Human-powered vehicle operated by levers

Abstract

This invention aims to eliminate or mitigate the inconveniences associated with handrims in human-powered vehicles, such as wheelchairs, where a person sits and rides. [Solution] By combining one of the following: small-diameter wheels, lever-driven operation, a structure that allows either the left or right wheel to be driven independently with one hand, a folding structure that takes advantage of the small diameter of the wheels, or a mechanism that drives the wheels using leg power, an easy-to-use human-powered vehicle is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a human-powered vehicle in which a person rides in a sitting position.

Background Art

[0002] In a human-powered vehicle in which a person rides in a sitting position, typified by a wheelchair, at present, generally, ring-shaped parts called handrims are attached to the left and right wheels respectively. By operating the handrims with both hands, the rider can realize forward movement, backward movement, turning, etc.

[0003] The handrim has a large diameter so that it can be reached by the rider's hand. Specifically, by making the diameter larger than the distance from the floor surface to the seat surface, it is possible to rotate the handrim with the hand. And the diameter of the wheel is set slightly larger than the diameter of the handrim so that the handrim does not contact the floor surface.

[0004] Therefore, the left and right sides of the seat surface are surrounded by the wheels and the handrims. When transferring to a bed or the like, it imposes a great burden on the rider. For example, in the case of a rider with lower body accompaniment, it is necessary to move the waist from the wheelchair to the bed while supporting the weight with the hands, but the waist hits the wheels and handrims existing between the seat surface and the bed, making smooth transfer difficult.

[0005] In addition, since the left and right handrims and wheels need to be operated with the left and right hands respectively, when the rider has an injury in one hand or is holding a drink, a smartphone, etc. in one hand, it cannot be operated. Or, there is an inconvenience that the left and right handrims are alternately operated with one hand.

[0006] Furthermore, when folding, it is common to reduce the width of the vehicle by folding the seat surface and the seat back, and it is difficult to improve the sitting comfort.

[0007] When used outdoors, problems such as the handrims slipping in rainy weather and the poncho getting caught in the large-diameter wheels are likely to occur, and mud and dust from the ground may adhere to the wheels, potentially soiling your arms and clothes.

[0008] Furthermore, since the wheel and handrim have almost the same diameter, the amount of arm movement and the amount of vehicle movement are almost the same. If you move your arm 10 cm, the vehicle will move about 10 cm as well. To move quickly, you need to move your hands quickly, and on inclines, a lot of force is required. Also, the action of generating friction by gripping the handrim and rotating it puts a strain on the wrist.

[0009] To address the above problems, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a configuration in which the wheels are driven by a lever. This eliminates problems such as the strain on the wrist associated with the handrims and the slipperiness of the handrims in rainy weather outdoors, but it does not resolve other problems.

[0010] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 proposes a wheelchair that can be operated with one hand. This wheelchair has a double structure on each handrim, with an outer and inner circumference, and the inner handrim can drive the wheel on the opposite side relative to the rider. This solves the inconveniences that arise when the rider has an injury to one hand or is holding a drink or smartphone in one hand, but it does not solve other problems.

[0011] Patent Document 3 proposes a three-wheeled, foot-powered wheelchair that can be operated with one hand and one leg, but it cannot be folded. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] US8087684B2

[0013] [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6853546

[0014]

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

[0015] The present invention provides a system that can eliminate or reduce all the problems mentioned above.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side view. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of the driving part. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a structural diagram near the driving gear. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view including the center line of the drive shaft, showing the state of the drive shaft seen from the rear. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of the brake lever. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the process of transition from the riding state to the folded state. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a side view of an embodiment having a mechanism for driving the wheels with leg power. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a front view of an embodiment having a mechanism for driving the wheels with leg power. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a rear view of an embodiment having a mechanism for driving the wheels with leg power. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Figure 10. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of Figure 11. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of Figure 10.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] According to the present embodiment shown below, the effect of eliminating or reducing the above problems can be obtained.

Example

[0018] An example will be described that combines a small-diameter wheel, drive by a lever, a shaft structure that can independently drive both the left and right wheels with a single lever, and a folding structure that takes advantage of the small diameter of the wheels.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a side view of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the device of the present invention, showing the positional relationship of the main components. 1 represents a frame, 2 represents a wheel, 3 represents a caster, 4 represents a seat surface, 5 represents a seat back, 6 represents a drive lever, 7 represents a drive shaft, and 8 represents a brake lever. In this example, following a general wheelchair, wheels are arranged at the rear and casters are arranged at the front, but it is also possible to arrange wheels at the front. FIG. 1 shows the state where the drive lever 6 is raised upward. The passenger moves by moving the drive lever 6 while operating the brake lever 8 as described later. The drive lever 6 can be lowered to a position sufficiently lower than the seat surface 4, and the diameter of the wheel 2 is sufficiently smaller than the distance from the seat surface 4 to the floor surface, so that the drive lever 6 and the wheel 2 do not cause inconvenience during transfer to a bed or the like.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a structural view of the drive part. The passenger sits on the seat 4 and rotates the drive gear 9 by moving the drive lever 6 while holding the brake lever 8 attached to the drive lever 6, and transmits power to the wheel gear 23 connected to it by a chain to drive the wheel 2. Here, in many situations of operation, the brake lever performs an on-off operation that should be called a clutch lever, but for simplicity of expression, it is unified under the name of the brake lever.

[0021] FIGS. 4 and 5 show the structure near the drive gear 9. Four brake calipers 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d are arranged so as to sandwich the brake disks 11a and 11b. Hereinafter, when there is no need to specify individually, they are collectively referred to as the brake caliper 10 and the brake disk 11. In Figure 4, the brake caliper is mounted on the drive shafts 13 and 14 by the caliper lever 12 and is operated by a wire or the like from the brake lever 8. That is, when the rider squeezes the brake lever 8, the brake caliper 10 clamps the brake disc 11 and operates as a brake or clutch. Figure 5 shows the drive shaft section viewed from the rear, and a cross-sectional view including the center line of the drive shaft. The drive gear 9 is connected to the brake disc 11 by a drive case 16, which is mounted to the frame pipe 15 via a bearing 17. The drive shafts 13 and 14 have a double structure, with drive shaft 14 mounted inside the frame pipe 15 via a bushing or bearing. Furthermore, drive shaft 13 is mounted inside drive shaft 14 via a bushing or bearing. Drive shafts 13 and 14 are fitted with drive levers 6 and brake caliper levers 12. The inner drive shaft 13 is fitted with drive lever 6 and brake calipers 10a and 10d for the rider's left hand. Similarly, the outer drive shaft 14 is fitted with drive lever 6 and brake calipers 10b and 10c for the rider's right hand.

[0022] Figure 6 shows the structure of the brake lever. In this embodiment, two brake levers 8a (closer to the drive shaft) and 8b (towards the tip of the drive lever) are attached to a single drive lever 6 via lever pins 18, and the wires connected to wire holders 19a and 19b can be operated with one hand. When moving forward, the brake lever is operated by pushing it, so it can be easily operated even with little grip strength. In this embodiment, there is one drive lever 6 on the rider's right side and one on their left side, so there are four brake levers. The connections between each part are summarized as follows. Left-hand drive lever 6; brake lever 8a; brake caliper 10a (left wheel) Left-hand drive lever 6; brake lever 8b; brake caliper 10d (right-hand wheel) Right-hand drive lever 6; brake lever 8a; brake caliper 10c (right-side wheel) Right-hand drive lever 6; brake lever 8b; brake caliper 10b (left wheel)

[0023] Therefore, if the rider grips the brake lever 8a on the left side and moves the drive lever 6 forward, the left wheel 2 will rotate in the forward direction. When the rider grips the brake lever 8b on the left side and moves the drive lever 6 forward, the right wheel 2 rotates in the forward direction. By simultaneously gripping the brake bar 8a and brake lever 8b while moving the drive lever 6 on the left side forward, both wheels 2 will rotate simultaneously in the forward direction. The same operation is possible with the drive lever 6 and brake levers 8a and 8b on the right side, and therefore, the left and right wheels can be driven independently with either the left or right hand.

[0024] By appropriately setting the gear ratio between the drive gear 9 and the gear 23 mounted on the wheel, a user-friendly driving force and speed can be obtained. Alternatively, by adopting an internal gear mechanism similar to that used in bicycles, it becomes possible to change the gear ratio while riding.

[0025] Figure 7 shows the transition process from the riding position to the folded position. The rear end of the seat cushion 4 slides upward from below as the rear frame 20, which holds the rear wheel and the seat back, slides upward. Simultaneously, the front frame 21, which connects the area near the front of the seat cushion to the area near the rear wheel, slides from the front end to the rear end of the seat cushion at the connection point with the seat cushion 4. As a result, by manually pulling up the rear end 22 of the seat cushion, the seat can be folded into the state shown in Figure 7. In this folding process, the seat cushion 4 and seat back 5 maintain their original shapes, allowing for seating improvements such as adding cushioning material to suit the passenger.

[0026] From here, we will describe an embodiment that combines the above embodiment with a mechanism that drives the wheels using leg power.

[0027] Figure 8 is a side view, Figure 9 is a front view, and Figure 10 is a rear view, showing the positional relationships of the main components. 24 is a slider for guiding the legs, and 25 is a shaft for driving the rear wheels. Both the slider 24 and the shaft 25 have independent structures for the right and left legs, respectively.

[0028] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 10, showing the rear wheel drive structure. The drive gear 9, driven by a hand-operated drive lever, the wheel gear 23, and the foot-operated drive gear 26 are connected by a chain 37. This structure is the same for both the left and right wheels.

[0029] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the CC section of Figure 11, showing the structure near the drive gear 26. The drive gear 26 is coupled to the shaft 25. The case 30 holds the shaft 25 via two bearings 29. The drive gear 27 transmits power to the shaft 25 via a one-way clutch 28. This structure is the same for both the left and right wheels.

[0030] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom bracket (BB) of Figure 10, showing the structure in which the drive gear 27 is driven by leg power. The pedal 31 is guided by a slider 24 and can move to positions A, B, and C. The pedal 31 is connected to a chain 35 via ropes 32, links 33 and 34. The chain 35 is pulled by a spring 36 attached to the vehicle frame at one end. This structure is the same for both the left and right wheels.

[0031] Because the chain 35 is pulled by the spring 36, when the rider is not applying force to the pedal 31, the pedal 31, rope 32, link 33, link 34, and chain 35 are in "position C". Links 33 and 34 are not shaped to mesh with the drive gear 27, and the gear tip of the drive gear 27 can slip inside links 33 and 34. Therefore, in "position C", the vehicle can move freely forward and backward by inertia.

[0032] When the rider begins to apply force to the pedal 31, the vehicle enters "Position B" and the chain 35 engages with the drive gear 27. As the pedal moves further and the vehicle transitions to "Position A," the chain 35 rotates the drive gear 27, which in turn rotates the drive gear 26 via the one-way clutch 28 and shaft 25 shown in Figure 12. The wheel gear 23 rotates via the chain 37 shown in Figure 11, causing the vehicle to move forward.

[0033] When the rider releases the force applied to pedal 31, the action of spring 36 causes pedal 31, rope 32, link 33, link 34, and chain 35 to move to "position B". At this time, the one-way clutch 28 slips, allowing the vehicle to continue moving forward by inertia.

[0034] If the state of "position A" and "position B" is repeated with the right foot, the vehicle will turn left. Similarly, if the state is repeated with the left foot, it will turn right, and if both feet are used simultaneously or alternately, the vehicle will move straight. In position C, moving the drive lever 6 by hand allows for forward and backward movement using hand force.

[0035] Since the slider 24 is positioned along the frame member that holds the front wheel, it can be folded in the same way as shown in Figure 7.

[0036] While the above embodiment envisions a replacement for a conventional wheelchair, the present invention is also applicable to other human-powered vehicles, such as so-called handbikes. Furthermore, it is effective in combination with electric assist systems. [Industrial applicability]

[0037] This invention can be implemented using existing processing technologies and parts from bicycles and the like, and can solve or alleviate many of the problems with current, conventional wheelchairs. Furthermore, it can be applied not only to wheelchairs but also to more general human-powered vehicles. This could improve the quality of life for passengers and open up possibilities for sports and entertainment. Furthermore, it has the potential to become a useful tool for able-bodied individuals in their daily lives, which is expected to contribute to greater accessibility and mental well-being.

Claims

1. A human-powered vehicle characterized by having wheels located on the left and right sides, drive levers located on the left and right sides for driving the wheels by hand, drive gears connected to the drive levers, a power transmission device such as a belt or chain for transmitting power from the drive gears to the wheels, a shaft connected to the drive levers that passes through the left and right sides of the vehicle, a pipe-shaped shaft coaxially with it that also passes through the left and right sides of the vehicle, and a mechanism that can individually switch between transmitting and not transmitting driving force to the wheel on the side of the drive lever and the wheel on the opposite side of the drive lever.

2. A human-powered vehicle characterized by having rear wheels located on the left and right, drive levers located on the left and right for driving the rear wheels by hand, drive gears connected to the drive levers, a power transmission device such as a belt or chain for transmitting power from the drive gears to the rear wheels, front wheels, a seat surface, a seat back, a rear frame that holds the rear wheels and the seat back, a front frame that connects the area near the front of the seat surface to the area near the rear wheels, and a bottom frame that holds the front wheels and connects the area near the rear end of the seat surface and is connected to the front frame near their respective centers, wherein the area near the rear end of the seat surface and the seat surface slide from bottom to top while in contact with the rear frame, and at the same time, the area near the connection point of the front frame to the seat surface slides from the area near the front end of the seat surface towards the rear end while in contact with the seat surface, thereby enabling it to transition to a folded state.

3. A human-powered vehicle characterized by having rear wheels located on the left and right, drive levers located on the left and right for driving the rear wheels by hand, drive gears connected to the drive levers, a power transmission device such as a belt or chain for transmitting power from the drive gears to the rear wheels, a shaft connected to the drive levers that passes through the left and right sides of the vehicle, a pipe-shaped shaft coaxially passing through the left and right sides of the vehicle, a mechanism that can individually switch between transmitting and not transmitting driving force to the rear wheel on the drive lever side and the rear wheel on the opposite side of the drive lever, a front wheel, a seat surface, a seat back, a rear frame that holds the rear wheels and the seat back, a front frame that connects the area near the front of the seat surface to the area near the rear wheels, and a bottom frame that holds the front wheel and connects the area near the rear end of the seat surface and is connected to the front frame near their respective centers, wherein the area near the rear end of the seat surface and the rear end of the bottom frame slide from bottom to top while in contact with the rear frame, and at the same time the area near the connection of the front frame to the seat surface slides from the area near the front end of the seat surface towards the rear end while in contact with the seat surface, thereby enabling it to transition to a folded state.

4. A human-powered vehicle according to claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3, having a power transmission mechanism capable of driving at least one wheel with the force of one or both legs.

5. A human-powered vehicle according to claim 4, having a slider as a power transmission mechanism capable of driving at least one wheel with the force of one or both legs.

Images