stretcher

Abstract

To provide a lightweight, portable stretcher that can be immediately floated and used as a stretcher when needed, even in flood-stricken areas. [Solution] A foldable and portable stretcher (1) comprising a detachable upper sheet (10) and a lower sheet (20), wherein the upper body (11) of the upper sheet and the lower body (21) of the lower sheet are integrally constructed by sewing together a synthetic resin foam plate material (14, 24a, 24b) that floats on water between the outer fabric (12, 22) and the inner fabric (13, 23), the lower body having a synthetic resin foam plate material that is thicker than the upper body and having multiple handle parts (27) protruding from both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction, and the upper sheet has multiple handle parts (17) attached to the inside of both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction on the back surface of the upper body, which can be used to lift the upper sheet when the lower sheet is removed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a foldable, lightweight, and portable stretcher for carrying a person in need of rescue, and more particularly to a stretcher that can be carried while floating on water.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, natural disasters have occurred frequently in various places. For carrying a person in need of rescue from a disaster site where vehicles cannot enter to an ambulance or the like, a foldable, lightweight, portable stretcher is used. On the other hand, floods also occur along with natural disasters, and there are many cases where transportation must be carried out while the road is in a flooded state.

[0003] Therefore, several things that can be used as stretchers in flood sites have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a floating, connectable universal mat that can also be used as a stretcher in a flood site. This is a mat body formed by storing two foamed resin plates with a scratch-proof sheet attached to the surface of a foamed resin body such as styrene foam in a freely foldable mat cover, temporarily fixing them with a fixing tape, and connecting the mat bodies to each other with a connecting part such as a buckle or a connecting string, and it can be carried by a handle provided on the side of the mat cover.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a simple life-saving float made of a water-permeable fabric formed in a bag shape that can be used as a stretcher and can carry evacuees. In the folded state of the fabric, a required number of buoyancy bodies are stored inside, and at the time of use, the buoyancy bodies are put into the bag shape of the fabric converted to the unfolded state, and an insertion material is inserted as an aggregate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] However, with the multi-purpose mat described in Patent Document 1, when using it as a stretcher, it was necessary to first create multiple mat bodies by placing two foamed resin plates inside the mat cover and temporarily securing them with fixing tape, and then connect these mats to each other with connecting parts or connecting strings. This process required a complicated amount of time and effort before the stretcher form was completed.

[0007] Furthermore, even with the simple lifebuoy described in Patent Document 2, creating a stretcher required a complicated and time-consuming process, such as inserting a buoyancy device into the unfolded fabric and then inserting structural members.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a portable stretcher that can be immediately floated and used as a stretcher when needed, even in flood-stricken areas, and that is lightweight and easy to carry. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the stretcher according to claim 1, for example as shown in Figures 1 to 2, comprises an upper sheet on which a person to be transported is placed and a lower sheet that is detachably placed underneath it, and is a foldable and portable stretcher, wherein the upper sheet comprises a substantially rectangular upper body integrally formed by sewing together a synthetic resin outer fabric and a synthetic resin inner fabric with a synthetic resin foam plate material that has buoyancy and flexibility in water between them, and the lower sheet comprises a synthetic resin outer fabric and an inner fabric with the synthetic resin of the upper sheet between them The upper sheet is constructed integrally by sewing together a thicker sheet of the same type of synthetic resin foam material with a resin foam sheet in between, and comprises a lower body having substantially the same shape as the upper body, and multiple handles protruding from both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction of the lower body, wherein the upper sheet is characterized in that multiple handles for lifting by a transporter when the lower sheet is removed are attached to the inside of both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction of the back surface of the upper body, and also attached to the inside of the back surface of at least one side in the short direction.

[0010] According to the stretcher described in claim 1 of the present invention, a lower sheet, which contains a thicker synthetic resin foam sheet of the same type as the upper sheet and has a larger thickness, is placed on top of the upper sheet, which contains a synthetic resin foam sheet of the same type and has a larger thickness. This adds further buoyancy to the upper sheet on which the person being transported is placed. As a result, the buoyancy of the stretcher carrying the person to be rescued in a flooded area becomes more stable, and the process of transporting the stretcher on the water by holding the handles becomes smoother.

[0011] Furthermore, once the patient reaches an ambulance or other vehicle on land, the lower sheet can be removed, and the upper sheet alone can be carried by holding the handle on the underside of the upper sheet, making it easy to transfer the patient to a stretcher or bed.

[0012] Furthermore, since the synthetic resin foam plates contained within the upper and lower sheets of the present invention are lightweight and flexible, both sheets can be folded and compacted to a certain extent when not in use, making them easy to carry and allowing multiple units to be transported to disaster sites.

[0013] The stretcher according to claim 2 is characterized in that, as shown in Figures 2, 5, and 8, for example, the upper sheet is divided into five sections by two seams sewn together along the longitudinal direction on both the left and right sides of the central region in the short direction, which divide the upper body into a central block of the central region, two rod-shaped blocks on both the left and right sides of the central block, and left and right outer edge blocks. On both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction of the upper body, there are multiple pairs of fixing belts that are releasably joined to each other and connect the left and right outer edge blocks, with the left and right outer edge blocks folded upward so as to wrap around the person being transported placed on the central block with the seams as folds.

[0014] According to the stretcher described in claim 2 of the present invention, the upper body has seams that separate the central block, the two rod-shaped blocks on its left and right sides, and the outer edge blocks on the left and right sides, which also form folds. By folding the outer edge blocks on the left and right sides upward and lifting them so as to cover the person being transported who is placed on the central block, the stretcher can be made to wrap around the person being transported.

[0015] Then, by folding the edge blocks to enclose the person being transported and joining the multiple pairs of fixing belts protruding from both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction, the person being transported can be secured in this wrapped state. Therefore, the person being transported can be transported in a more stable position, and even if waves are generated when the transporter walks in the water during water transport, it is possible to prevent the waves and spray from reaching the person being transported.

[0016] For joining such fixing belts, a simple structure that allows for one-touch fastening and release is desirable. The simplest option is hook-and-loop fasteners. For example, one side of the hook-and-loop fastener is attached to one side of the pair of fixing belts, and the other side is attached to the other side of the hook-and-loop fastener.

[0017] Furthermore, it is best to join these securing belts together in the head-side area of ​​the upper body where the upper body of the person being transported is placed and which has a relatively wide area. In the leg-side area where the legs of the person being transported are placed, joining the securing belts together may result in them becoming too loose.

[0018] Therefore, in this leg-side region, a fixing belt with one of the hook tape and one of the loop tape attached to one side of both the left and right edges may be provided, and the other of the hook tape and loop tape may be attached to the back surface of the upper body on the corresponding other side. In this case, since the tip of one fixing belt is directly joined to the back surface of the upper body on the other side, the fixing width becomes narrow to the width of one fixing belt, so the legs of the person being transported can also be wrapped around well.

[0019] The stretcher according to claim 3 is characterized in that, for example as shown in Figure 5, the central block of the upper body has a reinforcing thin plate made of synthetic resin which is more rigid than the synthetic resin foam plate which is embedded inside.

[0020] According to the stretcher described in claim 3 of the present invention, a highly rigid reinforcing thin plate is superimposed on the synthetic resin foam plate material contained within the central block of the upper body, i.e., the area on which the person being transported is directly placed. This provides a reinforcing effect that suppresses the tendency for the synthetic resin foam plate material to bend and deform under the load of the person being transported, which is due to the high flexibility of the material.

[0021] Therefore, even when the left and right outer edge blocks are bent upward to wrap the person being carried, the central block itself can be prevented from bending, so that the entire upper body can be prevented from being rolled up and becoming easy to roll. Further, due to the reinforcing effect of this central block, the conveyance state can be stabilized by only the upper sheet from which the lower sheet has been separated.

[0022] In addition, it is preferable to provide such a thin plate with high rigidity to the left and right rod-shaped blocks as well, because further stabilization of the conveyance state can be achieved by the reinforcing effect. Even when the rod-shaped blocks are reinforced in this way, the rod-shaped blocks themselves can be bent along the seams, so when the left and right outer edge blocks are bent upward, they will follow and be bent appropriately without hindering the wrapping of the person being carried.

[0023] The stretcher according to the invention described in claim 4, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the synthetic resin foam sheet material enclosed in each main body of the upper sheet and the lower sheet is a polyolefin foam having a closed-cell structure, and the reinforcing thin plate is made of polyethylene.

[0024] As the synthetic resin foam sheet material in the present invention, firstly, it has buoyancy with respect to water, but by also having flexibility, it is easy to carry in the folded state of the stretcher and only needs to be unfolded during use. A polyolefin foam having a closed-cell structure particularly meets this purpose.

[0025] In addition, the synthetic resin thin plate laminated to reinforce the synthetic resin foam sheet material is intended to prevent the synthetic resin foam sheet material from being bent too much, but it is desired to have a rigidity such that it is not too hard and does not lose flexibility. If it is too hard, the placement state of the person being carried may become unstable. A thin plate made of polyethylene, for example, about 1 to 2 mm thick, meets these purposes and is suitable.

[0026] According to the stretcher described in claim 4 of the present invention, by using such a synthetic resin foam, namely a polyolefin foam having a closed-cell structure, lightweight and flexibility can be obtained together with buoyancy. Specifically, it is preferable to use PEF (registered trademark), which is generally widely used as a heat insulating material. This is an electron beam crosslinked polyolefin foam with a 100% closed-cell structure, which is optimal because it is lightweight, non-water-absorbent, flexible, has good resilience, and is easy to mold.

[0027] As a reinforcing material that is laid on such soft PEF (registered trademark) to suppress its bending deformation, by using a polyethylene-made one, while having higher rigidity than PEF (registered trademark), it also has flexibility. Therefore, the upper sheet can be folded and can also be shifted to the unfolded state in a short time.

[0028] In addition, as the synthetic resin-made surface fabric and back fabric that respectively constitute the upper sheet and the lower sheet of the present invention, any material that is strong against rubbing and the like and is not easily damaged may be used, but a cheaper one is desirable. For example, soft polyvinyl chloride is suitable because it has relatively high tensile strength, flexibility, excellent light resistance and water resistance, and high electrical insulation while being inexpensive. Also, because it is easy to color, there is an advantage that eye-catching colors suitable for a stretcher as a first-aid member can be appropriately selected for the upper side and the lower side.

[0029] Also, as a constituent member of the handle part, for the hand-held conveyance of the stretcher, a member that is strong against friction and impact is used. General commercially available materials can be adopted. For example, a nylon flat belt can be mentioned. This is a belt material that is strong against friction and impact, has excellent heat resistance, and is inexpensive and easy to obtain, and is also desirable as a handle for the stretcher of the present invention.

[0030] The stretcher according to claim 5 is characterized in that, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, for example, the lower sheet is divided into a central region along the longitudinal direction in which the synthetic resin foam plate material is contained, and left and right edge regions on both sides of the central region in which the synthetic resin foam plate material is not present, and the left and right edge regions are formed by being surrounded by the outer fabric and the inner fabric, respectively, and have a cylindrical portion in which a buoyancy body having buoyancy in water can be inserted and removed.

[0031] According to the stretcher described in claim 5 of the present invention, the left and right edge regions partitioned in the lower body of the lower sheet do not contain a synthetic resin foam plate material, but are simply tubular sections where the outer fabric and inner fabric are overlapped. Therefore, by simply inserting another buoyancy material into the space created by spreading out the outer and inner fabrics of this tubular section, further buoyancy can be provided to the edges of the lower sheet. This makes water transport easier.

[0032] The buoyancy material stored in this cylindrical section can be anything that is easy to handle and floats on water, and can even be something readily available in the surrounding area. For example, if there is a large piece of foamed steel, such as cushioning material, it can be cut to an appropriate size and placed inside the cylindrical section.

[0033] Furthermore, if the lid is sealed, it is also convenient to use an empty commercially available PET bottle for beverages. In this case, the inner diameter of the cylindrical part can be determined in advance, assuming the use of the most commonly sold 500ml beverage PET bottle. For example, commercially available 500ml beverage PET bottles generally have a height of about 20cm and an outer diameter in the range of 6.5 to 7.0cm. Therefore, it is preferable to set the inner diameter of the cylindrical part to be slightly larger than 7.0cm, that is, to set the inner width of the left and right edge regions when the cylindrical part is closed to be slightly larger than 22cm.

[0034] Furthermore, it is preferable that the cylindrical section be configured so that the front and rear openings can be closed after the buoyancy material is stored inside, to prevent the buoyancy material from spilling out. For example, it is convenient to attach hook-and-loop fasteners to the inside top and bottom of the front and rear openings, that is, to the inside of the outer fabric and inner fabric, respectively.

[0035] Furthermore, the division between the central region of the lower body and the left and right edge regions can be easily achieved by sewing the outer fabric and the inner fabric together with a seam along the longitudinal direction at a predetermined position. Such a seam can also be used as a fold when folding the garment.

[0036] The stretcher according to claim 6 is characterized in that, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, the lower body of the lower sheet has rod-shaped arrangements of synthetic resin foam material having a thickness greater than the synthetic resin foam material inside it on both the left and right sides along the longitudinal direction of the central region.

[0037] According to the stretcher described in claim 6 of the present invention, the central area on which the body of the person being transported actually rests via the upper sheet has a concave cross-sectional shape due to the thicker, rod-shaped left and right sides and their inner sides. Therefore, the central area of ​​the upper sheet also conforms to the concave portion of the lower sheet, and the body of the person being transported fits into this concave portion and is less likely to roll from side to side, thus maintaining a more stable position. This avoids the risk of sliding into the water, especially during transport on water.

[0038] Furthermore, in the stretcher of the present invention, the upper sheet and the lower sheet are detachably stacked on top of each other. It is desirable to have a means for attaching and detaching the sheets so that they are firmly adhered to each other to a certain extent when stacked, while also being able to be easily separated. Therefore, as such an attachment and detachment means, hook-and-loop fasteners that can be joined and released with a simple one-touch operation are suitable.

[0039] For example, if one of the hook tape and loop tape that make up the hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the back surface of the upper body, and the other of the hook tape and loop tape is attached to the surface of the lower body where it matches the hook-and-loop fastener on the upper body, then by overlapping the upper sheet and the lower sheet and pressing them together, the two sheets can be joined together with the hook-and-loop fastener, and the two sheets can be easily separated by simply pulling them apart.

[0040] Furthermore, by adding a hook-and-loop fastener connection, a more secure connection between the upper and lower sheets can be achieved. For example, a separate connecting belt can be attached to the shorter side of the lower body, with one of the hook tape and loop tape attached to its tip, and the other of the hook tape and loop tape attached to the upper surface of the upper body that the tip reaches when it is lifted and placed over the lower sheet. This allows the upper sheet to be joined simply by lifting the connecting belt with the upper sheet on top and pressing the tip against the corresponding position on the upper surface of the upper body, and the joint can be released simply by peeling off the tip. [Effects of the Invention]

[0041] As described above, the stretcher according to the present invention has an upper sheet containing a synthetic resin foam sheet that floats on water, and a lower sheet containing a thicker synthetic resin foam sheet underneath it. This adds further buoyancy to the upper sheet on which the person being transported is placed, resulting in a more stable floating state of the stretcher carrying the person in need of rescue even in flooded areas, and enabling smoother transport of the stretcher on water. Furthermore, once the person reaches an emergency vehicle on land, the lower sheet can be removed and the upper sheet alone can be transported, making it easy to transfer them to a stretcher or bed.

[0042] Furthermore, since the synthetic resin foam plates contained within the upper and lower sheets of the present invention are lightweight and flexible, both sheets can be folded and compacted to a certain extent when not in use, making them easy to carry and allowing multiple units to be transported to disaster sites. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0043] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a stretcher according to one embodiment of the present invention with the upper sheet and lower sheet stacked on top of each other, where (a) is an overall perspective view and (b) is an overall side view. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the stretcher with the upper and lower sheets separated. [Figure 3] This is a bottom view of the lower sheet in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a bottom view of the upper sheet in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 2 shows cross-sectional views AA of the upper sheet, where (a) is a cross-sectional view spanning the entire width in the shorter direction, (b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area enclosed by circle F in (a), and (c) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area enclosed by circle H in (a). [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the BB of the lower sheet in Figure 2. [Figure 7] This is a partial perspective view showing the state in which the buoyancy bodies are inserted into the cylindrical portions provided in the left and right edge regions of the lower sheet in Figure 2. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the use of the upper sheet to wrap around the person being transported. (a) is a perspective view from the front showing the left and right outer edge blocks of the upper body folded upwards, (b) is a perspective view from the front showing the person being transported placed on the upper sheet of (a), and (c) is a perspective view from the side showing the state in (b) with the left and right fixing belts joined together. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0044] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0045] <Embodiment>

[0046] As one embodiment of the present invention, Figures 1 to 6 show a foldable and portable stretcher 1 used for transporting people on water at flood sites and the like. The stretcher in this embodiment consists of an upper sheet 10 on which the person being transported is placed and a lower sheet 20 that is detachably placed underneath it.

[0047] The upper sheet 10 has a roughly rectangular upper body 11 which is integrally constructed by sewing together a nylon (registered trademark) outer fabric 12 and inner fabric 13 with a synthetic resin foam board material (hereinafter also referred to as foam board material) 14 that has buoyancy and flexibility in water between them. In this embodiment, the upper body 11 is set to a width of approximately 80 cm and a length of approximately 170 cm, which is the minimum area that can support and transport an adult as a stretcher, without being too large, so that it can be easily carried.

[0048] Furthermore, the lower sheet 20 is also integrally constructed by sewing together a nylon (registered trademark) outer fabric 22 and inner fabric 23 with a synthetic resin foam plate material 24 of the same type as the upper body 11 sandwiched between them. The lower body 21 is substantially the same shape as the upper body 11, but slightly narrower in width. The lower body 21 has multiple handle portions 27 protruding from both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction, and two handle portions 28 protruding from the front and rear short sides, respectively.

[0049] In this embodiment, these handle portions (27, 28) are made of inexpensive nylon flat belts that are resistant to friction and impact. Specifically, a flat belt of an appropriate length is folded into a roughly U-shape, and both ends are sewn to the outer fabric 22 or the inner fabric 23, or both fabrics, at predetermined positions on the sides of the lower body 21 to form the handle portions. Furthermore, the handle portions 27 that protrude from both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction are covered with arc-shaped rubber covers G to provide additional strength.

[0050] In this embodiment, the synthetic resin foam enclosed in the upper body 11 and the lower body 21 is a polyolefin foam having a 100% closed-cell structure. In practice, commercially available PEF (registered trademark) was used. In this embodiment, the foam board material 14 contained in the upper body 11 is approximately 1 cm thick, and the foam board material 24 enclosed in the lower body 21 is thicker than the upper body 11. That is, the lower sheet 20, by overlapping, provides further buoyancy to the upper sheet 10.

[0051] Furthermore, the upper body 11 and the lower body 21 are divided into multiple blocks in the shorter direction. In this embodiment, this division is made by seams (N1, N2, N3) that sew the outer fabric (12, 22) and the inner fabric (13, 23) together. By dividing the material into such blocks, it is possible to prevent the foam board material (14, 24) from shifting or becoming uneven between the outer fabric (12, 22) and the inner fabric (13, 23).

[0052] The upper body 11 is divided into five sections by four seams N1 running along its longitudinal direction, as shown in Figure 5: a central block S1, two rod-shaped blocks on its left and right sides (S2a, S2b), and two outer edge blocks on the left and right sides (S3a, S3b).

[0053] Furthermore, two pairs of fixing belts (33a, 33b) are provided protruding from both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction of the upper body 11, in the head-side region. One of the paired fixing belts 33a has one loop tape Fl, which constitutes a hook-and-loop fastener, attached to its surface, while the other fixing belt 33b has the other hook tape Fh, which constitutes a hook-and-loop fastener, attached to its back surface.

[0054] Therefore, the upper sheet 10 can be folded upward along the seam N1, with the left and right outer edge blocks (S3a, S3b) of the upper body 11 being folded upward, as shown in Figure 8(a). Then, as shown in Figure 8(b), by placing the person to be transported 100 on the central block S1 and folding these edge blocks (S3a, S3b) upward and lifting them, the rod-shaped blocks (S2a, S2b) inside can follow, wrapping the person to be transported 100 from below.

[0055] Therefore, as shown in Figure 8(c), by joining the left and right fixing belts (33a, 33b) of each pair with hook-and-loop fasteners (loop tape Fl, hook tape Fh), the state in which the person being transported 100 is wrapped by the upper sheet 10 can be fixed. In this way, the person being transported 100 is wrapped upward from the back and both sides by the upper sheet 10, which further stabilizes the transport state. At the same time, it is possible to prevent waves and splashes generated when the transporter walks in the water during water transport from hitting the person being transported 100.

[0056] In this embodiment, two fixing belts 34, each with loop tape Fl attached to its surface, are provided protruding from one side of the leg-side region of the upper body 11, and a fixing tape 35, consisting of hook tape Fh, is attached to the back surface of the upper body 11 on the corresponding other side.

[0057] As a result, the leg-side region of the upper body 11 is directly joined to the back side of the longitudinal edge of the upper body 11 by the tip of the fixing belt 34. In other words, the edge blocks (S3a, S3b) that are bent upward can be connected over a narrow distance equal to the length of the fixing belt 34, so that the narrow leg portion of the transported person 100 can be wrapped securely without being too loose.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the central block S1 of the upper body 11 and the rod-shaped blocks (S2a, S2b) on its left and right sides are reinforced with polyethylene reinforcing sheets 15 that are more rigid than polyolefin foam and have a thickness of approximately 1 to 2 mm, on the lower surface of each foamed board material 14. By providing mechanical strength with these reinforcing sheets 15, even if the left and right edge blocks (S3a, S3b) are bent upward and lifted to wrap around the person being transported 100, the central block S1 will not bend and the entire sheet will not curl up, thus maintaining a stable transport state.

[0059] Furthermore, even when transporting using only the upper sheet 10 after separating the lower sheet 20, the deformation of the foamed board material 14 contained within the central block S1 of the upper body 11, where the load of the person being transported is most directly applied, can be suppressed, thereby further stabilizing the transport state.

[0060] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, the lower body 21 is divided in the short direction by two seams N2 along the long direction into a central region 25 containing foamed board material (24a, 24b) and left and right edge regions (26a, 26b) on both sides of the central region 25 where there is no foamed board material 24.

[0061] Furthermore, the central region 25 is divided into three parts by two inner seams N3: an inner block S21 containing foam board material (24a, 24b) that is thicker than the foam board material 14 of the upper main body 11; and two left and right rod-shaped blocks (S22a, S22b) on both sides, each containing foam board material 24b that is thicker than the foam board material 24a of the inner block S21. In this embodiment, the thickness of the inner block S21 is approximately 2 cm, and the thickness of the left and right rod-shaped blocks (S22a, S22b) is approximately 3 cm.

[0062] The lower body 21, having the above configuration, has greater buoyancy in water than the upper body 11, and by being placed under the upper sheet 10, it provides even more buoyancy, enabling stable transport of the stretcher 1 on water. At the same time, the central region 25 has a concave cross-sectional shape, as shown in Figure 6.

[0063] This cross-sectional shape causes the left and right rod-shaped blocks (S2a, S2b) of the upper body 11 to be pushed up by the rod-shaped blocks (S22a, S22b) of the lower body 21, conforming to the concave section. As a result, the body of the person being transported fits into this concave section, making it less likely to roll from side to side, thus maintaining a more stable placement. This, in particular, avoids the risk of sliding into the water during transport on water.

[0064] Furthermore, the left and right edge regions (26a, 26b) separated from the central region 25 of the lower body 21 do not contain foamed board material (24a, 24b), and are simply cylindrical sections C where the outer fabric 22 and the inner fabric 23 are overlapped. Therefore, by simply inserting another buoyancy material into the space created by spreading out the outer fabric 22 and the inner fabric 23 of this cylindrical section C, further buoyancy can be added to the edges of the lower sheet 10, making water transport easier.

[0065] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the cylindrical section C is configured so that its inner diameter is larger than 7.0 cm, allowing a commercially available 500 ml PET bottle P for beverages to be stored as a buoyancy aid. This makes it possible to insert a PET bottle P, which is easily available and can be handled simply even in flood-stricken areas, into the cylindrical section C, allowing the stretcher 1 to float more stably on water.

[0066] Furthermore, if the lid is sealed, it is also convenient to use an empty commercially available PET bottle for beverages. In this case, the inner diameter of the cylindrical part can be determined in advance, assuming the use of the most commonly sold 500ml beverage PET bottle. For example, commercially available 500ml beverage PET bottles generally have a height of about 20cm and an outer diameter in the range of 6.5 to 7.0cm. Therefore, the inner diameter of the cylindrical part was set to be slightly larger than 7.0cm.

[0067] Furthermore, the upper sheet 10 has two pairs of handles 17 made of nylon flat belts attached to the inside of both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction on the back surface of the upper body 11, and a handle 18 protruding from the inside of the back surface is also attached to one of the sides in the short direction. These handles (17, 18) allow the upper sheet 10 to be lifted by the transporter even when the lower sheet 20 is removed, so that after being transported by water and reaching an ambulance on land, the person being transported can be easily transferred to a stretcher or bed using only the upper sheet 10.

[0068] In this embodiment, it is desirable that the upper sheet 10 and the lower sheet 20 constituting the stretcher 1 be firmly adhered to each other to a certain extent when stacked, while also being easily separable. Therefore, in this embodiment, a hook-and-loop fastener that can be easily joined and released with a single touch is used as the means for attaching and detaching them.

[0069] Specifically, on the back surface of the upper body 11, one of the hook tapes Fh that constitute the hook-and-loop fastener is attached as a bonding tape 19 at two locations, front and back, in the central part, and on the surface of the lower body 21, a bonding tape 29 consisting of the other loop tape Fl that constitutes the hook-and-loop fastener is attached at two locations, front and back, in the central part, corresponding to the bonding tape 19.

[0070] Furthermore, connecting belts (30a, 30b) are provided protruding from the front and rear short sides of the lower body 21, and one of the hook tapes Fh that constitute the hook-and-loop fastener is attached to the surface of each belt. In addition, loop tapes Fl, which serve as another connecting tape 31, are attached to two locations on the front and rear of the central part of the surface of the upper body 11, at positions where the leading edges of the connecting belts (30a, 30b) of the lower body 21 reach when they are lifted and placed over the upper body 11.

[0071] Therefore, when using the upper sheet 10 and the lower sheet 20 in combination, pressing the two sheets together will join the joining tape 19 (hook tape Fh) on the back of the upper body 11 to the joining tape 29 (loop tape Fl) on the surface of the lower body 21. Furthermore, when the front and rear joining belts (30a, 30b) of the lower sheet 20 are lifted and placed over the surface of the upper body 11, the hook tapes Fh on each end will join to the joining tapes (31a, 31b) consisting of the front and rear loop tapes Fl on the surface of the upper body 11, respectively.

[0072] The above two-stage fastening process using hook-and-loop fasteners ensures good adhesion between the upper body 11 and the lower body 21. When using the upper sheet 10 alone, the sheets can be easily separated by simply peeling the connecting belts (30a, 30b) of the lower body 21 from the connecting tapes (31a, 31b) on the front and rear surfaces of the upper body 11, and then peeling the lower sheet 20 from the upper sheet 10.

[0073] In this embodiment, the stretcher 1 can be carried in a compact, folded state by rolling it up or similar methods when not in use. This folded state can be secured for carrying by a separately prepared string, storage bag, or the like. Alternatively, such a folding and securing means may be integrally provided on the upper sheet 10 or the lower sheet 20. In this case, problems such as loss that may occur when separately prepared are avoided, and the conversion between the folded and unfolded states becomes quick and easy. However, this should not cause any hindrance when transporting the stretcher.

[0074] Specifically, as described above, it is also possible to use the fixing belts (33a, 33b, 34) and fixing tapes 35, which are equipped with loop tapes Fl and hook tapes Fh that constitute hook-and-loop fasteners and are provided to wrap around the person being transported 100, as a folding fixing means. In addition, it is also possible to attach fixing tapes 36, which are made of loop tapes Fl, separately to the front (head side) of both ends of the back surface of the upper body 11 and use these as well. If they are attached directly to the upper body 11 in this way, they will not get in the way during transport.

[0075] Therefore, by appropriately combining and joining the hook tapes Fh and loop tapes FL of these fixing belts (33a, 33b, 34) and fixing tapes (35, 36), the stretcher 1, which is folded or rolled up in various ways to make it compact, can be properly secured in a way that allows for easy release.

[0076] As described above, the stretcher 1 according to this embodiment is used by combining the upper sheet 10 and the lower sheet 20 in a separable manner. However, the upper sheet 10 is primarily intended for transport, and the lower sheet 20 is primarily intended for providing buoyancy, so their main purposes are different. Therefore, it is desirable that the two sheets be easily distinguishable at a glance to avoid confusion when using or combining them in the field.

[0077] The simplest way to distinguish them is to set the upper sheet 10 and the lower sheet 20 to different colors. For example, if the upper sheet 10 is green and the lower sheet 20 is orange, using contrasting colors makes them easy to distinguish visually. Such different color settings can be done when selecting the outer fabric (12, 22) and inner fabric (13, 23) that make up both sheets.

[0078] Furthermore, the materials used for each component of the stretcher according to the present invention are not necessarily limited to those listed in the above embodiments, and other materials can be substituted as long as they provide a similar level of functionality for each component. Also, the dimensions of each part, such as size and thickness, are not limited to those shown in the above embodiments, and modifications are permitted as long as they do not impair the function of the stretcher. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0079] 1: Stretcher 10: Upper sheet 11: Upper body 12,22: Outer fabric 13,23: Lining 14,24a,24b: Foamed synthetic resin sheet material (foamed sheet material) 15: Reinforcement plate 17,18,27,28: Handle section S1: Central block S2a, S2b: Rod-shaped blocks S3a, S3b: Edge block N1, N2, N3: seam 19,29,31a,31b: Bonding tape Fh: Hook tape Fl: Loop Tape 20: Lower sheet 21: Lower body 25: Central area S21: Inner block S22a, S22b: Rod-shaped blocks 26a, 26b: Edge area C: Cylindrical part P: Plastic bottle G: Rubber cover 30a, 30b: Connecting belts 33a, 33b, 34: Fixing belts 35,36: Fixing tape 100: Person being transported

Claims

1. A foldable and portable stretcher comprising an upper sheet on which a person to be transported is placed and a lower sheet that can be detachably placed underneath it, The upper sheet comprises a roughly rectangular upper body formed integrally by sewing together a synthetic resin outer fabric and a synthetic resin inner fabric with a synthetic resin foam plate material that is buoyant and flexible in water between them. The lower sheet is integrally constructed by sewing together a synthetic resin outer fabric and a synthetic resin inner fabric, with a synthetic resin foam board of the same type and thicker than the synthetic resin foam board of the upper sheet sandwiched between them, and comprises a lower body having substantially the same shape as the upper body, and multiple handle portions protruding from both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction of the lower body. The stretcher is characterized in that the upper sheet has multiple handles attached to the inside of both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction on the back surface of the upper body, and also attached to the inside of the back surface of at least one side in the short direction, allowing the upper sheet to be lifted by the carrier when the lower sheet is removed.

2. The upper sheet is divided into five sections by seams, each consisting of two seams sewn along the longitudinal direction on both the left and right sides of the central region in the short direction, connecting the outer fabric and the lining fabric. These seams form a central block in the central region, two rod-shaped blocks on both the left and right sides of the central block, and further, left and right outer edge blocks. The stretcher according to claim 1, characterized in that on both the left and right sides in the longitudinal direction of the upper main body, there are multiple pairs of fixing belts that are releasably joined to each other and connect the left and right outer edge blocks, which are bent upward so as to wrap around the person being transported placed on the central block with the seams as folds, while following the left and right rod-shaped blocks inside them.

3. The stretcher according to claim 2, characterized in that the central block of the upper body has a reinforcing thin plate made of synthetic resin which is more rigid than the synthetic resin foam plate which is embedded inside.

4. The stretcher according to claim 3, characterized in that the synthetic resin foam plate material enclosed in the main bodies of the upper sheet and the lower sheet is a polyolefin foam having a closed-cell structure, and the reinforcing thin plate is made of polyethylene.

5. The stretcher according to claim 1, wherein the lower sheet is divided into a central region along the longitudinal direction in which the synthetic resin foam plate material is contained, and left and right edge regions on both the left and right sides of the central region in which the synthetic resin foam plate material is not present, and the left and right edge regions are formed by being surrounded by the outer fabric and the inner fabric, respectively, and have a cylindrical portion in which a buoyancy body having buoyancy in water can be inserted and removed.

6. The stretcher according to claim 5, wherein the lower body of the lower sheet is characterized in that synthetic resin foam plate material having a thickness greater than the synthetic resin foam plate material inside is arranged in a rod shape on both the left and right sides along the longitudinal direction of the central region.

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