Transfer assistance device

Abstract

To provide a transfer support device having high applicability to a low floor bed and a soft floor material.SOLUTION: A transfer support device for supporting transfer of a user sitting on a low floor part includes: a base part disposed opposed to the low floor part, on which the user places his or her feet in transferring; a plurality of casters attached to the rear surface of the base part, each having a wheel with a diameter of 60 mm or more; and a fork part attached to the low floor part side of the base part for supporting a load applied on the base part by being inserted between the low floor part and the floor so as to come in contact with the floor when in use.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, various devices are known that are intended to assist the sitting and standing movements of the elderly, physically disabled, etc. Among these, various inventions have been made that are intended to assist the movement between different devices, such as between a wheelchair and a bed (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for a device for moving a human body in a wheelchair so that the human body is seated at a destination, the device comprising a base part installed opposite the wheelchair, a moving base provided so as to be movable in vertical and horizontal directions relative to the base part, and a guide bar provided on the moving base, the guide bar being inserted between the human body and the wheelchair, the moving base being provided so as to be movable relative to the base so that the human body is moved in vertical directions to lift off the wheelchair and the human body is moved in horizontal directions to seat at the destination. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 allows a user to transfer by himself / herself with a simple mechanism.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology related to a trunk support device that includes an upper body holding part that supports the upper body of the care recipient, a rotation device that rotates a swivel arm attached to the upper end of the upper body holding part to change the inclination angle of the upper body holding part, and a lower abdomen holding sling that is attached below the upper body holding part and holds the lower abdomen of the care recipient from both sides of the iliac overhang. The technology related to Patent Document 2 makes it possible to improve safety, reduce the burden on the caregiver, and reduce pressure on the chest of the care recipient while taking advantage of the portability and low cost of a shoulder-mounted mobility support device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-150403 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-189967 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, devices that assist with sitting and standing movements as described above are highly necessary mainly in facilities for the elderly and facilities for the disabled, etc. In these facilities for the elderly and facilities for the disabled, cushioned materials such as long vinyl chloride sheets are often used as flooring to prevent injuries from falls, etc., and low beds with a bed surface height of 50 mm or less from the floor are often used.

[0007] However, in the conventional technology described above, the size of the wheels is reduced to accommodate low beds, which causes problems such as the wheels sinking into the floor under the load, and the device shaking violently when an attempt is made to move the entire device while the user (i.e., the person being assisted) is inside it.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a transfer assistance device that is highly applicable to low beds and soft floor materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a transfer assistance device that assists a user seated on a low floor section to transfer, the transfer assistance device comprising: a base section that is disposed opposite the low floor section and on which the user places his / her feet when transferring; Car A transfer support device comprising: a plurality of casters each having a wheel; and a fork portion attached to the low floor portion side of the base portion, the fork portion being inserted between the low floor portion and a floor so as to abut against the floor when in use, thereby supporting a load applied to the base portion, The base section includes a front-wheel support base section on which the front wheels of the plurality of casters are attached and on which the user places his / her feet when transferring, and a rear-wheel support base section on which the rear wheels of the plurality of casters are attached and which is rotatable about the vertical direction at the rear end of the front-wheel support base section, and the fork section is attached to the rear-wheel support base section, and the rear-wheel support base section is switchable between a state in which a seat section for a user to sit on can be attached / detached and a state in which the fork section is inserted between the low floor section and the floor by rotating about the vertical direction. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, a transfer assistance device that is highly applicable to low beds and soft floor materials can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a transfer support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of a mounting structure for a fork portion according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a storage mode of the fork parts according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view illustrating an example of use of a transfer support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a transfer assistance device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating an example of a moving operation of a fork portion according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 11 is a side view illustrating an example of use of a transfer support device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a modified example of the fork portion according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The transfer support device according to this embodiment is particularly suitable for transfer between a low bed whose floor surface is 50 mm or less above the floor and another device such as a wheelchair. Furthermore, it is particularly suitable for transfer in facilities such as elderly care facilities and facilities for the disabled where cushioned materials such as long vinyl chloride sheets are used as floor materials to prevent injuries due to falls, etc.

[0013] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a transfer support device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] 1 includes a base unit 2, casters 3, a fork unit 4, a first leg unit 5, a rotating unit 6, a second leg unit 7, a chest holder unit 8, and an armpit support unit 9. The transfer support device 1 is a simple mobile transfer support device that supports a transfer (movement) between, for example, a low bed and a wheelchair.

[0015] For convenience of explanation, the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are respectively referred to as the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction in the three-dimensional coordinate system shown in Fig. 1. Also, a person being assisted, who is a user, gets on and off the transfer support device 1 from a low bed or the like (not shown) arranged in front of the transfer support device 1.

[0016] The base 2 is disposed opposite a low bed (not shown) or the like, and is a base portion having a square shape when viewed from above on which a user places his / her feet when transferring. The base 2 is formed to include a shape in which a flat steel plate having a thickness of, for example, about 20 mm is bent at four straight line portions L1, L2, L3, and L4. The recess between the straight line portions L2 and L3 is called the inner bottom portion 2a, and the protruding portions outside the inner bottom portion 2a are called the left and right side edges 2b and 2c. Casters 3 are attached to the rear surfaces of the left and right side edges 2b and 2c at the front and rear ends thereof.

[0017] In this base 2, the height of the inner bottom 2a from the floor (ground) is about 40 mm to 60 mm, and the height of the left and right side edges 2b, 2c from the inner bottom 2a is about 100 mm. The heights of the left and right side edges 2b, 2c from the floor are formed to a height that allows casters 3 to be attached to the rear surfaces of the left and right side edges 2b, 2c.

[0018] The casters 3 are attached to the rear surface of the four corners of the base 2, and have wheels for moving the transfer support device 1. The casters 3 according to this embodiment use wheels with a diameter of about 60 mm. The wheel diameter of the casters 3 is preferably 60 mm or more. This is to prevent the wheels from sinking into the floor due to the load, or the transfer support device 1 from shaking significantly when the user is on the floor, when the floor is made of a cushioning material such as a long vinyl chloride sheet. The transfer support device 1 according to this embodiment uses wheels with a certain size or more.

[0019] The fork portion 4 is attached to the two front corners of the base portion 2, and when in use, is placed on the floor as shown in Fig. 1, thereby serving as a claw portion that supports the load applied when a user gets on and off the base portion 2. The fork portion 4 is formed so as to include a shape in which a flat plate-like member such as a flat steel plate having a thickness of 6 to 12 mm, for example about 9 mm, is bent at two straight portions L11 and L12. In particular, the portion in contact with the floor in front of the straight portion L12 is referred to as the claw portion 4a.

[0020] The fork portion 4 is movably attached to the base portion 2. Specifically, the fork portion 4 is attached so that the position of the claw portions 4a can be switched between when the fork portion 4 is in use and when it is not in use. The attachment structure of the fork portion 4 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0021] The first leg 5 is a rectangular parallelepiped pillar that is erected approximately in the center of the base 2 and extends vertically upward. The first leg 5 has a rigidity sufficient to support the weight of the user, and a second leg 7 is attached to the upper end of the first leg 5 via a rotating part 6 so as to be rotatable around an axis X1 parallel to the X-axis. The length of the first leg 5 is approximately 250 mm to 350 mm, which is approximately the length below the knees of the user.

[0022] The rotating part 6 is interposed between the first leg 5 and the second leg 7, and is a mechanism that connects the second leg 7 to the upper end of the first leg 5 so as to be rotatable around an axis X1.

[0023] The rotating part 6 is, for example, a ratchet-type one-way clutch, and although the detailed structure in this case is not shown, the second leg 7 can be safely rotated stepwise from the front to the rear at a predetermined angle (for example, 10 degrees) around the axis X1. The rotation area is an area in which the user can get on and off the transfer support device 1, and is, for example, an area Y≧0, Z≧0 shown as area R in the figure. In particular, in the case of a ratchet type, after rotating from the front to the rear with no back movement, it is returned to the initial position at the front by manually operating an operating lever (not shown). The operation of the rotating part 6 may be controlled by a computer (not shown) or the like.

[0024] The second leg 7 is a rectangular parallelepiped pillar having one end fixed to the rear surface of the chest support part 8 and the other end connected to the first leg 5 via a rotating part 6. This second leg 7 rotates integrally with the chest support part 8, which will be described later, around an axis X1.

[0025] The chest support part 8 is a platform for supporting the chest of the user when transferring. It is desirable that the chest support surface 8a of the chest support part 8 has an appropriate cushioning property to reduce the load on the chest of the user, and it is desirable that this chest support surface 8a has a shape corresponding to the shape of the chest.

[0026] The armpit support section 9 is a mechanism for supporting the armpits (underarms) of a user from below when transferring. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the armpit support section 9 is provided so as to extend substantially perpendicularly to the chest surface 8a on both the left and right sides of the chest support section 8. The user positions the chest with the chest support section 8 holding the chest and the armpit support section 9 sandwiching the chest under the armpits (see Fig. 4(b)). As a result, for example, when the user is forced to stand up from a seated position by the transfer support device 1, the armpit support section 9 functions to easily lift the body up.

[0027] With the configuration described above, the transfer assistance device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a base section 2 on which a user places their feet when transferring, a plurality of casters 3 attached to the underside of the base section 2, each having a wheel with a diameter of 60 mm or more, and a fork section 4 attached to the low bed side of the base section 2 of a low bed or the like, and supported by being inserted between the low bed section and the floor so as to abut against the floor when in use, thereby supporting the load on the base section 2, and assisting the transfer (movement) between, for example, a low bed and a wheelchair.

[0028] [An example of the fork mounting structure] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a mounting structure for the fork part according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a storage form of the fork part according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the following, the same components as those described above are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate.

[0029] 2 shows an enlarged view of an attachment portion between the fork portion 4 and the left edge portion 2b of the base portion 2 in FIG. 1, as an example of an attachment structure of the fork portion 4. In FIG.

[0030] A cylindrical base pipe 21 for mounting the fork section 4 is vertically attached to the upper surface of the front end side of the left edge section 2b. Meanwhile, a hollow fork pipe 41 that fits into the base pipe 21 is vertically attached to the fork section 4. The inner diameter of the fork pipe 41 is long enough to fit into the outer surface of the base pipe 21, and the fork pipe 41 is inserted into the base pipe 21 to fit them together.

[0031] When a user gets on or off the transfer assistance device 1, a force is applied forward and downward to the base pipe 21 and fork pipe 41 due to the user's weight. This effectively locks the base pipe 21 and fork pipe 41. Therefore, the fork part 4 can safely support the user's weight without coming off. When storing the fork part 4 when not in use, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the fork part 4 is rotated and placed on the left side part 2b.

[0032] [Examples of using transfer assistance devices] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating an example of use of the transfer support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Fig. 4(a) shows a state in which the fork part 4 attached to the low bed B side of the base part 2 is inserted between the low bed B and the floor so as to abut against the floor, and a user being assisted who is seated on the low bed B starts to move to the transfer support device 1. Fig. 4(b) shows a state in which the user holds his / her chest on the chest holding part 8 and holds the armpit support part 9 under his / her armpits, and the rotating part 6 rotates to lift the user up.

[0034] First, as described above, the fork portion 4 has a plate thickness of 6 to 12 mm, for example, about 9 mm, and therefore can be inserted under the low bed B as shown in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b). On the other hand, as described above, the caster 3 is a wheel with a diameter of 60 mm or more, and therefore in facilities where cushioned materials are used as flooring, such as elderly care facilities or facilities for the disabled, the wheels do not sink into the floor due to the load, and a safe transfer operation can be realized.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4(b), the user is lifted and moved to the destination, for example, in front of a wheelchair, and then the user is transferred to the destination by returning the rotating part 6 to the position shown in FIG. 4(a).

[0036] [Second embodiment] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a transfer support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] The transfer support device 100 shown in Fig. 5 includes a front wheel support base 210, a rear wheel support base 220, a base connector 230 (hereinafter, the front wheel support base 210, the rear wheel support base 220, and the base connector 230 are collectively referred to as "base 200"). A seat 240, casters 300, a fork 400, a first leg 500, a rotating part 600, a second leg 700, a chest holder 800, and an armpit support 900. For convenience of explanation, the seat 240, the first leg 500, the rotating part 600, the second leg 700, the chest holder 800, and the armpit support 900 are indicated by dashed lines. The transfer support device 100 is a simple mobile transfer support device that supports a transfer (movement) between, for example, a bed and a wheelchair.

[0038] For convenience of explanation, the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are respectively referred to as the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction in the three-dimensional coordinate system shown in Fig. 5. A person being assisted, who is a user, gets on and off the transfer support device 100 from a low bed or the like (not shown) arranged behind the transfer support device 100.

[0039] In addition, the caster 300, the first leg 500, the rotating part 600, the second leg 700, the chest holding part 800, and the armpit support part 900 are similar to the caster 3, the first leg 5, the rotating part 6, the second leg 7, the chest holding part 8, and the armpit support part 9 in FIG. 1, respectively, and therefore will not be described here.

[0040] The front wheel support base 210 is a base portion consisting of a frame body (frame body) that is U-shaped when viewed from above and has a connecting plate 210a on which the user places his / her feet when transferring. A flat connecting plate 210a that connects the left and right sides is provided horizontally between the left and right bottom surfaces of the front wheel support base 210, and a first leg 500 is provided upright approximately in the center of the connecting plate 210a. Casters 300 are attached to the backsides of the two corners on the front end side of the front wheel support base 210.

[0041] The rear wheel support base 220 is a base portion made of a rectangular frame body (frame body) connected to the left and right rear end side surfaces of the front wheel support base 210 via base connecting parts 230. Casters 300 are attached to the back surface of the rear end side of each rear wheel support base 220.

[0042] The base connecting part 230 connects the front wheel support base part 210 and the rear wheel support base part 220. In particular, at the rear end of the front wheel support base part 210, the rear wheel support base part 220 is connected to be rotatable around axes Z1 and Z2 parallel to the Z axis. For example, it is a ball screw. An example of the operation of the base connecting part 230 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0043] The seating section 240 is a substantially L-shaped seat portion for a user to sit on, and is disposed above the left and right rear wheel support bases 220 in an attachable / detachable manner. The seating section 240 is used only when the user sits on it, and is removed when the user gets on or off the transfer assistance device 100.

[0044] The fork parts 400 are fixed to the front ends of the left and right rear wheel support bases 220 so as to extend vertically to the inner surfaces of the rear wheel support bases 220, and when in use are placed on the floor as shown by the solid lines in Fig. 6, forming claw parts that support the load applied when the user gets on and off the vehicle. The fork parts 400 are formed from a flat plate-like member having a thickness of 6 to 12 mm, for example about 9 mm.

[0045] With the configuration described above, the transfer assistance device 1 of the second embodiment of the present invention comprises a base portion 200 on which a user places their feet when transferring, a plurality of casters 300 attached to the underside of the base portion 200, each having a wheel with a diameter of 80 mm or more, and a fork portion 400 attached to the low bed side of the base portion 200 of a low bed or the like, and supported by being inserted between the low bed portion and the floor so as to abut against the floor when in use, thereby supporting the load on the base portion 200, and assisting the transfer (movement) between, for example, a low bed and a wheelchair.

[0046] [An example of the fork movement] FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating an example of the movement operation of the fork portion according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] 6 shows a top view of the fork section 400, the front wheel support base section 210, the rear wheel support base section 220, and the base connecting section 230 in Fig. 5 to explain an example of the movement operation of the fork section 400. Note that the explanation will be given assuming that the base connecting section 230 is a ball screw mechanism.

[0048] When the fork parts 400 are not in use, the fork parts 400 are arranged to face each other as shown by the dashed lines in the figure (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, when the fork parts 400 are in use, by rotating the rear wheel support base part 220 in the direction of the arrow in the figure, the fork parts 400 rotate together and are arranged in the extended positions of the left and right frames of the front wheel support base part 210.

[0049] Furthermore, when the base connecting part 230 is a ball screw mechanism, it is desirable to adjust the fork part 400 so that it moves up and down so that it is raised above the floor when not in use and comes into contact with the floor when in use. This allows the transfer assistance device 100 to be moved safely without the fork part 400 coming into contact with the floor when not in use.

[0050] [Examples of using transfer assistance devices] FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating an example of use of the transfer support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Fig. 7(a) shows a state in which the fork part 4 attached to the low bed B side of the base part 200 is inserted between the low bed B and the floor so as to abut against the floor, and a person being assisted, who is a user seated on the low bed B, starts to move to the transfer support device 100. Fig. 7(b) shows a state in which the user holds his / her chest on the chest holding part 800 and holds the armpit support part 900 under his / her armpits, and the rotating part 600 rotates to lift the user up.

[0052] First, as described above, the fork portion 400 has a plate thickness of 6 to 12 mm, for example, about 9 mm, and therefore can be inserted under the low bed B as shown in Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 7(b). On the other hand, the caster 300 has a wheel diameter of 80 mm or more, so that in facilities where cushioned materials are used as flooring, such as elderly care facilities or facilities for the disabled, the wheels do not sink into the floor due to the load, and a safe transfer operation can be realized.

[0053] In addition, in the state where the user is lifted up as shown in Fig. 7(b), the rear wheel support base 220 is returned to the original position (see Fig. 5), the seating section 240 (see the same figure) is attached, and further the rotating section 600 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 7(a), so that the user can be seated on the seating section 240. In other words, the transfer assistance device 100 can also be used as a wheelchair.

[0054] [Modification of the fork part] FIG. 8 is a side view showing a modified example of the fork portion according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] In the above description, the fork portion 400 is fixed to the rear wheel support base 220, but the manner of attachment of the fork portion is not limited to this. For example, as shown in fork portion 400A in Fig. 8, it may be formed of a steel plate or the like that is L-shaped when viewed from the side, and configured to rotate within the range of the arrow direction in the figure by a rotation mechanism 410 such as a ratchet mechanism provided at the rear end of the rear wheel support base 220. Although not shown, the fork portion may be configured to move up and down at the rear end of the rear wheel support base 220.

[0056] Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described above, each of the above-mentioned embodiments shows one application example of the present invention, and it is not intended that the technical scope of the present invention be limited to the specific configuration of each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0057] For example, in the above-described embodiments, the transfer assistance device 1, 100 has been described as assisting a user in transferring from a low bed B, but the transfer assistance device 1, 100 is not limited to the low bed B. For example, the transfer assistance device 1, 100 may be applied to another low bed such as a step in an entrance hall.

[0058] In addition, for example, in the description of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the base portion 2 is formed to include a shape in which the linear portions L1, L2, L3, and L4 are bent, but the shape is not limited to this. For example, the base portion 2 may be formed in a flat plate shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1, l00 Transfer assistance device 2,200 Base 3,300 Caster 4, 400, 400A Fork 5,500 First leg 6,600 Rotating part 7,700 Second leg 8,800 Chest holding part 9, 900 Armpit support part

Claims

1. A transfer assistance device that assists a user seated on a low floor portion in transferring, A base portion is disposed opposite the low floor portion and on which a user places his / her feet when transferring; A plurality of casters each having a wheel, the casters being attached to a rear surface of the base portion; a fork portion attached to the low floor portion side of the base portion, and inserted between the low floor portion and a floor so as to abut against the floor during use to support a load applied to the base portion; A transfer assistance device comprising: The base portion is a front wheel support base portion on which a user places his / her feet when transferring, the front wheel support base portion being a base portion on a front end side to which a front wheel of the plurality of casters is attached; a rear wheel support base portion on a rear end side to which rear wheels of the plurality of casters are attached, the rear wheel support base portion being rotatable around a vertical direction at a rear end of the front wheel support base portion; the fork portion is attached to the rear wheel support base portion, A transfer assistance device characterized in that the rear wheel support base can be switched between a state in which a seating portion for a user to sit on can be attached / detached and a state in which the fork portion is inserted between the low floor portion and the floor by rotating around the vertical direction.

2. The front wheel support base portion comprises a frame body having a U-shape when viewed from above, the rear wheel support base portion is made of a rectangular frame body connected to the front wheel support base portion at each of left and right rear end surfaces thereof so as to be rotatable about a vertical direction, 2. The transfer assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the fork portion is fixed to a front end side of the rear wheel support base portion so as to extend perpendicularly to an inner surface of the rear wheel support base portion.

3. A first leg portion standing vertically upward on the front wheel support base portion; a rotation portion that rotatably connects a second leg portion different from the first leg portion at an upper end of the first leg portion; A chest support part connected to an upper end of the second leg part and capable of supporting a chest of a user; an armpit support part attached to the chest holding part and capable of supporting the armpits of a user from below; The transfer assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising:

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