Wheelchair fixing device

Abstract

To provide a small-sized wheelchair fixing device which fixes a wheelchair to a vehicle.SOLUTION: A wheelchair fixing device 1 comprises: a motor unit 20; a hook 30 which is turned into a fixation state of fixing a wheelchair in a fallen attitude and into a release state of releasing fixation of the wheelchair in a standing attitude; a transmission mechanism 40 which converts rotational force from the motor unit 20 into linear motion along a floor surface 103 to transmit the linear motion; a link mechanism 50 which can change the attitude of the hook 30 to the fallen attitude and the standing attitude on the basis of the linear motion; and a holding bracket 60 which includes a motor holding part 61 that holds the motor unit 20. The transmission mechanism 40 includes a gear 41 which rotates according to rotation of an output shaft 23 that outputs the rotational force in the motor unit 20. The gear 41 is provided within a range L5 to a holding height of a holding position H2 at which the motor holding part 61 holds the motor unit 20 from the floor surface 103 when viewed along a direction orthogonal to a shaft center of the output shaft 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wheelchair fixing device for fixing a wheelchair to a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when transporting a person sitting in a wheelchair by vehicle, a wheelchair fixing device for fixing the wheelchair to the vehicle has been used. As technologies related to such wheelchair fixing devices, for example, there are those described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 cited below.

[0003] The wheelchair fixing device described in Patent Document 1 has a fixing member having a stopper portion that abuts against a locked member of an intruding wheelchair to prevent its movement, and a hook portion that locks against the locked member in a state where its movement is prevented by the stopper portion. It has a movable member rotatably supported in a locking direction and an unlocking direction, which are directions intersecting the direction at the time of wheelchair intrusion, and a lock mechanism that holds the locked state of the movable member with respect to the locked member.

[0004] The wheelchair fixing device described in Patent Document 2 is provided with a hook device that can transition between a wheelchair waiting state in which a locked member of the wheelchair can be received and a locked state in which the locked member is locked when the wheelchair intrudes, and a lock mechanism provided in the hook device that allows the wheelchair waiting state of the hook device during unlocking and locks when the hook device transitions to the locked state.

[0005] The wheelchair fixing device described in Patent Document 3 includes a hook member, a lock member, and an intersection angle changing portion. The hook member has an engaging concave portion provided at the tip thereof so that a locked member of the wheelchair can be engaged, and the base end is swingably supported in the engaging direction and the reverse engaging direction, and between the base end and the engaging concave portion, it has a lock hole provided with an extended sliding contact surface. The lock member is provided so as to be movable with a linear reciprocating orbit, and is constantly biased so that the hook member can be swung in the engaging direction by pressing and sliding on the sliding contact surface. The intersection angle changing portion changes the intersection angle between the linear reciprocating orbit of the lock member with respect to the sliding contact line along the sliding contact surface, and according to the change of the intersection angle, it performs the transition between the locked state of locking the state in which the locked member of the wheelchair is engaged with the engaging concave portion of the hook member and the unlocked state.

[0006] The wheelchair fixing device described in Patent Document 4 has a hook member having a shape protruding upward from the floor surface of the installation object, and operates the hook member in such a manner that the fixing bar at the lower part of the wheelchair is locked when the wheelchair moves in a manner that the fixing bar hits the hook member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] The wheelchair fixing devices described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 are configured such that, in response to the entry of a wheelchair onto the vehicle cabin floor in a vehicle, a hook portion (a general term for the "hook portion" in Citation Document 1, the "hook device" in Citation Document 2, and the "hook member" in Citation Documents 3 and 4) latches onto a locked member of the wheelchair (a general term for the "locked member" in Citation Documents 1 to 3 and the "fixing bar" in Citation Document 4). Although it is conceivable to perform such latching using the power of a motor, for example, when a motor is applied to the wheelchair fixing devices described in Patent Documents 1 to 4, the size of the wheelchair fixing device increases.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a wheelchair fixing device that can be miniaturized even when a wheelchair is fixed using the power of a motor.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The characteristic configuration of the wheelchair fixing device according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a wheelchair fixing device for fixing a wheelchair to a vehicle, a motor unit having a motor, a hook that is in a fixed state for fixing the wheelchair in a lying posture with respect to the floor surface of the vehicle and is in a released state for releasing the fixation of the wheelchair in a standing posture with respect to the floor surface, a transmission mechanism that converts the rotational force from the motor unit into a linear motion along a reciprocating track along the floor surface and transmits it, a link mechanism that can change the posture of the hook between the lying posture and the standing posture based on the linear motion, a holding bracket having a motor holding portion for holding the motor unit, and the transmission mechanism has a gear that rotates in response to the rotation of an output shaft that outputs the rotational force in the motor unit, the gear is provided within a range from the floor surface to the holding height of the holding position where the motor holding portion holds the motor unit when viewed along a direction orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft.

[0011] According to the above-described characteristic configuration, since the gear included in the transmission mechanism is provided on the floor surface side rather than the motor unit that outputs power (rotational force) for performing such fixing and releasing of the wheelchair, the height of the wheelchair fixing device can be reduced, and miniaturization becomes possible.

[0012] Another characteristic configuration of the wheelchair fixing device according to the present invention is that the gear is provided in a state where at least a part thereof overlaps with the motor unit when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft.

[0013] According to the above-described characteristic configuration, in the plan view of the wheelchair fixing device, since at least a part of the gear is provided to overlap with the motor unit, it is possible to reduce the size compared to the case where the gear and the motor unit are not provided so as to overlap with each other.

[0014] Yet another characteristic configuration of the wheelchair fixing device according to the present invention further includes a plate-shaped base member fixed along the floor surface, the holding bracket is fixed to the base member, and the gear is provided between the base member and the holding bracket.

[0015] According to the above-described characteristic configuration, it is possible to easily fix the wheelchair fixing device along the floor surface of the vehicle. Further, since the gear is provided between the base member and the holding bracket, it is possible to reduce the size of the wheelchair fixing device.

[0016] Yet another characteristic configuration of the wheelchair fixing device according to the present invention is that the gear has a disc-shaped main body portion, a tooth portion formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion and engaging with the output shaft, and a guide portion formed by arcuately notching the main body portion coaxially with the rotation axis of the gear. The holding bracket projects toward the floor surface side and has a regulating member inserted through the guide portion. The length of the guide portion along the rotation direction of the gear is formed according to the amount of posture change between the lying posture and the standing posture by the hook.

[0017] According to the above-described characteristic configuration, since the regulating member can be held by the holding bracket, there is no need to separately provide a member for holding the regulating member. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wheelchair fixing device from becoming larger in size and increasing in cost. Further, since the driving of the motor can be regulated by the guide portion located close to the motor, compared with the case where the driving of the motor is regulated at a position far from the motor, the number of portions where force acts during regulation can be reduced, and it becomes possible to prevent the wheelchair fixing device from being damaged.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] According to the wheelchair fixing device according to the present invention, it is possible to fix a wheelchair to a vehicle. Hereinafter, the wheelchair fixing device 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a wheelchair 2 that can be fixed by the wheelchair fixing device 1. FIG. 2 shows an example of mounting the wheelchair fixing device 1 on a vehicle 100. Here, in the present embodiment, the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100 is defined as the first direction X, the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 100 is defined as the second direction Y, and the height direction of the vehicle 100 is defined as the third direction Z.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the wheelchair 2 has a seat portion 2A and an anchor bar 2B. A user 3 who uses the wheelchair 2 can sit on the seat portion 2A. On both the left and right sides of the seat portion 2A, there are provided armrest portions 2F on which the elbows of the user 3 sitting on the seat portion 2A can be placed. In front of the front wheels 2C, there is provided a footrest 2D on which the feet of the user 3 sitting on the seat portion 2A can be placed. The anchor bar 2B is provided below the seat portion 2A and extends along the width direction of the wheelchair 2 between the front wheels 2C and the rear wheels 2E. The anchor bar 2B is used when fixing the wheelchair 2 to the vehicle 100, and during the movement of the wheelchair 2, it is provided on the seat portion 2A side (that is, above the line connecting the lowermost ends of the front wheels 2C and the rear wheels 2E, respectively) so as not to interfere with the movement, with respect to the ground contact surfaces of the front wheels 2C and the rear wheels 2E, respectively.

[0022] According to the wheelchair fixing device 1, it is possible to fix the wheelchair 2 to the vehicle 100 with the user 3 sitting on the seat portion 2A of the wheelchair 2. Here, when mounting the wheelchair 2 on the vehicle 100, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, by a lift device 101 provided at the rear of the vehicle 100, the wheelchair 2 is lifted up to a predetermined height, and then the wheelchair 2 is moved from there into the vehicle compartment 102. The wheelchair fixing device 1 is used for fixing the wheelchair 2 when the lift device 101 lifts up the wheelchair 2 and for fixing the wheelchair 2 after the wheelchair 2 is moved into the vehicle compartment 102. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the wheelchair fixing device 1 is provided in each of the lift device 101 and the vehicle compartment 102. Incidentally, when mounting the wheelchair 2 on the vehicle compartment 102 from the side sliding door on the side of the vehicle 100, the wheelchair fixing device 1 may be provided in a lift device provided on the side of the vehicle 100.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wheelchair fixing device 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wheelchair fixing device 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a view showing the posture of the hook 30. FIG. 7 is a view showing the relationship between the gear 41 and the regulating member 55.

[0024] The base member 10 is formed in a plate shape and is fixed along the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the base member 10 is configured using a thin plate that is rectangular in plan view. The base member 10 is used to fix the wheelchair fixing device 1 to the vehicle 100. Here, as described above, in the present embodiment, the wheelchair fixing device 1 is provided in the lift device 101 and the passenger compartment 102 of the vehicle 100. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the base member 10 is fixed along the floor surface 104 of the lift device 101 and the floor surface 105 of the passenger compartment 102. The base member 10 may be fastened and fixed to the floor surface 104 of the lift device 101 and the floor surface 105 of the passenger compartment 102 respectively using bolts (not shown), or may be fixed via fixing members (not shown) separately provided on the floor surface 104 of the lift device 101 and the floor surface 105 of the passenger compartment 102. The base member 10 is preferably configured using, for example, a metal material to ensure strength. Hereinafter, when not distinguishing between the floor surface 104 of the lift device 101 and the floor surface 105 of the passenger compartment 102, it will be described as the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the motor unit 20 has a motor 21. The motor 21 drives a transmission mechanism 40 described later to realize the fixing of the wheelchair 2 by the wheelchair fixing device 1. The motor unit 20 of the present embodiment has an output gear 22 that fits onto the output shaft of the motor 21 and outputs (rotates and outputs) the driving force of the motor 21. The output gear 22 has a gear that meshes with a gear 41 described later on the side opposite to the portion that fits with the motor 21 in the third direction Z (lower end side), and an output shaft 23 at the lower end portion. In the present embodiment, the rotation axis of the motor 21 is provided along the third direction Z, and the output shaft 23 is also provided along the third direction Z.

[0026] The holding bracket 60 has a motor holding portion 61, a guide portion 62, and a connecting portion 63. The holding bracket 60 is provided along the first direction X. The holding bracket 60 is fastened and fixed to the base member 10 by bolts 64 on the rear side, front side, and central side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 along the first direction X in the holding bracket 60.

[0027] The motor holding portion 61 is provided in a state of being separated from the base member 10 along the third direction Z (floating from the base member 10) on the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 along the first direction X in the holding bracket 60. In the present embodiment, the motor holding portion 61 is configured to have a plane parallel to the XY plane supported by a pair of standing portions 66 that are erected from the base member 10 and have a plane parallel to the XZ plane. The motor holding portion 61 holds the motor unit 20 on the plane parallel to the XY plane. In the present embodiment, the motor unit 20 is fastened and fixed to the motor holding portion 61 by bolts 71.

[0028] The guide portion 62 is provided in a state of being separated from the base member 10 along the third direction Z (floating from the base member 10) on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 along the first direction X in the holding bracket 60. In the present embodiment, the guide portion 62 is configured to have a plane parallel to the XY plane supported by a pair of standing portions 67 that are erected from the base member 10 and have a plane parallel to the XZ plane. A slide groove 65 is provided in the guide portion 62 along the first direction X. The slide groove 65 is formed as an opening portion having a rectangular shape in plan view, but its shape is not limited to a rectangular shape as long as the transmission mechanism 40 can be guided along a predetermined path. The guide portion 62 guides the transmission mechanism 40 along a reciprocating orbit. The reciprocating orbit is an orbit that reciprocates when the slide portion 43 performs a linear motion. The guiding of the transmission mechanism 40 by the guide portion 62 will be described later.

[0029] The connecting portion 63 corresponds to the portion in the holding bracket 60 that connects the motor holding portion 61 and the guide portion 62. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 63 is configured to have a plane parallel to the XY plane. In the present embodiment, the motor holding portion 61, the connecting portion 63, and the guide portion 62 are integrally formed with each other in the portion having a plane parallel to the XY plane.

[0030] The hooks 30 are provided in a pair, one on the left and the other on the right, facing each other along the second direction Y. Hereinafter, the hook 30 on the left side when looking at the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 is referred to as the hook 30L, and the hook 30 on the right side when looking at the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 is referred to as the hook 30R. When the hook 30L and the hook 30R are not distinguished, they will be described as the hook 30. The hook 30 is formed using a thin plate having a parallelogram shape with rounded corners, and is provided such that the plane of this parallelogram is parallel to the XZ plane.

[0031] The hook 30 is rotatably supported with respect to a fixing member 11 fastened and fixed to the base member 10 via a shaft member 33 penetrating along the second direction Y on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 in the first direction X. This fixing member 11 is fastened and fixed to the base member 10 on the outer side in the width direction of the vehicle 100 along the second direction Y of the hook 30. The hook 30 is configured such that its posture can be changed between a lying posture and a standing posture by rotating about the shaft member 33 as the rotation axis.

[0032] The lying posture means a state of lying down with respect to the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100. When lying down with respect to the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100, the long sides facing each other in the thin plate having a parallelogram shape constituting the hook 30 are in a state parallel to the first direction X. Such a lying posture corresponds to the posture shown at A in FIG. 6.

[0033] The standing posture means a state of standing up with respect to the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100. When standing up with respect to the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100, the long sides facing each other in the thin plate having a parallelogram shape constituting the hook 30 are in a state of being separated from the base member 10 as they go from the front side to the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. Such a standing posture corresponds to the posture shown at B in FIG. 6.

[0034] The hook 30 is provided with a notch 35 on the side where the wheelchair 2 in the wheelchair fixing device 1 enters, that is, on the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, rather than the central part in the first direction X. The notch 35 is formed by cutting out a thin plate constituting the hook 30 from the long side on the lower side in the third direction Z to the upper side in the third direction Z in a state where the hook 30 is in a lying posture. On the back side of the opening in the notch 35, a locking portion 31 is provided which is cut out so as to extend at least toward the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 rather than the direction (third direction Z) in which the notch 35 extends in a state where the hook 30 is in a lying posture. The locking portion 31 and the notch 35 are provided in a state where the cut-out portions are continuous with each other.

[0035] In the lying posture, the opening portion in the notch 35 faces the base member 10 side, and the locking portion 31 (the opening direction of the opening portion of the locking portion 31) faces at least the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. In this lying posture, when the anchor bar 2B enters the notch 35, the locking portion 31 locks the anchor bar 2B, and the wheelchair 2 is fixed. Also, in this lying posture, since the locking portion 31 faces at least the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, the locking of the anchor bar 2B is not easily released.

[0036] In the standing position, the opening portion in the notch 35 is in a state of being separated from the base member 10, and the locking portion 31 faces the base member 10 side along the third direction Z. In this standing position, when the locking portion 31 locks the anchor bar 2B in the lying position, the locking is released and the anchor bar 2B is detached from the notch 35, resulting in a release state where the fixation of the wheelchair 2 is released. Further, in this standing position, when a force acts on the hook 30 from above to below in the third direction Z, the hook 30 is tilted toward the base member 10 according to the force, and is configured to automatically return to the original standing position when this force disappears. Thus, when the wheelchair 2 enters the wheelchair fixing device 1 from the rear side to the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 in the lying position, the hook 30 is temporarily pushed down along the third direction Z by the footrest 2D of the wheelchair 2, so that the entry of the wheelchair 2 is not hindered. Further, when the footrest 2D has moved (gone beyond) to the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 in the first direction X relative to the hook 30, it can automatically return to the original standing position and wait in a state of waiting to lock the locking portion 31 to the anchor bar 2B.

[0037] The transmission mechanism 40 converts the rotational force from the motor unit 20 into a linear motion along a reciprocating track along the floor surface 103 and transmits it to the link mechanism 50. The transmission mechanism 40 includes a gear 41, a conversion portion 42, a slide portion 43, and a convex portion 44.

[0038] The gear 41 rotates in response to the rotation of the output shaft 23 that outputs the rotational force in the motor unit 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the gear 41 has a main body portion 41A, a tooth portion 41B, and a guide portion 41C. The main body portion 41A corresponds to a disk-shaped flat plate. The main body portion 41A has a rotation shaft 41D inserted therethrough in the axial direction at the central portion in the radial direction. The tooth portion 41B is formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface 41E of the main body portion 41A and engages with the output shaft 23. In the present embodiment, a sector gear is used as the gear 41. For this reason, the tooth portion 41B is formed on a part of the outer peripheral surface 41E. The tooth portion 41B is provided so as to mesh with the tooth portion 23A provided on the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 23.

[0039] The guide portion 41C is formed by notching the main body portion 41A in an arc shape coaxially with the rotation axis 41X of the gear 41. The rotation axis 41X corresponds to the axis of the rotation shaft 41D. The length L1 of the guide portion 41C along the rotation direction of the gear 41 is formed according to the posture change amount L2 (see FIG. 6) between the fallen posture and the standing posture by the hook 30. That is, the length L1 of the guide portion 41C along the circumferential direction of the gear 41 is a length corresponding to the rotation range (rotation angle during rotation) in which the gear 41 can rotate, and is configured as an arc-shaped opening portion that opens from one side surface in the axial direction of the gear 41 to the other side surface in a plan view. The gear 41 is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 41D in a state where the rotation shaft 41D is orthogonal to the base member 10. Thereby, the rotational force from the motor unit 20 is input to the gear 41, and the gear 41 rotates about the rotation shaft 41D based on this rotation amount.

[0040] The conversion portion 42 converts the rotational force into a linear motion. In the present embodiment, the conversion portion 42 is formed in a long plate shape having a stepped portion 42C that forms a step in the third direction Z between the one end portion 42A supported by the gear 41 and the other end portion 42B supported by the slide portion 43. The one end portion 42A is rotatably supported by the main body portion 41A so as to have an axis parallel to the rotation axis 41X of the rotation shaft 41D of the gear 41. At this time, it is preferable that the one end portion 42A is supported on the outer peripheral surface 41E side of the axial end surface of the main body portion 41A. Thereby, the one end portion 42A of the conversion portion 42 rotates about the rotation axis 41X.

[0041] The other end portion 42B of the conversion unit 42 is supported by the slide portion 43 as described above. The slide portion 43 is provided with a convex portion 44 that protrudes downward in the third direction Z. At least a part of the convex portion 44 is inserted into the slide groove 65 of the guide portion 62. When one end portion 42A of the conversion unit 42 rotates by the gear 41, the other end portion 42B and the slide portion 43 perform a linear motion along a reciprocating track along the first direction X. That is, in FIG. 7, when the gear 41 rotates clockwise, the other end portion 42B and the slide portion 43 are pulled along the slide groove 65 so as to approach the gear 41, and when the gear 41 rotates counterclockwise, the other end portion 42B and the slide portion 43 are pushed out along the slide groove 65 so as to be separated from the gear 41. Thus, when a rotational motion is input at one end portion 42A of the conversion unit 42, a linear motion is performed at the other end portion 42B. Therefore, the guiding of the transmission mechanism 40 by the guide portion 62 is to slide and guide the convex portion 44 of the transmission mechanism 40 inserted into the slide groove 65 of the holding bracket 60 along the slide groove 65.

[0042] The rotational force of the motor unit 20 is input to the transmission mechanism 40 via the tooth portion 23A provided on the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 23 of the motor unit 20, and the input rotational force is converted into a linear motion via the gear 41, the conversion unit 42, and the slide portion 43 and transmitted to a link mechanism 50 described later.

[0043] The link mechanism 50 is configured to be able to change the posture of the hook 30 from a lying posture to a standing posture based on linear motion. The link mechanism 50 is provided across the slide portion 43 of the transmission mechanism 40 and the hook 30. In the present embodiment, the link mechanism 50 is composed of a columnar rod 51. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the hook 30 is formed with an opening portion 32 that is in a state along the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100 when the hook 30 is in the lying posture. Further, the fixing member 11 is formed with a guide groove 12 parallel to the first direction X. One end side of the rod 51 is inserted through the opening portion 32 of the hook 30L and the guide groove 12 of the fixing member 11 on the left side in the width direction of the vehicle 100, and the other end side is inserted through the opening portion 32 of the hook 30R and the guide groove 12 of the fixing member 11 on the right side in the width direction of the vehicle 100. Further, the rod 51 is supported by the slide portion 43 at the central portion in the axial direction.

[0044] The opening portion 32 is configured to gradually separate from the base member 10 along the third direction Z as it approaches the rear side in the traveling direction from the central portion in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 when the hook 30 is in the lying posture, and is configured to gradually separate from the base member 10 along the third direction Z as it approaches the front side in the traveling direction from the central portion in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the difference along the third direction Z on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 from the central portion in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 is configured to be smaller than the difference along the third direction Z on the rear side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 from the central portion in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. Thereby, when the hook 30 is in the lying posture and the rod 51 moves to the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, it becomes possible to automatically shift the hook 30 to the standing state.

[0045] Also, an auxiliary mechanism 52 is provided adjacent to the center side of the hook 30 in the second direction. The auxiliary mechanism 52 is provided adjacent to the central portion of the opening portion 32 in the first direction X. The auxiliary mechanism 52 includes a biasing member 53, a swing member 54, and a support member 59. The biasing member 53 is provided across the swing member 54 and the support member 59. As described above, when the rod 51 is pushed forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 in response to the rotation of the gear 41, the swing member 54 is pushed forward in the traveling direction by the rod 51. As a result, the support member 59 is pulled toward the hook 30 via the biasing member 53, and the support member 59 supports the hook 30 from the lower side in the third direction Z to assist in maintaining the standing posture. On the other hand, when the rod 51 is pulled rearward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 in response to the rotation of the gear 41, the support member 59 is pushed down toward the base member 10 in response to the transition of the hook 30 to the fallen posture. As a result, the swing member 54 is pulled toward the support member 59 side via the biasing member 53 and stands upright.

[0046] Thus, when the gear 41 is on one side within the movable range, the rod 51 is pulled toward the motor unit 20 by the slide portion 43, and when the gear 41 is on the other side within the movable range, the rod 51 is pushed out by the slide portion 43 to the side opposite to the motor unit 20 side. When the rod 51 is pulled toward the motor unit 20 side, it is located on one side of the opening portion 32 and positions the hook 30 in the fallen posture. When the rod 51 is pushed out to the side opposite to the motor unit 20 side, it is located on the other side of the opening portion 32 and positions the hook 30 in the standing posture. When in the standing posture, the auxiliary mechanism 52 assists the hook 30 from the lower side along the third direction Z, and the standing posture is maintained.

[0047] Here, in the present embodiment, the length L3 of the long side in the slide groove 65 is set to be longer than the distance by which one end 42A of the conversion unit 42 moves along the circumferential direction of the gear 41 within the range in which the gear 41 can rotate. The range in which the gear 41 can rotate is set according to the circumferential length L1 of the guide portion 41C. Therefore, the length L3 of the long side in the slide groove 65 is set to be longer than the circumferential length L1 of the guide portion 41C. Thereby, even when the convex portion 44 moves to one side and the other side along the reciprocating orbit in the slide groove 65, it is possible to prevent the convex portion 44 from contacting the end portions on one side and the other side along the reciprocating orbit in the slide groove 65, and damage to the convex portion 44 and the slide groove 65 can be prevented.

[0048] In the present embodiment, as described above, the output shaft 23 of the motor unit 20 and the rotation axis 41X of the gear 41 are provided along the third direction Z. That is, the output shaft 23 of the motor unit 20 and the rotation axis 41X of the gear 41 are provided in a parallel state with each other. Further, when viewed along the second direction Y, the gear 41 is provided in a state parallel to the motor holding portion 61 in the holding bracket 60.

[0049] In this state, the gear 41 is provided within the range from the floor surface 103 to the holding height of the holding position where the motor holding portion 61 holds the motor unit 20 when viewed along the direction orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft 23. Viewing along the direction orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft 23 means viewing the wheelchair fixing device 1 from the side as shown in FIG. 5. The floor surface 103 is the floor surface 104 of the lift device 101 of the vehicle 100 and the floor surface 105 of the passenger compartment 102. Assuming that position is H1 and the holding height of the holding position where the motor holding portion 61 holds the motor unit 20 is H2, the gear 41 is provided within the range L5 from H1 to H2. Particularly in the present embodiment, the wheelchair fixing device 1 is provided with the base member 10 along the floor surface 103, and the gear 41 is provided between the base member 10 and the holding bracket 60 (the motor holding portion 61 in the holding bracket 60).

[0050] Also, in the present embodiment, the gear 41 is provided in a state where at least a part thereof overlaps with the motor unit 20 when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft 23. "When viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft 23" means, as shown in FIG. 4, viewing the wheelchair fixing device 1 from above. "A state where at least a part thereof overlaps with the motor unit 20" means a state where at least a part of the gear 41 exists below the motor unit 20.

[0051] In the present embodiment, the holding bracket 60 has a regulating member 55. The regulating member 55 is provided to protrude toward the floor surface 103 side and is inserted into the guide portion 41C. The regulating member 55 is configured by using a rod-shaped member and is fixed in a state of protruding toward the floor surface 103 side and being inserted into the above-described guide portion 41C on the side of the holding bracket 60 facing the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100. The outer diameter of the regulating member 55 is configured to be smaller than the width along the radial direction of the gear 41 of the guide portion 41C. Thereby, when the gear 41 rotates, the guide portion 41C can rotate along the regulating member 55. Further, since the regulating member 55 is fixed to the holding bracket 60, it is possible to regulate the rotation of the guide portion 41C by the regulating member 55. Further, it is preferable that the regulating member 55 is supported by the base member 10. Thereby, even when the guide portion 41C of the gear 41 and the regulating member 55 come into contact with each other in response to the rotation of the gear 41, it is possible to ensure the strength so that the regulating member 55 does not bend.

[0052] The regulating member 55 is configured to reach the end in the rotational direction of the guide portion 41C before the convex portion 44 reaches the end in the sliding direction in the slide groove 65. That is, as described above, the length L3 of the long side in the slide groove 65 is set to be longer than the circumferential length L1 of the guide portion 41C. Thereby, even when the convex portion 44 moves to one side and the other side along the reciprocating track in the slide groove 65, it is possible to prevent the convex portion 44 from contacting the ends on one side and the other side along the reciprocating track in the slide groove 65. Thereby, since the driving of the motor unit 20 can be regulated by the guide portion 41C located close to the motor unit 20, compared with the case of regulating the driving of the motor unit 20 at a position far from the motor unit 20, the number of parts where force acts during regulation can be reduced, and breakage of the wheelchair fixing device 1 can be prevented.

[0053] Further, the holding bracket 60 holds the transmission mechanism 40 and the link mechanism 50. That is, in the present embodiment, the holding bracket 60 holds the slide portion 43 slidably. Further, the slide portion 43 holds the rod 51. Therefore, the holding bracket 60 holds the slide portion 43 and the rod 51.

[0054] By configuring the wheelchair fixing device 1 as described above, it is possible to achieve a compact configuration.

[0055] 〔Other Embodiments〕 (1) In the above embodiment, the wheelchair fixing device 1 has been described as being provided in each of the lift device 101 and the vehicle compartment 102. However, the wheelchair fixing device 1 may be provided in at least one of the lift device 101 and the vehicle compartment 102. Further, two or more wheelchair fixing devices 1 may be provided in the lift device 101 or the vehicle compartment 102.

[0056] (2) In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the gear 41 is provided in a state where at least a part thereof overlaps with the motor unit 20 when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft 23. As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 8(A), such a state is due to the fact that the outer diameter of the motor housing portion 24 that houses the motor 21 in the motor unit 20 is larger than the outer diameter of the output shaft 23. Therefore, the motor unit 20 and the gear 41 are in a state where at least a part thereof overlaps when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft 23.

[0057] For example, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 8(B), when the outer diameter of the motor housing portion 24 that houses the motor 21 in the motor unit 20 is equal to the outer diameter of the output shaft 23, the motor unit 20 and the gear 41 do not overlap with each other when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft 23. However, even in such a state, it is possible to configure the wheelchair fixing device 1.

[0058] Also, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 8(C), even when the outer diameter of the motor housing portion 24 that houses the motor 21 in the motor unit 20 is smaller than the outer diameter of the output shaft 23, the motor unit 20 and the gear 41 do not overlap with each other when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft 23. However, even in such a state, it is possible to configure the wheelchair fixing device 1.

[0059] Also, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 8(D), the motor housing portion 24 that houses the motor 21 in the motor unit 20 may be located at a position lower than the output shaft 23 along the third direction Z. In such a case, the motor unit 20 and the gear 41 are in a state where at least a part thereof overlaps when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft 23.

[0060] (3) In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the wheelchair fixing device 1 includes the plate-shaped base member 10 fixed along the floor surface 103. However, the wheelchair fixing device 1 can also be configured without including the base member 10. In this case, for example, it may be fixed to the floor surface 103 of the vehicle 100 via the holding bracket 60.

[0061] (4) In the above embodiment, the gear 41 was described as having a disk-shaped main body portion 41A, a tooth portion 41B formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface 41E of the main body portion 41A and engaging with the output shaft 23, and a guide portion 41C formed by notching in an arc shape coaxially with the rotation axis 41X of the gear 41 in the main body portion 41A. However, the gear 41 can also be configured without the guide portion 41C. In this case, it is preferable to provide a convex portion for restricting the restricting member 55 on the gear 41.

[0062] (5) In the above embodiment, the holding bracket 60 was described as holding the transmission mechanism 40 and the link mechanism 50. However, the holding bracket 60 can also be configured not to hold the transmission mechanism 40 and the link mechanism 50, or can be configured to hold at least one of them.

[0063] (6) In the above embodiment, the holding bracket 60 was described as having a guide portion 62 for guiding the transmission mechanism 40 along the reciprocating orbit. However, the holding bracket 60 can also be configured without the guide portion 62.

[0064] (7) In the above embodiment, the restricting member 55 was described as being configured to reach the end portion in the rotation direction of the guide portion 41C before the convex portion 44 reaches the end portion in the sliding direction in the slide groove 65. However, the restricting member 55 can also be configured to reach the end portion in the rotation direction of the guide portion 41C when the convex portion 44 reaches the end portion in the sliding direction in the slide groove 65, or can be configured to make the convex portion 44 reach the end portion in the sliding direction in the slide groove 65 before reaching the end portion in the rotation direction of the guide portion 41C.

[0065] (8) In the above embodiment, the wheelchair 2 was described as having the anchor bar 2B provided in a state of extending along the width direction of the wheelchair 2 below the seat portion 2A. However, the anchor bar 2B can also be shared with, for example, the footrest 2D or the axle.

[0066] (9) In the above embodiment, the expression "orthogonal" and similar expressions to A do not refer only to the direction that is completely orthogonal to A, but include the direction that is substantially orthogonal to A. Also, in this embodiment, the expression "parallel" and similar expressions to B do not refer only to the direction that is completely parallel to B, but include the direction that is substantially parallel to B. Further, in this embodiment, the expression "shape" of C and similar expressions do not refer only to the complete C shape, but include the shape that reminds of the C shape visually (substantially C shape).

Industrial Applicability

[0067] The present invention can be used for a wheelchair fixing device that fixes a wheelchair to a vehicle.

Explanation of Signs

[0068] 1: Wheelchair fixing device 2: Wheelchair 3: User 10: Base member 20: Motor unit 21: Motor 23: Output shaft 30: Hook 40: Transmission mechanism 41: Gear 41A: Body part 41B: Tooth part 41C: Guide part 41E: Outer peripheral surface 41X: Rotation axis center 50: Link mechanism 55: Regulation member 60: Holding bracket 61: Motor holding part 100: Vehicle 103: Floor surface H2: Holding height L1: Length L2: Posture change amount L5: Range

Claims

1. A wheelchair fixing device for fixing a wheelchair to a vehicle, comprising a motor unit having a motor, a hook that is in a fixed state of fixing the wheelchair in a lying posture with respect to the floor surface of the vehicle and is in a released state of releasing the fixing of the wheelchair in a standing posture with respect to the floor surface, a transmission mechanism that converts the rotational force from the motor unit into a linear motion along a reciprocating orbit along the floor surface and transmits it, a link mechanism capable of changing the posture of the hook between the lying posture and the standing posture based on the linear motion, and a holding bracket having a motor holding portion for holding the motor unit, The transmission mechanism has a gear that rotates in response to the rotation of an output shaft that outputs the rotational force in the motor unit, The gear is provided within a range from the floor surface to the holding height of the holding position where the motor holding portion holds the motor unit when viewed along a direction orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft. A wheelchair fixing device.

2. The wheelchair fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the gear is provided in a state where at least a part thereof overlaps with the motor unit when viewed along a direction parallel to the axis of the output shaft.

3. further comprising a plate-shaped base member fixed along the floor surface, The holding bracket is fixed to the base member, The wheelchair fixing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gear is provided between the base member and the holding bracket.

4. The gear has a disk-shaped main body portion, a tooth portion formed on at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion and engaged with the output shaft, and a guide portion formed by arcuately notching the main body portion coaxially with the rotation axis of the gear. The holding bracket has a regulating member that protrudes toward the floor surface side and is inserted into the guide portion. The wheelchair fixing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a length of the guide portion along a rotation direction of the gear is formed according to an amount of posture change between the fallen posture and the standing posture by the hook.

5. The wheelchair fixing device according to claim 4, wherein the holding bracket holds the transmission mechanism and the link mechanism.

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