 and the rotating shaft 101 contact.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a third support portion 205 is provided that supports the cylindrical body 121 from the radial outside of the cylindrical body 121, and a fourth support portion 206 is provided that similarly supports the cylindrical body 121 from the radial outside of the cylindrical body 121. In this embodiment, the position of the third support portion 205 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 101 and the position of the fourth support portion 206 in the axial direction are different from each other. In this embodiment, the support member 117 and the gap 123 (see FIG. 9) are located between the third support portion 205 and the fourth support portion 206 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 101.

[0080] In this embodiment, the axial length L15 of the contact area S15 where the third support portion 205 and the cylindrical body 121 contact is smaller than the axial length L13 of the contact area S13 where the support member 117 and the rotating shaft 101 contact. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the axial length L16 of the contact area S16 where the fourth support portion 206 and the cylindrical body 121 contact is smaller than the axial length L13 of the contact area S13 where the support member 117 and the rotating shaft 101 contact.

[0081] The third support portion 205 is configured by an inner circumferential surface 209N of the second annular member 209. The fourth support portion 206 is also formed by the inner circumferential surface 210N of the third annular member 210. As shown in FIG. 12, each of the second annular member 209 and the third annular member 210 is configured in a circular ring shape. In this embodiment, as shown by reference numeral 11A in Figure 11, the inner surface 209N of the second annular member 209 constituting the third support portion 205 is located closer to the rotation axis 101 than the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B. Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface 210N of the third annular member 210 that constitutes the fourth support portion 206 is located closer to the rotation shaft 101 than the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B.

[0082] As a result, in this embodiment, a gap 215 is provided between the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B and the outer circumferential surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121. In this embodiment, the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B and the outer circumferential surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121 are configured not to come into contact with each other. In addition, in this embodiment, by providing the annular protrusion 101D and the first annular member 203, a gap 216 is also provided between the inner surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 and the outer surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101. In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 and the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotary shaft 101 are configured not to come into contact with each other. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the width W35 of the restricting member 102 is smaller than the separation distance L34 between the second annular member 209 and the third annular member 210. As a result, in this embodiment, interference between the second annular member 209, the third annular member 210 and the restricting member 102 does not occur.

[0083] In this embodiment, the second annular member 209 constituting the third support portion 205 and the third annular member 210 constituting the fourth support portion 206 are also made of a resin material. As in the above, the resin material is not particularly limited, but one example is POM. When the second annular member 209 and the third annular member 210 are made of a resin material as in this embodiment, the frictional force generated between the second annular member 209, the third annular member 210 and the cylindrical body 121 is smaller than when they are made of a metal material.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a restricting member 260 is provided on the radially outer side of each of the second annular member 209 and the third annular member 210 to restrict movement of these annular members. Each of the regulating members 260 is formed in an annular shape as shown in FIG. 12, and in this embodiment, these annular regulating members 260 regulate the movement of the second annular member 209 and the third annular member 210 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 101 (see FIG. 11). Each of the restriction members 260 is fixed to the U-shaped portion 114B of the load receiving member 114 by a fastening member such as a screw.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a separation prevention member 261 is provided to prevent separation of the first annular member 203. This separation prevention member 261 is fixed to the end face of the rotating shaft 101 by a fastening member 262 such as a screw. As shown in FIG. 12, the separation prevention member 261 is formed in a disk shape. By providing the separation prevention member 261, the first annular member 203 is prevented from separating from between the inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 (see FIG. 11) and the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotary shaft 101.

[0086] In this embodiment, the structure is such that tilting of the rotation axis 101 (see FIG. 11) is likely to occur when the operator moves the head support part 30 (see FIG. 1). However, in this embodiment, even if the rotation axis 101 is tilted, an increase in the contact area between the rotation axis 101 and the cylindrical body 121 is suppressed, and an increase in the contact area between the cylindrical body 121 and the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B is also suppressed. In this embodiment, even if the rotation axis 101 is tilted, an increase in the contact area between the members is suppressed, and an increase in the operating load required when the operator moves the head support unit 30 is suppressed.

[0087] FIG. 13 is a view of the head support unit 30, the support mechanism 100, etc., as seen from the rear side of the medical chair 1. In this embodiment, each of the two gripping portions 31 that the operator holds is located at a position that is off the imaginary straight line CH that passes through the connection portion 263 between the support mechanism 100 and the head support portion 30 and extends in the vertical direction. In this case, if the operator holds only one of the two gripping portions 31 and operates the head support portion 30, the rotation axis 101 is likely to tilt. In this embodiment, the rotation axis 101 is configured to be easily tilted, but an increase in the operating load required when the user moves the head support unit 30 is suppressed.

[0088] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a comparative example of the support mechanism 100. In FIG. In this comparative example, inner surface 114C of U-shaped portion 114B and outer peripheral surface 121G of cylindrical body 121 are in surface contact, and outer peripheral surface 121G of cylindrical body 121 is directly supported by inner surface 114C of U-shaped portion 114B. In this comparative example, inner circumferential surface 121N of cylindrical body 121 and outer circumferential surface 101G of rotating shaft 101 are in surface contact, and inner circumferential surface 121N of cylindrical body 121 directly supports outer circumferential surface 101G of rotating shaft 101.

[0089] In this comparative example, as shown by arrow 14A in the figure, when the rotating shaft 101 tilts, the contact area between the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B and the outer peripheral surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121 increases, and the contact area between the inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 and the outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101 also increases. When the contact area between the members increases in this way, the operating load required when the operator moves the head support portion 30 increases. In contrast to this, in this embodiment, an increase in the contact area between the members is suppressed, and an increase in the operating load required when moving the head support part 30 is suppressed.

[0090] In the configuration of this embodiment shown in FIG. 11, even if the rotation axis 101 is tilted, an increase in the contact area between the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B and the outer circumferential surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121 is suppressed. In this embodiment, a gap 215 is provided between the inner surface 114C and the outer peripheral surface 121G, so that even if the rotation axis 101 is tilted, an increase in the contact area between the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped portion 114B and the outer peripheral surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121 is suppressed.

[0091] Furthermore, in the configuration of this embodiment shown in FIG. 11, even if the rotating shaft 101 is tilted, an increase in the contact area between the inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 and the outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101 is suppressed. In this embodiment, a gap 216 is provided between the inner peripheral surface 121N and the outer peripheral surface 101G, so that even if the rotating shaft 101 is tilted, an increase in the contact area between the inner peripheral surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 and the outer peripheral surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101 is suppressed. In this case, an increase in the contact area between the members is suppressed, and an increase in the operating load required when the operator moves the head support portion 30 is suppressed.

[0092] Here, when a configuration is adopted in which gaps 215 and 216 are provided as described above to suppress an increase in the contact area, braking of rotating shaft 101 becomes difficult. When gaps 215 and 216 are provided as described above, the load from protruding portion 102C (see FIG. 9) is less likely to act on rotating shaft 101, making braking of rotating shaft 101 more difficult. In contrast to this, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a first support member 117A to a fourth support member 117D are provided. In this case, even when gaps 215 and 216 are provided as described above, the braking load is transmitted to rotating shaft 101 via first supporting member 117A to fourth supporting portion 117D, and braking of rotating shaft 101 can be performed.

[0093] When the rotation axis 101 is tilted as the operator operates the head support part 30, the first support member 117A (see FIG. 9) to the fourth support member 117D may be pressed against the inner surface 114C of the U-shaped part 114B. In this embodiment, even in this case, the contact pressure between the first to fourth support members 117A to 117D and the inner surface 114C is small, and an increase in the operating load of the head support part 30 due to the first to fourth support members 117A to 117D being pressed against the inner surface 114C is unlikely to occur.

[0094] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 101, the size W of the gap 123 in this radial direction is larger than the dimension L1 of the support member 117 in this radial direction. In this case, even if first support member 117A to fourth support member 117D are pressed against inner surface 114C, the contact pressure between first support member 117A to fourth support member 117D and inner surface 114C is small, and the operating load of head support portion 30 is unlikely to increase.

[0095] Furthermore, even if first to fourth support members 117A to 117D are pressed against inner surface 114C, the axial length of the contact area where first to fourth support members 117A to 117D come into contact with inner surface 114C is small. Here, the "axial direction" refers to the axial direction of rotation shaft 101. In this case, the operating load of the head support portion 30 is less likely to increase compared to a configuration with a large contact area such as the comparative example shown in FIG.

[0096] 〔others〕 In the above, the medical chair 1 used for otorhinolaryngology has been described as an example of a medical device. The configuration described above may also be applied to treatment chairs used in medical treatment in departments other than otorhinolaryngology, such as dentistry and surgery. The configuration described above is not limited to application to treatment chairs used in otolaryngology treatment.

[0097] In the above, the head support section 30 has been described as an example of a patient support section. The support mechanism 100 may also be used to support a support section that supports a portion of the patient other than the head. The application of the above support mechanism 100 is not limited to the head support section 30, but may also be applied to a support section that supports the patient's arms or legs. It is assumed that a rotation axis similar to the rotation axis 101 described above will be provided in the support part that supports the patient's arm and the support part that supports the patient's leg, and the support mechanism 100 described above may be used to brake this rotation axis. Furthermore, although a chair has been described above as an example of a medical device, the configuration described above may be applied to devices other than chairs that are used for medical treatment. It is assumed that a rotating shaft similar to the rotating shaft 101 described above is provided in devices other than chairs, and the support mechanism 100 described above may be used to brake this rotating shaft.

[0098] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the support mechanism 100. In FIG. In this configuration example, the above-mentioned cylindrical body 121 is not provided, and the cylindrical body 121 is not provided inside the U-shaped portion 114B. Furthermore, in this configuration example, a support member 117 is provided in a gap 123 between the rotating shaft 101 and the opposing surface 114A. Furthermore, in this configuration example, a restricting portion (not shown) is provided that restricts movement of support member 117 in the circumferential direction of rotating shaft 101. This restricts support member 117 from moving to a position outside gap 123 between rotating shaft 101 and opposing surface 114A.

[0099] In this configuration example, when the protruding portion 102C is retracted from the rotary shaft 101, the dimension L1 of the support member 117 in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 101 is smaller than the size W of the gap 123 in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 101. Furthermore, in this configuration example, when the rotating shaft 101 is braked, the protruding portion 102C comes into direct contact with the rotating shaft 101 on the side where the protruding portion 102C is provided. Furthermore, although not shown, in this configuration example, a first support portion 201 and a second support portion 202 that support the rotary shaft 101 are provided, similar to the configuration example shown in FIG.

[0100] In this configuration example, when the operator operates the head support unit 30, contact between the above-mentioned surfaces is avoided, and an increase in the operating load when the operator operates the head support unit 30 is suppressed. Furthermore, as a result of the support member 117 being provided, in this configuration example as well, a braking force can be applied to the rotating shaft 101 from the opposing surface 114A side, similar to the above, and the rotation of the rotating shaft 101 can be more reliably restricted.

[0101] In this configuration example, when advancing portion 102C advances toward rotating shaft 101, rotating shaft 101 is supported by support member 117 located on the opposing surface 114A side. This allows a braking force to act on rotating shaft 101 from the opposing surface 114A side. In this configuration example, braking force is also applied to the rotary shaft 101 from both the advancing portion 102C side and the opposing surface 114A side.

[0102] In the configuration examples shown in Figures 2 to 13 above, the movement of the tip-side rotating member 109 and the movement of the base-side rotating member 108 are restricted by the extension of the extension portion 102C to the rotating shaft 101. In contrast to this, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 15, the movement of two members cannot be restricted, but the movement of one member that moves in conjunction with the rotation axis 101 can be restricted. The support mechanism 100 of this embodiment is not limited to a configuration that restricts the movement of two members, and may be applied to a configuration that restricts the movement of one member.

[0103] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the support mechanism 100. In FIG. Although not shown, this configuration example also includes a first support portion 201 and a second support portion 202 that support the rotating shaft 101, similar to the configuration example shown in Fig. 11. Also, a third support portion 205 and a fourth support portion 206 that support the cylindrical body 121 are provided. In this configuration shown in FIG. 16, a first support member 117A to a fourth support member 117D are also provided. In this configuration example, all of the support members 117 are located closer to the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101 than the inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121. In this configuration example, the entire portion of each of the support members 117 is located between the inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121 and the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotating shaft 101.

[0104] In the configuration example described above, as shown in FIG. 10, the portions of support member 117 other than portion 117Y are provided closer to 121G of cylindrical body 121 than inner circumferential surface 121N of cylindrical body 121. In contrast to this, in the configuration shown in FIG. 16, the entire support member 117 is provided closer to the outer circumferential surface 101G of the rotary shaft 101 than the inner circumferential surface 121N. In this configuration example shown in FIG. 16, the cylindrical body 121 is not provided with the through-hole 121A or the notch 122 described above.

[0105] In this configuration example, when the advancing portion 102C advances toward the rotation shaft 101, the advancing portion 102C is pressed against the outer peripheral surface 121G of the cylindrical body 121. In this case, the load from the protruding portion 102C is transmitted to the rotating shaft 101 via the cylindrical body 121 and the support member 117. Specifically, in this configuration example shown in FIG. 16, the load from the protruding portion 102C is transmitted to the rotating shaft 101 via the cylindrical body 121, the third support member 117C, and the fourth support member 117D.

[0106] This also restricts the rotation of the rotary shaft 101. In other words, also in this case, braking is applied to the rotary shaft 101. Accordingly, the swing of the tip-end side rotary member 109 (see FIG. 3) is restricted. Furthermore, in this case, the rotation of the cylindrical body 121 is also restricted, and the swinging of the base side rotation member 108 (see FIG. 3) is also restricted. In this configuration example, the cylindrical body 121 is sandwiched between the third support member 117C, the fourth support member 117D, and the protruding portion 102C, thereby restricting the rotation of the cylindrical body 121. When installing the support member 117, as shown in FIG. 16, the support member 117 may be arranged only inside the inner circumferential surface 121N of the cylindrical body 121.

[0107] Although four support members 117 are provided in FIG. 16, a single annular member may be disposed as the support member 117 instead of the four support members 117. In this case, the rotating shaft 101 and this one annular member are arranged coaxially. Also, in this case, the rotating shaft 101 is passed through this one annular member. When this single annular member is disposed, the load from the protruding portion 102C is transmitted to the rotating shaft 101 via the cylindrical body 121 and this single annular member.

[0108] In this configuration example shown in FIG. 16, the rotary shaft 101 is no longer supported from the opposing surface 114A side. The rotating shaft 101 can be braked even if the rotating shaft 101 is not supported from the opposing surface 114A side. The rotating shaft 101 can be braked only by the load acting from the advancing portion 102C side. It is more preferable that the rotating shaft 101 is supported from the opposing surface 114A side. However, the rotating shaft 101 can be braked only by the load from the advancing portion 102C side without being supported from the opposing surface 114A side.

[0109] Here, even in the configuration shown in FIG. 9, if the dimension L1 of the support member 117 is small, the rotary shaft 101 will not be supported from the opposing surface 114A side. The dimension L1 of the support member 117 may be made small, in which case the rotation shaft 101 will not be supported from the opposing surface 114A side. If the dimension L1 of the support member 117 is small, the first support member 117A and the second support member 117B are not pressed against the opposing surface 114A when the advancing portion 102C advances, and in this case, the rotating shaft 101 is not supported from the opposing surface 114A side. In this embodiment, even if the rotating shaft 101 is not supported from the opposing surface 114A side, a load from the advancing portion 102C side acts on the rotating shaft 101. As a result, the rotating shaft 101 is braked. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1... medical chair, 30... head support portion, 101... rotation shaft, 101G... outer peripheral surface, 102C... extension portion, 114A... opposing surface, 117... support member, 121... cylindrical body, 123... gap, 201... first support portion, 202... second support portion

Claims

1. a rotating shaft interlocked with a patient support part that supports a part of the patient's body, the rotating shaft being disposed apart from an opposing surface that is a surface located at an opposing portion of an outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft with a gap formed between the opposing surface and the rotating shaft; an extending portion that is disposed on the opposite side of the opposing surface with the rotation shaft therebetween and extends from a position away from the outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft toward the outer circumferential surface; a support member that is disposed in the gap between the rotating shaft and the opposing surface and supports the rotating shaft, and receives a load from the protruding portion; A medical device comprising:

2. a size of the support member in the radial direction of the rotating shaft is smaller than a size of the gap in the radial direction of the rotating shaft; The medical device according to claim 1 .

3. A plurality of the support members are provided, and the support members are provided at different positions in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft. The medical device according to claim 1 .

4. When the rotary shaft receives the load from the protruding portion, the support member is pressed by the rotary shaft and the opposing surface, and the support member is fixed to the rotary shaft and the opposing surface, The fixed support member restricts movement of a member partly disposed within the gap. The medical device according to claim 1 .

5. a cylindrical body is further provided, the cylindrical body being arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and outward of the rotation axis, the cylindrical body having a portion located within the gap and rotating in a circumferential direction in response to movement of the patient support section; The fixed support member restricts the circumferential rotation of the cylindrical body, a portion of which is disposed within the gap. The medical device according to claim 4.

6. a wall thickness of the portion of the cylindrical body is smaller than the size of the gap in the radial direction of the rotating shaft; The medical device according to claim 5.

7. the support member receives a force from the cylindrical body as the cylindrical body rotates and moves in the rotation direction of the cylindrical body; A plurality of the support members are provided, and are arranged at different positions in the rotation direction of the cylindrical body. The medical device according to claim 5.

8. a first support portion that supports the rotation shaft; and a second support portion that supports the rotation shaft, the second support portion being located at a different position from the first support portion in an axial direction of the rotation shaft; the gap and the support member are located between the first support portion and the second support portion in the axial direction of the rotation shaft, a length in the axial direction of a contact area where the first support portion and the rotating shaft come into contact is smaller than a length in the axial direction of a contact area where the support member and the rotating shaft come into contact, a length in the axial direction of a contact area where the second support portion and the rotating shaft come into contact with each other is shorter than a length in the axial direction of the contact area where the support member and the rotating shaft come into contact with each other; The medical device according to claim 1 .

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