Lifting unit

Abstract

To provide a convenient elevation unit.SOLUTION: An elevation unit includes: a housing; a motor arranged inside the housing; a belt where a proximal end side is connected to the motor and a distal end side is projected from the housing; a detection section; a speaker for reporting information by voice based on a detection result detected by the detection section; and a control section for controlling the voice to be issued from the speaker.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a lift unit. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Lifting units that assist the movement of physically disabled people and the like are known to provide a warning by lighting a lamp or sounding a buzzer when a malfunction occurs in the device or part (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-111112 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Warnings such as lights flashing or buzzers may not immediately explain what kind of problem has occurred with the lifting unit.

[0005] It is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a lifting unit that is easy to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The lifting unit of the embodiment includes a housing, a motor provided inside the housing, a belt whose base end is connected to the motor and whose tip end protrudes from the housing, a detection unit, a speaker that reports information by voice based on the detection results detected by the detection unit, and a control unit that controls the voice generated from the speaker. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a lifting unit that is easy to use can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a lifting device having a lifting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is used on a bed. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an arm of the lifting device in FIG. 1 has been rotated. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical system of the lifting unit. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart showing a control process when a user is lifted. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart showing a control process when a belt replacement is notified. [Figure 7] 13 is a table showing an example of the contents to be notified when the lifting unit is normal. [Figure 8] 13 is a table showing an example of the contents to be notified when a malfunction occurs in the lifting unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a case where a lifting unit according to a modified example of the present invention is used on a rail. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical system of the lifting unit. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart showing a control process when reporting a remaining battery capacity. [Figure 12] 11 is a table showing an example of notification content regarding a battery. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A lifting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a lifting device having a lifting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is used on a bed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an arm of the lifting device in FIG. 1 has been rotated. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the lifting unit. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical system of the lifting unit. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the control process when a user is lifted. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a control process when notifying the user of belt replacement. FIG. 7 is a table showing an example of the contents to be notified when the lifting unit is normal. FIG. 8 is a table showing an example of the contents of a notification when a malfunction occurs in the lifting unit.

[0010] The bed 100 shown in Fig. 1 is an electric bed that can be used in, for example, nursing homes, hospitals, and private homes, and can electrically adjust the backrest, height, etc. Note that the bed 100 is not limited to an electric bed. In the bed 100 shown in Fig. 1, the diagonally upper left side in Fig. 1 is the head side, and the diagonally lower right side in Fig. 1 is the foot side. In this embodiment, the direction between the head side and the foot side is the longitudinal direction of the bed 100, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the up-down direction of the bed 100 is the transverse direction of the bed 100.

[0011] Next, the lifting device 10 will be described.

[0012] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the lifting device 10 is attached to a bed 100. The lifting device 10 lifts the user when transferring the user from the bed 100 to a wheelchair or the like, thereby reducing the burden on the caregiver. The lifting device 10 can be disposed on the head side or foot side of the bed 100. In this example, the lifting device 10 is disposed on the head side of the bed 100. The lifting device 10 includes a pillar portion 20, an arm 30, a leg portion 40, and a lifting unit 50.

[0013] The pillar 20 is located on one side (head side) of the bed 100 in the longitudinal direction and extends in the vertical direction. The arm 30 extends from the upper end of the pillar 20 toward the upper side of the bed 100. The arm 30 is rotatable between an upper position of the bed 100 (position in FIG. 1) and one side position in the lateral direction of the bed 100 (position in FIG. 2). In this case, the one side position in the lateral direction of the bed 100 is a position where a user of the bed 100 transfers to a wheelchair or the like. In other words, the one side position in the lateral direction of the bed 100 is a side where a caregiver cares for the user. The other side in the lateral direction of the bed 100 is, for example, a wall of a room in which the bed 100 is placed.

[0014] The legs 40 are located below the bed 100 and are provided at the lower ends of the pillars 20. The legs 40 prevent the lifting device 10 from floating up or shifting when a user is lifted by the lifting unit 50. For this reason, the legs 40 of the lifting device 10 are located below the bed 100 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the bed 100.

[0015] The auxiliary frame 45 extends toward one side in the short direction of the bed 100. The auxiliary frame 45 can stabilize the lifting device 10 when the arm 30 is rotated to one side position (the state in FIG. 2).

[0016] On the rear side of the bed 102 of the bed 100, there are provided an actuator 104 for raising and lowering the bed 102 and for raising and lowering the bed 102, and a bed control device 106 (bed controller) for controlling the actuator 104. As shown in Fig. 4, the bed control device 106 is connected to the control unit 59 of the lifting unit 50 by a cable.

[0017] In this case, the remote control 65 of the lifting unit 50 is provided with a button for operating the bed 100 in addition to a button for operating the lifting unit 50. This allows the bed 100 to be operated by operating the remote control 65 of the lifting unit 50. Note that the bed control device 106 may be connected to a dedicated remote control for the bed 100 (not shown) instead of the remote control 65 of the lifting unit 50.

[0018] Next, the lifting unit 50 will be described.

[0019] The lifting unit 50 is provided on the tip side of the arm 30. The lifting unit 50 is provided, for example, in a detachable manner on the arm 30. The lifting unit 50 is for hoisting up a user of the bed 100. The lifting unit 50 includes a housing 51, a motor 55, a belt 56, a detector 57, a speaker 58, and a controller 59.

[0020] The housing 51 is, for example, a box having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in Fig. 3, a protrusion 51b to be attached to the arm 30 is provided on an upper surface 51a of the housing 51. A connection portion 52 to which a remote control 65 for operating the motor 55 is connected is provided on a lower surface 51c of the housing 51.

[0021] The emergency stop lever 53 is provided on the bottom surface 51c of the housing 51. The emergency stop lever 53 cuts off the power supplied to the motor 55. The emergency stop lever 53 forcibly stops the operation of the motor 55 when it is operated (pulled). A string-like object may be attached to the emergency stop lever 53 to make it easier to operate (pull). After the forcible stop, pressing the emergency stop lever returns the motor to its normal state.

[0022] If the emergency stop lever 53 is further operated (pulled further), it can be put into an emergency lowering function state, which allows the hanger 67, described below, to be lowered. The emergency lowering function can be used, for example, when the remote control 65 or the like breaks down when a user needs to be removed. That is, the emergency lowering function allows the hanger 67 to be lowered using the load applied to the hanger 67. Then, if the emergency stop lever 53 is released, it returns to the emergency stop state, and the hanger 67 can be stopped.

[0023] The panel switch 54 (hereinafter referred to as panel SW54) is provided on the housing 51. In this example, the panel SW54 is provided on the bottom surface 51c of the housing 51. The panel SW54 may be provided on the side surface of the housing 51, etc. The panel SW54 is provided with a power-on button, an up button and a down button for operating the motor 55, a confirmation button for confirming the accumulated lifting and lowering distance of the belt 56, a volume button for adjusting the speaker volume, etc.

[0024] The motor 55 is provided inside the housing 51. The motor 55 is operated by operating the remote control 65 or the panel switch 54. The motor 55 is connected to the control unit 59, and the rotation speed and rotation direction of the motor 55 are controlled by the control unit 59. The motor 55 has a rotating shaft (not shown) and a pulley (not shown) provided on the rotating shaft. The motor 55 winds up the belt 56 by rotating the rotating shaft forward, for example, and stretches the belt 56 by rotating the rotating shaft in the reverse direction.

[0025] The base end of the belt 56 is connected to the motor 55, and the tip end protrudes from the bottom surface 51c of the housing 51. The base end of the belt 56 is wound around, for example, a pulley provided on the rotation shaft of the motor 55. A hanger attachment portion 56a to which a hanger 67 is attached is provided at the tip of the belt 56. The length of the belt 56 protruding from the bottom of the housing 51 changes due to the operation of the motor 55.

[0026] The detection unit 57 is provided inside the housing 51. The detection unit 57 is made up of a plurality of sensors that detect various states of the lifting unit 50 and a timer that measures time. The detection unit 57 has, for example, a current sensor that detects the current value of the motor 55, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the motor 55, a transmissive photosensor or infrared sensor that detects the bending or inclination of the belt 56, a potentiometer or hall sensor that detects the lifting distance of the belt 56, a voltage sensor that detects the remaining charge of the battery 71, a timer that detects the operating time, and a real-time clock that detects the inspection time.

[0027] The speaker 58 is provided inside the housing 51. The speaker 58 notifies information based on various states of the lifting unit 50 by voice, based on the detection results detected by the detection section 57. The speaker 58 is connected to the control section 59, and the generated voice is controlled by the control section 59. A hole 51c1 is formed in the bottom surface section 51c of the housing 51 so that the voice generated from the speaker 58 can be easily heard outside the housing 51. The speaker 58 is located inside the housing 51, and provided at a position corresponding to the hole 51c1.

[0028] The speaker 58 notifies information about the lifting unit 50 in, for example, Japanese. The information about the lifting unit 50 includes, for example, operation information about the motor 55, maintenance information, and connection information about the remote control 65, and is intended to be recognized by a caregiver or a user. Note that the speaker 58 may notify information about the lifting unit 50 in any language other than Japanese, such as English or Chinese, and the notifying language may be switchable.

[0029] The speaker 58 notifies information on both normal and faulty states by voice. To this end, a table (voice table) for normal notification as shown in Fig. 7 and a table (voice table) for faulty states (warnings) as shown in Fig. 8 are stored in the memory of the speaker 58. The speaker 58 selects notification content from the voice table based on a command signal transmitted from the control unit 59 and issues the notification content. Note that, although the voice tables are divided into normal notifications and warnings in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, these may be combined into one table, or tables may be divided for each state.

[0030] The states, audio content, and operation control of motor 55 shown in the tables of Figures 7 and 8 are merely examples. A part of the tables shown in Figures 7 and 8 may be used, or audio content and motor control based on other states may be added. That is, speaker 58 notifies information on the contents detected by detection unit 57 by voice.

[0031] The control unit 59 is provided inside the housing 51. Power is supplied to the control unit 59 from a power source 62 via an AC adapter 60. The control unit 59 is connected to the speaker 58 and controls the sound generated from the speaker 58. The control unit 59 is connected to the detection unit 57 and transmits a command signal to the speaker 58 based on the detection result (detection signal) detected by the detection unit 57. A control program for determining the sound to be generated from the speaker 58 is stored in the storage unit 59a of the control unit 59. The speaker 58 generates the sound based on the command signal transmitted from the control unit 59.

[0032] The control unit 59 is also connected to the panel SW 54, the remote control 65, and the motor 55. The control unit 59 operates the motor 55 according to a command signal transmitted from the panel SW 54 or the remote control 65. The control unit 59 also transmits a command signal to a bed control device 106 of the bed 100 based on a command signal transmitted from, for example, the remote control 65. The bed control device 106 operates the actuator 104 based on the received command signal. The control unit that controls the motor 55 and the actuator 104 of the bed 100 may be separate from the control unit 59 that controls the speaker 58.

[0033] The remote control 65 is connected to the connection unit 52 of the housing 51. The remote control 65 is a hand switch that is operated by a caregiver or the like to operate the lifting unit 50 and the bed 100. The control unit 59 monitors whether the remote control 65 is connected to the connection unit 52. For example, when the remote control 65 is connected to the connection unit 52, a connection signal (ON signal) is transmitted from the connection unit 52 to the control unit 59.

[0034] The hanger 67 is attached to a hanger attachment portion 56a provided at the tip (lower end) of the belt 56. A sling sheet (not shown) for suspending the user of the bed 100 is attached to the hanger 67. The caregiver can raise and lower the hanger 67 by operating the remote control 65. For example, by rotating the arm 30 while the user on the bed 100 is suspended, the user can be easily transferred to a wheelchair or the like.

[0035] The lifting unit 50 according to this embodiment has the configuration as described above. Next, the control process of the sound emitted from the speaker 58 when the user is lifted by the lifting unit 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, each step is indicated by "S".

[0036] First, in S1, the power is turned on by operating the power button of the panel switch 54. This makes the motor 55 of the lifting unit 50 operable.

[0037] In S2, for example, the up button of the remote control 65 is operated (ON). As a result, the control unit 59 receives a command signal (up signal) based on the up movement transmitted from the remote control 65.

[0038] In S3, the motor 55 starts to operate. That is, when the control unit 59 receives the lift signal, the control unit 59 supplies the motor 55 with power to rotate the motor 55 in the forward direction. As a result, the motor 55 lifts the hanger 67 by winding up the belt 56.

[0039] In S4, the motor current value is detected. That is, the control unit 59 receives the motor current value detected by the detection unit 57 (current sensor). The control unit 59 monitors the motor current value flowing through the motor 55 when, for example, the up button or the down button is operated. When the weight of the user suspended from the sling sheet increases, the load on the motor 55 increases, and the motor current value increases.

[0040] In S5, it is determined whether the motor current value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. This threshold value is set based on the load capacity of motor 55 and belt 56, and is stored in advance in memory unit 59a of control unit 59. Control unit 59 determines whether the load applied to belt 56 is equal to or greater than the limit based on the motor current value detected by detection unit 57. If S5 returns "NO", that is, if it is determined that the motor current value is less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to S6. On the other hand, if S5 returns "YES", that is, if it is determined that the motor current value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to S7.

[0041] In S6, a voice announcement is executed. That is, the control unit 59 transmits a command signal (normal signal) to the speaker 58 to inform that the load applied to the lifting unit 50 is less than the withstand load and that the motor 55 is operating normally. Based on the received normal signal, the speaker 58 issues a voice message such as "Operating under normal load," and the process ends.

[0042] This allows the caregiver operating the remote control 65 and the user being lifted to audibly recognize that the lifting unit 50 is operating normally. For example, the caregiver can know that the hanger 67 of the lifting unit 50 is rising normally without taking his or her eyes off the user.

[0043] In S7, winding by the motor 55 is prohibited (ascent prohibited). That is, when the control unit 59 detects a load equal to or greater than the load capacity of the lifting unit 50, it prohibits the lifting operation by the motor 55. As a result, the control unit 59 does not operate the motor 55 even if the ascent button on the remote control 65 is operated.

[0044] In S8, a voice announcement warning is executed. That is, the control unit 59 transmits a command signal (warning signal) to the speaker 58 to inform that the load applied to the lifting unit 50 is greater than the load capacity and the motor 55 has been brought to an emergency stop. Based on the received warning signal, the speaker 58 issues a voice message such as "Operation has been stopped due to a large load," and the process ends.

[0045] This allows the caregiver operating the remote control 65 and the user being lifted to audibly recognize that the operation of the motor 55 has stopped due to a malfunction of the lifting unit 50. In this case, the speaker 58 issues a voice message explaining the reason "because the load is too heavy." This allows the caregiver to quickly understand the reason why the lifting operation has stopped. Note that in S7, the control unit 59 allows the motor 55 to perform the lowering operation (permits descent). This allows the caregiver to operate the descent button on the remote control 65 to loosen the belt 56 that is tensioning the user while suspending the user.

[0046] Next, a control process for issuing a voice message about the life of the belt 56 (when to replace the belt) from the speaker 58 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In Fig. 6, each step is indicated by "S".

[0047] First, in S11, the power is turned on by operating the power button of the panel switch 54. This makes the motor 55 of the lifting unit 50 operable.

[0048] In S12, the integrated lifting distance is acquired. That is, the control unit 59 acquires the integrated lifting distance of the belt 56 stored in the memory unit 59a. The lifting distance of the belt 56 can be calculated, for example, by detecting the number of rotations and the rotation angle of the motor 55 with the detection unit 57. The position of the belt 56 may be detected by a sensor to directly calculate the moving distance. Also, the lifting distance when the user is being lifted (when the belt 56 is under load) may be calculated as the effective lifting distance. For example, the control unit 59 stores the lifting distance in the memory unit 59a for each lifting operation of the belt 56, and calculates the integrated lifting distance and stores it in the memory unit 59a.

[0049] In S13, it is determined whether the accumulated ascending / descending distance is equal to or greater than a first accumulation threshold. The first accumulation threshold is, for example, a value corresponding to the time to replace the belt 56, and is stored in advance in the storage unit 59a. The first accumulation threshold is, for example, a value (for example, 9950 m) shorter than a second accumulation threshold (for example, 10000 m) set as the life of the belt 56. The control unit 59 determines the time to replace the belt 56 based on the accumulated ascending / descending distance stored in the storage unit 59a.

[0050] If S13 returns "NO", that is, if it is determined that the accumulated distance ascended or descended is less than the first accumulation threshold, the process ends. In this case, the current accumulated distance ascended or descended may be announced by voice through the speaker 58. On the other hand, if S13 returns "YES", that is, if it is determined that the accumulated distance ascended or descended is equal to or greater than the first accumulation threshold, the process proceeds to S14.

[0051] In S14, it is determined whether the accumulated ascending / descending distance is equal to or greater than a second accumulation threshold. The second accumulation threshold is, for example, a value corresponding to the life of belt 56, and is stored in advance in memory unit 59a. The second accumulation threshold is, for example, 10,000 m. Control unit 59 determines the life of belt 56 based on the accumulated ascending / descending distance stored in memory unit 59a.

[0052] If S14 returns "NO," i.e., if it is determined that the accumulated distance traveled is less than the second cumulative threshold, the process proceeds to S15. On the other hand, if S14 returns "YES," i.e., if it is determined that the accumulated distance traveled is equal to or greater than the second cumulative threshold, the process proceeds to S16.

[0053] In S15, a voice announcement warning is executed. That is, the control unit 59 transmits a command signal (warning signal) to the speaker 58 to notify that the accumulated ascending / descending distance of the belt 56 is equal to or greater than the first accumulated threshold value and that it is time to replace the belt 56. Based on the received warning signal, the speaker 58 issues a voice message such as "Please replace the belt," and the process ends.

[0054] This allows the caregiver and the user to recognize that the belt 56 needs to be replaced. In this case, the accumulated lifting distance of the belt 56 has not reached the second accumulated threshold value, which is the end of its life. Therefore, the lifting unit 50 issues a voice announcement warning, but does not impose any usage restrictions (such as prohibiting the operation of the motor 55). This allows the user to have time to prepare a new belt 56 while still using the lifting unit 50, making the lifting unit 50 easy to use.

[0055] In S16, winding by motor 55 is prohibited (lifting prohibited). That is, when belt 56 has reached the end of its life, control unit 59 prohibits lifting operation by motor 55 and proceeds to S15. In this case, control unit 59 does not operate motor 55 even if the lift button on remote control 65 is operated.

[0056] This allows the caregiver and the user to recognize that belt 56 has reached the end of its life. When belt 56 has reached the end of its life, winding by motor 55 is prohibited and a voice announcement warning is given, thereby improving the safety of lifting unit 50. In addition, in S16, control unit 59 permits the lowering operation by motor 55 (permits lowering). This allows the caregiver to stretch belt 56 by operating the lowering button on remote control 65 when replacing belt 56.

[0057] In this example, the voice announcement warnings for when it is time to replace the belt 56 and when it has reached the end of its life are the same, but they may be different voice announcement warnings. For example, when the belt 56 has reached the end of its life, a voice announcement warning such as "The belt has reached the end of its life. Winding up is prohibited" may be issued from the speaker 58. In addition, in this example, a case in which two thresholds, the first and second accumulation thresholds, are used, is described as an example, but the number of thresholds may be one, or three or more thresholds may be used.

[0058] Next, FIGS. 9 to 12 show a lifting unit according to a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a front view showing a case where a lifting unit according to a modified example of the present invention is used on a rail. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the electrical system of the lifting unit. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a control process when the remaining battery capacity is notified. 12 is a table showing an example of the notification content related to the battery. The table (voice table) shown in FIG.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, the lifting unit 50 has been described by taking as an example the case where it is used for the bed 100 while being connected to the power source 62 by a cable. However, as in the modification shown in FIG. 9, the lifting unit 70 may be attached to a trolley 202 slidable on a rail 201 provided on the ceiling 200 of the room. The lifting unit 70 is used, for example, when the user takes a bath or uses the toilet. Further, the lifting unit 70 may be used for the user's walking training (rehabilitation) or the like.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 10, the lifting unit 70 includes a battery 71. The battery 71 is provided inside the housing 51 and supplies power to the motor 55 via the control unit 59. The lifting unit 70 can be used by charging the battery 71.

[0061] Next, the control process when the remaining amount of the battery 71 is notified by voice from the speaker 58 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, each step is indicated by "S".

[0062] First, in S21, the power is turned on by operating the power-on button of the panel SW54.

[0063] In the next S22, the battery voltage is detected. That is, the control unit 59 receives the battery voltage detected by the detection unit 57 (voltage sensor). The control unit 59 monitors, for example, the terminal voltage of the battery 71. The control unit 59 can calculate the remaining amount from the terminal voltage of the battery 71.

[0064] In S23, it is determined whether the remaining amount of the battery is less than or equal to the first remaining amount threshold value. The first remaining amount threshold value is set, for example, to a value when the remaining amount of the battery 71 is 50% or less, and is stored in advance in the storage unit 59a. The first remaining amount threshold value is, for example, 20 percent. And when it is "NO" in S23, that is, when the remaining amount of the battery is larger than the first remaining amount threshold value, the process proceeds to S24. On the other hand, when it is "YES" in S23, that is, when the remaining amount of the battery is less than or equal to the first remaining amount threshold value, the process proceeds to S25.

[0065] In S24, a voice announcement is executed. That is, the control unit 59 transmits a command signal to the speaker 58 to notify the remaining charge of the battery 71. Based on the received command signal, the speaker 58 issues a voice message such as "The battery is at XX% remaining," and the process ends.

[0066] This allows the caregiver and the user to know the current remaining amount by voice when the power is turned on. Therefore, the lift unit 70 can be made easy to use.

[0067] In S25, it is determined whether the remaining battery capacity is equal to or less than a second remaining capacity threshold. The second remaining capacity threshold is set to a value smaller than the first remaining capacity threshold and is stored in advance in the storage unit 59a. The second remaining capacity threshold is, for example, 5%. Then, if the result of S25 is "NO", that is, the remaining battery capacity is greater than the second remaining capacity threshold, the process proceeds to S26. On the other hand, if the result of S25 is "YES", that is, the remaining battery capacity is equal to or less than the second remaining capacity threshold, the process proceeds to S27.

[0068] In S26, a voice announcement warning is executed. That is, the control unit 59 transmits a command signal to the speaker 58 to notify that the remaining charge of the battery 71 is low. Based on the received command signal, the speaker 58 issues a voice message such as "The battery is low. Please charge it as soon as possible," and the process ends.

[0069] This allows the caregiver and the user to recognize that the remaining charge of the battery 71 is low when the power is turned on, and therefore makes it possible to prevent forgetting to charge the battery 71.

[0070] In S27, winding by the motor 55 is prohibited (lifting prohibited). That is, when the remaining charge of the battery 71 is equal to or less than the second remaining charge threshold, the control unit 59 prohibits the lifting operation by the motor 55 and proceeds to S28. In this case, the control unit 59 does not operate the motor 55 even if the lift button on the remote control 65 is operated.

[0071] In S28, a voice announcement warning is executed. That is, the control unit 59 transmits a command signal to the speaker 58 to notify that the remaining charge of the battery 71 is exhausted. Based on the received command signal, the speaker 58 issues a voice message such as "The battery is exhausted. Please charge it," and the process ends.

[0072] This allows the caregiver and the user to recognize through the voice that they must immediately charge the lifting unit 70. Also, when the remaining charge of the battery 71 is equal to or less than the second remaining charge threshold, the lifting operation by the motor 55 is prohibited. This makes it possible to prevent the motor 55 from running out of charge and stopping while the lifting unit 70 is in use, for example.

[0073] Lifting units 50, 70 according to an embodiment of the present invention include a housing 51, a motor 55 provided inside the housing 51, a belt 56 connected at its base end to the motor 55 and having a tip end protruding from the housing 51, a detection unit 57, a speaker 58 that notifies information by voice, and a control unit 59 that controls the voice generated from the speaker 58.

[0074] The status of the lifting units 50, 70 can be recognized by voice, making it easier to grasp the operating status and maintenance status, improving usability. Also, for example, if a malfunction occurs, the reason for the malfunction can be recognized immediately without referring to an instruction manual, so that the malfunction can be dealt with promptly.

[0075] The speaker 58 also reports both normal and faulty states by voice, allowing the caregiver or user to know that the lifting units 50, 70 are operating normally, for example, providing a sense of security.

[0076] Furthermore, if a malfunction occurs, the operation of the motor 55 is controlled based on the details of the malfunction. For example, as in the control process of Fig. 5 described above, in the case of an overweight load, the raising operation of the belt 56 by the motor 55 is prohibited, and the lowering operation of the belt 56 by the motor 55 is permitted. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8, if an internal failure occurs in the lifting unit 50, 70, the operation of the motor 55 is prohibited (not allowed). As a result, the operation of the motor 55 is controlled in accordance with the details of the malfunction (abnormality), and therefore the lifting unit 50, 70 can be made to be safe and easy to use.

[0077] Furthermore, when the load applied to the belt 56 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the motor 55 is prohibited from lifting the belt 56. This makes it possible to improve the safety of the lifting units 50, 70.

[0078] Furthermore, when the cumulative lifting distance of the belt 56 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the motor 55 is prohibited from lifting the belt 56. This makes it possible to improve the safety of the lifting units 50, 70.

[0079] In addition, the lifting unit 70 further includes a battery 71 that is provided inside the housing 51 and supplies power to the motor 55, and when the remaining charge of the battery 71 is equal to or lower than a threshold, the motor 55 is prohibited from lifting the belt 56. This improves the safety of the lifting unit 70.

[0080] In the above-described embodiment, the lifting device 10 is attached to the bed 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a lifting unit provided on a mobile lifting device having casters on the legs.

[0081] The above-described embodiments are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, the present invention also includes embodiments in which some components are added, deleted, or modified in the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10 Lifting device 20 Pillar section 30 Arm 40 Legs 45 Auxiliary Frame 50 Lifting unit 51 Case 51a Top part 51b Protrusion 51c Bottom part 52 Connection 53 Emergency stop lever 54 Panel Switch 55 Motor 56 Belt 56a Hanger attachment part 57 Detection section 58 Speaker 59 Control section 59a Storage section 60 AC adapter 62 Power supply 65 Remote Control 67 Hanger 70 Lifting unit 71 Battery 100 Beds 102 Bed 104 Actuator 106 Bed control device 200 Ceiling 201 Rail 202 Trolley

Claims

1. A housing and A motor provided inside the housing; a belt having a base end connected to the motor and a tip end protruding from the housing; A detection unit for detecting a state of the lifting unit; a speaker that notifies information based on a state of the lifting unit by voice based on a detection result detected by the detection unit; a storage unit that stores a voice table relating to the information to be notified by the voice; a control unit that selects the information from the voice table and controls the voice generated from the speaker; Equipped with the information includes at least one of operation information of the motor, lift distance information of the belt, and battery status information; The storage unit stores a threshold value for determining a normal state of the lifting unit, A lift unit, characterized in that when the control unit determines that the state of the lift unit is normal based on the threshold value, the information notified from the speaker is information regarding the normal state.

2. 2. The lifting unit according to claim 1, wherein the speaker issues audio notification of both normal and faulty conditions.

3. 3. The lifting unit according to claim 1, wherein, when a malfunction occurs, the operation of the motor is controlled based on the nature of the malfunction.

4. 4. The lifting unit according to claim 1, wherein when a load applied to the belt is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the motor is prohibited from lifting the belt.

5. 5. The lifting unit according to claim 1, wherein when an accumulated lifting distance of the belt is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the motor is prohibited from lifting the belt.

6. a battery provided inside the housing and supplying power to the motor; the information includes status information of the battery; 6. The lifting unit according to claim 1, wherein when the remaining charge of the battery is equal to or lower than a threshold, the motor is prohibited from lifting the belt.

7. 7. The lifting unit according to claim 1, wherein the voice table has a plurality of voice contents linked to information based on the detection result.

8. 8. The lifting unit according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit has a plurality of voice tables.

9. 9. The lifting unit according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of sound tables are classified according to the state of the detection result.

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