vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of fixing a wheelchair to a rear floor regardless of the type of the wheelchair.SOLUTION: A vehicle with a rear floor for loading a wheelchair comprises an anchor which detachably supports: a stopper which abuts on or is engaged with a part of the frame of the wheelchair to control the forward movement of the wheelchair on the rear floor; and an anchor belt to control the forward movement of the wheelchair on the rear floor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle capable of carrying a wheelchair. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a vehicle capable of carrying a wheelchair is the vehicle described in Patent Document 1. The vehicle in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a hook device for fixing the wheelchair. The hook device is provided on the vehicle floor and engages with an anchor bar of the wheelchair. The anchor bar is part of the frame of the wheelchair and extends in the width direction of the wheelchair. In Patent Document 1, the anchor bar is provided between the main wheels, which are the rear wheels of the wheelchair, and the auxiliary wheels, which are the front wheels. The hook device has a hook plate. The front end of the hook plate serves as a pivot axis, and the rear end of the hook plate is supported so as to be freely swingable in the vertical direction relative to the vehicle floor. The rear end of this hook plate is provided with a hook portion that engages with the anchor bar.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, when the wheelchair is moved forward and the anchor bar hits the rear end of the hook plate, the anchor bar pushes up the rear end of the hook plate. When the wheelchair moves forward further, the rear end of the hook plate swings downward and the anchor bar engages with the hook part of the hook plate. In this way, in Patent Document 1, the wheelchair is fixed to the vehicle floor simply by moving the wheelchair forward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-134243 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Some wheelchairs do not have anchor bars, so there is a demand for vehicles that can secure wheelchairs to the rear floor regardless of the type of wheelchair.

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle in which a wheelchair can be fixed to the rear floor regardless of the type of wheelchair. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle having a rear floor for carrying a wheelchair, and is equipped with a stopper portion that abuts or engages with a part of a frame of the wheelchair and restricts forward movement of the wheelchair on the rear floor, and an anchor portion that detachably supports an anchor belt that restricts forward movement of the wheelchair on the rear floor. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the configuration of the present invention, various types of wheelchairs can be easily fixed. For example, when a wheelchair equipped with an anchor bar is loaded onto a vehicle, a stopper portion is attached to the anchor portion. The anchor bar abuts or engages with the stopper portion to prevent the wheelchair from moving forward. Therefore, in the above vehicle, a wheelchair equipped with an anchor bar can be fixed to the rear floor. When a wheelchair not equipped with an anchor bar is loaded onto a vehicle, an anchor belt is attached to the anchor portion. The anchor belt is a wheelchair fixing device that includes a belt and a hook. The wheelchair is prevented from moving forward by hooking the hook of the anchor belt onto the frame of the wheelchair from the rear side of the wheelchair. Therefore, in the above vehicle, even a wheelchair not equipped with an anchor bar can be fixed to the rear floor. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a state in which a wheelchair is fixed by a stopper portion in a vehicle according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a wheelchair mounted on a vehicle according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a stopper portion provided in the vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a slide mechanism provided in the vehicle according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing a state in which a wheelchair is fixed by an anchor belt in a vehicle according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of a vehicle of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the figures, "FR" indicates the front of the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment, "RR" indicates the rear of the vehicle 1, "UP" indicates the top of the vehicle 1, and "LWR" indicates the bottom of the vehicle 1. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0011] First Embodiment 〔vehicle〕 The vehicle 1 according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is a vehicle 1 capable of carrying a wheelchair 10 on its rear floor 9. The vehicle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an electric winch 2, a stopper unit 3, and an anchor unit 5 as components for firmly fixing the wheelchair 10. Below, the configuration of the wheelchair 10 carried on the vehicle 1 will be described, and then each component of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0012] [wheelchair] The wheelchair 10 comprises left and right frames 11, left and right front wheels 12, left and right rear wheels 13, and an anchor bar 14. As shown in Fig. 2, each frame 11 is provided with a seat 151, a back support 152, a leg support 153, a foot support 154, and a handlebar 155. Each frame 11 is also provided with arm supports (not shown). The axles 131 and spokes of the rear wheels 13 are omitted from the illustration.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, each frame 11 has a front piece 11f, a rear piece 11r, an upper piece 11u, and a lower piece 11d. The front piece 11f is provided on the front side of the wheelchair 10. The front piece 11f extends in the vertical direction. The rear piece 11r is provided on the rear side of the wheelchair 10. The rear piece 11r extends in the vertical direction. The upper piece 11u is provided on the upper side of the wheelchair 10. The upper piece 11u extends in the front-rear direction. The lower piece 11d is provided on the lower side of the wheelchair 10. The lower piece 11d extends in the front-rear direction. The upper piece 11u is connected to the front piece 11f and the rear piece 11r. The lower piece 11d is connected to the front piece 11f and the rear piece 11r. A front wheel 12 is connected below the front piece 11f. The front wheel 12 is an auxiliary wheel. An axle 131 of the rear wheel 13 is connected to the middle of the rear piece 11r. The rear wheel 13 is a driving wheel.

[0014] The anchor bar 14 is fixed to the frame 11 via a bracket 14b. In this example, the anchor bar 14 is provided on the inside of the rear wheel 13 and below the axle 131 of the rear wheel 13 when the wheelchair 10 is viewed from the side while mounted on the rear floor 9. The inside of the rear wheel 13 means the inside of the outer periphery of the rubber tire of the rear wheel 13. The anchor bar 14 may be detachable from the frame 11 of the wheelchair 10.

[0015] The wheelchair 10 mounted on the vehicle 1 of this embodiment may be a wheelchair 10 that does not have an anchor bar, as shown in FIG. 5 described later.

[0016] [Electric winch] The electric winch 2 provided in the vehicle 1 of this example is a device that pulls a wheelchair 10 forward of the vehicle 1, as shown in Fig. 1. In the vehicle 1 of this example, one electric winch 2 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the front side of the rear floor 9. The electric winch 2 can have a known configuration. The electric winch 2 includes, for example, a winding device 21, a locking mechanism, a belt 22, and a hook 23. The locking mechanism is not shown in the figure.

[0017] The reeling device 21 reels the belt 22. The reeling of the belt 22 by the reeling device 21 can be operated by a remote controller (not shown). The locking mechanism prevents the belt 22 from being unwound. For example, a ratchet mechanism can be used as the locking mechanism. This locking mechanism can be released by the remote controller. Specifically, when the reeling is released by the remote controller, the reeling device 21 rotates once in a direction in which the belt 22 is reeled in, whereby the engagement between the pawl of the ratchet mechanism and the gear is released, and the pawl is separated from the gear. This allows the belt 22 to be unwound. The belt 22 is connected to the reeling device 21. The hook 23 is provided at the tip of the belt 22. The hook 23 is hooked to the frame 11. Therefore, the electric winch 2 that pulls the wheelchair 10 forward of the vehicle 1 also plays a role in preventing the wheelchair 10 from moving backward.

[0018] [Stopper part] The stopper portion 3 prevents the anchor bar 14 from moving forward. Preventing the anchor bar 14 from moving forward prevents the wheelchair 10 from moving forward. The stopper portion 3 is provided on the rear floor 9 via a slide mechanism 4 (FIG. 3) described below. The stopper portion 3 may be provided so as to always protrude above the rear floor 9, or may be provided so as to be freely inserted and removed above the rear floor 9.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, the stopper portion 3 of this example includes a base portion 31 and a main body portion 32. The base portion 31 of this example is configured to be detachable from the slider 41. The base portion 31 is a member that supports the main body portion 32. The configuration for detachably attaching the base portion 31 to the slider 41 is not particularly limited. For example, the base portion 31 may be screwed to the slider 41. Alternatively, the base portion 31 may be configured to be detachable from the slider 41 by a tongue provided at the bottom of the base portion 31 and a locking mechanism provided on the slider 41.

[0020] The main body 32 in this example is generally inverted L-shaped in side view and generally U-shaped in top view. The main body 32 includes a pair of vertical pieces 32A on the left and right, a pair of horizontal pieces 32B on the left and right, and one cross piece 32C. In FIG. 3, only the vertical piece 32A and the horizontal piece 32B on the left side of the vehicle 1 are visible. The vertical piece 32A is a rod-shaped body extending upward from the base 31. The horizontal piece 32B is a rod-shaped body extending from the upper end of the vertical piece 32A to the rear of the vehicle 1. The joint between the vertical piece 32A and the horizontal piece 32B is rounded. The inner corner portion between the vertical piece 32A and the horizontal piece 32B constitutes the abutment stop portion 30 that abuts and stops the anchor bar 14. The cross piece 32C is a rod-shaped body that connects the rear ends of the two horizontal pieces 32B, 32B that are arranged at positions apart in the vehicle width direction. The cross piece 32C reinforces the main body 32 by connecting the left and right horizontal pieces 32B, 32B.

[0021] Here, the shape of the main body 32 is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to abut or engage with the anchor bar 14. For example, a flap-type main body 32 with a rotation angle limited to 90° or less, a hook-type main body 32 configured to be rotatable, etc. are included. The hook-type main body 32 preferably has an engagement recess with which the anchor bar 14 engages. When the main body 32 has an engagement recess, the electric winch 2 may not be required. These configurations have a relatively complicated mechanism with a rotation shaft. In contrast, the main body 32 of this example has a simple configuration without a rotation shaft, etc., so the vehicle 1 of this example is superior in productivity in terms of the cost of the stopper part 3 and the ease of installation work.

[0022] [Slide mechanism] The vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with a slide mechanism 4 that changes the position of the stopper portion 3 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The slide mechanism 4 is not essential. In that case, the stopper portion 3 is fixed to the rear floor 9 so as not to move.

[0023] The slide mechanism 4 supports the stopper portion 3 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1. The slide mechanism 4 is provided on the rear floor 9. The slide mechanism 4 includes a slider 41, a rail 42, a wire 43, a winding mechanism 44, a locking mechanism 45, and an unlocking mechanism 46. For ease of explanation, the winding mechanism 44 and the locking mechanism 45 are simplified in FIG. 3. The slide mechanism 4 may include a belt instead of the wire 43.

[0024] The slider 41 slides relative to the rail 42. The base 31 of the stopper portion 3 is detachably connected to the slider 41. The rail 42 is provided along the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1. The wire 43 connects the slider 41 to the winding mechanism 44. The winding mechanism 44 winds up the wire 43. A known configuration can be used for the winding mechanism 44. Although not shown in the figures, for example, a configuration including a pulley and a winding spring can be used for the winding mechanism 44. The locking mechanism 45 prevents the wire 43 from being unwound. Therefore, the locking mechanism 45 can prevent the slider 41 from moving forward. Although not shown in the figures, for example, a ratchet mechanism can be used for the locking mechanism 45. The lock release mechanism 46 releases the lock of the locking mechanism 45. This release allows the wire 43 to be unwound. The lock release mechanism 46 releases the engagement between the pawl of the ratchet mechanism and the gear, and moves the pawl away from the gear. The slider 41 can move forward by this lock release mechanism 46. Instead of the winding mechanism 44, a pull-back structure utilizing spring tension or the like can also be employed.

[0025] [Anchor part] The slider 41 of this example described above also serves as the anchor portion 5. The anchor portion 5 is configured to detachably support the stopper portion 3 and the anchor belt 6 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows a state in which the stopper portion 3 of Fig. 4 has been removed from the slider 41 and the anchor belt 6 has been attached to the slider 41.

[0026] The anchor belt 6 includes a base 61, a connecting belt 62, a connecting metal fitting 63, two belts 64, and two hooks 65. The base 61 is configured to be detachable from the slider 41. The configuration that allows the base 61 to be detachable from the slider 41 is the same as the configuration that allows the base 31 of the stopper part 3 to be detachable from the slider 41.

[0027] The connecting belt 62 connects the connecting metal fitting 63 to the base 61. The connecting metal fitting 63 is a ring-shaped metal fitting having a substantially triangular shape. The connecting belt 62 is attached to one side of the connecting metal fitting 63. A belt 64 is attached to each of the remaining two sides of the connecting metal fitting 63. A hook 65 is attached to the tip of each belt 64. There may be only one belt 64. In that case, the belt 64 may be provided on the base 61.

[0028] [First step in securing a wheelchair] The procedure for fixing the wheelchair 10 equipped with the anchor bar 14 to the rear floor 9 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. First, the hook 23 of the electric winch 2 is hooked onto the frame 11 of the wheelchair 10. When the winding device 21 is operated, the wheelchair 10 moves forward inside the vehicle cabin. When the anchor bar 14 of the wheelchair 10 hits and is stopped by the stopper portion 3, the forward movement of the wheelchair 10 is stopped. Since the wheelchair 10 is pulled from the front and rear by the electric winch 2 and the stopper portion 3, the wheelchair 10 is firmly fixed to the rear floor 9. In this way, in the vehicle 1 of this example, the wheelchair 10 equipped with the anchor bar 14 can be fixed to the rear floor 9 simply by pulling the wheelchair 10 equipped with the anchor bar 14 with the electric winch 2.

[0029] If it is desired to adjust the fixed position of the wheelchair 10 on the rear floor 9, the following procedure is followed. The lock release mechanism 46 shown in Fig. 3 is operated to release the lock of the lock mechanism 45. When the wheelchair 10 is moved forward in this state, the anchor bar 14 pushes the stopper portion 3 forward. Once the wheelchair 10 has moved to the desired position, the operation of the lock release mechanism 46 is released, which locks the lock mechanism 45 and stops the forward movement of the slider 41.

[0030] [Procedure for unlocking a wheelchair] The locking mechanism of the electric winch 2 is unlocked by operating the release operation of the remote controller. Since the anchor bar 14 is only stopped by the abutment portion 30 of the stopper portion 3, the wheelchair 10 can be removed from the vehicle 1 simply by moving the wheelchair 10 backward.

[0031] If the lock mechanism of the electric winch 2 is not released by the release operation of the remote controller, the following procedure is followed. The lock release mechanism 46 of the slide mechanism 4 is operated to move the wheelchair 10 forward. As the wheelchair 10 moves forward, the belt 22 (Fig. 1) can be slackened, so that the hook 23 (Fig. 1) can be disengaged from the frame 11 of the wheelchair 10. Then, the wheelchair 10 can be moved backward, allowing the wheelchair 10 to be removed from the vehicle 1.

[0032] [Second wheelchair fixing procedure] The procedure for fixing a wheelchair 10 not equipped with an anchor bar 14 to the rear floor 9 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. First, the stopper portion 3 shown in FIG. 3 is removed from the anchor portion 5, and the anchor belt 6 shown in FIG. 4 is attached to the anchor portion 5. The wheelchair 10 is pulled by the electric winch 2 and placed on the rear floor 9. The hook 65 of the anchor belt 6 is hooked onto the joint between the lower piece 11d and the rear piece 11r. The electric winch 2 then pulls the wheelchair 10 further until tension is applied to the anchor belt 6. The wheelchair 10 is pulled from the front and rear by the electric winch 2 and the anchor belt 6, so that the wheelchair 10 is firmly fixed to the rear floor 9.

[0033] In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the stopper portion 3 and the anchor belt 6 are configured to be freely replaceable. As shown in the first and second fixing procedures, by replacing the stopper portion 3 and the anchor belt 6 depending on the type of wheelchair 10, the wheelchair 10 can be securely fixed to the rear floor 9 regardless of the type of wheelchair 10. Therefore, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment can easily accommodate the fixing of various types of wheelchairs 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 vehicle 10. Wheelchair 11 frame, 11d lower piece, 11f front piece, 11r rear piece, 11u upper piece 12 front wheels, 13 rear wheels, 131 axles 14 Anchor bar, 14b bracket 151 seat, 152 back support, 153 leg support 154 Foot Support, 155 Handle 2 Electric winch 21 winding device, 22 belt, 23 hook 3 Stopper part 30 contact portion, 31 base portion, 32 main body portion, 32A vertical piece, 32B horizontal piece, 32C cross piece 4 Slide mechanism 41 slider, 42 rail, 43 wire, 44 winding mechanism 45 lock mechanism, 46 unlock mechanism 5 Anchor section 6 Anchor Belt 61 base, 62 connecting belt, 63 connecting fitting, 64 belt, 65 hook 9 Rear floor

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle having a rear floor for carrying a wheelchair, a stopper part that abuts against or engages with a part of a frame of the wheelchair and restricts the forward movement of the wheelchair on the rear floor, and an anchor part that interchangeably supports an anchor belt that restricts the forward movement of the wheelchair on the rear floor; The anchor portion is configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

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