Simple electric wheelchair

Abstract

To provide a simple electric wheelchair which can be run manually and automatically without needing switching operation.SOLUTION: A simple electric wheelchair includes: a seat for allowing a human body to be seated; and wheels 31 which allow the seat to run. The simple electric wheelchair includes: a motor 321 which is directly connected to the wheels 31 and drives the wheels 31 to cause the seat to run; and control means which controls the motor 321. The control means includes a motor driving control part 52 which controls the motor 321 based on torque of the motor 321.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 26

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a simplified electric wheelchair. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, simplified electric wheelchairs are known that include a seat for a human body to sit on and wheels for propelling the seat. For example, the simplified electric wheelchair described in Patent Document 1 is capable of switching between two propelling modes: an electric propelling mode in which the body is propelled by driving an electric motor, and a hand-pushed mode in which the body is propelled by pushing it by hand. A rider of the simplified electric wheelchair can switch between these propelling modes by operating a clutch lever to switch the state of a clutch mechanism that connects or disconnects the wheels and the electric motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-111439 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the simplified electric wheelchair described in Patent Document 1, the occupant must operate a clutch lever to switch between the electric driving mode (automatic) and the push mode (manual), which presents a problem in that switching driving modes is time-consuming.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a simplified electric wheelchair that can be driven both manually and automatically without the need for a switching operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The simplified electric wheelchair of the present invention is provided with a seat for a human body to sit on and wheels for propelling the seat. in A simple electric wheelchair that can be driven with the wheels Conclusion a motor that drives the wheels to move the seat; An operating means for automatically driving the simplified electric wheelchair; and a control means for controlling the motor, the control means comprising: According to the operation input of the operation means A motor drive control unit is provided to control the motor based on a target value of the motor torque. The simplified electric wheelchair is configured so that the wheels can be rotated manually without the need for a switching operation. It is characterized by the above.

[0007] With this configuration, the motor is directly connected to the wheel. Conclusion and the control means is According to the operation input of the operation means Since the motor is controlled based on a target value for the motor torque, the user can drive the simplified electric wheelchair manually or automatically without the need for a switching operation.

[0008] The simplified electric wheelchair of the present invention is provided with a seat for a human body to sit on and wheels for propelling the seat. in A simple electric wheelchair that can be driven with the wheels Conclusion The gear that is connected and the gear that is directly connected Conclusion a motor that drives the wheels to move the seat; An operating means for automatically driving the simplified electric wheelchair; and a control means for controlling the motor, the control means comprising: According to the operation input of the operation means A motor drive control unit is provided to control the motor based on a target value of the motor torque. The simplified electric wheelchair is configured so that the wheels can be rotated manually without the need for a switching operation. It is characterized by the above.

[0009] With this configuration, the motor, gears, and wheels are aligned in a straight line. Conclusion and the control means is According to the operation input of the operation means Since the motor is controlled based on a target value for the motor torque, the user can drive the simplified electric wheelchair manually or automatically without the need for a switching operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a simplified electric wheelchair according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] Front view of a simple electric wheelchair [Diagram 3] Rear view of a simple electric wheelchair [Figure 4] Left side view of simple electric wheelchair [Diagram 5] Right side view of simple electric wheelchair [Figure 6] Plan view of a simple electric wheelchair [Figure 7] Bottom view of simple electric wheelchair [Figure 8] An exploded perspective view of the main parts of a simplified electric wheelchair [Figure 9] A perspective view of a simplified electric wheelchair in a folded state. [Figure 10] Front view of a simplified electric wheelchair in a folded state [Figure 11] Rear view of the simplified electric wheelchair in the folded state [Figure 12] Left side view of the simplified electric wheelchair in the folded state [Figure 13] Right side view of the simplified electric wheelchair in the folded state [Figure 14] Plan view of a simplified electric wheelchair in a folded state [Figure 15] Bottom view of the simplified electric wheelchair in the folded state [Figure 16] An exploded perspective view of the main parts of the simplified electric wheelchair in a folded state. [Figure 17] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a motor unit; [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the wheel side. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the motor unit side. [Figure 20] Front view of the motor unit [Figure 21] Cross-sectional view of the motor unit taken along line AA [Figure 22] AA cross-sectional view of the motor unit when the button is pressed [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operating state of the fixing member; [Figure 24] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a simplified electric wheelchair in a transport mode; [Diagram 25] Block diagram showing the functional configuration of a simple electric wheelchair [Figure 26] Control block diagram showing the flow of motor drive control and manual wheel operation [Figure 27] A table showing the relationship between the operating status of a simple electric wheelchair and the lighting status of an LED [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a motor unit according to a modified example of the present invention; [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the wheel side. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the motor unit side. [Diagram 31] Front view of the motor unit [Diagram 32] B-B cross section of motor unit [Diagram 33] BB cross-sectional view of the motor unit when the button portion is pressed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [External configuration of simple electric wheelchair] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a simplified electric wheelchair according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the simplified electric wheelchair. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the simplified electric wheelchair. FIG. 4 is a left side view of the simplified electric wheelchair. FIG. 5 is a right side view of the simplified electric wheelchair. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the simplified electric wheelchair. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the simplified electric wheelchair. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the simplified electric wheelchair. In FIG. 1 to FIG. 8, the vertically upward direction is defined as the +Z axis direction, and two axes perpendicular to the Z axis are defined as the X and Y axes. The same applies to the following drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figs. 1 to 8, the simplified electric wheelchair 1 includes a seat 2 for a human body to sit on, and a base 3 that supports the seat 2 and allows the seat 2 to travel.

[0013] The seat 2 includes a seating surface portion 21 that supports the lower back of the human body, and a backrest portion 22 that is attached to the -X-axis direction side of the seating surface portion 21 and supports the back of the human body. 8, the seat 2 is provided with a pair of shaft bodies 23 that attach the backrest portion 22 to the seating surface portion 21 so as to be rotatable about the Y axis. Each shaft body 23 is inserted into a hole 22A formed in the backrest portion 22 via a through hole 21A formed in the seating surface portion 21, thereby attaching the backrest portion 22 to the seating surface portion 21 so as to be rotatable about the Y axis.

[0014] The seat portion 21 is provided with a right mudguard portion 24 fixed to the -Y axis direction side, and a left mudguard portion 25 fixed to the +Y axis direction side. The right side mudguard portion 24 includes an operating lever 241 attached to the +X axis direction side, and a terminal placement portion 242 attached to the +X axis direction side of this operating lever 241 for placing a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. The left mudguard 25 is equipped with a grip 251 attached to the +X-axis direction side. A passenger of the simplified electric wheelchair 1 can grip this grip 251 when seated on the seat 2.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the base 3 is equipped with a pair of wheels 31 attached to both sides in the Y-axis direction, a pair of motor units 32 that drive each wheel 31 to move the seat 2, and fixing members 33 that are attached to each motor unit 32 so as to pass through the hubs 31A of each wheel 31, thereby fixing each wheel 31 to each motor unit 32. Each wheel 31 is provided with a hand rim 31B for allowing the rider of the simplified electric wheelchair 1 to manually rotate each wheel 31.

[0016] The base 3 is also equipped with a battery 34 that is attached to the base 3 by being inserted into an opening of a battery case 34A that has a rectangular cross section and is formed on the -X axis direction side of the base 3, and supplies power to the entire simplified electric wheelchair 1 including the motor unit 32, a footrest 35 that is attached to the +X axis side of the base 3 and supports the feet of the human body, and a pair of rear auxiliary wheels 36 that are fixed to each motor unit 32 and extend toward the rear of the simplified electric wheelchair 1. The battery case 34A is equipped with triangular LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 34B provided on the -Z axis direction side (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, the base 3 includes a metal fitting 37 that is fixed to the +Z axis direction side of the base 3 and is used to attach the sheet 2 to the base 3, as shown in FIG.

[0017] The footrest 35 includes a foot plate 351 that supports the feet of the human body, a support 352 extending from the center of the foot plate 351, and a pair of casters 353 attached to both sides in the Y-axis direction of the foot plate 351. The foot plate 351 includes a pair of left and right LEDs 351R, 351L provided on the +X-axis direction side. 8, the base 3 is provided with a pair of shaft bodies 38 that attach the support pillars 352 of the footrest 35 to the base 3 so as to be rotatable about the Y axis. Each shaft body 38 is inserted into a through hole 352A formed in the support pillar 352, thereby attaching the footrest 35 to the base 3 so as to be rotatable about the Y axis.

[0018] [External configuration of the simplified electric wheelchair in the folded state] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state. Fig. 10 is a front view of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state. Fig. 11 is a rear view of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state. Fig. 12 is a left side view of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state. Fig. 13 is a right side view of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state. Fig. 14 is a plan view of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state. Fig. 15 is a bottom view of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state. Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the simple electric wheelchair in a folded state.

[0019] As described above, the backrest 22 is attached to the seat surface 21 so as to be rotatable about the Y axis. Here, since the seat 2 is attached to the base 3 via the metal fittings 37, it can be said that the backrest 22 is attached to the base 3 so as to be rotatable about the Y axis. In addition, the footrest 35 is attached to the base 3 so as to be rotatable about the Y axis.

[0020] When the backrest 22 is folded toward the base 3 and the footrest 35 is folded toward the base 3, the simplified electric wheelchair 1 takes up less space and can be easily transported, as shown in Figures 9 to 16.

[0021] In this manner, in this embodiment, the backrest portion 22 and the footrest 35 function as a movable body that is rotatably attached to the base 3. In this embodiment, the backrest portion 22 and the footrest 35 are used as the movable bodies, but any parts that are attached so as to be freely rotatable relative to the base may be used; for example, parts such as training wheels may be attached so as to be freely rotatable relative to the base.

[0022] [Detailed configuration of the motor unit] Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the motor unit. Fig. 18 is an exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the wheel side. Fig. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the motor unit side. Note that Figs. 17 to 19 show the motor unit 32 with the cover of the motor unit 32 arranged on the left mudguard part 25 side removed, and only the central portion of the hub 31A of the wheel 31 is shown. The same applies to the following drawings.

[0023] As shown in Figures 17 to 19, the motor unit 32 includes a motor 321 that drives the wheel 31 to move the seat 2, a motor side gear 322 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the output shaft of the motor 321, a wheel side gear 323 that meshes with the motor side gear 322 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor side gear 322, and a hollow shaft body 324 that is fixed to the wheel side gear 323 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the wheel side gear 323. 17 to 19, the teeth of the motor side gear 322 and the wheel side gear 323 are omitted. The same applies to the following drawings.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 18, the hollow shaft 324 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes shaft-side serrations 324A attached along the inner surface at the end on the +Y-axis direction side. As shown in FIG. 19, the hub 31A of the wheel 31 is provided with hub-side serrations 31C attached to the -Y axis direction side so as to be concentric with the shaft hole. The hub side serrations 31C are inserted into and engaged with the shaft side serrations 324A, so that the rotation of the output shaft of the motor 321 is transmitted to the wheel 31 via the motor side gear 322, the wheel side gear 323, and the hollow shaft 324.

[0025] Fig. 20 is a front view of the motor unit, and Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the motor unit taken along line AA. As described above, the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32 are fixed to each other via the fixing member 33. As shown in Figures 18 to 21, the fixing member 33 includes a cylindrical shaft portion 331, a push button 332 inserted inside the shaft portion 331, and two spherical protrusions 333 attached to the -Y axis direction side of the shaft portion 331 so as to be able to protrude and retract freely.

[0026] 21, the push button 332 has a disk-shaped button portion 332A and a rod-shaped portion 332B extending from the button portion 332A in the -Y axis direction, and the rod-shaped portion 332B is inserted concentrically inside the shaft portion 331. The rod-shaped portion 332B has hemispherical recesses 332C formed in two places on the surface on the -Y axis direction side, and the protrusion 333 can be fitted into the recesses 332C. Furthermore, the fixed member 33 includes a spring 334 disposed between the shaft portion 331 and the button portion 332A of the push button 332, and this spring 334 biases the button portion 332A toward the +Y axis direction.

[0027] Fig. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the motor unit taken along line AA when the button portion is pressed down. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing the operating state of the fixing member. Specifically, the upper diagram of Fig. 23 is a diagram showing the operating state of the fixing member 33 when the button portion 332A is released, and the lower diagram of Fig. 23 is a diagram showing the operating state of the fixing member 33 when the button portion 332A is pressed down. When button portion 332A is pressed, rod-shaped portion 332B moves toward the -Y axis direction against the biasing force of spring 334, as shown in the lower diagrams of Figures 22 and 23, and as a result of this movement of rod-shaped portion 332B, recessed portion 332C moves to a position corresponding to protrusion portion 333. When the recess 332C is moved to a position corresponding to the protrusion 333, the protrusion 333 can be inserted into the shaft 331. In this way, when the button portion 332A is pressed down and the fixing member 33 is moved along the Y-axis direction, the fixing member 33 can be inserted into or removed from the shaft hole of the hub 31A and the hollow shaft body 324, as shown by the thick arrow in Figure 22.

[0028] Furthermore, when the button portion 332A is released, the rod-shaped portion 332B moves toward the +Y axis direction due to the biasing force of the spring 334, as shown in the upper diagrams of Figures 21 and 23, and as a result of this movement of the rod-shaped portion 332B, the recessed portion 332C moves to a position that does not correspond to the protrusion portion 333. If recess 332C is moved to a position not corresponding to protrusion 333, protrusion 333 cannot be recessed into shaft 331, and will instead protrude outside shaft 331. In this way, with the button portion 332A in the released state, the fixing member 33 cannot be inserted into or removed from the shaft hole and hollow shaft body 324 of the hub 31A, so that the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32 can be fixed to each other.

[0029] Therefore, when fixing the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32 to each other, the occupant of the simplified electric wheelchair 1 inserts the hub side serrations 31C of the wheel 31 into the axle side serrations 324A of the motor unit 32, then presses down the button portion 332A to insert the fixing member 33 into the axle hole and hollow axle 324 of the hub 31A, and releases the button portion 332A, thereby fixing the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32 to each other.

[0030] Thus, in this embodiment, the wheel 31 is detachably attached to the base 3. In addition, in this embodiment, the base 3 is equipped with a hollow shaft body 324 that rotates with the rotation of the motor 321 and engages with the wheel 31 to transmit the rotation of the motor 321 to the wheel 31, and a fixing member 33 that passes through the center of the wheel 31 and the hollow shaft body 324 and is attached to the base 3 to fix the wheel 31 and the hollow shaft body 324. In this embodiment, the base 3 includes the hollow shaft body 324 and the fixing member 33, and the wheel 31 is detachably attached to the base 3, but other structures may be adopted. In short, it is sufficient that the wheel is detachably attached to the base.

[0031] FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the simplified electric wheelchair in a transport mode. By folding the backrest 22 towards the base 3 and folding the footrest 35 towards the base 3 to bring the simplified electric wheelchair 1 into a folded state and removing the wheels 31 from the base 3 to prepare for transportation, the simplified electric wheelchair 1 takes up less space as shown in Figure 24, making it easier to transport.

[0032] [Functional configuration of a simple electric wheelchair] FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the simplified electric wheelchair. The simplified electric wheelchair 1 is equipped with the seat 2, wheels 31, motor unit 32, and LEDs 34B, 351R, 351L described above, and also, as shown in Figure 25, is equipped with detection means 4 attached to each motor unit 32 and for independently detecting the rotation of each wheel 31, and control means 5 for controlling the entire simplified electric wheelchair 1. The detection means 4 is only required to be able to detect the rotation of the wheel 31, and a sensor that detects the rotation angle, rotation speed, and rotation acceleration of the wheel 31 may be used.

[0033] The control means 5 is configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, etc., and executes information processing according to a predetermined program stored in the memory. The control means 5 includes a rotation information acquisition unit 51, a motor drive control unit 52, and a notification control unit 53.

[0034] The rotation information acquisition unit 51 acquires information on the rotation speed and rotation acceleration of each wheel 31 based on the rotation of each wheel 31 detected by the detection means 4, and acquires information on the body speed and body acceleration of the simplified electric wheelchair 1. In this embodiment, the rotation information acquisition unit 51 acquires information on the body speed and body acceleration of the simple electric wheelchair 1, but it is sufficient to acquire information on at least one of the speed and acceleration of the simple electric wheelchair 1 based on the rotation of the wheel 31 detected by the detection means 4. In addition, in this embodiment, the rotational information acquisition unit 51 acquires information on the rotational speed and rotational acceleration of each wheel 31, but it is also possible to store time-series information on the rotational angle of each wheel 31 and calculate and acquire information on the rotational speed and rotational acceleration of each wheel 31 based on this information.

[0035] The motor drive control unit 52 controls the motor 321 based on the torque of the motor 321 in the motor unit 32 .

[0036] The notification control unit 53 notifies the operating state of the simple electric wheelchair 1 by controlling the LEDs 34B, 351R, 351L based on the information acquired by the rotation information acquisition unit 51. In other words, the notification control unit 53 notifies the operating state of the simple electric wheelchair 1 by controlling the LEDs 34B, 351R, 351L as notification means based on the rotation of the wheel 31 detected by the detection means 4. In this embodiment, the notification means uses a light-emitting diode, but other means may be used to notify the operating state of the wheelchair. For example, the notification means may use a speaker that outputs sound or a monitor that outputs video. In short, the notification means may be any means capable of notifying the operating state of the wheelchair.

[0037] [About driving simple electric wheelchairs] FIG. 26 is a control block diagram showing the flow of motor drive control and manual wheel operation. When the passenger operates the control lever 241, the motor drive control unit 52 controls the current of the motor 321 based on a target value of the torque of the motor 321 according to the operation input of the control lever 241, and controls the torque of the motor 321 to approach the target value, as shown in Fig. 26. The rotation of the output shaft of the motor 321 is then transmitted to the wheel 31 via the motor side gear 322, the wheel side gear 323, and the hollow shaft body 324.

[0038] Furthermore, when the hand rim 31B is operated by the occupant H, the simple electric wheelchair 1 can rotate each wheel 31 manually by the occupant H. The simple electric wheelchair 1 can store electricity in the battery 34 by manually rotating each wheel 31 by the occupant H. The battery 34 can supply electricity to the entire simple electric wheelchair 1, and can control the drive of the motor and charge a mobile terminal such as a smartphone placed on the terminal placement section 242. Thus, in this embodiment, the simplified electric wheelchair 1 is equipped with gears (motor side gear 322 and wheel side gear 323) that are directly connected to the wheels 31, and a motor 321 that is directly connected to these gears and drives the wheels 31 to move the seat 2.

[0039] In this embodiment, the simplified electric wheelchair 1 includes a gear directly connected to the wheel 31, and a motor 321 directly connected to the gear and driving the wheel 31 to move the seat 2, but a configuration without the gear may be adopted. In other words, the simplified electric wheelchair may include a motor directly connected to the wheel and driving the wheel to move the seat.

[0040] [Regarding notification of the operating status of simple electric wheelchairs] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing a correspondence table between the operating states of the simplified electric wheelchair and the lighting states of the LEDs. The notification control unit 53 notifies the operating state of the simple electric wheelchair 1 by controlling the LEDs 34B, 351R, and 351L based on the information acquired by the rotation information acquisition unit 51, as described above.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 27, from the information acquired by the rotation information acquisition unit 51, the speed of the right wheel 31 is designated as VR, the speed of the left wheel 31 is designated as VL, the body speed of the simplified electric wheelchair 1 is designated as V, and the acceleration of the body is designated as A, and the notification control unit 53 controls the LEDs 34B, 351R, and 351L based on a predetermined judgment formula to notify eight operating states, namely forward acceleration, forward deceleration, reverse, stop, right turn, right turn on the spot, left turn, and left turn on the spot.

[0042] If V>0 and A>0, the notification control unit 53 determines that the vehicle is in a forward acceleration state, and lights up all of the LEDs 34B, 351R, and 351L in green. If V>0 and A<0, the notification control unit 53 determines that the vehicle is in a forward deceleration operating state, and causes all of the LEDs 34B, 351R, and 351L to flash in red. At this time, the notification control unit 53 may vary the lighting state of the LEDs depending on the speed of acceleration and deceleration. For example, multiple LEDs may be configured to flash in sequence in a predetermined direction so that the light of the LEDs flows in the predetermined direction, and the speed of this flow may be varied to notify the speed of acceleration and deceleration.

[0043] If V<0, the notification control unit 53 determines that the vehicle is in a reverse drive state, and causes all of the LEDs 34B, 351R, and 351L to flash in yellow. When V≈0, the notification control unit 53 determines that the operation state is stopped, and causes all of the LEDs 34B, 351R, and 351L to flash in white.

[0044] When VL>VR, the notification control unit 53 determines that the vehicle is in a right turn state, and lights only the LED 351R in green. When VL > VR and (VL + VR) ≈ 0, the notification control unit 53 determines that it is in the operation state of turning right on the spot, and only the LED 351R blinks in green.

[0045] When VL < VR, the notification control unit 53 determines that it is in the operation state of turning left, and only the LED 351L lights up in green. When VL < VR and (VL + VR) ≈ 0, the notification control unit 53 determines that it is in the operation state of turning left on the spot, and only the LED 351L blinks in green.

[0046] According to such a present embodiment, the following operations and effects can be achieved. (1) Since the wheel 31 is detachably attached to the base 3, by removing the wheel 31 from the base 3, the simple electric wheelchair 1 can be easily transported. (2) Since the wheel 31 and the hollow shaft body 324 are fixed to the base 3 by the fixing member 33, by removing the fixing member 33, the wheel 31 can be easily removed from the base 3.

[0047] (3) The hollow shaft body 324 is fixed to the wheel-side gear 323 that transmits the rotation of the motor 321 to the wheel 31, and rotates along with the rotation of the wheel-side gear 323. In other words, since the hollow shaft body 324 is a gear that transmits the rotation of the motor 321 to the wheel 31, the wheel 31 can be detachably attached to the base 3 without attaching a new member to the base 3.

[0048] (4) Since the movable body is rotatably attached to the base 3, the movable body can be folded toward the base 3 while avoiding the wiring of the base 3, and the simple electric wheelchair 1 can be easily transported. (5) Since the movable body is the footrest 35 of the seat 2, the footrest 35 that occupies a large space can be folded toward the base 3, and the simple electric wheelchair 1 can be transported more easily. (6) The movable body is the backrest 22 of the seat 2. Therefore, the backrest 22, which takes up a large space, can be folded toward the base 3, making it easier to transport the simplified electric wheelchair 1.

[0049] (7) The notification control unit 53 notifies the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1 by controlling the LEDs 34B, 351R, 351L based on the rotation of the wheel 31 detected by the detection means 4, so that the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1, such as the speed and acceleration, can be notified to those around the simple electric wheelchair 1. (8) The rotation information acquisition unit 51 acquires information on the rotational speed and rotational acceleration of each wheel 31 based on the rotation of each wheel 31 detected by the detection means 4, and the notification control unit 53 notifies the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1 by controlling the LEDs 34B, 351R, 351L based on the information acquired by the rotation information acquisition unit 51. Therefore, the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1, such as the speed and acceleration, can be notified to those around the simple electric wheelchair 1 without storing time series information on the rotation angle of the wheels 31.

[0050] (9) The detection means 4 detects the rotation of each of the multiple wheels 31 independently, and the notification control unit 53 notifies the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1 by controlling the LEDs 34B, 351R, 351L based on the information acquired by the rotation information acquisition unit 51, thereby making it possible to notify the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1, such as turning right or left and rotating. (10) The notification means is the LEDs 34B, 351R, and 351L (light emitting diodes), so that the operating state of the simplified electric wheelchair 1 can be notified to those around the simplified electric wheelchair 1 visually. (11) The notification control unit 53 notifies the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1 by controlling the LEDs 34B, 351R, 351L based on the rotation of the wheel 31 detected by the detection means 4. Therefore, even if the simple electric wheelchair 1 is equipped with a motor 321 that drives the wheel 31, the operating status of the simple electric wheelchair 1 can be notified to those around the simple electric wheelchair 1.

[0051] (12) The motor 321, the gears (the motor side gear 322 and the wheel side gear 323), and the wheel 31 are directly connected to each other, and the control means 5 controls the motor 321 based on the torque of the motor 321, so that the passenger can drive the simplified electric wheelchair 1 manually and automatically without the need for switching operations.

[0052] [Modifications of the embodiment] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications and improvements within the scope of the present invention that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the hollow shaft body 324 is fixed to the wheel side gear 323 that transmits the rotation of the motor 321 to the wheel 31, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the wheel side gear 323. Alternatively, the hollow shaft may be an output shaft of a motor.

[0053] Fig. 28 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a motor unit according to a modified example of the present invention. Fig. 29 is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the wheel side. Fig. 30 is an exploded perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the motor unit as viewed from the motor unit side. Note that Figs. 28 to 30 show the motor unit 32A with the cover of the motor unit 32A arranged on the left mudguard part 25 side removed, and only the central portion of the hub 31A of the wheel 31 is shown. The same applies to the following drawings.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 28 to 30, the motor unit 32A includes a motor 325 that drives the wheels 31 to move the seat 2, and a hollow shaft body 326 as an output shaft of the motor 325 (see FIG. 29).

[0055] As shown in FIG. 29, the hollow shaft 326 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes shaft-side serrations 326A attached along the inner surface at the end on the +Y-axis direction side. As shown in FIG. 30, the hub 31A of the wheel 31 is provided with a hub-side serration 31C attached to the -Y axis direction side so as to be concentric with the shaft hole. The hub side serrations 31C are inserted into and engaged with the shaft side serrations 326A, so that the rotation of the hollow shaft 326 of the motor 325 is transmitted directly to the wheel 31.

[0056] Fig. 31 is a front view of the motor unit, and Fig. 32 is a BB cross-sectional view of the motor unit. As described above, the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32A are fixed to each other via the fixing member 33. As shown in Figures 29 to 32, the fixing member 33 includes a cylindrical shaft portion 331, a push button 332 inserted inside the shaft portion 331, and two spherical protrusions 333 attached to the -Y axis direction side of the shaft portion 331 so as to be able to protrude and retract freely.

[0057] FIG. 33 is a BB cross-sectional view of the motor unit when the button portion is pressed. With button portion 332A pressed, when fixing member 33 is moved along the Y-axis direction, fixing member 33 can be inserted into or removed from the shaft hole and hollow shaft body 326 of hub 31A, as shown by the thick arrow in FIG. Furthermore, when the button portion 332A is released, the fixing member 33 cannot be inserted or removed from the shaft hole and hollow shaft body 326 of the hub 31A, as shown in FIG. 32, so that the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32A can be fixed to each other.

[0058] Therefore, when fixing the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32A to each other, the occupant of the simplified electric wheelchair 1 inserts the hub side serrations 31C of the wheel 31 into the axle side serrations 326A of the motor unit 32A, then presses down the button portion 332A to insert the fixing member 33 into the axle hole and hollow axle 326 of the hub 31A, and releases the button portion 332A, thereby fixing the wheel 31 and the motor unit 32A to each other.

[0059] According to such a configuration, the hollow shaft body 326 is the output shaft of the motor 325, so that the wheel 31 can be detachably attached to the base 3 without attaching an additional member to the base 3. Furthermore, with this configuration, the motor 325 is directly connected to the wheel 31, and the control means 5 controls the motor 325 based on the torque of the motor 325, so that the passenger can drive the simplified electric wheelchair 1 manually and automatically without the need for a switching operation. [Industrial Applicability]

[0060] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention can be suitably used in simplified electric wheelchairs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1 Simple electric wheelchair (electric wheelchair, wheelchair) 2 seats 3. Bass 4. Detection Methods 5. Control Measures 21 Seat part 22 Backrest 31 Wheels 32 Motor unit 33 Fixing member 34 Battery 34B LED (notification means) 35 Footrest 51 Rotation information acquisition unit 52 Motor drive control unit 53 Notification control section 321 Motor 322 Motor side gear 323 Wheel side gear 324 Hollow shaft body 351R LED (notification means) 351L LED (notification means)

Claims

1. A simplified electric wheelchair that includes a seat for a human body to sit on and wheels for moving the seat, and that can be moved manually or automatically, a motor that is directly connected to the wheel and drives the wheel to move the seat; An operation means for automatically driving the simplified electric wheelchair; A control means for controlling the motor, The control means a motor drive control unit that controls the motor based on a target value of torque of the motor in response to an operation input of the operation means, The simplified electric wheelchair is configured so that the wheels can be rotated manually without requiring a switching operation.

2. A simplified electric wheelchair that includes a seat for a human body to sit on and wheels for moving the seat, and that can be moved manually or automatically, A gear directly connected to the wheel; a motor that is directly connected to the gear and drives the wheel to move the seat; An operation means for automatically driving the simplified electric wheelchair; A control means for controlling the motor, The control means a motor drive control unit that controls the motor based on a target value of torque of the motor in response to an operation input of the operation means, The simplified electric wheelchair is configured so that the wheels can be rotated manually without requiring a switching operation.

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